So, my parents have 2003 Pontiac Montana. Early last week, on a cold night, it would not start. For couple of days, it was making this continuous clicking noise in the engine area. So when the car wouldn’t start, I took it over to a GM Goodwrench “certified” mechanic for the repair. When we got it to the dealership, the car would actually started and was running with the exception of the clicking noise. So, just to be safe, I still requested the repair.
GM Goodwrench?s assessment was that the clicking noise was from the time belt/chain and that they found coolant mixed in with the oil. They said that fixing the timing chain and system flush would fix the mixing oil/coolant issue along with the clicking noise. The GM electronic diagnostic just said that there was a Engine Misfire. Before the repairs, fluid levels and temperature levels were normal.
So I got the repairs done by GM Goodwrench this past Friday (10/31) and it cost me about $1,400. Well, my parents took the van to Rochester NY (almost 700 miles from my home) over the weekend and now, only a day later (11/1), they?re having more issues.
The car is now leaking colored liquid and to keep the van running (essentially to keep the engine on), they have to constantly hold down on the accelerator. So I found the following issue on the website below and I’m wondering if its the same issue. I want to make sure they?re not trying to pull a fast one again. I bought into the system flush because I knew coolant and oil was mixing together. I didn?t know Drexel Coolant erodes the plastic parts (I wonder which rocket scientist at GM thought of plastic part, because plastic parts fly in the face of the concept of durability).
Any advice would be helpful. Thanks
http://www…_oil.shtml
A attempt to start an engine that resulted in a “no-crank” condition is not related to a running engine that has a “clicking” noise and oil in the coolant with a missfire.
The “no-crank” condition was probably a simple battery/cable cleaning situation and the Dealership decided since he had you at his shop he would add the oil/coolant/missfire issue to the mix and he botched the repair.
Unfortunately you must return to them for a no cost repair to a botched repair.
Of course you could cut-off all contact with this Dealer and pay again to get your car repaired correctly.
Thats what actually happened. We took it to my sis’s mechanic in NY (a more reliable mechanic) and he said that James Martin’s (dealership) missed a bunch of repairs that were obvious. The correct repairs cost $600. Luckily, I charged the $1,400 to my credit card and I’m in the process of reversing the transaction. Plus, I got AAA reimbursing me for cost stemming from their blotch recommendation to take it to James Martin in the first place.