[NicB]

Hi, ran into turbo problems while towing a caravan last week, loss of power and struggled on hills. Got a VW dealer to look at it, they managed to reset the turbo and told me that they didn’t know how long it would last before needing a new turbo but it was likely that it would be terminal eventually. My local dealer has quoted £2000 + vat, does this seem reasonable? I have been advised to get a new VW OE turbo rather than pattern or re-furbed

 

[poffer]

Sounds like an awful lot of money. Main dealer labour rates are high and their parts prices are ridiculous. I suggest you go to an independent garage and get a like for like quote.

 

[NicB]

Sounds like an awful lot of money. Main dealer labour rates are high and their parts prices are ridiculous. I suggest you go to an independent garage and get a like for like quote.

Thank you, I was going to do that but thought the dealer would give a better guarantee and having read through some of the other turbo posts on here seems that there are some **** refurbished and aftermarket turbos so thought stay safe!

 

[poffer]

Yeah, I understand. Nothing to stop you getting a genuine turbo fitted by an independent though. Basically, the VW dealer buys his parts from VW and adds a markup. The parts that are supplied to the dealer are already marked up by VW UK and, if they are not made by VW, will almost certainly have been marked up by VW AG. When I needed a new a/c compressor (Sanden) I was able to buy the part online for less than half what the VW dealer bought it for from VW. Same exact part. I paid £250 from a Sanden dealer. Local VW dealer paid £650 from VW. Insane but true.

Pretty sure VW don’t make their turbos, so they will be available on the open market without crazy markups.

 

[NicB]

Quick update, spoke to the guy that has serviced and MOTed my T5s over the last 10 years or so and he recommended Wynns Turbo clearer to start with as recently I’d only been going short distances and not opening up the turbo fully. £15 v £2000, worth a punt, also bought some EGR cleaner as well which will go through at the next service. Anyway 30 mins of squirting the cleaner into the turbo, and a quick blast followed by some longer trips and exercising the full rev range on the shorter trips, 500 or so miles later and no problems. 🤞🏻 Not towed the caravan yet, but we’ll see!!