siezed engine?!!?
livelong
11-11-2004, 07:35 PM
This thread is a slightly different slant b/c Im the seller here, not the buyer. But maybe some of the more knowledgeable can guide...
I had a 95 contour I just sold, had 131K mi, used engine that had 40k inserted after engine died @ 90~100k mi. I gave the ford contour to a mechanic to sell, after i was unsucessful on my own. He was successful in selling the car, but between the time I stopped driving it and it was taken out on the road and 'picked up' sat for about 4-7 weeks w/o REGULAR driving, though mechanic says he started it up.
To the heart of the matter.......
This kid who bought it claims to have driven it 7 mi, before it died on him. He calls the mech. (who i later find out pocketed money on the sale) to be picked up, mech calls me the next day, says he suspects the oil pump failed, and the result is the engine siezed up, $ need to be refunded. I have doubts about the mech's 'aptitude for honesty', with reason. So I have to be skeptical when he says the engine is finished.
He removed the spark plugs and showed me that it is very difficult to turn the shaft of the vehicle by hand (acutally he placed a wrench on one of the pulleys of the engine belt for the power steering/alternator and tried to turn it). It was tough to turn.
My oil light had come on for months in past, but I had several electrical snafus with the car. In fact both the check engine light (for YEARS) and the oil light(for several months) came on then went off, in the same trip. I beleived this was one of them, especially as the light would turn off, then back on, at irregular intervals.
What I don't get is how I could of driven for so long with no oil pressure in the engine, and had ZERO problems. Id also had the car hooked up to a computer several times, and there were no codes indicating any problem, besides a possible fualty O2 sensor. The mech. says this problem wouldn't come up on a CPU diagnostic. Would I have noticed any symptoms before it went kaput? Does this difficulty in turning the bolt in the middle of the pulley really connect to the crank shaft?
I know this post is long, but I appreciate those who take the time to read and advise. Thanks.
Omar
I had a 95 contour I just sold, had 131K mi, used engine that had 40k inserted after engine died @ 90~100k mi. I gave the ford contour to a mechanic to sell, after i was unsucessful on my own. He was successful in selling the car, but between the time I stopped driving it and it was taken out on the road and 'picked up' sat for about 4-7 weeks w/o REGULAR driving, though mechanic says he started it up.
To the heart of the matter.......
This kid who bought it claims to have driven it 7 mi, before it died on him. He calls the mech. (who i later find out pocketed money on the sale) to be picked up, mech calls me the next day, says he suspects the oil pump failed, and the result is the engine siezed up, $ need to be refunded. I have doubts about the mech's 'aptitude for honesty', with reason. So I have to be skeptical when he says the engine is finished.
He removed the spark plugs and showed me that it is very difficult to turn the shaft of the vehicle by hand (acutally he placed a wrench on one of the pulleys of the engine belt for the power steering/alternator and tried to turn it). It was tough to turn.
My oil light had come on for months in past, but I had several electrical snafus with the car. In fact both the check engine light (for YEARS) and the oil light(for several months) came on then went off, in the same trip. I beleived this was one of them, especially as the light would turn off, then back on, at irregular intervals.
What I don't get is how I could of driven for so long with no oil pressure in the engine, and had ZERO problems. Id also had the car hooked up to a computer several times, and there were no codes indicating any problem, besides a possible fualty O2 sensor. The mech. says this problem wouldn't come up on a CPU diagnostic. Would I have noticed any symptoms before it went kaput? Does this difficulty in turning the bolt in the middle of the pulley really connect to the crank shaft?
I know this post is long, but I appreciate those who take the time to read and advise. Thanks.
Omar
drdisque
11-11-2004, 09:07 PM
no oil pressure will not throw a code, the car probably doesn't even have an oil pressure sensor.
MagicRat
11-12-2004, 07:22 PM
The aroma of the bull**** is strong here.
Any used car is sold 'as is' unless there is a specific warranty or guarentee attached to it. Therefore, the kid is on his own and no money is owed to him.
So why is the mechanic sticking up for the kid???
Did the mechanic provide a guarentee to the kid without your consent? If thats the case, that guarentee is null and void.
At best, if the mechanic provided a guarentee then it is up to the mechanic to honour it, not you.
You are due all the money that was agreed to go to you. If the mechanic made a commission on the sale the mechanic can honour the gaurentee from his own pocket.
Either way, you are not responsible in any way and the mech owes you your money.
BTW I have seized a few engines in my life. A truly seized engine will not rotate with a wrench at all. A normal engine is quite difficult to turn over by hand at the best of times. It does not sound as if the mechanic is being straight with you.
Any used car is sold 'as is' unless there is a specific warranty or guarentee attached to it. Therefore, the kid is on his own and no money is owed to him.
So why is the mechanic sticking up for the kid???
Did the mechanic provide a guarentee to the kid without your consent? If thats the case, that guarentee is null and void.
At best, if the mechanic provided a guarentee then it is up to the mechanic to honour it, not you.
You are due all the money that was agreed to go to you. If the mechanic made a commission on the sale the mechanic can honour the gaurentee from his own pocket.
Either way, you are not responsible in any way and the mech owes you your money.
BTW I have seized a few engines in my life. A truly seized engine will not rotate with a wrench at all. A normal engine is quite difficult to turn over by hand at the best of times. It does not sound as if the mechanic is being straight with you.
livelong
11-13-2004, 12:56 PM
magic--
thanks for your reply, I agree w/ many of your points. As to whether or not I sold it w/ a warranty(absolutely as-is) sale--I still feel badly for the buyer, if it is in fact siezed. And I don't trust the mechanic, he made 40% of the total purchase price in commision, but tried to hide it from me...although the fact that he made it does not bother me AT ALL.
But I feel like I cant trust him. And I actually witnessed him turn the wrench 1/8th of a turn, but I can vouch I was unable to turn the wrench myself w/ reasonable effort.
All of my questions at this point center of whether or not the engine IS IN FACT SEIZED. Anyone know of reasonable rules of thumb/litmus tests? I assume from your reply magic, that the wrench connected to the belt system is indeed legitimate...but I have serious reservations as to whether or not the engine and test were rigged ahead of time.
Omar
thanks for your reply, I agree w/ many of your points. As to whether or not I sold it w/ a warranty(absolutely as-is) sale--I still feel badly for the buyer, if it is in fact siezed. And I don't trust the mechanic, he made 40% of the total purchase price in commision, but tried to hide it from me...although the fact that he made it does not bother me AT ALL.
But I feel like I cant trust him. And I actually witnessed him turn the wrench 1/8th of a turn, but I can vouch I was unable to turn the wrench myself w/ reasonable effort.
All of my questions at this point center of whether or not the engine IS IN FACT SEIZED. Anyone know of reasonable rules of thumb/litmus tests? I assume from your reply magic, that the wrench connected to the belt system is indeed legitimate...but I have serious reservations as to whether or not the engine and test were rigged ahead of time.
Omar
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