Broken down in France

[Lumpy]

In our 6th week in france and spain we had the red oil can light come and a dash message telling me to stop asap, wich I did. Called our breakdown service and they came a collected us and the van, but it was a Saturday so just took us to a secure compound and this where it has stayed since!
The breakdown service can not find anyone to carry out diagnostics to find out the problem or any work that may need doing.
Our return ferry from Roscoff is on 3rd July and we are in the Arcachon area, we are being offered repatreation so we can get the van fixed at home and because our allowence for hotel and hire car are running out and the lack of interested garages here im thinking I should take the offer of repatreation.
Any one else taken this option if so how did it work out for you!?
There is an extra twist to this in as much I have been quite ill over the last few days and now my wife is poorly, I guess one lucky thing is we are tucked up safe in a hotel apartment. But like I said the money allowence is running out.
Ray

 

[Rogerwyn]

Its a pity that nobody can stick a multi scan on to clarify what the issue is but getting any work done in France in the next few months will be difficult, if there are no pets involved get home and arrange delivery to garage of your choice, hope you get it sorted.

 

[WESTY66]

Daft question….. is there enough oil in it?

 

[yodeli]

In our 6th week in france and spain we had the red oil can light come and a dash message telling me to stop asap, wich I did. Called our breakdown service and they came a collected us and the van, but it was a Saturday so just took us to a secure compound and this where it has stayed since!
The breakdown service can not find anyone to carry out diagnostics to find out the problem or any work that may need doing.
Our return ferry from Roscoff is on 3rd July and we are in the Arcachon area, we are being offered repatreation so we can get the van fixed at home and because our allowence for hotel and hire car are running out and the lack of interested garages here im thinking I should take the offer of repatreation.
Any one else taken this option if so how did it work out for you!?
There is an extra twist to this in as much I have been quite ill over the last few days and now my wife is poorly, I guess one lucky thing is we are tucked up safe in a hotel apartment. But like I said the money allowence is running out.
Ray

Hi

So if I got it right , you need someone to come to the van and not vice versa, to check what's up yes? No?

 

[yodeli]

I have someone who says he can look at it I need more info.
1st ), would your insurance take the trip to his garage IF he founds the prob. 2) Where exactly (GPS) are you located?

EDIT
Phone number is 0033 7 67 46 22 86
MDB mécanique du Bassin ( you are in Bassin d'Arcachon, it's the name of the area)
I leave early tomorrow morning for Paris and be all day quite busy so try to give answers quickly if you can)

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[Gingernuts]

what engine and make?

 

[yodeli]

Here is my mobile number so you can join me anytime (except sleeping time if you don't mind ! )
I have to move and can't stay stuck in front of the computer so I have my ear plug you can call me.
0033 6 82 05 05 84
I'm on whatsapp too!

 

[Lumpy]

Hi everyone, so sorry for the delay we are having all sorts of problems relating to our breakdown. Thank you all for your replys.

 

[Lumpy]

Its a pity that nobody can stick a multi scan on to clarify what the issue is but getting any work done in France in the next few months will be difficult, if there are no pets involved get home and arrange delivery to garage of your choice, hope you get it sorted.

It would seem that the insurance company will not look at repatreation until closer to our planned return date and then there could be up to a five week delay for the van to follow us home!!

 

[Lumpy]

Daft question….. is there enough oil in it?

It would seem there is too much oil !

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[Lumpy]

Hi

So if I got it right , you need someone to come to the van and not vice versa, to check what's up yes? No?

Yes, or an approved garage to take the van to, who can do the diagnostics and the the repair.

 

[Lumpy]

I have someone who says he can look at it I need more info.
1st ), would your insurance take the trip to his garage IF he founds the prob. 2) Where exactly (GPS) are you located?

EDIT
Phone number is 0033 7 67 46 22 86
MDB mécanique du Bassin ( you are in Bassin d'Arcachon, it's the name of the area)
I leave early tomorrow morning for Paris and be all day quite busy so try to give answers quickly if you can)

Many thanks, We have had to move hotels twice now because my breakdown insurance allowence ran out and our hire car alliwence runs out on Tuesday so have been trying to sort these things out but its been the weekend and very little can be done.

 

[Lumpy]

what engine and make?

2.2 2012 Citreon Relay.

 

[Lumpy]

Here is my mobile number so you can join me anytime (except sleeping time if you don't mind ! )
I have to move and can't stay stuck in front of the computer so I have my ear plug you can call me.
0033 6 82 05 05 84
I'm on whatsapp too!

Thank you so much, I will discuss this with the breakdown company on Monday. Can you friend do the repair as well as the diagnostics in a short time span?

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Can you buy a Pela vacuum type pump locally. With this you suck some oil out through the dipstick hole. Very simple, worst case you end up with a useful bit of kit.
Mike.

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[chesterfield hooligan]

If you have to much oil is it like a creamy off white or thin like it's mixed with fuel if thin like mixed it could be a dripping injector if off white it could be water mixing with the oil.

 

[Lumpy]

If you have to much oil is it like a creamy of white or thin like it's mixed with fuel if thin like mixed it could be a dripping injector if of white it could be water mixing with the oil.

The breakdown rescue service that took us to a secure compound said the oil was overfull but the oil is just a dark oil colour, his opinion/ best guess was a leaking injector, we had had quite poor deisel consuption too with occasional black smoke before the actuall breakdown. The biggest problem is finding a garage to do the work. Im hoping yodeli may have the remedy.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Yes, I wa

If you have to much oil is it like a creamy off white or thin like it's mixed with fuel if thin like mixed it could be a dripping injector if off white it could be water mixing with the oil.

