So as some of you (all two of you) have been following my saga of the dead engine in my car for the last 2 months, here a recap with an update:
Mid January 2002 - blow 2 of the 4 pistons in my engine (94 Saturn SL2, 94k miles). switch cars with my parents until we can get it to a mechanic and have him tell us the engine is toast. Turns out I had 2 oil leaks in the engine and was slllloooowwwwwly loosing oil. Also going from Mobil-1 synthetic to whatever Jiffy Lube was using (Quaker State) didn't exactly help. So I quickly scour ALL of southeastern MA looking for a used engine. Finally find one about 50 miles away. Cost only $400, with 73k miles on it. Not too bad I thought, considering all the other places around wanted a minimun of $700, an Neico wanted $4500:Q:Q:Q!!! So I get the engine delivered to the same mechanic who deamed the engine dead (delivery was free, thank god) and he proceeds to take 3 1/2- 4 weeks to replace the engine. I finally get it back about 12 days ago. He says it gonna ride a little rough for a while to get all the kinks out of the engine. I'm like 'ok, whatever...take my money for the installation ($598) and give me my damn keys' Get into the car (standard) and find out that the clutch is seriously screwed (mash it to the floorboard, brace against the seat, then push harder, then pray that it goes into gear). I drive it for all of 2 days, one day actually going into work (55 miles away, each way) and say '^%(& this' and promptly bring it back saying to the effect of, 'your job ain't done yet,. Your gonna fix it this time and fix it right'. He then takes the next week and a half doing absolutely didly squat to it. Couldn't fix the clutch (apparently Saturn has a stranglehold on the aftermarket parts for their vehicles [BASTARDS!]), couldn't fix the problem with the engine misfiring (said he forgot to plug in all the wires when he origiannly gave me the car back [gee . thanks, charge me more for labor than the engine cost and then don't even do the job correctly], and he culdn't fix the problem of the engine sounding like it came from a 1979 VW Beetle [and with the perforamce I was getting, it wouldn't surprise me if it came from one]. So he finally says, 'Bring it to the dealer because I can't fix it' (side note: this is what I wanted to do in the second place, but because I work from about 6am to 7pm, my parents decided to give this guy one more chance). Bring it to the dealership today, get the car back this afternoon. Only cost an additional $550. AND I still have to bring it back to the guy who installed the muffler because one of the wields after the cadilitic converter has apparently given way (no biggie, 1 hour tops). So all totaled, $400 for the engine, $600 for the installation, $550 to fix it right at the dealership, plus an addition $760 for the rental car that my parents had to rent while my car was in the shop. GRAND TOTAL: $2310, of which I still owe my parents $1310
There's my rant...finally...never buy a Saturn
Mid January 2002 - blow 2 of the 4 pistons in my engine (94 Saturn SL2, 94k miles). switch cars with my parents until we can get it to a mechanic and have him tell us the engine is toast. Turns out I had 2 oil leaks in the engine and was slllloooowwwwwly loosing oil. Also going from Mobil-1 synthetic to whatever Jiffy Lube was using (Quaker State) didn't exactly help. So I quickly scour ALL of southeastern MA looking for a used engine. Finally find one about 50 miles away. Cost only $400, with 73k miles on it. Not too bad I thought, considering all the other places around wanted a minimun of $700, an Neico wanted $4500:Q:Q:Q!!! So I get the engine delivered to the same mechanic who deamed the engine dead (delivery was free, thank god) and he proceeds to take 3 1/2- 4 weeks to replace the engine. I finally get it back about 12 days ago. He says it gonna ride a little rough for a while to get all the kinks out of the engine. I'm like 'ok, whatever...take my money for the installation ($598) and give me my damn keys' Get into the car (standard) and find out that the clutch is seriously screwed (mash it to the floorboard, brace against the seat, then push harder, then pray that it goes into gear). I drive it for all of 2 days, one day actually going into work (55 miles away, each way) and say '^%(& this' and promptly bring it back saying to the effect of, 'your job ain't done yet,. Your gonna fix it this time and fix it right'. He then takes the next week and a half doing absolutely didly squat to it. Couldn't fix the clutch (apparently Saturn has a stranglehold on the aftermarket parts for their vehicles [BASTARDS!]), couldn't fix the problem with the engine misfiring (said he forgot to plug in all the wires when he origiannly gave me the car back [gee . thanks, charge me more for labor than the engine cost and then don't even do the job correctly], and he culdn't fix the problem of the engine sounding like it came from a 1979 VW Beetle [and with the perforamce I was getting, it wouldn't surprise me if it came from one]. So he finally says, 'Bring it to the dealer because I can't fix it' (side note: this is what I wanted to do in the second place, but because I work from about 6am to 7pm, my parents decided to give this guy one more chance). Bring it to the dealership today, get the car back this afternoon. Only cost an additional $550. AND I still have to bring it back to the guy who installed the muffler because one of the wields after the cadilitic converter has apparently given way (no biggie, 1 hour tops). So all totaled, $400 for the engine, $600 for the installation, $550 to fix it right at the dealership, plus an addition $760 for the rental car that my parents had to rent while my car was in the shop. GRAND TOTAL: $2310, of which I still owe my parents $1310
There's my rant...finally...never buy a Saturn
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