A single warning light on my car’s dashboard revealed a terrible dealer scam – my engine was ruined and the repair cost thousands

A mechanic has revealed how a single dashboard light exposed a horrific car dealership scam that left his customer shelling out thousands for repairs.

The used VW Passat was practically dead before it even left the dealer’s yard.

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David Long, known as The Car Wizard, examined the car and documented his findings on his YouTube channel.

He explained that the car had only come into his workshop because an engine check light came on on the dashboard.

While trying to determine the cause of the light, his team discovered that a computer node that monitors engine temperature was warning that the engine was running too hot.

During a test drive, it turned out that the heater only blew cold air, even when the engine had reached the required temperature.

To fix the problem, they performed air conditioning maintenance, but it revealed a much bigger problem.

As the heater continued to blow cold air, David and his team pulled out the heater core and inspected it, only to find it heavily clogged with nasty brown sludge.

Based on the characteristic smell, David was able to determine what had actually happened: the heater core was full of anti-leak spray, which, as expected, had solidified over time.

The spray is legitimately used by mechanics in small quantities to temporarily fix leaks until they can be properly repaired.

However, David claimed that the amount in the heating system suggested it was a botched quick fix.

He said: “The customer said, ‘When we bought the car, the dealer who sold it said it had a leak in the heater core, but they fixed it.’

“Although it is simple, the dealer did not replace the heater core.

“They probably put two or three bottles of Stop Leak in there.

“The leak stopper works. It clogs things, but it clogs things that shouldn’t be clogged.

“The entire cooling system is compromised.”

Fortunately for the customer, the Passat’s heater core is easily accessible from the driver’s footwell and the dashboard does not need to be removed to access it.

For any other model, the repair costs would likely have been higher than the actual value of the vehicle and would have resulted in a total write-off.

In fact, David explained, they would have to completely flush the cooling system and replace large sections of it, costing thousands.

Previously, a woman revealed that she lived in her mobile home for months off the grid and had instant hot water and full cell phone reception.

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