I found this forum a little while ago while searching for info on why my 06 seemed to keep having an overheating problem. I found that there seems to be a lot of participation here, and several people more tech savvy they I, so I figured I'd throw the current situation at you and see what you think I should do..
First off, I have an 06 Blue Element, 160,000 plus miles (I have a long commute). Haven't had much in the way of major mechanical problems before this, just the usual maintenance and occasional inconvenient medium issues. However, the car has hit 2 deer- and been repaired. Things in the engine did have to be fixed (2 font end collisions with the deer).
A couple of months ago I started home when I noticed the temperature gauge had jacked up to "H". I pulled over and called the dealer, who of course advised me to bring it right in etc. When the looked at it the next day, they couldn't duplicate it or find a problem to blame it on, so they theorized perhaps that the coolant had gotten too old, and had frozen up in the cold weather we were having, and a particle had blocked the works, so to speak. So they recommended flushing and replacing the coolant etc...so we did that.
A few weeks after that, I started noticing a leak, but I didn't address it immediately because I wasn't sure if it was a leak of coolant or oil (was slight and on dark pavement) so I kept an eye on the fluids until I could figure out which it was. A few days later I was was sure it was the oil, and took it in to the dealer again. They told me it was a bolt that had worked itself loose (after an initial accusation that someone had been tinkering with the car, cause these didn't usually work loose) and I needed a new bolt and gasket etc...so we did that. Things were fine for about a month.
On Sunday, was driving in the city, and was idling when I noticed the temp gauge shoot up again to "H". When the car started moving again, it went back down to normal, and unfortunately I wrote it off initially as an abberation. Monday night, overhalfway home, it started fluctuation between midway and "H". I live in the country, so there's no place to pull over and leave it, so I eased it home. Tues morning was colder, and it behaved the entire way back to town where I left it with the dealer again.
So...dealer suspected the head gasket. Ran the pressure test 3 times they said, and on the 3rd "actually got bubbles". Estimated cost to replace the head gasket, temp gauge, water pump, and some other belt...$2600 plus/minus..:shock:
So I started calling around for estimates.
Shop #2 was recommended by my boss, and a co-worker whose entire family goes there.
Shop #3 was one I had used several times satisfactorily with my previous car- my CRV.
So shop #2 has the car now, and is going to do a second opinion- with a chemical diagnosis? I thought the pressure test was the "be-all"? They're estimate at the most was $1800
Shop #3 called back with the estimate after I took car to shop #2, similar cost, but had a 3rd option...replacing the entire motor. Shop #3 did some research and found an engine with 45,000 miles on it. The place that deals the used engines gives a 2 yr warranty, and $400 towards labor in their warranty. The cost for the new engine would be about $2100.
So...some people have told me that the head gasket is just the "beginning of the end" for an engine. The replacement of the engine is tempting- since it's lower mileage and hasn't been repaired after 2 deer collisions...but we went through an engine replacement on a 95 Dodge Dakota POS, and I'm a little leary of it. Plus I have to wonder if it's overkill?
So I'm wondering what you guys would do if it was your car? Let one of the cheaper independent garages just fix the head gasket (and it's accessories) or go for the total engine replacement and hopefully start over and extend the Elements life? Or should I let the dealer handle it? As you can guess, the warranty is long over..
Thanks for reading my book...:roll:
First off, I have an 06 Blue Element, 160,000 plus miles (I have a long commute). Haven't had much in the way of major mechanical problems before this, just the usual maintenance and occasional inconvenient medium issues. However, the car has hit 2 deer- and been repaired. Things in the engine did have to be fixed (2 font end collisions with the deer).
A couple of months ago I started home when I noticed the temperature gauge had jacked up to "H". I pulled over and called the dealer, who of course advised me to bring it right in etc. When the looked at it the next day, they couldn't duplicate it or find a problem to blame it on, so they theorized perhaps that the coolant had gotten too old, and had frozen up in the cold weather we were having, and a particle had blocked the works, so to speak. So they recommended flushing and replacing the coolant etc...so we did that.
A few weeks after that, I started noticing a leak, but I didn't address it immediately because I wasn't sure if it was a leak of coolant or oil (was slight and on dark pavement) so I kept an eye on the fluids until I could figure out which it was. A few days later I was was sure it was the oil, and took it in to the dealer again. They told me it was a bolt that had worked itself loose (after an initial accusation that someone had been tinkering with the car, cause these didn't usually work loose) and I needed a new bolt and gasket etc...so we did that. Things were fine for about a month.
On Sunday, was driving in the city, and was idling when I noticed the temp gauge shoot up again to "H". When the car started moving again, it went back down to normal, and unfortunately I wrote it off initially as an abberation. Monday night, overhalfway home, it started fluctuation between midway and "H". I live in the country, so there's no place to pull over and leave it, so I eased it home. Tues morning was colder, and it behaved the entire way back to town where I left it with the dealer again.
So...dealer suspected the head gasket. Ran the pressure test 3 times they said, and on the 3rd "actually got bubbles". Estimated cost to replace the head gasket, temp gauge, water pump, and some other belt...$2600 plus/minus..:shock:
So I started calling around for estimates.
Shop #2 was recommended by my boss, and a co-worker whose entire family goes there.
Shop #3 was one I had used several times satisfactorily with my previous car- my CRV.
So shop #2 has the car now, and is going to do a second opinion- with a chemical diagnosis? I thought the pressure test was the "be-all"? They're estimate at the most was $1800
Shop #3 called back with the estimate after I took car to shop #2, similar cost, but had a 3rd option...replacing the entire motor. Shop #3 did some research and found an engine with 45,000 miles on it. The place that deals the used engines gives a 2 yr warranty, and $400 towards labor in their warranty. The cost for the new engine would be about $2100.
So...some people have told me that the head gasket is just the "beginning of the end" for an engine. The replacement of the engine is tempting- since it's lower mileage and hasn't been repaired after 2 deer collisions...but we went through an engine replacement on a 95 Dodge Dakota POS, and I'm a little leary of it. Plus I have to wonder if it's overkill?
So I'm wondering what you guys would do if it was your car? Let one of the cheaper independent garages just fix the head gasket (and it's accessories) or go for the total engine replacement and hopefully start over and extend the Elements life? Or should I let the dealer handle it? As you can guess, the warranty is long over..
Thanks for reading my book...:roll: