We have a 02 Nissan Altima with 130,000 miles. And it won’t start, my mechanic
found water inside where the spark plug is
located, and he says that it could be a head
gasket, and that it could also be a crack head. And while it’s being repaired, should I also replace water pump and radiator and timing belt.
What I don’t understand is that the car didn’t get hot nor was it out of coolant. It just wouldn’t crank over.
Battery and starter are only 4mnts old
Absolutely no reason to replace the radiator. You don’t have a timing belt, you have a chain. You also may not have a cracked head or blown head gasket, but it is hard to tell without seeing what your mechanic saw for myself. Pure water is a byproduct of combustion and condensation can get into your engine. Coolant that leaks into a combustion chamber leaves some telltale crystals behind. It also “steam cleans” the plug tips. If that is what your mechanic is seeing, then you do have a big problem.
The source of the coolant leak could be in the block, then head or the head gasket. If your mechanic has a borescope, he might be able to tell you which without a tear down, but few mechanics have one of those so you will need a tear down to find the cause.
If you have to replace the block, then get a new timing chain and water pump, otherwise I would not recommend it. They will last the life of the engine with reasonable care.
“If you have to replace the block, then get a new timing chain and water pump, otherwise I would not recommend it. They will last the life of the engine with reasonable care.”
Wow. Are you sure about that? That seems to go against the received wisdom of the “seasoned mechanics” on this site. How do you take reasonable care of a timing chain?
On time oil changes
Hmmmm…If this car has a timing chain and not a timing belt, I would not have any work done but take it to another mechanic for a second opinon.