Hey all,
I've got a 96' v6 that's in the shop right now, and they're saying that it's a blown head gasket. However, I just spoke to them about prices and they're saying it's $750 just for tear down of the engine and then they have to send it to a machine shop to get it "microscoped" for cracks? I remember my dad changing head gaskets on his old nova by hand, and it not taking too long at all.
Does this sound right? I don't know enough about engines to know if i'm getting ripped off or not, so I think I need some help.
Also, I have another question for those of you who are mechanics that work in shops. When I first took the car in, it was overheating. This was a week ago today. By Thursday, they had replaced the radiator and thermostat and they said it was ready to drive. I paid for it, and on the way home it over heated again(less than 3 miles away). When i opened up the hood to see if there was coolant inside, there was absolutely none. I checked the invoice immediately, and it says that they charged me for coolant. Now they're saying it's a blown head gasket. However, before i left with it on Thursday, the guy told me he did a block test and everything was fine. What are the chances that this head gasket blew during the second overheat? If so, are they liable?
Thanks guys