Like all the times before this is going to end just the same. You know that, right?
ClevelandMalibu will be added to the list.
ClevelandMalibu will be added to the list.
Used Stop Leak, Now Don't Know What The Problem Is?
- Thread starter ClevelandMalibu
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ClevelandMalibu,
Sorry to hear what happen. Based on what you said it looks like the car was having the intake manifold gasket leak, then overheat and head gasket / head warp, someone trade it in and the next guy quickly patch it with stop leak and sell it to you.
The car may not be worth fixing, the price charged to diagnose and quote for rebuild / head gasket fix seems about right although a bit high. You need to find the seller and ask him to take it back and refund you (most likely not 100% of it). He is clearly dishonest about it and try to make a quick buck on you.
In your current medical condition I think asking for volunteer / charity to drive you to and from treatment is better than driving and dealing with a car. Even buying a new car has no guarantee on reliability. If that doesn't work, try to offer some money on craigslist and see if someone will drive you around, it may be cheaper than uber but you'll need to plan your trip on their convenience.
Sorry to hear what happen. Based on what you said it looks like the car was having the intake manifold gasket leak, then overheat and head gasket / head warp, someone trade it in and the next guy quickly patch it with stop leak and sell it to you.
The car may not be worth fixing, the price charged to diagnose and quote for rebuild / head gasket fix seems about right although a bit high. You need to find the seller and ask him to take it back and refund you (most likely not 100% of it). He is clearly dishonest about it and try to make a quick buck on you.
In your current medical condition I think asking for volunteer / charity to drive you to and from treatment is better than driving and dealing with a car. Even buying a new car has no guarantee on reliability. If that doesn't work, try to offer some money on craigslist and see if someone will drive you around, it may be cheaper than uber but you'll need to plan your trip on their convenience.
If you have to spend another grand,go find another car.I know you can find a dependable car that will get you around town.I hope you have someone that can help you find one.
Like I said earlier,contact local news.
It can't hurt and maybe some kind soul will help you in some way.
There is a lot wrong with this car and the more they look the more it costs.
Like I said earlier,contact local news.
It can't hurt and maybe some kind soul will help you in some way.
There is a lot wrong with this car and the more they look the more it costs.
Yes Panda, I think you are correct about what happened with the car. But again, the seller is NOT going to give me a refund, and I have no chance of winning in court, or the money or ability to do so. It is hard enough just trying to take care of my personal needs. But I did find a guy that said he would fix the head gaskets for just under a grand. I paid $1,500 for the car, plus the $200 for replacing the reservoir, and diagnostic test the other day, so now I am up to $1,700 into it. I live right in the city, and there are NO cars for a thousand dollars that would be any better than this one. At least at this point I have one that from what I know, everything else is working, so either I throw away all I have put into it, or throw in another grand and at least have something that runs. It is going to take me some time to save to get the money anyways. I am just in a panic because of this, my cancer tests, and life in general, and I'm afraid, and in need of some "male advice." I know absolutely nothing about cars, and neither does my son in law, and I obviously am a sucker for thieves. I did try calling a few auto places to explain my situation to see if they would "help" with their pricing, but nobody cares. I have made it alone with God's help all of my life, and am not going to beg. I am very independent, and it's hard having to rely on strangers, and I just want my privacy back. So, do you think around a thousand dollars is a fair price to replace the head gaskets? I certainly am not going to have the guy who has my car now do it, he wants $1,700. And like I said, he is the one that charged me $200 to "replace" the reservoir, and do the diagnostic test, and for all I know he just rinsed it out, and how will I ever know? Also, is there some kind of print out for the test he charged me for, so I can take it to wherever I plan to go to next? For all I know he may not have even have done that, and I want some kind of paper proof/documentation that states what is "wrong" with it. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, he said he drove it for 20 minutes after replacing the reservoir, and said it is definitely the head gasket that needs replaced. And then I thought that sounded rather fishy, as shouldn't the "diagnostic test" have said exactly what was wrong with it, without him having to rely on a test drive?! Grrrrr, it is just totally disgusting to have my kindness, and disability turned into a weakness and used against me. And it's also frightening. The last car that I had, when I was physically robbed at my home by one of the "backyard mechanics," I was just lucky I wasn't physically attacked, and is why i will never use them, or Craigslist again. We live in such terrible times, and is just awful how easily women are viewed as such easy prey. Us, and the elderly. :'( I hope that anybody who may happen to see this, and is a mechanic of this sort will stop and think, what if this was my sister, or grandparents? And remember, we all have to face God on Judgement Day, and your soul is worth more than anything money can buy.
