help guys..what should i do about this?

[n1ff]

Hi mate just read through the thread have to say in my opinion you're letting them get off lightly buying your own engine!! I understand what you mean when you say you don't want to go in all guns blazing and tbh I'd be thinking exactly the same if it was me! because it isn't I can find it much easier to say to you that it's highly likely that the garage already knows that they're most likely liable, and they'll be hoping that you don't want to make a fuss or a scene at their garage.

If you're still unsure there are plenty of people on this forum that work/run garages, and I'm sure that they'll be able to advise whether damage caused to cars under the supervision of a mechanic, without the consent from the owner to move the car, falls under garage liability.

Hope that last sentence makes sense I may b a little tired and rambling.

 

[mty12345]

+1 ^^^^^^^^^

 

[grahams81]

Just read through the whole thread and i must say i feel really sorry for the OP.
But personally after having a standard engine snap a rod, i would say its just incredibly bad luck that its happened whilst the car was in the garage, and to me it sounds like maybe fatigue of the rod.
If you search the forums you can see a lot if issues of rods snapping, so unfortunately its not a one off.
If the engine failed due to oil starvation issues then the big ends / main bearings would have picked up and probably started knocking before snapping a conrod, also you will be able to see overheating / picking up on inspection.

Also even if the mechanic was "ragging" its arse - it's a performance car, probably no worse than any of us would use our own cars.

I would say the garage would definitely have to road test the car to try and simulate the problem with the cv joint knocking.

If you honestly think the garage did something wrong then persue it and try and get some money for the new engine but i feel maybe its just bad luck and nobody could have predicted when it was gonna happen.

It maybe a god send as they may foot some of the bill or fit it all for free, just think if it happened on the way to the garage.

Out of interest how many miles has the car covered ? Any mods to the engine ie mapped ??

Edit-
Just realised you've already changed the engine before due to a melted piston (read your early posts), did you replace it with a BAM originally or use a different engine code ?

 

[rideonracing]

Just read through the whole thread and i must say i feel really sorry for the OP.
But personally after having a standard engine snap a rod, i would say its just incredibly bad luck that its happened whilst the car was in the garage, and to me it sounds like maybe fatigue of the rod.
If you search the forums you can see a lot if issues of rods snapping, so unfortunately its not a one off.
If the engine failed due to oil starvation issues then the big ends / main bearings would have picked up and probably started knocking before snapping a conrod, also you will be able to see overheating / picking up on inspection.

Also even if the mechanic was "ragging" its arse - it's a performance car, probably no worse than any of us would use our own cars.

I would say the garage would definitely have to road test the car to try and simulate the problem with the cv joint knocking.

If you honestly think the garage did something wrong then persue it and try and get some money for the new engine but i feel maybe its just bad luck and nobody could have predicted when it was gonna happen.

It maybe a god send as they may foot some of the bill or fit it all for free, just think if it happened on the way to the garage.

Out of interest how many miles has the car covered ? Any mods to the engine ie mapped ??

Edit-
Just realised you've already changed the engine before due to a melted piston (read your early posts), did you replace it with a BAM originally or use a different engine code ?

well i must admit uv kinda calmed me down a bit... true, wat if it did happen on the way to the garage.. yes i did have a problem with a previous remap and it melted a piston so i got a replacement engine, AUQ code wich is wats in it just now, it had prob done arnd 50,000miles...?? it was standard (no map) but i did replace alot of hoses with samco silicone hoses. as for the new engine.. iv bought a another full AUQ engine with turbo, manifolds and all auxiliaries so im going to put all my bits on to the new block and get that fited. I got it for £600 and has only covered 26,000miles. the garage said he wont charge me full price for fitting it and will give me it less than trade price....

 

[Nath.]

Personally I would force the garage to buy your car off of you at the going rate. Then they can fix it and sell it on. In the mean time you can buy a new one.

"You broke it, you own it" is what I would be saying.

 

[KupraKid]

Hi mate, read the thread and am truely gutted for you. Few years back I took my mint VW Golf GTi to get an MOT, at a garage I had been using for years. Was running absolutely fine, but apparently during the emissions test the timing belt came off...wrecking the engine. I had never had a problem with the car before, and was livid. I did seek seek legal advice, but was told if i could not prove the garage did something seriously wrong it was not worth pursuing. I spoke to them nicely, and as I was a regular customer, they did the work for half price....still was annoyed but had to compromise. Hope it gets sorted soon bud.

 

[blueleon]

This is why I hate garages, I lost over 4k over the space of a year trying to get my punto repaired ( it was a 1.8 hgt and i loved it ) one garage took the engine out and told me they could not repair it wtf I had to pay them and pay to get the car moved some were else fiat had the car ect... anyway the car never ran the same again and after I throw all that money into it, the engine blew, I ended up selling the car for £500.00 . What i did learn from of all this misery? to pay for every thing on your credit card then if problems do occur you can claim something back, also your car insurance may cover engine problems or cover bad repairs ect. I think you should of been able to claim from the garage insurance. I really hope your now sorted and can put it down to a bad experience.

