Modified my Laura's electronics. No warranty support?

nitinbose · 14th January 2013, 11:31

I was really in utopia, enjoying my Skoda Laura L&K when the windshield washer spray and headlamp washer spray stopped working.

Every other function is in ship-shape! There were no error messages either and the car was also running perfectly.

I took the vehicle to Tafe Access, Hosur Road, Bangalore to examine.

After a few days, they got back to me saying the BCM module and the indicator stalk requires replacement as there is some short circuit in these parts.

They cannot offer a warranty replacement as I've installed the audio system. Do note the audio installation was completely on a separate wiring using a separate HU, so no internal wires were cut or spliced.

They quoted around INR 78K for the BCM and INR 12K for the indicator stalk initially, which later turned out to be INR 30K (for the module and the stalk). I had no other option except to succumb to them.

I went back to TAL on Saturday, 12th January, 2013, to see if the parts have arrived and was told the "module" has arrived. Apparently, the module they showed me was the "CANBUS gateway" which costs around INR 21K. I was told they would install this unit and code it and see if the issue resolves - which means they're not sure of themselves!

This left me wondering as to which parts have to be replaced and what could be the actual cause.

My car was attended by Mr Naveen, the Service Manager, and Mr Harish, the service advisor.

The BCM module costs GBP 206 and the indicator stalk costs GBP 105.

http://www.skodaparts.com/product/oc...009-2013-50470

http://www.skodaparts.com/product/oc...009-2013-50471

You can get the same even cheaper in ebay for new parts.

The CAN Gateway, which Tafe was quoting INR 21K is available for about USD$ 100/- on e-bay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Skoda-VW-OEM...item337d886c61

Apparently, they even refused to install if the parts were not sourced from Skoda India.

I dont mind spending for the spare-parts but charging exorbitantly and being not sure of the parts/fault is really scary! Skoda maintenance and parts are not really expensive but its the dealers and Skoda-India who are making our lives miserable!

Skoda, are you listening?

DieselFan · 14th January 2013, 11:56

Welcome to yet another highhandedness of Skoda A.S.S. It seems they do not learn from past and improve their service. In my view all European car manufacturers have a lot to learn from Maruti. Unbeatable on the service and support. They strive to achieve customer delight in every way.

shankar.balan · 14th January 2013, 12:01

Nitin.
While you may have bought your car at TAFE, why not give the Vinayak Service a try?
Go and meet Mr Aiyanna, the GM there and ask for his help.
Im sure they will treat you better than these TAFE chaps have been.

In fact another close pal of mine had bought a Laura Ambiente around one month after I bought my Yeti. He bought it from TAFE because his company has some arrangement with them.

When it came to time for his car's first service, because of my various good experiences with them, he said that he would prefer to give it to Vinayak. I gave him the same suggestion that I am giving you above. His car came back in time and they treated him well so he was happy.

No harm trying is what I think...

KnightRider77 · 14th January 2013, 12:06

I second Mr. Balan. Try checking with other dealers first before committing such a huge sum! There's TAFE access in St Marks Road too. It won't hurt to have it checked by them or Vinayak Motors. At worst, you will end up paying up the same amount that has been quoted!

nitinbose · 14th January 2013, 12:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Nitin.
While you may have bought your car at TAFE, why not give the Vinayak Service a try?
Go and meet Mr Aiyanna, the GM there and ask for his help.

In which Vinayak Skoda service center is Mr Aiyanna located, the one at Sreerampura or Old Madras Road?

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightRider77

I second Mr. Balan. Try checking with other dealers first before committing such a huge sum! There's TAFE access in St Marks Road too. It won't hurt to have it checked by them or Vinayak Motors. At worst, you will end up paying up the same amount that has been quoted!

Tafe Access St Marks Road is just a showroom, infact that's where I'd purchased my car from. I would try Mr Aiyanna, Vinayak Skoda.

KnightRider77 · 14th January 2013, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitinbose

Tafe Access St Marks Road is just a showroom, infact that's where I'd purchased my car from. I would try Mr Aiyanna, Vinayak Skoda.

Didn't realise that. My bad.

ghodlur · 14th January 2013, 12:44

@Nitinbose
If Skoda dealer is unsure of the make and price of the spares, then defintely their diagnosis of short circuit being the cause of malfunction also need to be doubted. Unfortunately Skoda India is unresponsive in many a cases and has left the fate of many a Skoda cars in the hands of the dealers.

