Hello Everybody

 

As many of you may know I have had nothing but problems since buying my car last October. In fact its only done a couple of hundred miles and cost me a fortune!

 

In October 2005 I bought the vehicle from an importer in Bedfordshire. I immediately experienced problems and asked for my money back, with no joy. In November I asked a 'specialist' if they would have a look at the car for me as it was smoking badly and was not driveable. I was advised that the smoking was nothing to worry about probably overfueling due to a jap chip. I was also advised that other work was necesary including bushes, link arms and Hicas arm.

 

I leave the car at my parents house as I work away and have little use for it so left it alone for a couple of months. The smoking was even worse when I tried to use the car again so called on the services of the same specialist in whom I was placing my trust, I'm no mechanic! Compression tests were carried out and were supposedly ok. The diagnosis was the dreaded turbos so the car was transported to a specialist for new turbos to be fitted. Low and behold the turbo specialist didn't compression test the engine before starting work and soon discovered that one of the pistons was melted! How on earth could the original tests carried out by the 'specialist' have been done correctly when the car was not driven from this time to the time it reached the turbo garage!!

 

I was getting a bit annoyed by this point but I really loved this car. I bought a rusty UK car from a forum member that had a rebuilt engine and uprated tubs. I asked the 'specialist' if he would collect the car and check the engine and turbos thoroughly. I was told that there were "no funny noises and no smoke". I was also told that the turbos looked brand new and that the engine was a good one. I agreed work should be started on the swap as well as the other suspension and HICAS work. I also requested a swap to the UK clocks and steering wheel. I was made to wait a hell of a long time but accepted this as i believed the guy was busy and wanted a good job. I also said that I didn't want the car back until all was well as you can understand!!

 

I was due to collect my car on a Saturday and was called on the Thursday for a final checklist. As it happened I could not collect the car until Tuesday so had no worries that the work wouldn't be done......Guess what i went to collect the car at 3pm on Tuesday and the engine hadn't even been fitted fully yet let alone the other work!!! I had specifically requested that I did not want to drive half a job away!!

 

Now, bearing in mind the engine was supposed to be good and the tubs pretty new i was at least expecting a nice drive. Curse my luck the engine magically started smoking almost immediately. I called the specialist and said that performance was suffering and smokey and the car was extremely unstable due to the HICAS job not being completed. I was told that there could be no problem with the engine, on asking how they could be so sure I was told "because I fitted it". I also had a 180 degree spin on a bypass when I was forced to brake heavily and the ABS failed, combined with the knackered HICAS arm. How could someone I had placed my trust in let me drive a car away in this condition.

 

Eventually the HICAS work was completed and it turned out the car was not firing on all cylinders due to a loose connection. The car is still smoking badly though and is undriveable.

 

My question.....whose responsibility is it to put the problem straight when I asked for all these checks to be done before fitting? I'm not pointing the finger or blaming anybody for the crap car I bought!! I just feel extremely upset that I have trusted my car and bank balance to someone who I feel has not fulfilled their obligation as a specialist.

 

Thanks for listening, sorry for the length of this post and opinions will be valued.

 

Cheers :cry:

Whoa - sounds like youve had a shitty time with it. id be back at the door of the garage wanting answers. Have you got anything in writing for any of the work - why wasnt it finished?

Thats awful. Sorry to hear about your poor luck.

If there is oil in the exhaust from a previous smokey engine then it can take a LONG time for this to burn off once the problem is rectified. Easiest check is to remove the exhaust and see if the engine smokes then....

Whoa - sounds like youve had a shitty time with it. id be back at the door of the garage wanting answers. Have you got anything in writing for any of the work - why wasnt it finished?

 

I have all the receipts for the work. Just want somebody to let me know whether I just have to swallow it and accept the engine wasn't all that, or ask the garage to fix it at their cost....after all I did ask them to thoroughly check the engine before fitting and doing all the other work.

 

Its been so long since i forked out for the car that it almost doesn't seem like a loss anymore!! :hurl: :p Anyone got one for sale I can PX mine against!!!

Its also important to stress that I'm not a nasty guy and am only asking the question!! Having already spent over £7k its inevitable that I will get this car fixed one way or another!!!!!!!!

if you paid them already take it back and get them to finish what they started. Even if they find a fault with the new engine and you have to pay for parts etc its better than starting over. If you havnt paid them take it to zedworld in tamworth and get them to sort it.

Its also important to stress that I'm not a nasty guy and am only asking the question!! Having already spent over £7k its inevitable that I will get this car fixed one way or another!!!!!!!!

 

I think you should get on to BBC eye and the garages from Hell team straight away before these garages go out of business as This is all to familiar a story. I know because I've had a similar experience. It cost me £9000 and my car was of the road for over a year then I still had to get it all put right. C & S Wood completely rebuilt my engine and loads more stuff. Even with all the new parts it cost me a third of what the so call specialist cost me for wrecking my car and nicking half the bits I provided + other good bits off the car. You really do need to take it to Phill.

 

Who ever said the compresion was spot on is in deep do if the other garage is correct. However if they are specialists or even just competant mechanics it would only be reasonable for them to check before they did the other work.

 

Phill at C & S Woods is the only specialist who I will ever use these days.

If there is oil in the exhaust from a previous smokey engine then it can take a LONG time for this to burn off once the problem is rectified. Easiest check is to remove the exhaust and see if the engine smokes then....

 

Thanks for the tip....unfortunately I have now tried this and the smoking is still there!! Got all excited as well !!

 

I have been offered reasonably priced tubs but was wondering who would be the best and preferably cheapest to fit them. Thing is when I bought the car with the engine in originally had the turbos been tested properly and proved to be bad I could have got them put in while the engine was out!!!

 

If I didn't laugh I would almost certainly cry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, now you have the exhaust off, are there any traces of oil in the turbo downpipes?

 

One other simply thing to check - has it been over filled with oil???

i can only say one thing you m8

 

get some legal advice ASAP

 

get in touch with consumer direct and tell them what you ahve told us, they will tell you where you stand legally which is the most important thing

 

good luck :)

Take it to Mickeyb at ZworX near Coalville mate. He's a top bloke and an excellent mechanic.

 

Ivan