Would you Adam an' Eve it?

I had to have some work done on my car, it's a $500 car, had it 7 months, Grand Am 3.1, had a fuel leak, got that and a few other minor problems like the engine ejecting all it's coolant on the way home from work.... tried to decide if it was worth fixing or getting another $500 car... wife talked me into fixing it.
$750 for new fuel tank etc.

That was about a month ago... yesterday it massively overheats and ejects all the engine coolant out of the radiator. Nice.

Quote:

New Rad +Labour
New Head Gasket + Labour ($80 per hour)

$1800. +Tax (13%)

Awesome.

So it took me all of about... oh , say 0.5 of a second to decide not to do that and cut my losses.
So, day off tomorrow and I'm going budget car hunting.
Kind of excited lol, but mad about my car.... but excited for new car :-D

Damn cars... gonna get a bloody horse.... or a new car tomorrow :-D

Damn horses.

 

I am from the old school of mechanics where we do not automatically replace a unit.

The rad is not a big problem, all you need is a spare rad cap, drill a hole in it and put a valve from a bicycle tyre in it then remove the rad from the car and block of the lower outlet, fill it with water and then with a bike pump start to build pressure until you see the leak, it is then a simple job just to braze the leak.

The head gasket is also easy if you have a little mechanical skill, if necessary whit down each step as you dis-assemble it then it is the reverse for re-assembly,

 

I can relate . . . I've bought many a used lemon in my younger days :-D

I have learned a few things to look for in a used vehicle though, which have saved me from most lemons. The best thing to do is take a used car you are considering buying to a trusted mechanic and have them give it a good "once over" . . . but there was a time I could not afford to do that - in fact could barely afford a vehicle at all, so I learned a few things to look out for.

My best advice is try to buy one from an individual . . . I have found you can get more for your dollar that way. Most people aren't out to screw you over, and will accept a fair offer on a vehicle. Ask the owner about any existing problems or suspected issues, and see what they say. Most people will be honest in their responses I have found . . . and the ones that try to hide something usually give themselves away.

Other suggestions: Test drive, test drive, test drive . . . Take the vehicle out on the interstate. Check for vibrations at various speeds. Vibrations can be as simple as a tire out of balance or as serious as a bearing about to fail. Take the car along a rural rode with a few bumps . . . how does the suspension handle it? While parked on a level surface, push down on each quarter of the car two or three times, setting up a bouncing motion. On the last push down, the quarter should pop up and stop bouncing almost immediately. If it bounces once or twice (or more!) it indicates the struts/shock absorbers need to be replaced. Start on one side of the car at the rear, and (carefully) push against the car a couple of times to one side, and see if it rocks or makes any clunking noises from the undercarriage - this can indicate worn axles or other parts with too much play in them.

Listen for noises while the engine is running. On a high mileage vehicle some "lifter chatter" is normal, and usually gets quieter as the engine warms up. A knocking sound can indicate poor combustion, engine overheating, and improper octane rating on the gas. A knocking can also indicate internal engine mechanical problems - especially if it increases with engine speed and intensifies with engine load. Looking for smoke goes without saying . . . blue is bad. Some black smoke on starting or on revving an engine could just be carbon deposits.

Take the vehicle to a concrete parking lot or other level area - let it sit while running, and allow it to get to operating temps to make sure the cooling system is working properly. Apply brakes and put it in gear for a few mins, like you were stopped at a stoplight. After 10 to 15 mins, pull up several feet and check the spot the car was sitting for leaking fluids (If running A/C water discharge is normal). If you see a few drips of oil after 15 mins that's not too bad (when talking about a $500 to $1500 used car). Often a can of stop-leak can take care of that for a good while (ditto small coolant and transmission leaks). Even if no leaks appear, look under the car with a flashlight for any "wet" areas on the motor, fluid pans, and radiator base.

With the engine off, check for worn, frayed, or cracked belts - easy to replace, but good to mention to the owner when discussing selling price. Check the battery terminals for abnormal amounts of corrosion that can indicate a leaking battery.

