[swathyd]

It is regular trick played by dealers to rip the customers . There was a recent incident like this when a linea got something hit its oil sump and the engine got damaged . The dealer initially took the vehicle assuring that it will be covered under insurance . But later charged him heavily just like it happened here . In this case also they know very well that the fault is not with the customer . They are just trying to squeeze him .

[thedreamcatcher]

Guys, i think it is prudent to say, done jump the gun. If we read once instance and then say Hyundai service is bad, maruti service is bad, it is not fair

It is not that the brand or service is bad, it is the people that run it, who are bad. Take 100 people, and ask them what they think of Skoda, atleast 33 will praise it, 33 will say it is bad, and the remaining 33 will have no idea or have no opinion

We can all have bad instances. I had a nigthmarish incident when i booked an Aveo 2.5 years back and after cancelling that went for the accent. I vouched never to buy or go near a Chevy ever again. And now, I have a Chevy also in my garage

Incidents can happen to anyone, we just need to be prepared and handle it tactfully. Many times what we get on this thread is only one side of the coin

[bhp_maniac]

Originally Posted by lynx

This has reference to your HMIL complained dated 06th January 2011 regarding your Hyundai ACCENT.

We would also like to clarify to you oil leakage due to external impact, affected parts will not come under warranty though the vehicle is under warranty. All necessary repairs / replacement of parts, if any, have to be carried out on chargeable basis only. Please do not have any apprehensions in this regards.

For any further clarification or assistance, You can be contacted any time on above mentioned telephone numbers or on workshop.

Regards,
SENIOR SERVICE MANAGER.

For me, the whole thing seems to be because of some mishap happened from the A.S.S. side during the intermediate check up. Also, have they shown you the oil sump nut which they claims that went off which created the issue? If the issue was due to an external impact, there should be signs of impact on the nut. Even if the nut was not there, there should be sings of impact on the thread. For me, it feels like the A.S.S guys haven't tightened the nut to the required torque which end up in this. But another doubt on my mind is why the hell on earth did the oil pressure warning and over temperature warning didn't show up?

[freewheelburnin]

@lynx,
I do not think alloy wheels could cause oil leak.I suggest get an old set of tyres from a service center or exchange with a friend and then take it back to service center.Do they have proof that you had put on alloys?

[greatmana2000]

Are you sure it is the engine and not the gearbox ? From the description that you have posted of the faults , it seems that you have a broken gearbox and and because of that your engine has gone kaput .


The reasons are
The sub frame is bent ( the place where the engine rests )
the crankshaft is broken .

The best option is to take out the car from the *** and give it to a roadside mechanic . He would be able to buy an insurance salvaged engine and replace the parts . The cost would be peanuts compared to the *** .

[GTO]

Lynx, I'm really sorry to hear of this experience. I know how you'd feel, considering that the car is fairly new and you've been particular enough to get services & check ups from authorised outlets.

It's just plain bad luck what you've been through. The engine starving of oil, and then seizing, because of a damaged sump or drain nut falling off happens only in the rarest of cases. In your case, whoever fitted the drain nut back (at the time of the last oil change) is at fault. Reason is in this post of yours:

The service manager today said when they found the vehicle, the "oil cap" that is screwed in and used to drain engine oil out was missing which was the reason the oil had spilled out fully and the engine damaged in a matter of minutes.

What he has indirectly stated is that there is NO damage to the oil sump. If the drain bolt had been properly tightened, there is no way the nut would have worked itself loose. Either the wrong nut was used, or it wasn't screwed in properly. There is only one person responsible and that is the service station where you got your oil change @ 22,000 kms.

Take the matter up with Hyundai directly, quote what the service advisor told you and be patient enough for them to complete an investigation. Even with your engine opened up, it will be hard for anyone to prove that the oil leak happened because of another reason.

P.S. The reason they are refusing warranty is because, Hyundai won't reimburse the dealership (this is NOT a manufacturing defect). Insurance is out of the picture too, as it isn't accidental damage either.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by lynx

He had the nerve to say you can't even appeal about this in a court of law since alloy wheels account for modification and as the owner's manual states any modification voids all warranty.

I have some doubts regarding the manager's claims above. Talk to a good lawyer about this. IMO unless they can prove the upsized tyres caused the specific problem, they cannot refuse warranty repairs on the car. Regarding fitting alloy wheels, if they are of the specifications approved by Hyundai for the particular Accent model you have, it does not amount to warranty violation.

For the future, I would suggest you to stick to the manufacturer's specifications for maintaining the car at least as long as it is under warranty, to avoid such problems. To recall a personal experience, I had taken my M800 for accidental repairs to Spectra Motors, Malad. The repairs involved replacing the broken rear bumper and one of the tail lights where an auto rickshaw had flirted with my car. I had been using premium petrol in my car then. The mechanic told me the use of premium petrol is not approved by Maruti and I may lose any warranty claims towards any fuel system problems if they discover premium petrol in the lines.

.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I had been using premium petrol in my car then. The mechanic told me the use of premium petrol is not approved by Maruti and I may lose any warranty claims towards any fuel system problems if they discover premium petrol in the lines.