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Didn’t you used to live in Boston?
I would have guessed New Jersey.
What a bunch of nonsense we’ve all seen countless times before.
I wasn’t wanting to be the first to say it but this smells of balogna.
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Didn’t you used to live in Boston?
I would have guessed New Jersey.
What a bunch of nonsense we’ve all seen countless times before.
I wasn’t wanting to be the first to say it but this smells of balogna.
Your unwillingness to even SPEAK to a lawyer shows you want a pity party and not actual results. This is not a legal forum. Best of luck.
Your problems are not mechanical, they are legal, in that someone sold you something unfit for use, which violates the Uniform Commercial Code. You have NOT answered my question about dealer vs private party, and therefore the help you receive in return is limited. Every minute you sit, not fighting for your money back, is time wasted.
Your problems are not mechanical, they are legal, in that someone sold you something unfit for use, which violates the Uniform Commercial Code. You have NOT answered my question about dealer vs private party, and therefore the help you receive in return is limited. Every minute you sit, not fighting for your money back, is time wasted.
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Originally Posted By: eljefino
Your unwillingness to even SPEAK to a lawyer shows you want a pity party and not actual results. This is not a legal forum. Best of luck.
Your problems are not mechanical, they are legal, in that someone sold you something unfit for use, which violates the Uniform Commercial Code. You have NOT answered my question about dealer vs private party, and therefore the help you receive in return is limited. Every minute you sit, not fighting for your money back, is time wasted.
This.
My girlfriend is an immigration attorney and she gives all her clients a free initial consultation to see if the case is even worth taking to court and winnable. Just go speak to one and see if they want to talk the case.
Your unwillingness to even SPEAK to a lawyer shows you want a pity party and not actual results. This is not a legal forum. Best of luck.
Your problems are not mechanical, they are legal, in that someone sold you something unfit for use, which violates the Uniform Commercial Code. You have NOT answered my question about dealer vs private party, and therefore the help you receive in return is limited. Every minute you sit, not fighting for your money back, is time wasted.
This.
My girlfriend is an immigration attorney and she gives all her clients a free initial consultation to see if the case is even worth taking to court and winnable. Just go speak to one and see if they want to talk the case.
I don't think this is even a legal issue. Being a used car, wouldn't it be sold as is even if its a turd? A lawyer would be a waste of time. Save your money and fix it or buy a car that isn't a turd.
Dealer sales bring more consumer protections, but we don't know if it was a dealer because the OP is obfuscating for attention/ trolling/ whatever.
However there are things like "unfair contracts" where an "AS-IS" declaration isn't the end-all, be-all. Just because it's written down doesn't make it true. A legal professional knows the ways around this.
It's like the disclaimer on the back of your ski ticket, or the "Keep back 500 feet" on dump trucks. If it keeps 1 person out of 10 from suing, it did its job.
However there are things like "unfair contracts" where an "AS-IS" declaration isn't the end-all, be-all. Just because it's written down doesn't make it true. A legal professional knows the ways around this.
It's like the disclaimer on the back of your ski ticket, or the "Keep back 500 feet" on dump trucks. If it keeps 1 person out of 10 from suing, it did its job.
Listen here eljefino, you must be deaf, as well as a "hater." I certainly don't want pity, I am just stating the facts of how I ended up in the pile of poo, and why I was such an idiot to buy the car without really thinking. I have a lot going on in my life, and just wanted something to help me get through this, without having to rely on strangers when I need privacy. And may I say it again, I bought it from a used car lot, and I have spoken to lawyers, the AG, BBB, and the FTC. And I am not getting anywhere, but just wasting my time, and my mental health trying to beat a dead horse. These people are NOT going to give me back my money, or even a part of it. And again, I don't have money to waste on a lawyer, just to end up losing, and paying their attorney fees too. Plus may I repeat again that I also have spinal problems, and am in no way able to maneuver the courthouse, or go through all of the physical problems and mental stress, on top of what I already have on me. I have unfortunately found out just how crooked they are too late, and am in a no win situation, unless my local news media stations will help. Maybe then that would possibly shame them into giving me a refund, but otherwise I am stuck, and just looking for the best solution. If I had money to burn, and family to help, I wouldn't be in such a crummy situation to begin with, and I don't need heckled by you, or anyone. If you don't have any mechanical advice, then go on your way and give your "expertise" to somebody that will appreciate it. But I will add you to my prayer list, because you obviously need them. And thank you to everyone who has been so kind and given me advice! I truly appreciate it, and need it before I rush into another bad mistake. And I am so thankful to find a place where I can ask more than one person for their opinions, because this way I can pretty much get the best answers. This is a lot of money to me, and just makes me sick to think of junking it, and starting over. I would also appreciate any answers to my previous post. Thank you.
