Help with what to do about car repair

zuliano

HI, OK, this is my problem. I am sole carer for my mum, who has memory problems and am trying to do the best I can, so it can be very daunting particularly with problems like the one I am going to try and explain. She drives a Volkswagen Polo which is a few years old. The ABS light has come on a stays on, though it has been intermittent, in that one day last Monday I took it to a garage to be looked at the ABS light didn't come on. The mechanic agreed it could be a glych. But then it came back on, so yesterday I took it to the garage, and they tested it, and said it was the 'ABS pump' , a hydraulic pumpwhich regulates the way the brakes move the wheels in a skid, but the bad news was they did not have the programming equipment to fix it and only Volkswagen dealers have it, but (and I knew this bit) Volkwagen car repairers charge £100 just to test it!!
My mum is am elderly lady who has recently been very ill, and I do not have much income so I feel great responsibility to try and not get us ripped off because so many people are after money including the VAT man.
Anyway, I Googled reputable garages, and got a list, and sent an email off to the first one explaining the problem and they have offered to take a look. BUT what I am fearing is that they will take a look, repeat what the other garage did (who by the way are really great and did not charge me anything for testing it) but charge for the testing me and tell me they do not have the programming equipment, and I need to take it to a Volkswagen car repairers which would just add to the forthcoming repair bill which would be £100 plus! So I am wondering what people here would do in my situation?

dannyrst

Ask the second garage if there are any costs before they begin any work? Or speak to them, explain what the other garage have already done and found is wrong, and ask if they have the ability to fix it prior to you taking the car to them?

LandyAndy

zuliano wrote: »

, but the bad news was they did not have the programming equipment to fix it and only Volkswagen dealers have it, but (and I knew this bit) Volkwagen car repairers charge £100 just to test it!!
?

Have you tried a local independent VW specialist (if there is one).

PDC

Or do a search for a dedicated VW forum online and post there. I'm a member of a forum for a different brand and its been very helpful. From 'specialists' who often charge much less than dealers to mobile mechanics and just helpful people.

With it being to do with brakes then I would guess it is something you would like fixed and, if the warning light is still on come the next MOT then it will not pass just for that. Hope you do find a way to get it sorted at non dealer prices.

tberry6686

If the light has been coming on intermittently the I would be checking the cables and wheel sensors before the pump. Sounds more like a poor connection/dirty sensor to me.

zuliano

LandyAndy wrote: »

Have you tried a local independent VW specialist (if there is one).

I have just sent an email to one. Only trouble is it is miles away,

zuliano

tberry6686 wrote: »

If the light has been coming on intermittently the I would be checking the cables and wheel sensors before the pump. Sounds more like a poor connection/dirty sensor to me.

well I had a garage check it out yesterday and they claim it is the 'ABS pump'

mrmot

Check the strip fuses that bolt in on the battery cover, one of these supplies the ABS pump and after time it fatigues and cracks which can lead to an intermittent problem. You may need a magnifying glass or lightly push on the centre of the fuse with a plastic pen. It's an easy fix for £3 or free if there's an unused spare fuse that can be moved over.

I've seen a main dealer fit a pump and fail to fix the problem and have the customer suspicious about us as we only replaced the fuse to fix it.

tberry6686

zuliano wrote: »

well I had a garage check it out yesterday and they claim it is the 'ABS pump'

Wouldn't be the first time that has been said and been completely wrong, they could easily be correct as well. ABS pumps, when they fail, are not normally intermittent, sensors and connections on the other hand often fail this way but are normally much cheaper to fix

The pump and ECU module are expensive (probably around £1000) while cables and sensors are relatively cheap - better to confirm it is the pump first than risk throwing cash away.

csgohan4

Doesn't the car have a warranty if it is only a few years old?

arcon5

Wouldn't a faulty pump leave the abs light on all the time