Yes, I was just thinking that's a bit suspicious it's gone high level having made the journey to France. O.P. might be able to dip the oil and check the stick for froth or a diesel smell.
Mike.

 

[scotjimland]

I had this problem with an Izuzu truck and it was caused by frequent DPF regens..

If the regeneration process is interrupted (e.g., by short driving trips or a faulty DPF sensor), the extra fuel doesn't burn off and can end up in the engine's oil sump...

Blocked DPF can also cause this

 

[yodeli]

Thank you so much, I will discuss this with the breakdown company on Monday. Can you friend do the repair as well as the diagnostics in a short time span?

Hi
Nothing to do with a friend.
As soon as I had read your post (about 45 minutes after you had posted it) I made a search on Google looking for a mechanic who can come on spot.
I found the number I gave on here and called the man straight after, while I never knew where about your breakdown was, except from what you said, "next to Arcachon".
That man said yes we can go and see what's up but I must know whether his insurance will take the van in charge to our garage as I can't do it.
I had to call him back at the end of the day as you hadn't come back to check the thread, and therefore I had none of the details he had asked me.
So, if your insurance can get in contact with him with someone speaking French and manages to sort this out, fine, but it can be me now as I am with family in Rambouillet and we have all sorts of things planned that I can't ruined even though I'd like to help you.
I thought things would be going much much faster. If you read all the thread you will see I was packing.
Sorry for that, but I see my daughter 2 or 3 times a year and same for my grand son.
I hope your insurance will be able to cope, indeed!!
Amicalement
Frankie

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[Westbarn1]

If that was me, I'd be draining all the engine oil out, replacing with the correct amount of fresh oil, then heading home.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

It

If that was me, I'd be draining all the engine oil out, replacing with the correct amount of fresh oil, then heading home.

It's a good call, but I've spoken to more than a few Motorhomer's who barely know how to open the bonnet much less achieve any task requiring mechanical aptitude.
Mike.

 

[Lumpy]

Hi
Nothing to do with a friend.
As soon as I had read your post (about 45 minutes after you had posted it) I made a search on Google looking for a mechanic who can come on spot.
I found the number I gave on here and called the man straight after, while I never knew where about your breakdown was, except from what you said, "next to Arcachon".
That man said yes we can go and see what's up but I must know whether his insurance will take the van in charge to our garage as I can't do it.
I had to call him back at the end of the day as you hadn't come back to check the thread, and therefore I had none of the details he had asked me.
So, if your insurance can get in contact with him with someone speaking French and manages to sort this out, fine, but it can be me now as I am with family in Rambouillet and we have all sorts of things planned that I can't ruined even though I'd like to help you.
I thought things would be going much much faster. If you read all the thread you will see I was packing.
Sorry for that, but I see my daughter 2 or 3 times a year and same for my grand son.
I hope your insurance will be able to cope, indeed!!
Amicalement
Frankie

Thank you for your patience, your time and your help, I will speak with the insurance tomorrow we have a few things to duscuss. My insurance has french speaking agents so that will be ok.
Enjoy your time with family.
And thank you once again I will update this thread when I have something to report.
Ray

 

[Montezuma]

Although this might be totally irrelevant and a complete load of Barlux, . . . . . . . . . a few years back we were on our way to the Costa Brava, and our last overnight stop was at Nimes.

The van had ben fully serviced two weeks, or so, before we departed on our travels.

Come the time for departure, in the AM, the dreaded injection system failure warning light appeared.

Reading the hand book advised me to drive slowly to nearest Fiat dealer, or words to that effect.

I thought that I would contact my breakdown insurance company for advice before I did anything.

They advised that they would organise a breakdown truck to visit us on the camp site.

They arrived in double quick time, and the very nice mechanic carried out a test with his magic electronic tool, . . . . . . which was of course calibrated in French.

He advised that we should "Suivez-moi, lentement, jusqu'au garage".

The verdict of the chaps at the dealership was that, due to overfilling with oil, some damage had been done to one of the sensors on the exhaust system.

They replaced the sensor, and drained off some oil, I gave them some money, some of which I later reclaimed, and we carried on our merry way.

I am still unconvinced as to the accuracy of the diagnosis, with regard to the oil level being too high, as it wasn't, but I was not going to argue, not in French anyway.

In a later communication with Fiat customer relations, concerning the five times that I had the dashboard instrument cluster replaced, I mentioned the warning light issue and the very nice people at Fiat gave me some money. I still do not know if it was for the inconvenience of the 5 dash-pods, or for the bum info given by their dealership, . . . but needless to say I accepted it gratefully.

 

[Gingernuts]

2.2 2012 Citreon Relay.

2012 citroen relay 2.2 is a ford puma engine!
its known for injector and oil pump problems. Dip the oil with the dipstick and smell the oil, if it smells of diesel the injectors are your problem! Also check the oil quantity on the dip stick to verify this. Too much oil = added diesel!!!!

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[Lumpy]

Well, I had a plan of action sorted for this morning we woke and my wife was feeling a little better so thought I would call the breakdown and try to get them to call the garage that yodli had found for us but.......my tracker told me our van is now in Boudeaux !!!
So I call the breakdown and indeed that is where it has been taken. At least something is happening at last, we just have to wait now for the outcome. Lets hope its not too painfull.
Ray