Sight down both sides of the vehicle . . . literally put your eye by a taillight and look all the way down the car. If it has been wrecked, often the "lines" will be off on one side or the other - this can be subtle, so take your time.

Pull the oil dipstick and smell the oil - gas smell is a bad sign . . . check the color of the oil. Dirty indicates the vehicle was not serviced properly but is not necessarily a deal breaker . . . a milky cast to the color indicates coolant seeping into the oil - walk away.

Kicking the tires is often considered a tired, old canard . . . but it does have its uses. Kicking a tire on the front or trailing side of the axle can clue you in to the condition of tie rods, bearings, etc. A kicked tire that wants to "give" like someone turned the steering wheel slightly indicates a potentially dangerous problem. Also, check the tires for uneven wear patterns . . . a tire worn more on the outer or inner edges indicates it is badly out of alignment - a correctable issue, but it does cost money.

Just some anecdotal stuff that has worked in my favor in the past. I am by no means a certified mechanic, and if there is one here that can correct or clarify anything I have said, please do so! Good luck on your next motor vehicle purchase . . . buying a used car is always an adventure!

 

I am a mechanic and all the thing Spad mentioned are good indicators of problems to come (no used vehicle is problem free) one other test that can save you a lot of heartache is to drive along a level road at about 40/45 mph and slowly lift your foot of the gas until you are not applying and stress to the motor in other word the motor is in idle mode then listen for any clunking from the motor if you hear any walk away as this is normally a badly worn crank.

Another point with the oil, take off the filler cap and if there is any discoloration this an indicator of water, also in place of just smelling the dipstick touch your finger on the oil and then touch your tongue, you will taste gas much better than just smelling for it.

Finally if the oil is obviously newly replaced this can be a sign of trying to hide something "walk away"

P.S watch the seller during the time you are doing all these thing and if he/she appears nervous it is also a sign to "walk away"

 

All of us old-school "shadetree" mechanics,learned by being "inadequately"funded enough to take them to a professional shop.
9 out of 10 times we were able to do a better job of it.
Downside was we had nobody to complain to if it was wrong. No refunds either.
Pure joy being able to say "I did it myself".

 

True that . . . I miss the old days and my trusty '67 Heavy half-ton GMC truck. If the thing wouldn't start there were just a few things that could be wrong, and I could check those with a screwdriver :-D

Heck, while deer hunting one year I repaired a broken rotor cap using a 10 penny nail and a blade micron guage . . . Got me outta the woods and to work the next day!

Those days are long gone . . .

 

Apreciate it , I know how but in all honesty I don't have the room or the tools to do it and if you knew this car the only tool you would want to aproach it with would be a sledge hammer lol

I might have an avenue I can pursue to get myself a half decent car, aparently a friend of the wifes uncle runs a dealership and will give me credit if I put down 50%.... now all I have to do is find something he has that I want for under $3000 lol

Maybe, just maybe he'll have an '05 mustang?.... unlikely but I could use a chunk of luck :-D

 

That just screamed "I'm Brittish!". Lol.

Get a smart car!

 

lol I'll take that as a compliment

As for a smart car, other opinions aside a Smart Car would almost certainly be too small for me physically, I get in a Neon with the seat all the way back and the wheel as high as it goes and my knees rub on the wheel lol.
Besides, I can't afford a SC ....... er, I mean they don't make them in the colour I like :-D

 

I don't know why you say that Dawg.

Why pay $80 per hour just to be told you need to replace it.

When i was young i had a number of clunkers because i could not afford anything else and my dad said "if i paid for it i would appreciate it"

Now i am lucky in that i can have what i want but that still does not give some techi who probably only knows how to find a problem with a computer the right to say 80 bucks an hour please.

