Oil and Disaster

[SammoVWT]

Well looks like I found out the hard way about getting a cheap service done.

Took it to a local garage to get an oil and sparkplug change like anyone who cares about their car would.

Turns out the guy who overfilled it actually caused some damage. Bottom half of the engine died last night when i went to get petrol.

Turns out 1.6 engines are pretty sensitive to being overfilled with oil. Caused my breather to block up, so after I changed it the damage was already done.

I do a lot of motorway driving so i check the oil frequently, and i noticed every time that the oil stayed at about a 1cm above the max mark, so i figured it wasnt empty. Little to my knowlege, this wrecked the valve/pump and left my crank with no lubricant while the dipstick still read full.

So no oil light warning came on, and the engine has been running dry probably for the best part of 2 months. I also checked the engine again this morning and dip stick is still reading the same level.

RAC man confirmed it yesterday, and the engine rebuilders did today aswell, im going to be pushing the garage for payment as they caused the breakdown. And guessed that he probably over filled the engine by at least 1 litre, which was far too much my engine to cope with.

The worst part is it failed without warning, I had no symptoms at all until i took it up to 20mph on the road after pulling out of the carpark, and heard the tapping and just pulled over.

So after arranging loans since this had to happen before payday and the princely some of £995 for a new engine to be fitted after towing im left feeling a bit stung. Its wrecked my work plans and I have a job interview for a new job tomorrow!

Complete disaster, still I will be glad to get my pride and joy back next week and I will be definately be getting my money back for the engine from that dodgy garage with the help from the rebuilders they will be writing a report displaying the resultant damage of what the oil overfill did.

So a word of warning, dont ever let your engine be filled with oil and assume its okay when you come to pick it up.

[BobProperty]

I'd be wanting a new Lambda sensor and a new cat, I think they can get damaged when there's too much oil in the engine. In fact, I'm sure there's a warning on one of my oil filler caps about it.

[SammoVWT]

yeah i am going to, i got a bit extra to sort it out too, really sucks. You dont expect it from a garage, it wouldnt bother me if i caused the problem myself. So frustrating.

It does say it in the engine bay, big yellow sticker, and on the cap too.

[kite]

I had a Golf serviced @ a VW main dealers a few yrs ago and they overfilled the oil.
When I told the workshop manager he sent a mech. to check it with me,it must of been the aprentice as he told me its not a problem until I pointed out the sticker in the engine bay....
I always check oil level after a service

[SammoVWT]

Yeah i guess ive learned that the hard way, I asked at the garage too, but he also told me it wasnt a problem. So I took it at face value not knowing any better how serious the problem would be.

I know better now, but you only learn these things when they go wrong

[DropKickMurphy]

sorry to hear that mate, that sucks big time.

is the new engine brand spanking new or from a donor? if its from a donor do you know how many miles it has done?

i assuem you are going to transfer all the induction gear accross to the new engine when its fitted?

good luck with getting the costof the new engine back, its the least they could do in the circumstances!

take it easy

DKM

[SammoVWT]

Yeah its brand new hence the price, i was looking at around £750 for a second hand engine for say 75k miles (fully fitted), so i thought i might as well spend the bit extra and get a new one.

I will be transferring the stuff over, it just unbolts so it should be easy to do. Just a giant pain in the ****! Hopefully it should be finished by this friday coming, so I'll just have to be patient. Will be glad to get it back to get back to normal again.

Just waiting for them to come and pick up the car now, im debating getting a new clutch put in for the sake of it, not that theres anything paticularly wrong with the current. It makes me wish that i thrashed it about, it just made me glad i was supping so little fuel 90% of the time doing 30mph in 4th at around 1600 revs. So im hoping the new one will be even better! Guess theres a silver lining to every cloud.