Jump to content

Lupo 1.4 Automatic 1999 - End of Life? Advice Please


Karen W
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi

Advice please - I have an VW Lupo 1.4 Automatic 1999 with 83k miles on the clock. It has an oil leak. I have been nursing it for the past year or so (topping up oil). The garage has said it could be the sump gasket and/or crank shaft gasket plus the engine breather/oil separator looks quite wet. The quotation to have all of the above fixed (including cambelt and waterpump change) is £894, which sadly is more than the car is worth :( 

I am going to get rid of the car as it is not economically viable for me to have all the work done, however does anyone have any advice on how I might be able 'recycle' it in anyway? For instance does anyone need any parts or shall I just scrap it? We Buy Any Car.com have offered £110 on line (based on mileage being 150k).

I may see if a local college would like it for apprentices to work on or something? ...

Thoughts and advice please :)

Thank you.

K

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cambelt and water pump will not go anyware towards fixing the oil leak so would forget about that until the leak is fixed, unless its a confirmed head gasket then it may be worth doing as cam belt will need removing to do the head gasket, there are tests the garage can do to check for this instead of guessing

can you see where the leak is coming from or is the engine burning oil?, modern oils dont smoke like the old days so you can burn oil and still not have a smokey car

sump gasket would have though would be a easy job

to be fair if the sump gasket is leaking or the head gasket is leaking the garage should be able to tell you which

engine oil breathers will always look wet from oil vapour

if you want rid of the car there is a site where you have the option to auction the car and maybe get more https://www.removemycar.co.uk/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Everyone

Thank you for your replies :)

Rich - I am near Croydon.

Mattarosa - The advice I was given was from a local garage that I 'trust'.

Mobieus - As I understand it,the mechanic I spoke to was saying that IF the head gasket was leaking I should also replace the cambelt + waterpump at the same time (although these were done about 2 years ago). I cannot see where the leak is coming from but there is quite a lot of oil on the 'bottom' of the engine and I have to regularly top it up (1L approx. every 180-200 miles or so). Thanks too for advising that the engine oil breathers will always look wet :)

Having read these posts and spoken to another mechanic friend I don't believe my Lupo is ready for the scrap heap but agree the repairs could be expensive.Essentially, the car runs really well and apart from a few small scratches and dents it is really clean - Will be a great little run around for someone who can fix it up!

I am now thinking of putting it on Ebay as 'Spares or Repair' listing the advices given from the garage (also has small hole in exhaust). Was thinking of '£300 Buy It Now' price to start with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

£300 gets a working lupo.

I'd suggest cleaning it off with gunk and a paintbrush around the head gasket.

cheap way to eliminate the most expensive solution.

get the sump resealed if that is an issue and stick with a car you know/like.

lupo crusaders.

also, did you know Croydon has a place called cock pond?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Rich. What about products like 'Wynn's Engine Stop Leak'? Might be worth a try?

I don't believe Croydon does have a place called by that name - Clapham does though ...

K

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Karen W said:

Hi

Advice please - I have an VW Lupo 1.4 Automatic 1999 with 83k miles on the clock. It has an oil leak. I have been nursing it for the past year or so (topping up oil). The garage has said it could be the sump gasket and/or crank shaft gasket plus the engine breather/oil separator looks quite wet. The quotation to have all of the above fixed (including cambelt and waterpump change) is £894, which sadly is more than the car is worth :( 

I am going to get rid of the car as it is not economically viable for me to have all the work done, however does anyone have any advice on how I might be able 'recycle' it in anyway? For instance does anyone need any parts or shall I just scrap it? We Buy Any Car.com have offered £110 on line (based on mileage being 150k).

I may see if a local college would like it for apprentices to work on or something? ...

Thoughts and advice please :)

Thank you.

K

Well, it's fairly easy to establish where the leak is coming from, feel around on the engine, around the sump if you're able to jack the up. Look for places where the oil is most prevalent, around the sump, around the head, the oil filler cap, etc etc. 

 

It's not that big of a job to drop the sump and reseal it on, maybe an hour max, + allowing time for some sealant to dry. Essentially any place there is a gasket which may be leaking (excluding head gasket) it can be solved with some silicone sealant from your local motor factors, won't cost more than £15 and a bit of somebody's time. I don't use a sump gasket, just the sealant. No issues there. 

 

I agree with @Mobieus_uk though, I'd be concerned if the garage couldn't very quickly and very easily tell where the oil is coming from.

How much are we talking.... Puddles on the floor or a few drips here and there?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi thanks cj1 - I would say drips rather than puddles - I have to top oil up with approx. 1L every 180-200 miles ... No puddles where I park but lot of oil on bottom of engine - Have been 'nursing' this for about a year so it's 'gathered' there over time ...

Thank you for your help everyone :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Croydon, cock pond, I spent a lot of time in surrey so I am vaguely familiar.

engine stop leak isn't really the way, diagnose and fix, just clean down till you find it.

gravity is your friend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi all. Update: Took car to a different garage to fix sump gasket. Garage discovered that breather pipe was blocked, hence build up of pressure and leak! Engine cleaned up, sump leak fixed with sealant, breather pipe cleaned = No more leaks and for the fraction of the price quoted by the first garage - £120! :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/04/2017 at 10:17 AM, Karen W said:

Hi all. Update: Took car to a different garage to fix sump gasket. Garage discovered that breather pipe was blocked, hence build up of pressure and leak! Engine cleaned up, sump leak fixed with sealant, breather pipe cleaned = No more leaks and for the fraction of the price quoted by the first garage - £120! :) 

bargin, just spent that on a powered steering hose for my sdi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just another penny's worth of info- Automatic boxes need regular servicing... Just a fluid and filter change (and clean the magnet)- same as an engine. And while at it, change the diff fluid. £50 for another 25k miles is well worth it. Auto boxes love fluid changes- the car will drive like new again. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.