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I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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Striker
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Jan 20, 2013, 4:42 PM
Post #1 of 16
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I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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I just put an engine with 4000 miles in my Hyundai Elantra. 3 months later my belt broke and the car over heated. The mechanic said it was a blown head gasket and was only getting compression from three of the for cylinders and they tried to convince me to change the engine right away.
From experience I told them to just redo the top of the engine for $800. They change the heads and now they are saying that they are not getting any compression out of the SAME 3 out of 4 cylinders.......what's wrong are they lying about fixing the top half of the motor to get another $1400 to put an engine in or could they be telling the truth?? Plus.....should I still have to pay for them redoing the top half of I don't even have proof that they even did that??
(This post was edited by Striker on Jan 20, 2013, 5:08 PM)
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Sidom
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Jan 20, 2013, 5:06 PM
Post #2 of 16
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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A little more detail would be good....How bad did you overheat this??? Until the engine died?? Whats the story behind the head getting replaced??? Did they run a leakdown test on this & see where the compression is going???
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Striker
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Jan 20, 2013, 5:32 PM
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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First.....the experience I have is that I am a certified mechanic but I lost my hand in a car accident so I can't do any work on my own car no more. Second this is a brand new shop that just opened up and as soon as I walked in before I even told them the problem they were suggesting a new engine. I too I took my car there because it was the closest place to take it seeing it had to get off of the freeway before it got towed so I was willing to give them a try since ie was close to my house. Any other non related questions??
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jan 20, 2013, 5:35 PM
Post #5 of 16
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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Yeah, what did they find when they took the heads off? Did you ask?
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Striker
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Jan 20, 2013, 5:37 PM
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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Sidom- With the car overheated I didn't see the temperature gauge up so yes the engine did stall after I pulled over. It turned over but I didn't start it because I didn't want to do any serious damage. 3 months ago and it only had 4000 miles on it. It didn't start smoking or anything....just clunked out. I didn't ask them about the leak down test but it was just so weird that the same 3 cylinders weren't getting compression.
(This post was edited by Striker on Jan 20, 2013, 5:44 PM)
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Striker
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Jan 20, 2013, 5:41 PM
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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Yeah I asked..... 1 of my lifters were chips and one of the walls were a little warped but that was it....nothing else was wrong with it.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jan 20, 2013, 5:41 PM
Post #8 of 16
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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I didn't ask about a leak down test. They just had the heads off the car and hopefully sent them to a machine shop for testing. they also got to see the cylinder walls so what did they find?
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Sidom
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Jan 20, 2013, 5:43 PM
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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From experience I told them to just redo the top of the engine Ok....that a little more.....There are a few gaps I'm going to fill in......I'm going to assume the low mileage engine you put in was overheated to the point that engine damage was done...... From your statement, I take it you told them what you wanted done without them fully checking it out.....and thats fine, some shops will just do what the customer wants but there is a risk involved with that......When you don't let them run all the tests they want,,,then things can get missed... It's quite posssible the rings in this engine were damaged and this is where your compressions is going....I don't know I'm not there.. In your post, you say this is a "4000" mile engine.....which is good, a nice low mile motor......The problem is,,,,,,when you overheat an engine badly....it can be a 10 mile engine and it takes out the whole engine......The mileage at this point is meaningless.....What matters is how much damage was done...There are some tests they could've run, compression tests, leakdown tests but all these tests take time to run, they aren't going to do these for free.....So if they have a customer that just wants a head gasket put on their engine and doesn't want to run the other tests,,,,,,,Then the customer has assumed the role of diag tech and the shop is just the r&r tech.....all misdiagnosises fall back on the diag tech.... This is just one scenairo from a post with limited detail......Like I said some shops will just go with what the customer wants, due to the customer,, 1st "knowing" what is wrong & 2ndly not wanting to pay for additional testing (you really can't expect a shop to do this for free......right????). It a dangerous way to do business because when the customer is wrong (made a misdiagnosis) then that is when things get tough.....Work has been done and problems have been missed.... In a nut shell.....Its best when you go into a shop is tell them.....I don't know what wrong....you tell me whats wrong.......
