Brand new car probs...

[GTI_PAPA]

Hey guys,

Took car back to dealer yesterday for a look at scratches. Manager acknowledged there were scratches straight away, but when the service manager came to look, tried to tell me that it was something on top of the paint, and that his continuous scratching with a fingernail was making it better. After telling him several times to stop digging his nail into them further, he went away and came back with some sort of lit magnifying device and looked at the scratches further. Eventually admitted to scratches, but dismissed them as deep, and a bit of compounding would sort it.

Should I trust this evaluation? Or should I get a second opinion? My thoughts are to allow them to cut/buff, and if still unsatisfactory/visible, demand a respray.

Secondly, I have read another polo owner had been a victim of water gathering inside the rear wing mounted stop light. My car also has water accumuating there, and VW showed me a long list of parts they've ordered to fix the problem. These included adhesive solvents, window adhesive solvent, various tapes etc. Does the wing have to be removed for the light to be fixed? Isn't there an easy/quick method of removal etc? As I recall, the other owner said it was an easy fix at the dealer. Just found the thread, person with light issue was Spec83. If you're out there, could you please forward any info regarding what they did/replaced when your light was sorted.

Thanks,
Con.

[gregozedobe]

By now you've probably read about the scratches as a result of the dealer washing my car. What advice would you suggest regarding what they should do to fix the scratches? I do know that one of the scratches is deep enough to stick my nail into. Would a simple cut and buff be satisfactory, or would it need respraying?

Took car back to dealer yesterday for a look at scratches. Manager acknowledged there were scratches straight away, but when the service manager came to look, tried to tell me that it was something on top of the paint, and that his continuous scratching with a fingernail was making it better. After telling him several times to stop digging his nail into them further, he went away and came back with some sort of lit magnifying device and looked at the scratches further. Eventually admitted to scratches, but dismissed them as deep, and a bit of compounding would sort it.

Should I trust this evaluation? Or should I get a second opinion? My thoughts are to allow them to cut/buff, and if still unsatisfactory/visible, demand a respray.

It's too hard to give/get reliable advice over the internet, so I'd get a second opinion from a good detailer or paint shop on just how bad these scratches really are.

The problem with using an agressive compound to polish out deep scratches is that it may wear away most of the clear coat (top layer of paint), leaving you no material to work with for removing future swirls and scratches. If they are really deep (and if you can get a fingernail into them it sounds like they are) they may even go into the colour layer, which means if you polish really deeply the integrity of the whole paint job will be compromised in that area (possible failure of the clearcoat in the future).

If you do go down the polishing path insist on getting some paint thickness readings before and after to see what they have left you with.

Having a respray on the affected panel is not always a perfect solution either, as it is difficult to get a really good match for the factory paint job (particularly with metalflake, and even my solid yellow Octavia was giving some repairers some concerns when I was getting quotes to have mine fixed).

[DiZzY]

Which Dealer are you going to PM me if you like or make it common knowledge for everyone.

Also where in NSW are you?

[GTI_PAPA]

Hey Guys,

I posted this thread some time ago, and this message is specifically relating to the leaking drive shaft flange seals. I finally had the car in for this to be sorted, and want to know if the dealer has actually replaced the seals. I'm a bit sceptical, because when home I jacked up the car to check their work, and it just looked the same, oily residue etc.

Jmac gave me some part no's for the flange seals etc, and I assumed they were some sort of metal cap with rubber edges. When I picked car up, I asked what was replaced, and the service guy said they replaced a felt washer on either side, found no traces of oil inside, and that the oil present underneath the car was assembly fluid. I also asked if I could see what was replaced, but it was missing.

Have they replaced/repaired the flange seals, or are they having a laugh?