Faulty ebay car 'private sale'?

youMust

I did ask if there were any more problems. I did look and check the engine, I know what to look for I don't need four sets of eyes, I was a mechanic for a few years when I was younger. The fault was hidden, I doubt even a compression test would of spotted it as it wasn't pressuring the expansion tank.

It might be 'cheap' to you but it's a lot of money for me.
I thought it was a good buy and so I travelled to get it.

Yes it is the head gasket.

My question wasn't about my ability to spot an issue. Which in my opinion could not have been spotted unless you lifted the head! It was

This guy lied and Frigged the car for sale. If it was a week later or so then sure maybe, but 50miles down the road? Come on!

Anyway I got my answer. Yay me.

Foxy-Stoat_3

youMust wrote: »

This guy lied and Frigged the car for sale. If it was a week later or so then sure maybe, but 50miles down the road? Come on!

Glad you got your answer....I agree the guy must of bodged it and outed it as driving 33 mph for 1.5 hours (50 miles) and it went pop, it must of been on its last legs.

I would of expected a 60-70 mph drive home on the motorway, you should of gotten at least 90 miles before bad things started to happen.

wiltsguy_2

youMust wrote: »

This guy lied and Frigged the car for sale. If it was a week later or so then sure maybe, but 50miles down the road? Come on!

Anyway I got my answer. Yay me.

this may or may not be true, if he hadn't owned the car long it could of been the previous owner-which the guy you bought it from may or may not of spotted, or it could of been the guy that sold it to you that had bodged it....either way to have any comeback as you need to be able to prove this.

Maybe worth ringing round a few garages local to the seller to see if the car is known to them? and if has been in recently. They may tell you and that could be used a proof that the seller knew it was fooked

kev25v6

It could have just happened all of a sudden. My clutch pedal snapped away from the pedal box after a year of driving with no issues. Drove fine to work, got in to drive home,first pressed the clutch and it just went. Sometimes it's just unlucky with older cars. The leak deal in the system could be years old from a previous owner to sort a pin hole leak at some point.

forgotmyname

youMust wrote: »

This guy lied and Frigged the car for sale. If it was a week later or so then sure maybe, but 50miles down the road? Come on!

Anyway I got my answer. Yay me.

As i already said it could have been the previous owner than did the work not the person you bought it from.

Were there no telltale signs of sealant in the expansion tank?

almillar

It might be 'cheap' to you but it's a lot of money for me.

That's very defensive. You paid £900 for a V6 diesel car. That's very little money for a supposedly working car. How much did it cost new? It IS cheap, no matter what £900 is to you.

Anyway I got my answer. Yay me.

You should have asked the buyer quite common questions - 'how long have you had the car', 'why are you getting rid of it'.

If he'd owned it for years, you could maybe argue that he must have known about the cooling problem, if he hadn't had it a long time, that would be more difficult.

Marktheshark

If its that V6 GM unit they used in vectras and saabs, then a mechanic would have know what an absolute dog of an engine they are.
Getting one to stop stalling in traffic is an art form of vacuum pump shimming.

lunabuna

Marktheshark wrote: »

If its that V6 GM unit they used in vectras and saabs, then a mechanic would have know what an absolute dog of an engine they are.
Getting one to stop stalling in traffic is an art form of vacuum pump shimming.

I agree with that. I had a 97 vectra about ten years back. Only cost £700 and thought I had a bargain until a few months after buying I realised how many things were going wrong with it, the engine worst of all. I became quite skilled at dealing with it stalling which happened at every traffic light or roundabout, any time i had to stop the engine and power steering died. I had to whip the key out of the ignition then back in and start it up again. Never had a vectra since, scarred for life!

macman

The OP has not actually told us what car it is, and isn't likely to be back, since we didn't tell him what he wanted to hear.

arcon5

lunabuna wrote: »

I agree with that. I had a 97 vectra about ten years back. Only cost £700 and thought I had a bargain until a few months after buying I realised how many things were going wrong with it, the engine worst of all. I became quite skilled at dealing with it stalling which happened at every traffic light or roundabout, any time i had to stop the engine and power steering died. I had to whip the key out of the ignition then back in and start it up again. Never had a vectra since, scarred for life!

So all that time ago when you owned an 8 year old car did you ever have the issue looked at rather than just putting up with it