Repatriated Alhambra - query for any mechanics please

Amanda65

Hi all

As you will see from my previous thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1089143 my car broke down in France and has been repatriated.

We had it delivered back to the garage that usually services our car and they telephoned yesterday and spoke to OH and said that there is a mesh under the sump that was clogged up and they are changing this as they feel it could be what has caused oil from going round engine.

As the car had a full service 2 weeks before we went away, including a change of oil and oil filter, should this have been picked up then (we also had the timing belt changed a couple of days later so they had had the car ramped up twice).

This is a local garage and they have done our cars for about 7-8 years now but I am just rather worried that the work they said they had done wasn't done properly, particularly if it does turn out that the oil problem has casued major engine damage which apparently could still be a possibility but they say they won't know until the oil is circulating again.

Any advice gratefully received. Please note I'm not looking to apportion blame if it is something that could not be avoided but a couple of people I've spoken to today have asked why this wasn't picked up in the service.

vikingaero

A service is normally a replacement of oil and fluids and a check on visual components such as the brake pads/discs, handbrake, CV joints and suspension. The service does not intrude in any way into the engine compartment apart from a new oil filter - for that you would need x-ray vision or a boroscope. I think that you were just unlucky.

Pete268

I think you would need to find out if changing/cleaning this mesh is a service item, or if it it recommended to be done by the manufacturer every xxxx miles/years.

Neither a normal car service nor a cam belt change would require the sump to be removed. The oil on a service is just normally drained off by removing the sump plug with no need to removed the actual sump. The oil filter is also usually changed and it is this filter that normally catches anything in the oil.

Regards

Pete

ammended to add - the post above was not there when I typed this reply.

hewhoisnotintheknow

whats a mesh under the sump?

Amanda65

hewhoisnotintheknow wrote: »

whats a mesh under the sump?

I have absolutely no idea . But it's bl00dy expensive cos the garage have just phoned OH to say car is fixed and the bill is £382.00 :eek: .

Having spent £150 on service and £352 on the new timing belt and water pump just 4 weeks ago this car is rapidly becoming a cash cow!

hewhoisnotintheknow

hmmm, well the service and cambelt were planned items, so they can be disounted. £382 all in is a good bill for a problem that needed the car trailoring

mrke

£382 for what exactly?

If the engine was starved of oil then there will of been damage.

I suspect the gauze you mention would be from the oil pump pick up, basically a pipe to the bottom of the sump with mesh over the end.
If this was the case then ask them to run the car for a week or so or let you run it for a while to ascertain if further faults are present and no other damage has been caused. Otherwise you might pay up and the engine will seize in a few days...
Also when the service was carried out was the correct oil filter fitted?

Hopefully none of the above is relevant and the fault was not oil starvation.

Happy motoring

Amanda65

mrke wrote: »

£382 for what exactly?

Presumably for whatever it is you have to do to change this mesh

mrke wrote: »

If the engine was starved of oil then there will of been damage.

How can I tell?

mrke wrote: »

I suspect the gauze you mention would be from the oil pump pick up, basically a pipe to the bottom of the sump with mesh over the end.
If this was the case then ask them to run the car for a week or so or let you run it for a while to ascertain if further faults are present and no other damage has been caused. Otherwise you might pay up and the engine will seize in a few days...
Also when the service was carried out was the correct oil filter fitted?

Can only assume that correct oil filter was fitted. Am now really concerned that this is just another £400 that won't resolve the problem :mad: Maybe I should buy a bike!

goldspanners

it must be the mesh on the oil feed pipe that draws oil from the sump and circulates it around the engine, i would want to know exactly what has blocked the mesh in the first place,has something other than oil got into the sump?
recently had this happen on an older vag engine the crank shaft pulley caught some plastic and pulled it right into the sump,right through the oil seal,it blocked the oil pipe and starved the engine of oil,this was the end of this engines life.