[hrman]

Sorry for what your friend has gone through. The only refuge as others have suggested is to evaluate at a FNG and decide.
Any idea of the exact location of the speed hump? I knew Bangalore had poorly designed humps, but not so bad that it will tear through the underbody sump.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by zombiedriver

The insurance is with ICICI Lombard and it the incident happened late evening.

The advise received is, you should not say you drove merely for a KM etc etc. Do not go too much in to specifics. Just say it was dark and you tried to move to a safer place with lighting to check the car, but before that the engine seized. If they still refuse, request them to refuse in writing so that you can go to the ombudsman.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Gansan

The advise received is, you should not say you drove merely for a KM etc etc. Do not go too much in to specifics. Just say it was dark and you tried to move to a safer place with lighting to check the car, but before that the engine seized. If they still refuse, request them to refuse in writing so that you can go to the ombudsman.

Sir,

I'm afraid there is absolutely zero that can be done in this case. Engine damage following a sump hit IS consequent damage and is not covered, regardless of whoever you may follow up with. I had a similar hit in my swift and I stopped my car within 3-5 seconds, yet I lost my turbo.

It was the same in my case - dark unlit village road with little habitation around, but none of that logic held.

I had to cough up that cost (16k) after much worrying / asking around / pulling strings. It just wasn't worth it in my case - ZD's friend could try given the higher cost impact.

[Amarkarthi]

It's very unfortunate that your friend has to go through this ordeal with the Skoda ASS. But as most of the members pointed here why don't you consider explaining the situation of the vehicle probably to a local FNG guy and get a rough estimate? Atleast your friend can arrive at a deciding point if he needs to repair and retain the car or to sell it AS-IS.

[humyum]

Originally Posted by bhardwhu

I was seriously following all the comments here and this pslv mention broke the monotony and made me laugh.

It is agreed that a third party evaluation for a engine swap or sale as a scrap or otherwise must be considered.

Regards

Himanshu

All the Skoda threads make me laugh these days, Its like the company is living the 'Alice in Wonderland' life

Originally Posted by arnabchak

At this cost and a little more Humyum, our ISRO can make a half engine for a rocket to Mars!!

Absurd practices by Skoda!!

Imagine, what would a rebuild cost of a Rapid or higher range cars from Skoda will be. But people still buy it, Chappan inch ki chaati waale kehte hai in logo ko

Originally Posted by zombiedriver

I've attached the revised quote. As you can see they have quoted Rs.1,60,000 for the short engine alone. They say the clutch has worn out and is due to be replaced. The car has done 46,000 kms. The funny thing is when we asked to see the ripped apart engine the mechanic pointed out to the service advisor that the car had been opened elsewhere because there were some writings on the crank shaft and he said TAFE doesn't do that. I had to tell them that the only place the car has ever gone for any work was to TAFE and the service advisor immediately gave a nonchalant he doesn't know what he's talking about look.

These are things that can happen to any car and anyone especially on our non existent roads and gigantic speed breakers but yes he could have handled it better if he we more aware of things. I don't think he wants to spend a huge sum (read anything over Rs.50000) to get the car repaired so just have to wait for the insurance surveyor and if that doesn't work out resort to the option of selling as is.

Let me list down the items which I think are absurd to change and let me list down some items which you can do without a change.

Absurd-->

1) Clutch Disc, Pressure Plate and Release bearing. Why does all this need a change ?

2) Fuel Filter Element with Gasket

3) Fuel Filter

4) Airfilter

5) Dust and Pollen Filter Element

6) Coolant Additive

7) Gearbox Oil

8) Injection Unit, Why Injection Unit? Its not lubricated by the Engine Oil, why change this, why would this be damaged ?

9) Why Exhaust Manifold, Turbo I can understand, buy why Manifold ? And look at that price, its extravagant for a car which runs on a mere FGT Turbo.

Now for the Half Engine part, can't they overbore the cylinder to +1 size and fix +1 size pistons and do with the same block ? Every company has +1 and + 2 size pistons available in their portfolio for rebuilds

And every car has an oil pressure light. The engineer who told you about the Fabia not having one needs to be re energized about cars. The oil pressure light though is not a light which will show you low oil levels, I ll show you low oil pressure, but they are interdependent.

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by zombiedriver

Unfortunately yes. They called to inform him that the only way to diagnose the problem would be to rip apart the engine for which he was quoted Rs.20000. He gave them the go ahead without realizing the consequences. He's been away from India for the better part of the last decade and he has no idea how things work around here especially with cars and service centers.

