Bought a car and 100 miles later the head is bad.

[nixtux]

Not sure what to do with it. 99 Alero. Picked it up Monday. Originally it just
blew the coolant from the heater core line from where the thrermostat is. It
appears it wasn't bolted down. Not sure if it's a good thing that it blew out
or not. Granted it caught my attention early so I pulled over right away
before it got hot. I finished taking my truck to storage and had a friend drive
me back with coolant and we put the outlet back in place. Drove a few miles
and no heat so pulled over and had it towed back to my house. At that
point I figured the water pump so I replaced the pump. Once I got the old
pump off it was clear that it wasn't the issue. So put the new pump on and
had it towed to a shop to get pressure checked.


They said there is coolant getting into the oil so clearly there is either a
gasket issue whether they were improperly torqued or a warped head. But
without taking it to a machine shop it's not know.

The guy i bought it from said he had the heads pressure checked before
he put them back on.

I was quoted $1,700 to get this fixed and I hadn't even drove the car 100
miles!

For $1,700, I can get a transmission with 12k and a motor with around
40-60k and get them put in the car.

I guess I'm trying to figure out if I got scammed on this or not. The shop
said they couldn't tell if there was any stop leak or not. And since about
a gallon of coolant sprayed out when the heater core line blew out the
evidence could have went with it. I didn't notice any residue in the tank
nor did the shop.

The car itself is in decent shape, it handles really nice. It reminds me of
my intrepid the way the steering is. It has decent alignment and drove
straight. Only has a little rust on the rear which I think could be cheaply
repaired. Various nicks and the likes but overall decent shape. The interior
is leather and in fair condition. I haven't had a chance to clean it since
the car crapped the second day I had it.


I had hoped it would last 10-15k before anything serious cropped and you
would think it would. 100 miles seems a bit shady IMO.

I don't know if I should just fix it or make the guy give me my money back.

I'd welcome some advice here since I've never been in this position before.
I don't even know what rights I have on this. it wasn't terribly expensive
but it still amounts to paying more than $13/mile. My Cutlass and Intrepid
cost me about .05-6/mile after everything which is decent I believe.

I wanted to get a Buick Ultra but I have no credit so I figured instead of
dropped 5000 or so on a newer Buick I'd buy a cheaper car and use the
extra cash and get a secured card to start building credit. Obviously
this issue is going to take most my reserves and gets me thinking that the
Buick is looking pretty nice since that my goal was to get a really nice Buick.

All used cars I've had lasted between 40-60,000 before something cropped.
I had a transmission on my Cutlass and Intrepid. Otherwise nothing except
a water pump and alternator. It just doesn't seem like it's probable that
it would break down even though the heads were checked and deemed
good and put back on with new gaskets before I got it.

[Firehawk94]

Does your state have a lemon law in place? I know that Georgia has one in place and the way it works is if you have only owned your car for a certain amount of time and it takes a crap on you, you can file a dispute with the dealer and by law the dealer is required to take the car back. Im not sure of the specific stipulations so I am merely just trying to point you in the right direction. I hope this helps you a bit.

[nixtux]

There is a 30 day lemon law but I bought it from a private seller and it looks like I'm going
to have to bite it. I guess I'll just make the most of it and try to get something put
together that will make it last.

I figured since the top-end had been went through it would last a bit. I can see on the
car fax that the dealer replaced the U/LIM and gaskets at 96,000. And the seller said
he had the heads tested and new gaskets put in prior to selling it. I assume he did it
himself.

I found a 2005 Grand Am 4t45e with 12k on it and there is always 3400's with between
30-60k on them. The shop I found can reprogram the computer which is really cool.
I think it will work out.

I just need to put together a mods list before I have the new motor put in. Simple
stuff that the shop can do with little trouble but will provide improvements.

I guess this probably isn't the place to inquire though.

But any advice would be welcomed.

Is there shift-kits for 4t45e's? Would it benefit from a different stall-converter?
A good place to get quality headers? Custom headers can either be good or junk.

I'd probably say I can swing an extra 1000-1500 in additional parts in addition to the
1700 for the motor/trans and install.

Thanks

[bszopi]

Why are you wanting to replace the trans? If you are only having engine issues, it only makes sense to fix/replace the engine. Would save a bunch of money as well.

[nixtux]

The car has 220,000 and I don't know when/if the transmission was
replaced. Why not have it replaced when the engine is out? The guy I talked
to said it would only be an extra 100-200. That seems reasonable. He can
also reprogram the computer for the different transmission.

The transmission is a 4t45e from a 2005 Grand Am GT with 12k. That'll last
a long time. Longer than I'm going to have the vehicle.

Why are you wanting to replace the trans? If you are only having engine issues, it only makes sense to fix/replace the engine. Would save a bunch of money as well.

[pocket-rocket]

I would call the guy back and see what he would do to settle up with you. If he doesn't want to help, I'm sure a small claims court would rule in your favor seeing the mileage/days you used the car till it took a crap on you. It does sound awfully shady.

