[Rocketscience]

I will try to make it as short as possible and i think bullet points will make it to the point and easy to understand:
• I notice some oil residue around the center of the engine (Pictures below), i don't remember if it was before or after the incident, my dad decided to ignore it despite my repeated requests and said it is just a minor thing we will get checked in the next service.
• The Incident
So my sister is parking the car and hits some stone or something, a loud thud is heard from under the engine bay during the impact, she tells it to dad, i was not made aware of the situation and dad decided to ignore it completely and the car is driven continuously after that.
• One fine day after a few weeks of the incident i took the car somewhere and while returning i hear strange noises from under the engine bay, i immediately get off the car and checked but could not find anything, after driving for a few kilometers it gets worse and i notice the splash guard has come off from right side wheel well and is hanging from that side and also under the engine bay, it got stuck somewhere in between the engine and the wheel well and was dragging and making that noise, i raise an alarm at my home, and beg my family to not touch the car till the issue is sorted.
• As always, nobody listens the car is driven for a few days (short drives only) and then they go to a garage and just get that thing removed (i have that part with me, that's a plastic protector which is installed inside the wheel well, to shield the engine).
• I warn them to get it replaced ASAP, as the engine is susceptible to damage from both water and debris from right side, needless to say it is ignored and the car is continuously driven.
• Last week i take the car to Honda to get the brake pads replaced (even that is a story in itself but for another day), then the Honda guys tell me that the engine is leaking oil from below, i immediately go downstairs and the sump (?) was indeed all wet and covered with oil and sludge.
• I also notice for the first time that not just the splash guard from the right side wheel well but the entire assembly was missing, the splash guards from both side wheel wells and the entire underbelly protection was missing, i for the life of me can't figure out how, maybe my sister was driving after that and it fell off somewhere, maybe the garage took it off and kept it for themselves or forgot to put it back, maybe the Honda guys did it, the latter two seem less likely as to why would they, but they are all just theories.
I was not present when they took it to garage to take off the guard because needless to say i was heart broken and annoyed as to the kind of treatment my car was getting, but my hands were tied and you can't afford to loose your loved ones and can just try and explain/ convince them, i failed to do that.

Anyways, coming to the point.
The Honda guys say they need to take the engine out and replace all of its packing, i assume with packing they mean the gaskets, they say the sump is dented but not punctured and they do not need to replace it and the estimated cost for the repairs is in the 10-15K range, i asked as to why not just replace the gaskets for the sump but they denied, i asked the reason as to why there is a leak from the top of the engine (i assume it is near the engine head), they say it must be because of the impact the entire thing must have gotten miss alligned, i anyways wanted second opinion as i am not at all keen on them removing the engine and opening all of it to replace the gaskets, not only is it wasting money but also i don't think they can get factory level workmanship in assembling the engine, so this is my last option.

I took the car to another garage, a friend trusts this garage and i have no experience with outside garages/mechanics and have never really had any issue with my cars that needed that, i'am based in Gurgaon and open to all kinds of suggestions and recommendations, anyways, this person says he will just repair the sump and perhaps change the gasket and he was very confident this will totally solve the issue, he says it will cost around 1-1.5k and will take 2 hours at max, he says the leak around the head is also because of this but i'am not entirely convinced about this.

So, i request the team's opinions and suggestions to resolve this issue. I would have gone with repairing the sump, had it not been the leakage around the head. Anyways i'am attaching pictures for that.

[BeingHuman]

If the vehicle is still under warranty better to get it done in ASC. Replacing gaskets will not damage the engine a future unexpected oil leak will certainly destroy it. Since this is an all-aluminum engine there could be a hairline crack anywhere due to impact, so a thorough inspection is required.

[2000rpm]

Get the 15k repairs done from Honda. Will give you a lot of peace of mind. (you wont trust a garage guy until you have made a few repairs from him, and this one is a major job to begin a relationship with a garage guy).
I trust Honda service advisers to a large extent, they did their jobs well during my Civic and City ownership. The price may be slightly high, but trust me, its much lower than the VW group. if 15K is WITH oil replacement, do it blindly with Honda, and thank god that the engine didnt sieze!

This is a 15 lakh car and this expense is minimal compared to the abuse the car has gone through.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Get the 15k repairs done from Honda.
I trust Honda service advisers to a large extent, they did their jobs well during my Civic and City ownership. This is a 15 lakh car and this expense is minimal compared to the abuse the car has gone through.

I agree with this advice above. If at all, get another opinion from a different Honda Authorized Service center and decide which one you want to go to.

[MSC]

For anything related to engine or transmission, best place is usually the authorised service station. It may cost significantly more than what a FNG asks for, but still an authorized service station is more reliable than a FNG.
If want a second opinion, why not have a sexy opinion from a different Honda service center?

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by MSC

For anything related to engine or transmission, best place is usually the authorised service station. It may cost significantly more than what a FNG asks for, but still an authorized service station is more reliable than a FNG.
If want a second opinion, why not have a sexy opinion from a different Honda service center?

