Bournemouth Girl in need of assistance!

[mrzwei]

I wouldn't worry too much about the 'nappy' because a lot of people prefer it removed anyway.

[Vikface]

Ok.. Update.
I got the trader to admit the nappy was taken off as it 'wasn't in the best condition', and I don't really want it back so that's ok (still a bit peeved about the whole thing though).
Slightly bigger problem now though...
My trader and I were in contact via text right up to the sale, and on 26/01 I asked him what else was done when he took my car in for the day a week or so previously, where any receipts are for the work, if a compression test was done and what oil they put in when they refilled it up.
He said he would get back to me, and after ignoring a reminder text 02/02, I tried again today.... And it was only my second text asking if I needed to get Trading Standards involved that got this response...
"Vicky, only an additive was put in, no compression test was done or required to be done. Due to your threat I refuse to have any further dealings with you. I'm under no obligation to do so. Please feel free to complain to any authority you see fit. With regards to the mot situation, I have no concern here. I have photo evidence of two different types of oil used which can cause damage to your engine. I am now advising you your warranty is null and void. Any further correspondence is to be made to $%&.co.uk where it will be forwarded to my company solicitors to deal with. The contents of this text will also be emailed and posted to you. Thank you"

I should point out that when I found it bone dry, I put in 3 litres of fully synth and with it being oly 75% full, I put 1 litre of semi-synth.. And he told me off for mixing them!  s:? :? s:?   Both were 5w30 but its all i could get!
He has still not told me what oil the mechanics used recently, so I'm bound to do it again!
Really... he's talking rubbish isn't he??

And what about the rest of it? Can he do that??   s:? :? s:?    s:x :x s:x  

Back to the car itself; oil usage alot less, (I have four small holes in my dipstick for easy reading) but I still think its not right and to top it all, it has started making a strange noise when starting up and when its cold. Its a short noise, like when you turn the key with the engine running. Could this be something to do with the starter motor?

Please can anyone offer some advice? Thank you so much, Vicky

[2 of the left]

The short noise you are hearing could be the chain drive (Roadsters don't have Cam belts) so that's not a real biggy - as regards evidence of 2 different oils being used - it would seem to me that the garage is out of it's depth with Roadsters and could have put in an incorrect grade of oil - The use of additives in a Roadster engine is a NO-NO and should be avoided !! - Looks like you will have to seek out a legal eagle on this one -Go to Citizens Advice for an eagle that deals in such cases

[krazysteve]

Hi sorry that the dealer has done the dirty on you, like i said he has tried to fob you off.
Have a look at this:-  m https://consumer-tools.direct.gov.uk/co ... s/SGA1979/ m
Then when he does not respond  :-  m https://consumer-tools.direct.gov.uk/co ... re_action/ m
Book in to see your local  m http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ m
Pop into your local County court and ask for the form N1, i also think this can be done online.  m http://hmctscourtfinder.justice.gov.uk/ ... 1_0102.pdf m
Small claims easy to do, no fancy wording needed just stick to the facts. ( no expensive lawyer required)
Keep all correspondence with the seller, note all texts e-mails etc, + expected costs to repair the car.
Collate as much info on what the  possible cause is, seek an independent assement, bearing in mind  what price a relpacement/ re-build of a engine will cost.
Just keep a cool head, he has sold you a pup and trying to wriggle out by fobbing you off with his vast experience???
Or do as a friend of mine did some years ago, parked outside the car lot with a home made sign dishing the seller and warning off any punters.
Guess what? he bought the car back.

[Vikface]

Thanks 2 of the left and krazysteve, so would I have done any damage using 3l fully synth and 1l semi synth? As this is what he is trying to say!   s:? :? s:?

[Anonymous]

Or do as a friend of mine did some years ago, parked outside the car lot with a home sign dishing the seller and warning off any punters.
Guess what? he bought the car back.

Love this idea!  s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

[krazysteve]

Thanks 2 of the left and krazysteve, so would I have done any damage using 3l fully synth and 1l semi synth? As this is what he is trying to say!   s:? :? s:?

The damage is already done, he is just trying to blame you.
If he had not used the oil as a cause, he then would have said it was your driving style or it had beeen abused, and who knows what else???
He probaly has a book "1001 fob off phrases"

[uktotty]

He is trying to get out of it
FIT FOR PURPOSE is the only phrase you need here, trading standards, small claims court can all get involved, he has put the ball firmly in your court, I suggest you deal with it and call his bluff

[Vikface]

Thanks guys, I've looked around and although mixing the oils is not recommended, I seriously doubt it would cause any harm - that is if the engine wasnt already buggered, warning signs being that it used the whole lot in less than 1000 miles!