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Originally Posted By: eljefino
Try calling up a vocational high school or college to see if they want to work on it while they teach the kids. Might take a while but be very cheap.
Now THAT is a good idea!
My sister is a high school teacher and their auto shop will work on your car for free,all you have to do is supply the parts.
Try calling up a vocational high school or college to see if they want to work on it while they teach the kids. Might take a while but be very cheap.
Now THAT is a good idea!
I have a doctor appointment tomorrow for follow up tests, and already afraid about this, so I don't know how much I will be able to do, but I will try the vocational schools on Tuesday. I have been looking up comments from buyers about the same car, and am even more worried now than I was before. So many of them said they had the same problems, and tons of issues with the brakes, tires, and lots of other stuff, and all in all, not good. So now I am scared that if I do fix the gaskets, that it is just going to be an endless money pit. Has anyone here ever had one? The complaints are all quite serious. https://www.vehiclehistory.com/reports/f...u&year=2001 I regret so much buying it, and also regret that people like them, make their living from people like me. Because most men know at least something about cars, and know more about the whole process, and are less likely to be scammed. I have never bought a car from a dealership, and thought they would be better than trusting a stranger from Craigslist after what I went through with my last car. It seems I just can't win. And as far as wanting a car so I can go through my medical stuff alone, it's not even possible now, because I would have to save either way, whether I junked the car, or saved to fix it. I'm so depressed, and I just wished I could click my heels together and make it all go away. Please pray for me about my tests, and the car, and also pray for the car dealers. Jesus knows who they are, and is the only one who can "fix"any of this.
If you read complaints about any 17 year old car you'll only hear from the complainers. Few people log on to report "everything's fine."
This website is all about car fluids... study up and you'll be in a better position to inspect your next car before purchase. Clean clear antifreeze, oil, ATF, and brake fluid are a decent start to a decent car. Buying from a state like Pennsylvania with inspections and consumer protection laws will help you, too.
This website is all about car fluids... study up and you'll be in a better position to inspect your next car before purchase. Clean clear antifreeze, oil, ATF, and brake fluid are a decent start to a decent car. Buying from a state like Pennsylvania with inspections and consumer protection laws will help you, too.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: ClevelandMalibu
Yes Panda, I think you are correct about what happened with the car. But again, the seller is NOT going to give me a refund, and I have no chance of winning in court, or the money or ability to do so. It is hard enough just trying to take care of my personal needs. But I did find a guy that said he would fix the head gaskets for just under a grand. I paid $1,500 for the car, plus the $200 for replacing the reservoir, and diagnostic test the other day, so now I am up to $1,700 into it. I live right in the city, and there are NO cars for a thousand dollars that would be any better than this one. At least at this point I have one that from what I know, everything else is working, so either I throw away all I have put into it, or throw in another grand and at least have something that runs. It is going to take me some time to save to get the money anyways. I am just in a panic because of this, my cancer tests, and life in general, and I'm afraid, and in need of some "male advice." I know absolutely nothing about cars, and neither does my son in law, and I obviously am a sucker for thieves. I did try calling a few auto places to explain my situation to see if they would "help" with their pricing, but nobody cares. I have made it alone with God's help all of my life, and am not going to beg. I am very independent, and it's hard having to rely on strangers, and I just want my privacy back. So, do you think around a thousand dollars is a fair price to replace the head gaskets? I certainly am not going to have the guy who has my car now do it, he wants $1,700. And like I said, he is the one that charged me $200 to "replace" the reservoir, and do the diagnostic test, and for all I know he just rinsed it out, and how will I ever know? Also, is there some kind of print out for the test he charged me for, so I can take it to wherever I plan to go to next? For all I know he may not have even have done that, and I want some kind of paper proof/documentation that states what is "wrong" with it. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, he said he drove it for 20 minutes after replacing the reservoir, and said it is definitely the head gasket that needs replaced. And then I thought that sounded rather fishy, as shouldn't the "diagnostic test" have said exactly what was wrong with it, without him having to rely on a test drive?! Grrrrr, it is just totally disgusting to have my kindness, and disability turned into a weakness and used against me. And it's also frightening. The last car that I had, when I was physically robbed at my home by one of the "backyard mechanics," I was just lucky I wasn't physically attacked, and is why i will never use them, or Craigslist again. We live in such terrible times, and is just awful how easily women are viewed as such easy prey. Us, and the elderly. :'( I hope that anybody who may happen to see this, and is a mechanic of this sort will stop and think, what if this was my sister, or grandparents? And remember, we all have to face God on Judgement Day, and your soul is worth more than anything money can buy.
