Problem with car
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Discussion

CAH706

Original Poster:

2,064 posts

181 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
I’ll try to keep this brief

Car is 2 years 10 months old. It’s done 10k miles. Full on time service history from supplying main dealer. Car has been running fine. Dealer said it was driving ok when they took it to the MOT centre.

Took car in for its 3rd service. Dealer called to ask if we had had problems with the oil. We hadn’t. Asked if we had topped up the coolant much - we never have.

They advised water found in oil - all coolant levels ok.

They have advised they don’t have anyone to start diagnosis until October. We need pay £200 for diagnosis and around £1000 labor to investigate. Refundable if it’s covered under warranty.

Won’t supply a courtesy car until confirmed a warranty claim.

So…..

1) I’m assuming a complaint to manufacturer and finance company (its on PCP) as this isn’t good. I ideally need a car or to stop paying for it whilst it’s bust.

2) if the fluid levels are ok on the car is it more likely to be fuel in the oil? This seems a reasonably common issue with the car especially in America. Leaking high pressure fuel pump.

I won’t name the manufacturer (as assume against the rules) but it’s a hybrid and runs a lot of the time on electric.

Thanks in advance for thoughts


Jamescrs

5,434 posts

82 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
You can't simply stop paying for the car because there is a fault, don't do that.

Have you tried another main dealer to see if they can get you in any faster?

Sheepshanks

37,782 posts

136 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Bearing in mind it's the supply dealer that's absolutely awful treatment.

I wonder how they even found the oil was contaminated?

Hopefully the manufacturer will look after you.

Where you planning to keep the car or hand it back?

Maybe someone like The Telegraph's Katie Morley could help but I doubt that would be quick.

paul_c123

1,103 posts

10 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Can you go to a different dealer of the same brand? October appointment is ridiculous.

Panamax

6,723 posts

51 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
I think fuel mixes with oil but water doesn't, so the presence of water should be obvious as an emulsion.

Most people who think they have a failed head gasket don't. It's usually just condensation inside the engine. And if coolant level was fine there can't be much that's got away. But the dealership would know all this and must have seen something unusual.

So what's the current situation? Carry on driving? If another dealer looks at the car all they will find right now is clean oil in the engine so there doesn't seem much point.

£200 diagnosis - fair enough, I suppose. I think the usual approach is an overnight pressure test of the cooling system

£1,000 labour? Labour for what job? They must have something in mind.

CAH706

Original Poster:

2,064 posts

181 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Thanks for the comments

I don’t know how to do multi quotes but

We had a previous fault on the car that took it off the road for 3 months in its first year. Finance company agreed that we didn’t need to pay during that time. You are right we won’t just stop paying with out agreement

Issue was found when they drained the oil during the service - I’ll post a pic up of the oil

They have told us that if we drive it any issues are on us so obviously we won’t.

I’ve spoken to Hyundai who are contacting the dealer to see if it can go elsewhere for a fix. They have done no work other than drain the oil

They say they don’t know what the issue is so need to strip the engine a bit - that is where the £1k cost comes in. It’s up to 20 hours labour apparently.

The car get used for one 60 mile journey most weeks and a few shorter trips. In the US this does seem to cause some issue with this brand. They did a software ‘fix’ to increase the revs/heat.they also see fuel pump failures as well causing this.

CAH706

Original Poster:

2,064 posts

181 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all


Hopefully this will be a picture of the oil they took out of the car

All fluid levels (eg coolant) normal but I hadn’t checked oil level for 2-3 weeks so that could have been over

Crusoe

4,099 posts

248 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Oil like a white coffee suggests quite a bit of water added, they will take the head off and look for failed head gasket or pressure test the cooling system. I wouldn't be driving it like that so just working out your fastest repair route.

ThingsBehindTheSun

2,250 posts

48 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Wow, I can't imagine that driving the car with the oil diluted to that level has done the engine any good at all.

That looks like water, surely the coolant level must have been low as well?

CAH706

Original Poster:

2,064 posts

181 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
ThingsBehindTheSun said:
Wow, I can't imagine that driving the car with the oil diluted to that level has done the engine any good at all.

That looks like water, surely the coolant level must have been low as well?
No - the coolant level is normal and hasn’t been topped up.

jeremyc

26,151 posts

301 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Are you sure no one has topped up the screenwash or added some water to the radiator and used the wrong filler cap?

CAH706

Original Poster:

2,064 posts

181 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
jeremyc said:
Are you sure no one has topped up the screenwash or added some water to the radiator and used the wrong filler cap?
Certain

ADJimbo

685 posts

203 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
CAH706 said:
I’ll try to keep this brief

Car is 2 years 10 months old. It’s done 10k miles. Full on time service history from supplying main dealer. Car has been running fine. Dealer said it was driving ok when they took it to the MOT centre.

Took car in for its 3rd service. Dealer called to ask if we had had problems with the oil. We hadn’t.
What is the period in time between the Dealership taking the vehicle to ‘the MOT centre’ and it undergoing its third-service?

mmm-five

11,836 posts

301 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Had any groups of foreigners come around to look at your engine bay wink

Sounds like a case of immaculate contamination.

dundarach

5,736 posts

245 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Before setting out dig two vegetable plots, or something like that.

Try and see it from their side, your car has water in the oil, Occam's Razor is that you (or at least not them) have done it.

Pay the cash and get them to look at it, or take it somewhere else, it's almost 3 years old, what does the manufactures warranty say about having an independent garage take a look?

A lot can and does happen in 3 years to a car, honestly don't think this garage has done anything wrong at all (within the context of garages generally rip everyone off anyway)




Sheepshanks

37,782 posts

136 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
The technician did a good job to grab his phone and take a pic while the oil was still in full flow....

LimmerickLad

4,747 posts

32 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
The technician did a good job to grab his phone and take a pic while the oil was still in full flow....
Almost as if he was expecting it?

Monkeylegend

27,823 posts

248 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
CAH706 said:
I won’t name the manufacturer (as assume against the rules) but it’s a hybrid and runs a lot of the time on electric.
You just have smile

66HFM

718 posts

42 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
Why did you take the car in early for an MOT rather than wait until at least 2 years 11 months in order to get the 3 year MOT start date?
As its Hyundai don't they come with a 5/7 year warranty?
I'd see if I could take it anywhere else although with it being 'warranty work' and the relevant hourly rate no other Hyundai dealer would be keen...

Talk to the PCP company and explain the problem especially after your previous issue you had with the oil etc.

Good luck.

Sheepshanks

37,782 posts

136 months

Tuesday 26th August
quotequote all
LimmerickLad said:
Sheepshanks said:
The technician did a good job to grab his phone and take a pic while the oil was still in full flow....
Almost as if he was expecting it?
Well, I don't know what the tech / dealership would have to gain, but bearing in mind that rate of flow would have lasted for seconds then it was a good catch.

A lot of dealers do video reports - perhaps the camera is running, or at least available to take a snap, all the time?