Repair Head gasket vs replace engine?

flibster
Sat, 16 Aug 2014 23:17:40 +0000
Maintenance/Repairs

Looking for sound advice… here’s the scoop:

Background: A '97 Eagle Talon Tsi AWD Turbo with 85350 KM - never had any issues with it.

On the highway, my car overheated, 300 miles from home I took my car to the first shop. Mechanic said head gasket - “I can smell it; sorry I’m backed up for for 2 weeks” we did a quick air lock test and he said “yeah, head gasket.” I gotta get home…

So I take it another shop: they say it may not be a head gasket so I ask them to do some tests… like a leak down test…

Shop conduct (or outsources) an oil analysis, a “sniff” test etc… and they assure me that it’s not the head gasket they haven’t found any coolant in the oil. good… but they don’t know why it overheats. I ask them to replace the thermostat and flush the rad. I try to drive home…

20 min out of the town I’m stuck in the car starts to over heat. The coolant went into the overflow, boiling. I call the shop and they say to bring it back. it overheats at highway speeds - fine in the city…

I leave the car and leave town… got to get back to work. the shop FINALLY performs a leak down and determines it’s a head gasket. confidence with the shop isn’t high at the moment…

They said they are going to provide some options in a few days

two questions and advice:

1. repair vs replace the engine? I suppose it depends on the scope of repair - my sense is that the head gasket just starting to go and the car engine likely isn’t warped.

2. Do I trust these guys? or take the business to another shop (remember, I doing this remotely: My car is 300 miles away)

Advice: should I give these guys a hard time for an incorrect diagnostic?

14 posts - 9 participants