Suggest you to get a second opinion at a different Skoda workshop. BTW are you going to claim this under Insurance coz the amount seems to be on a higher side. Also was confused to see the spares priced in GBP.

shankar.balan · 14th January 2013, 12:48

Aiyanna is in the KR Puram Service Centre - a lane goes in on the left side, opposite Garden City College.
He is the GM Service for Vinayak
Suggest you go and meet him and there is a very soft spoken and helpful service advisor there called Prem. You can ask for him too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitinbose

In which Vinayak Skoda service center is Mr Aiyanna located, the one at Sreerampura or Old Madras Road?

Tafe Access St Marks Road is just a showroom, infact that's where I'd purchased my car from. I would try Mr Aiyanna, Vinayak Skoda.

nitinbose · 14th January 2013, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@Nitinbose Also was confused to see the spares priced in GBP.

That's in Great Britain Pounds which gives a multiplier of about INR 88/-

.anshuman · 14th January 2013, 13:18

Now that that have refused you warranty, why do you even want to deal with them? You know the part numbers, source the parts and get the job done from some reliable independent workshop.

My car is due for compressor replacement under extended warranty, i will still have to 20k from my pocket. I was thinking if i combine the huge amount i paid for extended warranty and this 20k, i could have easily got a genuine Skoda compressor from open market and the work done outside.

nitinbose · 14th January 2013, 13:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by .anshuman

My car is due for compressor replacement under extended warranty, i will still have to 20k from my pocket.

Why did they refuse warranty?

.anshuman · 14th January 2013, 14:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitinbose

Why did they refuse warranty?

They are replacing the compressor under warranty(after a painful 20 day approval time) but i am being asked to pay for Drier Bottle, Refridgerent gas and Compressor oil which costs ~20k according to their estimate.

F150 · 14th January 2013, 14:18

I am wondering if the SKODA A.S.S is competent enough to make any decisions.

Factory tells the A.S.S to replace the below list of parts and A.S.S replaces them. This model is very convenient and in the process, more part replacements where a service of the existing part could have sufficed. This combined with the price difference in the spares is a pretty good model for milking money from the customer.

Price difference between the price in INDIA and UK is shocking.

BCM costs INR 78K in INDIA and INR 19K in UK

alabjarus · 14th January 2013, 14:33

I sincerely hope this is not the beginning of another nightmare with Skoda's famed A.S.S. Pls escalate to the relevant personnel at TAFE and also look for service centre options. Last thing you want is to get stuck with bloated egos, incompetence and quick-buck mentality of some service centre personnel....!

nitinbose · 14th January 2013, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by .anshuman

i am being asked to pay for Drier Bottle, Refridgerent gas and Compressor oil which costs ~20k according to their estimate.

So there's really no point in warranty, if there's a co-payment...

Quote:

Originally Posted by F150

Factory tells the A.S.S to replace the below list of parts and A.S.S replaces them. This model is very convenient and in the process, more part replacements where a service of the existing part could have sufficed.

Correct. Skoda advises the A.S.S to do a test, analyses the result and going by the readings and output of the VAGCOM, they'd simply ask the A.S.S to replace the part as any part not giving an output is considered faulty!

Quote:

Originally Posted by alabjarus

Pls escalate to the relevant personnel at TAFE and also look for service centre options.

I've already done that on several occassions but to no avail. Neither Skoda nor TAFE cares! The attitude is "take it or leave"

14th January 2013, 11:31	#1
nitinbose Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Goa Posts: 1,011 Thanked: 718 Times	Modified my Laura's electronics. No warranty support? I was really in utopia, enjoying my Skoda Laura L&K when the windshield washer spray and headlamp washer spray stopped working. Every other function is in ship-shape! There were no error messages either and the car was also running perfectly. I took the vehicle to Tafe Access, Hosur Road, Bangalore to examine. After a few days, they got back to me saying the BCM module and the indicator stalk requires replacement as there is some short circuit in these parts. They cannot offer a warranty replacement as I've installed the audio system. Do note the audio installation was completely on a separate wiring using a separate HU, so no internal wires were cut or spliced. They quoted around INR 78K for the BCM and INR 12K for the indicator stalk initially, which later turned out to be INR 30K (for the module and the stalk). I had no other option except to succumb to them. I went back to TAL on Saturday, 12th January, 2013, to see if the parts have arrived and was told the "module" has arrived. Apparently, the module they showed me was the "CANBUS gateway" which costs around INR 21K. I was told they would install this unit and code it and see if the issue resolves - which means they're not sure of themselves! This left me wondering as to which parts have to be replaced and what could be the actual cause. My car was attended by Mr Naveen, the Service Manager, and Mr Harish, the service advisor. The BCM module costs GBP 206 and the indicator stalk costs GBP 105. http://www.skodaparts.com/product/oc...009-2013-50470 http://www.skodaparts.com/product/oc...009-2013-50471 You can get the same even cheaper in ebay for new parts. The CAN Gateway, which Tafe was quoting INR 21K is available for about USD$ 100/- on e-bay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Skoda-VW-OEM...item337d886c61 Apparently, they even refused to install if the parts were not sourced from Skoda India. I dont mind spending for the spare-parts but charging exorbitantly and being not sure of the parts/fault is really scary! Skoda maintenance and parts are not really expensive but its the dealers and Skoda-India who are making our lives miserable! *Skoda, are you listening?* Last edited by nitinbose : 14th January 2013 at 11:44.
	(5) Thanks

