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need advice on this situation please

minitsbay

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pics added in post #29


hi guys

i have a 1998 vt commodore v6 have owned the car for 10 years always servced no major problems until now

i was advised the intake manifold gasket was leaking by mechanic fair enough car has 200k on the clock so be worth doing anyways so book it in to have it done we dropped it in on thursday arvo it and we picked it up friday arvo cost was $489.00 parts and labour.

now to the problem my mrs drove the car home from the mechanic 1.2km when we got home i pulled up behind her and to my shock the car sounded like a bloody truck to me it sounds like piston slap or something i told her to turn the car off i tried ringing the mechanic but no one answered so went back out to the car tried to start it and it wouldnt start the enging was hard to crank over (like a dead battery) but battery wasnt dead.

i went and tried mechanic again he answered i told him what happened he said he would send someone around in 10 mins to have a look at it which i thought great

30 mins later no one turned up i had to go pick up me kid from school so left the mrs there by time i got back he still hadnt showed up so i tried to start the car again it spat and farted like it wanted to start so i held the throttle open and eventually it started

the car shakes like hell and theres a loud slap knocking sound coming from the motor gets louder with higher rpms i turned it off again as i dont want to damage it anyways the mechanics turn up jump in it start it up here the sound and say hmmm bit wierd they check the oil and water say oil is bit low but not low enough to cause dramas to them it sounds like the timing is out i said no its not and they just stared at me said ok we will take it back down the workshop and check it out

i said fine as by this time my mrs was late for work the only other car we have is a manual she cant drive it so i had to take her i said to them i have to go here is a key i cant wait around exspecting them to get a flatbed or something but they jump in it start it up drive it down the work shop

this all ahppened last friday


now i went down there yesterday as i heard nothing from them i understand we have had a long weekend and stuff but still could of rang me tuesday arvo wednesday sometime anyway spoke to them they tell me it has low oil pressure he think the oil pickup may be blocked but wont know until he pulls the sump off he said he changed the oil and filter and it did pick up some pressure he seems to think there might be some sludge in the bottom of the sump from solvent used i pressume he means solvents from cleaning the intake manifold

i said to him to me it sounds like its thrown a piston or something he reckons nah sounds different


my question is

what do you guys think about this

is he responsible to fix it

should it cost me anything

if i have dramas getting him to repair it who can i consult im in nsw


just so you know the car was running fine except form having to add a bit of water here and there

sorry about the long write up
 
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acarmody

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I wouldn't be using any mechainc that charges you damn near $500 for an intake manifold gasket. I put a whole new intake manifold on my car with new gaskets and it took my like 3 hours, if a mechanic can't do it in less time than stuff him. The gasket costs (I think) less than $100 with the two gaskets and the 2 end runner things.
 

minitsbay

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I wouldn't be using any mechainc that charges you damn near $500 for an intake manifold gasket. I put a whole new intake manifold on my car with new gaskets and it took my like 3 hours, if a mechanic can't do it in less time than stuff him. The gasket costs (I think) less than $100 with the two gaskets and the 2 end runner things.

rates around here for the job vary between $400.00 up to $670.00


mate

thats all well and good but doesnt help my current situation

i would usually do the work myself but due to a recent medical condition (blood clot on the brain) whcih in turn is putting pressure on my optic nerves my vision is not the best at the moment

so please if there is any advice can it just be on the situation im currently stuck in

thsnks
 

pablo

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Is he a NRMA approved mechanic? This is why it pays to belong to a motoring club, like RAA, RACV NRMA and what ever is in the other states. They would be the first to contact after the bloke who did the job. Check with your local Department of Consumer Affairs, they will tell (should) which course of action to take.

I am wondering if they dropped a bolt/nut or something else down the intake and didn't notice it?
 

minitsbay

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he is a nrma approved workshop

i was thinking same there dropped something down there

also just wondering if it would be common practice to change fluids during intake gasket change over collant and oil me personaly would do both

i just have a feeling he is going to try and pull a "we worked on top of motor now bottom of motor is broke crap on me"
 

Not_An_Abba_Fan

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It may be some crap from the old intake manifold gasket that has blocked the pickup on the pump. Either way, the problem didn't start until after he had worked on it, so he should cover the cost of fixing it. But with most things mechanical, it would be hard to prove that what he did has caused the problem.
 

pablo

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Well, if you think the engine has been damaged by this 'mechanic', write up a diary with time and dates detailing what was said between both sides. Notify the NRMA about what has transpired between this 'approved ' workshop, and yourself, and when you do this ,join up at the same time. Being a member, they will (should) investigate your concerns.
 

delcowizzid

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if it was hard to turn over and spluttered a lot ide say it had water getting into a cylinder still after they fixed it. they might have not put the gasket on right and its been leaking or theyve let water get in there when they pulled it down and cranked it and bent a rod or damaged a bearing from the extreme pressure from trying to compress water even with a blocked pickup it will still turn over easy.dont let them screw ya for any major bottom end damage especially after they drove it back to the shop LOL if anything they have done the damage
 

danja

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also just wondering if it would be common practice to change fluids during intake gasket change over collant and oil me personaly would do both

You should drain some coolant out, don't have to drop the whole lot. Oil can stay in too.

A conscientious person would probably change fluids, but this is a business we're talking about :p

Delcowizard might be on the money with his theory.
 

spirto

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If they dropped something into the inlets like a bolt, nut etc it could have damaged a valve, or dropped into the top of the piston bending the valve on the top of the piston.

Also might be a case of a sensor not being connected? or even a blocked or faulty injector. It kinda sounds sus, they aren't a hard car to repair.

I'd follow what the rest is saying get someone like RAA, etc to investigate as they will have qualified mechanics that they can send out to do a check. Even though most of us know this job to be easy not alot of us have the little piece of paper saying we know what we are doing and have been tested.

Keep us posted.
Best of luck
 
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