We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Garage ruined engine when car took in for MOT
Options
Comments
-
Using that logic no one can "know" anything was done properly they can only "think" it was done properly based on their knowledge.
But i'm confident enough to say i know it was done properly due to the amount of information i reviewed before i started. I have traveled over 3000 miles since it was done and the timing is definitely correct and the engine runs as expected. It was a fairly straight forward job overall and is pretty easy on that type of engine. The belt doesn't even have to drive the water pump (cog driven) which makes it even simpler.
People shouldn't think they have to take their car to a skilled mechanic for everything because a lot of jobs are fairly simple to do.
Not just a YouTube video and have done one in their lifetime.
People don't think that at all. Most people do it to avoid the potential of it going wrong. And also because if it does go wrong they have rights.
Even simple jobs can turn in to a diy nightmare. Not uncommon for threads to strip out when unscrewing bolts for example. Not everybody will know how to deal with this and other possibilities.0 -
Going back to the original post, the tester is at fault, an oil light on and he continued to carry out a test that he shouldn't have. The garage is liable.
What the tester should have done was to refuse to test the vehicle or carry out the test and issued a failure on the smoke test by selecting the items not tested option within mot computerisation - The tester had options, which as a professional he is expected to use.
If he'd done his job properly, the light then would have become an issue that needed to be resolved before any smoke test was carried out.0 -
Tarambor I am not asking about the driver liability.
It really is a very simple question.
If a car engine blows up during a MOT test, is the garage liable if the driver has not serviced the oil prior to the visit but the oil light was on meaning the mechanics could see a problem before the test.
Yes or no
reread your post so your answer is yes
Unlike you I used to be a mechanic, a time served apprentice trained one, not some random person on a forum who manages to fumble their way through the odd repair and basic service believing they actually know what they're doing because they watch a Youtube video. It is very possible for the oil light to have been off at the commencement of the test.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
It is very possible for the oil light to have been off at the commencement of the test.
True, but they also claimed that they removed 5 litres from a 3 litre or so sump.
That would have been obvious on the oil level check before the emissions test - as specifically mentioned in the manual - and a mechanic should be aware of the danger of runaway with an over-filled diesel regardless of whether it was diluted oil / diesel from failed regens or just too much oil poured in.0 -
So unfortunately the saga continues...
She went to pick the car up, paid the bill, got in the car and started it and she said the car was 'shaking like a tractor'. The mechanic said it would be fine in a couple of days but she wasn't confident to drive it away like it was, and said it was so bad she was starting to feel sick just sitting in it with the engine running. She tried to get the mechanic to look at it but he basically walked away uninterested.
I phoned the owner of the garage again on her behalf and he said this is 'normal' after replacing the injectors, but said she should leave the car there and they would check it, so she has and she is waiting for them to look at it.
Just curious if this shaking behaviour is normal after replacing the injectors and if simply driving it around for a while would solve the problem?
Thanks.0 -
I would have expected the garage to test the vehicle after doing work to ensure it was working correctly and that the work had been completed correctly.
What you describe just sounds wrong ... like the whole engine is out of balance, like a cylinder not firing. Whilst I'm no mechanic, what they've said just doesn't scan with me.0 -
No, it is not normal.0
-
So she's entrusted a mechanic who was silly enough to do an emissions test with the oil light on to recover her failed engine for a significant amount of money?
The way the engine "ran away" as it ran on it's own oil, it would have been at max revs until they managed to shut it off. Max revs for some amount of time on a very poorly serviced diesel engine like that, which has only been used around town has likely caused some internal damage.
That's why everyone was suggesting the engine would be better to have replaced.
The parts that were replaced are bolt on items and essentially separate parts from the engine itself.All your base are belong to us.0 -
Retrogamer wrote: »So she's entrusted a mechanic who was silly enough to do an emissions test with the oil light on to recover her failed engine for a significant amount of money?
The way the engine "ran away" as it ran on it's own oil, it would have been at max revs until they managed to shut it off. Max revs for some amount of time on a very poorly serviced diesel engine like that, which has only been used around town has likely caused some internal damage.
That's why everyone was suggesting the engine would be better to have replaced.
The parts that were replaced are bolt on items and essentially separate parts from the engine itself.
Yep as I said they can take advantage of people. Also it seems run always can be turned off if you know how, the mechanic could have blocked the oxygen to shut it down to prevent damage?
I wonder if as mentioned in an earlier post they had non mechanics doing the emissions test so as such they wouldnt have known how to react and maybe ignored the oil light.0 -
Also it seems run always can be turned off if you know how, the mechanic could have blocked the oxygen to shut it down to prevent damage?
That's assuming the air intake is accessible which unfortunately, on a lot of modern cars, it isn't.
I think it was the late 70's* when a Chieftain tank engine ran away in an Army wksp in Germany (Sennelager rings a bell?)
The explosion destroyed the building.
* Could have been early 80's
ETA I have just read that they replaced the glow plugs and injectors.
What complete twaddle, if the engine ran away it revvved well past the normal max revs for that engine and it is now toast.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 351K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.6K Spending & Discounts
- 244K Work, Benefits & Business
- 599K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.9K Life & Family
- 257.4K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards