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Problem With Car/mechanic


focusowner1
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Hello. I'm brand new to the forum.

I bought my 2000 focus 7 weeks ago.

Everything seemed OK with it but has a screeching coming from timing belt and a knocking underneath.

Took car to a garage, they fixed the anti roll bar link that was the knocking.

Asked for a new timing belt kit as didn't know when it was Last done.

Asked for new water pump too.

They said it'd be done in 1 day.

The next day, they said it wasn't finished. They needed to replace a tensioner on the timing belt too. And the part was £75 new from suppliers but he could get one cheaper and thought that was too expensive.

I didn't know any better, just agreed to what he thought was best. I wouldn't have minded paying the new price.

He told me then, that he was going to buy a whole car for the price of that tensioner and could break even on scrapping it once he had the tensioner.

Anyway, 6 days after dropping my car to them I'm told it's complete.

I go to pick it up and am told that they put the engine from the car they bought, into my car.

Apparently there were a number of things wrong with my engine.

I was not give me any details of the car the engine came out off.

Apparently it had a lower milage then mine (I only had 68k on my engine.)

5 days later, my hubby notices there are oil patches under the car on the road and the oil level is at minimum.

The engine has wet patches around it too.

And the water looks to be a very dark colour in the water box.

I've just messaged the mechanic to tell him this. Awaiting reply.

Please note I'm female and don't really know anything about cars etc and am feeling anxious about this now!

He didn't put anything about the engine swap on my receipt and told me I didn't need to do anything like inform dvla etc.

Am I right to think they have to fix this oil leak and check the water, for free? Should I push for the cars details where the engine came from? Anything else I should do?

Many thanks in advance and sorry if I've posted this in the wrong place

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I can hardly believe what I've just read!

A timing belt is a simple enough job, a timing belt 'kit' includes all the necessary parts including belt, tensioner, guide pulley and bolts.

I would be contacting trading standards for advise on this matter too, changing an engine because of a tensioner for the timing belt? Something sounds VERY fishy to me.

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Yup. I'm so nervous about it all. I will update with the mechanic reply. And will contact trading standards too. Will be communicating through texts and Facebook messages with mechanic so I have it all for proof too. He 'explained' why they put the enginein the car, but I don't uunderstand mechanics!All I rremember was something about the water pump vein?

Is it illegal to not notify dvla of the new engine?

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Blimey, that sounds crazy, whats the bets they ballsed it up and wrecked the engine you had?

Isnt the VIN number printed on the engine as well? should be able to tell if they have actually swapped it out. and to find a compatible car with less miles on for 70 quid is an impressive feat

At the very lest id be asking to see that other car and check out the history of it. If they did replace it, then its "reasonable" to expect them to install it without leeks an what not, id say its reasonable for them to repair that free of charge as well.

Reasonable is the key word when it comes to legal matters, what is unreasonable is to swap out your engine without telling you so id say whatever happens you'll have the system behind you but id get tooled up with help fro TS and the CAB if need be.

I wonder what the insurance folk would say about it too....

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Blimey, that sounds crazy, whats the bets they ballsed it up and wrecked the engine you had?

thats my thoughts also!!!

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Still not had a reply off them. Messaged them around an hour ago. On business and personal Facebook accounts and via text.

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He made a 'joke' about having scrapped the other car and made money on it and didn't charge me for the engine or tensioner pulley thing, just an hour labour to fit it.

From a quick look at Google, I think he's supposed to have kept certain info about that car, don't know how he's going to provide me proof of the milage etc e when I ask.

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He replied. Said bring it down Monday and they will sort it for me.

Should I ask him to know details about the other car while I'm there?

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Two things would be on my mind, firstly, how old is the engine how many miles has it done, has THAT engine had its timing belt changed and if so when. If we assume for a second they totally wrecked your old engine and just replaced it, we would need to know about that new one, if its done a 200,000 miles and the belt is on its last legs and it goes off then who exactly is to blame, you hav no proof they swapped the engine over.

If they are saying the engine as only done what 60k, then great, but I want to see proof, if the VIN number is on that engine then you could probably find out.

The other thing on my mind would be insurance, right now its not exactly clear whats been done to it, you have receipts for work done but they don't mention the engine swap, I could see you coming unstuck if something were to happen

See if you can find that VIN number, at the very least it will put your mind at ease or it may give you ammunition for your Monday meeting!

