Insurance wont pay

AliciaThompson

I've previously posted about my 2011 polo, it was at a local garage and I was being told that somehow unknown to us all water had gotten into my ECU the bloke at my garage took it out and tried to dry it out, put in back in the car will run but wont get out of 'limp mode'.

Took my car to an actual VW dealers garage. They have given a price of £6726 to fix the car (including labour), as it needs a new ECU and wiring loom. This is more than what the car is worth and so we got the insurance involved.

They sent an independent assessor round to see the car, he said there was no sign of water in the ECU not surprising as the car has now been off the road since december, so I would be surprised if there was still water there. The assessor has ruled it all to be an electrical fault and so the insurance will not pay out for it.
We have been paying for legal assistance with our car insurance and so asked if this is something we could use, as there is no reason for a at the time 6year old car to have an electrical fault causing it to be written off, and they're saying they can not do this.

Any advice as to what my next step should be?
I can not and will not except the fact that for no reason what so ever my car has packed up. Its only had two drivers myself and my mom so we know all of the history of the car.

bigisi

That quote would probably be halved if you took it to an independent garage rather than a VW dealer. No point taking a seven year old car anywhere near a main dealer.

AliciaThompson

Took the car to two independent garages and both couldn't do the work

AdrianC

Why on earth would you expect your car insurer to pay for rectifying an electrical fault?

I can not and will not except the fact that for no reason what so ever my car has packed up.

But it isn't "no reason whatsoever". It has water in one (or more) of the ECUs. Would you expect your phone or computer to work after it got wet? No? So why expect the computers that run your car to be different? They should be protected from water. Somehow, probably a blocked drain, water has got to them. These are not parts that normally need replacing during a car's life, and they are massively complex. The "wiring" around a car is not wiring in the way it used to be, it's basically a computer network. That's what the dealer are suggesting replacing. Of course the dealer are simply going to look on the VW parts list and say "This, this, this - list price, plus high-cost labour".

Find a proper auto-electrical specialist. They're the people that garages take complicated electrical woes to, and if there's a way to repair it, they're the ones that'll be able to do it.

ess0two

Water will also leave trace residues on electrical equipment, regardless of how long it has been.

AliciaThompson

We originally wasn't told that it was an electrical fault, just that water had got in there, cars can be covered for water damage and so someone suggested us making the claim on the insurance for water damage.
Though with it being 3months after it originally stopping working to the assessor looking at the car they said there was no sign of water and then labelled it electrical.

Will have a look into an auto-electrical specialist - thanks.

AdrianC

AliciaThompson wrote: »

We originally wasn't told that it was an electrical fault, just that water had got in there

Water got into an ECU, but it wasn't an electrical fault...?!?

arcon5

Buy an ecu kit from a breakers. Few hundred max. May be lucky and look not actually needed

Muscle750

Your car insurance will not cover water getting into car unless the car has been involved in a recent accident and water ingress is down to a poor repair or other accident related issue. As stated get a SH ECU which may well have to be programmed to your car and try it. Why do VW want to put a loom in it? Obviously if the ECU is sorted then you have to find where the water is coming in. I cant remember where on a POLO the ECU is situated.

forgotmyname

What ECU costs £6000?

Give me £6000 and i will bring you an ECU safely wrapped up in a complete spare car.

Or send me £300 and i will have one on your doorstep Friday morning. And that £300 would be mostly profit that parts MUCH cheaper.

fatrab

Unless the car was water damaged by flooding, either while parked or accidently driven into deep water, then it's not an insurance claim. And I'm guessing as you have no idea how water got in there that the car hasn't been flooded.

I'm afraid it seems to me that the insurance assessor is correct.

I'd take it to a VW specialist, not a main dealer, and have them look at it.