please help me!!!

[sheldo]

hi peeps

Im in some major need of good advice. Some of you may remember that when i brought my lovley mint cab just over a year ago i had problems with the engine and the diagnois was a full rebuild due to over fueling and washing the bores.

3 months later after parting with good money i had my engine back in my car with a full rebuild including rebore,hone,new bearings, new mahle pistons and rings, all new valves and guides all new belts pumps and god knows what else got the receipt and a 12k or 1 year warranty. I had it rolling roaded to make sure fueling was ok and spot on!

4 months and 4k miles later....

Engines been stripped again due to light smoking problem. My mechanic comes back to me and tells me its over fuelled again and needs a hone and new rings. Tells me today its gona cost me Ԛ£600 because maching company claim its my fault for not having it rolling roaded again after rebuild. Also tells me he's closing down business becauses it costing him more than its making him.

What do i do???

[massive]

You did rolling road it though?

Is it a limited company?

[Dan318-is]

well i wouldnt go back to the same guy thats for sure!

what sort of coloured smoke? have you perhaps considered it mite not be your engine that is contributing the the alleged overfuelling?

[maxfield]

After an engine rebuild you should run the piston rings in 1000miles then have a good remap.

[Simon13]

thats bullshit. 4000 miles or more than enough to bed the rings in. Your mechanic needs a slap as do the maching company for trying it on!

or did u put it on the rollers straight after the rebuild? but tbh if the engine had only done 100 since the build it should of been fine in my limited knowledge

[sheldo]

he rolling roaded it before i got it back to run it in. He said it was spot on (paid 100 something quid for a fuel pressure regulator). He did say i 1K bring it back for oil change and rolling road it again. I had an oil change done locally but didn't get it back on the rollers due to him not working every weekend and me working away. He didn't tell me however that if i didn't it would void my warranty. He's a sole trader

[massive]

Sounds like he's trying to pull your pants down.

Take the fcuker to court then if he doesn't play ball. As a sole trader he is personally liable, regardless of his company going into liquidation.

[sheldo]

Im no mechanic but i aint gone part with anymore money so im stuck. ive got a mint cab but and engine in bits.Dan318is i went back to him cause it was under warranty. He didn't tell me it was gona cost me Ԛ£600 but went ahead and paid for the parts so the machinest would sort it and release the engine. He put it on the rollers but only took it to just under 4K

[Dan318-is]

what colour was the smoke? If its overfuelling it should be black if its any other colour hes telling porkies!

surely if its under warranty you dont have to pay?!

[sheldo]

thats what i thought. I lost my rag abit and told him i wasn't paying and he reckons he can't afford to. He's the man in the middle really i think my gripe is more with the machinest but he sorted all that out i don't even know who machined it all.

Feel like im having my pants pulled down but ive used this bloke for years and never had this problem with him.

Its really put a huge cloud over e30 ownership for me now and i feel like i just want to wash my hands of it.

[sheldo]

it was light blue and then a black. all sorts of colours depending on high up the rev range it was. Thats what i thought hence it going straight back. He's told me because i didn't have the car back on the rollers after 1k its my fault it wasn't spotted.

[sheldo]

what would the car be worth without a lump??

[massive]

Dan-318is will rebuild it

Just buy a 100k engine and drop it in....then sell it before it goes wrong again

[jonbuoy]

he rolling roaded it before i got it back to run it in. He said it was spot on (paid 100 something quid for a fuel pressure regulator).

When you say this, do you mean FSE or Bmw?

[dobbie82]

the touring had a rebuild, then had an oil change 1000 miles later to ensure the warranty was valid. usually included in the cost of the rebuild though?? does it not state on the terms and conditions that you had to have it serviced by them??

[sheldo]

i don't want to do the dirty on anyone and just drop any old heap of a lump into it. ( the new owner and the car would deserve better)

The fuel pressure regulator was an fse adjustable regulator jonbuoy.

I had an oil change done 1k after the rebuild but wasn't included in the cost and living 30 miles from this mechanic i thought it was easier to have one done local. There are no real solid terms and conditions just a receipt and an agreement really of 12k miles or 1 year

[bigkev]

sounds like a load of bullshit to me. you took the car to him with a smoking problem and HE diagnosed it as overfueling so HE already knew what the problem was you had him rebuild the engine and sort out the original cause (overfueling) if the car now smokes after 4k that means he's either misdiagnosed the problem (which i strongly suspect) or he hasn't fixed the fueling problem either way he has done a shit job, you as a customer can't be expected to diagnose your own problems before there is engine damage,what would he have said if it was an old granny driving it, i would definately demand cash back or the engine sorted out and then perhaps get someone else to have a look as soon as its up and running again
good luck

[bigkev]

and Ԛ£600 to hone six cylinders


think hes pulling your pants dwn again

[Dan318-is]

The fuel pressure regulator was an fse adjustable regulator jonbuoy.

well there is your overfuelling issue sorted! total piece of shit those things, have set many engines alight on more than one occasion! get rid of it!

dude jsut stay clear of both guys and then make a decision as it sounds like your being royally raped. a short guide:

white smoke = burning coolant
black smoke = overfuelling
blue smoke = oil (usually piston rings/valve stem seals)

at kerry, if i had the facilities i would consider!