Also if your engine was ready to fail it could of failed on you too, so it seems it would of happened any way. The bright side is your getting the engine fitted for cheap. Chin up i'm sure it'll be worth it when your back in the drivers seat.

 

[jamfull]

Arent the rods In AUQ Engine 19mm ones Cupra R BAM/AMK 20mm. If your going to run 19mm rods standard not Forged on Cupra r KO4 Turbo Thats alot of power especially if you get it remapped again.

 

[cupra_r_ick]

many things to look at
if it was me, i would have been :- oil light on, oil level ok check on tester. sorted that out first
if there was lack of oil pressure there would have been a red light. the big and main end bearings would be knackerd.
these cars are designed to have the **** kicked out of them, its in there nature, admittadly i wouldnt be happy if they ragged it to death, but it shouldnt fail unless mecchanically over revved.
i personally think that it would have shat it self at that point even if you were driving it, and that your lucky there helping you out with the cost of fitting it.
i recently road tested a car for notchy gear changes, by the end of the road test it was misfiring and it had melted a hole in the piston, is that my fault, should i have paid for it ?
i think not
i think your going about it the right way if im honest, but these "you brake you buy comments" are a load of rubbish, its not a china doll in a toy shop, its a car, and theyre well known for throwing rods as you well know.
should have gone down the road where they tested it, seen if there was a puddle of oil any where, with a hole/holes in teh sump it would have poured out. if it was that bumpy maybe they smacked the sump ? in that case, then yes it is there fault and they should pay for it.

 

[andycupra]

god there is some rubbish banded about on here.

the way i see it you took the car to them with an amber light on the dash? its been like this for some time? you seem un concerned by this amber light?

you drop it off reporting a sound from the right front wheel.. nothing else, no report of an oil issue. simply that there is a sound coming from the right wheel. As you say on here, 'im not stupid', and so i assume you are happy for the garage to also think this of you. So they might think, well hes driving around with the oil light on but is adament its a wheel issue.
It might also be fair to say that when there are 'noises' coming from somewhere such as the suspension or wheels then a test drive is going to be needed. You have not said not to drive it or that you are concerned about the oil light.
However, the mechanic did see the light, and did check the oil which is an interesting point, it could be said be took appropriate action in checking there was enough oil, but i also see an arguement that this amber light warns of potential issues. However as many have said its not a pressure warning its just a low level warning, so if he has ensured there is enough oil in the car then this 'fault' has been confirmed as being ok?
maybe, maybe not.

A phone call to you at this point might have been a good idea, but i suggest few garages would be this pro-active.

Now, lets look at the damage and that they have taken it too a bumpy road..
we all know there is little clearance for the sump, - is your car lowered? if so then the car is quite suseptible to sump damage.
Potential for damage... bumpy road.... its doesnt take einstein to see the potential link here...

What i want to know is:

How does the damage to the sump look? are there marks suggesting a grounding? is the damage consistent with damage from outside in or inside out?
Where is this 'bumpy road'?
Id want to see this instantly, and then take some time to look for marks that might show a grounding or a perhaps even some marks with a line of oil starting from there!

I have sympathy, i do, but i also want to play devils advocate rather than just adding to the general theme of abusing the garage.

However, from what i have read, it does indeed point to either:
1. that the amber light was on for a reason, possible oil starvation, perhaps blocked pick ups and its a simply engine failure (which could happen to anyone)
2. that they grounded the car when driving down the 'bumpy road' damaging the sump and losing oil leading to the damage.


It will be interesting once a new engine is fitted whether the sound you took it to the garage for is still evident..........

PS cupra R ick's post before mine is one of the more sensible on here.

 

[cupra_r_ick]

agree with everything you say.
working in a garage things go wrong often when the car is in your hands, doesnt mean its your fault. if we brake it we own up, we pay, if not, then its your car, your issue

 

[mty12345]

If you read post #44 then you'll see he was running a AUQ not a BAM engine in it when the rod snapped. Due to this i'd say his case is weaker, because as someones already mentioned the BAM engine has the 20mm rods for a reason.

 

[andycupra]

im also pretty sure that there are some fundamental differences between BAM and AUQ engines..
isnt the compression ration different also?
post #44 is interesting reading... so not the first engine failure...

 

[mty12345]

yh i always thought compression was different too

 

[rideonracing]

when u say abt using 19mm rods.. im using a full auq engine, bottom end and cylinder end. maybe if i was using my bam cylinder head and an auq bottom end that would cause problems..?

When he told me to come to the garage i looked under the car and there was two holes coming from the side of the sump, nothing on the bottom. I DIDNT check for any scratches or scuffs from bottoming out. one rod was in two pieces and the other 3 were bent! i looked at the bearing on the snapped rod and there was no marks atall, smooth as a babys bott! There was also a hole in the side of the block. So 3 holes altogether.

does anyone know whats the max i should pay towards geting this new engine fitted?? (if i compromise) i think normal price for an engine change is around the £480 mark...

