[ajmat]

Based on my experience with Skoda's. The coolings fans failed causing the car to overheat and symptomatic of this, the a/c shuts down.

Please check compression and engine oil to ensure it is not contaminiated due to warped cylinderhead

[rapidrahul]

@drbabuanand: my car still has a warranty of almost 2 yrs, and I have a lot of patience when it comes to getting the car back in tip-top condition.

Today the EGR Cooler has come and they are installing the same. They will conduct tests and let me know how it goes.
If I get the vehicle back by tomorrow, there is a good chance of me taking it to Mumbai and putting some miles on it to see if anything strikes out.

[rapidrahul]

@Ajmat : My AC never switched off. It just wasn't cooling enough and upon opening the Bonnett I found that the coolant was bare minimal.

@drbabu : Am not so sure about getting the head replaced as I don't want them to open a brand new engine. If at all, I will request them to replace the entire engine.

[Added_flavor]

Hi Rahul! When my 3 year old Verna faced over heating issues, even though the car ran only for a few km with the temperature needle at H, the SA at HASS was very particular about,

1. The Head gasket kit.
2. The (Probably) deformed Cylinder head.
3. Engine Block.

I have written the complete affair in detail in the below thread. Do go through if you feel it might help.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...g-issue-5.html

I am a little surprised that Skoda are just insisting on only the EGR cooler replacement, which definitely was the source of leakage.

But how do we make sure no other engine components are affected due to over heating? This might as well bother you in the future, and if you're unlucky, then after your warranty is lapsed.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by rapidrahul

@Ajmat : My AC never switched off. It just wasn't cooling enough and upon opening the Bonnett I found that the coolant was bare minimal.

.

When I said the a/c shut down, I meant the everything was switched on but the cooling effect stopped

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by rapidrahul

@SS traveller: yes they have inspected the engine oil and it didn't show any signs of dilution. The EGR Cooler itself is leaking coolant in the exhaust system as they've told me.
...with the amount of coolant that I've already put in my car, if the same was going into the engine, it would've seized by now.
So that gasket head remains the last suspect.

The EGR cooler can leak and will then pass out the coolant directly into the exhaust pipe, in which case you have a fouled catcon, and you would have seen water coming out of the exhaust pipe.

Some of the coolant will also be recirculated back to the engine along with the exhaust gases when the EGR cooler leaks (the EGR circuit is there just for this purpose - to send back some of the exhaust gases into the inlet manifold) - then you see the white smoke.

With the amount of coolant you had poured in, if it did not go into the engine, it would have emerged as water vapour + water out of the tailpipe. Did you find water streaming out of the tailpipe?

In addition your engine overheated. And you have not taken a look yourself at the engine oil. Nor was the head opened and gasket inspected, either by you or the technicians there.

Highly unlikely that Skoda will give you a new engine. But a rebuilt engine works better and longer than a damaged new engine. It'll all depend on how much you can harass Skoda, versus how much they harass you.

Good luck.

[rapidrahul]

@Sstraveller: thanks for the suggestion. Now that you put it that way, I will surely get the head also inspected.
For the engine oil part, I did check it myself and also made the mechanic check it in front of me.
It looked good that time but will surely ask them to check the head as well.

They should come back to me with the results tomorrow and I will write back once I have an update.

[drbabuanand]

@drbabu : Am not so sure about getting the head replaced as I don't want them to open a brand new engine. If at all, I will request them to replace the entire engine.[/QUOTE

i was in this same situation after my car developed heating issues just after 7000kms.i regret now why i didnt ask them to open the engine or replace the engine. the service guys and the TSM convinced me that nothing will happen,the engine can withstand all the heat etc etc.please dont fall for that.

[S_U_N]

@rahul: Sad to hear this happening on a new car.
Isn't the temperature indicator/ needle on the dashboard supposed to indicate overheated engine? Did it show something abnormal in your case?
Please also ask for photographic evidence - you might want to photograph everything that is opened up - might be useful in some warranty claim later on.
Any chance of getting extended warranty from Skoda?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by rapidrahul

...I will write back once I have an update.

