# Mechanic responsibility? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** jetta, volkswagen\ **Created:** [July 13, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340 "2009-07-13T17:27:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smalltowngirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@smalltowngirl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smalltowngirl)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/1 "2009-07-13T17:27:06Z")
Just had a new ignition put in and after installation my radio no longer works. Mechanic tried to repair, but they say the radio is broken. Shouldn’t they be responsible for having the radio repaired or replaced? It worked when I took the car to them. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/2 "2009-07-13T17:32:39Z")
A new ignition…what ? The word ‘ignition’ alone tells us nothing. ignition what ? ignition switch ? ignition module ? ignition lock cylinder ? ---
**Author:** ![willey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@willey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/willey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/3 "2009-07-13T17:38:44Z")
It’s possible that the radio is locked. If the battery was disconnected the radio could have locked up, it’s a theft deterrent that some cars have. Check your owners manual to see if your car radio has this feature. ---
**Author:** ![smalltowngirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@smalltowngirl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smalltowngirl)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/4 "2009-07-13T17:52:54Z")
ignition switch ---
**Author:** ![Baxter\_s\_Dad](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/baxter_s_dad/32/27_2.png) [@Baxter\_s\_Dad](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Baxter_s_Dad)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/5 "2009-07-13T17:55:23Z")
I think Willey hit the nail squarley on the head. It’s the only thing that makes sense. We have no idea what kind of vehicle this is, but sometimes this needs to be done by the dealership. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/6 "2009-07-13T17:59:37Z")
VW radios are notorious for needing unlocking after the battery is disconnected. Your mechanic should have plugged a device into the DC power outlet (cigarette lighter) to prevent this from happening. This device provides enough power to keep your radio settings when the battery is disconnected. If it isn’t broken, and just needs the codes entered, your mechanic should be responsible. If it is broken, it might be coincidence. You might have to go to the VW dealership to get your radio re-activated. Since your mechanic could have easily prevented this problem, he should pay the bill from the dealership. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/7 "2009-07-13T18:00:21Z")
It is a VW Jetta. ---
**Author:** ![smalltowngirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@smalltowngirl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smalltowngirl)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/8 "2009-07-13T18:26:59Z")
My son tells me it does not go to the interface where you can input the code. it is locked permanently at the screen before it and it shorts out alot. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/9 "2009-07-13T18:35:28Z")
And just think, you paid good money for this wonderful “feature”… A VW dealer, for a price, will restore your radio. You can probably buy a new, better radio on E-bay for less money… If I were the mechanic who changed the switch, I would politely refuse your request, since I did not design your car. Removing the ignition switch while maintaining power to the radio would be very tricky indeed. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/10 "2009-07-13T18:57:17Z")
Hey smalltown I hear you when you say you can’t get to the code input mode and the radio shorts out a lot,these are not design errors of the radio,your radio does have a “problem” Whether it was caused by the ignition switch repair job I can’t say. It always bad for the mechanic when a customer brings a functioning radio and when they pick up the car the radio is shorting out. Is it really blowing the fuse? ---
**Author:** ![smalltowngirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@smalltowngirl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smalltowngirl)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/11 "2009-07-13T19:27:01Z")
no not blowing fuse–they could never put the code in because it was locked in its SAFE mode. when it is in SAFE mode, you need to turn the car on for an hour and then it will go into code mode where you can enter the digits. problem is, it never gets to code mode even after an hour–sounds like a new radio is the answer. After the ignition switch repair of $450 don’t want to buy a radio too but miss my NPR. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/12 "2009-07-13T19:39:28Z")
Your son can’t do this. Only the VW dealership can do this. I respectfully disagree with Caddyman. As a professional, your mechanic should know about these issues ahead of time. If he isn’t familiar with this issue, which is common among all VWs, he shouldn’t work on VWs. This whole thing was preventable. Tom and Ray know to plug in power into the DC outlet to keep the radio settings. If an amateur like me knows about it, so should your professional mechanic. Find a professional mechanic who is willing to do a little research on your car before me messes around with it, and who will take responsibility when he messes something up that could have been easily prevented. ---
**Author:** ![smalltowngirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@smalltowngirl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smalltowngirl)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mechanic-responsibility/33340/13 "2009-07-13T20:14:09Z")
Thanks Whitey and to all that offered advice here!