Here's my problem, I admit to having limited knowledge in the area of cars. Here's my sorry story. I smelled whiff of antifreeze and took my 98 Cavalier in for service. The shop did a pressure test, found nothing, but said at 100,049 miles, a flush and fill and a new serpentine belt seemed in order.
Two days later -- I overheated. It was about 4 minutes before I could pull off the highway safely. The car was flat-bedded back to the shop. Ok put in a new thermostat. There was a temperature differential in the top and bottom hoses --so we put in a new water pump. Despite getting plenty of flow, the engine overheated as soon as the shop tried to road test it, but the tests for hydrocarbons in the cooling system was negative. The shop thought there may be air in the cooling system, but did not have the TSB on how to "burp" it.
OK -- flat bed to the dealer. $400 to disassemble the engine to find the head gasket and cylinder head check out OK. But they tell me I need a new engine.
I admit to not knowing a lot, but I do not understand how my the heater core, radiator, thermostat, water pump, head gasket and cylinder head can be OK and still "need a new engine." The dealer tells me there are "micro cracks that can not be seen." This strikes me as "the check is in the mail..." and similar statements.
Is my dealer blowing smoke? Should I put in the new engine? I hate to add $3,000 bucks of debt to my life right now if there are other alternatives.
Maria
take it somewhere else....never hurts to have a couple opinions
Normally, that is what I would do, but how do I move a car that is now in pieces?
Maria
They change the head gasket, water pump, thermostat and "check" the head and it's still overheating? Does it still leak? if it doesn't, check the radiator.
I've never seen a 2.2/2.4 block crack because of heat, I've seen them crack because of freezing but not because of heat. They are giving you some BS to get more money from you.
If the cylinder walls were cracked, you would have low compression and it would run like crap. If the exterior wall of the engine were cracked, it would spit coolant everywhere really fast. Plus they did a pressure test wich would have confirm that the wall were cracked.
Btw, a temperature differantial between the bottom hose and the top hose is normal. The bottom hose is coolant that as been cool down so it will be cooler than the top one coming from the engine. I would get a refund for that or beat the hell out of the service manager.
They've put coolant but don't know how to get rid of a damn bubble? They're giving you alot of crap. Check the coolant level to be sure you have enough.
If they can't find the problem, you shouldn't pay. You don't have to pay if they don't repair the problem.
Gilles
2.3 Ho
well said, dont pay until they explain and show you what the problem is..... sounds like they['re jumping the gun on you
At my Saturn dealership, We have had to replace two ecotec heads for having small porous holes in the aluminum. I've never eard of the block having cracks. If it's an ecotec.
I agree in getting 2nd opinion.
It's not an eco, he said it's a 98 cav.. Probably the 2.4.. Which is an iron block, isn't it? I hardly doubt it's cracked.. They probably don't know why it's overheating, so instead of reasearching it some more, they just want to put in a new engine.. Morons.. Burn their place down and take your engine to someone else.
Dark blue 2002 Z24, 2.4 Ltr.
