Bit of friendly advice pls

poppyred

Hi, I'm hoping someone here can help me as I'm at my wits end, I have a Citroen Relay Van 2013 with only 35k on the clock. The other week I was at traffic lights and it stopped dead, I called the RAC out who came to my rescue and towed me off to the Citroen garage. It should be explained I'm a middle aged women who is not mechanically minded.
Once plugged in to a machine I was told it was looking like two sensors which had gone and would cost around £250 to mend, the sensors were replaced. I was then told it's still not working at could be the ECU unit, this would take two weeks to arrive and would be £1450 to fit, by now I'm cancelling holidays and scraping money together.
Yesterday the garage called they have replaced the ECU and still not working, they said they will have to remove the engine to have a look at the Cam Belt etc....
My question it.. are they taking me for a ride ?, I have no experience with engines etc, I hoped I trust the dealership but I don't have a never ending money pot until they find the problem, I'm really worried about costs and couldn't sleep last nigh, what's the worst case scenario ? any help would be great x

kmb500

worst case scenario is, you bought a Peugeot and should have known better than to trust the french

RuthnJasper

kmb500 wrote: »

worst case scenario is, you bought a Peugeot and should have known better than to trust the french

What are you talking about? The lady bought a Citroen, and there's no need to be racist.


It's really hard to say. Someone will, I'm sure, be along to advise soon. When did you buy the vehicle, and is there a service history? It might be that if some parts were replaced recently they are still under warranty.


Good luck. I'm rubbish with cars too, but can corral a male friend into coming to the garage with me some times. My Vauhall Corsa stopped dead recently too; it was (I think) the alternator on the battery. As the battery had been replaced only eight months previously, it came under the warranty.


Hope it turns out OK.

poppyred

kmb500 wrote: »

worst case scenario is, you bought a Peugeot and should have known better than to trust the french

Thanks but whats done is done

poppyred

RuthnJasper wrote: »

What are you talking about? The lady bought a Citroen, and there's no need to be racist.


It's really hard to say. Someone will, I'm sure, be along to advise soon. When did you buy the vehicle, and is there a service history? It might be that if some parts were replaced recently they are still under warranty.


Good luck. I'm rubbish with cars too, but can corral a male friend into coming to the garage with me some times. My Vauhall Corsa stopped dead recently too; it was (I think) the alternator on the battery. As the battery had been replaced only eight months previously, it came under the warranty.


Hope it turns out OK.

Thanks so much for being so kind, sometimes it helps talking things through, I bought it two years ago so out of warranty,. I'll check the service history book and see if anything has been done, I hardly slept last night x

BeenThroughItAll

The garage should be able to diagnose a cambelt without removing the engine. It sounds like they're clutching at straws to be honest - I'd be looking for another garage, as the current one sound like they're not that good at diagnosis.

poppyred

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

The garage should be able to diagnose a cambelt without removing the engine. It sounds like they're clutching at straws to be honest - I'd be looking for another garage, as the current one sound like they're not that good at diagnosis.

Thanks, it's the Citroen Dealership that it is with at the moment and unfortunately it won't move to take it elsewhere, I just need something to go back to them with, yesterday I asked if they could not put my old ECU unit back in as it clearly wasn't that and that would have saved me £1450 but they refused and said it's now been fitted :-(

facade

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

The garage should be able to diagnose a cambelt without removing the engine. It sounds like they're clutching at straws to be honest - I'd be looking for another garage, as the current one sound like they're not that good at diagnosis.

+1

If they now think that the cambelt might be broken/ cam snapped etc, after they just fit £1500 worth of electrical parts on the off-chance that this might fix it I'd be complaining all along the chain. Start with the workshop/service manager and see what you are actually going to have to pay for.

Jackmydad

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

The garage should be able to diagnose a cambelt without removing the engine. It sounds like they're clutching at straws to be honest - I'd be looking for another garage, as the current one sound like they're not that good at diagnosis.

Agreed. Makes you wonder doesn't it? I thought they were a main dealer though from the OP? You'd think they'd at least have the proper diagnostic gear.
I'd be making noises about why an expensive part like the ecu has been changed when there were still remaining "cheaper" options not explored like the cambelt. I'd also want to know what made them think the ecu needed changing, although if the diagnostics said "change ecu" it's difficult to argue with.
I have a feeling that some garages tend to "be less focused" (shall we say) if they think you know nothing. At least ask questions, and ask for explanations.

Brooker_Dave

You trusted them to diagnose the problem, and they got it wrong, no need for the £1400 part, old one back on, refund and lorry to send van to a garage who actually know what they are doing.

poppyred wrote: »

Thanks, it's the Citroen Dealership that it is with at the moment and unfortunately it won't move to take it elsewhere, I just need something to go back to them with, yesterday I asked if they could not put my old ECU unit back in as it clearly wasn't that and that would have saved me £1450 but they refused and said it's now been fitted :-(

poppyred

facade wrote: »

+1

If they now think that the cambelt might be broken/ cam snapped etc, after they just fit £1500 worth of electrical parts on the off-chance that this might fix it I'd be complaining all along the chain. Start with the workshop/service manager and see what you are actually going to have to pay for.

Thank you x