[locksmith]

Hi, i have a citroen dispatch 1.6 hdi, 2007 model. The oil pump failed due to the oil pick up pipe/feed filter got blocked, which led to oil starvation and engine needed replacing. the van has done 45000 miles and is like new, as i treat it like my car! because i was 5000 miles over the service schedule due to the garage being busy and my work being busy, it was late for the citroen service. They said that the failure was down to the oil not being changed at 20000 miles, as that caused the filter to become blocked. but i had the oil changed by my local mechanic before the 20000 mile service and have the bill to prove it. Citroen UK was not interested and refused to honour the claim citing the failure to change the oil at the correct interval. i have just paid £4500.00 for repair and that hurt!!! The dealer was brilliant on the other hand and even they agreed its a harsh decision. Any help on this matter would be appreciated. Can i take this further?
Thanks in advance

dave

[Hometune]

I take it the first service and oil change was originally due at 20,000 miles? At what mileage was the oil change done by your own mechanic?
What was the specification, make and grade of the oil he used? This is important if you want to pursue this claim.
Assuming all is well with the oil used, look in the service booklet and read through it. Citroen will say that you should use their parts but it also will say that this is not essential - as it would be illegal under current EU laws regarding repairs and servicing.
Send a copy of the mechanic's invoice with the specifications to Citroen UK and ask for reimbursement. If they refuse, then contact Consumer Direct and ask for Trading Standards to assist.

[locksmith]

thanks for your reply. The oil change was done at about 12000 miles. I always change the oil and filter in between services as I like to have fresh oil etc in between seasons. The van has been a nightmare from day 1. It broke down after 2/3 months, aircon failed, diesel filter blocked ( which i had to pay for as 'serviceable' part. ) 4 recalls later, just fed up with it all and their customer relations dept is ****!!! This is the 3rd van from citroen, never again. I was going to change the van next year for another citroen, not anymore!!!!!

[smudger]

You said the first service date was missed......"because i was 5000 miles over the service schedule due to the garage being busy and my work being busy,"

Surely then they are partly responsible for the damage?
You cant shoulder all the blame for that,that could have gone in your favour at the time.

[MrDanno]

It is probably too late now but, You could have sent a sample of the oil from the engine for analysis to prove if the oil was the cause of the problem or not.

Despite car manufacturers using these long service intervals none of the filter manufacturers seem to want to say the filters are OK for this duration and I've seen a few filters that have had the filter medium disintegrate on extended oil changes.

[wagolynn]

From my experience of using lubricants in a 24/7 industry, the reason given for the blockage of the oil pickup filter do not ring true. Did you see what was actually blocking this filter, bearing in mind the replaceable (paper) filter was replaced early and assuming that the oil in the engine was equal to that specified by Citron; I do not see how a relatively coarse filter could become blocked, just what is going to block it? The oils chemical package has detergents and dispersants in it to prevent particulate matter (carbon, metal fragments etc.) from coagulating. To me this leaves two likely possibilities, the oil level was too low (should have triggered the low oil pressure warning) or there was a foreign body in the engine.