If only you knew what I went through with my first car in 2008; mistake of a lifetime, it put me in great pain and losses. Let me tell this story. I had a Passat 2.0 in the year 2008.

I went through [hell] with the engine and gear box, when I intended to procure a new engine but could not find the engine in the Nigerian market not even in Lagos, as the car was not popular then, so I was advised by the engine seller to buy another engine (Audi A4) for conversion. He told me it would work and will be even cheaper that the original engine. He said he would recommend one of his mechanics to do it for me.

One of my friends said, “no, it’s better for us to use our mechanic in a situation like this, someone we know.” He told me, “this ibo man can do some tricks on us all the way just to sell market”, so we contacted the mechanic we knew. The useless mechanic, after examining the engine, told me that the engine would work in the Passat 2.0.

I paid for the engine and we picked it from the mechanic workshop. During that process, I was buying one thing after the other. I was running up and down all over the place, forces to buy so many things, all costing thousands and thousands.

That is when I started hearing of deferent names in motor engines. The painful part was that the money was not chicken change for me - it cost me hard earned money. My main reason for fixing the car was to sell it ASAP but it then turned out to be worthless.

So, let continue. After the mechanic finally sat the engine after spending several days and emptying my pocket, he then ‘discovered’ that there was a wire cable that comes out from the brain box which connects to the engine and opens the injector to pump fuel and there was nowhere to fix that on the new engine. After about 99% completion! I was like “wow!” - I was almost mad at that point. I asked the mechanic “what is the way out?” He said there is nothing he could do.

Then we had to discuss what to do. Someone came up with an idea to put in a carburetor at this point. I was completely tired of the car my mind at that point was to abandon the car in the mechanic workshop, but some other people advised and encouraged me to convert to a carburetor engine, saying they are even better than injector engines. I never wanted a carburetor engine because they are noisy, but there was no other choice for me at that time.

So I decide to do that. At that stage I had been forced to spend money I didn’t budget for at all. I was even afraid to continue - my leg was shaking while spending but I used bottles of beer to console myself..

To cute the story short, I bought the carburetor and the mechanic cute the injector pipes and gave it to the guy to install the carburetor into it. During this process I was still made to buy many different things just to seat the carburetor. I bought a new battery and they asked me to buy a new brain box to construct this. I was charging batteries every day, even renting more. Whenever the motor refused to start, it killed batteries very quickly.

Later, they finished with the carburetor construction and the motor indeed started, but with some noise. The mechanic said the engine was noisy because it was newly fixed, but after some time, it would be normal. However, when the mechanic sat the carburetor and everything in the engine, the bonnet could not be locked anymore . There wasn’t even any space for such act since the motor was not designed for carburetor. At this news I almost fainted because I had spent hundreds of thousands for all this nonsense.

I left the car there to face other things, but my mind couldn’t get away from that scene because it was so painful, and heartbreaking for me. Then one of my friends contacted another ‘good’ mechanic. I used the word “good” because he said the guy is good and the best Volkswagen mechanic he has known. He explained everything to the mechanic and asked, “what is the way out?” The mechanic suggested that we should reinstall the former engine and that we should ‘rise’ the engine. He said we would have to manage it until we found the right engine and the money was available for it.

When me friend contacted me and told me what his mechanic said, I said to him “what?? Spending more money on that blood sucking car? Is it the engine we have thrown and abandoned?” I told him I was not ready for this. “As you can see, I am just trying forget about that car for good, and here you are coming up with this again?”

He then begged me to try what he just told me. He said that he believed in that mechanic. I said, “the motor currently is with the other mechanic, so what do we do?” He said both of them should fix it. I then said, “ok. How much it gone cost me to ‘rise’ this engine? They did the calculations, and it was a few thousands of naira. So I gave him the money and said him, “I am counting on you. I want to hear on the phone that the car is working and can be driven.

However, at this time I contacted the man who sold the engine to me to explain the whole thing. The man said that my friend’s mechanic was not a good mechanic. He first advised that we use his mechanic ( bla bla and all that) I told him that will return back the engine - that we are not using it anymore - though the mechanic had tampered with so many things in the engine (cutting the injector pipes and all that,) He then said he had to take a look at the engine before he could say anything.

Now back to the rising issue, my phone kept ringing with requests for money to pay for more things. I said “what about the statistics you guys gave me earlier?” They said the extra just to buy some minor things which were not on that list. I said “okay here is money.”