 

[Phillc]

Its the wrist pin thats 19mm not the rods them selves, funny though this is the first AUQ i have read about throwing rods its normally the BAM engines.

The only difference between the AUQ and the BAM engines (excluding turbo,s) are the oil squirters and 20mm wrist pins, every thing else is the same.. pistons (Forged Mahle 19mm on AUQ 20mm on BAM) cams, valves, crank, flywheel, clutch and gear box although some say there is some extra support in the block but nothing ever seen to suport this.

 

[harlstequin]

I can't really see why the sump would have two holes in due t the engine being knackered before they took it out, as mentioned before I think they have taken it ut hit smething in the road (is it low?) lost the oil and as a result chucked a leg out.

an independant needs t look at this and if possible diagnose the problem. Regardless of any of this they should NEVER have driven it if they even suspected the engine was knocking or low of oil.
You proberbly have a fight on your hands but I'm sure it will all go your way.

i.e if you have a 2 months old car run it low of oil and blow the engine you are liable for the repair not covered on warranty, the same applies here, It was running when it went in so should be running when it leaves!
Hope that makes sence and good luck with it mate!!

 

[grahams81]

Its the wrist pin thats 19mm not the rods them selves, funny though this is the first AUQ i have read about throwing rods its normally the BAM engines.

The only difference between the AUQ and the BAM engines (excluding turbo,s) are the oil squirters and 20mm wrist pins, every thing else is the same.. pistons (Forged Mahle 19mm on AUQ 20mm on BAM) cams, valves, crank, flywheel, clutch and gear box although some say there is some extra support in the block but nothing ever seen to suport this.

Mine AUQ 180 Cupra snapped a rod @ 150k -

There was nothing wrong with oil levels / pressure. it just happened and at low revs when pulling away (most torque being applied to rods ??)
Fatigue is my guess.

And its very common to punch holes through sumps and blocks when a conrod snaps, There is no way the OP could have drove the car in with these holes before there would be oil everywhere !

I feel incredibly sorry for the OP but i also think people are being quite unfair on the garage in question, the facts are -

Customer comes in with strange knocking noise coming from front end suspension - Garage will 100% need to test drive it to hear noise for themselves (they can't take everybodys word on noises as there's plenty of clowns out there, they have to diagnose the problems themselves)
Garage take car for test drive and engine fails.
The engine is not the original (maybe true mileage is unknown) nor is it the correct type with lower piston compression correct size wrist pins on the rods etc.

All i'm gonna say is if you owned the garage how would you feel if the same thing happened on a test drive to diagnose the problem, personally i think if they offer to knock money off for fitting a replacement then i would say your lucky.....
If they check the engine numbers your gonna be goosed as they may turn round and say its happened because you fitted a lesser spec engine the last time.

If the garage was a major one like kwikshit etc i would maybe try my luck and dig in and say it was running when it went in.....etc but if its a privately owned garage i wouldn't be able to as i know fine well these engines have a problem with rods snapping, and by using a lower spec block you may have been living on borrowed time with that engine.

Hope you get it sorted mate.

 

[offitmassive]

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... :/

with all of the advice on here. Its best to get an independant vehicle inspection carried out by dekra expert and let them know why it went to the garage and Whats happened now. They will inspect the car with that in mind and let you know their opinion of what they think happened

 

[mty12345]

Mine AUQ 180 Cupra snapped a rod @ 150k -

There was nothing wrong with oil levels / pressure. it just happened and at low revs when pulling away (most torque being applied to rods ??)
Fatigue is my guess.

And its very common to punch holes through sumps and blocks when a conrod snaps, There is no way the OP could have drove the car in with these holes before there would be oil everywhere !

I feel incredibly sorry for the OP but i also think people are being quite unfair on the garage in question, the facts are -

Customer comes in with strange knocking noise coming from front end suspension - Garage will 100% need to test drive it to hear noise for themselves (they can't take everybodys word on noises as there's plenty of clowns out there, they have to diagnose the problems themselves)
Garage take car for test drive and engine fails.
The engine is not the original (maybe true mileage is unknown) nor is it the correct type with lower piston compression correct size wrist pins on the rods etc.

All i'm gonna say is if you owned the garage how would you feel if the same thing happened on a test drive to diagnose the problem, personally i think if they offer to knock money off for fitting a replacement then i would say your lucky.....
If they check the engine numbers your gonna be goosed as they may turn round and say its happened because you fitted a lesser spec engine the last time.

If the garage was a major one like kwikshit etc i would maybe try my luck and dig in and say it was running when it went in.....etc but if its a privately owned garage i wouldn't be able to as i know fine well these engines have a problem with rods snapping, and by using a lower spec block you may have been living on borrowed time with that engine.

Hope you get it sorted mate.

+1 i agree