[sheldo]

cheers for the input guys

[Jos]

Under UK Law to the best of my knowledge if he has taken money for work then he is a 'Duty Holder' and therefore legally responsible for the work he carries out regardless of his trading situation.

Something to keep in mind if you do homers the person you do the work for does have a legal come back on you for the work if you took money for it. Beer on the otherhand I don't think is covered

And I would agree with the misdiagnosis, the rehone and new rings etc were a consequence of the orginal overfuelling not the fault in the 1st place. If it has done the same thing again then the original fault was not fixed.

Good luck with it.. I hate people that pull a fast one or mess up and don't admit they have done so!

[sheldo]

hi guys just to say thankyou all for your valid input into this situation. I have come to an agreement with my mechanic and my engine will be bolted back together next week and put back into the car. I have to decide then if i am going to sell which i think is highly likely. I have enjoyed e30 ownership but sometimes u just fell like moving on.

[Dan318-is]

sad you feel that way dude but if you feel its best than its a decision you must make

are you paying any extra btw?

[sheldo]

got to pay some of it yes but its worth it just to get the car back been without it 2 months and he's closing the business

[Dan318-is]

chrikey

well best of luck whatver you do mate

[sheldo]

thanks m8

[E30BeemerLad]

glad you have something sorted.

Did you ask for the FSE to be fitted as that car used to just have a standard FPR on. It's a gorgeous car and everything on it is mint as Dave looked after his stuff.

You have had a rough time with that car though and I could see why you would want to throw the towel in, but maybe with it running right once it comes back will persuade you to keep her

[sheldo]

i was advised to have it fitted due to it being better when setting up the fueling. Yeah it really is a nice example and won of the best ive seen. My mind says you've had your fun nows time to move on, but deep down id like to keep it

[E30BeemerLad]

I think the FSE is only worth having if you have it cammed up etc and to help prevent it leaning off too much at the top end, but on a standard engine even a stroked version like your 2.7 I think the 3 bar standard offering is probably sufficient.

My old slaag had one fitted and it never gave any grief or caused any other problems in the 5 years it was fitted

[sheldo]

well when i first had then engine built i was gona run it in get it all sorted and then looking into possibly a little tunning (cams,throttlebody,exhaust and chip) so perhaps thats why it was recommended. It pulls like a train even when it must have been down on compression so didn't get round to tunning it. The torque the engine produced after being run in was very good

[E30BeemerLad]

unless he took it out before selling it, I recall dave put a chip in that car which he got from Ant.

It made a noticeable difference as my modded 325 used to give that cab a bit of a spank, but after putting in the chip it was not possible to out drag on the motorway and the ingear acceleration was far better, just clogged it in 5th and he was off, no need for banging it down the box whilst i was busy revving the fanny off my 325

[sheldo]

lol yeah its surprised a few 325 sports in its time

[sheldo]

hi peeps

Got my car back this weekend and have been told to run the new rings in for 500 miles and then my mechanic is gona come and get the car and do an oil change, also change injectors adjust tappets and put it back on the rollers and sort out the fueling.

Where i need a little advise is he said they may be a little bit of blue smoke (left in exhaust) due to not having run it more than 5 miles since bolted back together. Well ive put 200 miles on it this weekend. Ive not used more than half throttle to not put it under load and i haven't taken above 3,200rpm. Is this ok.

Also when i rev the car out of gear slowly building the revs up to 3k theres no smoke what soever just smells tiny bit fuelly, but if i jab the acclerator up to 3k then it gives a little puff of very light blue smoke. Should i be concerned as i don't want to go through the hassel again.

Thought id ask the experts as im shaw you'll stand me in good stead

[fuzzy]

make sure he doesnt strip your car and sell the bits before he closes,it has been known.guarantees arent worth the paper they are written on as theyll always try to shift the blame onto you to dodge responsability.dont let this put you off e30 ownership as its not the cars fault its the dodgy mechanic and it could have happened with any car.im not sure if you should have rolling roaded it right after the rebuild as it would have been driven hard on the rollers before the run in period although an engine rebuild would have only fixed the damage and not sorted the problem.ive had some well documented problems with my 'specialist' and you do get mad and the fact he was a pleasant enough old guy is the only reason i didnt resort to heavier means and eventually just cut my losses and paid someone else to fix the problems did he do any work to the head as valve stem oil seals also cause blue smoke?

[sheldo]

the guys not sold all the parts or out and he aint trying to shift blame or anything anymore. Just concerned that after 200miles that i have still got a light blue smoke cloud when jabing the throttle and wether i should get intouch before it becomes more of a problem.

As for e30 ownership im still not decided im either gona get the car sorted and keep it or get it all sorted and cut my loses but at least its done for the new owner