YACT: I am pissed and disgusted. Update: I bought the Focus. :disgust; Update2: Focus wrecked @ 128k, 32k mi in 4.5mo.

[Eli]

This is a continuation of this thread.

I'm about to give up on my car. I just don't feel that it's reliable enough to get me through 800 miles a week, 3200 miles a month, etc.. Just for my job.

It smokes. I don't know exactly why it's smoking now, as the remanufactured head should have fixed that. #2 is oil fouled. I'm guessing it's coming from that cylinder. Compression is the same as the other cylinders, so I'll assume it is a problem with the head.

I paid good money for that remanufactured head, but there is no way I'm going to pull it back off the car and have them look at it. I'm just tired of working on it. I just want to be able to reliably drive my route and not have to worry about sh!t.

I have 2200$ into the car, and I'd never get even a fraction of that if I traded it in.

Not to mention I don't think I could afford a car payment.

I'm pretty bummed at the moment. I need to have reliable transportation for this job, I cannot even miss one day.

I don't know what to do.

Update: I'm pissed. I mean, really. WTF? I just can't catch a break with this piece of sh!t. What the fsck did they do, completely forget to install a valve stem seal?! :|

Thank god for oil lights. After about 280 miles, my oil light came on when I went around a corner, and I went.. WTF? It happened several more times after that. Fortunately, I was just about to pull into a stop. After I did my business, I checked the dipstick.. Which was dry, of course.

Thankfully I was just down the street from a store.. So I gently took it down there, the oil light coming on around every corner... put 3 quarts in, and drove it home... which is where I sit.

Fsck this sh!t. I'm going to talk to HR tomorrow before work. They have this program with a local Ford dealership, where their drivers can get fleet pricing on cars. I'm going to look into that. My trainer got a 2000 Focus for $2000.

I hate Fords, but this is probably the way to go.. I'll by far be able to get the best deal.

:|

I can't believe that the engine went through 4 quarts of oil in 300 miles. What the fsck? If I didn't need to drive, I'd rip the head off and go throw it through the god damn machine shop's window.

I'm pissed.

Update: I bought the Focus.

Update2: Focus wrecked at 128,441 miles.

No problems with it during the 4.5mo and 32,375 miles I had it.

 

[K1052]

Get them to look at the head again since they did the work.

In the meantime, if the compression checks out and its not a ton of oil the car is usable, just keep an eye on the consumption. Increasing the heat range on the plug in the cylinder with the leak can buy some more time too.

 

[rh71]

Buy a used Civic / Accord and the only expenses you'll deal with for a long time are the crappy exhaust pipes that fall off. They're extremely reliable otherwise.

 

[Regs]

If only you posted 3 months ago I would of sold you my 98 Honda Accord for 500. Even though it was worth ... 4k.

My only suggestion is to either buy a 2-3k used car (take out a loan if you have too) and hope luck will come your way with a better job.

Where do you work? Work in a place where there is oppertunities?

 

[iamwiz82]

Perhaps there was a defect with the head gasket? Look for the small stuff first.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Perhaps there was a defect with the head gasket? Look for the small stuff first.

That wouldn't cause the cylinder to be oil fouled.. Coolant maybe.

I'm just tired of working on it, even though I enjoy working on cars. It's beyond that now.. I just don't have time to deal with it.

I don't have any money. This month is going to be really hard since I just started the job.

I already spend 125$ renting a car for a few days last week while I was (hoping) to get my car fixed up.

I'm a contractor, so I'm working for myself. Any tax experts around? Is there a way I could buy a car for "business" use, and write it off?

I guess I would still need the cash up front though. Gah.

 

[Eli]

I'm pissed. I mean, really. WTF? I just can't catch a break with this piece of sh!t. What the fsck did they do, completely forget to install a valve stem seal?! :|

Thank god for oil lights. After about 280 miles, my oil light came on when I went around a corner, and I went.. WTF? It happened several more times after that. Fortunately, I was just about to pull into a stop. After I did my business, I checked the dipstick.. Which was dry, of course.

Thankfully I was just down the street from a store.. So I gently took it down there, the oil light coming on around every corner... put 3 quarts in, and drove it home... which is where I sit.

Fsck this sh!t. I'm going to talk to HR tomorrow before work. They have this program with a local Ford dealership, where their drivers can get fleet pricing on cars. I'm going to look into that. My trainer got a 2000 Focus for $2000.

