Can you wait till they have a definite answer on the damage before paying any excess.  If it works out at £795 it could be worth just paying it.  If more (new engine, etc.) then get insurance involved.  It's not an accident with another party so no need to declare to insurance if you are paying for the repair.  Just a thought.

I notified my insurance company, so it's done, as I also needed a hire car to get around and that comes with my insurance policy. 

 

No date for start or completion yet either. 

 

Still I got a nice Nissan Qasqai which is a bit gutless, but very comfortable. 

Edited 2 March, 20215 yr by TheWanderer

2 hours ago, TheWanderer said:

But if the worst comes to the worst, then I won't lose my NCB completely, I will still have some left.

 

Pays your money takes your choice as the saying goes. I have never paid for NCB protection, working on the basis that I never claim! When the deer brought about a total loss claim and reduction of NCB, I had to remind myself that I had been saving money every year to pay for the increased in premium because of discount reduction. Either way, it's not great for your bank balance and I still feel a bit hard done by!

 

Enjoy the Kumquat and I hope your car gets fixed pronto.

So I. I miss the grunt of my RS.

 

But I'm afraid that I'm thinking that this may well be my last Skoda, I'm looking at the BMW 128Ti and thinking that's very nice. I don't need an Octavia sized car anymore, this one has been a RPITA with all of its faults and now this (OK, my fault for thinking it was an empty builders bag), just need to raise £11k for financing the new one. 

Being the eternal pessimist, I wouldn't be surprised if the insurance claim is rejected. At the very least, its an at fault claim which will mean changing insurers at renewal will lead to a significantly higher premium. Your premium will be increased with your existing insurer regardless of NCD.

 

The simple fact is you continued to drive on after the accident and so caused further more costly damage, and you were fully aware of that probability. That would most likely result in the claim being rejected, (its a standard exclusion) especially if its an expensive engine repair, with all the baggage that can add onto your record.

 

Too late now, hope I'm wrong, fingers crossed.

I wasn't aware of any issues regarding the oil system until I was about 500-600 yards from home, the stupid car never alerted me to any issues until I was on a hill, then it was a simple case of letting the car coast down hill and part of the way up the next one. So don't put words in my mouth. 

 

I have been honest and 100% truthful about the incident. I'm expecting an increase in my insurance as I do each year.

 

Anyway when I spoke to a technician about it he was just as surprised as I was that it didn't alert me sooner. I've never known a car to do such a thing, the last one instantly alerted me when I didn't put the oil filler cap back on properly!

 

Like I said, if they say it needs a new engine then I'll bring in an independent engineer to confirm it, but as I haven't got £8k for a new engine it'll go off to the scrapyard and bloody good riddance IMO. 

Edited 2 March, 20215 yr by TheWanderer

20 minutes ago, xman said:

I wouldn't be surprised if the insurance claim is rejected.

On what basis? it's accidental damage that is covered under the policy. They might ask for a contribution if a new engine is required and betterment occurs, but other than that it'll just be paying the excess.

With courtesy car included and the potential for a more costly bill you have probably done the right thing declaring it. I have always tried to pay for damage myself even in an accident so it's my default go to.

At the end of the day, if I declare it, they cannot accuse me of being dishonest and cannot penalise for that. Yes, I know that in all likelihood that my insurance will go up, I accept that fact. 

 

My insurance policy is fully comprehensive and covers accidental damage, so it's covered. 

 

What I object to is people saying that I knew that my car was significantly damaged and I drove it knowingly so. I DID NOT. 

 

Also if the car's management system is so bloody clever why did it not flag up the fault immediately?

 

Instead it only told me that my engine oil system was seriously compromised when I reached a hill when I was almost home, where, when I parked it, it  continued to drop a good 1½ litres of oil on my drive?

 

It has to be asked why are they using a plastic sump? It should be metal as it's exposed to all sorts of conditions, stone chips etc. 💩 design. 

Are oil sump are seriously made from plastic? I got a bit disappointed!

Yep. Mine was.

 

I don't know what they're replacing it with. Hopefully with a metal one.

Just had a google about and found this company. If Skoda/Vag are really making sumps out of fragile plastic, then these will be invaluable to save your car from sump incidents.

 

https://www.sump-guard.co.uk/steel-sump-guard-for-the-protection-of-the-engine-and-the-gearbox-for-skoda-octavia-3-2013-2015

 

 

5 minutes ago, Westbury63 said:

Just had a google about and found this company. If Skoda/Vag are really making sumps out of fragile plastic, then these will be invaluable to save your car from sump incidents.

 

https://www.sump-guard.co.uk/steel-sump-guard-for-the-protection-of-the-engine-and-the-gearbox-for-skoda-octavia-3-2013-2015

 

 

Seems good, but it probably requires new bolts and and nuts as original ones are designed for plastic and cannot stand the metal plat weight, true? 

1 minute ago, Vahids said:

Seems good, but it probably requires new bolts and and nuts as original ones are designed for plastic and cannot stand the metal plat weight, true? 

 

Honestly don't know. I was surprised you could get a sump guard for an Octi. The firm have loads of the listed for various motors, so get in touch to find out! If you do fit one, let us know.

The person that is involved with making and selling Sump Guards was a member of Briskoda.

Just now, e-Roottoot said:

The person that is involved with making and selling Sump Guards was a member of Briskoda.

Good to know that. Might be useful if you know and mention the user id here

1 minute ago, e-Roottoot said:

The person that is involved with making and selling Sump Guards was a member of Briskoda.

 

That's excellent. I hope it's going very well for them.

That might reduce the amount of clearance under the car and consequently risk grounding on things like speed humps which you would normally clear with ease. 

 

However it maybe worth it. 

Edited 2 March, 20215 yr by TheWanderer

This is the one for mine.

 

https://www.sump-guard.co.uk/steel-sump-guard-for-the-protection-of-the-engine-and-the-gearbox-for-skoda-octavia-3-automatic-gearbox

 

£149.

 

Might have to get this next month, just need someone with a set of ramps so I can get it fitted. 

Edited 2 March, 20215 yr by TheWanderer

Whether someone alleges it was your fault or not it was as you say an accident, plenty of motorists get paid out for claims for new engines after driving through flood waters which to me is in most instances no accident but a voluntary act of stupidity.

 

You make a very good point about the hire car etc, if you are going to pay for fully comp (I am still act only insured) and protected NCB and have benefits like a hire car then you might just as well use them or not have them at all, its simply the numbers in your case that make one reflect on the decision, I'm sure even if there is no engine damage the bill will still be jacked up by a new undertray, oil level sensor, oil & filter change etc.

 

If it were me in my circumstances (and I recognise yours are very different), someone who works on his own vehicles and has a paranoic mistrust of the motor trade & accident repair outfits,  I would try to plug the hole enough to refill the sump to run the engine to test it, if all was well I would spend £100 on a steel sump and tell myself I have saved around £200, got a free oil change and an uprated sump as recompense for my lapse

 

 

The dwarf whose workmates tied him up in the builders bag says he is mighty pleased that your car had a plastic sump