Blue Smoke Update Not good. Any rights?

[JBridget9]

Basically i have been getting blue smoke from the exhaust, a sign common to when the turbo seals are going. Link to previous thread http://www.vxronline.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=98751

Had the car looked at by the Evans Halshaw garage that is closest to me. After removing turbo hoses/pipes they couldnt find any oil and there was no sign of any external oil leaks anywhere else.

Therefore they have said the problem is in the engine but cant they find out what it is until i allow the head to be been removed etc.

Having found out my 3 months warranty is only complimentary and only covers specefic parts up to £500 in value i am assuming this is going to prove very costly.

Couple of questions. What is the problem likely to be??? on the report it says check valve stem oil seals. They also said at the very worst it could be a new engine! (surely not likely? 06 plate 34k miles)

and Do i have any rights? i have done a little bit of research and it seems that the garage i bought the car fromn could be liable for repair seeing i only bought it 2 months ago.

Car booked in for inspection tomorrow.

Cheers

[corywayne]

oil valve stem seals mine went, smokes when you blip pedal, then blip it again and its gone

[JBridget9]

oil valve stem seals mine went, smokes when you blip pedal, then blip it again and its gone

Ok, Is this expensive to fix?

the garage said £230 just for head removal and inspection?

[miniman]

I imagine you didnt notice the blue smoke before you signed on the dotted line ?

I would say that the problem was there before you purchased the car, even if the car was bought 'as seen' you still have consumer rights, ask for an estimate cost before the work goes ahead, to see if the £500 will cover it, you could argue the point that the car was sold to you as 'not fit for purpose'

Give the C.A.B a call to understand your consumer rights.

[Bronze]

You say that you have only had the car 2 months.
and have been complaining about the problem since you have had the car ??
doesn't really matter either way I ask because remember this topic coming up.
possible cause's

1] as already suggested valve stem seal's
2] head gasket this would could show itself more once engine has warmed up
and probably smoke when you blip the throttle
3] piston ring/rings have worn or broken down allowing some to a lot of oil into a cylinda
also giving blue smoke

As suggested most of these will show as a use or loss of engine oil level?

As for the garage you bought the car from you need to have dialog with them first and let them know how you feel about what is happening,
if you get no joy with them, then try trading standards as the car is not fit for purpose.
but don't go in the garage all guns blazing as this will not get you anywere.

good luck and I hope this helps.

[JBridget9]

I imagine you didnt notice the blue smoke before you signed on the dotted line ?

I would say that the problem was there before you purchased the car, even if the car was bought 'as seen' you still have consumer rights, ask for an estimate cost before the work goes ahead, to see if the £500 will cover it, you could argue the point that the car was sold to you as 'not fit for purpose'

Give the C.A.B a call to understand your consumer rights.

I didnt view the car befor buying, bit crazy i know. No problems were pointed out to me before i signed on the dotted line.

I have looked on the CAB advice guide and it does seem that i have a case. I think its fair to assume the problem was there when i bought the car and therfore unless they can prove it wasnt they are liable.

I havent said this directly to them but i did say i have had advice from the CAB and i do not think i am unreasonable in asking for the repair to be covered. Cus the problem isnt known yet i just got an email reply saying "a mechanical or electrical fault can happen at any time" etc and because i have signed a form saying i have chosen not to take out any mechanical warranty.

I havent fought hard for anything to be done yet. i am going to find out what the problem is and find out the cost first. If its expensive i will look into it further if not i may just pay and try to forget about it. Does this seem reasonable???

[JBridget9]

You say that you have only had the car 2 months.
and have been complaining about the problem since you have had the car ??
doesn't really matter either way I ask because remember this topic coming up.
possible cause's

1] as already suggested valve stem seal's
2] head gasket this would could show itself more once engine has warmed up
and probably smoke when you blip the throttle
3] piston ring/rings have worn or broken down allowing some to a lot of oil into a cylinda
also giving blue smoke

As suggested most of these will show as a use or loss of engine oil level?

