[alpha1]

Originally Posted by F150

Answers below.

Request to pay attention and read the posts. Good Night !

Perhaps I have attention deficit disorder and overlooked those posts, but let me pen down my experience:

I've had experience with my OHC where due to gradual leakage of engine oil, the engine oil low indication lit up. But since it was intermittent (the lighting up for a few seconds now and then), I didn't take it that seriously.
Nevertheless I checked the oil level. Wasn't even low. Drove it for quite a while. No oil puddles at the parking ...

Sent the car to mechanic, upon returning home. There was hardly any oil left!
I faced none of the symptoms. I am sure if I would've waited for symptoms to occur, I would've had to foot a huge bill.

I just chanced to read this post here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ml#post3287707

Almost the same thing occurred here.


The point is that only the engine oil pressure/level low indicator is a system that can tell immediately, whether the oil is there or not. AND you can take corrective actions. If this system is bust, you should start praying.

If we wait for the moment where the pickup drops, engine temp increases, AC stops working due to oil leakage - then I am afraid you might ALREADY be in the same position as this unlucky chap whose blog is being discussed on this thread.


edit: from what I understand, the pickup drop happens because the ECU detects high temperature and doesn't allow more fuel. The AC also stops because of this. Engine temp gauge also shows a rise. BUT all these point to high coolant temperature. Which means your engine may have been running on low engine oil for quite some time. (or you have a coolant leak - I've faced this). Too late perhaps to save the engine if it is because of low engine oil.

[thoma]

I have a doubt after reading many posts here: hitting the underbelly is an accident right? And accidents are insured unless the driver was proved to be driving recklessly, I guess. I had been reimbursed for many accidents not involving with other vehicles. Car hitting the gate, a wall, a protrusion on the road etc.

How come insurance companies start making this tendency of washing hands off their responsibility after taking considerable amount of money as premium?

[finneyp]

Originally Posted by thoma

I have a doubt after reading many posts here: hitting the underbelly is an accident right? And accidents are insured unless the driver was proved to be driving recklessly, I guess. I had been reimbursed for many accidents not involving with other vehicles. Car hitting the gate, a wall, a protrusion on the road etc.

How come insurance companies start making this tendency of washing hands off their responsibility after taking considerable amount of money as premium?

If I got it right on the accident here, after the car underbelly got hit & engine oil started leaking, the owner drove on the car until the engine oil got emptied and engine got seized & stalled. The owner claims that low engine oil sign was not working in the car.
Now, it is the later part (engine seizure & repair) that Insurance co. doesn't want the bear the expense saying it was caused due to owner's negligence...

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by thoma

How come insurance companies start making this tendency of washing hands off their responsibility after taking considerable amount of money as premium?

I feel there is something fishy going in there. Either VW is hiding something or the car owner is not putting up the real story to get media attention to get a replacement.

Originally Posted by finneyp

If I got it right on the accident here, after the car underbelly got hit & engine oil started leaking, the owner drove on the car until the engine oil got emptied and engine got seized & stalled. The owner claims that low engine oil sign was not working in the car.

I agree here. The low engine oil sign was not working. Why trust the electricals so much?!

I repeat, Why couldn't the owner get down and look for leaks etc before continuing his drive?! Post the hit the engine oil got empty and the engine + Turbo Charger + etc etc would have got cooked and seized which happened 1-2 kms from the bump hitting point. So this can be termed as driver negligence (Not fully blaming the owner but half blame can be given)

Originally Posted by finneyp

Now, it is the later part (engine seizure & repair) that Insurance co. doesn't want the bear the expense saying it was caused due to owner's negligence...

That is what they will say if they have to get rid of this case and save a few bucks.

Anurag.

[shippy]

After reading this I was really upset about the dealer in Bhopal and would like to help the customer as a BHPian .

What I understood was that the car owner hit the bump and he moved on .As per the owner the bump was a very mild one ,but at least he must have heard a metallic thud and should have immediately stopped and checked the oil sump rather then trusting the electronics. But off course we all learn from our mistakes.

