Thread: D3 - engine jammed on a highway

Originally Posted by technoplague

Brett, thanks for the inspiring case. 700$ is freaking high price for the assessment though, I might call couple of independent labs tomorrow and ask for the quote. Perhaps you could recommend anyone? I am not going to simply give it up... crawal, I found ~50$ for a single sample, but I have no clue whether this report can be used as evidence and that it will detect the oil type used. Would be thankful for an experience share from someone who has done it.

The westrac guys do it here in WA....it's about $30.
Don't know any over there but as another poster mentioned, heavy duty machinery companies sell the kit.
I would be checking that out.
Brett.....

This mob are in Sydney & charge around $100-150 IIRC:
Oil testing laboratory, oil analysis laboratory, oil condition monitoring, oil and fuel testing services Sydney Australia - OilCheck

IFIR for some time the LR dealer in Darwin was putting the wrong oil in the D3s.

Originally Posted by CaverD3

IFIR for some time the LR dealer in Darwin was putting the wrong oil in the D3s.

It's stories like this that make me keep on servicing my cars myself, at least I know what's happened to them. It's a shame that so much trust and faith is put in those stamps in the book when the reality of a dealer "service" can be very different to that expected. I know not all service departments do this but it's often too late to do anything when something like the OP's predicament arises.

I feel for you technoplague, having that happen within a day is a real kick to the proverbials. When it's up and running again you'll have a permagrin stuck to your face

Yes normal oil analysis should be ~$25-30. I think I may still have some prepaid kits.

However, the higher price may be for a more accurate set of tests in case it is expected the results will need to be used for evidence in litigation.

I wouldn't trust regular oil analysis reports very far... They are best described as "quick and dirty" tests, which are only useful in tracking trends over time. I have had clean oil samples come back with 0.5% soot. We have also proven some of the methods used are inaccurate.

just a thought, why not have another party have a look at for a second opinion?.
roving mechanical is a mobile specialist, maybe worth a call.

Has anyone tried to manually turn the engine with the starter motor removed?

If that has seized/burnt out it could lock the engine.

Would explain all the electrical dramas.

Originally Posted by Marmoset

It's stories like this that make me keep on servicing my cars myself, at least I know what's happened to them. It's a shame that so much trust and faith is put in those stamps in the book when the reality of a dealer "service" can be very different to that expected. I know not all service departments do this but it's often too late to do anything when something like the OP's predicament arises.

I feel for you technoplague, having that happen within a day is a real kick to the proverbials. When it's up and running again you'll have a permagrin stuck to your face

Bang on, marmoset - I'm exactly the same. Not going to risk my $15K engine on:
a) an apprentice leaving a spanner somewhere or otherwise shoddy workmanship
b) idiots putting the wrong oil in it

Every time I've taken a car somewhere to be worked on apart from tires and wheel alignment (read: that's all I have workshops do on my cars, everything else myself) I always find things broken, clips not done up, hose clamps not tightened, rags in the intake (!!! so that's why I kept getting the "Engine System Fault" message - rag jammed in the EGR butterfly!) wrong type of grease used on brake slide pins = jammed pins, flywheel not resurfaced correctly, saying parts need to be replaced where a visual confirms that they don't...
I make a couple of grand cash every year by fixing cars for mates and people off the Audi forum. In particular I have become a bit of a specialist with Audi 1.8T and 2.7 twin turbo engines and manual drivelines, having put over 250K on both engines myself. The main things I see are:
-wrong oil used in the engine and excessively long service intervals (creates BAD oil coking in the 1.8T - not a nice job to fix)
-wrong coolant used
-incorrect pressure line plumbing
-lots of broken stuff
All of these vehicles had been serviced by "Approved" dealerships and worse, specialist workshops. It's ridiculous. Don't trust anyone with your car, seriously.

I live with 3 other people - they're my best mates so it's a great thing - I came home the other day to find the brother of one working on his girlfriend's Kia Rio. The bonnet is up and I'm surprised to see the transaxle lying on the ground.
"What are you doing?"
"Replacing the clutch."
"Really?? How many km on this thing?"
"112K, clutch is stuffed."
"Ah ok, what was wrong with it?"
"Slipping. Mechanic said it needed to be replaced."
I notice at this point the clutch cable and wonder if it just needed an adjustment.
"Was it releasing in the last bit of pedal travel?"
"Yeah"
"I don't suppose the mechanic tried adjusting it??"
"Nah he just said it needed to be replaced."
"I take it this is the old clutch?" The clutch plate has at least 3mm to go before the rivets, would've lasted another minimum 150K if driven in the same fashion as previously... All it needed was a cable adjustment!

This is the kind of thing I'm talking about. People will take you for a ride if you let them!

Back to your problem technoplague - WHY was the battery flat? WHY was a 400amp fuse blown and why did this all happen a WEEK after replacing the alternator? What is going on here??? READ: WHAT DID THEY ****** UP WHEN THEY REPLACED THE ALT?? Dude, as long as you're paying, they'll replace every part on the car until they accidently replace the defective one!

$700 for an oil examination???? Man, this is telling. They don't want you to do an oil examination. I wonder why that is.

If this were me I'd be towing my car out of that joint just for insulting my intelligence with a $700 quote for an oil exam that'll cost $50 to do. And I'd be putting all the removed parts in the back myself just to make sure they didn't stuff that job up too.