help guys..what should i do about this?

[rideonracing]

hi folks.. absalute nitemare of a day!!! i took my leon cupra r in to the garage today to sort out a grinding noise that iv been having from my front wheel.. im sure it was my inner cv joint needing replaced as it was this kind of noise i was hearing. So i droped my car off at 10am and i recieved a phonecall from the garage at lunchtime asking if i could pop along to the garage for 10mins to see something...
Soon as i get there he sais 'Sorry pete, bad news im afraid!" im thinking...what?!! had the car up on ramps and theres A MASSIVE HOLE in the side of the engine and 2holes in the sump! He took the car out for a road test to see if he could hear any noises cumin from suspention or driveshafts etc.. and on the road test the car made an almighty noise and leaked oil all over the road! got bck to the garage, took sump off and noticed a snapped con-rod!! What do i do guys? my car was working totally fine but as soon as i take it in to the garage they end up phoning me saying i need a new engine!!!!!

 

[andythom]

Have the taken it out on the road prior to phoning you? Has it done additional mileage? Are they trustworthy?

Id be asking questions of the condition of your engine is night and day from dropping it off

 

[rideonracing]

Have the taken it out on the road prior to phoning you? Has it done additional mileage? Are they trustworthy?

Id be asking questions of the condition of your engine is night and day from dropping it off

well on the inside of the conrod there was no scratches atall.. totally smooth. oil pick up pipe had no gunge so wasnt starved of oil.. well this garage has done alot of work on my car before, i just dont know how to take it. the way im seeing it was my car was fine before i took it in there and now it needs a new engine!!

 

[mty12345]

Sorry to hear bout your motor mate I think it's only gonna have snapped a con-rod at fairly high rpm, especially with bits of it punching a hole in the block/sump etc. There would be no need to drive it anything other than gently if you were listening for suspension nosies, and as i said, i fairly sure it woulda snapped under full boost or high rpm. Bet they were ragging it about,seeing how quick it was etc. If i was you i'd tell em you want them to pay for a new engine!

 

[andythom]

Sorry to hear bout your motor mate I think it's only gonna have snapped a con-rod at fairly high rpm, especially with bits of it punching a hole in the block/sump etc. There would be no need to drive it anything other than gently if you were listening for suspension nosies, and as i said, i fairly sure it woulda snapped under full boost or high rpm. Bet they were ragging it about,seeing how quick it was etc. If i was you i'd tell em you want them to pay for a new engine!

That's what I was thinking.....

Don't understand why he would take you out in it too if he knew the rod was bent and the sump/case was fooked....

 

[rideonracing]

see just to confirm something, see when ur AMBER oil light come on does this mean ur oil is geting low and u have to fill up? and the red oil light means stop theres no oil? as there saying my amber oil light was on before they went out so the toped up with oil and went out. as far as i knew thow iv not had any oil leaks. this is wat there using as an excuse, "aw the oil light was on so the noise had to of been cuming from the engine, and now its just gone"

 

[andythom]

see just to confirm something, see when ur AMBER oil light come on does this mean ur oil is geting low and u have to fill up? and the red oil light means stop theres no oil? as there saying my amber oil light was on before they went out so the toped up with oil and went out. as far as i knew thow iv not had any oil leaks. this is wat there using as an excuse, "aw the oil light was on so the noise had to of been cuming from the engine, and now its just gone"

Sorry to say but sounds like they are trying it on....

They can't use it as an excuse...if the amber light was on when they got in it they should have made you aware straight away....not just topped it up and took it a drive any way...

 

[Engimaneer]

You would expect better from a garage than to test drive a car with an oil issue, they should actually advise AGAINST it being driven.
You certainly dont just fill a customers car up with oil without asking if you just want to test an underlying fault on the road.

Get them to give you statements in writing from all those involved, and then decide what action to take. If they have nothing to hide, they won't hesitate to meet your needs straight away.

 

[mty12345]

they're talking s**t mate! An amber light would just mean oil needed topping up. The oil pressure would still have been fine. The car sounds a continual alarm and flashes warning light as soon as the pressure drops! If that happened, and they continued driving, then that would also make it their fault!

 

[mty12345]

You would expect better from a garage than to test drive a car with an oil issue, they should actually advise AGAINST it being driven.
You certainly dont just fill a customers car up with oil without asking if you just want to test an underlying fault on the road.

Get them to give you statements in writing from all those involved, and then decide what action to take. If they have nothing to hide, they won't hesitate to meet your needs straight away.

+1 that as well

 

[rideonracing]

im scard incase i come across as being a d*ck to them and they turn around and say "well if ur not happy take ur car somewhere else" so i dont really want to go in all guns blazing to begin with... :/

 

[mty12345]

yh i know what you mean, i would go for the polite but firm approach myself. But like someone said earlier, get a written account from them as to what happened, just incase you need to take it to court etc later on. Maybe try contacting citizens advice tomorrow and see where you stand legally, just incase they refuse to pay for new engine. If that was the case then sure you could get an independant inspection/opinion which would confirm they musta been driving it hard at the time the rod went

 

[andythom]

If that amber light was on when you arrived they need to prove it....they haven't contacted you, they 'topped it up' and drove it.....as above any respectable garage would have contacted you first off and warned that lack of oil could be an issue....

 

[Cupra_Mat]

Are they trying to say you had 2 holes in the sump prior to taking it into the garage, as I think you would know if you did for the pure fact there would oil everywhere

The way I see it the con rod has gone during the time of the garage test driving your car so surely they are liable, if it was mechanically damaged or unsafe to drive a mechanic would not decide to go test drive it... Especially if you knew full well there were holes In the sump

 

[three_cross]

If you did not agree to a road test prior to dropping the car off then they took it out at their risk. Also to top up your car with oil without prior consent is unacceptable as you could have been using some really expensive fully synthetic and they just put rubbish in there. They must have insurance to cover this kind of thing.

I know you may look a d**k but you may look like a mug if you let them get away with this. Business is business and I would politely request due to them not asking your permission to take it out or top it up with oil they pay for the engine.

My garage will ALWAYS phone me if they can't find problems on the ramp and want to take it out.

 

[steve carter]

Sorry to hear about this mate, sounds a bit suspect to me. As said above my garage phones if they cant find anything and ask me to come up to go for a test drive. Just don`t loose your temper when you go back to them, and maybe take someone with you incase you start to get wound up.

 

[LEE69]

and on the road test the car made an almighty noise and leaked oil all over the road! got bck to the garage, took sump off and noticed a snapped con-rod!! :

Maybe he ran over something, holed the sump, lost oil, dead engine?

How did it get back to the garage?

 

[oldman]

seen two answers for orange/amber oil light in this thread already!
oil pressure & low oil
read manual so you know what it means.

ask them if was on before took for drive and if yes why?
simple quick facts and then work on it

 

[Engimaneer]

Not said above, but they will most likely be insured to cover this sort of thing, under 'accidental damage to customer property'.

Dont be rude or pushy, tell them you have been advised to take statements, and be nice about it. If you are scared you cant take your car back there, dont be, as you dont really want to go back if they are being a pain.

 

[rideonracing]

ok got a few answers for use.. the amber oil light was on so when they checked the dip-stick the oil level was normal. I took it in to the garage regarding a rumbling noise i heard from the front wheel so im kinda guessing they would have to take it for a road test to hear noises?
There was no noises coming from engine, no holes in sump or block, everything happened while on the road test. i was told the mechanic took along a bumpy road which makes any noises from suspension 'hearable' within 5mins of being out on road test this happend so he had to be towed back in to the garage.