"I don't believe it!"

Unread post by **Jon** » 10 Mar 2004, 02:48

As Mr Meldrew might have said.
On the weekend a female friend of ours came to stay the weekend with us, and asked me to take a quick look at her Pug 106 Quicksilver. The oil light had been coming on, and she said that it had been dripping oil onto her driveway.
I asked a few questions before getting down and dirty, and it turns out that since she got the car in 2002 she was unsure when, or indeed if it had been serviced, although it had been to a Peugeot dealer for running problems (new plugs and a stepper motor).
I dipped the dipstick, and found, well no oil to speak of at all really. Got underneath the car and found oil all over the sump. Stuck a litre of oil in and started the Pug up to find that it was leaking from the oil filter itself! See picture below.
Date stamp confirms the filter to be the year 2000, it had actually rusted through!! Amazingly, after fitting a new Purflux filter and 3.5 litres of oil the little Pug started and ran without knocking.
I was transfixed.
Nothing like "maintenance" huh?? [;)] [:p]

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 10 Mar 2004, 02:59

bit of body filler and a coat of paint the filter should be good for another 4 years at least jon... lmho!!

rg · Unread post by rg » 10 Mar 2004, 03:19

Jon,
This is so unfair.
Compare and contrast with someone who checks fluid levels every couple of days, changes oil on the dot at 6K, greases everything that moves, then has the head crack due to a manufacturing fault...
rg

Unread post by **Jon** » 10 Mar 2004, 03:25

I know! If I ever "maintained" or in fact failed to maintain my cars in this fashion, one of them would go bang on the Motorway big style.
The irony here is that this girl had just driven up from Poole, Dorset to visit us and had driven with the oil light up at every bend and incline.
I wish I had luck like that. It doesn't bode well for a s/hand buy though does it.

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 10 Mar 2004, 03:32

Aha! Poole in Dorset, that explains a lot, my niece from Poole spent hours every time she topped her oil up. She used to try to get the oil down the dipstick hole!! Thats the truth. lol..
PS.. I was born in Poole, lived there for 35 years.. no comments plzzz

..

Unread post by **alan s** » 10 Mar 2004, 03:53

I've only one question; is she Blonde???????
Alan S [:D]

Unread post by **Jon** » 10 Mar 2004, 03:54

No Alan, Brunette!! Shes still a "looker" though if thats any help! [:D]

vanny · Unread post by **vanny** » 10 Mar 2004, 04:47

strange i did one like that yesterday. Service on a FIAT Punto, first one since the owner had bought the car, in TWO years!
Had to use a BIG breaker bar just to undo the sump plug! Joy

eventually these people will learn im sure!

David W · Unread post by **David W** » 10 Mar 2004, 13:27

Jon,
Just to complete my breakfast time thread "flooding" (as the forum software has just warned me I'm doing!)....
Such cases as this seem to be on the increase due to makers extending their own service interval advice out to daft mileages...like 20Kmls on a 206 petrol for example.
Had one recently where the owner had let theirs go "a bit over" before coming for a service. Problem was "a bit over" 20Kmls was actually nearer 25Kmls.
The (cartridge type so it was easy to inspect) oil filter was filthy and more importantly had partially collapsed with splits allowing unfiltered oil through. Add to that owners who assume modern vehicles don't really need the old checks doing and you find the oil level a drip at the bottom of the dipstick. Just over 2l drained out at change time of the almost 4l it should take!
That 2l of oil aged by 25Kmls, and partially unfiltered, is really going to look after that engine isn't it. Nightmare.
As I've hinted above the makers and dealers are as much to blame. All they push is the styling, met paint, air-con, alloys CD player leaving the owners to think the whole car is efficiently looked after by some magic computer that takes care of it all.
In my opinion 5l of semi-syn and a filter every 6Kmls/6mths is the cheapest way of keping an engine on track long term.
David

ScottFromNZ · Unread post by **ScottFromNZ** » 11 Mar 2004, 22:19

I sometimes wonder if I spend too much on maintenance. I know people with modern cars (usually Jap cars) that have done big miles (200 - 300,000 km's) with an 'occasional' oil change, no coolant changes, no brake fluid changes etc. Unless we keep a car till it dies at big miles it is the later owners that get the benefits of frequent oil changes etc. In NZ we have a mainly Jap vehicle fleet and it is generally considered that the Jap cars, especially Toyota, Nissan and Mazda are more trouble free over 150,000 - 250,000 km's than the European cars even Audi and BMW.
The only problem I have with Jap cars is that most are boring with some exceptions like my Mazda MX5.

Unread post by **martyhopkirk** » 12 Mar 2004, 00:54

Im astounded.... I bought a <s>Fiasco</s>Fiesta from an elderly blerk, who claimed to have had it serviced, and owned it from new and done a pityful mileage (39K) in 8 years, i checked the level and thought "hmm thats a bit thin looking the black stuff, better change it" only not having a garage i didnt, as it was november and cold.
Come january the engine let go in a shower of cast iron bits on the M55... if only the ford was as good as the Citroen! (127k and climbing!)