Thanks. You are correct re VINs. My vehicle had the right VIN.
Your original post provided near zero info as to what really occurred and your follow up posts simply verify my point.
You have accused this dealer of fraud, being a criminal, and being involved in a conspiracy to cheat you out of your vehicle along with being incompetent and you think I’m being rough on you?
My comments are based on what you have posted and I will reiterate; people who are in the auto service field will have dealings with “The Type” every single week.
So let me ask this question.
Did you tell the dealer you actually wanted this car repaired or were you irate over the fact they can’t provide an answer to an electrical problem at the counter within 2 minutes involving a cheap fix and had to provide a very rough, high estimate on a worst case scenario?
(I would add that with the circuits you mention (ligter, interior lighting, etc. etc.) that these circuits are the absolute worst ones to track down problems in and repair or replace because the wiring in those circuits pretty much encompass 90% of the car. Replacement of a harness (and I know Audi ain’t givin’ those away on the cheap) could likely involve removal of carpeting, seats, interior trim, door panels, dashboard, console, and Lord knows what else.)
To VDC Driver:
My response to 4450 was out of sequence and not meant for you.
Thanks for your advice.
Best for the new decade.
P.S. I’m out of here!
Like I said.
Get a life.
Please get off my back.
You came here first, ranting basically and when people tried to help you and explain that popping in a few fuses will not fix your car, you kept ranting on about how the dealership attempted to gouge you. It may indeed end up costing thousands of dollars to properly fix the electrical problem. The A6 is a high end car, one should expect to spend corespondingly high end prices for repair costs.
But based on your responses you’re living up to the stereotype that Clarkson and company have brought up when it comes to Audi owners. Even including the "used to own BMWs, now I drive Audis."archetype.
If you had this attitude with your Audi dealer I am surprised the estimate wasn’t higher.
It’s not my job! I’m not a mechanic!
It’s NOT your job…HOWEVER…it’s YOUR RESPONSIBILITY…YOU OWN THE CAR.
Everyone has given you good advice. So far from what you’ve said…all you did was replace a few fuses…and viola everything is fixed. As several posters have pointed out…you FIXED NOTHING. There’s still a problem. You need to get his fixed before serious problems arise. Now if you don’t like the dealer…then find another mechanic. I’ll bet there are many qualified independent mechanics within 10 miles of where you live who can diagnose the problem for you…And guess what…it may actually cost you $6000 to fix it. I’ve seen shorts on vehicles that fried almost every circuit…and the vehicle had to be completely rewired. Very labor intensive.
You have one thing right here, It is a bother to read what you write. Mr. Browne you are ranting and your time is up,you have had your say.
Far too often, I see people post their story, sure that they have been done wrong. And they pop up on this message board, looking for validation and approval. And as the experience of the members brings out more of the truth, the angrier and more defensive the OP becomes, and then suddenly, they take their ball, keys, whatever… and go home. Why? Why post on a board full of objective opinion? When you`re simply fishing for agreement of your own ideal?
Ok, now we’re beating a dead horse. Just because a salesman talks to a service manager and then hovers over you like a buzzard does not not mean fraud.
The fuses blew for a reason. They don’t simply just fail and never at the same time.
They will fail again and the smoldering may become a fire. Just be wary of this. Something is amiss with your electrical system. I would suggest a European independent(maybe VW/Audi specialist) for 2nd opinion. Electrical repairs are extremely costly.
As I said, it’s very easy to read through this one and determine what happened.
The OP stated that he talked to the service manager and service managers have enough on their plates without dealing with customers.
Service managers usually get involved with customers when:
A. They don’t like what the service writer is saying and want to go further up the food chain.
B. The service writers are out to lunch or whatever and the SM steps in to fill a gap.
The OP was likely at the service counter looking for a quick cheap fix or free advice and did not hear what he wanted to hear. Pushed for an estimate the dealer likely gave this expensive, worst case estimate to:
A. Cover a total main wire harness replacement if necessary or;
B. Discourage Mr. Browne clean out the door, with the aforementioned keys.
In spite of him being totally ticked off at me I would gladly help right now if I could but there is no way on Earth this problem can be diagnosed without car in hand and a factory wiring schematic/manual.
VW/Porsche/Audi makes very good current flow charts and it’s going to take an electrically astute person some time (also spelled MONEY) to track it down.
Whenever I run into an electrical problem involving shorts, etc. I never blindly barge into the wiring. I always spend several hours with a schematic in the evening (at home and for free) plotting it out mentally and jotting down notes.
Even then, some of these kinds of problems can be a head scratcher and source of migraines.