Hi Rahul, any updates?

Looks like Skoda / VW have a persistent gremlin in terms of EGR cooler leaks - look around in the various forums. The techs at your ASC therefore zeroed in on an issue very promptly, that nobody would think of commonly.

However, you did have an engine overheat issue as well (EGR cooler leaks don't cause engines to overheat directly, it's the loss of coolant that indirectly causes it) - in which case the least your ASC can do is carry out a compression test.

Do post up regarding further developments. And what is the cost of an EGR cooler, would you be able to let us know? Is this a separate unit, or an integral part of the EGR valve system?

[rapidrahul]

Hi All,

I took the car back on Saturday in the evening.
I was told that the EGR cooler has been replaced and everything has been thoroughly tested for 2 days(as the part was installed on Thursday) and everything was alright with the car now.
I went to Pashankar service centre on the evening of Saturday after receiving a call from them that the car was ready and everything had been rectified.
Upon reaching the service centre I did the following:

1) Started the car and found that it was starting normally without any hiccups.
2) Opened the bonnett to check for any suspicious sounds and didn't find any.
3) Checked the part physically that was replaced.
4) They have replaced 2 parts a) EGR cooler b) Front EGR pipe.
5) Verified all the documentation of the work that took place on my car and confirmed the below:

• Saw the EGR cooler Picture which showed the damage to the fins and deposits of coolant.
• Checked that the compression test was indeed done to confirm that the engine wasn't damaged with this failure.
• Checked all the entries pertaining to the checks that were done on the vehicle.
• Confirmed that the warranty of the parts that have been replaced has been/will be extended.
• requested them for a copy of the tests that were done and probably the images of the faulty part but was told that those were internal and could not be provided.

6) Took the vehicle to mumbai yesterday and clocked about 300 kms. the vehicle didn't show any issues and rather the drive was much smoother and the engine response was more gradual than before.

7) I think the ECU mapping has been aletered with but I find this particular setting more suited to my driving style and much more smoother.

8) I even noticed that the average has gone up a notch but can only confirm this after a couple of hundred more miles.

9) Verified the coolant level this morning and it's not come down even a millimeter.

10) The EGR cooler is priced at 26500(Thank god it was under warranty ).

11) No labor charges applied.

12) They delievered me the car all washed and waxed which was impressive.

13) At this point in time, I have to give a thumbs up to Pashankar Auto, Skoda service centre, for doing an extremely detailed job on my car.

14) Will drive around more and see if something comes up and update the thread.

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[Reinhard]

Hey Rahul,

Glad to see that you are happy with your car back. Now I can fully congratulate you on the new drive! Wish you unlimited safe & happy miles with your Rapid.

I pray that the problem never arises again. But in the worst case if you notice even a little sign of AC cooling loss / coolant drain / steam from the bonnet, stop wherever you are and call their A.S.S. or 24x7 helpline. Please do not continue to drive afterwards.

Cheers & All the best!

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by rapidrahul

13) At this point in time, I have to give a thumbs up to Pashankar Auto, Skoda service centre, for doing an extremely detailed job on my car.

14) Will drive around more and see if something comes up and update the thread.

All is well that ends well. Now enjoy your beauty. Please post some pictures, haven't seen your car yet. What were the total charges (part & labor) & how much of it was covered under warranty. Did you have to shelve out anything from your pocket?

[drbabuanand]

hi rahul
happy to see your rapid back on the road and kudos to skoda after sales service.

[Shreyas Aterkar]

Hi rapidrahul, glad to see your car delivered to you with all the work done to your satisfaction. Hope you no more face any issues with your black beauty and clock many miles of bliss.

Glad to see at least some owners having a decent experience with skoda ***. Hoping to see more such positive reviews and experiences.