Re: 110Psi Engine In A 90Psi Car

[helenmintlaw]

Hi Folks.

Wondering if it is ok to put a Ford Focus 2009 110psi diesel engine into a 2008 Ford Focus 90psi diesel car. Would it have any implications on the running of the car and could it actually allow the head gasket to go faster than it would.

Bought a car with what was meant to be a re-con engine with 70k on it. The head gasket went at 20 weeks after purchase. Garage deny all responsibility for the problem. When we pointed out in writing the problem and that we had found out the engine presented itself as a scrap engine, as directed by the Consumer Helpline, the garage then put in writing that it was a replacement engine with 75k on the clock.

We have been trying to find out more information about the engine and eventually found out today that the engine came from the same type of car, albeit and estate car, but that the PSi was 110. Where the original engine was a 90psi.

The car garage are refusing to give any paperwork regarding the replacement engine. They have said to our solicitor that as we had done 10k in the car, it is of no use to us what so ever. We have always disputed the mileage, but due to no-one ever having checked the clock on the day of purchase, and not comparing it to the exact amount of 145k he put on the receipt, and he did not inform the DVLA of the mileage when he sent the log book in (I'm aware he doesn't have to) we have no way at all of proving any different).

But the garage also put on the receipt the old original engine number. The one that he had just previously taken out of the car and replaced with this 110psi engine.

We have been fighting this since October 2013 and I feel so desperate!

Garages have said that they will repair the head gasket but will give no guarantees to the repair. We have no written confirmation that it has only done 70/75k, but also, apparently the head may have already been torqued down, and it can only be torqued down once!

The car is sitting with no MOT, on SORN and has moved nowhere since October.

Any ideas anyone

Thanks from a really desperate desperate person!!!

[jeebowhite]

Hi Helen,

I sympathise with your situation, however, I struggle to see where you can go from here.

The responsibility for the first 6 months from the date of purchase means all responsibility of the car is that of the garage, so if it doesnt work, they need to fix it.

If you have a solicitor though, it sounds like you have attached every angle possible! I really dont know what else you can do if you already have the law involved...

[helenmintlaw]

Hi, thanks for the reply. The solicitor is useless. Have a meeting with them this afternoon, first one since the seller has refused to supply the information.

Consumer Helpline passed it on to CAB who drafted up a brilliant case. And also passed it on to Trading Standards. Trading standards miss-advised us. They advised us as though it was after 6 months of purchase. the man would not listen at all, did not look at paperwork etc. Told us to go out and get a car mechanics report on it. I was told that a car mechanics report is great for advance purchases, and could tell us the state of the car at the time, but not in retrospect, Was then guided to OFT's Document for Buying A Second Hand Car. It was after studying this, I then rang Trading Standards back and said, asked why they had been advising me as though it was after 6 months of purchase and not within the 6 months, and what about the Burden of Proof. He said he had thought about this after he had spoken to me, but he didn't ring to tell me. He then rang me back saying Small Claims Courts based their rulings on a book by Ervine Cowan, and he would hate me to think I had a case!

It was then we sought advice from a solicitor when I was eventually able to get one. He wrote to them, and the garage wrote back saying that there had been 10k done since purchase (but we cannot prove this is untrue, although it is as it was only used to work and back 30 miles a day return for with a small amount of leisure), they were a genuine family garage etc. the solicitor then asked for details of the replacement engine. On this occasion the garage rang the solicitor and said it was a local scrap merchant. The solicitor advised he was waiting for written confirmation. Now the garage/dealer is refusing to supply it.

A nightmare of a situation. I rang our local TS's manager and it appears that the person who miss advised just happens not to work for them any longer.

It is a total nightmare!

[jeebowhite]

I really dont know what to say, you have done just about everything there is really... Trading standards should be doing more than they are...

[Rossbclarke123]

I really sympathise for you, please keep us updated and name and shame the garage!!