Mr. Browne:
Do what you have to do. You came here asking for your opinion to be validated, we decided to seek further info before agreeing with you, it got heated, etc.
You yourself admitted there is a smolderering electrical short, yet nowhere did you address it or what it could be.
Whether or not this is an obscenely fradulent scam is a matter of opinion. If this is truly a scam, the proper authorities should be notified. (BBB, law enforcement, etc)
That`s my take.
You seem to have expensive tastes in cars for someone who is “attempting to subsist on SS & VA ‘benefits’”. Just saying
Also the Tundra isn’t getting a turbo diesel, that was called off two years ago. The diesel Q7 wasn’t a big hit in the U.S. The likelyhood of a diesel Q5 coming over here is slim right now. Your Audi fanboyism is staggering. As I mentioned before you are living up the stereotype of the modern Audi owner. If you watch Top Gear, you know what I’m talking about.
Oh, you said that so well in the spirit of the Click & Clack brothers.
What a brilliant, thoughtful response.
Shame in you.
You be the Moron.
And much more, were I not a gentleman.
And your response was worthy of a response.
“If this is truly a scam, the proper authorities should be notified. (BBB, law enforcement, etc)”
The BBB is NOT “the proper authorities”.
The BBB is a private, profit-making organization which member businesses can opt to join for an annual fee.
If you complain to the BBB about a business that is not a member, they will place your comments on file and…that is the end of the line for your complaint. It will reside in a filing cabinet and/or a database, with no attempt by the BBB to do anything with it other than holding it in their records.
If you complain to the BBB about a business that is a member, they will send a letter requesting (not demanding) that the business satisfy your complaint. There is little or no follow-up on that request, so if the business does not comply, nothing happens to the business. If the business simply replies to you, the BBB counts that reply as resolution of the problem, even if the reply is to tell you to go jump in the lake.
If there are many, repeated complaints against a business, then the BBB can take their ultimate action, which consists of refusing to accept the next year’s dues from the business and then de-listing the business as a member. Wow–That’s harsh (Not!). And, since those dues are the lifeblood of the cash flow for the BBB, they hesitate to actually do this.
Additionally, some local BBB franchise holders (yes, franchises are sold) charge a fee to file a complaint.
If someone wants regulatory or punitive action taken against an offending business, then it is necessary to contact a governmental entity, such as the Office of Consumer Affairs, on either the county or state level. These entities work with the DA’s or AG’s office when necessary. The BBB cannot and does not have any legal authority, unlike these government agencies.
About 1 1/2 years ago, Smart Money magazine published an article regarding the ineffectiveness of the BBB, and they concluded that “very few consumers are helped by the BBB”. When asked for comment, the national president of the BBB conceded the findings, and stated that he would attempt to police his local franchise-holders, and attempt to have the organization become more effective.
Save your time, your effort, and possibly your filing fee by forgetting about the “old boys’ club” known as the BBB.
Please don’t feed the troll.
Take a deep breath and settle down and use some common sense:
If you choose to drive the car get it properly repaired.
Follow through with the advocate and see where that leads.
In the mean time, get another opinion from a reputable independant technician.
Decide who will fix the car (ie an Audi dealer or the independant).
After the car is repaired you’ll know what was wrong, the extent of the repair and how much it cost to fix it.
Then decide if you still want to pursue an action with the appropriate authorities. But, remember the authorties need evidence to pursue a fraud case not just a complaint.
Not only the tone of your posts but the disentegrating grammar in the last one points to someone who flys off the handle easily and/or has a very nasty condescending attitude"; a.k.a. one of those people I previously mentioned who should be shown the door PDQ along with a set of flying keys.
Willey has been nothing on this board but helpful, cordial, and considerate. When he gets riled up one knows there is a problem; and that problem ain’t Willey.
Since there is nothing anyone here can do to help you in this matter I suggest you sue the living beejeezus out of this miscreant dealer (whom you have not named) and let us know of the results.
I have a similar story to tell… Sort of. The salesman did not appear when I received my news.
1996 Maxima, CEL came on. Dropped it off at the dealer, and they told me it needed a new wiring harness. $2,300 for the part, about that much for the labor. So I took it home.
Long story short, it turned out to be a volume-control valve for the Evap system, which is a VERY COMMON PROBLEM on Nissans from that time. I fixed it myself in 20 minutes, and only ever went back to that dealer for parts (although I prefer a dealer who sells me stuff from the website).
The advice from the dealer was SO bad, I complained to the California Department of Consumer Affairs. I got my $85 back, which to me was worth it because if the principle involved. Scaring people into believing their cars need $5,000 in repairs when it’s simply a faulty control is absurd.