HELP QUICK PLEASE (Buying a 240)

[nutinwrongwitdat]

Ok, here the deal. I found a 93 240sx Fastback SE for 2200. There is water in the engine but not in the oil. There was an oil change done 5000 miles ago and there is only half of the oil left. The car has been run for a while with the water in the engine. The dealer didn't even notice and lent the car out. They are trying to tell me that it is a clogged catalytic converter makeing condensation. Water is coming out of the tailpipe. Is this a headgasket problem, and if I fix it, what are the odds of farther engine damage due to the water? Should I buy it?

[musicsurfman]

Yes It Could Be A Headgasket Problem If Water Is In The Engine And You Are Losing Oil.

Condensation Is Normal Though And Sometimes It Collects And Drips Out Of The Tail Pipe.

Easiest Way To Tell Is:
Does The Water Level Go Down?
Does The Oil Level Go Down?
Is There Any Visible Leaks?

Also Water In The Cylinders Is Very Bad And You Will Probably Need A Rebuild Or Replacement.

[R.W.240]

How do you know that theres water in the engine? if its just a slow drip out of the exhaust when running its most likely normal. if theres water in the cylinders it most likely wouldnt run at all.

5000mi without the oil checked probably would bring it down halfway.

id say have a mechanic you trust (i.e. doesnt work for whoever is selling you the car) do a compression/leak down test to get his opinion on it

[SR20DETpower]

if theres nothing in the oil then its not a headgasket problem. When a headgasket blows it allows the fluids in the engine to seep into each other and also combust in the head. When you first start up your car with a blown headgasket it will cough out a faint white smoke and smell funny. It usually runs rough(misfire) and heats up quickly with a blown headgasket.

If theres just some water dripping from the exhaust that is ok, it wouldnt come out of the engine in liquid form anyway as the only way to leave the engine through the exhaust pipe is through the combustion chamber and out the exhaust ports. This would burn up any liquid and make water vapor comming out of the exhaust.

Change the oil!!! change the oil filter, check the plugs, check the coolant level, check for leaks, check for anything in the oil besides oil, it would be pretty hard to see whats in the oil with 5k miles on it as it would be pretty gummy and black. but if u drained it into a bowl and let it sit you would be able to tell if any other fluids, water/antifreeze mixture is repelled by the oil.

[SR20DETpower]

sorry had to add.......

Water could only be in the oil or the coolant passages, where else would it go if its in the engine? Water is detrimental to engines and starts rust and corrosion to the engine passages. This is why its not that good to just dump straight water into your car's coolant system as it can foul up the insides of the engine a lot easier.

[1viadrft]

Actually I have seen a car fart out loads of anti-freeze from the tail pipe as a result of coolant entering the engine... it looked like the car had diahera...

[SR20DETpower]

must not have been detonating in the combustion chamber, usually it does and smells sweet kinda and puts out white smoke, sometimes they misfire when it blows the headgasket so was prolly dumping shit out there

[nutinwrongwitdat]

ok, maybe I didn't go into detail enough about why I know there is water in the engine. I pulled the spark plugs and not only is the top of the spark plug wet and dripping rust colored water, the part that goes inside is also. It is the same in every cylinder. How much would a rebuild cost? If there is no water in the oil, where could the water be coming from? Should I waste my money on this? The Cat was red red red. Could this cause condensation in the chambers.

[SR20DETpower]

id say get something else

[nutinwrongwitdat]

actually I can't, I made it into a hypothetical situation when it's actually my sick reality. I bought the car, which was 9 hours away, and on the way home it started running like crap. So, now I'm stuck with a blown engine. Yay.

[musicsurfman]

Private Seller Or Dealer? Wither Way Take It Back And Tell Them You Want Your Money Back.

[mynismo]

always look at a car before you buy it. yea it sounds like the engine died or is dieing... you just lost about $1500.

fun fun!

[SR20DETpower]

perfect oprutunity to put in some aftermarket forged rods and pistons!

then later if u don't have a lot of money u can still slap on a turbocharger and have your engine already built up!

can u say Torquey KA-T whips up on lesser displacement cars and even some with more!


but hes right take it back, if you can't sue them, someone who is selling something is responsible for informing you of EVERYTHING wrong or even questionable with the car. The lawsuit won't make you a millionaire but atleast you won't be stuck with a money pit.

[mynismo]

he wouldn't win... used cars are sold "as-is"

its his fault he didn't drive it first. he paid him them wondered whats wrong. you're not supposed to do that....

[SR20DETpower]

it depends how it was sold, who sold it, and what sort of reciept he got from it, there are loopholes to everything