SENT FOR SERVICE AT ARUN CARS

[vinniexkr]

Ouch !!

[J44EAG]

Not a lot of oil evident. Dry chains. That bolt looks to be in severe distress.

I think the engine needs stripping with several people present and the oil pump in particular checked for serviceability. Might be possible to immerse the pick up pipe in a tray of oil and externally apply drive power perhaps via an electric drill. Assuming oil were to squirt out, that would prove the oil pump ok. Then I would be looking for any blockages within the engine oil ways. If all that were proved good then it would be safe to say this engine has been run without any oil in the sump.

The garage say the engine was rough when it arrived with them. If that were the case I would have thought they should have informed you immediately before doing anything to the car.

Mike K

[painter]

I agree with Mike, although looking at the service intervals and the low mileage I think it unlikely
that the oil pump would fail, nor much likelihood of a blockage. My engine has done 20k, but each time I start up I check the oil pressure gauge to make sure it jumps into life. I would have thought any mechanic would do the same when servicing/checking a customers car, and this would have given a pretty good indication that something was wrong prior to burn out.

Painter

[J44EAG]

The state of the chain end of the cam shaft is quite horrific. The distressed bolt holding the chain sprocket is severely distorted suggesting a high torsional load being applied. In my opinion, that can only have been caused by near seizure of the engine.

Had this situation occurred over a prolonged period, I would have expected to see a degree of oil cooking on components. That is not the case. This poor old engine has had a hernia caused by a sudden and dramatic incident. Namely lack of oil.

I once owned a Rover SD1 V8 which was previously run by the CEO of the RAC. A fine old facelift dark blue 3500 with a rare manual box. I bought it with a problem. Namely flames ejecting from the RH bank carburettor. Not a problem. No 16 cam lobe worn out through bad oil changing. Seen it before. Stripped the front end off, removed the inlet manifold, rocker boxes and all the other gubbins. Dragged out the cam from the block to find long term damage as suspected. Changed the oil. spun it over to ensure the back bearing had a feed and fitted a new cam. Good as gold. So that is the effect of long term PARTIAL starvation. The issues affecting this XKR are a totally different can of worms. In my opinion this engine has had no oil in the sump.

These V8`s are pretty bullet proof apart from two issues. tensioners disintegration and the very occasional problem known on V8 S-types where a low oil level in service can cause the No 1 main bearing to give up. i don`t think other V8 jaguar models are prone to the fault but I might be wrong.

As I`m writing, it is worth saying that con rod and big end bearing sets are not available from Jaguar. At manufacture, bearing sizes were electronically sized from a range of I believe ten core bearing sizes which were selected for each individual crank. On the basis of that, common regrinds and over size bearing repairs could not generally be sorted by typical engine reconditioners and owners could find themselves needing a new complete engine. The good news though is that Racing Green took on the challenge and can supply bearing sets to get over the issue.

Battle on, I think you have a classic case of oil having been drained and then the engine run.

Mike

[vinniexkr]

Hi

I have some news! bloody hell do I have some news!!!!

I had a call today from ARUN CARS, They have finally admitted that their mechanic had run the car with no oil after it had been drained out. AT LAST YOU SAY, someone has owned up !!!
He said they had a meeting with each mechanic and one had owned up to the dastardly crime.

He then said what we have to do now is get the car sorted, His first suggestion was getting a second hand engine and installing it in the car. No thanks!! there a a number of reasons why I would not be happy with that !!! I said the only way I would be happy was if a new engine was put in and that it had a guarantee.
He then said they could put a new engine in from Jaguar but it would be very expensive and asked a for a contribution from me of £3000.00, I must have been in shock as I said I would give them a thousand pounds towards the cost and that that was more than generous on my part.
He said he would have to speak to the boss and would get back to me.
I actually felt slightly sorry for them, Idiot am I. After getting over the shock I contacted Footman James, who by the way have agreed with the underwriters to allow a claim against Arun, what a relief. They have been absolutely fantastic and I cant thank them enough for their help.
I checked with them that if I declined Aruns offer to fix the car would it effect my claim, no it would not they said. I had decided at that point that I would not be happy to let Arun Cars do any work on the car as I have lost all faith in them and I agreed with the insurance company to get the car to XJK engineering. Well that turned out to be a very good decision because something else came to light which has shook my faith in man kind !!!!
After having to get over the shock of the news about my car last week, driving down to Wisborough Green twice from Tunbridge Wells in Kent to look at the car, take pictures, speak to the powers to be ect, several sleepless nights worrying about possibly having to spend out thousands to get the car fixed, Spending hours on the phone,I found something out tonight,
THEY ALL NEW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAR LAST WEEK, !!!!!!!!!!! every person I had talked to who strenuously denied all knowledge of any wrong doing were lying through their teeth.
I am in total shock and am not sure what to do. I can not reveal my source but it is 100 per cent.
Any suggestions what to do would be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards
Vince

[painter]

I'd wouldn't do anything, let things take their course now and you will end up with a 42k XK8 with a new engine. That can't be so bad. As for the 'human' thing, been there many times and never fails to surprise, but at least they have held up their hand at last and with XJK doing the work what could be better. I'd say it's a happy ending, although the celebration drink may taste a little sour.
p.s. if it's any consolation, if somebody offered to fit a brand new engine in my car for £1000 I would bite their hand off.

