Rover 75 Tourer Diesel Auto - failed engine

[PeterK]

Have experienced engine failure at 90,000. ex-rover dealer offered an exchange unit for £4,0000-ish. I can't afford this so have looked for second-hand engines from reputable salvage shops. Have found one from a manual car, but rover dealer cannot guarantee compatibility as mine's an auto. Can anyone confirm if auto / manual engines are different and therefore not compatible in any way, shape or form?
I'd welcome any opinions / advice. Thanks!

[SMC Trading]

Have experienced engine failure at 90,000. ex-rover dealer offered an exchange unit for £4,0000-ish. I can't afford this so have looked for second-hand engines from reputable salvage shops. Have found one from a manual car, but rover dealer cannot guarantee compatibility as mine's an auto. Can anyone confirm if auto / manual engines are different and therefore not compatible in any way, shape or form?
I'd welcome any opinions / advice. Thanks!
Hi Peter,

I don't know if it was you who phoned us yesterday or not but I have looked it up on the MG-Rover EPC and both manual and automatics use the same diesel engine ;)

[JohnDotCom]

Giver a phone call or PM to SMC Trading see if he has any he is breaking.
Most unusual a Diesel going that low mileage, almost unheard of.
Welcome to the Club by the way.
Someone will be along shortly with more answers for you.

[JohnDotCom]

Beat me Les, Glad you are trying to sort cheers.

By the way Engine failure, to what respect?

[PeterK]

Noticed some blue smoke from exhaust during the day. Driving home that night in the outside lane doing 80 - felt like engine switched-off and ground to a halt (fortunate to get to the hard shoulder). Had no warning lights at all on the dashboard. Couldn't get it started so called the tow-truck out. Garage diagnosed it as engine failure (4 days later!) but didn't recommend to go to the expense of stripping the engine down.

[CDTi]

Has the garage told you EXACTLY whats wrong?

Also, its a bit strange that they did not know that the engine is the same for manual and auto if they are an ex-rover dealer :confused:. Doesn't say much for the depth and extent of their knowledge.

[Keith]

£4000!

You can pick up a whole perfectly good car for around £1500 with a good engine especially if you go for the low spec models and probably still get most of your money back selling off the remains.

[PeterK]

I can't take it elsewhere, unfortunately, for a second opionion - they're demanding £500 for the 'analysis' they've done so far if I remove it from their premises. They say the electrics and fuel system are fine, but there's lots of back pressure indicating an engine failure of some sort. They can't start it. I don't have the facilities or knowledge to buy one myself (as Keith suggests) and sell off the unwanted parts.
I'll have to accept the option of finding an engine for them to fit - so the important question still remaining is whether an engine from a manual car is perfectly fine to go into an auto car. They're muttering that the engine mountings and flywheel are probably totally different.
Thanks for all your feedback so far!

[SMC Trading]

I can't take it elsewhere, unfortunately, for a second opionion - they're demanding £500 for the 'analysis' they've done so far if I remove it from their premises. They say the electrics and fuel system are fine, but there's lots of back pressure indicating an engine failure of some sort. They can't start it. I don't have the facilities or knowledge to buy one myself (as Keith suggests) and sell off the unwanted parts.
I'll have to accept the option of finding an engine for them to fit - so the important question still remaining is whether an engine from a manual car is perfectly fine to go into an auto car. They're muttering that the engine mountings and flywheel are probably totally different.
Thanks for all your feedback so far!

As I said in an earlier post the engines are the same, the flywheel is not part of the engine it is a separate part.

[JohnDotCom]

£500 for Analysis, who are these Besides Thieves and Crooks!
I'd contact trading standards, What the Hell are they going to Charge to swap the Engine?
Tell them your having a Professional Independent check on your Vehicle, then Contact the RAC they offer that service.
Thieves, Crooks the Lot of them.

[CDTi]

..they're demanding £500 for the 'analysis' they've done so far if I remove it from their premises. Don't know much about garage charges in the UK but £20 per hour labour could be about right. Assuming that no parts have been fitted to your car then the entire £500 is for labour. Thats 25 hours on your car, or 3-4 days depending on lunch/breaks etc :eek:.

[GreyGhost]

£60.00 - £80.00 per hour is not unusual. Even so the price quoted is outrageous.

Just read JDCs comments and I totally agree a competent third party professional to check is the order of the day.

[JohnDotCom]

I was working out Diagnostic and other checks at £80 PH GG and cannot see how they got that figure.

[Neil Coupland]

£500 for Analysis, who are these Besides Thieves and Crooks!
I'd contact trading standards, What the Hell are they going to Charge to swap the Engine?
Tell them your having a Professional Independent check on your Vehicle, then Contact the RAC they offer that service.
Thieves, Crooks the Lot of them.

:iagree::wot: £500 for telling you it won't start:eek:, £4,000 for a recon engine!!! I'm sorry but that is bordering on theft. I would want to know precisely what has failed before going down this route.
The diesel is a strong engine and total failures are rare (on this forum anyway). When they say it won't start does turn over but just not fire? If it won't turn at all then it may have internal problems.
You say it just died, no warning lights, is there possibly an electronics failure, in which case the engine is fine?
Ask them to list what they have done to justify a £500 analysis.
Best of luck with it.

[CDTi]

£60.00 - £80.00 per hour is not unusual. Even so the price quoted is outrageous.Thats pretty expensive :eek::eek:

As both GG and JDC have said, £500 is still far too much.

[bluey9]

500 quid and they don't even have an accurate diagnosis of the problem?

Offer them £50 for telling you that they think it's knackered and if that isn't acceptable then say that you'll be calling the police and your lawyer.

Threaten them with everything trading standards, watchdog, the lot. If you're of a placid nature then see if you can find a family member or friend who's a nutter that won't let them intimidate you.

Hope you get some sort of justice with this.

[Jules]

I'd get your car OUT OF THERE pronto!
How can they say there is back pressure if they can't start it!!!!!!!!!

Take trading standards & a mechanic with you and pin them down to a full diagnosis.
Garages like that need naming & Shaming IMO

[GERFIX]

I'd get your car OUT OF THERE pronto!

Garages like that need naming & Shaming IMO
Damn right on that one. I'd bet whatever the problem is, it's a relatively easy fix, certainly NOT £4k worth of engine replacement. The garage cannot hold your car to ransom, I'm sure. Get a fully itemised bill for their £500 hold-up. Take the others' advice and get trading standards involved. Shocking story! I hope you get it resolved to your satisfaction too.