Master car, truck, etc... topic

[IPv6Freely 2092]

6 hours ago, 215BroadStBullies610 said:

I saw one in person last week. The i8 is a beautiful vehicle!

I see them almost weekly here. But you see Teslas ALL THE TIME. I can’t wait for the Model 3!

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

2 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

I see them almost weekly here. But you see Teslas ALL THE TIME. I can’t wait for the Model 3!

Yea, you live in a richer demographic than I do ha. I was at the local outlets so its not surprising to see rich people and their rich people toys haha. Teslas are out and about at almost every rink during the youth season. Those 'AAA' parents can ride in style ha.

[kmfdm86 112]

Bought my first ever new new car last Thursday. 2018 Subaru WRX Premium. This thing is a freaking blast.

Mountain road glamour shot... haha.

And after getting the tint done.

 

Much roomier than the 05 I had for a while in my early 20s. Hockey bag fits perfectly in the trunk and the rear seats fold down so my sticks fit perfectly too.

[shooter27 116]

So my dealer told me I've got a leaking head gasket (09 Infiniti G37, 60k miles).  They quoted me $4500 to fix it and since I'm about 6 months from trading it in for something new, that doesn't seem to make sense.  I've seen a bunch of different sealer products (like this: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/bluedevil-head-gasket-sealant-38386/7120032-P) that one can use to fix the issue (at least temporarily) but I'm not really mechanical like that so the instructions confuse me.  

Do I have to clear the cooling system before putting in the sealant? If so, how do I do that? The guy at Auto Zone told me I have to change the oil after using this type of product, is that correct?  Would a mechanic be willing to run the sealant process for me? What should something like that cost?  

If I do decide to have it fully repaired, is $4500 a reasonable number?

Thanks for the help

[SirJW 207]

1 hour ago, shooter27 said:

So my dealer told me I've got a leaking head gasket (09 Infiniti G37, 60k miles).  They quoted me $4500 to fix it and since I'm about 6 months from trading it in for something new, that doesn't seem to make sense.  I've seen a bunch of different sealer products (like this: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/bluedevil-head-gasket-sealant-38386/7120032-P) that one can use to fix the issue (at least temporarily) but I'm not really mechanical like that so the instructions confuse me.  

Do I have to clear the cooling system before putting in the sealant? If so, how do I do that? The guy at Auto Zone told me I have to change the oil after using this type of product, is that correct?  Would a mechanic be willing to run the sealant process for me? What should something like that cost?  

If I do decide to have it fully repaired, is $4500 a reasonable number?

Thanks for the help

No, ask around and find the best Japanese auto specialist, pretty sure you can get it done just as well for less. 

[marka 526]

Howdy,

4 hours ago, shooter27 said:

So my dealer told me I've got a leaking head gasket (09 Infiniti G37, 60k miles).  They quoted me $4500 to fix it and since I'm about 6 months from trading it in for something new, that doesn't seem to make sense.  I've seen a bunch of different sealer products (like this: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/bluedevil-head-gasket-sealant-38386/7120032-P) that one can use to fix the issue (at least temporarily) but I'm not really mechanical like that so the instructions confuse me.  

Do I have to clear the cooling system before putting in the sealant? If so, how do I do that? The guy at Auto Zone told me I have to change the oil after using this type of product, is that correct?  Would a mechanic be willing to run the sealant process for me? What should something like that cost?  

If I do decide to have it fully repaired, is $4500 a reasonable number?

Thanks for the help

Snake oil in a can is not the way to go.  Even if it "works" for a while, you're just fucking the next guy.  Don't do that.  My guess is that it won't work for a while anyway.

 

The only way you can know if that's a reasonable # is to call around and get quotes.  While I'm not familiar with this car, that's a job where a large component is going to be labor.  You may well be able to find a non-dealer mechanic to do it for less, on the side, etc.  Ask around your hockey team buddies for a local reference.  It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was a lot of labor as the head needs to come off the motor and there's more and more shit in the way of that with modern cars.  :-)

Depending on why its leaking, there may be other things that need to happen... if the head is warped, it'll need to be cut (machined to a flat surface) or replaced.  If it can be cut, that's again mostly just labor but it may not be able to be.  Same with the block.  You'll know you're talking to a mechanic you want to do the work if they are able to speak to what the common problem is, whether its weak head gaskets, heads that warp, or whatever else

60k miles is pretty darned low for a leaking head gasket.  Was the car overheated / run without coolant for some reason?  Or do these have a reputation for this problem?  I'm assuming there are some type of symptoms the car is exhibiting, vs. the dealer just telling you out of the blue that its got a leaking head gasket?

 

Mark

 

edit:  There's no question that independents are out there that will charge you less than the dealer and who will do at least as good a job.  Equally there are independents out there that will rob you blind and/or suck.  The only reliable way I know of to sort them out is experience with them.  With the dealer, one of the things you're paying extra for is someone to call if they fuck it up badly enough (in addition to typically more familiarity with the vehicle than a general all makes mechanic).

