Low engine oil problem

[zekai]

Hi guys, posting this here coz i dun want to upset people in the car forum.

Lately i been looking at 2nd hand car and there is 1 VW GTI i really fancy.
Now the problem is the mileage is rather high at 69K over 3 years.

We arrange to have the car check at my friend workshop.
The SIFU there detected some wear and tear item which can be replaced.

He discovered the engine oil level were very low when he check the dip stick.
The car already rested for about 30min before the oil check.
It bother him greatly and he told he the engine is eating up the engine oil.

Seller serviced the car today and assure me VW says its fine.

Not that i do not trust the mechanic SIFU, but like to hear any 2nd opinion from you guys.

My dad and father in law both tell me this is an indication of serious engine problem very soon. The oil is leaking into somewhere...

 

[contaxable]

strange, why do u narrow down to one car? there are hundreds of vw out in the resale mkt.

being 69k for 3yrs car is not really considered high mileage. with low oil in dip stick, it could mean leaky engine, damaged engine parts or a totally bochap owner who cant be bothered to change oil.

besides, the gti is a performance car and some owners buy it to thrash it out to the limits just for thrills.

i suggest skip this car and go for the next. anyway, many cars are a few k above mkt valuation. you have plenty to choose from. how about toyota or honda? at least these are cheaper to repair.

avoid performance cars and turbo charged engines if you can.

 

[ianwurn]

Sounds to me that this car's been up and down north south quite a bit. Haha.... Erm, assumption of course. Well, thing is, without posting in this forum, there are 2 persons close to you already sounding the alarm bells.

I tend to agree with COntaxable here. Honestly, if you don't feel good about it, don't go for it.

Alternative frame of mind consideration is that you buy it cos it's dirt cheap (Disclaimer: I have no idea what the market price for a 69,000 mileage 3 year old VW GTI) and then be prepared to spend loads ($5K ?) to fix various issues, like overhauling the entire engine.....

BTW, aint it another 10K from a major major servicing @ 80K ? Not sure about the VW GTI PM manual, but most Jap cars have it at 80K, including timing belt change. That will be a whopper already.

Just my 2 cents tho. Think about it.

 

[dreamseeker]

I think 69k over 3 years is not really high. I would think most ppl would drive their car about 20-30k km per year easily.

As for low engine oil, its hard to say. I dont think the seller did a car servicing or did not top up the enough oil after servicing. You can try look under the car for any oil stains for possible leakage.

1 thing for sure, VW spares are much more expensive than Japanese cars.

 

[Knighthunter]

Usually Conti car has big reserve on engine oil so it only need to be serviced every 15k. As long as oil not below minimum max of the dip stick should be ok beside that if lower that min point the engine oil check light should be on to give warning. Send the car for STA evaluation to get fair evaluation, if this car is frequently tracked then you should not touch it even with 1 m pole.

 

[Wibblo]

also good for you to check on the vehicle's status withing Malaysia....secarly the owner has chalked up a lot of summons on the North South highway.....

 

[flipfreak]

when the engine is running, give it a few revs and check the smoke. if u see black smoke, the engine oil has found its way into the engine and is burning up. will be a hefty rebuild. it could also be a case of lack of proper maintenance from the owner. of cos check the floor to see any leaks there or not.

 

[jeff49er]

My view of peformance car is the owners tend to wack the car; prob use the car for track and testing the car to the limits at NSH.

The engine oil is low indicates the prev owner didnt really take care of the oil. Like what dreamseeker says, u have to check if the oil leaks by looking at namely, under the carriage.

Nowadays brand new cars are more affordable than before. If $ is not much of an issue, there is the Evo X, Mark X, Subaru Impreza, Integra Type R and Lancer GT to name a few.

 

[Big Kahuna]

My 2 years old car only clocked 25k and I went KL at least 4 times a year....you do the sum whether 69k for 3 years is high or not? :think:

Low engine oil already a good indicator...maybe piston or gasket seal worn off liao..... overhaul is imminent and it's going to cost you a bomb esp for continental and this make :sweat:

I will say give it a miss...with similar depreciation cost.....you might as well get a brand new WRX if you like to cheong :thumbsup:

 

[zero o]

Most modern cars will not need engine oil top ups between service intervals. The fact that your mechanic detected low oil levels means a) there is something wrong with the engine .. oil is leaking, oil is getting into the cooling system, oil is being burnt off .. b) owner has not serviced the car as per recommended intervals or maybe the car has not been serviced for a long time, thus over time oil level drops.

Either way, this is symptomatic of a car already experiencing problems or problems are just around the corner. This being a continental car, repair cost is not going to be cheap.

The prudent thing to do is to walk away..

 

[Submarine71]

TS, what is the selling price?

can try this LINK

market now quite bad, i believe you can get better car with better value if not in rush.

 

[coolsigg]

when the engine is running, give it a few revs and check the smoke. if u see black smoke, the engine oil has found its way into the engine and is burning up. will be a hefty rebuild. it could also be a case of lack of proper maintenance from the owner. of cos check the floor to see any leaks there or not.

normally, black smoke is a sign of incomplete combustion (excess fuel). if engine is burning engine oil, it will be blue smoke.

source: http://www.trustmymechanic.com/troubleshoot_smoke.htm