My 172 Cup exploded!!!

[Sunburn]

Hey guys sorry if its in the wrong section but need advice....

On way home tonight under normal driving conditions on a typical b road I experienced a very loud bang/explosion from the front of the car followed by the cabin filling up instantly with black smoke, dash lighting up and power loss, so pulled over asap and turn car off called aa for assistance. was doing 50-60 at the time, scared the s**t out of me.

Eventually got picked up, massive oil leak on road under engine, visual inspection of engine with torch in dark shows nothing on top of the engine bay or any visible damage, but engine compartment is sodden with oil.

The Dash reports no problems, done the system diag check and that is clear, car restarted once but massive vibrations coming from engine so shut down no more than 3 secs. running.

Had an early FULL 72k service performed in april with cam and aux belt replaced so wouldnt have thought it would have been a belt snap.

Oil and water levels normal and engine temp was fine, typical operating temp whilst driving.

Any ideas what mechanically may have happened????

My second question is, I purchased the car from a local dealership at the very end of December 06 part of the deal came with a 4* WMS warranty,

In the morning, I'm going to try and claim on that warranty, if the dealership fights this, how do i stand from a legal point of view? car has had all services and mots and no reported faults ever, I have full paper work. Can i leagally claim a full refund, partial refund, like for like exchange or what?

Any advice would be appreciated, I have heard the terms 'not fit for purpose' used before is this something i should look to investigate?
cheers for your time, Im totally gutted!

PS car has only done 56k 02plate

Geoff

 

[LeeJSA]

Sounds a bit like a conrod has made a bid for freedom out the side of your engine mate!!!

 

[Sunburn]

Im sorry you have to forgive me im not mechanically minded, but the codrod idea would seem to suggest that its a complete engine replacement?

 

[rclio2006]

that depends on whether the malfuntion has damaged both the top and the bottom end of your engine...i suspect that you will only have to replace the top...

the very same thing happened to my friends celica...

 

[Graham Gooch]

Sounds like bottom end troubles.
Possible Conrod snap, bottom end bearings complete failure or Piston crack/exploded/melted

If your cam belt had snapped it wouldn't of fired up again oh and I couldn' help but LOL for real at

I experienced a very loud bang/explosion from the front of the car followed by the cabin filling up instantly with black smoke

 

[Christopher]

gutted!

 

[Sunburn]

should the above be coverd though under sale of goods act ie not fit for purpose?

 

[Diesel_Power]

Sounds like something has come loose from the bottom end. Please dont start it again, it may cost you an engine. Get it home, clean it down and see what went wrong.

 

[Hutchie]

conrod gone??? equals a dirty huge hole in side of block, would explain oil, sounds very similar to the 3 conrods that have jumped out of bed in the rally car, new block and possible head damage

 

[AliasOmega]

aint a replacement engine about £800 nearly new.?

 

[drhowser]

i'm sorry to say, from experience. if you have thrown a rod, you can expect to buy a lot of new valves. and get a bill in excess of 2k!

 

[drhowser]

it would be a lot cheaper to buy a new engine than rebuild your old one!

 

[fUbAr]

whats a conrod?

 

[Graham Gooch]

Connecting rod. connects the piston to the crank.

Top end of it is where the small end bearing is and a gudgeon pin connects through the piston and into the top.

The bottom part is where the big end shell bearings go.

 

[fUbAr]

aaah i see... lol

 

[LeeJSA]

aaah i see... lol

Well by the sounds of things that definately something Sunburn will be able to do tomorrow.......'see' a conrod or two!!! :dapprove::dapprove:

 

[Ja5on]

sounds expensive tbh.

Very much like a conrod, so valves will be in order, conrod etc. But if has gone at 72k, id be suspicious of the others.

 

[Cookie]

aaah i see... lol

Here's a picture of one

Not the sort of thing you want escaping from your engine at high speed

 

[Ian_182]

What a shame.Hope you get it sorted soon by warranty

 

[Sunburn]

thing is it only just done 56k, i put it in for an early 72k (5years) in april, absolutely gutted, im now unable to get to work, so hoping warrenty will cover it.

However, something like what i have described shouldnt happen to a 5 year old car that has always been well serviced and maintained, unless thier was an underlying flaw in the engine itself from manufacture? should it?

 

[alexbleubolt]

think your goosed mate, push it off a cliff and claim on the insurance

 

[Neil G]

Gutted....does sound like bottom end failure

I think at the price it'll cost to fix you may be better off dropping a new engine in

 

[Sunburn]

Hey guys, got the car back to the dealership in which i brought it from end of last december, basicaly the bottom end of the engine left hand side got a massive hole in it, dealership said they would need to take it in to see what caused to the problem but i will be lookin at 2-4k to fix.

So 2 options really, one I see if i can claim from a legal standpoint? or just strip the car down, as everything is mint condition. and try recover some of my losses.

What do you guys reckon?

 

[Brooky182]

why dont you see if you can get another engine?? if i remember right there are a few people on here that work or own breakers etc

 

[Dan@SJM]

con rod failure. or the piston has let go and emptied itself into the sump alloing the con rod to punch a hole in the block

 

[Sunburn]

any ideas where i can get a replacement egine from? and the costs to fit?

 

[lewisniven]

can u not claim this through ur insurance?

 

[mikey_172]

brand new from renault is 2,995 service exchange alot of money try yozzasport they got a few spare ones knocking about or pm matt black on here

 

[Sunburn]

right then give yozza a call

 

[GarethM]

nasty

 

[Sunburn]

very nasty garf, even more scary when it happens on a b road which is pitch black . around 50/60mph

 

[Subway]

You selling? I'll buy

 

[Sunburn]

Subway how much you willing to pay, insides are imaculate condition. nearl valet condition as it only me that uses the car, never smoked in so to speak hehe

 

[Andy]

Isn't that how the Bluesmobile died?

 

[Laura]

was there any chocking before it happened... usally if your about to throw a rod it goes DOG DOG DOG DOG, which is faster when the revs are higher

but yes deff sounds like there is a hole in the side of the block.

 

[Sunburn]

Taylor, no warning nothing, car was driving normal without any reason to think anything was wrong.

 

[Laura]

odd, must have just snaped, be interesting to see it,

my mate has a collection of bent valves from when his went, very impressive, and my wee brother managed to actually crack the block in half!!

pm me how much you would ask for the whole car?

 

[skinner]

You have warranty though? Or does it have some very low limit?

Pick up a second-hand engine and try to get some good will from the garage that sold it to you.

 

[Lia Giba]

gutted for you

 

[Leeshez]

Nasty