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

I agree with this advice above. If at all, get another opinion from a different Honda Authorized Service center and decide which one you want to go to.

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Get the 15k repairs done from Honda. Will give you a lot of peace of mind. (you wont trust a garage guy until you have made a few repairs from him, and this one is a major job to begin a relationship with a garage guy).
I trust Honda service advisers to a large extent, they did their jobs well during my Civic and City ownership. The price may be slightly high, but trust me, its much lower than the VW group. if 15K is WITH oil replacement, do it blindly with Honda, and thank god that the engine didnt sieze!

This is a 15 lakh car and this expense is minimal compared to the abuse the car has gone through.

Originally Posted by BeingHuman

If the vehicle is still under warranty better to get it done in ASC. Replacing gaskets will not damage the engine a future unexpected oil leak will certainly destroy it. Since this is an all-aluminum engine there could be a hairline crack anywhere due to impact, so a thorough inspection is required.

Thanks for all your responses, i will make sure to get it fixed right and by the dealership itself, my concern was if they are overcharging and if taking the engine out and changing all the gaskets, even those which are fine is worth it or can i get away without doing it? This matter is further complicated because i'm pretty sure that the leak from the engine head (in the pictures i posted) was before the car hit, so i think these are two different cases.

I will be visiting a different Honda Dealership and get their opinion on the matter and will post an update here.

The hairline crack thing that beinghuman pointed out is giving me anxiety , i really hope the cause for the leak(s) is found and properly fixed, also i will like to add that the engine oil level after this entire episode stands above the low mark by 20-30%, thankfully it was not worse than this.

[saisree]

Yes, as other members stated, get this fixed in ASC and do get a second opinion from another ASC before you start any work on it. Please do keep us posted on the findings by the other ASC.

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

The hairline crack thing that beinghuman pointed out is giving me anxiety

I doubt the presence of a hairline crack in the engine head. But, its going to be a daunting task to identify this.

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

also i will like to add that the engine oil level after this entire episode stands above the low mark by 20-30%, thankfully it was not worse than this.

Did you check the oil levels before and after the impact?

[mukeshgoel]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

I will be visiting a different Honda Dealership and get their opinion on the matter and will post an update here.

That's good idea to get it done only at any of the Honda dealerships you like.

Just make sure to top up engine oil before driving the car further to take it to other dealer workshop.

PS: I go to "Cherish Honda, Gurgaon" and found it better than others. If you want, you can speak to Mr. Amit Walia. He is a nice guy and very helpful. You can see the details about this dealership at:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...xperience.html (Cherish Honda, Delhi - A pleasant experience)

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by saisree

Did you check the oil levels before and after the impact?

Not exactly but the car was serviced not long before the impact, so i attribute the loss of oil to the leak, i haven't heard the Honda Diesel consumes oil on running otherwise, so there has been a pretty substantial oil loss of about 40% i think after this episode, i will also like to add that i have never noticed any oil on the ground where i park the car, it is always parked on the same spot.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

I was not present when they took it to garage to take off the guard because needless to say i was heart broken and annoyed as to the kind of treatment my car was getting, but my hands were tied and you can't afford to loose your loved ones and can just try and explain/ convince them, i failed to do that.

I took the car to another garage....he says the leak around the head is also because of this

Its not easy to have others share the same sort of connect and love for cars as one's self. I believe this is a shared car with only one person (you) in the family caring about it.

The guy associating the head leak with the sump leak sounds dodgy. It is only possible if the leaking oil has been flung around by the belt and got accumulated in that area you show in the picture. He has also not told you the cost of wheel well liner replacement and that is why his charge of INR 1,500/- sounds tempting.

Get it done at Honda only. That is the only way to ensure that your car runs all original.

PS: If you can try, just clean the engine and see if oil is accumulating in the pictured spot again. That would eliminate monsters hiding there from before the incident.

[Kashish]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

i asked as to why not just replace the gaskets for the sump but they denied, i asked the reason as to why there is a leak from the top of the engine (i assume it is near the engine head), they say it must be because of the impact the entire thing must have gotten miss alligned

IMHO, this statement makes very little sense to me. I really doubt that an impact can cause all the gaskets to misalign and leak. I would suggest you get your engine compartment pressure washed and then after topping up the oil level, carefully drive the car for 50-100 Kms and then check for signs of any leak. This should make it easy for you to spot the source of the leak and act accordingly. Replacing all gaskets due to a leak from one gasket would be as good as replacing all the struts because you ended up busting one

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by Tgo

Its not easy to have others share the same sort of connect and love for cars as one's self. I believe this is a shared car with only one person (you) in the family caring about it.

The guy associating the head leak with the sump leak sounds dodgy. It is only possible if the leaking oil has been flung around by the belt and got accumulated in that area you show in the picture. He has also not told you the cost of wheel well liner replacement and that is why his charge of INR 1,500/- sounds tempting.

Get it done at Honda only. That is the only way to ensure that your car runs all original.

