APU head on my LCR!!!!!

[Rich23 UK]

As you may or may not know I've just bought my LCR. I've had it for 3 weeks. I decided to get the cambelt and water pump replaced and went to a SEAT main dealer.
They have reported that the head is a non standard head with an APU code on it instead of a BAM code!!!! WTF?!!!!!

Also they reported a slight oil leak which needs investigation and the rear exhaust support bracket has broken away which means it would normally fail an MOT and requires a new exhaust system!!!!

Not particularly happy tbh

So I have now contacted the garage I bought it from and questioned all these things. It has a 3 month warranty on it so fingers crossed it will be ok.

What would you do in this situation?

 

[Lodgey180]

the head situation is funny..
im sure people replace the heads none veriable valve timing units so you can fit race cams..
seems funny if it was standard when you bought it.

the exhaust brackets are fairly common anyway

 

[Fl@pper]

check the logbook against the engine serial number be first stop

2nd check the chassis numbers too both screen and body as well too

 

[Rich23 UK]

I've spoken the the original owner of the car and he's said it wasn't done whilst he had it. But it was serviced and sold to a person from Germania in-between. I've rang them to query it and he seemed a bit perplexed. He was going to go and find out a bit about the car in there records.
I also rang Volkscraft as there a local specialised and he was a bit confused as well about it.

I can't see that it was an upgrade. I mean it's from a frickin' VW Passat engine!

But as I've said it's in warranty as I've only had it for 3 weeks.

And that's the thing. I thought it was standard. I wasn't advertised as modified. But I do know it has a Revo ECU upgrade which is inactive and with no switch. I haven't a problem with that but it concerns me about the head.

 

[LEE69]

I'm sure there is a Revo SPS1 switch in for sale.

 

[andycupra]

exhaust is common, a dealer will quote for new system, while most garages can weld fix it for very little money.

the engine sounds strange. id check see what the V5 says, then id be looking to get the garage to take it back.

 

[Rich23 UK]

Where do I find the engine number?

Funnily enough I got the V5 document today and it has BAM053394 for the engine number.

 

[Rich23 UK]

I'm sure there is a Revo SPS1 switch in for sale.

I want to get this sorted first

 

[Rikko]

Im sure ive heard of this mod somewhere before if you put a Ibiza cupra head on a LCR its suppose to be a performance upgrade as the Ibiza head has bigger valves and is non VVT but never heard of anyone actually doing it and especially with a Passat head but you never know you could be pushing more ponies and not even realise. Hope this helps alittle

Rikko

 

[Rich23 UK]

Im sure ive heard of this mod somewhere before if you put a Ibiza cupra head on a LCR its suppose to be a performance upgrade as the Ibiza head has bigger valves and is non VVT but never heard of anyone actually doing it and especially with a Passat head but you never know you could be pushing more ponies and not even realise. Hope this helps alittle

Rikko

Everyone i have spoken with thay really know the car i.e service, tune it have all been really suprised by it and not come across it before. I'm just worried that i have spent a lot of money for the car. I plan to keep it for 4-5 years and can't afford to risk it on something strange like this.

 

[Rikko]

If its still under warrenty mate i would take it back and get them to explain them selfs as the car has defo had something done to it i cant see it rolling off the line like that. I would imagine they should really replace it as your buying something under false advertisement as it was sold as a CR but clearly it isnt a full one as half the engine is missing or non original.

Rikko

 

[wayne lcr]

take it back 4 defo and tell them you want your money back and dont drive it any more cos if you have a accident your insurunce mite be void and if you dont go to police or a solicter

 

[slim20vt]

just reading through this? and im thinking? the dealer you bort it from didnt no this?(other wise they wouldnt of touched it) you could take it back under trade description,but theres bound to be a loop hole? they could get out of?
i see your from devon? where abouts?
i might no somebody who can give you a 2nd opinion..
and there are some local scn members who will have a look?
im one of them?

 

[Rich23 UK]

just reading through this? and im thinking? the dealer you bort it from didnt no this?(other wise they wouldnt of touched it) you could take it back under trade description,but theres bound to be a loop hole? they could get out of?
i see your from devon? where abouts?
i might no somebody who can give you a 2nd opinion..
and there are some local scn members who will have a look?
im one of them?

Hi Slim,

It wasn't a Seat dealer I bought it from. It was a garage in Newport. But I decided to get the cambelt done as they said it didn't need doing until 120k. They were going by the information from Autodata and the Seat manual. But Seat then changed there minds and revised it to every 4 years. Hence me deciding to get it done. It was the Seat dealer that then discovered this.

I'm still waiting to hear from the garage I bought it from so until then I don't know what there thoughts are. But the person I spoke to on the phone was there service engineer I think and he sounded a bit puzzled by it.

I might ring citizens advice tomorrow just to get an idea on where I stand. But I'm preparing myself for a battle with this one. Ideally I would like them to either pay for it to be sorted or take the car back and refund me the money I paid for the car and the cambelt change. But I think that is wishful thinking.

Thanks for the offer of getting another opinion though. I may take you up on that. I live in Newton Abbot so not far away from yourself.

Thanks to all that have given there opinion so far. Much appreciated

 

[Rich23 UK]

I've just rang Germania who serviced and sold it previously and they have said they changed the head on it. Asked why an APU one was used and he said well it's basically the same part.

I informed him that I had my cambelt changed which was when it was discovered and then he said it was probably done when the head was changed!!!! Ahhhhhh!
But nothing was put in the Inspection and Maintenance book. Just an Oil service change.

So it's been running for 18 months with it in.

How trusted can these guys be?

What do I do now?

 

[slim20vt]

more to the point why was the head changed?
or have i missed something?

 

[dirk1978]

I'd just take it back and get your money back. If it smells a bit fishy then it probably is. The longer you leave it the more hassle you will have.

 

[Steely]

snapped cambelt in the past?? dont the 20v heads suffer on the casting its this situation, it's economically better to replace with a fully working head than to re vavle and set up a head with knacked valves guides etc,,

what about the variable valve timing, BAM heads are arent then?

 

[Shaunyboy]

more to the point why was the head changed?
or have i missed something?

Timing belt snapped, headgasket gone and head damaged beyond repair, oil system failure, broken valves?

Mine has an AUQ head on with BAM cam gear, no problem, its usually cheaper alternative as there the same head, just normally amk or bam heads are overpriced due to the car they fit. i wouldent worry about it if it runs ok.

Only diffrence i found on the heads if yo need to blank off the EGR vavle or it sounds like a hotrod lol, took me a hour or two to notice Lifters cams valve train is all the same.

 

[slim20vt]

Timing belt snapped, headgasket gone and head damaged beyond repair, oil system failure, broken valves?

Mine has an AUQ head on with BAM cam gear, no problem, its usually cheaper alternative as there the same head, just normally amk or bam heads are overpriced due to the car they fit. i wouldent worry about it if it runs ok.

Only diffrence i found on the heads if yo need to blank off the EGR vavle or it sounds like a hotrod lol, took me a hour or two to notice Lifters cams valve train is all the same.

so why are the main dealer making such a big deal of it?
if its the same thing? as yours shaunyboy?