Edited July 17, 2017 by marka

[shooter27 116]

Thanks for the info.  The car has never been overheated or run without coolant.  But, recently about 10-15% of the time the engine misfires while stopped at lights, so I'm pretty sure the dealer isn't pulling a snow job.  I'll call around to try to find a more reasonable quote on the repair.  If anyone knows of a solid mechanic in/around LA I'm all ears.  Thanks again.

Edited July 19, 2017 by shooter27

[althoma1 574]

My car was misfiring at low speeds and the issue was a bad ignition coil. I had all the coils and spark plugs replaced and the problem went away. I probably only needed to have 1 done, but the manifold had to be removed to get to the bottom three; so it made more sense to have them do all of them at once than to do one and then have to come back to get another one done a few months later. I also had one leaking gasket that they sealed up for me - I bought the parts and the labour cost was around $700 or so if I recall correctly. 

[kmfdm86 112]

On 7/16/2017 at 2:29 PM, shooter27 said:

So my dealer told me I've got a leaking head gasket (09 Infiniti G37, 60k miles).  They quoted me $4500 to fix it and since I'm about 6 months from trading it in for something new, that doesn't seem to make sense.  I've seen a bunch of different sealer products (like this: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/bluedevil-head-gasket-sealant-38386/7120032-P) that one can use to fix the issue (at least temporarily) but I'm not really mechanical like that so the instructions confuse me.  

Do I have to clear the cooling system before putting in the sealant? If so, how do I do that? The guy at Auto Zone told me I have to change the oil after using this type of product, is that correct?  Would a mechanic be willing to run the sealant process for me? What should something like that cost?  

If I do decide to have it fully repaired, is $4500 a reasonable number?

Thanks for the help

FWIW that price is super high. I had to get my headgaskets replaced on my old Forester which is a notorious and expensive problem with subaru's due to the boxer engine. I paid $1700 for the whole job including having the heads machined. Take it to a mechanic that specializes in Japanese cars.

[Machinehead2k5 32]

Working on a little project this week.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

9 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

Ayyeee! 

[Jamarquan 201]

13 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

Isn't Tesla on Valve Time? 

[Kgbeast 195]

On 7/16/2017 at 1:29 PM, shooter27 said:

So my dealer told me I've got a leaking head gasket (09 Infiniti G37, 60k miles).  They quoted me $4500 to fix it and since I'm about 6 months from trading it in for something new, that doesn't seem to make sense.  I've seen a bunch of different sealer products (like this: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/bluedevil-head-gasket-sealant-38386/7120032-P) that one can use to fix the issue (at least temporarily) but I'm not really mechanical like that so the instructions confuse me.  

Do I have to clear the cooling system before putting in the sealant? If so, how do I do that? The guy at Auto Zone told me I have to change the oil after using this type of product, is that correct?  Would a mechanic be willing to run the sealant process for me? What should something like that cost?  

If I do decide to have it fully repaired, is $4500 a reasonable number?

Thanks for the help

You should check this with other shop. Misfiring is probably not the only symptoms of blown head-gasket. I would imagine that the coolant also will be getting into the cylinder which produces very obvious, white exhaust, like steam.

[Machinehead2k5 32]

7x retrofit finished. Let there be light!!!

[kmfdm86 112]

Did some work on the WRX...

 

 

 

 

[Playmakersedge 58]

On 7/16/2017 at 9:26 PM, marka said:

Howdy,

Snake oil in a can is not the way to go.  Even if it "works" for a while, you're just fucking the next guy.  Don't do that.  My guess is that it won't work for a while anyway.

 

The only way you can know if that's a reasonable # is to call around and get quotes.  While I'm not familiar with this car, that's a job where a large component is going to be labor.  You may well be able to find a non-dealer mechanic to do it for less, on the side, etc.  Ask around your hockey team buddies for a local reference.  It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was a lot of labor as the head needs to come off the motor and there's more and more shit in the way of that with modern cars.  :-)

Depending on why its leaking, there may be other things that need to happen... if the head is warped, it'll need to be cut (machined to a flat surface) or replaced.  If it can be cut, that's again mostly just labor but it may not be able to be.  Same with the block.  You'll know you're talking to a mechanic you want to do the work if they are able to speak to what the common problem is, whether its weak head gaskets, heads that warp, or whatever else

60k miles is pretty darned low for a leaking head gasket.  Was the car overheated / run without coolant for some reason?  Or do these have a reputation for this problem?  I'm assuming there are some type of symptoms the car is exhibiting, vs. the dealer just telling you out of the blue that its got a leaking head gasket?

 

Mark

 

edit:  There's no question that independents are out there that will charge you less than the dealer and who will do at least as good a job.  Equally there are independents out there that will rob you blind and/or suck.  The only reliable way I know of to sort them out is experience with them.  With the dealer, one of the things you're paying extra for is someone to call if they fuck it up badly enough (in addition to typically more familiarity with the vehicle than a general all makes mechanic).

