speedo

[irvind]

Hi

I have a brand new speedo (MPH) model number 8AO 190 A. Does anyone know if this is for an S2?

It was ordered by a dealer who then made me pay for it even though it was the wrong one for my car (ABY '93 K plate). It has a black face.

Would like to sell it if it's any use to someone.

Cheers

Irvin

[Sidspud]

If it has a black face then it is not for an S2

[irvind]

I see, how would I find out what model it's for?

[porkkis]

Tell the whole part number.

[Martynf]

You'll have to get the part numebr from the invoice for it. The 8Ao 190 number on the dial face isn't the part no. BUT... if the dealer got you the wrong one, there is NO WAY you should of paid for it!!

S2 speedo's are a real pain to get right!! the parts listing is crap on S2 speedo's and it's very easy to order the wrong one. They should not of made you pay for it!!!

Martyn

[Mikes2]

Was this Lomond Audi in Glasgow by any chance ?

If so take it up with Audi Customer Services. There have been numerous complaints about Lomond. Every new one will help shut them down.

[irvind]

Hi Mike

Yes it was Lomond, but it was more complex than that...

It was back in 2001, and Southampton ordered the part for Lomond to fix (I was on a UK tour at the time). Lomond would not budge, and I couldn't prove who was to fault between the two dealers for ordering the wrong part, so I did contact Customer Services who organised the proper part to be fixed at Wayside (Milton Keynes). This was carried out FOC, but even they initially tried to attribute the fault to my Sat-Nav, until I explained that it was an old fault but a new Sat-Nav install. The story is far worse and far longer than this, beginning with the Southampton dealer botching the job in the first place, but I'll hold the full story for another time and place. I don't even want to get into the other two Scottish dealers who have ensured that my car has been off the road since March this year! Another time...

Have been looking for the original receipt for the speedo, I'm sure I have it somewhere, will post back when I've found it.

Cheers for now

[s2avant]

I think a lengthy call to customer services is in order. As Martyn says they have absolutely no right to charge you for a part they ordered wrong. Trust me I work for a Stealer. If I ever f@*k up I don't make the customer pay for my mistake. (and before you jump on me for being honest, Martyn - do you turnover a quarter of a million quid a month between three of you? )

It appears that they have got you to pay rather than get into an argument between themselves and the Southampton dealer as to who should pay. Get on the phone to Audi customer care and explain the situation. The secret is to not take no for an answer. If you don't mind waiting it's best to call them late summer as that's when they have all the summer students working for them and they'll do anything for a quiet life.

Ben

[irvind]

Apologies if I didn't make it clear in my last post, but I DID contact Customer Services who sorted the whole thing out and the proper Speedo was replaced free of charge at Wayside, albeit after yet another misdiagnosis that my Sat-Nav was to blame. I've been trying to keep my posts short as I'm guilty of waffling on (and I'm new here), but maybe I didn't waffle enough this time!

Full story is..

April 2001, buy S2 with sticking speedo. Southampton take car, then give back car saying sticking speedo sorted. Sticking speedo actually worse than before, and they damaged cockpit glass. I take car straight back, they organise replacement cockpit glass and try to locate replacement speedo. None in the country, so they order, but by then I know I'll be in Glasgow, so they organise work to be carried out there. Meanwhile Southampton replace broken cockpit glass. Glasgow call me to ask if Speedo reads kmh or mph, as Southampton have specced a kmh speedo. "mph" I reply. (!?!) Some weeks later, leave car with Lomond Glasgow. They announce speedo is wrong one, and force me to pay to get car back. I pay, get car back, and phone Customer Services. They apologise, and organise free replacement while I am in Milton Keynes some weeks later. Leave car with Wayside (M. K.). On day of pickup, I ring them, they say they think problem is actually Sat-Nav. I explain how unlikely that is since problem existed prior to Sat-Nav install. I hear silence.... Then they agree to look into it more, keep car longer, fit new part, car as it should be. Hurrah! (After weeks and weeks of driving length of UK with duff speedo)

Bored? Sorry, on a roll now..

