[Turbanator]

Will suggest you to write once again to customer care under copy to the Japanese guy & enclose all communication . Ask them to give some rebate or offer goodwill warranty given the complete situation .

If they don't agree then lift the car and try to find a new engine from scrap-yard as suggested by other members - the only challenge can be getting it corrected in RC

2. Buy an engine from Scrapyard and do the work in an ex Honda Workshop, certainly warranty, extended warranty and insurance stand no good anyways!

[adityasiera]

I did the 30k service yesterday. Thank god for this thread, I looked under the engine today morning and found this.

I don't know its poor workmanship or a defective batch of filters.

Called Sundaram Honda and waiting for the on call technician to arrive.

Mods: Please ask all Honda brio/amaze/mobilio owners to check under their engine bay. Not sure if its possible.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by adityasiera

I looked under the engine today morning and found this....I don't know its poor workmanship or a defective batch of filters.

Is oil leaking through what appears as a hairline crack?

[saket77]

Or is it old oil which dripped while replacing the filter? The picture, in my opinion is not conclusive of any leak. In fact, I could not find anything unusual in it.

Regards,
Saket

[jfxavier]

The area needs to cleaned up in order to confirm the exact cause.
Even if there is no oil leak, there should be no oil traces if the ASS had cleaned up after the filter renewal.
Have you lost too much oil from the sump (level on the dip stick)?

Hope the service centre is not too far from your place. I would have got frustrated if I have to go back to re-tighten the filter or if I have to clean up after their job.

[saket77]

If there is no apparent leak (but suspected) first check the oil level on the dip stick in the morning before starting the engine. Clean the oil drip marks from the block so that new leaks, if any can be detected. Keep an eye on the oil level on the dip stick every monring and see if it the level is going down even marginally. Else, take the car to HASS and let them do their thing. Better to be present while they check.

Regards.

[adityasiera]

Sundaram Honda techs came in about hour after placing the call.

Cleaned up the sump and the filter o-ring, Checked and took the car out for 15 km trip to check leakage. No leakage.

The culprit was a shoddy job done by the mechanic during service, of not cleaning up the spilled oil from the previous filter.


I am a happy driver again

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

But that is the low lube oil pressure indicator.

Quite right rajeev k; L.O. pressure indicator and L.O. level indicator are two totally different parameters.

It appears as though the the e-mail from Honda itself gives the game away - either the Honda technical staff were not involved in the communications(since it is hard to imagine them not being aware of the two different parameters) or that the company itself is trying to wriggle out of the situation.

In either case I think this particular point can be raised if the matter is taken to
consumer court.

[parimal_g]

Hi Guys,
Once again thanks a lot for all your suggestions. Now after fighting with Honda and dealer we don't see any point in further escalating it again and again, as they are least bother about the issue and they are not ready to consider this as fault from their side. Finally my friend decided to file a case under consumer court. He has consulted 2/3 lawyers and i think they are ready to fight case. I have one question, do we have any option, where we can ask a third party consultancy or a technical expert to asses the situation and can give the technical report like Root Cause Analysis. Which can help Lawyer to strengthen the case in favor of my friend.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by parimal_g

.... I have one question, do we have any option, where we can ask a third party consultancy or a technical expert to asses the situation and can give the technical report like Root Cause Analysis. Which can help Lawyer to strengthen the case in favor of my friend.

Yes. It is quite possible. You have to consult approved valuation personnel or surveyors who would be able to conduct a detailed analysis and furnish an independent professional evaluation report. But you need to identify the right person/agency for the purpose. You may better contact Banks or Insurance companies in your area, who would have an approved panel of such experts.

[jfxavier]

Originally Posted by parimal_g

Finally my friend decided to file a case under consumer court. He has consulted 2/3 lawyers and i think they are ready to fight case. I have one question, do we have any option, where we can ask a third party consultancy or a technical expert to asses the situation and can give the technical report like Root Cause Analysis. Which can help Lawyer to strengthen the case in favor of my friend.

I think things will start falling in place now.
Either through the consumer forum or through the intervention from Honda management if they are sure that the case will be talked about in public forums & will attract attention.

[dhruvtanwar]

Originally Posted by parimal_g

Hi Guys,
Once again thanks a lot for all your suggestions. Now after fighting with Honda and dealer we don't see any point in further escalating it again and again, as they are least bother about the issue and they are not ready to consider this as fault from their side. Finally my friend decided to file a case under consumer court. He has consulted 2/3 lawyers and i think they are ready to fight case. I have one question, do we have any option, where we can ask a third party consultancy or a technical expert to asses the situation and can give the technical report like Root Cause Analysis. Which can help Lawyer to strengthen the case in favor of my friend.

Consider making the insurance company a party to the case as well (see what the lawyers say) as they've effectively shirked their responsibility citing "consequential" damage even though there will be something in the fine print of the motor policy that should cover own damage. Consequential damage is one of the dirty tricks of insurance companies and extended warranties to deny claims, if not reduce their exposure on claim value. Which company is your friend insured with?

[sreerama]

Hi Parimal, i have been going through this case recently. please share with us the progress of the case.

[sivathetechwiz]

Hi parimal_g,

Is there an update on your case so far? I'm facing quite a similar issue and would like to know the progress on this case.

Mine is a Ford Fiesta (Classic, 1.4 Sxi TDCi), well out of warranty period and covered by L&T Motor Insurance. My assessment is that, there had been a malfunction / leakage with the water pump that failed to circulate the coolant fluid, leading to steam/vapors pouring out from Bonnet while riding - no warning on Temperature gauge ever observed or any discrepancy in AC cooling observed till that moment.

Once the cooling issue was fixed (replaced a connector carrying water to radiator), the car wouldn't start yet. The mechanic says the engine head might have been jammed (Engine seizure) and will have to be inspected by Ford ASS. This breakdown happened while returning to Chennai from a different town and so my vehicle is held up there - will have to bring it back to Chennai to assess it.

I guess I'm being highly optimistic, will this ever be covered by Insurance?

Thanks.

[hserus]

I seem to be in a similar boat. Ran out of oil on a highway trip so had a Honda oil filter and shell ultra 5w40 topped up at a nearby garage as it was around 8 pm and I was close to my home, but he Honda Authorized service centre had shut for the day. Didn't want to leave my car on the street barely half a km from my house. I saw oil leak issues crop up so took it to the Authorized service center. They claimed the sump wasn't cracked but the filter had been over torqued so replaced the filter, ran the engine for ten minutes on a ramp.

I'd pointed out a photo I took (attached) of a small crack near the oil filter area. They said it didn't look like a crack issue so just changed the oil filter and replaced the oil.

I have only driven the car some 15 odd km more today and already seeing a repeat of these leaks :(

This is a photo of the filter as fitted by the garage I had gone to, that the dealer says was over torqued. Note the small crack extending under it?