PS: If you can try, just clean the engine and see if oil is accumulating in the pictured spot again. That would eliminate monsters hiding there from before the incident.

Actually, it was my car and i got it in 2014 when i was in college so it is all the more special, i had to go to work in a different city and my sister was learning to drive at the same time so this car was assigned to her, after returning i drive the Creta to work along with dad so my sister is the only one driving the City now, she just does not care about the car at all.

That belt observation is interesting, i will keep that in mind when i'll get the car checked.

As for the cost of the liner/ splash guard. That is not included in either Honda's or the garage's estimates, Honda quoted 4500 for the part plus tax and labour.

Originally Posted by mukeshgoel

That's good idea to get it done only at any of the Honda dealerships you like.

Just make sure to top up engine oil before driving the car further to take it to other dealer workshop.

PS: I go to "Cherish Honda, Gurgaon" and found it better than others. If you want, you can speak to Mr. Amit Walia. He is a nice guy and very helpful. You can see the details about this dealership at:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...xperience.html (Cherish Honda, Delhi - A pleasant experience)

I will go to Cherish Honda, thanks for the suggestion, i took it to Ring Road Honda earlier and although all my service has been done by them in the past (Both Gurgaon and Moti Nagar, Delhi) but lately they have been getting on my veins for shamelessly up selling and recommending useless items and that too being aggressive about it, they would just not change my brake pads and they were hell bent in replacing the disc as well, it was perfectly fine, was changed anyways at 20,000 Kms due to some reason and there was no reason to change it again at all.

Originally Posted by Kashish

IMHO, this statement makes very little sense to me. I really doubt that an impact can cause all the gaskets to misalign and leak. I would suggest you get your engine compartment pressure washed and then after topping up the oil level, carefully drive the car for 50-100 Kms and then check for signs of any leak. This should make it easy for you to spot the source of the leak and act accordingly. Replacing all gaskets due to a leak from one gasket would be as good as replacing all the struts because you ended up busting one

Exactly, that is the reason why i want more opinions to get to the bottom of it, this observation by Ring Road Honda, Gurgaon made little sense to me, had the impact been extremely hard, the sump would have broken but it is intact, i will go to Cherish Honda now on Mukesh Goel's suggestion and hope i will get a diagnosis which will make more sense.

[Jeroen]

Are you sure it is oil? It looks, almost, like soot? Which might be as simple as a bolt that has worked itself loose in the exhaust manifold.

What is that thing, hanging/drapped across the bracket of the dynamo? Is it a wire, I can’t really see by the end of looks frayed? I hope it is not an electrical wire that was chaffed and is sparking everywhere (which might explain the soot?)

As other members suggested, get it cleaned of and see what happens to try and pinpoint the source of the leak (oil or otherwise) is probably a good way to go.

Good luck

Jeroen
Jeroen

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Are you sure it is oil? It looks, almost, like soot? Which might be as simple as a bolt that has worked itself loose in the exhaust manifold.

What is that thing, hanging/drapped across the bracket of the dynamo? Is it a wire, I can’t really see by the end of looks frayed? I hope it is not an electrical wire that was chaffed and is sparking everywhere (which might explain the soot?)

As other members suggested, get it cleaned of and see what happens to try and pinpoint the source of the leak (oil or otherwise) is probably a good way to go.

Good luck

Jeroen

I never bothered actually checking that, i will check it tomorrow morning, it will ease a lot of tension if that is not actually oil.

I observed that wire thing too when i looked at the picture, i never noticed it before, will throughly check it again tomorrow, thank you for your observations, much appreciated.

I'am still trying to figure out what my course of action should be, if i get the engine bay cleaned, then i won't be able to show it to the Service center guys, perhaps i will take Cherish Honda's opinion on it and will only initially do sump related fixes, get the oil refilled, get a proper service and then drive for a few days to see if that suspected leak near the head re appears, then i will go ahead with the next level of fixes which might involve taking the engine out, thoroughly checking it and finding out the source of the other leak, if at all it is a leak and not oil being thrown by the belt from below or soot.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

I never bothered actually checking that, i will check it tomorrow morning, it will ease a lot of tension if that is not actually oil.

I observed that wire thing too when i looked at the picture, i never noticed it before, will throughly check it again tomorrow, thank you for your observations, much appreciated.

I'am still trying to figure out what my course of action should be, if i get the engine bay cleaned, then i won't be able to show it to the Service center guys, perhaps i will take Cherish Honda's opinion on it and will only initially do sump related fixes, get the oil refilled, get a proper service and then drive for a few days to see if that suspected leak near the head re appears, then i will go ahead with the next level of fixes which might involve taking the engine out, thoroughly checking it and finding out the source of the other leak, if at all it is a leak and not oil being thrown by the belt from below or soot.

In all honesty, taking out an engine to find a (oil?) leak seems a bit of extreme measure to me. Lets first try and figure out whether it is oil, soot or something else. That might already point you in the direction where to look.

Jeroen