An old tenant called me and said his 96 oldsmobile with the 3.1 has been using anti freeze all winter. Today his check engine lite came on and it was running bad he said he checked the oil and it was over a quart higher on the stick with milky mud and there was anti freeze in the oil when he drained it. I told him at the beginning of the winter that it needed either intake gaskets or a head gasket. He said it only idles rough now and smokes he can not drive it. He will tow it into the shop next week with his AAA hope the anti freeze did not do a lot of damage the body is in great condition.
Tenant Called Said His Oil Is Full Of Anti Freeze
- Thread starter crazyoildude
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I would hazard to guess that if he drove it all winter that way he probably has caused damage.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Sounds like he's gonna be shopping for another car.
Ok......and???
The 3.1? It's probably intake manifold gasket! Had to do that on my wife's Malibu
Yes, these GM 3.1 V6's are known for bad intake manifold and head gasket failures. It could be either/both...I doubt it's both simultaneously. But, it could have been one on a small scale and now the other has failed too.
I'm sure you can re build it
Originally Posted By: Lubener
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I'm sure you can re build it
Probably ruined the engine by driving it so long.. I wouldn't waste the money on a 19 year old car.
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I'm sure you can re build it
Probably ruined the engine by driving it so long.. I wouldn't waste the money on a 19 year old car.
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
hotwheels,
What about the repair cost ?
What about the repair cost ?
Originally Posted By: Olas
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
Absolutely!
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
Absolutely!
If it's not knocking furiously, get the IM gasket in it, run several 150 mile OCIs with the cheapest decent dino & filters you can find, there's a chance it might survive. You'd be amazed by the # of hoopty cars (barely) running in these parts like that.
Originally Posted By: Olas
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
I agree, but what are the chances of picking up a 3.1 V6 in the UK?.
Claud.
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
I agree, but what are the chances of picking up a 3.1 V6 in the UK?.
Claud.
agree-- could be useful life in it still --
x-FIL had a chrysler LHS with the 3.5. it consumed some oil quicker than he gathered on a highway trip and the engine --seized-- on the interstate, leaving it dead on the spot. He figured it out, walked back with a few quarts of oil and waited for it to cool down. Car started, ran, and went on to give another 100k to the family. It had a very rough idle and could barely idle for the rest of its life, but it ran fine off idle.
x-FIL had a chrysler LHS with the 3.5. it consumed some oil quicker than he gathered on a highway trip and the engine --seized-- on the interstate, leaving it dead on the spot. He figured it out, walked back with a few quarts of oil and waited for it to cool down. Car started, ran, and went on to give another 100k to the family. It had a very rough idle and could barely idle for the rest of its life, but it ran fine off idle.
Originally Posted By: Olas
Originally Posted By: Lubener
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I'm sure you can re build it
Probably ruined the engine by driving it so long.. I wouldn't waste the money on a 19 year old car.
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
I agree too, but try to convince the hoards of BITOGers... To them, if the car is older than 5 years and has more than 75,000 miles, then "It's an old beater and simply not worth it!". Or another favorite- "You'll never recover your money.", as if a car was some kind of financial investment.
Originally Posted By: Lubener
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I'm sure you can re build it
Probably ruined the engine by driving it so long.. I wouldn't waste the money on a 19 year old car.
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
I agree too, but try to convince the hoards of BITOGers... To them, if the car is older than 5 years and has more than 75,000 miles, then "It's an old beater and simply not worth it!". Or another favorite- "You'll never recover your money.", as if a car was some kind of financial investment.
Originally Posted By: Olas
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
Did you miss the part where he drove it all winter with antifreeze in the oil ruining everything?
Fixing it before winter would have been intelligent use of funds.
Mending what you have isn't a waste of money, it's an intelligent use of funds!
Wasting money is scrapping a car for a manifold gasket only to drop several grand on a new vehicle.
Make do and mend! Waste not, want not!
Did you miss the part where he drove it all winter with antifreeze in the oil ruining everything?
Fixing it before winter would have been intelligent use of funds.
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
What about the repair cost ?
I spend around $250 to fix the LIM on my V6 1999 Alero. That price included all the tools I had to buy for the job too, like some crows feet, a 1/4" ratchet head torque wrench, a Lisle ratcheting serpentine belt tool, and a special GM pushrod removal tool (not absolutely necessary, but it does make the job easier, quicker, and less error prone, and it was cheap enough).
What about the repair cost ?
I spend around $250 to fix the LIM on my V6 1999 Alero. That price included all the tools I had to buy for the job too, like some crows feet, a 1/4" ratchet head torque wrench, a Lisle ratcheting serpentine belt tool, and a special GM pushrod removal tool (not absolutely necessary, but it does make the job easier, quicker, and less error prone, and it was cheap enough).
Originally Posted By: Rand
Olas said:
The cost of the gaskets themselves is not too high. It's the labor that kills it. If it was my car and I couldn't do it myself or have a friend help for a reasonable price then a head gasket means my car is done. Hate to say it but if the tenant can't do it himself or with your help he's gonna be looking at paying a shop more than the value of the car.
We will know Saturday it will be towed to my shop and we will see. The body is in very good shape and it has 232,000 on it but he wants to keep it. I am going to do the job and he is going to put a new Burglar alarm system for me. He is thrilled and i need a new alarm so it all works out Hope the bearings are ok if not we will do them also.
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