How to kill a Blingo (or any car) !

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 06 May 2005, 03:20

This is a sad - but unfortunately true - story from real life [:(]
Wife's colleague have an '02 Blingo.
As most Citroens the Blingo has an oil level gauge. This stopped functioning but thought as a minor problem. "Just keep an eye on the engine oil level" they were keenly adviced one day.
So they did. Bought one liter of the best oil every week and filled on the engine - when they were at the gasstation anyway.
Suddenly the engine began to sound a bit odd - "ah well it's not exactly shining new anymore - still at least 2-3 months for next regular service".
Off they went on a longer trip - the engine became more and more noisy then suddenly died for good.
No conclusion as yet. Its parked at their friendly garage.
BTW : It's a commercial van version. They had 3 punctures within their first 6 months of ownership. Was told by the dealer that "this is normal as the tyres are loaded very differently and heavier on a cargo van !".
(They use the car as a cheapy 2 seater !)
No info on engine type.
Poor owners do not have the slightest idea on motoring. Drive it - and keep it on service schedules - and pay the costs ...

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 06 May 2005, 04:30

Do I take it they've been adding a litre of oil to the engine every week?!?!?! if so, then that engine is guaranteed to be FUBAR.
Reminds me of a time I heard a story about the apprentice at a garage who "filled the engine" with oil. Literally. to the top of the cam cover. Is there any wonder the starter motor was struggling!! Most of it came back out of the exhaust pipe... was a real mess.

goldfinche · Post by **goldfinche** » 06 May 2005, 15:18

Hello Anders this I kid you not is true, but it takes some believing.A young man has a well off mother who likes to help her son, thats fine but son is a little slow ( thick),she buys him a brand new Hillman Imp,he drives the Imp for a few months. One day the engine stops very suddenly and the car is taken to a garage where it is found that there is no oil and very little water and the engine is a write off.
He says "Where do you put oil or water in,it was a new car it shouldnt have needed any surely, Its the dealers fault.He wrote to the dealers demanding a new car!!!
He didnt get one.Had never touched the car at all.
Cheers
Geoff.

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 06 May 2005, 19:14

Its amazing how people don't even lift the bonnet now,don't know where the dipstick is, and just assume everything will be o.k. until the next service, and with the huge inter-service capacity of modern screenwash bottles they can't see a reason to look for themselves at coolant or oil levels, etc, while filling the washer bottle. I suppose its an indicator of how reliable cars are now, but with the tighter tolerances of modern engines they don't take kindly to running on low oil levels or overheating.
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Lots of Fiat F.I.R.E. engines have been killed by people doing just the opposite- due to the design of the cam cover they take absolutely ages to fill, so after about half an hour of dribbling oil into them drop by drop most people just give up and hope they've got enough in!
On the subject of oil I bought some synthetic by mistake-it must have been priced up wrongly- and it seems to be lasting in the BX a lot better than mineral oil does. And cold starting was fun yesterday when a sudden early morning frost caught the rather high proportion of veggie oil out.......

oilyspanner · Post by **oilyspanner** » 06 May 2005, 22:34

The ultimate aim of these designers/manufacturers is to reduce motor cars to the level of "white goods" Aided by pressure from fleet managers for ever longer service intervals, when the thing gets too old throw it away and buy another, the reality is that even a nearly new car can be rendered dangerous and unroadworthy by this approach, Imagine me driving along in my new car, all of the tyres are 4PSI down the screen wash is empty (waiting for the service) and I am down on headlamp and tail lamp bulbs,the "I never open the bonnet approach" could now contribute to an accident, I believe some maintenance is now included in the driving test, and about time too.
Stewart