14th January 2013, 11:56	#2
DieselFan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,584 Thanked: 259 Times	re: Modified my Laura's electronics. No warranty support? Welcome to yet another highhandedness of Skoda A.S.S. It seems they do not learn from past and improve their service. In my view all European car manufacturers have a lot to learn from Maruti. Unbeatable on the service and support. They strive to achieve customer delight in every way.
	(1) Thanks

14th January 2013, 12:01	#3
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,147 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	re: Modified my Laura's electronics. No warranty support? Nitin. While you may have bought your car at TAFE, why not give the Vinayak Service a try? Go and meet Mr Aiyanna, the GM there and ask for his help. Im sure they will treat you better than these TAFE chaps have been. In fact another close pal of mine had bought a Laura Ambiente around one month after I bought my Yeti. He bought it from TAFE because his company has some arrangement with them. When it came to time for his car's first service, because of my various good experiences with them, he said that he would prefer to give it to Vinayak. I gave him the same suggestion that I am giving you above. His car came back in time and they treated him well so he was happy. No harm trying is what I think...
	() Thanks

14th January 2013, 12:06	#4
KnightRider77 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Bangalore Posts: 47 Thanked: 29 Times	re: Modified my Laura's electronics. No warranty support? I second Mr. Balan. Try checking with other dealers first before committing such a huge sum! There's TAFE access in St Marks Road too. It won't hurt to have it checked by them or Vinayak Motors. At worst, you will end up paying up the same amount that has been quoted!
	() Thanks

14th January 2013, 12:44	#7
ghodlur Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Thane Posts: 6,009 Thanked: 4,198 Times View My Garage	re: Modified my Laura's electronics. No warranty support? @Nitinbose If Skoda dealer is unsure of the make and price of the spares, then defintely their diagnosis of short circuit being the cause of malfunction also need to be doubted. Unfortunately Skoda India is unresponsive in many a cases and has left the fate of many a Skoda cars in the hands of the dealers. Suggest you to get a second opinion at a different Skoda workshop. BTW are you going to claim this under Insurance coz the amount seems to be on a higher side. Also was confused to see the spares priced in GBP.
	() Thanks

14th January 2013, 13:18	#10
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	re: Modified my Laura's electronics. No warranty support? Now that that have refused you warranty, why do you even want to deal with them? You know the part numbers, source the parts and get the job done from some reliable independent workshop. My car is due for compressor replacement under extended warranty, i will still have to 20k from my pocket. I was thinking if i combine the huge amount i paid for extended warranty and this 20k, i could have easily got a genuine Skoda compressor from open market and the work done outside.
	() Thanks

14th January 2013, 14:18	#13
F150 Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2011 Location: PUNE Posts: 1,730 Thanked: 870 Times View My Garage	re: Modified my Laura's electronics. No warranty support? I am wondering if the SKODA A.S.S is competent enough to make any decisions. Factory tells the A.S.S to replace the below list of parts and A.S.S replaces them. This model is very convenient and in the process, more part replacements where a service of the existing part could have sufficed. This combined with the price difference in the spares is a pretty good model for milking money from the customer. Price difference between the price in INDIA and UK is shocking. BCM costs INR 78K in INDIA and INR 19K in UK Last edited by F150 : 14th January 2013 at 14:21.
	() Thanks

14th January 2013, 14:33	#14
alabjarus BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 210 Thanked: 78 Times	re: Modified my Laura's electronics. No warranty support? I sincerely hope this is not the beginning of another nightmare with Skoda's famed A.S.S. Pls escalate to the relevant personnel at TAFE and also look for service centre options. Last thing you want is to get stuck with bloated egos, incompetence and quick-buck mentality of some service centre personnel....!
	() Thanks