May i ask how you found a buyer for as is condition and what formalities did you have to do regarding transfer of ownership etc? Also would be helpful if you can give a picture as to how much he can expect for the as is condition.

Oh that is unfortunate. I guess he has no option to pay the assembling/dissembling charges then.

Here is how the scenario with my Ritz was:

Car breaks down early morning
> towed to Vitesse, Prabhadevi immediately
> inspection / visible diagnosis / estimate given (Rs. 1.10 lakhs)
> since this was an engine related issue, never bothered going to a FNG for a second opinion
> called the insurance surveyor who immediately visited the spot and rejected the possibility of any approval for the claim
> several phone calls and some emails later, we decided to sell off the car
> called the Vitesse used car division and immediately an evaluator was sent to the workshop
> he gave a quote almost similar to the repair bill to transfer the car in as is condition (almost half of my IDV!)
> seemed like a fair price. Deal done, car sold.

All this in a days time. Did not have the time or energy to run from place to place to get multiple opinions.

In your friend's case I'd suggest start looking for used car dealers (preferably Skoda's used car division itself) and explain to them the situation. Many of which might be on a look out for such a deal which they can make a profit out of. They will repair the car at their mechanic and dispose the car later. But this process leaves your friend with something more important - peace of mind. Being a Skoda, I'm not sure what % of the IDV you guys can expect but don't be too hopeful, one-fourth seems more probable (one-third if you're lucky).

If that doesn't work, pay the charges and tow the Fabia to a trusted mechanic (though I'd avoid this option) and get it repaired there. But remember, problems in the future might crop up and it is advisable to dispose the car off at the earliest.


P.S. I see my Ritz everyday. It is parked in an elite area and is nicely covered almost 4 days a week. So I'm happy it seems to have found a new owner (don't know if he/she was informed about the engine repairs).

[Gansan]

@Phamilyman

I had a similar experience when my brother's Optra I was driving hit a government bus in 2012. They refused the claim which they admitted initially (though not related to oil sump) as there was no FIR, and we asked them to refuse in writing as advised by this gentleman. They did not, and passed the claim.

Though the cases are not similar, because of the huge amount involved it is worth a try.

[rki2007]

Really sorry to hear this my friend. I am worried for you in terms of insurance claim. Will the Insurance guys really pay out for this. As far as I know, below are the reason where an insurance claim can be made:

• by fire explosion self ignition or lightning;
• by burglary housebreaking or theft;
• by riot and strike;
• by earthquake (fire and shock damage);
• by flood typhoon hurricane storm tempest inundation cyclone hailstorm frost;
• by accidental external means;
• by malicious act;
• by terrorist activity;
• whilst in transit by road rail inland-waterway lift elevator or air;
• by landslide rockslide.

If you ask me, it is a bit late for you take any decision now. Since the car is already in the A.S.S and anytime the Insurance Surveyor will inspect the car, now you cannot do anything as there is no external damage. Neither can you say it is self damage on the road nor can you say that it was an accident as there is no police compliant records.

Best is to ask the Skoda guys to give you back the engine components/assemble it and take it to the multi brand car garages in Bangalore. Since you stay in Bangalore, I remember someone on the forum telling about a garage in Banashankari where Skoda cars are dealt. Do try that. Once the car is repaired, please sell it off to a used car dealer because you can rule out the possibilities of an individual getting to fight with you after he has purchased the car due to things going wrong again.

Second option is to scrap/sell the car as is. But you will realize very little money by doing this.

Please don't leave the Skoda guys. Escalate it to the top most level. They should definitely learn a lesson. Say that you will approach the consumer court on account of cheating the customer with such unreasonable quotes.

Do keep us updated. All the best.

I am very curious to know whether these kind of issues will be honored when the car is in warranty period. Will this not amount to self damage and not manufacturing defect. Can someone explain?

[GTO]

Truly saddened to read the opening post and feel sorry for your friend. Despite the lack of sales, Skoda's dealers seem to be flying 'real high' to provide such a ridiculous quotation. As S2 posted, the cost to rebuild his Ritz engine (which has superior motors to the Fabia BTW) was 1.1 lakh. 6+ lakhs is just daylight robbery for a lame 3-cylinder in a mass market hatchback.

This is the problem with buying flopped cars in the market. First, because it's a European car (especially Skoda), parts are insanely priced. Then, because the Fabia was a flop, finding a used engine (e.g. from a total loss car) is next to impossible.

