Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster

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Sat 3 Nov 2018 11:15
Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster - Maximus Stroganoff

Hello everybody,

I would like to ask for your honest professional advice.

My camper van Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 broke down during our family trip in Sweden. We drove over 2000 km without any signs of strange noise or performance problems. It is on our way back in the middle of a highway that engine started to make loud noise and we started to loose power. We drove for about 600 meters before we finally stopped at the junctions. The car would not start again. I saw some oily liquid under the car and on lower part of the engine.

Called a towing truck and got towed to a car repair chain. They had a quick 5-minute look inside the hood. Tried to push the car on the 4 gear back and diagnosed it with engine failure and thus told me it needs a new engine, which is expensive and they don't want to do it because they have too many repairs at the moment. I called a few other repair shops but they told me off because of camper van... Then I finally reached a garage that specialises on camper van repairs. So I towed my camper there for a second opinion.

After three weeks, they send me an e-mail that they checked the engine, it is broken and MUST be replaced. They gave me a quote for 2800€: 800€ for used engine with 1 year warranty and 2000€ for installation. I accepted their offer. It took two months to find the engine and 1 month has passed after they have ordered it because they had some problems fitting it in.

Now they send me an e-mail saying that new engine is working perfectly but my diesel pump is leaking heavily. They give me an option to replace it with them though do not say how much it will cost or to drive it back to Holland without a warranty that it will make it...

Can you please advice me what to do in this situation?

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Sat 3 Nov 2018 11:21
Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster - skidpan

Do you really need to ask.

diesel pump is leaking heavily

or to drive it back to Holland without a warranty that it will make it.

If you are feeling lucky go ahead and drive from Sweden with a faulty vehicle. But I suspect that you would not be allowed on a ferry or the chunnel with a fuel leak.

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Sat 3 Nov 2018 14:07
Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster - Maximus Stroganoff

I am not planning on driving with heavily leaking pump. It is their suggestion to me...

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Sat 3 Nov 2018 13:47
Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster - SLO76
It’s an old engine but these ancient Peugeot diesels could do a million miles with care. I wonder if the engine had really failed or was the loss of power and subsequent breakdown the fuel pump all along? The oil under it could’ve been diesel. I’d check they have actually fitted another engine to start with. You may have paid all that money for nothing.
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Sat 3 Nov 2018 14:05
Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster - edlithgow
It’s an old engine but these ancient Peugeot diesels could do a million miles with care. I wonder if the engine had really failed or was the loss of power and subsequent breakdown the fuel pump all along? The oil under it could’ve been diesel. I’d check they have actually fitted another engine to start with. You may have paid all that money for nothing.

Oh, the cynicism.

I had the same thought.

Its quite hard to be too cynical, and sometimes quite difficult to be cynical enough.

However, if this was a scam it took them quite a while to get around to it. One might expect them to want to get the money quicker than that.

Edited by edlithgow on 03/11/2018 at 14:08

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Sat 3 Nov 2018 14:11
Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster - SLO76
“Oh, the cynicism.

I had the same thought.

Its quite hard to be too cynical, and sometimes quite difficult to be cynical enough.”


Motor trade is littered with rascals, think I’ve met half of them. Listened to one recently laughing his way through a story of how he billed one chap for a gearbox replacement when all that was wrong was a slipping clutch. A £300 job he charged the guy £1500 for and he drove off none the wiser with the same gearbox and a very expensive new clutch on a Volvo 440. I hate this side of the trade. Karma gave him a slap later when his business partner stuffed him and he lost everything.

Edited by SLO76 on 03/11/2018 at 14:38

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Sat 3 Nov 2018 14:10
Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster - Maximus Stroganoff

It is an old engine indeed but it only has 78k kilometers on it and it was kept in a garage always. Its almost rust free! I was surprised when they said engine is kapot!

I think there could have been a misdiagnose and maybe the engine would not start simply because it had air instead of diesel in it because of the broken pump.

I have not paid any money to them yet.

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Sun 4 Nov 2018 11:07
Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster - Maximus Stroganoff

Well I send them a following e-mail:

It doesnt surprise me that you find a problem with Diesel pump. What surprised me is that you said that engine was broken and MUST be replaced. That engine had 78.000 kilometers on it and was working perfectly. 9 out of 10 engine failures are caused by secondary components such as diesel pump. You should have checked it first.

Probably the engine was not getting enough diesel inside and got air instead. When our camper broke down I saw oily liquid dropping from under the car and the whole lower section of the engine and other components were covers in it. It was probably diesel. You must have seen it! If you would have started with fixing a diesel pump, we probably would not have to order a new engine.

I expect you to make an adjustment to your faulty diagnosis and finish the repair right!

I am only paying for the repair that MUST be made and not for mistakenly replaced engine!

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Mon 5 Nov 2018 04:55
Ford Transit 2.5D 1994 - Motor failure - repair disaster - edlithgow

Perhaps a bit too aggressive., IMO.

I understand (and would share) your suspicion, but you have no proof., and as I understand it you are a long way from the vehicle.

Difficult situation.

Basic question - do you have a record of the original engine number? I' expect its on the vehicle documents.

You might request details of the replacement engine, including source and ..er...engine number.

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