Aibu to feel this way about garage car (non) repair?

[BettyCrockersLocker]

My car has been using a lot of oil recently so I asked my garage to check it when it went in for a service. They said they couldn't see anything wrong and as we've been doing a lot more miles than usual we put it down to that. A month after the service it was really low again so I took it back and said there's definitely something not right and also that it was now blowing out a lot of white smoke when accelerating. They looked at it again, said they still couldn't see anything and chucked some cleaning additive in. They said if the oil has been low it may have dredged up some old stuff, but thinking about it that makes no sense because surely it should have been drained and replaced as part of the service? They said give it two weeks and see how it goes.

Just over a week later its broken down. In limp mode, orange flashing engine light and a fan going crazy under the bonnet. The manual says not to drive in case you mess up the catalytic converter and google suggests it could be a cc problem and early signs theres an issue with then cc can be excessive oil consumption!

I am not very happy as I think they've missed something and now I'm concerned the cc might be totally buggered because the underlying problem was never fixed. Obviously I won't know for definite until they've looked at it again.

I don't know much about cars so Aibu to think the excessive oil consumption and now breakdown issue are linked? How do I approach the garage about this?

White smoke means its burning oil so probably head gasket has gone, check radiator cap for a white mayonaise looking gunk...another clue...try another garage.

It sounds like your garage have been really sloppy OP. I would go back, (I'm assuming you've already had the car towed back to the garage), and tell them that as they told you on two separate occasions that there was nothing wrong, and yet you've even been able to Google it, and find that it could be the CC, then you expect them to repair it for a very reduced price, as it could have been stopped from getting to this point, if they'd done their job properly.

I am wondering about the garage. We've used them for years but they changed ownership a while ago....

It would seem that since the change of ownership they have become lazy and aren't doing the work properly, but as I indicated earlier, if you, as a mere woman, (joke) can Google and find out that the amount of oil being used could indicate a problem with the CC, then surely if there is a decent mechanic among them, they should have looked at that possibility, which it doesn't sound like they did. It might be worth taking the car to a different garage initially to see what they say is the problem and how much they will charge to fix it, and then you have something to work on, when you tackle the rubbish garage.

I've drafted an email asking exactly what they've checked and how they decided the car would be fine to drive when they've been unable to ascertain the cause of the excessive oil consumption.

We've messaged a mobile mechanic to come and run a diagnostics test and give us an opinion so will see what they say before deciding on our next steps/sending any emails.

Not correct. White smoke is head gasket, water contaminant issue

blue smoke is oil

Sounds like a good plan OP. Do let us know how you get on.

In further news I've discovered excessive oil consumption is a known issue in my PureTech 2018 engine. It appears Stellantis will cover costs if diagnosed and fixed by an approved repairer, same for early degraded wet belts. Which I did also ask the garage about. However currently stellantis only compensate for repairs/oil between 2022-2024. I'm slightly puzzled as to how they can only compensate for repairs between certain dates when the issue covers engines across a number of years.

I suspect I might be better off getting it to a Citreon approved garage for any repair and dealing with any potential compensation attempts later. What a mess.

In view of your update, it definitely sounds like using a Citroen approved garage is the way to go OP. How did you find all this out?

Google basically. I did a lot of searching last night as I was stressed and couldn't sleep. I have autism so can get very swept up and intense in trying to find answers when anxious. I was aware of the wet belt issues from a previous google search before I took it the garage last time. Googling the engine light, wet belt and excessive oil consumption led me to a motoring forum post which said these issues were well known and that there was legal action against Stellantis happening in the EU (do Stellantis make the engines? I'm not really sure who they are or why they're responsible so probably need to google some more). So I specifically googled that and found out Stellantis had accepted there were issues and opened a compensation scheme including in the uk. It took me ages to find this bit of info on the stellantis site though.

All that you've learnt really goes to show that your garage didn't do their job properly I'm afraid OP, although whether you are in a financial position to take them on, and prove that, I don't know.

Are you still having the mobile mechanic out to take a look at the car? if so, it would be interesting to see if he is aware of everything you've learned.

Blueish smoke means it's burning oil, and probably a problem with the cylinders.

White "smoke" is steam, but yes, is a sign of a blown head gasket (or it's just started on a cold morning!)

But yy to the "mayonnaise" under the oil filler cap- and if I remember rightly you might also find little globules of oil floating in the cooling water reservoir. Basically the head gasket is there to keep the oil and water systems in the engine apart. Might be where all your oil was going?

I don't think there's a hope in hell that you can go after your garage for giving you the wrong advice. It's hard enough holding them accountable when they put a part in wrong or something!

Highly impressive, well done that woman.

(My insomnia last night was because my van had a catastrophic breakdown on Friday. Cam belt shredded and rattle rattle CLUNK and now I need a new engine. The belt was within its recommended mileage and replacement period (4 years) but outwith the manufacturer's warranty (2 years) 😭😭😭)

Oh no I'm so sorry. Owning vehicles can be rather stressful when something goes wrong.

I knew before you told us it had to be a 1.2 PureTech. Put basically they are one of the few engines built that simply isn't fit for purpose. Excessive oil usage ia very common and one of the first warning signs. They are absolutely crap and personally I would get rid of the car. Take it to WBAC and buy something more reliable. I work at an independent dealer so although this is my personal opinion, it's he seen a lot of issues with cars we have sold.

Don't WBAC offer really shit prices though?

The mobile one couldn't make it this week. Had the codes read today though which said injector and oxygen sensor. Mechanic had a look under the bonnet and said the Injector has gone. Said the oxygen one could be from that or the excessive oil useage if it's getting in the exhaust (I think I can't fully remember now). They basically advised to fix and get rid as well. This is the second out of the last 3 cars I've had that have had major issues crop up. I could cry.