Date:         Wed, 16 Apr 1997 18:26:46 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Randy Newell" <rnewell@epower.net>
Subject:      Re: Recalls, Etc,

My 86 GL is scheduled to have the fuel tank replaced from a open recall at
VW's expense. All I did was have the dealer run for open recalls, I did
have to go to two different dealers, the first replaced the fuel lines (had
to take it back the next morning because it was leaking a river of gas) and
said that he didn't know what the other two that where showing up were,...
and that they probably not important, well after considering the usual
amount of trust that I have in these so called "VW experts" :(  I went for
a second opinion. Told the second dealer that I was tired of being put off
and said that I wasn't going to just go away, he said that I was to get a
new fuel tank and repairs to my AC air ducts. So he ordered the parts, and
hopefully they will do a better job then the first dealer did on my oil
seal and clutch ( had to go back for this too, oil seal still leaked and my
clutch has not been the same sense they touched it the first time, they say
I need to replace my slave and master cylinders, but it worked fine before
they replaced my "oil soaked" clutch that worked just fine after I let the
air out of it that the PO's mechanic left in it when it was replaced 10K
ago. I haven't had time yet to do this, but I have the parts and I hope for
their sake that it works when I'm done or I will be back to raise the roof
in their little establishment ) :(  ( sorry to run-on so much but these
guys suck! ) seems like the only repairs that come out right are the ones
that I did myself. I'm to the point now that I won't let anyone work on it
UNLESS I REALLY don't have what I need to do the job myself AND I'm
watching them work, and having my doubts about that. Need to get more
tools, I can't afford for them to "fix" my baby anymore, they seem to make
two or three more problems just to fix one. I will keep all of you guys and
gals posted on the results of my big mess. I sure I will have some dealers
to blackball, I just want to give them reasonable amount of time to redeem
themselves, or enough rope to hang themselves with,...

Randy Newell 
86 GL (139K and running great, no thanks to the mechanics)  :) 
rnewell@epower.net