Regarding the warranty though, can he really just null and void it cos he's gotten all arsey with me? Or say that me mixing oils would make it so??
Cheers

[Anonymous]

on the oil point yes not recommended however not going to make it use loads of oil. semi oil just brakes down a bit quicker than fully. basically semi is a mixture of fully and mineral oil. as long as you got the grade right it would be ok

[Anonymous]

What does it say on your warranty in terms of exclusions etc? I'd be surprised if oil is a factor. He's probably trying to scare you into not taking things further, so follow the advice above an show him you mean business, and  sure he'll back down soon enough.

Also, what actually seems to be wrong with the car now, you said originally it was getting through oil really fast, but this now seems to have slowed down you say?

[Anonymous]

What does it say on your warranty in terms of exclusions etc? I'd be surprised if oil is a factor. He's probably trying to scare you into not taking things further, so follow the advice above an show him you mean business, and  sure he'll back down soon enough.

Also, what actually seems to be wrong with the car now, you said originally it was getting through oil really fast, but this now seems to have slowed down you say?

i would take a guess at the oil control rings

[Steve Green]

His argument of mixing oils falls down at the first hurdle as at his own admission an additive was put in. If that's not mixing oils, I dont know what is!

Keep cool, and take him to the cleaners, he's trying to frighten you off.

[2 of the left]

Your own use of fully synthetic and semi is not advised but not catastrophic in this case - they were the same grade. His admission of HIS use of an additive condemns him as being the guilty party.It may be a worry to you now but I would go down the route of citizens advice - legal action and get the Media involved - that would certainly damage his operation.AND once you get settlement - put the money into another "yellow banana" from a reputable dealer!- Check the For Sale section The motors here are well looked after although a yellow one may be rare! All the best!!

[aaronjb]

Here's what Opie Oils ('oilman' here) have to say about mixing synthetic and semi, or even non:

Synthetic oils are not compatible with other oils:

All engine oils intended for normal road use in recent 4-stroke engines are compatible with one another, regardless of the base make-up. (mineral, PAO/ester/hydrocracked synthetic, and semi-synthetic.) There is no need to flush or strip down an engine when changing from one type to another. (�but be careful with the exception: castor oil based racing oils.)

[K T M Rider]

I should point out that when I found it bone dry...............

by 'bone dry' I assume you mean that there was no oil on the dipstick. As I pointed out a few weeks ago, no oil on the dipstick can still mean around 2 1/2 litres of oil in your engine.

.................................. I put in 3 litres of fully synth and with it being oly 75% full, I put 1 litre of semi-synth..

You added 4 litres of oil all at once (because the dipstick was dry?)   s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

If the dipstick is dry you really should be only adding around 1 litre and then re-checking. It sounds like you could have been severely ovefilling with oil.

[Stephster]

Go see him again - stay calm and put your side to him, the main point being "fit for purpose". If he still refuses, take him to small claims court. Easy to do and costs next to nothing. As has been said below.
May I recommend dressing for purpose, i.e. smart and non girly. Sadly, many people in the motortrade will still attempt to treat women as though they know nothing about cars and can just be fobbed off.

[K T M Rider]

Seems to me like part of the problem might be too much information/advice /opinion, so here's some more   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

Back to the car itself; oil usage alot less, (I have four small holes in my dipstick for easy reading) but I still think its not right

If the apparent oil usage is NOW alot less, then as Dyn - Evo suggested:

Is it not POSSIBLE that this could be a case of condensation in the oil burning off, showing the real oil level, maybe...?

...............Personally, I'd whack some 10W40 in there and monitor it for the next 2-300 miles.....  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

...before resigning yourself to a knackered engine / trading standards / sending da boyz round, etc.....  s:D s:D

To help us to help you, you really need to check the rate of use from now on  as accurately as you can and report back. Unfortunately the dipstick can be a PITA to read, so try this:

Re: Easy read dipstick
by Silverman » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:15 pm

When I joined the ROC as a MK III owner in 2006, I was aware of difficulties in getting readable/accurate dipstick information. Although not mentioned on this thread - the problem was that if the dipstick was pushed fully home, readings back, front and on the sides were all over the shop. (As they say oop north.)

At that time many of us in the ROC employed a simple solution. At the top of the dipwire a plastic handle sat above three rubber (?) rings which seated the dipwire when fully home. We would note the distance (X) between, say, the middle ring and the top handle stop and then, when dipping the oil, would not insert the wire beyond this point. On withdrawing the wire, a clean oil level would be apparent around the dipstick, to which ,of course, one had to add the distance (X) for the true final reading.