That is total nonsense! How can they know it is premium petrol unless you tell them so? The manual specifies only unleaded petrol of a minimum RON, that is all. It does not explicitly prohibit higher RON or premium fuel.

Since I am a longtime user of premium fuel for my bike, when I bought a car I checked with the works incharge of the dealer where I bought it. He said it was not necessary for Alto and ordinary petrol would do, but I could use premium if I want, no issues. Similarly if I wanted higher grade engine oil than MGO, he told me to bring it and get it filled at a MASS to avoid any future warranty issue.

@Lynx
If they spotted the missing oil drain nut after taking your car to the workshop, should they not have shown it to you first and taken your permission to dismantle the engine? Did you give any such authorization? After all, opening up the engine involves labour charges, even if youi don't want the repairs to be done by them.

Ideally you should have accompanied the car to the workshop and looked underneath as soon as it was raised on the ramp.

[lynx]

Originally Posted by GTO

It's just plain bad luck what you've been through. The engine starving of oil, and then seizing, because of a damaged sump or drain nut falling off happens only in the rarest of cases. In your case, whoever fitted the drain nut back (at the time of the last oil change) is at fault.

P.S. The reason they are refusing warranty is because, Hyundai won't reimburse the dealership (this is NOT a manufacturing defect). Insurance is out of the picture too, as it isn't accidental damage either.

The problem is, this is what the service manager had told me orally. And they are refusing to give this in writing. The only letter I managed to persuade them to give me is the one I posted above stating the oil leak and the consequent engine damage was due to 'impact'. (I will be applying for insurance on Monday attaching this letter.)

I would like to think it was the mistake of the service center where the oil change was done last (it is the same service station the car is now). But I do not know how to prove this or take this matter further. If I knew how to take this matter to the higher authorities, I would. I do not know who to contact. I have emailed almost 20 people and received no replies.

After pressing a lot for more information, the service center finally agreed to just give me the pictures they had taken before they opened the engine. They refused to give me any more written statements. I will post the pictures they have given me in a few minutes.

[lynx]

I could not make head or tail out of the pictures but can you see if it contains enough proof to show that the oil leak occurred because of a missing oil drainage cap?

Or can the service center be actually right? Is the impact on the frame they have pointed out in the picture actually close enough to the oil drainage cap that it might have caused the cap to have come off?

[CPH]

Originally Posted by lynx

I did tell them that if they won't give me a written statement why it would not be covered under warranty (that is, stating the cause was an impact so I could try claiming the cost under insurance), the only recourse I will have is to take legal action against the service center and they replied calmly that since I have upsized alloys, it counts as a modification and according to owner's manual, any modification voids warranty in full so the case would not have any weightage. I am not sure how well the TV idea would work though.

Believe me, that they have realistically no leg to stand on. I am in the industries for too long and I have fought many battles successfully. I can help you, but I need a lot of specific info. This warranty problem with any mods on Hyundais is known all over the world, but warranty is clearly defined and can't be withdrawn that easily. Just because it is written like this in the hand book does not mean they can enforce it.

Regarding the TV. I am going to make this automotive program to press authorities as well as companies to adhere to moral standards whether they like it or not. This is the only way to get people power moving.

[lynx]

I think you were all spot on. Today, the surveyor from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance inspected the vehicle and disassembled parts and spoke to me. He said there was no evidence of damage to the oil sump whatsoever. He agreed to give the same in writing. He also said the service center claimed they have replaced the oil drainage cap and the photos they gave me did not have any picture of the oil sump.

Now everything points towards the last couple of services - especially the one at 22,000 km. But I would like to know how to proceed from here since Hyundai Customer Relations is not responding to my emails. I have asked the service center to not start any repairs until further notice.

I suppose I have two options.

1. Write a physical mail to Hyundai Regional Office and Head Office with all the evidence so far and mail it to Hyundai via registered post. But this could become a blind wait.

2. I can file a litigation against the service center in consumer court. However, I am wary of additional expenses and the wait - I have heard it might take 15-18 months to even get the vehicle back. Is that true? Unless I can do the repairs and use the car right after filing the litigation, this solution might not be very practical?

The pictures follow.

[lynx]

[download2live]

Tough luck there mate.
Do not give up. Pursue this matter till the end.

OT: Do we need to come up with a Team-BHP checklist to check for things after a service??? Like checking if sump bolt has been tightened as in this case??

I had a scary experience of getting my pulsar serviced and finding few days later that the rear axle nut was loose. Since then whenever I take bike after servicing I physically check that axle bolts are tight.

[kulvinder singh]

That looks like a manufacturing defect-- doesn't look like impact damage. That is the structural support member, one of the strongest items on the whole car. For that kind of hole to occur, the car would have had to take the kind of hit that would have sent all the occupants through the roof .... and there would be a hell of a lot of damage surrounding the spot. ( Or the car was dropped from a height on to a hard object!!!!)
Look closely and you see: 1. The weld has come away- or was not properly formed initially and has torn into the left fold. 2. The Hole is almost perfectly round- the kind that occurs when a welding rod burns the metal.......... What do they mean by "Bend"?--- for a bend to cause oil loss would be impossible-- everytime you go around a corner the car tilts a lot more than the possible bend on one chassis member.