I have a 2005 Dodge Stratus with less than 25k miles. I was driving and white smoke puffed out the engine, then the car stalled. I was able to start the car back up; but once I release the gas, the car stalled again. The tow truck driver noticed a pool of oil my car left on the ground. After I told the driver about the previous vandalism he suspected there was water mixed in my engine oil. My car is at the repair shop and I haven’t heard anything back regarding the vehicle. Could my engine be cracked? Will it be fixed since I have a simi-new car, or will it be a total lost? The vehicle is valued at $12k. Any ideas what could be wrong with my car, and what it will cost to fix it?
2007-03-17 10:47:33 · 6 answers · asked by chrisbcats 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Before anyone else gets caught up on the idea I was driving too fast or lying about the previous vandalism. My car had over $7k worth of interior and body damage including replacing the fuel tank. The person(s) responsible for this did gain entry into my vehicle. The insurance company has no problem making the repairs, therefore money isn’t the issue. The vandalism wasn’t simple keying my car or slicing the tire; I have an arson investigator. Now again, my question is could my car be a total lost if water was put into the engine?
If you can’t answer the question, please don’t waste time making cheesy comments.
2007-03-18 07:27:54 · update #1
Vandals, and a tow truck driver suggested they put water in your oil?
Let me get my BS flag out.
2007-03-17 19:39:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Your engine probably threw a rod. Is your car a manual? If so, perhaps you were reving it too hard? Maybe you had spun a bearing? Either way, it sounds like your engine now has a new shiney hole in it and a rod punctured thru the oil pan. You should've went the shop and tried every possible means of looking under your car before accepting any answer from them, any visible holes would give you a dead set answer. If this was the problem, expect the repair to be in the neighborhood of $3k, no joke. A good practical solution is to find a junked stratus and drop in that motor into your car. This is an extremely cheap and smart way to have your new car up and running soon.
2007-03-17 11:03:57 · answer #2 · answered by Mike F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Driving or racing? It costs money if you want to play.
Hopefully it won't cost 12 grand for a new engine. Go to the shop & have a look at the engine when the car is on the hoist. It may be as simple a rocker cover gasket or a oil delivery line.
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2007-03-17 10:56:17 · answer #3 · answered by Mr. T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A used engine might run 2 grand with labor. 3 grand for a good remanufactured jasper.
2007-03-17 11:28:36 · answer #4 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
reading between the lines, u say previous vandalism?
was this car stolen at some time?
If so, you can claim repairs on your insurance.
2007-03-17 12:28:12 · answer #5 · answered by dinkydionline 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even if they had to replace the entire motor, it should be less than 12k
2007-03-17 10:51:59 · answer #6 · answered by brandon42032 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