I hate Fords, but this is probably the way to go.. I'll by far be able to get the best deal.

:|

I can't believe that the engine went through 4 quarts of oil in 300 miles. What the fsck? If I didn't need to drive, I'd rip the head off and go throw it through the god damn machine shop's window.

I'm pissed.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: Eli
I'm pissed.

Obviously.

Possible that the engine running hot scalded the rings, too. But if you have good compression, then it is probably a missing stem seal, or even too much clearance in the guide.

A stem seal shouldn't require removal of the whole head, but it'll still be a bit of work.

 

[Regs]

I know how aggrivated you feel. Though you'll turn out fine like the rest of us.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: Eli
I'm pissed.

Obviously.

Possible that the engine running hot scalded the rings, too. But if you have good compression, then it is probably a missing stem seal, or even too much clearance in the guide.

A stem seal shouldn't require removal of the whole head, but it'll still be a bit of work.

Yeah, I know... I guess I'll break the fresh seal on the valve cover and see if I can see any weirdness in there, but I don't know if you can without removing the rockers and such. I know it's cylinder #2, so I can look there at least...

I just don't have time to deal with it.. I just want a car that works now. LOL.

I'd probably end up also getting a Focus from the dealership.

hmm... /goes to research

 

[Eli]

I'm so glad my oil light didn't come on while I was cruising down the highway. Very lucky that it happened the way it did. If it wouldn't have been low enough to trigger the oil pressure light during my stop, I would have gotten back on the highway for a 48 mile drive home when I was done. I probably would have run it bone dry.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Even without valve stem seals it shouldn't burn that much oil. I drove around a 67 galaxie for 2 years without ANY and it only went through about a quart every 1k miles. It just smoked like hell when you would start it. I rebuilt it eventually and every one of the seals was down in the oil pan.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

i can vouch for the focus. its not terribly well made (though the euro mark 2 is very well made) but its damn reliable, and at least where i live, parts and setrvicing is super cheap.

cheap car thats reliable and cheap to run/maintain, and for the euro versions at least, still in the top tier for handling. not bad for a 10 year old design, i think the only cars that can beat the original focus's handling now are the new mk2 focus and the mk5 golf, plus the mk1 focus still looks rather fresh.

 

[boomerang]

I know you've discounted the head gasket theory, but how does the oil get up to the head? I'm not familiar with that engine, but unless there is external piping. Oil gets up through a passage in the block corresponding to a passage in the head. Some cylinder heads have restrictors in that passage that limit the oil flow up into the head. Could this have been left out? I do understand your problem is confined to one cylinder so this seems unlikely.

If there is a seal or seals missing on the valve guides, you can pressurize the cylinder with air to hold the valves closed, compress the spring using a tool designed for this, and install a seal or seals and reassemble.

Also, a broken oil ring could put volumes of oil into that cylinder.

The least expensive way for you to get a car is to lease. If your contracting job requires driving as part of your work, I suppose you could write off at least a portion of your car expenses. I would think you would need to regularly travel between locations for this to apply to you. I do not know all the ins and outs of this by any means. Do not rely on my advice in this regard.

I know you're frustrated, but by walking away from a problem for awhile I tend to calm down and think more clearly. I realize this is essential to your work and have a cash flow problem right now. Please understand I'm not talking down to you in saying this.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: boomerang
I know you've discounted the head gasket theory, but how does the oil get up to the head? I'm not familiar with that engine, but unless there is external piping. Oil gets up through a passage in the block corresponding to a passage in the head. Some cylinder heads have restrictors in that passage that limit the oil flow up into the head. Could this have been left out? I do understand your problem is confined to one cylinder so this seems unlikely.

If there is a seal or seals missing on the valve guides, you can pressurize the cylinder with air to hold the valves closed, compress the spring using a tool designed for this, and install a seal or seals and reassemble.

Also, a broken oil ring could put volumes of oil into that cylinder.

The least expensive way for you to get a car is to lease. If your contracting job requires driving as part of your work, I suppose you could write off at least a portion of your car expenses. I would think you would need to regularly travel between locations for this to apply to you. I do not know all the ins and outs of this by any means. Do not rely on my advice in this regard.

I know you're frustrated, but by walking away from a problem for awhile I tend to calm down and think more clearly. I realize this is essential to your work and have a cash flow problem right now. Please understand I'm not talking down to you in saying this.

