VW dealer installing a Re-manufactured AC compressor 12 JSW

[Lionhart94010]

Thursday we took our 2012 JSW in for the 60K Service at the dealer, I mentioned to the Service Consultant that our AC did not seem to be working properly, and my wife added that it was not working the day before and then she switched it to Non-Recalculating and back, and AC seemed to be working (although not super cold)

The Service Consultant said the AC Diagnostic would be $280 and that would help limit the cost in case they had to do a repair(i.e. $99 for Diag + $181 if they had to evac and recharge system for diagnosis) he had us singe the $288 Work Auth…

I received a call saying we needed a New AC compressor as an internal reed valve in the compressor and the Diag. showed the “needle” bouncing all over the place… and the repair would cost an additional(to Diag) $839 to put in the New compressor…

I asked him to send me a Quote, for the work, as I need to determine if we could afford the repair now and see if I could do the repair myself for less …

While waiting for the quote I searched myturbodeisel.com and tdiclub.com for possible problems with internal read valve… I found post about problems with Refrigerant Control Valve (RCV) but did not find anything about an internal reed valve…

Any way to make a long story shorter, after figuring that if I install a new OEM compressor for $410+shipping and pay another $100 to evac and recharge the system, I would only be saving aprox $329, so I diced to have them do the work…

When my Wife came home with the bill, I saw that they had installed a Remanufactured Part!

I can’t tell you how upset I was :0( My wife was upset too, the Service Consultant had a number of opportunities to let me know they were going to install a Remanufactured AC compressor but did not…

I complained about it via e-mail but did not get a reply, when my wife called the Service Consultant to express her dissatisfaction about the use of a Remanufactured unit, the Service Consultant told her (paraphrase):

[oasis]

If his exact words were, "You need a new compressor," and never mentions you would actually be getting a remanufactured compressor, I would say you have a valid complaint to pursue. If he said something like, "You need to have your compressor replaced," you might only have something to pursue if there isn't something legally called "an industry standard" or if there is something legally called an industry standard and a remanufactured a/c compressor for a two-year old car is not that standard.

Even if everything is technically legal, this consultant is still morally wrong for not mentioning it because it is unreasonable for a lay person to know what an industry is and so is the dealer if they aren't willing to do something about it.

I can't comment on the actual diagnosis or the price you paid. I simply don't know.

As a parallel, I took my daughter's '97 Jetta to a dealer to get the cruise control fixed back when we bought it. After the dealer examined it, we were told up front our best bet would be a remanufactured unit or a working one from a junk yard. The shop we have been going to since '88 is always up front with our options if there are any to be had, or would say a new one is NLA if that were the case.

Your experience is some level of reprehensible. Good luck.
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Now: 2003 New Beetle Turbo S / 1990 Single Cab Transporter / 2014 Tiguan R-Line 4motion / 2013 Tiguan S / 2002 Golf GLS TDI
Past: 1974 Thing Acapulco / 2009 Eos Komfort / 1997 Jetta GT / 2002 Cabrio GLX / 2002 Passat GLS / 1971 Super Beetle / 1993 EuroVan MV Westfalia / 1981 Pickup LX / 1985 Vanagon / 1986 Jetta GLI

[Lionhart94010]

Yes. He said we needed a New Compressor, the quote he sent over was:

[Lionhart94010]

FYI

So I called the California Bureau of Automotive Repair, and spoke to one of the field agents, he informed me that when I asked dealer for a written quote for the additional work they should have provided me with:

A written estimate including the total estimated price for parts and labor for a specified repair or service. The estimate must also itemize the parts to be used and the method of repair. The repair shop must stick to the method of repair and the parts listed unless you agree in advance to any changes.

In addition, the BAR agent informed me that it is not Industry standard to use Re-manufactured Parts...

I will be contacting the Service Manager to see if he can help us get satisfaction.
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Current VWs 71 T2 Westy SO-72/6(Miami), 71 Crew Cab, 2015 GSW TDI
Other owned VW’s 59, 68 1500s, 69 & 71 Bug’s; 72 & 73 S-Bug’s; 67 Westy, 67 Deluxe, Other 71 DC, 72 KG GT that now lives in Australia, 12 JSW TDI, 2015 GSW TDI, 2023 Tiguan
VW technical information sights
thesamba - www.ratwell.com - www.shoptalkforums.com/ - www.vw-resource.com - http://www.type2.com/
http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/ - www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/resource/articles.htm

[Abscate]

It is reasonable for you to pay the cost delta of a new compressor and a remanufactured one and the dealer to pay all of the labor, at your option.

I would ask for a warranty on the remanufactured one instead though.

All IMHO.
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.ssS!

[Lionhart94010]

I can’t go into detail, although it took month; the situation was resolved to our satisfaction
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Current VWs 71 T2 Westy SO-72/6(Miami), 71 Crew Cab, 2015 GSW TDI
Other owned VW’s 59, 68 1500s, 69 & 71 Bug’s; 72 & 73 S-Bug’s; 67 Westy, 67 Deluxe, Other 71 DC, 72 KG GT that now lives in Australia, 12 JSW TDI, 2015 GSW TDI, 2023 Tiguan
VW technical information sights
thesamba - www.ratwell.com - www.shoptalkforums.com/ - www.vw-resource.com - http://www.type2.com/
http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/ - www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/resource/articles.htm

[VolkswagenVMan]

As far as what you were told, the service writer should have asked you if you would like a new on or a reman one. As a VW tech I don't see that side, but I do know at our dealer you are given both prices at to if you would like a new or reman. All of the reman parts are Volkswagen reman. To what failed, the service writer probably messed up on the terminology. There is a valve inside the compressor that is pulse modulated and that controls the compressor. That is 99% of the time what fails. It would be nice if that was replaceable, but as with the way things are made now. You have to replace the whole assembly. I have been a Tech for VW for 15 years and I am sorry for both of your experiences at your local dealer.
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Master Tech at Team Volkswagen
VW's at work , VW's at home!!!!
1967 EMPI GTV
1966 Bug early
1966 Bug late
2000 New Beetle 2.0l 200,000 miles and going!

[Lionhart94010]

Thanks VolkswagenVMan,

I ended not getting the old one back, so will never know what was wrong with it-

I hope it was just a mistake, we are still taking my wife's car to them, I hope we do not have any more surpirses anytime soon, last week, it had a smell of diesl while driving on the freeway with widows open(at our two year old request), and when stop in a parking lot, and it looks like we are leaking some fluid that is slowly dripping out the front frame rails... but no drips on the driveway... and the smell seems gone now.


Love the pictures of the old vw's at your work, they are lucky you know how to work on them!
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Current VWs 71 T2 Westy SO-72/6(Miami), 71 Crew Cab, 2015 GSW TDI
Other owned VW’s 59, 68 1500s, 69 & 71 Bug’s; 72 & 73 S-Bug’s; 67 Westy, 67 Deluxe, Other 71 DC, 72 KG GT that now lives in Australia, 12 JSW TDI, 2015 GSW TDI, 2023 Tiguan
VW technical information sights
thesamba - www.ratwell.com - www.shoptalkforums.com/ - www.vw-resource.com - http://www.type2.com/
http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/ - www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/resource/articles.htm