Do explain why you can’t get a refund?
For that amount of money, small claims court works great and requires only your time. Take them to court. Pay your current mechanic an hour of labor to make a signed statement about their findings. Don’t do anything else with the car. Find another $500 clunked with a different issue to use until then.
Yes Panda, I think you are correct about what happened with the car. But again, the seller is NOT going to give me a refund, and I have no chance of winning in court, or the money or ability to do so. It is hard enough just trying to take care of my personal needs. But I did find a guy that said he would fix the head gaskets for just under a grand. I paid $1,500 for the car, plus the $200 for replacing the reservoir, and diagnostic test the other day, so now I am up to $1,700 into it. I live right in the city, and there are NO cars for a thousand dollars that would be any better than this one. At least at this point I have one that from what I know, everything else is working, so either I throw away all I have put into it, or throw in another grand and at least have something that runs. It is going to take me some time to save to get the money anyways. I am just in a panic because of this, my cancer tests, and life in general, and I'm afraid, and in need of some "male advice." I know absolutely nothing about cars, and neither does my son in law, and I obviously am a sucker for thieves. I did try calling a few auto places to explain my situation to see if they would "help" with their pricing, but nobody cares. I have made it alone with God's help all of my life, and am not going to beg. I am very independent, and it's hard having to rely on strangers, and I just want my privacy back. So, do you think around a thousand dollars is a fair price to replace the head gaskets? I certainly am not going to have the guy who has my car now do it, he wants $1,700. And like I said, he is the one that charged me $200 to "replace" the reservoir, and do the diagnostic test, and for all I know he just rinsed it out, and how will I ever know? Also, is there some kind of print out for the test he charged me for, so I can take it to wherever I plan to go to next? For all I know he may not have even have done that, and I want some kind of paper proof/documentation that states what is "wrong" with it. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, he said he drove it for 20 minutes after replacing the reservoir, and said it is definitely the head gasket that needs replaced. And then I thought that sounded rather fishy, as shouldn't the "diagnostic test" have said exactly what was wrong with it, without him having to rely on a test drive?! Grrrrr, it is just totally disgusting to have my kindness, and disability turned into a weakness and used against me. And it's also frightening. The last car that I had, when I was physically robbed at my home by one of the "backyard mechanics," I was just lucky I wasn't physically attacked, and is why i will never use them, or Craigslist again. We live in such terrible times, and is just awful how easily women are viewed as such easy prey. Us, and the elderly. :'( I hope that anybody who may happen to see this, and is a mechanic of this sort will stop and think, what if this was my sister, or grandparents? And remember, we all have to face God on Judgement Day, and your soul is worth more than anything money can buy.
Do explain why you can’t get a refund?
For that amount of money, small claims court works great and requires only your time. Take them to court. Pay your current mechanic an hour of labor to make a signed statement about their findings. Don’t do anything else with the car. Find another $500 clunked with a different issue to use until then.
I am disabled from my spinal problem, and have spent most of the past 8 years housebound, and asleep from the pain. Which is why I don't have any friends, because I am not social like I used to be, and am very depressed. If I had family, and friends to help, I would have hoped they may have helped so I wouldn't have gotten myself in this situation I'm in now. It isn't my fault, and you keep bashing me when the car dealers are the ones that robbed me! And I shouldn't have to keep defending myself, when I have already said too much about my personal life as it is, because I already know how judgemental people are. And I cannot get a refund because they will not give me one. What am I to do, grab the guy by the collar, hit him with my cane, and demand he gives it back to me? I have already gone through every channel possible, and have already explained why taking them to court is not an option. Plus, I signed an arbitration agreement, and they have me at every turn. If I had a chance of winning, and was healthy, and able to do all the walking, standing, and escalators, and had help to get to, and from the courthouse, it would be different. But I am disabled, and have nobody to help. And so this is how I came across this site, to look for advice about what I should do with the car. So, please, enough with telling me to take them to court. I am already working with the AG, and if they can't help, I am either going to have to fix it myself, try and sell it to somebody who may want to fix it, or junk it. And do you honestly think anyone would want "another $500 clunker with a different issue?" Please, get off your high horse, and come into the real world. I am disabled, and live in the "hood." The last thing I need is another POS breaking down, and leaving me stranded, when I such pain and problems walking, and especially with winter coming. This has taken everything that I had, and you have no idea how afraid I am, and how much I am hurting over all of this. So, for those of you that have given me mechanical advice I truly thank your help. And I would still appreciate speaking to owners that have had these cars, and mechanics that have fixed them, to tell me some more about them before I make my final decision. Again, it is a lot of money for me to just be thrown away. And for the rest of you that just want to heckle, please don't waste your time on me.