[nixtux]

I'm just doing a new transmission and motor on it. The guy hasn't replied to my modest email. I believe he did a stop leak on it and sold it to me. I have no proof short of having the heads pulled off for residue. I don't know how to and
the shop I talked to quoted me 13hrs of labor to do it.

I just want something that does better than 3MPG in town and more than 7MPG highway. My truck doesn't. It's expensive to visit my parents. This asshole deserves a kick in the face but I don't want to go to jail over it.

So I'll fix the car and be done with it. Maybe a lawsuit would resolve it but I don't have the fucking time for that shit. My truck blew out a gasket because it's a high compression engine. I don't know what to do other than fix this and be done with it. My options are limited. I can save up for a couple months and buy a car or fix this car inside of 3 weeks. Fuck I hate people. I have no credit and I'm getting fucked in the ass by smelly cunts
It's lame, they should be ashamed, and they deserve a foot to their face but I don't want to go to jail so they are lucky.

The day ends, I'll fix it, and get more drunk because this shit pisses me off so much that all I want is to get drunk. I can't afford this shit. I've been saving to try and build credit and now I have nothing. Fuck people, I hate them. Credit is bullshit. I make more than people with good credit and I get fucked. Whatever. I don't care. I just want to be able to visit my mom without having to get less than 8MPG and everytime I try I'm in this spot. My Cutlass, bless her soul, was the best car I've ever had. I miss her. I had to sell her because I couldn't get a hand to get the tranny and engine in before I had to move. Fucking cities and annexing homes for strip-malls. I had to sell my favorite car because of them. Is it so much to want to visit your parents without having to fillup every 100 miles! Get a car that won't break down before you adapt to the steering! The best vehicle I have had was the truck. I'm compression testing it this weekend and as long as a o-ring didn't pop, I'll just rebuild from the head. If a o-ring did, I think I'll sell the old 73. She's the elder trusty to me while my Cutlass was old trusty.

It's still a gem. less than 17k on a rebuild. But it fucked me the same day this car went. Fucking 300 in towing between the two is bullshit!

Fuck it, I just want this car to last and is that so much to ask!

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

99, eh? well.. if i was you, i would head down to your local tool store and buy some basic mechanics hands tools, if you dont have them already, get a $20 repair manual from the same store, and go to your local junk yard and learn how to get it off there... then repeat, then reverse process. and voila. car is fixed and you learned something, plus got some tools for the same price as paying someone to fix the car for you.


IF youre stuck with it.

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

oh yeah, and if the guy sold it from his house, walk by it late one night with a bottle of brake fluid in your pocket.

dump it on his car.

not too late though. it has to sit on there for a little while. for a faster effect that you could accomplish in 10 mins. -aircraft stripper. omfg that shit is NUTS for killing paint. though the brake fluid makes it harder to paint afterwards.

[pocket-rocket]

13 hours to pull a set of heads? I had a 3400 block with a rotating assembly when I started one day. 13 hours later I had a complete engine bolted to the transmission in a Pontiac minivan that was just short a starter, coolant and was waiting on me to finish plugging stuff back in. That does suck though, man. I see exactly where you are coming from and I feel for you. I wish there were something I could do to help. Just think. One day this cornhole will screw over the wrong person and they will do the job you wanted

[Raffaelli]

[QUOTE=nixtux;401511]
......the car crapped the second day I had it.


QUOTE]

Dont feel bad, I blew up my solid running Gen 1 Integra the second day I got it too.... K20A1 swap and everything, aireated the block.

Back in the good ole days

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

there probably arent alot of mustang fans (here), so some people at least should get some kicks out of this...

a girl i worked with bought a BRAND NEW 2002 Mustang ragtop. 2nd day out with 260km on the clock she blew the motor. i guess a brand new motor wasnt made to be redlined with every shift..?

[onefastV6]

The car has 220,000 miles on it, it was a ticking time bomb.
Did you have the vehicle inspected before the purchase?

When a car is 10 years old with that many miles, anything can happen at any time.

[Raffaelli]

My old boss told me a story one time... (Mr. Goodwrench for 30+ years, Indpt. Shop owner)

He told me back in the day, GM, Ford, and Chrysler all had a stock engine showdown. Best factory part engines put together for the occasion.

They ran em flat out at WOT. None of them made it to 24 hrs. 426 Hemi was the last to shell....

His morale of the story, anytime your foot is on that floor, that 24 hr stopwatch is counting down to catastrophic engine failure. Makes sense to me.

After all RPMs = Ruin Peoples Motors

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

that kinda makes sense, even if it isnt true, the showdown. but the theory holds truth. every time you punch the throttle youre taking away from the life of your engine, and sooner and sooner you will need a rebuild. everything mechanical is subject to failure. eventually. the faster you make it do what it does, the sooner it will stop doing it.