Ok head gasets on an infinity  what size engine?   And most importantly how was the head gasket condemned.::  combustion gasses in the coolant? Or milky oil . Milky oil is a sign of moiture or even to much oil in the vehicle.  Ther are different test and procedure to condemn a head gasket  . The chemical test hits them all  and  gives you data in minute ..... I have worked as a profeprofessional auto tech since I was ten .  Had to pay for hockey.   So when My knee got Ruined i did the car thing.. ASE master tech ,taught at  tech college.   Two reasons head gasket fail. Over beating and a high ph . That eats the gasket.  

[DolomaticDangles 13]

Man, haven't been on this forum in forever! Garage has changed... When I relocated to NC back in 2015 I decided to grab an E46 M3 convertible. Blasting through the mountains with the 8,000 RPM S54 and the top down makes for a great time!

 

And my 2002 Audi B5 S4. Stock looking (at least for now), but I've upgraded it to around 470 whp with hybrid RS6 turbos and some other goodies.

 

Edited January 13, 2018 by DolomaticDangles

[Playmakersedge 58]

On 8/15/2017 at 9:04 AM, Kgbeast said:

You should check this with other shop. Misfiring is probably not the only symptoms of blown head-gasket. I would imagine that the coolant also will be getting into the cylinder which produces very obvious, white exhaust, like steam.

Shooter27  with your head gasket question,  I need more information.  How was the head gasket issue discovered?  Was it an external leak , or over heating,  or blowing white smoke  ????   

The sealers in a bottle:  The problem is most don't work at all . The ones that work temporarily; There is a great chance the stuff will plug passeges that need flow . It should be illegal to sell them . 

The head gaskets:   these are not a part that fails at random..... They fail as a casualty of another issue  i.e. : cooling fans not coming on ,, a thermostat getting stuck , coolant not being full enough after a service.  These will all result in over heating.    

Other possible things  : was the vehicle purchased new ? Do you know the life it had prior to you ? 

The price of 4500 :  I need to see the break down . What's parts and what's labor.  What is included things like machine shop costs . 

If you brought me this car and told me it was previously diagnosed with bad head gaskets I would ask what was the symptoms that you brought the vehicle in for originally.  I would not focus on what the other guy found.  More often then not they are wrong with what they find . But I am going to determine if they are correct.    I would try to steer the initial consult away from what the other guy said;  because I want to diagnose based off a symptom and my findings.  This way I don't get tunnel vision.   

since the start of plastic intake manifolds I have seen many head gaskets mis diagnosed.  The customer doesn't know because they get a call that goes like this ' while we were taking the car appart we noticed a crack in the intake manifold.  They will give you the price additional.  Or while taking appart they will as a cracked intake gasket (The cause of coolant consumption)  . The gasket gets renewed as part of the head gasket job.  Some will just do the intake gasket and you will never know.  

gotta stick with one person you trust . If you are new to an area , the DMV has info on licensed shops you want one with little to no complaints or open cases against them 

[Playmakersedge 58]

On 7/18/2017 at 9:05 PM, shooter27 said:

Thanks for the info.  The car has never been overheated or run without coolant.  But, recently about 10-15% of the time the engine misfires while stopped at lights, so I'm pretty sure the dealer isn't pulling a snow job.  I'll call around to try to find a more reasonable quote on the repair.  If anyone knows of a solid mechanic in/around LA I'm all ears.  Thanks again.

I didn't see this.  See below where I talk about intake manifold gaskets.  The misfire ? You say misfire,  Is it throughing misfire codes ? If so are there more then one cylinder?  These are all clues to be used in the diagnostic process.   

[shooter27 116]

Does anyone know a reputable mechanic in/around the Chicago area?  I found an incredible deal on a BMW 650 with less than 10k miles and I want to have someone go check it out for me.

[greech 4]

On 3/24/2018 at 9:35 PM, shooter27 said:

Does anyone know a reputable mechanic in/around the Chicago area?  I found an incredible deal on a BMW 650 with less than 10k miles and I want to have someone go check it out for me.

If you ended up with the 650, you should take your car to http://www.fluidmotorunion.com/ for work. 

[jlt73 160]

I'm getting incredibly close to buying a c4 corvette.  My wife has given me the go ahead, now I just got to find the "perfect" one

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I ordered my Model 3 on Wednesday. Delivery estimate was 2-4 months and I had to make sure I got it by the end of the year for the full tax credit. 

I got an email yesterday saying it will be ready for delivery next Wednesday. Well, okay then. A bit sooner than I expected!

[marka 526]

Howdy,

3 hours ago, jlt73 said:

I'm getting incredibly close to buying a c4 corvette.  My wife has given me the go ahead, now I just got to find the "perfect" one

What're you looking for, specifically?

Mark