OP - you sound like the perfect candidate for Uber/Lyft. No ownership costs, no insurance, no fuel or repairs. They'll pick you up right at your front door and drop you off right at the front door of your destination. Being in an urban area, there should be no shortage of drivers. It's a great service and perfect for people who need rides to medical appointments.
I'm not on a "high horse" for having a different opinion than you. I buy serviceable cars for as low as $250 because I'm thrifty as a character flaw. I've seen some good ones and some bad ones.
Your car is a turkey, a curse, a pox, delivered to you by a n'er-do-well. If you put $1500 in labor into it it will be worth $1000. The sensible answer this entire forum is trying to get you to do is to reverse the deal before it gets to be too late. Even if you were to get it running without overheating there could be collateral damage that would interfere with its next emissions test. The thriftiest answer is to push this heap to the curb. The icing on the cake would be getting your money back from the dealer.
You say you saw a lawyer. What did he say about the arbitration agreement? Any holes he can poke through it? How long was the visit? Is he/she on retainer for future assistance?
For rides try https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9227-caregiving-adult-transportation
Your car is a turkey, a curse, a pox, delivered to you by a n'er-do-well. If you put $1500 in labor into it it will be worth $1000. The sensible answer this entire forum is trying to get you to do is to reverse the deal before it gets to be too late. Even if you were to get it running without overheating there could be collateral damage that would interfere with its next emissions test. The thriftiest answer is to push this heap to the curb. The icing on the cake would be getting your money back from the dealer.
You say you saw a lawyer. What did he say about the arbitration agreement? Any holes he can poke through it? How long was the visit? Is he/she on retainer for future assistance?
For rides try https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9227-caregiving-adult-transportation
Thanks dsihdude, I appreciate the suggestion, and it is a great thing. But I want my own car so I can do my own shopping, get my own medications from drive thru, take myself to my dr appointments, go visit my daughter and mother, go to church, go to the lake and watch the sunset, go for a drive through the park, just to get out of the house, and have my own privacy without being with strangers. I just want some of my independence back again. I am thankful there are things like that available, but after being shut in for so long, I just have to get out and do things, and try and make some new friends. I am not that old, or ugly, or not intelligent (even though I have been ripped off by crooks that have taken advantage of my disability.) Who wants to have to depend on strangers all of the time? I feel like a prisoner, and can't stand it anymore. And BTW eljefino, I was referring to JHZR2 when I said to get off your high horse. I only wished I knew of places to get cars that cheap, but then again would be afraid because I would be scared what if it died and left me stranded in the winter. Not that it couldn't happen with any car, but you know what I mean. And again just to clarify, I paid $1,500, and just put $200 into it to find out it was the head gaskets, at least that is what this guy said. And again for the last time, the dealership has told me over and over they are NOT going to refund my money, and there is nothing I can physically do to make them. And as far as lawyers goes, I spoke to a few over the phone, and they all said the arbitration agreement would be the hard part, and again, these people are con artists and have every loophole covered. They have a habit of not showing up for court, letting the defendant win, then appealing it, and ending up winning because of the arbitration agreement, then also having the defendant pay their lawyers fee to boot! INSANE! And I am NOT putting myself through all of that. No it isn't right these people get to get away with fraud, and I am sure they have done this to most of their "customers" and is why they have their business in the hood, because they know people are poor and not able to afford lawyers, so they keep getting away with it. It's just a shame that the world is so crummy, and people are mostly dishonest, and it's just all so sad. Thank you for the medical link about transportation, this is how I am able to make it to mine, thank God. I am very thankful my insurance covers it, and I get dropped off at the front door. I am also thankful I don't need a wheelchair yet. Well, this is all I have to say about this tonight. I have bigger problems to worry about, but like everything else in my life, Jesus is with me, and will give me strength to get through it. Goodnight, and God bless.
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Save what little money you have left for cab fare. You wish to be independent, but you lack the means at present.You need the wherewithal to buy a better car and to maintain. at 100$ an hr plus parts. You bought a "fixer upper" that is only fit for a do=it-yourselfer. You can't fix it yourself. Your only chance is to get some agency to get your money back. Time is running. Maybe a member of your church could help you out. And may God bless You as well.
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