Lately, the store has been dealing with several Volkswagens that needed repairs related to the Diesel Gate scandal – the cars that got Volkswagen into trouble a few years ago. These vehicles received an extended warranty after completion of the conversions by Volkswagen.

In Canada, model year 2009 through 2015 2.0 TDIs and Audi 2.0 and V6 TDIs through 2016 were affected. The fine print of the warranty says: For vehicles with automatic transmission, the warranty period is 10 years or 193,000 kilometers, whichever comes first from the vehicle’s original commissioning date, or four years or 77,000 kilometers, whichever comes first, from the date and mileage the completion of the emission changes.

Vehicles with a manual transmission are slightly different at 10 years and six months or 203,000 kilometers and four years and six months or 87,000 kilometers.

Spring models are now out of their extended warranty period, but VW started rolling out emissions modifications in 2018, so this is for owners approaching their four-year anniversary.

Per VW Canada, the emissions system warranty covers the following parts or systems:

• The entire exhaust aftertreatment system, including diesel oxidation catalyst, NOx reduction catalyst, diesel particulate filter, exhaust flap and all sensors and actuators;
• The entire fuel system, including fuel pumps, high-pressure fuel rails, injectors, vibration dampers, pressure control valve and all sensors and actuators;
• The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, including EGR valves, EGR cooler, EGR filter, EGR temperature sensor, all associated hoses and pipes, and all sensors and actuators;
• Air intake pipe and charge air cooler, charge air temperature sensor and air mass sensor;
• The turbocharger including the turbocharger damper;
• the glow plug;
• The on-board diagnostic system (OBD) – all malfunctions detected by the OBD system that do not concern the transmission; and
• The transmission and transmission mechatronic unit (Only certain vehicles from model year 2009).
• In addition, the engine block warranty covers the engine subassembly, which consists of the assembled engine block, crankshaft, cylinder head, camshaft and valve train.

This is a significant warranty extension that covers many areas and since I’m just going for simple clichés, jump in while access is good if you can. This guarantee is also transferrable. So if you recently bought an affected TDI, you should check the original entry into service date of your vehicle and also the exact time the changes were made.

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Answers to your automotive questions

Hello Lou,

I bought a new 2018 Mazda CX-5 from a local Halifax dealership in July 2018. The vehicle has only 21,500 kilometers of slight signs of wear.

Recently the brakes started making noise so I took it to the same local Mazda dealership for what I thought was a warranty inspection. Thirty minutes later I received word that all four brake pads were metallic and all four rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle is an automatic vehicle with an electric emergency braking system.

When I heard the news I had a few words with the service manager and told her I was shocked. I’ve been driving a car for over 30 years, the last 15 years exclusively with new Volkswagens, and I’ve never heard of anyone needing a brake replacement with so few kilometers.

The Mazda service manager was understanding and told me my situation was unusual but not unique to her time at the dealership. The Mazda Canada representative was also not helpful or sympathetic when I contacted him by phone. Is this normal and what remedies, if any, do I have in this situation?

Thanks PaulH.

There’s no way this vehicle with such low mileage should be metal to metal both front and rear. This is definitely not normal. Something has to be held tight, which causes the brakes to drag, leading to the unfortunate, premature wear.

I wonder if you’ve ever serviced your brakes? If you hadn’t serviced your brakes since they were new, this would be the reason they wore out so early. The brake pads caught in their caliper brackets, would not move and would not disengage. I’ll get on my feet here and say that given the low mileage, you didn’t even consider that they needed a service.

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dear Lou,

I only drive my 2006 Mazdaspeed6 in the summer and I drive it about 5,000 to 8,000 kilometers a year. My current mileage is 75,000 kilometers. Due to the turbo and the associated higher operating temperature, I only use synthetic oil. My mechanic advises me to do an oil change every spring. He says that moisture builds up in the oil during winter storage. The oil looks like new. The question is: am I wasting money on this? Please give your expert opinion.

Thank you, Paul C., Truro, NS

Regardless of how the oil looks or miles driven, I think an annual oil service should be done. So the question is whether to do it in spring or fall.

There are two schools of thought, both perspectives having valid points. The typical reason for a fall swap before putting it away for the winter is to get rid of the contaminated, fuel-diluted oil. The theory goes that there is no need to leave dirty oil in the sump all winter.

Alternatively, according to your mechanic, there is also a reason to change it in the spring due to moisture build-up in the winter. If you’re the type of guy who regularly starts the car and lets it idle several times a winter, I’d service it in the spring. But if you store the car without driving it in the winter, which I recommend, by the way, change it in the fall.

Of course, there are always exceptions to every rule. In your case, since your location is considered a somewhat humid climate, I believe that I would follow your mechanic’s recommendation.

Lou Trottier owns and operates All About Imports in Mississauga. Do you have questions about maintenance and repairs? E-mail [email protected]by including “Lou’s Garage” in the subject line.

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