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I have a 04' Honda Accord that I bought new and has always ran great. I have never overheated, do regular oil changes, etc.... My boyfriend drove to a friends and when he went to leave the car made a "clink" sound and wouldn't start. My local mechanic told me earlier today that I need a head gasket (which cant afford and freaking out) and said he would call around for a price. He calls back and tells me that I need a new engine, although he can't tell me what might be wrong with it, but says that there may be engine damage and replacing the gasket with engine damage would even cost me more. He quoted me $3100.00. OMG!!!!! WTH does this sound right to anyone???? PLEASE ADVISE ASAP!!!!!!!
Sounds like he thinks it may be cheaper to just replace to engine. Sounds like he is unsure of the total damage, and does not what to waste his time and you money, replacing the gasket, when there could be more underlying damage.
Sounds like he thinks it may be cheaper to just replace to engine. Sounds like he is unsure of the total damage, and does not what to waste his time and you money, replacing the gasket, when there could be more underlying damage.
Did anyone check to find out if the loud 'clink' noise and no start might be a broken timing belt?
A loud clink and no start is not a head gasket problem.
btw- you don't get a 'new' engine for $3100, you get a used 'replacement' engine.
If you spend $3100 for an engine, the car is still a 04 Honda.
I bought a conversion van that the buyer described as a siezed motor. He said it went clunk and that was all she wrote. Bought it for $500
Diagnosis? A $125 starter. The bendix got stuck in the flywheel and the engine wouldn't turn. Sold it to a buddy who needed a family car that could carry 3 kids and their crap.
Did anyone check to find out if the loud 'clink' noise and no start might be a broken timing belt? A loud clink and no start is not a head gasket problem.
btw- you don't get a 'new' engine for $3100, you get a used 'replacement' engine.
If you spend $3100 for an engine, the car is still a 04 Honda.
+1000
From what little you said, I would not trust that mechanic. Do you have any kind of tow service, AAA, or through insurance company, that you could get it to a dealer?
If your car was not overheating, had coolant in the oil, oil in the coolant, or had a serious lack of power, then there was no reason to suspect a bad headgasket in the first place. It is however a very easy job when you compare it to the kind of work being done and how much labor they can charge you for.
I have a 04' Honda Accord that I bought new and has always ran great. I have never overheated, do regular oil changes, etc.... My boyfriend drove to a friends and when he went to leave the car made a "clink" sound and wouldn't start. My local mechanic told me earlier today that I need a head gasket (which cant afford and freaking out) and said he would call around for a price. He calls back and tells me that I need a new engine, although he can't tell me what might be wrong with it, but says that there may be engine damage and replacing the gasket with engine damage would even cost me more. He quoted me $3100.00. OMG!!!!! WTH does this sound right to anyone???? PLEASE ADVISE ASAP!!!!!!!
Ok, usually 1 post people in this forum section only last long enough to get some information and they vanish, but if you happen to read this, do you have a V6 or 4 cylinder? The V6 has a timing belt which could break and give a no start. The 4 cylinder has a timing chain which is less likely to malfunction unless oil pressure is very low. One way to check whether or not there is a head gasket issue would be to check the oil and see if it looks milky or streaky. If the oil looks like this, it means coolant is getting into the oil passages. Aside from a visual inspection, you might want to get a compression test or ask the mechanic if he already ran one. If so, get the readings from the test (a good read is about 130-135 psi).
Get more details from the mechanic or get a second opinion. EDIT: Reading the comments above, I guess everyone pretty much agrees on a second opinion, at the very least!
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Professor Griff
Ok, usually 1 post people in this forum section only last long enough to get some information and they vanish, but if you happen to read this, do you have a V6 or 4 cylinder? The V6 has a timing belt which could break and give a no start. The 4 cylinder has a timing chain which is less likely to malfunction unless oil pressure is very low. One way to check whether or not there is a head gasket issue would be to check the oil and see if it looks milky or streaky. If the oil looks like this, it means coolant is getting into the oil passages. Aside from a visual inspection, you might want to get a compression test or ask the mechanic if he already ran one. If so, get the readings from the test (a good read is about 130-135 psi).
Get more details from the mechanic or get a second opinion. EDIT: Reading the comments above, I guess everyone pretty much agrees on a second opinion, at the very least!
Yes. It's very possible for a blown head gasket to cause an engine to be totally ruined, if run too long after the coolant go into the oil, but that's not easy to tell without taking it apart. The trade-in value on that, if running, is about what you would pay for a new engine (installed) so it's important to find out for sure just what the problem is before deciding whether to fix it or take it to the scrapyard.
yeah, you can hydrolock the engine, but it will require a catastrophic head gasket failure and Hondas are not known for that. Usually it will be slow problem development with concurrent reduction in performance.
Professor G up above asked the right question - is it V6 or 4 cyl? Takes couple hours to do head gasket on a four banger. No need for engine.
That mech sounds like a Dairy Queen type to me.
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