Hey all, long time reader of the site, but just signed up and have a noob question to ask


Ive taken my focus (2006 zetec) to ford today to have the knocking on at the rear sorted (suspension bushes) and they told me there's a leak in the sump and there's no oil in it.

I checked the oil 2 days ago and it was fine, it has been sat on the drive ever since and not a spot on the driveway.

they have quoted me £200 to replace the seal on the sump.... are they taking the piss?
is there any chance a whole load of oil has dropped out in that time on the road? they claim it must have been leaking for some time to cause the loss that it has.

Ive told them to get bent, and ill take the car elsewhere.... just wondered if you guys know anything about this really.

Thanks in advance!

 

Cant u just check the cars oil again and see if it is empty ? £200 for the sump !!! does that include the oil as well ??? but does seem a lot. but then I have no idea of garage prices as I do everything my self

are u not in a position to do it ya self

 

if you checked it 2 days ago, and it was fine, i really doubt a seal on the sump would cause it to lose all its oil in that time frame unless the seal is under the oil level.


something isn't right, have you checked to see if there is oil in it?

 

Thanks for the replies chaps.

The car is still at the garage, im a bit scared to pick it up after i shouted at the chap on the phone! hehe.

Once i get it back ill check it out, but to be fair if they've said the car has no oil in it cause of a leak, theyre unlikely to give me a car back full of oil - not suggesting they would deliberately damage it to prove a point....well actually, yes i am.

The bushes need doing as they are completely perished so i have to leave it with them tomorrow.

Im not in a position to do it myself im afraid cause when it comes to mechanical stuff, im pretty much retarded ( i work in IT ) and wouldnt know where to beging, hence this thread really, as it seems im being ripped off but have no idea how to tell.

 

A sump should be a piece of cake to change, have a go yourself, whats the worst that can happen? (Just make sure to use axle stands and other safety gear)

 

maybe just buy a £15 Haynes manual for the car and just have a read and see how u feel.

 

If you have lost that much oil in such a short time you would have a major leak so lots of oil all over the underside or you would have a cracked sump but I think there taking the piss if you had it on the drive and no leak then by some magick its at there place and nothing left in the sump sounds suspect to me why not go there an take some oil with you .

 

make sure when you pick it up you take some oil, then if it hasnt got anyway you can fill it up and drive it home (after you've checked for a leak!). Otherwise they will have your pants down for oil and you'll damage it further if you do drive it. Did you drive it there? if so surely it would've melted the engine with no oil in it.

 

get them to show you where the oil is leaking from as if its from a seal then it wouldnt have lost all its oil in 2 days. check to see if they might have damaged the sump too...
plus as oibren says, take some oil with you just in case.

 

as said, take some oil and check it before you leave, not to say they have, but if after your conversation, they have decided to drop the oil to make it look like they weren't bullshitting, you are stuck with it with no oil.

Even if it is just to get it a street away to tow it.

 

I had a similar thing a citroen in swindon a few years back with my works van. it broke an engine mount so I bodged with a ratchet strap and limped it to the garage.

there, they done a full service on the van inc an oil and filter change, then got the bits in for the mount. the mount was in 3 pieces and had a bearing in it that the drive shaft passed through. the bit that broke was completely separate and didn't need any of the other stuff...

they then said the sump was leaking and it needed a new gasket and oil - even tho they had just serviced it!

now, the sump had always looked a bit wet with oil, but it never used a drop and I gave it shit everywhere. no oil on the drive etc after 2 years use....

I was told by my company to get the van, so I did. citroen didn't want to let me drive it away as it had a 'very bad oil leak'

I checked the oil which was fine, left it running for 30 mins and no oil at all dripped on the floor so I drove it home.

BUT it was in limp home mode and wouldn't go over 30mph... got home, found they had unplugged the map sensor, and it took me 15 mins to change the bit of engine mount that had actually broken.

after that it was absolutely fine!!!

moral of the story - all dealers are robbing cunts!

so, take some oil with you. if it has none it, fill it up and leave it running on the forecourt to get it up to temp and check for leaks. if none found, drive it away, but not before setting fire to the dealers!