After everything, the car was moving like something with no power and jacking when moving. It would stop and overheat within 5 minutes of driving. At this time the mechanic charged me 45,000 naira for all this rubbish. He said he had been working on my car for almost 2 weeks now, and had not done any other work. I said, “but you can see the condition of this car at present, that there has been no improvement.” He said that’s no business of his, as he had “repaired” my car.

I almost got some men to beat him up. Some of my guys wanted to even put this guy on their boot and take him away, I just had to beg and make peace, because I saw everything as my fault and my eyes were now wide open. I paid the mechanic 25,000 naira and took the car away.

My only option was to sell this car. The question was, “who with his right senses would buy this car?” Some guys advised me to go and park this car, and just patiently wait until whenever the engine was available. Then I could fix it, complete with a jack box. I said, “no I can’t keep this car any more. The only way is to sell it to car “busher” to dismantle it for spare parts. The Igbo men there priced it too cheap, so I eventually sold it to back to the same man who I bough the engine from, for very little money.

That was the end of my baby passat 2.0 experience.

attached picture is the same type and color of my passat 2.0.

Waiting for Siena and Ikenna

Why will you need an engine in a new car?

sultaan: Why will you need an engine in a new car?

the engine is dead before i buy the car. i didn't buy it new. i was trick and convince to buy this car

@Joel, your account would be very hilarious if it weren't so serious considering the amount of time and money already spent. Any attempt to remedy the situation will only result in even more expense. I suggest you cut your losses and sell the car for whatever it is worth. Take heart bro.

Joel.:
the engine is dead before i buy the car. i didn't buy it new. i was trick and convince to buy this car

Why would you buy a car with a "dead" engine, and then cry about "your experience with a Passat"?? and BTW who told you that the engine of your Passat is not available in Nigeria?
Your mechanics were probably too lazy or too incompetent to do the proper market research-thats if actually the engine was not salvageable.
Before you went on your Engine changing spree, did you ever bother to spend 5k or so to run an OBDII scan on your car?

Op,

You deserve award for making me laugh till tears started coming out from my eyes! Honestly, this thread deserve to be saved in Car Talk Library, so that anyday person provoke me for here, i go quickly rush to Library go laugh myself out.

How on Earth would someone who called himself a mechanic considered swapping in another engine without remembering that it's been controlled by a computer ? If he knew the engine was been controlled by "brain box", was he thinking the engine communicates with the "brain box" via bluetooth ? How come he didn't know the engine harness will run from the engine ECU to the sensors/components scattered on the engine and relays? Did he not see the old engine wiring harness on the engine bay before the old engine was removed?

As if the wrong engine and no engine wiring harness issue was not enough, he went ahead to construct in a carburettor on the intake manifold without considering first if the height of the carburettor will size the limited space available for the bonnet to close. Who would do such a thing biko nu? Is it not only someone who makes people laugh in circus would do that? Is like they have graduated from Clown to something else.

Op, who told you that engine didn't exist in Nigeria in used spare part market at the time you were searching for it? Do you think it's only in Ladipo that such car part market exist? Did you try Mgbuka-Obosi in Anambra state during the hunt for the engine replacement ? Have you ever been to that place?

Funny enough, a Nigerian will tell you that a car emitting black smoke means dead engine. A simply issue as CTS failure could mean a dead engine in Nigeria, simply because when clowns can't detect a fault causing engine malfunctioning, the engine will be declared dead, just like medical doctors do to dead patients. How are we even sure the original engine in that car has failed? What if the issue was ECU or sensor related? Probably some clowns must have connected some nonsence somewhere and blew up the the poor ECU or some electronics and the car refused to start or run properly. And for that, they declared the engine dead.

I don't even know what else to say.

Ikenna.

Op,

Your last post confirmed what i said earlier. The issue with the car when you bought her had nothing to do with the engine, rather the engine management, what was controlling the engine. A simple scan would have fix that car with just few thousands or less than you could imagine. Unfortunately, the car is no more yours, probably have been put to pieces.

Poor Passat in the wrong hands!

Ikenna.

Siena: Ikenna, I'm laughing my head off at your response.

Engine communicating with the ECU via Bluetooth! Dang! My daughters thinks daddy's gone nuts, I'm crying with laughter.

Because that's the only thing i can think of. Unless they thought the ECU na winch!

Ikenna.

i only search for the engine in benin , although someone from benin only make contact to logas, i think in ladepo as you say but no way. what i wound have done is to park the car atleast, but no, well that is not my field that why it happens that way.. my eye was later open when i understand that that mechanic was only destroying my car. that motor was walking with sensor everywhere. there is computer at the dashboard which i then understand is not for a roadside mechanic, its been done by computer.

@op
Anyone that reads your post and doesn't laugh should have an heart made of stone.

