Just thinking out loud here. Ive struck a couple of instances with overseas sites where the factory applied vin number on NZ vehicles comes up as invalid. Would it perhaps be that when asking an overseas supplier to code something to a NZ vin the overseas systems just don't think the vin is valid so nothing happens? In other words is the software location specific?
tonyt_nz,
Sep 11, 8:56pm
Wrong control module in mechatronics. So mechanic will swap old module into working mechatronics.
woody1946,
Sep 12, 8:47am
Bloody Hell, I think I will stick to Suzuki's---only have to buy tyres for one that age
kazbanz,
Sep 12, 9:01am
With a VIN number its either/or. So for example Holden Commodores and BMW's have a factory 17 figure "chassis' number which is its VIN number. But imported cars can only have a 3 figure prefix and a 6 figure suffix as its chassis number. When they arrive in NZ they are issued with a VIN that uses the last five of the chassis number (usually)
intrade,
Sep 13, 8:29am
i looked at a vitara 5 years ago red silicon on the transmission and oil seeping from it, made me put a X across that potential purchase list of cars. i have a passat 6 speed manual for a reason.
6 year old it was grand vitara 4x4 160k i think it had
kazbanz,
Sep 16, 4:14pm
Did you find out the reason for the silicone instead of the normal gasket?
cattleshed,
Sep 16, 5:07pm
intrade wrote:
i looked at a vitara 5 years ago red silicon on the transmission and oil seeping from it, made me put a X across that potential purchase list of cars.
WHY?
intrade,
Sep 16, 5:09pm
No but it was still leaking the dealer said we fix the leak if it was true. um yea no thanks. suzuki vitara tick X piles of crap next. the silicone was probably from a repair. And i sure as hell dont want to buy something repaired by morons and then re-repaired by more morons. .
ema1,
Sep 16, 6:16pm
So you blame the car rather than the "moron" who applied silicone to it. strewth how many cars no matter what make they may be that have had an oil leak of one sort or another. I've seen oil leaks on all makes good and bad, even plenty on VAG makes.
exwesty,
Sep 16, 7:25pm
Most vags have a bit of leakage.
kazbanz,
Sep 16, 7:27pm
Im happy to be proven wrong but I'm betting that was an issue with THAT vehicle ie not the make/model
cattleshed,
Sep 16, 7:51pm
This is rather sad on intrades part. as you say why would you blame the car?
cattleshed,
Sep 16, 7:55pm
while I think of it why would vag only have a 60 000KM max on their cambelts and components? Does any one know? I remember that Toyota went to 150 000Km before they went to chain drive!
ema1,
Sep 16, 8:32pm
I won't ever own one of of any VAG product and in not doing so won't be troubled by such close intervals let alone whatever over known issues they have. and there are plenty of those. Extended service intervals . bah that doesn't fit well in my book, never has , never will. full stop ! I won't ever give myself a chance of being troubled by any of them, I've got no faith in the make . never will, end of story. many years in the motor trade and close affiliation since I left has given me good insight on what I prefer. VAG does far too much chopping and changing over quite short time spans for my liking, the number of variations/modifications and updates etc often minor often over very few years is too damn bewildering for me. Makes you wonder about their so called R & D if they have to modify and chop and change stuff so much and a lot of it to no avail? When I want a car to do what I want it to do . I want it to do so all the time pretty much. not just some of the time. There are exceptions but they aren't all that common, I don't drive anything said to be an exception I drive what I know that I can rely on. nuff said !
tsjcf,
Sep 16, 8:38pm
Ties in with getting a DSG repair round the same time.
ema1,
Sep 16, 8:41pm
Hmmmm funny that, Hitlers revenge, plus big expense into the bargain . nah thanks I can think of better things to spend my hard earned money on than those heaps of crap!
cattleshed,
Sep 16, 9:51pm
Thanks ema
However I really would like to hear from People who think they can defend a short timing component interval with vag but please don't revert to yeah but the Jappas, please just limit it to this issue
ema1,
Sep 16, 10:05pm
Not easy to defend IMO.
slarty45,
Sep 16, 10:05pm
Mate offered Colin McRae a bourbon for his rally car. He said, you can have the bloody thing. It had stopped on Central Rd Taipuha stage with broken cam belt. Does not matter if it was new yesterday, a stray stone & motor rooted.
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 16, 11:26pm
What year/model/engine are you referring to? 60'000km, struggling to think of a VAG group engine that requires that, an older diesel perhaps? (don't have much to do with those).
Or perhaps you have confused 60'000 miles with 60'000km? That would make a lot of sense.
Volvo also have a 10 year timing belt interval, but it's not a good idea in my opinion. People (especially toyota owners) just tend to forget to change the coolant on time then. Plus the belts are usually pretty stuffed at that stage and plenty of Toyotas seem to need waterpumps before then. Not so bad on a Toyota non interference engine if it breaks but the cost of the resulting inefficiency greatly outweighs any saving on servicing.
End of the day, belts (except for some very new special european designs) deteriorate with age. You can try and compensate with extra width and lower compression may help. But ultimately physics catches up with you. Toyota has no magic pixie dust. Their belts come from the same manufacturers as everyone else.
For what it's worth, the popular VW vehicles I work on tend to have 4-5 year intervals and around 100 - 160km milage limits. It's almost always the time component that comes first which works in nicely with the expected life of coolant and gives a good buffer for tensioner life etc. The running cost difference between this and a 150km timing interval Toyota would actually be negative because the extra efficiency of the VW design will save you many times the hundred and something dollar different annual maintenance cost difference due to the shorter belt interval.
deesmum,
Sep 17, 8:35am
Shortest cam belt change interval I know of is some Alfas. 3 years or 60,000 kms whichever comes sooner. My Yr 2001 Audi S8 was 120000 kms with no time limit specified by Audi. Some of the later model Citroens and Peugeots are 150,000 kms.
deesmum,
Jan 8, 12:40pm
Whoops, in wifes TM logon above. Anyway, sorry off topic.
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