We are stuck need help **URGENT**

[mitzimad]

Right yes well, about that. We took it to a French garage and explained the situation. The (French) guy took one look at it and said “it needs an engine replacement” the engine is not in visibly poor condition. I mean, of course he said that. Englishman stuck with a serious problem with only other option being to repatriate the vehicle which costs $$$$. We’ve got him over a barrel lads. Let’s go. My first choice was to take it home to a trusted mechanic and we may still yet choose that option. From Le Mans to Caen the tow truck wanted 1400 euros. He would have dropped it on the ferry to Portsmouth (2 hour drive probably plus 1 hour loading). Then at the UK side we had OWL recovery quote us £250 to take it to my trusted garage which was about a 2 hour drive away.

So the French tow truck wanted 1400 euros for 3 hours work and the British one wanted £250 for 2 hours work. Hmmmm do you see a theme here?

So the total cost to repatriate is £1450 at the current exchange rate. OWL confirmed that they do this all the time.

The guy explained to me that he has one customer with a MK7 transit that has 1,000,000 KM on the clock. He said he has him back every 18 months a for an engine replacement. I asked him how much it will cost and he said he will get a quote. I smell BS. He should know ballpark figure.

Also maybe considering an engine upgrade to a more powerful, ULEZ compliant motor so may just end up repatriating in any case.

changing the engine will not make it ulez compatible they go by the original classification regardless

 

[Lenny HB]

poindexter have you spoken to your insurance comply as most policies only cover the van 48 hours when left unatended away from normal sroreage location unless you inform them.

 

[TheBig1]

If it were me, I would hire a triaxle car trailer and van or 4x4 and self recover the vehicle

 

[Folkranger]

You mention a trusted garage but remember the one in France isn't it's just pot luck where you broke down presumably you think others in the UK could charge a lot more. I suspect given the stories of vastly different quotes for cambelt replacement on here that garages vary a lot either side of the channel. I don't totally go along with this idea that all French garages add to the bill if you're not a native I'm pretty sure some would and pretty sure some in the UK would if you were French!
Good luck sorting the repair what happened on the original breakdown insurance did you have any evidence of not being broken down before taking it out wouldn't they play ball ?

In my head I have a blacklist of garages (UK obviously) that I will never use again.

 

[The Wino]

In my head I have a blacklist of garages (UK obviously) that I will never use again.

I certainly wouldn't expect much choosing a garage by where I happened to break down

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[denisejoe]

A new engine for a Fiat Ducato 9 years ago was over €8500 that was in France

 

[mitzimad]

you dont say where your based but ive just had a replacement vivaro engine supplied and fitted in brentwood for under 3k

 

[chaser]

I know this is a bit way out, but could you take your mechanic over to have a look at it, le man's isn't that far and you could be there and back in a weekend.

 

[Barclaybasher]

I know this is a bit way out, but could you take your mechanic over to have a look at it, le man's isn't that far and you could be there and back in a weekend.

A problem may be the cost of ferries/tunnel - peak season
Dieppe - Newhaven next week for me and 7.5m mh - £250 one way

 

[chaser]

A problem may be the cost of ferries/tunnel - peak season
Dieppe - Newhaven next week for me and 7.5m mh - £250 one way

I realise that but they would probably be in a small car and if someone has a discount code for the ferry, it's no need to be that much and then he would know for sure what it needs.

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[Littlewheels]

Agree with so many supporting the French l have had more than my share of breakdowns over the years and they have always been helpful apart from one who had attitude but he came good in the end. Not everyone is trying to rip people off.

 

[The Wino]

Agree with so many supporting the French l have had more than my share of breakdowns over the years and they have always been helpful apart from one who had attitude but he came good in the end. Not everyone is trying to rip people off.

I can't think of any nation or people who I would say are consistently bad. I found it really strange in the States with the tipping culture but it's just the way they operate. Same in countries where it's normal to haggle they're just doing the same as they would with a local if you take the first price they're going to snap your hand off but just because you're a mug!

 

[nicholsong]

I know this is a bit way out, but could you take your mechanic over to have a look at it, le man's isn't that far and you could be there and back in a weekend.

And the Union will not let him onto the garage premises?

 

[The Wino]

And the Union will not let him onto the garage premises?

I wonder how keen a UK garage would be on someone bringing in their own mechanic!

 

[Brains]

A problem may be the cost of ferries/tunnel - peak season
Dieppe - Newhaven next week for me and 7.5m mh - £250 one way

So leave it where it is for a couple of weeks.
If it's a replacement engine that is needed a few more weeks are not going to make a difference.
Get the diagnosis
Then look at the costs of getting it done locally in France
Compared with the cost of (self) recovery from France to the UK and then the cost of getting it done in the UK
Then go with the best (for you) option.

Before you potentially waste money on upgrading the engine to ULEZ compliant (which may be a good idea) do check the small print, as you will have to register the upgrade with TFL and potentially every other ULEZ that gets rolled out across the UK and Europe.
You will be forever defending fines imposed
(Our local Scouts have a Charity exempt, non ULEZ compliment minibus, we still get fines sent to us every couple of months, which we have to refute, again.)

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[chaser]

I wonder how keen a UK garage would be on someone bringing in their own mechanic!

As far as we know the french garage isn't doing anything with it at the moment, it's just being stored there at £15 a day and there is nothing to stop the owner looking at his own van.

 

[yodeli]

at £15 a day

Nope , this is the quote of the trailer, not the garage. I have no idea of the amount they could ask a day!