Dude, u messed up in the hands of both d seller and ur mechanic.sure the brain washed you.Who told you u cant get the engine here? That car you wasted is a great ride anyday.Better luck next time and seek advice/ opinion frm technocrats and not some cheap ass mofos called "peugeot turned volkswagen mechanics."

Jeeeeez! Jeeeez!! Jeeeeeez!!! Jooooeeeel why? Why? Why? Why na of all people na u fall mugu to this kind thing? Joel wait u sure say no be winch the people wey sell this motor plus the mechanic wey butcher this motor use confuse you? Seee sweeet efizi motor wey dey very fuel efficient na I'm you dumb mechanic butcher with him leprosy hand. I no know wetin to say. Na wetin u dey think wen d mechanic dey CONVERT "TREVNOC" (since the mumu mechanic reverse engineer the motor na TREVNOC we go call am) this ride. If you of all people could fall prey to this then I would say it in grief that this is surely an "end time work" when men of great knowledge are misguided thoroughly. Infact. If I managed to read well (I was very angry and burning with rage n fury when I read the story) the fO0l TREVNOC a computer controlled injector to a carburettor and u dey there dey watch am. Its akin to having a meat seller or butcher perform surgery on a sick person with his crude tools n experience.



I'm totally disappointed, this isn't a laughing issue cos u have wasted substantial amount and you must waste some more infact I'm offended. I give up! I give up. Kilode wetin. Haba wich kind juju d dealer n d mechanic use 4 u?

ROFLMAO! Na now I go back go read the whole write up and I discover why everybody is laughing the laugh of their life. I can't help but laugh at peugeot mechanic most prolly 404 pickup mechanic inflicting injuries with his claws to bring death to your car, TREVNOC from injector to carburettor and other stuffs. Kai. Abeg I can't hlp but laugh now im havin stomach pains, painful cheeks and jaw, and watery eyes. Its been a while I had such a good laugh.

lomomike: ROFLMAO! Na now I go back go read the whole write up and I discover why everybody is laughing the laugh of their life. I can't help but laugh at peugeot mechanic most prolly 404 pickup mechanic inflicting injuries with his claws to bring death to your car, TREVNOC from injector to carburettor and other stuffs. Kai. Abeg I can't hlp but laugh now im havin stomach pains, painful cheeks and jaw, and watery eyes. Its been a while I had such a good laugh.

seeing myself on that situation was like magic. people couldn't believe their eye that me can fall so cheap lie that. i guess it was my fancy for big cars that lead me to it. there sme situation you find yourself which calls for questioning it will be as if you are a baby. i don't blame when someone make mistakes but what the way out.?

Joel.:
seeing myself on that situation was like magic. people couldn't believe their eye that me can fall so cheap lie that. i guess it was my fancy for big cars that lead me to it. there sme situation you find yourself which calls for questioning it will be as if you are a baby. i don't blame when someone make mistakes but what the way out.?

Pls Mr Joel, I really commiserate with you in difficult situations like this. Really its not bad having a good taste especially for modern things and I hope this situation don't make you beat a retreat when it comes to having a taste/flair for state of the art modern things. However, this should be an awakening about how someone can easily fall into the hands of con men and serve as a guide to be much more vigilant when dealing with people (in this case your car dealer and mechanic) especially when it involves payment for goods purchased and service rendered.
Where it to be in a more civilized country where peoples rights and rule of laws are respected, that dealer and the mechanic would have been cooling their heels behind bars and awaiting court sermons. I really hope that your quest for replacement parts already damaged would see light at the end of the tunnel, and that you don't have to close your bank account for this cause. Pls try to focus on other things and take time out to hang out n catch fun. Don't think much about the incidents so as to avoid High Blood Pressure and stress. Cheers!

yeah, my losses on that episode within just a space of three weeks was upto 600k to 700k it really effect me big time. since then i haven't bought any car.. i am not a rich guy but just a poor fellow, i have high test over cars. initially people advice me for 190 but i told them all the small small boys in my area have use and dumpt 190 is now i will be thinking on that? no way no respect, that was why i need something bigger.. i have indeed forget about that issues. i hardly think about it. but it indeed take my life to another realms.

Sad but cautionary tale on why we should always take ownership of our cars especially in respect of any decisions - to buy or sell, repair and where - regarding the car rather than surrender to the whims of (any) mechanic. I find it hard to laugh at Op because even though he could have applied more due diligence and a little bit of research would have avoided this messy affair, yet as a new car owner he was vulnerable and the quirks around him took advantage with their glib tongues, I can imagine how many times he was assured knock on wood (just pay X and the car would be fixed, we know the problem) and once u commit it's hard to go back.