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Thank you! What do I do once I find the vin number? Will ask my dad to look for it later. I'm clueless. Many thanks again

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well, im not completely sure you can find out everything from just a VIN but its a start and will tell you if its been changed or not

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Something definetley doesn`t sound right here.Who`s to say it wasn`t a stolen car car swapping the engine with yours .Technically its not your engine in your car .

Would definetley start to inform people and gather evidence.

Hope it all works out but i would be worried.

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I need to get a list of questions together ready for him Monday.

Apparently they definitely put a new timing belt kit on, and have me the receipt for one fitted.

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i think you need to speak to the police they will know about the engine Vin and wether it is stolen or not

you need to see your old engine get the reg of the donor car as you will be able to get the milage from that thro HPI

this dosnt sound kosher at all are you a member of the AA.RAC.Greenflag as they all have legal services and will help you

if you are call them before you go to the garage

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Unfortunately I'm not a member of those. I have breakdown cover through my bank see.

I'm going to be asking the garage for details of the old car and take it from there.

I'm taking the car first thing Monday morning.

Will post updates here.

If anyone can think of anything else I should be asking the garage or should be doing Please let me know. Many thanks

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You do need to find out of the engine number matches with your car, if it doesn't then start taking any legal action you can against this mechanic.

It clearly sounds like they have no idea what they are doing and they should not do any work on your car other than work agreed with you without discussing it with you first.

Get them reported to Trading Standards ASAP, see the CAB.

I assume they are not a member of the Good garage scheme if they are report them to the Good garage scheme too.

Get someone to go with you in any face to face contact who knows about cars and engines so they can't fob you off.

Record every bit of evidence like messages or emails but you really need correspondence via email or by recorded letter now as you may need this in court at a later date. Make notes even of any conversations and ideally get the name of who you were speaking to. (you can't record them without letting them know in advance otherwise it won't be admissible in court if you think of doing something like that).

You won't want to name the garage and I don't know what this forums rules are on that until the matter is resolved, but you should consider a warning once resolved for others who may happen to use that garage, however this should be entirely factual without any bias and not libel in anyway just simply stick to and state the facts of your experience.

A garage can not do work on your car without your permission.

Even if they damaged your engine by doing the work badly they should have told you and gone through your options with you, if they damage the car then they have to pay to put the car back as it was when they got it simple as that.

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Did you pay cash or use a credit card if you used a credit card they will take the case up for you .seen similar before where the garage had said they had replaced a head gasket and they hadn't .sounds what others are saying they naffed your engine so thought they could pull the wool and replace it the receipt they are possible going to show you is off the original cambelt you asked to be changed which they naffed up so don't fall for that one

Most kits come with followers tensioners and water pumps so really doubt the one one the engine you have has been touched specially when you say it seems to be leaking water .

Hope you get it sorted rogues like this should be put out of business

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First thing I'm going to do now then Monday morning is, go down there with my car. Request receipts showing the engine Change too and details of the car it came off etc.

See if they're going to 'fix' the oil leak that's there now.

Find out if they're with the good garage scheme.

I paid them in cash.

I will update here whenever I have new info or anything.

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The engine in my car now, is definitely a different engine to what I took in. They showed my original engine to me.

The sticker they've put on car with milage says 63k. My shown milage on car is 69k

Apparently the engine had 48k.

So where did this 63k figure come from? This is also something I'm going to be asking.

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Id really love to meet this "mechanic" of yours. Don't think anyone could even make anything like this up. So did they find an engine from an exact same model range as yours? Or has he gone with something else and remapped everything? Not to say suspension and what nots.

Dodgy is not the word

Sent from my iPad using Ford OC

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Engine swap in an hour? Now that is a world record

Sent from my iPad using Ford OC

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Us he said it came from another same car, 1.8 16v zetec engine.

It does say 16v zetec on it too.

I don't have anyone available to come with me :( everyone will be working on Monday.

Do you think I should ask him anything via messages before Monday? Or just ask him on the day?

Please, if any of your were me, what would you do now?

I've not yet replied to confirm I'll be taking the car in on Monday for them to 'sort out'.

Its all so ridiculous. I wish I was making this up :(

Should I maybe message to ask them to get a receipt ready for me with details of the car the engine came out of on? See what they say to that?

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