S40 1.6 with no oil - what to do?

[carbers911]

Hi guys, just looking for a bit of advice on behalf of a friend.
She has a 54 plate S40 1.6 with around 90k on it, 5 weeks ago it apparently went in for a service and MOT, only now it has run out of oil and the engine is knocking badly.
Of course the garage who did the 'work' is denying all responsibility despite knowing there was an oil leak, and TOPPING UP 3L of oil when it was last in! I mean WTF?! Anyway said garage have kindly offered her scrap value for the car and she is now looking for a new one!
At this point Ive been invited to step in and try and mitigate the situation but Im not really sure as to the best course. The car is currently in the garage owners garden so that needs rescuing soon as, I dont know what she could realistically get in terms of recourse from the garage but I fear its nothing.
As far as value is concerned I imagine we're looking around the £2500 mark for it in working order, what would it be like as a spairs or repairs job? I havent seen any of the new 1.6s for sale as a whole engine so can't gauge how much it would cost to repair that way. Although I know a good engine builder I dont think stripping this one down and rebuilding it would be anywhere near economical.
So, all thoughts/input appreciated, I dont want this poor woman to be suffering unduly!

Cheers
Andy

[Daim]

Get a replacement engine. Ford Focus with 1.6l is the same. Engine shouldn't cost more than £1000. Get that and fit... Done.

[carbers911]

Would that be plug and play? No ECU/immob issues to work around?

[scoobysn7x]

I would have a 'word' with the garage seems very odd that they didn't mention the leak when they handed the car back, and it seems very odd for the leak to be so bad that 5 weeks later no oil, surely your friend would have noticed big oil patches. I would be suspicious that the garage didn't fill the car with the required amount of oil. I had this when my old rover was serviced 2 weeks later I noticed the engine sounded louder than normal, checked the oil & just on min level, took it back to garage they tried to claim that this was normal oil comsumption on the car WTF!, however they did do a fresh oil change and I never had a problem with oil missing after, lesson learned never used the garage again, was a main dealer too!

[benr7310]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOLVO-V50-...#ht_500wt_1180

inc fitted i bet they would take 1000..

[carbers911]

Nice one Ben, not sure why but I must have missed that one myself.
Bit of an update on this one now though, went to take a look at the car myself yesterday and got the story from the garages point of view.....
First thing of note, its actually a 1.8, how that got lost in translation I dont know! Its also done nearer 100k miles. Anyway word is it was actually last serviced in January, when it went for its MOT they only topped up the oil as a matter of course. They say it was actually being burnt as there are no real visible leaks so something must have gone really wrong. Im led to believe these engines are usually pretty good.
It looks like you cant pick one of these up for less than £3k so it seems outrageous that she has only been offered scrap value for it. I havent had a chance to speak to the lady in question directly yet so no doubt more details will come out in the wash. It seems she has gone and bought a new car already so whatever we get back for this above scrap value will be considered a bonus.
Either way she wont be getting anything out of the garage.

[mikealder]

Unless you/ she can find a replacement engine for the car it is worth nothing more than scrap value unless you decide to break it and sell specific parts to raise some additional cash, you should still get close to the same ammount for the shell and knackered engine from the scrapman.

I guess it's been an expensive lesson to learn that oil (or 710 as some women like to call it) needs checking and topping up on a regular basis, leaving since January would indicate no comeback at all against the garage who serviced it - Mike

[benr7310]

try websites like 247 spares and motorhog, also local breakers.

should find one for less than a grand, fit it, then sell the car

[carbers911]

Well Ive had a long chat with her today and it really sounds as if shes been had.
First thing is she definitely knows one end of a dipstick from the other, used to spanner her old Minor herself back in the day, and has been very conscientious in getting any faults checked by the garage as soon as they arose.
The garage seems to have been aware of the oil loss for some time and said they would keep an eye on it....the number of times they have had it in over the last few years for some excruciating amounts of money you'd have thought they'd have been true to their word. Turns out anything but by the sounds of it.
Anyway she had got herself an 08 plate S40 1.6 which is apparently way quicker than the old 1.8 which probably indicates its been knackered for some time.
Mike, the whole thing about the scrap value is that its the guy who has ****ed her over that offered it. He will know full well how much he could get by stripping it and the fact he would be making even more money out of a situation he has caused really angers me.
I wouldnt have been surprised if she had agreed to it had I not been available to help, simply to get the situation over with.
Thanks for the new sources Ben, I will of course be keeping an eye on my breakers, of which I have a couple of good ones. Biggest problem is they tend to specialise between '95 and about '02 so the chances of an '05 S40 1.8 cropping up are slim.
I may bang it through my local auction just out of curiosity as it is, doesnt sound too bad! Least it wont cost anything to find out......

[benr7310]

another thing to check would be.. is it the same engine as the 1.8 ford focus..??