[Billy clarke]

Just after a bit of advice . To see if my mechanic is making any sense . Now first up when it comes to engines I am totally useless . Any issues I lift the bonnet and stare at it . If that doesn’t fix it , I’m on the phone to the mechanic .   The issue is with my son’s van . A  vw caddy . About 80 k on the clock . The engine warning light came on , took it o our guy , he switched it off said. Come back if if comes back on . 2 days later it’s back on ,plugged computer back on , said he could not Quite  tell what it was . Could be a broken wire on the
Loom. So he booked it in told him it was ok to drive . 3 days later it loses power , so he gets it towed to our mechanic . Thinks it is the EGR valve . Says they are a nightmare to change on a caddy . But he does it , also fixes 2 broken wires on the loom . puts it all back together, warning light has gone off . Thinks it’s all good . Takes it for a rest drive . No  turbo . Now he is scratching his head . My sons Bern without his van all week now . So is the mechanic to blame in the first place ? Is the turbo issue connected to the EGR issue . Any ideas from the more knowledgeable mechanic guys on here . Is my mechanic a donut . Or is it just bad luck and timing . The guy has always done our servicing and all the bits for the mot . But this is the first time we’ve had any serious issues under the bonnet . Cheers billy .

[ricstat05]

Sounds like you need a new mechanic.

Has the van gone into limp mode

[Billy clarke]

Don’t know for sure , but limp mode was mentioned.  He did drive it a couple of miles , with hardly any power . Wouldn’t go above 20 mph .

[Billy clarke]

Forgot to mention . When the engine warning light came on the van was driving fine .

[zesty]

Blocked DPF?

[dd]

Not mechanically knowledgeable but I understand the 1.6 diesel VW engine is prone to issues with injectors.

[Smudger]

your mechanic any VW training - dealership trained or "Back Street" kinda guy.

if the first 2 you might get somewhere otherwise doubtful depending on age/mileage and service history

you are suffering from the terrors of a modern van ! consider yourself lucky its not a Vivaro 

[Billy clarke]

Yeh . He is a vw specialist . It’s all he works on . Transporters , caddy’s etc .

[Don Kee]

Don’t know for sure , but limp mode was mentioned.  He did drive it a couple of miles , with hardly any power . Wouldn’t go above 20 mph .

This is limp mode.

As a rule of thumb, plugging it in should tell him what the issue is; if not directly then he should be able to take the appropriate readings to work out whether it’s actually the turbo that has gone.

EGR and turbo aren’t cheap jobs, I would have thought checking sensors for failures would come first…
He wants to try driving it whilst its plugged in and see what the diagnostics says when it actually goes into limp mode.

[Billy clarke]

Thanks . I will see what he has to say about limp mode tomorrow. Ask if he checked the sensors.

[Slacky]

I had a prolonged issue with my Transit custom a couple of years back, which didn’t seem to add up at first but eventually it got sorted after prolonged diagnostics and investigations in the local garage.

I was taking Laura back to Heathrow to catch her flight to Canada when it went in to limp mode just trundling along the motorway. Anway we limped to the hotel we were staying at the night before the flight. Half an hour after parking up I went down to see if it restarting the van might have re-set things. She fired up and ran as usual, no problem.

Following morning in preparation to go on to Heathrow the van wouldn’t start. Laura had to get a taxi and the AA came out to investigate. Eventually I got recovered by the AA, on the back of a low loader.

Local garage who I trust had the van for a couple of days finally diagnosing the fault as being a failed fuse box. Why it went in to limp mode seemed an odd response. A new fuse box, which was £300 plus all labour and she’s been fine ever since. Som things aren’t always quite as they might at first seem.

[Arnold Palmer]

A failed fuse box would be a very difficult thing to diagnose.

Well done to your local garage for getting that sorted so quickly.

Is it a common fault on transits?

[Slacky]

No idea.

[NBwcs]

your mechanic any VW training - dealership trained or "Back Street" kinda guy.

if the first 2 you might get somewhere otherwise doubtful depending on age/mileage and service history

you are suffering from the terrors of a modern van ! consider yourself lucky its not a Vivaro 

What issues have you had with the vivaro? I ask as someone who has owned one for just 6 months.

[Billy clarke]

Blocked DPF?

could be in the right track . My son had been round this morning . Mechanic says blocked dpf . And clogged up catalytic converter. Which he has sent off for cleaning . Does that make sense ?.

[Smudger]

yes it does

Older Vivaro's - injector problems - egr valve sooting up - airflow sensors to name but a few 

much better after 2016 I believe

[DJW]

Gearboxes too on the older ones.

[Stoots]

The 1.6 diesel engine is known for Injector problems.

Firstly has it been plugged in and what where the fault codes ?

I had a 1.6 caddy a year or so ago when driven hard it would go into limp mode and the fault code with mine led to the turbo.

I was told it need the turbo replacing but after a bit of reading online I decided to take a punt, took the turbo off and soaked it in Mr muscle oven cleaner. Stuck it all back together hammered it down the motorway and the problem was solved.

The thing is it could be anything, you can get a basic code reader about £15. They are really handy. I just got a an old car off a relative and that was in limp mode. The code reader pointed me in the right direction and I fixed it.

Always worth learning to be handy yourself sometimes you can save a fortune. 

[Billy clarke]

Yeh would be really good to have a bit of knowledge under the bonnet . But I’ve never been one of those interested . And if you have no interest, well you have no interest. I once got the rac to change my wheel on the drive . When the mechanic starts rattling on he may as well be speaking Chinese . I just say get it fixed and fast , but I have been lucky . Had a transporter 8 years now . Book it in for a service and MOT on the same day , and always get it straight back with no issues .  Got it when I was 50 and told him I want it to last the rest of my working life . He said you wash it , and I will make sure it lasts until you retire . In fact he has offered to buy it back off me a couple of times . Big respect to all you lads who get greasy and know what you’re doing under the bonnet . 

[NBwcs]

yes it does

Older Vivaro's - injector problems - egr valve sooting up - airflow sensors to name but a few 

much better after 2016 I believe

Mines a 65 plate