1992 Pajero TD Crankshaft Seals

Thanks for the reply. I've been in touch with the Department of Consumer Affairs but they need the engine stripped down before they can comment. (At a cost of about $2,000 which I have to cover). The vehicle was being driven along a freeway when it all went to s**t. No smoking beforehand. No oil pressure warning light! Dealer replaced seals before sounding out engine. Now he wants $1,300 for that work, even though the engine's stuffed!

Motor was warranted for 80,000km with services at 5,000km. Unfortunately there were 8,000km since last service. I'd have thought 10,000km was the standard. Dealer maintains warranty voided!

Hi Phil. i am a motor mechanic in NSW. I had a customer have a similar engine failure in a small petrol engined car a few years ago. The person was in the NRMA so we advised him to contact their legal department. They in turn asked me to dismantle the engine so that an engineer contracted by them could inspect it and make a report which duly happened. Armed with that report the legal dept. then went to fair trading and requested a hearing which was scheduled to the near future. Before that hearing was held the engine builder agreed to a settlement with the owner which left him slightly out of pocket but much better off than to start with. Although you are 3000Km over the service shedule I fail to see how this would contibute to a major failure. You still may have to pay for the dismantling ($2000 sounds outragious by the way. I'm sure it should be done much less than that, my labour is $66/hr. even at 15 hrs that still around $1000) but if these guys are replacing crankshaft seals in a damaged engine I feel they should not be working in the motor trade.Contact your State motoring organisation and /or MTA and keep hounding. Sounds like so far you have been hard done by. Bob.

Thanks Bob. I'm trying all the avenues I can think of short of using lawyers!

I'm thinking the motor was not of merchantable quality.

Thanks for that. I'll give it a go.