Once I was driving from Delhi to Bhopal in my trusted Maruti Zen a few years back, and near Gwalior hit a big crater.A loud thud from the front was very heart breaking.That time MP roads were full of craters and I was lucky to be at a slow speed. I stopped immediately near the petrol pump and lifted the car and found a cracked sump. Though oil was not oozing out under pressure and only drop by drop but definitely on a 200 km high way would have emptied the sump.
We went to the Maruti dealer in Gwalior and they did some brazing on the sump and rectified it. Later I replaced the sump.Though we wasted 3 hrs in this but it saved us the full engine repairs.

I was also wondering about the alarm but when I checked I found that the oil low pressure alarm was just a pressure switch .
Oil alarms are pressure activated switches in most cars and unless the oil pressure falls they will not activate unless they have level switches.
On Merc and Bmw cars we can measure the oil level so they have the alarms for low level.This I am saying because I had the Merc w210 earlier and now BMW 530 AND 750 and I can measure the oil levels in litres in the morning.VW cars I am not sure what type of system they have.

For a pressure switch system on a leaky oil sump unless the oil drains out immediately and pressure falls ,the alarm may not sound.

You can imagine on a highway with the engine spinning at 3000 rpm with a leaky sump the oil pump will keep pumping till the last drop in the sump.so where is the question of alarm not functioning.It will function when the pressure drops but that would be too late.

Now for the issue regarding the dealer ripping the poor customer as he is not from the city, well I am from Bhopal and know a few people including the owner and would be glad to help this customer.

[drmohitg]

We all must have had many instances when we scarp our cars at big and monstrous speed bumps. Do all of you get down after each of such incident and inspect the car for any potential damage? I don't. Never occurred to me to do that. More so when the car's million sensors say nothing is wrong!

BTW whats the latest update on this case?

[sabsubs]

Seems like the issue with the car has been resolved by VW and they have requested the owner to remove the blog. The author has updated the blog accordingly.

[sinharishi]

Another one.

Until now, that is, last week the car coughed to a halt without knowing any reason for the same. It was quite strange as it happened for the very first time. On inspection, we found a trace of oil spill along the road, giving us Goosebumps fearing the worst. Help did arrive and the inspection did reveal an engine seizure. The most terrible thing had happened and the cost to repair the same is around 2 lacs. The insurance firm says it’s due to negligence and it can’t be covered under any policy terms.

And this is where my dis-comfort is, how come a supremely engineered car give us no indications before it fails down. Worst still, is that the car didn’t even seem to have hit anything. The oil had drained out and the car refused to start. While cranking it on again, no warning signs came on.

http://swapnil803.blogspot.in/2014/0...olkswagen.html

[lone_driver]

Shirani Automobiles , Bhopal is the service station I take my polo to once in a year for its routine service . I have also dropped it once there for fender replacement which was done in 1 day and I was delivered the vehicle the next day by afternoon .I have never faced an issue with anything there . The SA's approach was very professional each time .
But I have to agree on one thing that the mechanics try to sell you things there . I have faced one instance of the same .

I was offered a AC vent for Rs.300 (which I refused ) when I went there for replacing the vent as the louvers on mine were broken .

[harpreetkanwar]

Exactly ! Very old post but yep - it was the guy's fault. He is actually an old acquaintance and known for blaming others for his own faults.

Originally Posted by el lobo 6061

Read the complete ordeal written by one Mr. Sushant Khurana. What I was expecting that's what happened.
Quoting from the website


First of all the car is a Polo 1.2 TDi in which the oil sump is placed quite low which has a tendency to hit over improper roads. I know its not an excuse. But please do hear me out. I'm no VW fanboy.

In newer Polo 1.2 TDi it has been revised where the ground clearance has been increased and plastic oil sump cover introduced to prevent any instances of sump hitting road.

Getting back to one Mr. Sushant Khurana quote, he has reported that the car Polo 1.2 TDi hit its underbelly and after a few kilometers it stopped. What can be inferred from is basically, he hit a stone and damaged the oil sump which in turn resulted in engine oil leaking from sump. Over the period of few kilometers engine oil completely drained out and engine stopped on itself which is basically engine seizure.

As its a engine seizure, it would definitely not be covered by manufacturer under warranty and as well as by Insurance company as it is a customers fault. As such in engine seizure the cost of repairing would be very high.

Lastly the ordeal he faced at VW Bhopal is certainly very bad on VW's After Sales part. Hoping there is a prompt solution to his ordeal.