Cut to March 2003. Car breaks down with misfiring. Take to Stirling Audi, where their idea of Customer Service is not to return calls for at least a week at a time, regularly. They have to get a manual for car from Perth dealer (bad sign I felt..) They scratch heads, suspect ECU, so offer either replacement or 3rd party repair. I choose repair, knowing from past experience with speedo that I'd have to pay for new ECU whether old one was faulty or not. They send off ECU for repair to 3rd party. **This is the best bit. I gave them the contact, they sent it off there, I heard nothing for ages (usual non-returned calls) so phoned 3rd party who said ECU was fine, no problems, and had been returned to Stirling. I waited, then eventually Stirling phone me to say ECU had been returned, was 'tweaked' by 3rd party, car running better but still not 100% so more tests necessary. (Lying b*st*rds!!). In a fury, I phone Customer Services, get nowhere, they tell Stirling to give car to local Bosch guy. They do that, he scratches head, gives car back to dealer. I complain to parent group that it's been 8 weeks and I have no transport, they organise courtesy car, but don't actually phone me to tell me I've got one! Find out a week later, collect C.C. in a huff. Three weeks pass by, they give up on S2 (they want the C.C back in other words..). I contact Stephen McPherson at Quattro Owners Club, he chats to Service Manager at Aberdeen Audi who's heard about my car, doesn't want to touch it. Stephen persuades him to look at it. We agree no C.C. provided. I pick up S2 from Stirling, interior is like scrap car, back seat off, wires every where, total mess. (Cheers for that!) Drop car at Aberdeen, they re-assemble, then over about 8 weeks get nowhere fast either, except to rule out ECU by swapping with other S2 (donated for experiment courtesy of Quattro club members. THANKYOU!!). Car will now not even start... They suggest problem must be with Clifford alarm or Alpine dvd Sat-Nav system. Alarm system is disconnected at my cost, makes no difference. I despair.

I find a Bosch guy in Glasgow who's not even remotely phased by any of this, and he agrees to give it a go on a "no-win, no-fee" basis. He changes ignition amplifier, car wants to start but won't. He finds two wires wrongly connected, re-connects properly, car starts. Now back to square one of car misfiring, but my confidence is growing. Cut to yesterday, he orders a coil, fits it, car purrs.

Remarkable.

There's still work to do as fuel pump is wasted from running constantly (separate problem he thinks), but in four weeks of part-time work, he's acheived what two dealers could not achieve in six months. And he's never worked on an S2 before!

Is it just me, or do none of the dealers know what they're doing? That's five I've been through in two and a half years. Wayside were close to being reasonable, and Specialist Cars Aberdeen were very nice to look at it (especially for no charge), but all the others (most especially Stirling) are so below par it has made me sick.

Sorry this has gone way off topic now, but I'm excited and pissed off all at once. I was beginning to think I'd never drive her again. What if I'd just scrapped her? I assumed that if a dealer couldn't fix her, no one could. How wrong I was!

Hopefully in a week or two I'll be out driving my baby again, and what I'd really like to do is to find a way of showing up these useless b*st*rds for the shocking level of service they provide, and get my story to the most amount of people possible. Any ideas?

Anyway, looking forward to getting back in the seat again, and getting into the forum now that I've found it... Anyone fancy an A4 2.8 Quattro Avant?


Cheers all

Irvin

[Martynf]

Good post Irvin, I think that most people on here would agree that so very few dealers have staff 'old enough' to know the S2 and all its quirks.

I'm real pleased you're alomost back on the road. Once she's running right, you'll not want to drive anything else. Hang in there and good luck mate.

Martyn

[Michel]

Just remember that dealers want to work on 'easy' cars. ones which are relativley new, all the info is on the computer, that they do not repair, they replace items which do onto work with new ones and walk away.

That sounds like caes which are max 4 years old.......under Audi warranty or company cars where the bill is never questioned.

They do not generally like cars which are older, more complex and demand an understanding and diagnostic to repair. That takes time and effort. Nither of which is good for the quaterly balance sheet to Audi.

The independants are usually owned by the guy you see in the office. He/she knows that if the service is crap you will not come back and he will lose your money.

If they do a good job you'll come back time and again and tell your friends....