 

[Riverbankannie]

My experience with a french garage was that, after explaining which spark plug was required, and finding he had only 2 on the shelf, and then persuading him I required 12 by showing him photos of cars, he bade me wait in the otherwise unattended office whilst he got in his car and drove to go and get more.
This was in Saumur and his spark plugs were in 2s for 2CVs but they were the right size for our MGs.
Vive la France

 

[Two on Tour]

We had a rear wheel bearing collapse a few years ago near Tours in France.
The breakdown insurance company organised a flatbed which picked us up within an hour and transported us to a local French garage.
The garage owner as an absolute star.
We were both working at the time so needed to get back to the UK and we asked the breakdown insurance company to repatriate us and the van, but they refused and wanted the van repaired at the local garage. We explained our need to get home and ideally with our van, so the owner phoned the breakdown insurance company and spun them a yarn that the parts were near impossible to obtain and he said it would be a month to get them and quoted them a silly amount for the parts, labour and storage, plus we agreed to carry out the work at our cost of they got us and the van home to which they agreed.
A day later we and the van were home and a week later I had fitted a new wheel bearing for £40, result.

 

[tacr2man]

Don't forget that if you have the engine replaced in France , what sort of warranty will you get (not get) !

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[L' Hobo]

So leave it where it is for a couple of weeks.
If it's a replacement engine that is needed a few more weeks are not going to make a difference.
Get the diagnosis
Then look at the costs of getting it done locally in France
Compared with the cost of (self) recovery from France to the UK and then the cost of getting it done in the UK
Then go with the best (for you) option.

Before you potentially waste money on upgrading the engine to ULEZ compliant (which may be a good idea) do check the small print, as you will have to register the upgrade with TFL and potentially every other ULEZ that gets rolled out across the UK and Europe.
You will be forever defending fines imposed
(Our local Scouts have a Charity exempt, non ULEZ compliment minibus, we still get fines sent to us every couple of months, which we have to refute, again.)

Hardly seems worth fitting a vehicle with a cleaner engine does it?

 

[Manic]

I know this is a bit way out, but could you take your mechanic over to have a look at it, le man's isn't that far and you could be there and back in a weekend.

That was my thought, could be just the head gasket gone.

 

[TheBig1]

The big problem is that if the French garage dismantle the head to examine damage it will be harder to transport. My choice if it is at the garage would be to have them flush out all coolant and oil. Bypass the oil cooler temporarily. Refill with oil and coolant and see if it can be driven, even a limited amount to recover it home under it's own power. Even a fairly knackered engine may run (noisily) and if not pushed hard can be driven 50 miles or so a day to get home. When home fit a salvaged engine if needs be, as there are plenty about

 

[Brains]

Hardly seems worth fitting a vehicle with a cleaner engine does it?

Possibly not.
As the multiple authorises are each recording tens of thousands of vehicles per hour entering their zones and their main method of picking up those that they can fine is by numberplate.

If your plate is pre 2014 and you are driving a van then "obviously" it is not Euro 6 compliment, so they issue a fine.

About all you could do would be to put a green sticker on the plate which might cause an operator to actually cross check against a database.
However my experience with the local Scout minibus is they don't bother.

 

[pappajohn]

It's not 3 hours work, the vehicle has to get to home location much the same as a taxi no return journey your paying both ways.

OK, so 6 hours for €1400... €230 per hour
The UK truck also has to get back to its base so a 4 hour journey for £250.... £62.50 per hour.
A hell of a difference.

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[chaser]

Just had a brilliant idea.
Is there a motorhomer going that way with a spare couple of seats, he could go for nowt on the tunnel
Have to get back some road but hey.

 

[Nanniemate]

OK, so 6 hours for €1400... €230 per hour
The UK truck also has to get back to its base so a 4 hour journey for £250.... £62.50 per hour.
A hell of a difference.

Yep sadly UK pays less .and brits tend to want it done cheaply hence we loose a lot of professional skills workers to other countries.
That pay more have a better work life balance, its us who pay at the end of the day one way or another.
£20.00 phr wages
Fuel @ 8 miles to the gallon
Wear and tear vehicle
All over heads
It soon adds up

 

[Odd-no-more]

So leave it where it is for a couple of weeks.
If it's a replacement engine that is needed a few more weeks are not going to make a difference.
Get the diagnosis
Then look at the costs of getting it done locally in France
Compared with the cost of (self) recovery from France to the UK and then the cost of getting it done in the UK
Then go with the best (for you) option.

Before you potentially waste money on upgrading the engine to ULEZ compliant (which may be a good idea) do check the small print, as you will have to register the upgrade with TFL and potentially every other ULEZ that gets rolled out across the UK and Europe.
You will be forever defending fines imposed
(Our local Scouts have a Charity exempt, non ULEZ compliment minibus, we still get fines sent to us every couple of months, which we have to refute, again.)

My daughter had to change her car to a compliant one for the ULEZ she has a personal number plate. She soon started receiving fines, she appealed them, they asked for a copy of the V5, then the fines kept coming she called them and they asked for more information all of which is available from the DVLA , they have access that's how they know where to send the fines. It took a cease and desist letter to get them to stop. Then they sent £100 compensation.
We did look at trying to get her old car to meet the standards, which would have been cheaper than replacing it, but although in theory it's possible, the problem is getting the installation certified, which is not possible.

 

[MisterB]

Just had a brilliant idea.
Is there a motorhomer going that way with a spare couple of seats, he could go for nowt on the tunnel
Have to get back some road but hey.cin

I could help when i come back on the 22nd of this month via the tunnel ?

 

[poindexter]

Is it normal for a mechanic to say that a full engine repair is needed without doing any diagnostics? I don’t think it is really.

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