Blown engine - where does the customer stand?

walus

Colser wrote: »

Would you agree that if a car that was bought new and serviced by the main dealer and that the particular model has a known fault/problem should have been checked for it at the last service given the milage on the car?

Are you sure that the problem with these engines is known and understood by dealers in Ireland? I would not be so sure about that...

There are known examples of these engines working fine up to 250-300k km (not in Ireland) but they are on a second or even third set of dmf+clutch and have a fuel additive added to the tank for cleaning the fuel system/injectors on a regular basis.

bucketybuck

Colser wrote: »

Would you agree that if a car that was bought new and serviced by the main dealer and that the particular model has a known fault/problem should have been checked for it at the last service given the milage on the car?

So they should check the crankshaft at every service? Are you prepared to pay the labour involved in that? Should they test the injectors even when there is no evidence of fault? Even though all the injector test will say is 'the injectors are fine'?

A proper service will of course check for known defects but lets get real, there is a limit to what will be done in a simple service because nobody wants to pay for anything more than that.

Colser

bucketybuck wrote: »

So they should check the crankshaft at every service? Are you prepared to pay the labour involved in that? Should they test the injectors even when there is no evidence of fault? Even though all the injector test will say is 'the injectors are fine'?

A proper service will of course check for known defects but lets get real, there is a limit to what will be done in a simple service because nobody wants to pay for anything more than that.

Thats not what Im saying.

If you sold a new car to someone 7 years ago and that person serviced it with you since then and if you knew that they were known to give a problem at 100k kms or thereabouts would you offer to check for it or even automatically check it as good customer service if nothing else?

Also anyone thats into their car would more than likely be willing to pay for this if made aware of what may happen if it goes unchecked.

walus

Unless instructed by FHI the dealers themselves will not be looking at finding and diagnosing a problem like that. It would also be false to assume that the mechanics working in these dealerships are Subaru enthusiasts who pride themselves in knowing these cars inside out. Remember that other than 2.5T engines Subaru have been for may years reliable and so their experience is limited only to regular servicing and maybe valve clearance adjustment. When I enquired about checking and adjusting valves in my local Subaru garage they looked at me as if I had three heads. Do ye think here that they would have a clue how to prevent the big bang in a very complex boxer diesel engine? These guys come to work and in most cases spend more time servicing and repairing Kias, Citroens or whatever other make they sell in the same garage as it would be impossible to make a business from selling Subaru alone in this country.

Just to confirm the injectors are tested at each service in Subaru dealers in Poland. Regardless if the customer complains about the engine going rough or not. In terms of the crankshaft play the sump needs to be taken off and re-fitted afterwards. I would not think it is something that one needs a half a day for. I would say 2 hours tops and a new sump gasket. Also it doesn't need to be done each time the car comes in for new oil and filters. Also like I said in the other post oil analysis and/or looking into the oil filter for metal shavings are first symptoms.

I would think that you do not buy a Subaru by a coincidence. You do not get out of the house driving Kia, Opel etc to eventually end up in Subaru. For one I would not expect the owner to be a petrol head but to be familiar at least with the basics and know what a low pressure oil light can mean - even for those who don't there is also a clear instruction written into every manual that comes with the car. On top of that I would expect the mechanics dealing with such brand to know their stuff too. And I'm sorry to say this but anyone who says that it is ok to drive a car with a low pressure oil light on without thoroughly diagnosing the issue is an idiot and the one to avoid for sure.

The only thing I do not understand here is how on earth the engine had lasted this long with the low oil pressure? All the "regular" bottom end failures I have heard off where sudden - the engine was gone within 2 minutes or less.

Miley Byrne

Lex Luthor wrote: »

defo 170,000miles? not km?

Yes, definitely miles

walus

Miley Byrne wrote: »

Yes, definitely miles

On the original DMF and clutch?

Miley Byrne

clogher71 wrote: »

Perhaps the OP could give us an update on this, and clear up what the guy who services the car did / did not do.

I will clear up as much as i can from what I know clogher. I'm not sure how much diagnostic equipment he has but he has a decent workshop and is a fulltime mechanic who has been servicing this fella's cars for a good few years. Reading between the lines having spoken to the car owner, i think he is reluctant to blame it try to pin it on his own mechanic. He is an honest guy and I think he feels that in hindsight the main dealer gave him bad advice.

Miley Byrne

walus wrote: »

On the original DMF and clutch?

I have to assume so because he said the car never gave an ounce of trouble before this. He doesn't have it from new but he has it around 3-4 years

selous

BucketyBuck

I went with the main dealer, because the car was a first timer on the market, all the software updates were were had when it was serviced, which my usual mechanic wouldn't have had, and the main dealer would know the car, I never had fault with the dealer, he's still a nice guy, I do have a problem with the brand, it seems the injectors were purpose built for this car, and give bother, I thought someone that deals with the brand would know this, and be able to advice on it, like this advert from a main dealer, (attached) no one ever advised me of it, (or to put any additive in the diesel) it costs e1000 to get them reconditioned, which is cheaper than what happens if you don't.

clogher71

Miley Byrne wrote: »

I will clear up as much as i can from what I know clogher. I'm not sure how much diagnostic equipment he has but he has a decent workshop and is a fulltime mechanic who has been servicing this fella's cars for a good few years. Reading between the lines having spoken to the car owner, i think he is reluctant to blame it try to pin it on his own mechanic. He is an honest guy and I think he feels that in hindsight the main dealer gave him bad advice.

Thanks for that, yes the dealer may or may not have given bad advice. My gut instinct on this one is his mechanic saw trouble and referred him on, I have and might be slated for this again, just like my example in my first post.

bucketybuck

clogher71 wrote: »

Thanks for that, yes the dealer may or may not have given bad advice. My gut instinct on this one is his mechanic saw trouble and referred him on, I have and might be slated for this again, just like my example in my first post.

I still don't get your point on this, again you seem to be saying that it was a bad thing that the mechanic referred him on, that because he had taken money for services previously he should now have stepped up and sorted this big problem? Somehow like a bank taking your money in the good times and then not wanting to know you in the bad times?

But like I say, thats too simplistic. Its not necessarily that the guy didn't want to step up and help, maybe if he had the right knowledge and equipment he would have sorted it right out. But if he didn't have that knowledge and equipment then by far the right thing to do was be honest about that and refer the OP on. He could easily have done far more harm than good messing about with a big fault that he couldn't fix.

Its a simple point I think, so I'll leave it there.

selous

Any further development on this??