2001 1.2 Corsa now MOT'd but ..
in [Car Maintenance]
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From: T i m on 24 Jun 2010 03:28 Right, some advice again please. They have just got daughters b/f's 1.2 Corsa back from MOT > work done in Scotland (CV gaiters, handbrake and light aim adjust) and they have offered it to us for �600. It's a 4 dr, could tow a small trailer (handy for her chainsaw carving stuff, the Ka can't tow) and she just prefers it to the Ka (which we can then sell once the Astra (Belmont) is sorted for the Mrs). However, from the MOT there was an advise on 'an oil leak somewhere, a/r bar drop links and corrosion on the fuel filter'. [1] Now I guess the last two shouldn't be an issue to sort (?) but what of the oil leak. Are they prone to leaks from anywhere in particular and if yes, can they be expensive / difficult to sort (engine out / strip sorta thing. I know 'it could be anything' but I'm asking if there are known / common issues here please). Laddo is going to call the garage today and ask them if they know where the leak is coming from and from there I need to (quickly) decide to either let them drive down in it to let me check it over and if ok, buy it, service it and they can take it back up later or, just walk away from it and she can get the Ka up there when she goes back up in a month or so (he's buying a truck down here and has to go back up soonish for work). The insurance seems to be about the same for them + me on either the Ka or Corsa and I think the Corsa is quieter on the motorway and may even be slightly better mpg. Oh, in light of the recent Astra theft, would it have a factory fitted immobiliser as standard? ;-) Cheers and thanks for your time. T i m [1] We know it had one oil leak as I mentioned it here when he lost half the oil on a trip down. It was the oil pressure switch and I replaced that at the time but I have a funny feeling it may still 'use oil' but intermittently. I'll confirm that when he calls later.
From: Duncan Wood on 24 Jun 2010 03:46 On Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:28:43 +0100, T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: > Right, some advice again please. > > They have just got daughters b/f's 1.2 Corsa back from MOT > work done > in Scotland (CV gaiters, handbrake and light aim adjust) and they have > offered it to us for £600. It's a 4 dr, could tow a small trailer > (handy for her chainsaw carving stuff, the Ka can't tow) and she just > prefers it to the Ka (which we can then sell once the Astra (Belmont) > is sorted for the Mrs). > > However, from the MOT there was an advise on 'an oil leak somewhere, > a/r bar drop links and corrosion on the fuel filter'. [1] > > Now I guess the last two shouldn't be an issue to sort (?) but what of > the oil leak. Are they prone to leaks from anywhere in particular and > if yes, can they be expensive / difficult to sort (engine out / strip > sorta thing. I know 'it could be anything' but I'm asking if there are > known / common issues here please). > > Laddo is going to call the garage today and ask them if they know > where the leak is coming from and from there I need to (quickly) > decide to either let them drive down in it to let me check it over and > if ok, buy it, service it and they can take it back up later or, just > walk away from it and she can get the Ka up there when she goes back > up in a month or so (he's buying a truck down here and has to go back > up soonish for work). > > The insurance seems to be about the same for them + me on either the > Ka or Corsa and I think the Corsa is quieter on the motorway and may > even be slightly better mpg. > > Oh, in light of the recent Astra theft, would it have a factory fitted > immobiliser as standard? ;-) > > Cheers and thanks for your time. > > T i m > > > [1] We know it had one oil leak as I mentioned it here when he lost > half the oil on a trip down. It was the oil pressure switch and I > replaced that at the time but I have a funny feeling it may still 'use > oil' but intermittently. I'll confirm that when he calls later. Well if you didn't steam clean it afterwards they may well just be commenting on the aftereffects. -- Duncan Wood
From: T i m on 24 Jun 2010 04:01 On Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:46:55 +0100, "Duncan Wood" <nntptmp(a)dmx512.co.uk> wrote: >> [1] We know it had one oil leak as I mentioned it here when he lost >> half the oil on a trip down. It was the oil pressure switch and I >> replaced that at the time but I have a funny feeling it may still 'use >> oil' but intermittently. I'll confirm that when he calls later. > >Well if you didn't steam clean it afterwards they may well just be >commenting on the aftereffects. We didn't (to be fair most of the oil had blown away at the point in any case) and I was aware that having an engine / bay steam cleaned was a good way to locate such leaks. I thought it was also a good way to get water in it's delicate places (or is that 'pressure washing' rather than 'steam cleaning')? To be fair I don't expect a 120k engine to be oil tight (I know many are though) but I guess there is a difference between just 'oily' and a real tarmac wetting leak. ;-( The thing is it costs as much if not more for them to come down on the train as in the Corsa and they can bring more kit down in the car. I think it was they were hoping to cancel the insurance on the Corsa when he got the truck but I don't really want to take it on without a closer look. We will have to see what the garage think or can remember about it. Cheers, T i m
From: T i m on 24 Jun 2010 08:28 On Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:01:35 +0100, T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: > >We will have to see what the garage think or can remember about it. > "I think it was leaking from the sump" apparently? So, they fill it up here, drive the 360 miles back to Scotland and note it's down about 50% on the stick then top up (mainly motorways). Do another local trip in Scotland (~500 miles) and it's down by 1/4 on the stick (mainly A roads). If it was burning oil at that rate, wouldn't it be visible as (blue?) smoke and if so wouldn't that also affect the cat / recent MOT emissions tests? I'm trying to confirm to myself that it /is/ leaking out somewhere rather being burnt (and so not bore / valve guide / stem seals etc). Cheers, T i m
From: Adrian on 24 Jun 2010 08:42
T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: > So, they fill it up here, drive the 360 miles back to Scotland and note > it's down about 50% on the stick then top up (mainly motorways). > > Do another local trip in Scotland (~500 miles) and it's down by 1/4 on > the stick (mainly A roads). > > If it was burning oil at that rate, wouldn't it be visible as (blue?) > smoke and if so wouldn't that also affect the cat / recent MOT emissions > tests? Sounds like it might just be being burnt on wider throttle openings/ harder loads. > I'm trying to confirm to myself that it /is/ leaking out somewhere > rather being burnt (and so not bore / valve guide / stem seals etc). If that amount of oil was leaking, then you'd most certainly see it. The engine bay and underside would be plastered with oil. |