This is a little story I'd like to tell..... There is this mechanic I don't really trust. I was driving to Florida and the timing belt service was about 40k miles overdo (1995 Isuzu Trooper V6 DOHC). I thought I might have been able to make it to Florida without changing the belt but my mother insisted I get it done. So I bring it their and have the timing belt and water pump done (C & C Automotive Wallingford, CT). The next day after a week of planning I set off in my car packed to the brim. I make it about 50 miles and the car is billowing smoke out of the engine. I pull off the highway and as I do the car shuts off. I open up the hood and the antifreeze is completely gone. After the car cools off myself and the tow truck driver try to start the car. It just very quietly makes a whirring noise. He claims it sounds like the timing belt broke. I pay $90 to have it towed back to North Haven. Today I want to take the car to another mechanic to diagnose what happened. My parents insist I bring it back to this guy and I am outraged. This car ran fine for the 25k miles I owned the car and then this guy at C&C Automotive touches it and 50 miles later the whole engine if ****. So against my will they take it back to C&C Automotive and he claims this all happened because of a blown headgasket. He says it had nothing to do with his work and that it's just a coincidence that this happened 50 miles after it left his shop. He also claims that the car which had a fresh oil change burnt a quart and a half in 50 miles. The car did burn oil but very slowly. I went 5k miles between my last oil change and added 1 quart in that time. During this time I had no problems. Any ideas on what might have happened to the car? I believe it had to have something to do with what he did to the car. Thanks.

 

ummm... so how is this Integra-related again?

 

It's not. I figure people in here are more mechanically inclined than GDD.

 

anybody? thanks

 

I tend to use the Tech/Misc forum for stuff like that.

 

only thing that would be related with the headgasket going that the mech did would be the waterpump, if the waterpump was installed and it was doa. then your temps would have risen while driving, and you could pop the headgasket, or if when he was refilling the coolant there was an air pocket in the coolant system causing the car to overheat and blowing the headgasket, your coolant is possibly mixed with the oil making it look like chocolate milk. I could only say that your temps must have risen fully during those 50 miles. if you looked at the oil and it was milky then he did everything right installed waterpump and installed fluid. The only question I would ask him is did he burp the coolant system after refilling it, if no then there is his mistake, if he says yes then it's not his fault.