New engine

teallach

I need to obtain more details from my stepdaughter whose car it is but my understanding at the moment is this: a car (Vauxhall corsa) which they bought just over a year ago and has just had its first MOT, has broken down and the garage they purchased it from has told them it needs a new engine at £1000 as well as a water pump at another £138. Is it realistic for a 3 year old car to require a new engine? Warranty ran out last month! Explanation from garage is that something went wrong with a coil causing the engine to overheat.

roneik

Coils and coil packs, the later fitted on recent cars step up the current to a high tension spark for the spark plugs. Some cars have a coil pack for each plug, You would get either running badly on a cylinder or not running. I find it hard to believe this would destroy an engine. It sounds to me as though you need to remove your car from that garage quick and get someone else to look at it.

roneik

. For a fee I believe the AA could inspect your vehicle and give you a report.
I think someone is trying it on

colino

Coils don't drastically overheat cylinders, coils don't cook engines. Get the car towed to an honest, friendly, recommended local garage for their assessment.
"New" engines cost a lot more than £1000 and you fit all new ancillaries, not just a new waterpump. (Which may well be all that the current, condemned engine needs).

pendragon_arther

Even if the head is bowed you can get it skimmed.

teallach

Thanks everyone. After having spoken to her last night, it turns out that they took it to an independent garage (not the dealership it was bought from as I thought) who said that they'd never seen anything like it!
There was no warning light to indicate that the engine was overheating which seems strange to me and first they knew of a problem was the loss of power. Not really sure what they can do about it now as they've paid for it to be repaired....just young and naive, I'm afraid!

arcon5

Still sounds strange to my. Although coils induce massive voltage, the current flowing is actually very small.Anyway she'd need to prove the engine was inherently faulty. Or contact them or manufacturer to see if there is any goodwil

BeenThroughItAll

Only way I could see this happening was if for some unheard-of reason the coil started firing the plugs at the wrong time and advancing the timing so much as to cause detonation and overheating cylinder temperature.

Don't believe I've ever heard of that actually happening, though.

roneik

The engine management system I believe controls advancing and retarding of ignition. On older cars the distributor would have performed this function. If the engine was too far !!!!!! it would backfire.I f it was too far advanced the valves would pink (make clicking pinging noise on acceleration ) As far as I have always been aware the function of the coil is to convert the current to high tension.In order for the spark plugs to ignite the fuel. It would take a long while for an advanced ignition to damage the valves not the engine block.
It would be pre -ignition and the the con caved part of the valve would eventually get pitted and burnt, because the explosion would occur nano seconds before the valve was closed .

roneik

Colino is right. A flush of the coolant system or a new water pump is probably all that's required.
As he and I have stated coils don't affect system heating to the degree of ruining an engine.
I hope you remove your car at the earliest opportunity from that garage. Radflush is only about a fiver for a can. Flush out all water and coolant from the system and top up with water and the flush solution. You run the car for whatever the instructions state. This removes all the gunge and whatever and the system runs cool. It's like a kettle all the water channels in the engine block /cylinder head and radiator get furred up, especially if not renew coolant or running without coolant in the water

roneik

Something not quite right here if the engine was overheating to the degree it was to destroy the engine. You would know all about it as steam would be bellowing from the bonnet ,and you would smell not only see. Something does not add up and I smell a rip off