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Striker
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Jan 20, 2013, 5:52 PM
Post #10 of 16
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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Sidom- I didn't expect them to do any of the work for free I left my car there for a whole week for them to run test on it but before I even left the shop they were telling me I need a new engine without running any test so yes I did it leave it for them to run all the test they needed to run. I was a mechanic for 15 years before my accident so it's not like I'm some Joe Schmo coming in off of the street telling a certified mechanic what to do. There and their test and that's what they said. They're the ones that gave me the option to just replace the top half or get a whole new engine. what was the best thing we could d for not a lot o for not a lot of money. So they did their test and those are the options that they gave me.
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Striker
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Jan 20, 2013, 5:59 PM
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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That reply was for Sidom. They said that they sent it off to a machine shop with 200 dollar on with 200 dollar on it but no info but no information about my car on it. They said 1 of my walls was warped a little bit and that was it. They said they got it back..... and still didn't get any compression from the same 3 cylinders that they tested before I even left the before I even left the shop when I dropped it off. I asked them to take the top half of so that I can see the work that was done but they refused and that's why I think they're not telling me the truth.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jan 20, 2013, 6:10 PM
Post #12 of 16
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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You expected them to disassemble the top of the engine again for free? I'm starting to see the real picture here.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Sidom
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Jan 20, 2013, 6:19 PM
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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Ok....Now you are filling in the gaps for me that I (incorrectly) filled in.....It helps that you have been in the field,,,,so you know what I'm talking about....
So you did leave them the car & said........Tell me whats wrong....... That puts the ball back in their court.....Most engines that got overheated so bad that they shut down, I would be tempted to just put a motor in it.....That's probably where the statement came from before you left the shop...
When they came back & gave you both options....Then that means, in their option the bottom end was salvagable....I guess the bad thing here was the low miles....If this had 100k or more on it they probably never would of given you the option for the head repair.....
I guess what you need to know now is.....where is the compression going....it would be nice if the tech just got the T belt off & it was an easy fix but since they are the "diag tech"....Then it's up to them to make it good.....If the bottom end is bad, this is where it gets tough....You shouldn't have to pay for a complete new engine due to the top end work that has already been paid for....on the other side there would be some extra money needed because I guarantee the top end estimate was way cheaper than the new engine....So if it was a problem their intial diagnosis missed,,,,,then it's up to them to work out a deal with you to make it right....
Lets find out where the compression is going.....Man it would be nice if the timing belt was just off with no valve damage....that would be a quick easy fix
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Striker
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Jan 20, 2013, 6:36 PM
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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When I took the car in and they did the compression test they did it in 5 minutes so yes I did expect them to take 5 min out of their time to take the top back off of it and show me what they did especially seen that they couldn't show me the parts that they took off right then and there!! So you're REAL picture of nothing more than a mirage!!
(This post was edited by Striker on Jan 20, 2013, 6:49 PM)
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Striker
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Jan 20, 2013, 6:46 PM
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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Sidom- You totally get where I'm coming from and what I'm saying. I left the car wit I left the car with them 2 weeks ago and the and they just told me this yesterday afternoon. They wouldn't show me the parts that they took out and replaced and they wouldn't show me what they did it all they can say is that you need a new engine.
Come to think of it they didn't say anything about the rings and that totally slipped my mind. I specifically said "my car overheated and shut down on me.... I need you guys to tell me what's the matter with my engine and that's when they took the top of real quick and then a compression test and gave me the 2 options.
I will go up there tomorrow and ask them where is the compression going and have them check the timing belt and things of that nature. Thanks for your help and understanding.
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Sidom
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Jan 20, 2013, 7:08 PM
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Re: I think these Mechanics are pulling my chain!!¡¡
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Thats the main thing.....What's up with the compression...
With the head work, there really isn't going to be to many parts to show other than some gaskets, a few belts, pump & couple of pulley AND of course the one time you need the old parts is one of the rare times the installer actually cleaned the shop without being told to and now the old parts are in the trash (which just got picked up).....Tell me that's never happened to you.......
Just go in there & be cool....keep your composure..be firm.....I'm sure their "circling the wagons" right now........If everyone keeps their cool....than a deal can be made.......If this get to a p*ssing contest......then it will probaly wind up in court.....
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