Don't always trust your mechanic, fixed my "blown" engine for $7.

[73TA]

I figured that it might be burning some oil, however it doesn't blow any smoke at startup and I don't think those plugs have been changed for 150k miles. She bought with 100K on it. Thanks for the link for the #8. Now I just need to change the oil pressure sensor. It is reading 0 psi from HP Tuners. Wonder why there is now oil pressure gauge or mode to in the DIC in a Esky.

Mike

 

[73TA]

Pic of the passenger valve train, pretty clean for the high miles, somewhat encouraging I guess. Some the small chunks of dirt on the right are from the valve cover removal.

Mike

 

[Tonyrodz]

I'm happy for you, yet jealous, yet also feeling terrible for that woman all at the same time.

I feel the same. Poor lady--lucky you. Another example of a shop trying to rip off a woman. I wonder if the shop would've said the same thing if a guy brought it in. Also--they did work on all of her vehicles? Not by the look of those plugs!

 

[wjburken]

Also--they did work on all of her vehicles?

They might have charged her for the work, doesn't mean they actually did it.

There was a dealership in the town my wife and I lived in when we were first married that would call this old widow from our church every year and tell her it was time to get her new car. Every year, she would trade in her current car and get a new one, typically with top of the line trim/option package. Was made to believe that if she didn’t, she would have issues and better to get a new car than run the risk of having car trouble. Don’t think she ever put more than 4000 miles on the vehicle. Anyways, our pastor caught wind of this and explained that she could actually get quite a few years out of a car and didn’t need to trade it in every year. That didn’t make the dealer very happy at all. Sad what a few bad apples will do that taints it for all the honest operators out there.

 

[Tonyrodz]

They might have charged her for the work, doesn't mean they actually did it.

There was a dealership in the town my wife and I lived in when we were first married that would call this old widow from our church every year and tell her it was time to get her new car. Every year, she would trade in her current car and get a new one, typically with top of the line trim/option package. Was made to believe that if she didn’t, she would have issues and better to get a new car than run the risk of having car trouble. Don’t think she ever put more than 4000 miles on the vehicle. Anyways, our pastor caught wind of this and explained that she could actually get quite a few years out of a car and didn’t need to trade it in every year. That didn’t make the dealer very happy at all. Sad what a few bad apples will do that taints it for all the honest operators out there.

Karma, karma, karma! These same shysters fail to realize they also have sisters, mothers, grandmothers, daughters etc, etc that one day will also get screwed over by the same type of person they are. I wonder how that'll make them feel....hmmm....

 

[Jason in DLH]

Wow, great find! Like others have said I feel bad for the lady that the mechanic was trying to take advantage of her, but she should have done the right thing and received a second opinion with such a large claim of needing a new engine. In my opinion.

Apparently a “good condition” Escalade like yours sells privately at an average of $9000 per KBB.

 

[Jason in DLH]

Right? I was telling my wife that I would feel like I should give her a buy back option less $200.

That certainly would be one good act of kindness to go back to the lady and be like “get new mechanics as they’re liars, the engine is fine, just needed new plugs and a good cleaning.”

 

[ivin74]

That certainly would be one good act of kindness to go back to the lady and be like “get new mechanics as they’re liars, the engine is fine, just needed new plugs and a good cleaning.”

I agree, with out proof she is not going to stop going to those yahoos for her future car repairs.

 

[thompsoj22]

Ok, Ill agree that $3200 for an 08 esky is a great price but at 200k miles you gotta know the repair/maint dollars are about to start flowing like a dry wash in utah in a down pour! The lady might be satisfied with the 110k miles she got out of it and bought somthing different. If i were the mech and pulled those plugs with 200k on the engine i would have changed them and not turned another fastener anywhere! maybe an explanation for the miss but also advised a new engine. The fouling should not be there, Is it pcv? likely but i would not mislead her into a breakdown on the freeway by telling her it is fixed and she should have complete trust in her 200k mile vehicle. Mechs are F'ed/Blamed either way! LOL Hey how about some pic's of the whole vehicle? If it is mint than the envy will be more profound!

 

[pwtr02ss]

Awesome find and congrats! If it weren't you, it would've been someone else. We all need a break every once in a while. She could've taken it to another shop but she didn't. Glad you got er fixed up.