Hi people, need some advice.
I have an Holden Astra City 2001 model. I was away for 6 weeks and the car was being regularly started by a friend. When I returned I drove the car for 10 min and the Oil light appeared on my dash board. I then stopped the car and the following day checked the dip stick and added 1L of Engine Oil thinking there may have been a slow leak. I then drove the car again for another 5 -10 minutes and the Oil light appeared again on my dash board and there was a loud knocking noise coming from my engine. I pulled over and stopped the car immediately. I have know towed the car to a random mechanics and they have told me it was a piston, therefore I require a new motor.
Does this sound right without checking the car ?
I was quoted $2000 for everything supply and fit. Does this sound reasonable?
I suppose the main question is: If the car was in good working order when parked, then has severe engine problems when you returned, what happened? Did your friend drive it at all?
A lot of answers need to be provided here.
How many miles did your friend put on the vehicle, how often (if ever) did you check the oil level before you left, and you might clear up the bit about the oil light appearing, stopping the car, and THEN the following day you checked the dipstick while adding 1L of oil.
There’s a lot of murkiness there including whether this 1L of oil was nearly enough to to the oil off.
Just offhand, I’d say you need a new engine. As to who is responsible for damaging current engine that is unknown to me.
It also sounds like they’re going to install a used engine so you should be on the same page with the shop about exactly who is responsible if this used engine turns out to be an engine of shaky quality. A fair number of salvage yard engines have problems so any boneyard motor is a gamble.
This is a brand new car, do they not give a warrantee in Australia? There could have been a factory defect that caused the oil to drain out and ultimately damaged the engine. You stopped the engine as soon as the light came on the first time and if you either stopped the engine the second time it came on, or it blew before the light came on, then you did your part, the dealer owes you a new engine, free of charge. No junk yard, no rebuild, a brand new crate motor.
The title says 2011 but the text says 2001. A quick shows this model was discontinued in 2009 so apparently its an '01 model and no warranty.
Even if it were a 2012 model it may not be a warranty issue anyway. That depends on the circumstances. Warranty is for the repair of factory defects and workmanship; not for problems caused by lack of oil changes, never checking the oil level, allowing a friend to start the car regularly (and maybe drive it?) and possibly whale on it, etc.
I’ve seen a fair number of people over the years who took their brand new 2 or 3 month old car and did something to it, or it was done to it by someone else, and then bring the car in sputtering or on a tow truck and expect warranty to cover it. In almost all cases they were disappointed when warranty did not cover it, and rightfully so.
I missed it at first too. The post came across as a bit unusal anyway with this problem surfacing almost immediately after returning from their jaunt and someone else being involved in starting it on a regular basis.
This led to my wondering of course about the age of the friend, if starting it regularly is defined as driving it too, along with a number of other points. Strange at the least.
Thanks guys, appreciate your responses. Sorry I did mean a 2001 model and the friend that was looking after the car is an older lady so she was just starting the car and letting it run for a while not driving it at all.
I have taken the car to another mechanic who is at least known by a friend and am now looking for a second hand motor at the wreckers.
Can you suggest a a reliable wreck yard for Holdens? Wish I knew how to rip one out and intsall it myself !
“Can you suggest a a reliable wreck yard for Holdens?”
Kristal–Almost all of the regulars in this forum live in the US, where Holdens are not sold. You need to consult with people in your part of the world for this type of information.