Engine failure - timing belt?

[chips a4]

So after owning the car for about a month I seem to have had a pretty major engine failure. It's a A4 B6 1.9TDI avant sport with 98k on the clock. I was driving down a straight bit of road and lifted off the throttle. There was a short squeeking or whistling noise and the engine hesitated slightly, then it seemed fine again. So I continued about half a mile down the road to a roundabout. I slowed as normal and when I put my foot back on the accelerator to exit the roundabout the engine just died. There was no fuss or strange noises, no warning lights on the dash came on, it just quietly conked out.

When the nice man from the AA came along he said that the camshaft you can see under the oil filler wasn’t turning when the engine was cranked, so to me it sounds like it could get quite expensive. I think this is an interference type engine so I’m really hoping that if the timing belt has snapped or a tensioner has given up that there won’t be too much damage. The timing belt was done about 13k miles ago in September 2008 by the garage I bought it from.

The car is still under warranty from the garage I bought it from for another 2 months but only to the tune of £1000 per claim and I can take it to any VAT registered garage. So it’s with Audi being diagnosed but I may have to take it to an independent if there is valve/piston damage. The reason I sent it to Audi is because it was booked into their body shop on Wednesday anyway to have a new quarter panel fitted where someone reversed into me 11 days after I bought it.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Has anyone had any experience with this type of problem on one of these engines?

I bought an Audi for their reputation for reliability. I’m sure my car is the exception but I’m starting to think I should have just kept my smelly old Peugeot 306.

Regards,

A downhearted new Audi owner.

Edited by chips a4 on Monday 5th July 22:57

[SMB]

Did they just change the cambelt or the water pump and tensioners aswell? They should have changed it all. Did they use VW parts?

[Vee]

Forget about the warranty they gave you with it.
The car is not fit for purpose and they should be sortign the repair.
Mention this to them rather than be fobbed off to go the 3rd party warranty route.

[chips a4]

@SMB - Yes, the service book says that they fitted a timing belt kit and a water pump at 85k miles in September 2008.

@Vee - Do I have that sort of comeback? I have travelled about 1000 miles and had the car for exactly 4 weeks today.

I also just found this - http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/c_secondhand_cars.pd...

Edited by chips a4 on Monday 5th July 13:35

[SMB]

chips a4 said:

@SMB - Yes, the service book says that they fitted a timing belt kit and a water pump at 85k miles in September 2008.

@Vee - Do I have that sort of comeback? I have travelled about 1000 miles and had the car for exactly 4 weeks today.

I also just found this - http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/c_secondhand_cars.pd...

Edited by chips a4 on Monday 5th July 13:35

As siad above pressure them to fix, as the goods are not fit for purpose, as a dealer they have to supply goods of the right quality. I think they have agreed to fund repairs to a set limit, you just need to push them to do the remainder.

[chips a4]

Cheers guys. I don't feel quite so worried bout the situation now. Having always bought privately I didn't realise I had these rights.

Thanks again

[Rofly Lollers]

chips a4 said:

The car is still under warranty from the garage I bought it from for another 2 months but only to the tune of £1000 per claim and I can take it to any VAT registered garage. So it’s with Audi being diagnosed but I may have to take it to an independent if there is valve/piston damage.

Ignore the warranty. If you had intended to claim on it and get Audi to do the work the bills are already mounting at £100+VAT/hr, so the 1k claim limit won't go far.
Take it striaght back to where you bought it from and tell them it's not for for purpose.