Need mechanics advice, and maybe a lawyer...

[StreetDeacon]

Originally Posted by slartyblarfast

With out seeing the bolt I can't make a well informed opinion but I'll give my 2 cents worth.... It is possible to drop a bolt down in the intake and have it sit a while before it drops in. Carmax is real good about doing maintenance and what ever work that is needed on the cars they sell. And it doesn't take a very big one to destroy a motor. If I where you I would check with Carmax to see if they did a tune up on the car. With a turbo they shouldn't have to take the manifold off to do the tune up though. Like I said with out seeing the bolt it's hard to make a well informed judgement.

Slartyblarfast. It being a turbo, how much trouble would it be for someone to sabotaged it with a bolt of any size, since that's what they are trying to say happened? Seems like if someone wanted to screw her car up, there would be easier ways. I told my sister she needs to get that bolt from them. Do you think she should have it towed away from there? I was thinking if things go our way and they finally agree to honor the warranty, it can be towed back to them.

[slartyblarfast]

It would take a little effort to sabotage the motor but there are easier ways to kill a motor or sabotage other things..... Some how I think there is more to this story that either your sister doesn't know or not telling. A while back a friend of mine brought her little neon to me complaining about the check engine light on. It had missfire codes. I got to check the plugs and wires and low and behold the electrode clips on all of the plug wires are missing. When asked she says... Oh yea my boyfriend replaced the spark plugs a little while ago.

[notadodge]

If this were mine I would pay a mechanic from another shop to go over to the shop that has the car and inspect it and take along a camera take pics and not till after you see the damage, tell the shop the he is going to be a witness at the court case your filing. that will get them in gear.

I have dealt with aftermarket warenty companys (as a mechanic) and it is my experience that they will screw you into the ground before paying up, most folks will lay over and take there crap

you just got to stand up for yourself, hire a lawyer, have the lawyer call the company and ask them where they are at with this matter and ask if it necesary to move forward with a court case ,and make them nervous
in the end you got $100 in a mechanic and $150 in a lawyer its cheaper than $8000

[StreetDeacon]

She said she hasn't even had the hood up yet. She was planning on getting an oil changed before this mess happened.

At first I was thinking they just made up the story about finding a bolt. Now, I'm thinking it's possible, but I think if there was a bolt, it was in the motor and worked it's way to the pistons.

She hasn't had a chance to ask whether or not they did a tune up, but I'm pretty sure they did. Isn't that a standard practice for a lot getting used cars? I know she didn't do it, and I really doubt someone else did it out of meanness. They probably did it accidentally while giving a tune up, or something, and they just don't want to fix it under warranty. I mean almost every mechanic I mentioned this to thought they were charging WAY too much.

[lakersfan1]

When doing car work, I always use the KISS method to diagnosing the problem.

What was the problem? The car wouldn't START from a standstill after sitting for an hour. So the car wouldn't START. Not the car was making rude noises and was running crappy, THEN wouldn't start. The diagnosis is just that it wouldn't START. Correct? Then I don't know why the dealer is doing ANYTHING BUT electrical diagnosis.

If a bolt worked its way into the intake manifold, there is no way in HELL it would make it past the valves. Three-tenths of an inch gap for a fraction of a second is all it'd have to get into the combustion chamber. Which would mean it might need a new head .... not a whole new engine.

Otherwise, as said it'd have to be dropped down the spark plug hole .... which couldn't have been done since the previous owner or shop ...... which would mean she was driving around for 3,000 miles with a bolt in the combustion chamber without noticing? Not possible. She would have noticed it on the test drive, let alone 3,000 miles of driving.

[04PTGT]

Originally Posted by StreetDeacon

Slartyblarfast. It being a turbo, how much trouble would it be for someone to sabotaged it with a bolt of any size, since that's what they are trying to say happened? Seems like if someone wanted to screw her car up, there would be easier ways. I told my sister she needs to get that bolt from them. Do you think she should have it towed away from there? I was thinking if things go our way and they finally agree to honor the warranty, it can be towed back to them.

The first thing to ask is how it got past the turbo and into the intake..then into the cylinder?

I have seen turbo’s come unglued and scatter parts into the motor.

A bolt could get into the motor past a valve. How it happens is the valve first sandwiches the bolt in between it and the valve seat. Then it bends the valve and has more of a chance to get into the motor.

The next question is how does the shop know it is a bolt and not debris from a scattered turbo?

Did they remove it? Did they see it with a bore scope in the cylinder?

We need more info…and some pics of the “bolt” would help too.

[StreetDeacon]

Originally Posted by lakersfan1

When doing car work, I always use the KISS method to diagnosing the problem.

What was the problem? The car wouldn't START from a standstill after sitting for an hour. So the car wouldn't START. Not the car was making rude noises and was running crappy, THEN wouldn't start. The diagnosis is just that it wouldn't START. Correct? Then I don't know why the dealer is doing ANYTHING BUT electrical diagnosis.

Thanks lakersfan1 for your post. I had posted a couple of days ago some new info my sister left out. Her boyfriend used the car to drop her off at the restaurant, which was her place of work (it was 2 miles from their house). When it was time to pick her up from work, her boyfriend said the car did make a loud racket. He shut the car off when he got the restaurant. When they tried to start it again, it wouldn't start.

That said, maybe there was a bolt, or something, but she didn't put it there.

The dealership said they couldn't find anything wrong and asked her if they can go into the motor. She said it was OK, I geuss they needed her permission first. That's when they said they found a bolt.

Sorry if the story has changed a little. That's the hard part of speaking for someone else, but the fact remains that she didn't do it, and I don't think anyone else did.

Shes working today, and I can't get in contact with her. I fear she's going to let them just walk all over her.

[StreetDeacon]

Originally Posted by 04PTGT

The first thing to ask is how it got past the turbo and into the intake..then into the cylinder?

I have seen turbo’s come unglued and scatter parts into the motor.

A bolt could get into the motor past a valve. How it happens is the valve first sandwiches the bolt in between it and the valve seat. Then it bends the valve and has more of a chance to get into the motor.

The next question is how does the shop know it is a bolt and not debris from a scattered turbo?

Did they remove it? Did they see it with a bore scope in the cylinder?

We need more info…and some pics of the “bolt” would help too.

They said the bolt didn't belong in the motor, as in it didn't come loose from anything, and doesn't fit anything. Sounds to me like they're doing everything they can to cover their ass.

[04PTGT]

Originally Posted by StreetDeacon

They said the bolt didn't belong in the motor, as in it didn't come loose from anything, and doesn't fit anything. Sounds to me like they're doing everything they can to cover their ass.

Get a second opinion. Have the car towed to another shop and make sure you get the “bolt” from them. The bolt will carry more weight in this case than you might think.

Any way to get a pic posted of the “bolt”?

[bobs turbo pt]

again i would get a lawyer involved, let him call them and say that you want a Get a second opinion