Vauxhall Puretech 1.2 belt failure - Known design fault - What can I do?

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I'm not normally an advocate of Magic Fluid, but there is plenty of lore on t'interweb of freeing the stuck rings by putting Magic Fluid into the cylinders, and letting it soak (probably keep adding more as it will initially run straight past) for a few days, (leave the plugs out and spin the engine a couple of times a day) then change the oil to get rid of the Magic Fluid that ran past the rings- I'd imagine this is vital with a wet belt.

Commonly used Magic Fluids are Seafoam Spray and Berryman B-12 CHEMTOOL FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER, but I'd have thought that anything designed to dissolve gum and burnt oil would work. (or anything that will remove paint- be careful where you spill it)

I'd say it is worth a try, as you are looking at an engine rebuild anyway, so if it works you gain, if it doesn't you just get the rebuild. 

Have a look for suitable youtube videos

Funqi

Thanks, yes I have looked at quite a few of those, seafoam being another. The B12 seems to have conjoured the best results. However with a wet belt engine, it's high risk. The last thing I want to do is cure the stuck rings, only to have the belt fail again, or worse, not cure the stuck rings and still have the belt fail again. 
I really don't know, just at my wit's end with it now.

Mildly_Miffed

The stuck rings are simply another sign of previous poor maintenance and neglected oil changes.

Funqi

Mildly_Miffed said:

The stuck rings are simply another sign of previous poor maintenance and neglected oil changes.

Not at all. It's a known defect of this engine, acknowledged by the manufacturer. I have the documentation to show that this car was serviced properly within manufacturer's recommendations.

Bigwheels1111

My Mum set her mind on a Citroen C3, has the 1.2 Puretech engine.
As above known to self-destruct even when serviced to manufacture specifications.
She was lucky, hers was a 2024 model and they have gone beck to a timing chain.

Funqi

From what I've read, the combination of low tension rings and belt particles contaminating the oil, both contribute to the oil rings getting clogged up with a mixture of carbon and belt particles. They usually go around 60k - 70k miles. Your timing chain eliminates the oil contamination, so hopefully that solves it.
I do have some mitigation in that I'm self employed and these repairs are tax deductible, but I'd rather be at home with the kids than working all damn weekend just to keep my motor running. I have no choice now, I'll have to get them done. I can't sell it like this and if I keep driving it, it'll just get worse and poison the catalytic converter.

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Just to add to the woes, I believe the 1.2 Puretech is direct injection too, which is even more to clog up and go wrong.

Make sure they are cleaning the valves when they are doing the piston rings, and fit another new belt as well.

If you do get rid (I'd run the thing for 30,000 miles or so after investing a small fortune in it) make sure you don't replace it with a wet belt or direct injection if it is going to be a keeper, both are fine for the term of the warranty, which is why they sell in such high numbers, most "new" buyers have no intention of still owning them when the inevitable problems develop.

ididgetwhereiamtoday

Ibrahim5 said:

If you take your car to a main dealer for servicing a stamp or the modern equivalent is often all you get. They often don't change the oil. Main dealers have never been shown to be better than independents. I don't think legally they can insist on that. I think you just need a VAT registered garage to state that they have used the right parts. It's obviously a rubbish design and the customer is expected to pay for the consequence.

We all know it’s a game that you have to play to stand an any chance of them not trying to wiggle out of things. 

Funqi

For sure I'll keep hold of it now that I have to fix it. Aside from being hopelessly unreliable and expensive, as a utility its bloody great.
Indeed the first 3 services done by the dealer are just a stamp in the book, note of the mileage and which grade of oil they used. The ones I've had done since by my local garage detail every last part that they used, filters, plugs, type and grade of oil (specific to this wet belt engine) etc.

I guess these engines will be 10 a penny in a couple of years time. I might even keep an eye out for one and rebuild it myself in my shed, so next time, I can take it to the garage and just get them to swap it!

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Funqi said:

I guess these engines will be 10 a penny in a couple of years time. I might even keep an eye out for one and rebuild it myself in my shed, so next time, I can take it to the garage and just get them to swap it!

Scrap ones are.

I watched one of the yootube vids where they bought a car with a "broken wet belt" cheap.

When they took it apart, the belt was fine, but it had seized the bearings solid, most likely run until it burnt all the oil and seized after the light came on on the way to halfords or somewhere to get oil.

They had put oil in in the vain hope of fixing it, so there was oil on the stick when the yootuber checked it.

They just shoved a running engine in, and did the belt while it was out, so they can punt it on with "brand new wet belt".

The early BMW minis were big oil burners. most have been run until the oil light came on and then topped up a few times, because they could empty the sump several times over between services, and still be "in spec"!

(SIL had one just out of warranty and ran it out of oil, brother is a "mek-a-nik" so he'd never look at it. Eventually she got him to have a look because it wouldn't start. He diagnosed a lazy starter, but on a whim checked the oil and there wasn't any. A quick fill of oil and it recovered- for long enough to trade it in anyway!)