Mechanic at fault

RICKGARDNER32

MEMBER
1998 BUICK LESABRE
FWD
AUTOMATIC
90,000 MILES

About a month ago my intake manifold went and car broke down plugs got messed up from coolant etc. So my mechanic did new intake and plugs for 600$ then we got car back and as soon as I got home check engine light came on again and was running ruff so I took it back and he said it was check engine sensor went and charged me another $300 to fix that then we got it back and few days later check engine light started again and then on way to work on 3rd day engine popped and car broke down and my motor was done and my mechanic charged me another 1400$ for a new motor so then we got it back again and check engine light came on again and car was going nuts again so I took it back and my mechanic tells me that there was a fried spark plug doing it and back when they did the intake manifold in the first place his guys forgot to change the plugs and wires! So what my question is is do you think my mechanic is responsible for my motor going because the plugs were bad the whole time and they forgot to change them? Cause this car only has 90,000 miles on it and even my mechanic said I've never seen one of these motors go so I can't help but feel like if he would have changed the plugs like he was suppose to when he did the intake manifold and I wasn't driving around with bad plugs my motor never would have died cause this car ran great to begin with. Thanks for your time

5 Replies

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

This is hard to answer because you don't know what the codes were to set the light on. If the intake wasn't installed correctly it may have gotten oil into bearings and coolant and oil don't mix and aren't good on bearings so this is about the only answer I can give. If the spark plug fried the cylinder could have leaned out due to lack of fuel and fried not only the plug but the piston as well. It could have caused the piston to do what is called detonation/pre-ignition where the engine detonates from running to lean then goes into pre-ignition causing a melt down of piston and plug finally burning a hole in piston due to excessive heat. But without actually seeing the engine I can't diagnose any further.

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Thursday, April 21st, 2016 AT 9:34 AM

RICKGARDNER32

MEMBER
4 POSTS

When the original first problem happened with the intake manifold he had told me the plugs were going to be changed cause of the coolant but then last night( 2000$ and all the other problems and new motor later) he told me that he thought his guys changed the plugs back when they did the manifold but they never actually did so this whole time leading up to the motor dying we were still driving it with the bad plugs that I originally paid to be changed that they forgot to do I even tried to tell him I didn't think it was the sensor cause it was running so ruff it didn't just seen like the check engine light was broke I knew there had to be something else going on but he insisted it was fine (I guess cause he thought his guys did change the plugs n wires) and it kept struggling to accelerate and then 3 days later I'm on way to work going up a hill n engine started to violently rattle n ping and died. Even he said to me "this is strange I never saw one of these motors die" then after I pay him 1400 to do new motor and it still wasn't right he then tells me that his guys forgot to do the plugs when the manifold went in the beginning the first time he had it so I can't help but feel like if they would have takin the bad plugs out and did the job right I'd still have my motor

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Thursday, April 21st, 2016 AT 10:15 AM

RICKGARDNER32

MEMBER
4 POSTS

Like after they did manifold it had to go back in 2 more times in last 2 weeks cause check engine light kept coming on and not accelerating right and running rough and he said it was check engine sensor and charged me more and still same thing kept happening till motor died finally and now I find out whole time the same bad plugs were left in from when they did manifold

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Thursday, April 21st, 2016 AT 10:17 AM

RICKGARDNER32

MEMBER
4 POSTS

I know is probly confusing how I'm explaining it but in last 2 weeks the car had to go into shop 4 times as follows:

First: intake manifold went car broke down bunch of white smoke came out of exaust. He charged me $600 for the manifold and new plugs and wires( that his guys forgot to change he just realized)
Then we got it back drove it for 10 min and check engine light came back on and ran ruff for couple days

2nd time: we take it back and he says it was the check engine light sensor and charges me $300 to fix that
We take it back next day check engine light comes on again and starts to run ruff again and gradually get worse acceleration also then motor finally dies next day on my hour drive to work

3rd time: he charges me $1400 for new motor
We get it back and same thing starts to happen with new motor running ruff messed up acceleration and check engine light on again

4th time: I bring it back and 2 hours later he calls me and says I'm so sorry those guys never changed your plugs back when the manifold went so I changed the plugs and wires and your good now

Now the car finally feels right but just the fact that the plugs were causeing exact same symptoms in the new motor make me thing if the first job would have been done right I'd never have killed my motor driving it with bad plugs still in don't you think?

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Thursday, April 21st, 2016 AT 10:31 AM

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

If any coolant got in the oil and destroyed the engine it's going to be all hear say now I think. I'm not a lawyer so can't go on that end. And not knowing what the codes were on the original engine makes it pretty much hearsay on my part as well as yours unless things were written down on the original repair orders and you have kept them. Like the description of the codes. If the intake wasn't installed correctly it would have put more coolant in the engine oil which will pretty much destroy a motor.