"BATC42" (BATC42)
08/08/2015 at 02:46 • Filed to: None
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"BATC42" (BATC42)
08/08/2015 at 02:46 • Filed to: None | 0
| 3 |
First, here’s an RS4 for your time. NZ Oppo I have a question for you here too. A friend of mine recently bought a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Unfortunately, the gods were not on his side yesterday and the car broke down on the highway. First it was overheating, pulled over for a few minutes, check the cooling liquid and it was fine. A few kilometers down the road, it started again, now the dashboard lighted up liek a christmas tree, he pulled over at a service station without any brakes (wierd?). The engine was HOT, like really hot apparently. He let the car cool down for a while, coming back it wouldn’t crank from what he told me. Called AA, when the guy came he checked the radiator and it was low on water (it was perfectly fine before leaving earlier that day), filled it up, started the car agin (success), but the water was boiling even at idle.
This morning he brought the car to a mecanician, the guy told him (well at first he wouldn’t tell him, because he’s French and wouldn’t possibly know what was happening) after he quoted him $1500 (NZD that is, so a bit less than a USD $1000) for changing the headgasket.
Now that seems a bit steep to me, especially for this kind of car (engine is SR18DE). So it might well be the headgasket, but it seems weird to me (and to my father too). I was thinking it could be the cooling fans that have just given up (or that they are disconnected, but surely the mechanic would see that?). Do you guys have any idea?
As for Oppo from NZ that roams these parts. Do you guys have any recommendations of mechanics around Auckland? My friend lives in Grey Lynn. I suggested to go to the local Nissan Dealership as he might have a better quotation than what looks like a sketchy garage, but definitely not the best.
Cheers people !
DogonCrook
> BATC42
08/08/2015 at 03:46 |
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Yeah that’s a blown head gasket. Fans don’t do anything once you are up to speed they are more or less in the way. The weird brake issue was probably loss of vacuum. That sorta indicates a pretty catastrophic failure of the gasket. The only other issues that could cause that are cracked or warped heads, which is probably the same labor wise but obviously more expensive. If it’s just a leak, there would have been some pretty obvious signs of its that rapidly draining.
No idea about the cost, I don’t use mechanics for anything but warranty stuff so can’t really help there. The gasket itself will be really cheap. There is no real way to tell if it is just the gasket and not a head issue till you pull it out. it’s unlikely but it’s possible it’s the head too. I personally don’t think it’s that big of a job, a weekend and a couple of six packs will knock that out easy, so look up how to do it, because you might be comfortable doing it yourselves. That said the price doesn’t sound outlandish.
Edit: actually thinking about it (back from the bar so grain of salt on all this) the brake issue is a little weird but probably explainable, still blown head gasket though. They’ll probably flush oil and coolant so that’s an extra charge. I’d get more quotes as a rule and some warranty action if that’s a thing for repairs like this.
orcim
> BATC42
08/08/2015 at 04:28 |
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Just blew my 95’ Previa S/C head gasket - like, today. Best price I can find is $3500 US. (But that’s complicated because you either have to pull unnatural acts to fix it in place, or drop the engine out of the vehicle. Blarg.)
I do believe that wrenching is going to be in my immediate future.
p33t - wagons 4 lyfe
> BATC42
08/08/2015 at 04:32 |
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Im in Auckland, on the North Shore. If it has gotten that hot, and then he kept driving it then something will most likely will be warped. That means getting the head off and getting it or the block or both machined.
Given all that, 1500 dollars isn’t that bad for a job done correctly. I can recommend some mechs on my side of the bridge, and even one near Stonefields, but that might be a bit far to drive it.
Nissan will charge you insane money, all the dealers will. There are thousands of Primeras in NZ, so pretty much ever mechanic should know how to fix them.
Worst case the engine is toast, he can get something like this fitted. $350NZD and usually has a warrenty. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-par…
If he has the car still, you can try and test it by filling it up and letting it idle. After a while it will come to temp and the fans should flick on. if it goes above normal and they haven’t then the fans are done. If they do come on then I would then check the thermostat opens properly and then try running on idle again.
Good luck! If you have any questions about JDM cars let me know, I work at a well known yellow and black auto store so I deal with this stuff all day :P