 

Yep, you can do a lot yourself - just depends on whether you have the time/tools for the harder stuff. But certainly with all the servicing, no reason not to do it yourself. I have done my own head gaskets, oil rings, etc. in the past in my younger days, since I started of as an Engineer in the army.
Nowadays, I'll service and minor repairs and if I get a mechanic to do something, I always get a few opinions first. If everyone is telling me a different story, then I know they are B.S.'ing me and I'll look elsewhere. The auto club here does a comprehensive vehicle check for about $60.00.
~ Good luck in finding your new chariot, Ned.

 

Adam and Eve it?? confused

Never heard that expression, must be a Brit thing. What's it mean?

 

What I meant by "that just screams I'm Brittish" was the fact that the whole thing was written in very brittish english.

And the smart car thing was a joke.

 

My bad Dawg i was a bit slow to pick that up:-o

 

Adam and Eve - believe.
It's Cockney rhymning slang.

@ Ned Cars are a friggin' money pit, man. They were only invented so grease monkeys could rip us off. $80 an hour? And here's me thinking Brit mechanics took the p!ss out of us over here.
They must see the Canucks coming

 

First thing I'd do is smell the coolant to see if it smells of oil or petrol and check for white emulsion to check for a head gasket fail then drain all the coolant and refill it properly to make sure the overheating wasn't caused by an air lock,check your water pump is working,make sure your radiator cap is functioning properly just by moving the spring up and down,check the spark plugs are the right colour.

Then spend a few bucks on a compression tester maybe $10 and check each cylinders compression.

That's all you'd have to spend really to give it a once over just to be sure it is the head gasket,I wouldn't trust any garage to write my car off that easily.

Another thing why include a brand new rad in an old bomb :-D get a used one from the scrap yard for $10 a new head gasket for $10,you can't really get around the labour its a fairly big job removing a cylinder head but FFS man $1800??????????????????

:-D

 

Just speaking to my dad he had a full engine change for £500,that's a used engine in full working order dropped in and the old one scrapped.

I think that works out at $825 Canadian.

 

You know they don't have good fuel economy at all, right?

 

Instead of MPG, its MPB.:confused



(miles per bale):-D

 

3.1 GM engine... I've changed more LIM (lower intake manifold) gaskets on them than I want to count. I wouldn't buy a work car if it has a 3.4 or 3.1 in it if it was free and they payed for the first 3 tanks of gas. New car time I agree.

 

Well I spent 6 hours monday night trauling the net and 7 hours driving around yesterday (245km driven) to try and find something in my price range, frickin' dealers annoy me, you tell them "I'm looking for a mid size for around $1500-2000"
So they then say "Oh I've got just the car for you (enter details), this one is only $4500"
These people either don't know how to count of are deaf.

Anyway, after all that I finally found a car.... in my town lol, 2001 Ford Taurus sedan, 3.0. Got to throw new ti-rod ends in it for safety (MOT to brits)
260k on the clock but in good cond. and it drives surprisingly nicely.
Never liked the Taurus's but they aren't as bad as I thought, the guy wanted $1750 for it, I talked him down to $1400 :-D
So back on the road for (I hope) a while, if it goes a year without anything major then I'll be happy.

It seems the used car market has exploded in price, maybe the economy issues have driven everyone to the used car market which has in turn boosted the value. Example: 2000 Grand Am SE, 297k on it, safteied-e-tested..... $4300..... I mean come on!!

Oh well, all's well that ends well

 

Glad you got sorted Ned, If you have a place to put the old auto and work on it in your spare time you may be able to sell it on and recoup a little of your money.

 

Unfortunately I don't, it's a bummer because it's got a month old fuel tank on it and I'd like to get that off but I have nowhere to get it up high enough to get it off.
The guy doing the safety said he'd give me $150 for it and I'd only get $75 for scrap so I may as well do that.
Even if I could get the tank off I'd get $75 for the car and $100-125 for the tank, so I might as well let him have it for $150.
Just another little challenge from life, the Torus is actually quite nice, drove it into work today, very smooth ride, nice and roomy, all thats left is too see how long this one lasts lol