As for the garage you bought the car from you need to have dialog with them first and let them know how you feel about what is happening,
if you get no joy with them, then try trading standards as the car is not fit for purpose.
but don't go in the garage all guns blazing as this will not get you anywere.

good luck and I hope this helps.

No i cant go to the garage i got the car from cus its miles away. I ave been to Evans Halshaw Newport and they seem to be on my side and think the other garage should pay but as it stands the other garage are just saying its not covered any warranty and it my responsibility to authorize head removal etc.

Hopefully its not too bad.

[Vxr Jase]

surely if it was piston it wudnt boost rite and misfire and be lumpy??

headgasket maybe..mmm...

[Bronze]

I didnt view the car befor buying, bit crazy i know. No problems were pointed out to me before i signed on the dotted line.

I have looked on the CAB advice guide and it does seem that i have a case. I think its fair to assume the problem was there when i bought the car and therfore unless they can prove it wasnt they are liable.

I havent said this directly to them but i did say i have had advice from the CAB and i do not think i am unreasonable in asking for the repair to be covered. Cus the problem isnt known yet i just got an email reply saying "a mechanical or electrical fault can happen at any time" etc and because i have signed a form saying i have chosen not to take out any mechanical warranty.

I havent fought hard for anything to be done yet. i am going to find out what the problem is and find out the cost first. If its expensive i will look into it further if not i may just pay and try to forget about it. Does this seem reasonable???

This is a cop out and they are liable. I believe the law as it stands at the moment states that there is a minimum length of time that second hand goods have to be fit for purpose for, and I believe it is a lot longer than 2 to 3 months.
and you don't have to take there warranty out for you to be covered this warranty is to extend the legal requirement they have to provide you by law.

[RMW-VXR]

^^ what he said!

they cannot sell you something that is not fit for the purpose it is intended and except no responsability the day after! there is a minimum period and the warrenty they offer is an extention of this period they have to provide by LAW! you will have the law on your side as long as you play it cool and dont go in "all guns blazing" as someone said before!

[JBridget9]

This is a cop out and they are liable. I believe the law as it stands at the moment states that there is a minimum length of time that second hand goods have to be fit for purpose for, and I believe it is a lot longer than 2 to 3 months.
and you don't have to take there warranty out for you to be covered this warranty is to extend the legal requirement they have to provide you by law.

Yes that is the impressoin i got when reading advice. I think it depends on the age and mileage to the car to some extent but it seems 6 months is reasonable.

This is a quote from the Citizens advice bureau advice guide for seconhand cars:

" If the car is faulty and you have left it too late to claim a refund or you don't want one, you can ask the dealer to replace or repair it free of charge. If you do this within six months of receiving the car, and it is reasonable to expect it to have lasted for the period of time you have had it, it will be assumed the problem existed when you bought the car, unless the dealer can show otherwise. However you can still ask for a replacement or a repair up to six years from the date you bought the car ......" blah blah the above is the bit that related to my case.

I may ring the Citizens advice bureau then the garage i got the car from but talk to a different person than last time!

Thanks for your help

[Bronze]

you are the person who mentioned this problem from day one of owning the car ?
you bought the car from Evans Halshaw Cambridge way didn't you??

[JBridget9]

you are the person who mentioned this problem from day one of owning the car ?
you bought the car from Evans Halshaw Cambridge way didn't you??

No afraid not. I didnt notice the problem until i had owned the car for 1.5 months. I can very rarely see the smoke from the drivers seat,i can only see it when it give out quite a lot and that is only beacuse i know it there ( if that makes sense)

It was my parents that spotted it when they were radomly looking out of the window when i pulled away.

[JBridget9]

Evans Halshaw vauxhall Peterlee (county durham)

But i live in Bath - therefore newport is closest.

[Bronze]

Did you buy the car from Evans Halshaw a long way away ??