Am I being taken for a ride??? (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Nov 24, 2004
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Sheridan, Wy
Scene 3 in the ever evolving Blown Headgasket drama...

I call the shop to check on the progress...The guy tells me they have the engine at the machine shop and that the M. shop is checking to see if the block is salvagable..and that the #3 piston was hydrolocked...All I know is that I drove the truck into the shop...It had a rough idle but ran fine at 1000-3000 rpms...Now if it was hydrolocked is there any way I could have driven it there??? Or, did further damage occur after they took possesion of the truck...last week the guy said that they had moved it(by driving) out of the shop a few times and that all of a sudden it wouldn't hardly turn over and that when they did the compression test that fluid was coming out of the spark plug holes like the fountains at Bellagio...What's your take on it...Is this 100% or do these guys share any responsibility for continuing to start the truck after knowing that if had a potential head gasket issue....
 
wsdavies said:
Scene 3 in the ever evolving Blown Headgasket drama...
I call the shop to What's your take on it...Is this 100% or do these guys share any responsibility for continuing to start the truck after knowing that if had a potential head gasket issue....

I'd put it back to them just like you stated it here to us: "It wasn't hydrolocked when I left it at your shop and now you say it is. You are responsible for that part of it if it is."
 
elmariachi said:
I'd put it back to them just like you stated it here to us: "It wasn't hydrolocked when I left it at your shop and now you say it is. You are responsible for that part of it if it is."



I'd have to agree with Jim, they knew what you brought it in for and the potential for coolant to enter a cylinder.
 
wsdavies said:
Can you drive a hydrolocked engine?


I would say NO. serious damage will follow, bent rod, rod thru block etc.
 
ooooh, this is not good... sorry to hear that. You may want to cut your losses and tell not to touch it anymore and not to incur any more expenses, and then start the issue of who did what.... You may need to go there and spend a few days. Maybe have another shop or 2 look at it. This is going to be a messy fuzzy issue. Start with treating the shop nicely in case they are willing to help. You can get nastier later on if they try to bend you over. For sure, they'll bank on the fact that you are from out of town. Tell them you'll come live with your sister down the block and camp in front of the dealership if need be...

You may need to start tapping into the cruiserhead fraternity. Put out a call for help from the UT guys, there are a bunch...!
 
e9999 said:
ooooh, this is not good... sorry to hear that. You may want to cut your losses and tell not to touch it anymore and not to incur any more expenses, and then start the issue of who did what.... You may need to go there and spend a few days. Maybe have another shop or 2 look at it. This is going to be a messy fuzzy issue. Start with treating the shop nicely in case they are willing to help. You can get nastier later on if they try to bend you over. For sure, they'll bank on the fact that you are from out of town. Tell them you'll come live with your sister down the block and camp in front of the dealership if need be...

You may need to start tapping into the cruiserhead fraternity. Put out a call for help from the UT guys, there are a bunch...!

This is all here in Bakersfield and it isn't a dealership, but a Lexus/Toyota specialty repair business...I used the guy before and everything seemed to go well, but this is a whole other can O worms....I hate conflict, but it seems like in life you can't get away from it...This guy has my balls in his hands and it's up to him whether he wants to squeeze or not...Well, we will see what happens...Either way it's a s***ty situation..
 
wsdavies said:
This is all here in Bakersfield and it isn't a dealership, but a Lexus/Toyota specialty repair business...I used the guy before and everything seemed to go well, but this is a whole other can O worms....I hate conflict, but it seems like in life you can't get away from it...This guy has my balls in his hands and it's up to him whether he wants to squeeze or not...Well, we will see what happens...Either way it's a $#!*ty situation..

sorry, must have gotten confused with another thread about the HG busting in UT...
them nasty HG are bustin' all over the place. :)
Much better if it's at your place, but still nasty situation... If the guy is dishonest you can easily take him to small claims.
 
I am not real clear why the block would be at the machine shop. If you drove it to the shop and then it would not turn over while it was there I can see a problem but I am not sure it is 100% the fault of the shop. Go down there and get the straight story from them. They might very well be telling the truth.

If there is a pre existing problem and it gets worse while in the shop that does not mean that it is automatically the fault or responsibility of the shop; but it may be.

Look at it this way: Best thing for them to do is to fix your head gasket and get you on your way and happy. Adding a motor pull and possible rebuild to that is not in their favor unless they have nothing else to do with their time. SHops make money by getting you in, out and fixed correctly.

I would go talk to them and assume they are on the upa nd up until proven otherwise. It will be easy to tell if they are lieing to you.
 
yes, assume the guy is telling the truth until you're convinced otherwise and be open to explanations. OTOH, put yourself in a good position to deal with the opposite. Sadly, based on both personal experience and what I read everywhere including here, it seems that the shop who will volunteer to fix an error of theirs for free and graciously is very rare indeed...
 
dd113 said:
I am not real clear why the block would be at the machine shop. If you drove it to the shop and then it would not turn over while it was there I can see a problem but I am not sure it is 100% the fault of the shop. Go down there and get the straight story from them. They might very well be telling the truth.

If there is a pre existing problem and it gets worse while in the shop that does not mean that it is automatically the fault or responsibility of the shop; but it may be.

Look at it this way: Best thing for them to do is to fix your head gasket and get you on your way and happy. Adding a motor pull and possible rebuild to that is not in their favor unless they have nothing else to do with their time. SHops make money by getting you in, out and fixed correctly.

I would go talk to them and assume they are on the upa nd up until proven otherwise. It will be easy to tell if they are lieing to you.
All I know is the price diff. between a head gasket/valve job and a rebuild is about 5k..If the engine was so tore up that the block possibly can't be saved how was I able to drive it there and have it run smooth on the freeway? If you are a shop and you know that an engine most likely has a blown head gasket...do you start it up and drive it in and out of the shop a couple of times...or do you tow it in and do a compression test with the plugs out there by eliminating the risk of hydrolocking it....As you said they could be telling the truth...
 
wsdavies said:
If the engine was so tore up that the block possibly can't be saved how was I able to drive it there and have it run smooth on the freeway? If you are a shop and you know that an engine most likely has a blown head gasket...do you start it up and drive it in and out of the shop a couple of times...or do you tow it in and do a compression test with the plugs out there by eliminating the risk of hydrolocking it

Shame on them, they are to blame for even starting it one more time after you left it. Their goal should have been to do everything they could to begin disassembly just as it was when you brought it in, if for no other reason than to prevent this type of thing from happening. If the truck was as you say when you arrived, the blame is on them IMO.
 
I would get this truck back from them and tow it with all the bits to a Toyota main dealership. Pay them what you must to get it back then sue them for recovery and damages. Driving a truck with a blown HG is negligent. Besides when aHG blowes the first thing you should do is to drain the coolant and oil. s*** this makes me mad - it's scary - this could be anyone of us. The bottom line is that if you drive old speciality wagons like we do then you just HAVE to do your own mainteance. Sorry mate, looks like we need have a whip-round or some tontine or in-house insurance for the unlucky ones who have HGF.
 

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