That's the whole thing though, I don't have time. I have to be to work in 6 hours.

I really don't know what to do. This sucks.

I really don't know what the problem is. Something is seriously wrong though.. It didn't use anywhere near that much oil even when all the valve stem seals were bad. It is obviously burning the oil, so its either getting past the rings, or past the valves. Since compression was OK, I don't think its to do with the rings...

I really don't want to trade it in though. It would be such a waste of money. If only I could find something else to get by while I fix it, I could at least sell it for $1,000 or something...

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Call up the shop you had all this done at and tell them about it, they provide this service daily and might be able to either guide you in the right direction or discuss an alternative.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Need to check the block and make sure it isn't cracked. IF you're burning more oil now than when all the seals where bad, that is the only logical explanation as to why so much oil is getting in the combustion chamber.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: Eli
This is a continuation of this thread.

I'm about to give up on my car. I just don't feel that it's reliable enough to get me through 800 miles a week, 3200 miles a month, etc.. Just for my job.

It smokes. I don't know exactly why it's smoking now, as the remanufactured head should have fixed that. #2 is oil fouled. I'm guessing it's coming from that cylinder. Compression is the same as the other cylinders, so I'll assume it is a problem with the head.

I paid good money for that remanufactured head, but there is no way I'm going to pull it back off the car and have them look at it. I'm just tired of working on it. I just want to be able to reliably drive my route and not have to worry about sh!t.

I have 2200$ into the car, and I'd never get even a fraction of that if I traded it in.

Not to mention I don't think I could afford a car payment.

I'm pretty bummed at the moment. I need to have reliable transportation for this job, I cannot even miss one day.

I don't know what to do.

Update: I'm pissed. I mean, really. WTF? I just can't catch a break with this piece of sh!t. What the fsck did they do, completely forget to install a valve stem seal?! :|

Thank god for oil lights. After about 280 miles, my oil light came on when I went around a corner, and I went.. WTF? It happened several more times after that. Fortunately, I was just about to pull into a stop. After I did my business, I checked the dipstick.. Which was dry, of course.

Thankfully I was just down the street from a store.. So I gently took it down there, the oil light coming on around every corner... put 3 quarts in, and drove it home... which is where I sit.

Fsck this sh!t. I'm going to talk to HR tomorrow before work. They have this program with a local Ford dealership, where their drivers can get fleet pricing on cars. I'm going to look into that. My trainer got a 2000 Focus for $2000.

I hate Fords, but this is probably the way to go.. I'll by far be able to get the best deal.

:|

I can't believe that the engine went through 4 quarts of oil in 300 miles. What the fsck? If I didn't need to drive, I'd rip the head off and go throw it through the god damn machine shop's window.

I'm pissed.

well at least you figured out what's smoking...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Just cool off for a few days and then tear it down again when you have the time and aren't as angry. You'll get it figured out. Cars can be a real PITA, motorcycles are just as bad though.

 

[Eli]

So I called the shop. They said they would be happy to look the head over if I brought it in.

When I hung up, I threw my phone and it broke. God damnit.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: Eli
When I hung up, I threw my phone and it broke. God damnit.

Resist the dark side, young padawan! Now you have a broken phone and a broken engine!

 

[nakedfrog]

Blue smoke from the exhaust, then?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Blue smoke from the exhaust, then?

Yes, exuberant amounts.

The guy suggested that I could have fried my oil rings and they've lost tension, but I really don't think this is the case. Sure, I could still have good compression with a bad oil ring, but it is obvious that only one cylinder is fouling. I fail to understand how one cylinder could overheat to that point when the rest are fine.

I really don't know what to do. I'm not sure if I can afford a car payment plus full coverage insurance.

I'd like to continue working this job, but I don't know if its going to work out.

I talked to HR, and she said they don't offer that program to contract employees, but they would get me in touch with the Ford dealership and maybe they can give me some special treatment. Yeah right. I hate dealerships.

/goes to hide under a rock

 

[Eli]

Just got off the phone with the contact at the Ford dealership. He's going to run my credit and see what they've got for me.

*crosses fingers*

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: Eli

I can't believe that the engine went through 4 quarts of oil in 300 miles. What the fsck? If I didn't need to drive, I'd rip the head off and go throw it through the god damn machine shop's window.

I'm pissed.

Holy crap, does it have a Porche engine or something?