Smoke and mirrors if you like, but it worked perfectly well for me for 4 very happy MR2 years.

Best Wishes to all, S'man

I just think that given that you now say the oil usage is alot less, you need to establish as accurately as you can what it is, before going back to the dealer. My first car used to burn a litre every 500 miles almost religously, the more you get into the habit of checking, the easier it becomes to establish what the rate of use is and then you can usually, ease off on the checks a little as you get to know the car better.

It pays to get into a habit with the checking - always nice flat level ground if you can and then maybe 20 mins after you've stopped the engine, remove the dipstick, wipe it and reinsert as Silverman suggests. From Full on the dipstick to empty is circa 1.3 litres, so I would just get it bang on the Full line (not over) if you can, note your current mileage and then just monitor every 100 miles or so, more often if it is vanishing quite quickly. Once you are getting towards the bottom quarter of the dipstick (or for Silverman's method, once there is no oil on the dipstick) it will probably take around a full litre to get back on the Full mark, so you would now have you consumption in miles per litre.

Then come back on here and let us know what it is.

I would also keep all of your receipts for petrol and for oil, so that if your consumption does turn out to be dreadful (e.g. 300 miles a litre) you have evidence to back up your claim with the dealer.

Back to my earlier point, if you have put in 3 litres at once (without doing an oil change) don't tell the dealer that, because if you do end up wanting to pursue a claim, he would most likely try to say that  you have damaged the engine through overfilling.

[Vikface]

Ok, thanks for all your replies, I haven't heard anything back from the trader yet but I will send an email to him describing what has happened and asking what oil was just used recently. Then if no reply within a week I will seek legal...
The oil level as of today is just over half way and less then 500 miles has been done since their oil change/fill and the addictive was put in, so its still using too much.
And I can confirm that when it was bone dry, I added a litre at a time, using the whole lot of a 3 litre 5w30... and it showed as being only just over half full then.
I also now have a ODB reader, it came out at no faults/codes... which is good, but surprising  :-) :-) :-)  I live in Bournemouth (obviously!) so if anyone wants to borrow it they can.

[Anonymous]

You may have to exaggerate the oil useage to more than 1l per 1000 miles as Toyota apparently consider less than this to be normal.   l viewtopic.php?f=11&t=22129&p=274771&hilit=toyota+oil+useage#p274771 l

[Steve Green]

You may have to exaggerate the oil useage to more than 1l per 1000 miles as Toyota apparently consider less than this to be normal.   l viewtopic.php?f=11&t=22129&p=274771&hilit=toyota+oil+useage#p274771 l

Many years ago I had a old Ford that was burning oil. For a month or so I ran it on almost neat STP additive whilst I built another engine.
If that was the additive that was used (added) it is partially designed to fill mechanical gaps so you burn less.

I would stick by the argument that an additive should not have been used in a standard car. It effectivley negates the oil mixing argument the trader tried to use.

I think you are taking the right course of action, give him time to respond then bring in Trading Standards etc.

[Anonymous]

I get through 1l per 1000 miles approx, sounds about normal to. Other than being thirsty on oil, are actually experiencing any other problems?

[Vikface]

There is just over 3 litres right? ( l viewtopic.php?f=11&t=36859&hilit=oil+capacity l )
So if my tank is now just over half, thats a litre, and I have done way less then 500 miles!
I have checked the exclusions on the warranty, and I think he is calling my bluff... and its not really null and void!

No other problems that I can think of (at the moment! Haha) and I was pleasantly surprised the OBD showed no codes..

I've just got to write a  sshit shit sshit -hot email telling him he cant fob me off like this!   s:evil: :evil: s:evil:  

Thanks for your help and advice though everyone

[AckersMR2]

Not so, I've only just got my 2 but reading others comments and what I know of other engines, roughly only one third of an engines entire oil capacity actually shows on the dipstick. So in the 2's case 'E' on the dipstick means there's approx 2.5ltrs in the engine and 'F' means there's 3.8ltrs. So if your dipstick is reading just over half way your engine has burnt around half a ltr in "way under 500 miles"?
The rate of oil consumption of your engine is dependant on how much "way under" is?
I'm in Bournemouth too so might take you up on the offer of the OBD if every I need one.   s:-D :-D s:-D

[Vikface]

Well the trader hasn't told me what oil they put in, and says he wants nothing more to do with me - a fob off though!
I see what you're saying but after the whole 3l went in, it still only showed just over half   s:? :? s:?   Anyway, since they fartarsed about with my car on the 12th Jan, I have probably only done 250/300 miles.... I'm guessing the prognosis is not good Doctor(s)..    s:( s:(