Is this engine toast?

My friend with the Grand Prix who had a bad intake manifold gasket got word today from the place doing the work that they are almost done but they found antifreeze throughout the engine and did their best to clean it out and she will need to do an oil change again in around 700-800 miles and then again after 1000 to help the engine recoup sorta from this issue. Does this sound right? Since Anti Freeze got in, isn’t the engine basically toast at some point soon?

The antifreeze didn’t do the engine any good, but the technician may have caught the problem to prevent a lot of damage. The advice to change the oil at 700 miles and after another 1000 miles seems right. I had antifreeze get into the oil of my 1947 Pontiac. The problem was a cracked engine block around one of the valve seats (it was a flathead engine). I put the head back on the engine and was able to seal it up with K & W seal. I drove the car another year with no problems. Two years after I traded the car it was still on the street.
I woiud recommend in the case of your friend to follow the advice on the two oil changes and hope for the best.

Is this the one who insisted on driving the car knowing the intake gasket was leaking? Good luck getting the warranty to cover any engine damage as the warranty holder will claim any damage was due to abuse.

If the engine is running ok, I would keep my fingers crossed and keep a close eye on the coolant and oil levels.

My mechanic did not want me driving my 2000 Blazer after he found just a few drops of water in the oil from a leak in the intake manifold gasket.

Ed B.

She was told by warrenty mechanic it was safe to drive the 2-3 days before they could get it in, not sure how much she drove.

Rebuilding Pontiac engines is loves labor lost…There are plenty of cars on the market where engine problems are unknown…

Did the warranty mechanic put it in writing?

Yeah, well good luck - I recently had the catalytic converter changed due to a check engine light on my 2001 Toyota Highlander; six weeks later the oil light flashed quickly and then a horiffic noise…low power upon acceleration and the engine zeized…of course Toyota says one thing has nothing to do with the other.

dn4192, If your friend drove it in, then follow the mechanics instructions and she should be OK.

Czechn8t, Toyota is right. If you need more info, please start a new post.

Engine oil should be examined before any repair on something like this is done. If heavily diluted and/or the engine has been operating for a while like this then the customer should be advised that damage likely exists and the ball put into their court.

The only question is the degree of damage and as to how long the engine may last that’s anybody’s guess.

She told me the check engine light went on and that is when she had the car checked and found out the intake manifold gasket was bad. This was last Tuesday, this monday was the soonest the mechanic could get the car in and begain work, so not sure how long she was driving with it “bad” she said she had to add a bit of AF a few months back but that it hadn’t gone down any since then.