I am a new car owner myself, before now knew next to nothing about cars. Yet within less than a month of getting mine.. I have checked out everything there is to know about the ride. Car section became my second home.. I have investigated where to get the best parts and servicing items for the ride rather than follow blindly the counsel of my road side mechanics, I investigated issues and decide to buy parts myself picking the brains of former car owners on where to get the best.. Having a car is not an easy thing. In fact often time the payment part always turns out to be the easiest part. One will still need to get to know ur car. Furnish your self with information that will allow u take the best decision about the ride rather than leave such to the advice of someone with the reassuring name of alfa. Thanks for sharing your tale at least. It will serve as a reminder on how a car which is suppose to be a source of convenience can become a source of devourer.

Am soRRY....U Didn't knew much bout Carzs dats why u were tricked

Joel.,

No one is laughing at you. What is causing the laughter is the way the story was narrated and what the ordeal the mechanics metted on the poor car. That what made it funny. Go back and read your starting post and tell me it isn't funny.

Besides, the incident happend in 2008, meaning, you must have moved on by now. So, you were asking "the way forward". I don't know what way forward you need us to tell you since the car is no longer with you. If not, we would have asked you to revert the conversion and put the car in its original shape. Then we can then suggest to you the proper method to diagnose the car issues, since from what you said, the issue was not with the engine, but with what controls the engine.

We are not perfect being more than you are. Some of us have been scammed too in various sectors. We all had made mistakes that cost us a lot. But we have learnt our lessons and moved on. There is so much in life for one to attain than one allow himself to be held/pull down by one misfortune.

Notwithstanding, you kind made it sound as if you went through that nightmare because it was VW Passat. The issue had nothing to do with the brand or the car, but you fell into the wrong hands and fail to realise that on time and continued. The way you put, the thread is enough to scare people away from the VW brand or that particular Passat year model. That's the point i believe Siena pointed out.

It is well.

Ikenna.

Ikenna351: Joel.,

No one is laughing at you. What is causing the laughter is the way the story was narrated and what the ordeal the mechanics metted on the poor car. That what made it funny. Go back and read your starting post and tell me it isn't funny.

Besides, the incident happend in 2008, meaning, you must have moved on by now. So, you were asking "the way forward". I don't know what way forward you need us to tell you since the car is no longer with you. If not, we would have asked you to revert the conversion and put the car in its original shape. Then we can then suggest to you the proper method to diagnose the car issues, since from what you said, the issue was not with the engine, but with what controls the engine.

We are not perfect being more than you are. Some of us have been scammed too in various sectors. We all had made mistakes that cost us a lot. But we have learnt our lessons and moved on. There is so much in life for one to attain than one allow himself to be held/pull down by one misfortune.

Notwithstanding, you kind made it sound as if you went through that nightmare because it was VW Passat. The issue had nothing to do with the brand or the car, but you fell into the wrong hands and fail to realise that on time and continued. The way you put, the thread is enough to scare people away from the VW brand or that particular Passat year model. That's the point i believe Siena pointed out.

It is well.

Ikenna.

no Kienna, do not take it personal i am not against laughing, even me each time i read my post up there i could not help myself as well, but also laught out laud, it really very funny . and my point there is i don't blame on peoples mistake i only look for ways out for them. i am not talking about laughing. thanks anyway...

Funny story. I promise not to visit any mechanic without verifying the issues on forums tailored to solve these problems.

So far,so good.

Wow.

I may not be a wrench welding, turbo charging car enthusiast; but reading op's experiences is worse than watching anything from the Saw franchise.

What the 'mechs' did to that poor passat was the equivalent of a professional wrestler doing a triple heart bypass surgery on a senile patient-with a chainsaw

Siena:
Engine communicating with the ECU via Bluetooth!

i think its an innovative idea.

Technology has no limit. If a self diving car can be developed "with all those sensors", Engine communicating with the ECU via Bluetooth should be a "small matter".

If a drone can be remotely controlled far from base, then an engine - ECU programmed to communicate wirelessly isnt impossible

Its a very feasible idea.

In 2010 when i was doing my I.T, there is VW passat that was parked in front of a house at d back of the office.... Exactly same same the one in the pix.

It has a very neat interior and exterior, fine Rims.... But Why was it parked there just like that? I used to wonder. Maybe the owner travelled abroad.

Four years after, the car is still in the same place. Only God knows how many years it has been parked there like that.

Joel3:
attached picture is the same type and color of my passat 2.0.

These same passat nearly ruined my boss bank account.