Seeing as no-one seems to read/post in the Bora forum and as I need answers by the morning, please can anyone help me with these questions that I originally posted in there?
Stella, first mistake is taking a 150k mile car to VW. Honestly, they will be charging you new car prices/labour on a car worth 1/10th of a new car. Anyway, yes it will have a cat, not sure on the PD engine (is it a PD? you dont give engine/model) with my vectra the cat is part of the exhaust manifold/turbo arrangement. Is the power better when the temp guage works? this would tell us if that is what was causing loss of power wouldnt it? I personally wouldn't change the water pump if its working but do the PD engines have a known week point here like the 1.8T?
Yeah the downpipe will have a particle filter (cat) and costs a fortune especially at vw, you can get repair pipes that sleeve over the cat to make it cheaper. Whether vw do this though I'm not sure and yes you are mad taking an old car to a main dealer! Temp sensors are very common to go and is probably the fault with the gauge, there's a few different ones and cost around 30 quid, piece of cake to change though so don't let them sting you on labour
if it is the downpipe it will be more than 300 if it went like our one it will have rotted where it meets the clamp for the intermediate pipe i cut the rotten bit of pipe off and welded a new bit on as it is just a strait bit of pipe after the cat i could have moved the clamp over the hole but wanted a more permanent repair
Exhaust on a bora would normally be the middle box, mounts snap off and they rock around, not all that expensive. Waterpump we would recommend you change at the same time, just common sense as all the belts are coming off anyway. Gauge would be coolant temp sensor, no more than 30. And just for the record it shouldn't be a mistake taking an older car to a main dealer, we have cheaper labour rates to offer on cars over 4 years old, also I'd suggest you haggle on any prices, at our place we are always happy to do deals and discount to make sure we get the work.
^^ yep, and then when you ask them to change the water pump you pay VW prices and they get it dropped off to them by GSF. Another reason not to use a main dealer unless you need the stamp in the service book
the middle mounts have snapted off twice now on our tdi the waterpump is a must if you do the belts as of haggling i have tryed this in the past and got 10 or 20% off parts some parts men will give you it automatically on older car parts some you have to ask for it
Not always the case! geniune pump about 35+vat exchange, and no more than 20 mins extra labour at the older car rate
Thanks all for your concern, but I get a *very* good deal from some CGTI members there, so the price was a lot less than I would have expected. The belt/tensioner/service were all done, as was the new wheel arch liner, the door hinge fixed, the handbrake adjusted and a new sender? which has sorted the temperature gauge out. However, there is further work to be done once I've saved up for it, including front disks, undertrays? (I assume these are the things that keep all the road muck from splashing up into the car?). Also the exhaust, which is going to be the most expensive bit - in particular the cat. Is it necessary to replace that always? I didnt get to see the technician who did the work, but I was told that none of what's left is urgent from the point of view of safety. So I didn't get to discuss the work with him, though I was told I could have bits done as I can afford them, don't have to have them all done at once. However, may get the Golf sorted (exhaust/throttle cable) done this weekend before sorning it next Monday for the winter. Guess having a 'new' car (02) brings lots of new jobs to be done, whereas on the Golf, I know what to expect, having had it for so long. Better be enquiring to see if I can get any overtime at work ......
Is it a diseasal? If so and it is the cat that's snapped/snapping i'd replace it with a decat pipe for around 80. Mine snapped just in front of the cat and it was either 3xx+vat i believe for a new cat/downpipe or 80 delivered for a stainless decat and downpipe (one piece) from ebay. Fitted perfectly onto the original exhaust and has no problems at mot time as diesels only require a visual smoke test, at least mine does which is a 2000 "W", i don't think that would change with age buy may be an idea to ask the particular guy that does your mot's if you know them.