Also points to the bad design of the car. The oil sump is clearly sitting too low, while the lack of any warning lamps is plain

Some cars are best avoided in the used market place - The Fabia is one of them. You say your friend isn't a car guy or technically inclined - reliable Japanese or Korean brands are the best for this lot.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

service advisor offered us half engine from some unsold inventory lying with them / Skoda at around 1 Lac which we accepted and settled as lump sum including labour .

Great post. You have the best chance of sourcing a used engine from Skoda's dealer network itself.

My advice to your friend:

- Any competent neighbourhood garage should be able to repair this engine. It's not rocket science. They have their sources for parts.

- Ask the Skoda dealer to find a used engine for the car.

[rajushank84]

I guess both warranty and insurance are out of the question, warranty because of the car's age and insurance because it will easily get rejected as having been driven after damage (even the damage can be argued to be rash driving or something like that).

Maybe the only thing to be done is if you can prove that the rebuild of the engine will cost a lot less, and that the dealer is trying to fleece you, then you can take him to consumer court. Not sure if that line of action will help, maybe it will help others (the dealer may hesitate to do that to other customers).

Two small suggestions, maybe you have tried already:
- Just for curiosity, get a quote from a different Skoda service center and see if there is any difference
- Also, ask the service center what it would cost for replacing the engine entirely. I mean logically it can't cost as much as the car itself, can it? Just see what the figure ends up looking like.

[puchoo]

70% of the revised quote is essentially just 4 items - short engine , exhaust manifold , injector and the oil filter with flange.

Short engine limited choices but if i personally had a little more time i would have tried to source some of the others directly , especially the manifold which is 1.03 lacs and the injection unit at 60,000 , could have saved quite a bit here itself potentially - but i empathetic that given the situation and the hassles and stress of it all these things are not possible to do.

Originally Posted by zombiedriver

I've attached the revised quote..

[Rabbit80]

6.6L for repairs, I think is totally insane and should be illegal too, not sure though. The starting range of the Fabia in bangalore is 5.11L(Ex showroom). So, what in the world makes them quote such an enormous prize.
I think its high time now, these dealers are brought to book for taking their customers on ride. I am sure there must be some option to bring these culprits to book of law. IMO you cannot quote 6.6L for a spare part, no matter how important it be, of a 5.11L car.

[saket77]

Can't we plonk some other engine in the Fabia bay? I mean Polo's engine should be the logical choice, but just like an Esteem engine is a direct fit in Zen, and even that of a Honda City engine fits into a Zen; and then the good old Amby can be home to a variety of engines like HM, Isuzu, Matadar, Sumo...so can't we modify the fabia's bay to take an engine from another hatchbacks of its segment?
Not that I am advising the OP to do so, especially even without knowing the technical feasibility of it, but then it will make lots of financial sense, if only it can be achieved.

Of course, this has to be the last choice after the insurance and sale proceeds fail to draw reasonable value for the car.

[zombiedriver]

Originally Posted by saket77

Can't we plonk some other engine in the Fabia bay? I mean Polo's engine should be the logical choice, but just like an Esteem engine is a direct fit in Zen, and even that of a Honda City engine fits into a Zen; and then the good old Amby can be home to a variety of engines like HM, Isuzu, Matadar, Sumo...so can't we modify the fabia's bay to take an engine from another hatchbacks of its segment?
Not that I am advising the OP to do so, especially even without knowing the technical feasibility of it, but then it will make lots of financial sense, if only it can be achieved.

Of course, this has to be the last choice after the insurance and sale proceeds fail to draw reasonable value for the car.

I think that would come with its own hassles starting with getting approvals from RTO etc if its a completely different engine that is. If the polo engine is a direct fit ( the old 3 cylinder one ) i don't think RTO approvals would be required. I spoke to my friend about all the suggestions on the forum and he also has been following the thread. He says the most important thing right now is the reliability of the car after the rebuild and if that is a 50/50 then he doesn't want to chance it.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by zombiedriver

I think that would come with its own hassles starting with getting approvals from RTO etc if its a completely different engine that is. If the polo engine is a direct fit ( the old 3 cylinder one ) i don't think RTO approvals would be required.

The RTO approvals would be still required as the new engine will carry a different engine no. stamped on its block.
However, my suggestion will still be to forget repair and to sell/ claim total loss for this car. This is what I would have done.