[vinniexkr]

A new engine in my car will be a good thing but the management have not owned up to knowing about the engine being run dry, they are blaming the staff at the work shop and are saying they just found out when they knew all along. They are only owning up because I have said an engineer is taking the car for inspection, they lied to my face face and prolonged a very difficult time for me.

They should not be allowed to treat their customers like this.
Regards
Vince

[J44EAG]

Perhaps a letter of complaint and also a visit to CAB or Trading Standards.

The alternative would be civil litigation which could prove very expensive.

The important thing is to get the car back to standard and then perhaps chase for damages.

I suspect a huge degree of panic ensued when the issue occurred. At that point all those concerned hands on and within management will have developed sloapey shoulders....

Mike K

[painter]

Well it's your call Vince, although I feel sure that most members would say get the new engine in and running prior to rocking the boat. When compared to Politicians, Doctors closing ranks after bodged surgery, Solicitors protecting their own offenders, the guys at the garage are just trainee liars. Anybody reading your post will not be likely to use Arun again. Frankly I have no time for liars, and you've been dragged through a prolonged traumatic period as a result, but it is easy for the main objective to be clouded.

[daveji]

I agree with Painter.
I would get the car properly fixed via your insurance company if at all possible and then let them sue the hide off Arun to reclaim all your costs.
You are right to shut Arun out completely they do not deserve any consideration at all in my view.
I would write up the experience to Trading Standards, Nigel Thorley and Jaguar World.
They seem to be not only incompetant but also unscrupulous.
What a cheek asking for you to pay £3000 to fix your engine which they wrecked. !
If memory serves me right that is about what CFS charge for one of their full recon V8's...fully guaranteed of course.
Chris Forbes will tell you the details if you care to ask him.

[vinniexkr]

Hi

The latest new is the car is now at XJK engineering, the insurance company are sending an engineer there to write up a report on Tuesday 16th. They will upon inspection, give the go ahead for the replacement of the engine, one slightly worrying thing is, they may write the car off as the quote from XJK for the repairs is £8000.00. That is over 50% of the cars value.
I intend to get in touch with trading standards asap and will keep JEC in the loop.

[painter]

Well if they write your car off, (which I doubt will happen), are they not obliged to:-
1) replace it with a similar low mileage XK8
or
2) offer the agreed insurance value if it is on classic car insurance
or
3) arrange for ARUN to fund a similar low mileage XK8 approved by Ins.

at which time you should have the option of purchasing your 'write off' vehicle from the insurers at a much reduced price.
sounds interesting, apart from the prolonged hassle, although you should be due for a courtesy car in the interim. (an 'F' type perhaps )

[vinniexkr]

Hi

If the car is written of I may well go for a newer XKR, it would be a shame though as my car, a 2002 XKR, was in fantastic shape with very low miles of 42K, If it is written of and I buy it back, I am not sure if that will devalue the car, or having a new engine increase the value.and what are the insurance implications, ie, agreed value ect.
An interesting idea though of an F Type courtesy car.

[vinniexkr]

Hi

I had a message from a member and a telephone number but have lost it, sorry.
could you get in touch again.
It looks like the car will be written off as the insurance company go on Glass's Guide for their valuations, they will write of a vehicle if the repairs come to 60% and over of the cars value.
Book price for mine is about £11500.00 estimated costs £8000.00

Many Thanks
Vince

[painter]

Have you been in touch with Footman James (?) to ascertain how they are handling this. I would have imagined they would obtain the funds from ARUN to carry out this work, their legal department acting as intermediaries between XJK and ARUN, therefore the 'write off' value would be irrelevant. You have not been involved in an accident, and any costs are recoverable from ARUN! Should be the legal dept. handling your case, not the loss adjusters. Your car has not been damaged beyond financially viable repair, the engine should be considered a 'service' item, and a high percentage of XK8's are now driving around on 'new' engines. A 42K car being fitted with a new engine would not depreciate the value, it would add to it. It would be very interesting for members to know how the insurers are processing this one Vince. Please keep us posted.