Hi guys,
Wife's car (Ford S-Max) has had an oil leak for a few months. I only noticed it when I was changing the oil and I took the undertray off to get at the sump plug so the car wasn't making a mess or anything at that point. I kept checking the oil level and it was fine for a few months until recently where it now seems to be leaving a small patch whenever it's parked up. It only seems to do it when the engine is warm, so either seems to be because the oil is still settling or because it's thinner due to being hot. I'm not entirely sure where it's coming from but it's not at the bottom of the engine or the sump area unfortunately as that would've been an easier fix.
Anyway, I had it in with a local Ford specialist a while ago and they basically said that the engine had been apart at some point and that whoever had put it back together again had done a poor job with the sealant around the various bits of the engine. Also meaning that it's leaking from more than just one place. They said that it would be a lot of labour to take the engine out, strip it down, redo the sealant and whatever gaskets need changing and basically seemed to imply that it wouldn't really be worth the effort.
As such, and due to the fact she wants a change of car and no longer really needs a 7 seater anyway, I think it's best we get rid of it. Obviously I don't want to shaft anyone so I'm not going to be lying about anything or misleading anyone but I want to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to maximise what I'd get from a car with an issue like this. It's absolutely fine other than the oil leak - it drives fine and everything works, so surely there's got to be a good way to offload it without doing anyone over. Any thoughts?
TLDR - car (Ford S-Max) has an oil leak that doesn't have a simple/cheap fix, it needs topping up with 200-250ml every 400 miles or so, how can I sell it without shafting anyone?
Wife's car (Ford S-Max) has had an oil leak for a few months. I only noticed it when I was changing the oil and I took the undertray off to get at the sump plug so the car wasn't making a mess or anything at that point. I kept checking the oil level and it was fine for a few months until recently where it now seems to be leaving a small patch whenever it's parked up. It only seems to do it when the engine is warm, so either seems to be because the oil is still settling or because it's thinner due to being hot. I'm not entirely sure where it's coming from but it's not at the bottom of the engine or the sump area unfortunately as that would've been an easier fix.
Anyway, I had it in with a local Ford specialist a while ago and they basically said that the engine had been apart at some point and that whoever had put it back together again had done a poor job with the sealant around the various bits of the engine. Also meaning that it's leaking from more than just one place. They said that it would be a lot of labour to take the engine out, strip it down, redo the sealant and whatever gaskets need changing and basically seemed to imply that it wouldn't really be worth the effort.
As such, and due to the fact she wants a change of car and no longer really needs a 7 seater anyway, I think it's best we get rid of it. Obviously I don't want to shaft anyone so I'm not going to be lying about anything or misleading anyone but I want to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to maximise what I'd get from a car with an issue like this. It's absolutely fine other than the oil leak - it drives fine and everything works, so surely there's got to be a good way to offload it without doing anyone over. Any thoughts?
TLDR - car (Ford S-Max) has an oil leak that doesn't have a simple/cheap fix, it needs topping up with 200-250ml every 400 miles or so, how can I sell it without shafting anyone?
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