Advise urgently needed! Please help!

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Hello everyone,

I've owned a 06reg Ford Transit Luton Dropwell 135T350 2.4TDCI RWD for more than 8 years. The vehicle has only had light use and it's been regularly serviced and well looked after. It has 114000 miles on the clock, mainly doing long distance runs in Europe, and apart for refurbishing the fuel pump and gear box a few years ago, I've had no major dramas with it. It's been a solid runner and a trusted and reliable van.

My nightmare started last summer when the engine of my van was badly damaged after being towed in Paris by the French Police. (Head shaft cracked, distribution chain, valves, engine sensors, rocker cover need raplacing).

The vehicle was running like dream on the way to Paris. It was legally parked (it was most probably left in gear with a handbreak on). However, the next morning the Police decided to clear the whole street of all the cars due to a mass demonstration in the area. When I was reuinited with my van, it wouldn't start, so I called RAC for assistance.

The RAC contractor loaded the vehicle on a flat bed truck and took it to a garage outside of Paris to diagnose the problems. The next day they called me to say that two engine sensors needed replacing and estimated the cost of the repair to be Euros299. That however didn't solve it, and as they discovered other major faults over the next few weeks the estimate rocketed to 3800Euros. At this point I had a call from RAC France who formally announced that repatriation of the vehicle under their cover would not be possible, as the vehicle exceeds the maximum length allowed by the policy. I was given a choice, either to pay the garage 3800E for the repair or pay the same garage 2000E to repatriate the vehicle.

I decided to file a compensation claim with the Police directly and start a separate claim through my motor Insurance. I was advised to keep the vehicle in France pending investigation, which is still ongoing.

The Police have refused to accept liability for the damage, as they claim to have used the correct method to move my van and that the damage found could not have been caused by towing. The vehicle was raised from the front by a dolly truck and small trolley wheels were supposedly placed under the back wheels when it was moved. According to them, the back wheels were not in touch with the ground.

However, I strongly believe that they omitted to take into account the extremely low ground clearance of my van. It has an extra long dropwell part (min. 1m from the rear wheel to the end of the box ), with the rear bottom edge only about 25cm from the ground when unladen. To make the matters worse there was an unsecured load of around 20 boxes which all slid backwards during transit, pushing the rear bottom edge even closer to the ground.

What is the most likely cause for the damage sustained in your opinion?

What would happen if the back of the dropwell was dragging and jumping on the bumpy ground as the vehicle was raised from the front ? Could this be the cause of the damage ?

My Insurers investigation has been totally insufficient. The only evidence they have used is the Police Investigator's report and they seem totally reluctant to challenge the Police. On top of me losing several thousands due to not having my van for the last five months they seem to think it is OK that I write off the whole van and more than £5K it's worth!?

How do I prove to them that the damage was not accidental or a mechanical failure due to wear and tear. They have asked me to get an Independant Mechanic's opinion.

Please advise! Many thanks in advance

[whitemice]

Timing chain slipped if your van was moved when in gear ----- no oil pressure for tensioner when engine not running.
Lot of info and tales of woe on here after damage caused to engines by bump starting.
Ake has advice if it must be done
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=141576

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Thanks very much for your reply. It's much appreciated!

[loot]

In gear with the handbrake on and being dragged probably won't be fast enough to jump the chain.

[Altransit]

Depending on which gear it was left in .......................... the engine may have been turned backwards