Dealership Problems__Intake Manifold

[Designer5]

Ok so my engine was overheating and idleing high. I replaced the thermostat, radiator and hoses, fan clutch, and still over heating. Took it to the chevy Coggin dealership to have them take care of it. Might be my biggest mistake.

They called me, "you need to replace idle motor, and idle sensor, and replace the egr gasket, and flush the intake" so i say go ahead $600, just wanted to get it over with.

they call "you car is done and running alot better but your upper intake manifold might be leaking, not serious but might want to consider replacing it" so it go and get the car, start it up to find a high idle, test drive down the road engine light back on. so i go back with rage.

I tell him you just replaced a bunch of part $600, and fixed nothing, it still over heats and still idles high. I told him that "I feel like the threw parts at my car and wasted my money, you prolly replaced everything and flushed it out and then found a leak in the upper intake. So he say no worries i will take care of you in the morning

get a call in the after noon today, well took the manifold apart and found coolant inside th manifold. The said they rarely ever see anything like this. I am like ok well what wrong then now, the say they don't know, a cracked manifold, leaking through the screws or the lower gasket is bad. I go and check it out since they had it toren down and see the coolant in the manifold and the brittle gasket. they said they now will hook it up and pressure test the system to see if it leaks in to manifold. if not sudden leak then they will leave it over night to see what accumelates.


So i have paid $600, does anyone think i am getting screwed or have anything to say about what they are doing? any thoughts on what could be wrong? what should i do?


Sorry for long post

[blazes9395]

Flush the intake? What did they flush? It sounds like they really didn't diagnose this one properly. It should have had the cooling system pressure tested since you were overheating right off the bat. The 4.3L are common, as like many other GM's for intake gasket problems. This sounds like the common intake gasket failure to me.

Also, they took the manifold off and now are reassembling it, with the old gaskets, to pressure test it? Did I get that right? I don't understand, thats very wrong. If its apart already, the gaskets need to be replaced, the intake can be checked visually at that point for any cracks/leaks, and hopefully that was the problem. In my opinion, again I'd say the gaskets are bad.

[Chris Stewart]

I don't remember you saying you were losing coolant.

[Designer5]

Blazes9395
The upper gasket is def bad, they only have the upper portion of the intake off. Inside they have found a little bit of coolant. They said it could be from the screws of from the lower intake gasket. So they are hooking it up to pressure to see where the leak is coming from or how the coolant is geting inside the intake.

Chris-Stewart
Thats the thing I haven't been loosing coolant. This had to of happen within the last few days. its only about 1 to 2 oz. but they said this seems rare, what could be causing it, lower intake gasket, screws need to be re-sealled? Could this also be causing it to overheat as well.

I feel like i should have to give them anymore money, since i have given them $600 for nothing already.

[MT-2500]

Sounds like the dealer put the wash boy on the job of fixing your truck.

Tip on going to the dealer
Ask that only a factory certified gasoline engine performance specialist work on your car.
Not all dealerships are concerned with how repairs are dispatched, and not all dealership techs bother to take advantage of the training offered by factory (the vast majority of which is paid training). If the dealer is uncooperative, ask for your money back and call around for a dealer that will accommodate you.

With that being said.
I would tell them to fix it on there dime or demand your money back.
4.3 V6 right?
What year and mileage?
The usual problem on the V6 is bad intake gaskets on them.
But.
Proper testing and inspection by a good tech is in order.

Good Luck
MT

[Designer5]

1995 4.6L, 134,000miles

if they are replacing the top gasket, you think they should replace the bottom gasket also with the diagnosed problem of coolant on the inside of the intake, they said they can't get more coolant to flow into thier with pressure on it, this maybe because the engine isn't hot though (expansion and Contraction)

[MT-2500]

A 4.6 is a ford engine.
What is the first 10 of your vin no?
Proper testing first.
The upper intake leak does not sound right to me?
Why did the engine light come on?
What was the code no?
Was the engine still heating up?
Was it heating up from low coolant or just heating up?

You are justing getting in deeper there.
If it was me I would just ask for my money back and find a good repair shop.

Check around Ask around
Word of mouth.
Family friends coworkers neighbors business people and delivery people.
Mailmen and parcel delivery people get around and notice a lot of stuff.
Even a good parts house knows what shops are good and not good.
Chamber of commerce and better business bureau and city hall.
If you find a good referral to a repair shop go look them over and talk to them.
Look for a clean looking busy place with nice people running it.
Ask a few questions and ask about their qualifications and training.
Not all places have trained tech/mechanics.
If they do not find a place that does.
Even all dealers do not have all trained techs/mechanics.

[Designer5]

Sorry 4.3L my mistake
the code for the light "P0507" engine high rev

they are putting the new upper gasket on and putting it back together to see what happens.

i replaced the radiator,thermostat, rad cap, myself, also got it flushed for 2
hours, still over heating. then i replaced the fan clutch, no luck thier.

Took it in to dealer and had them look at the high rev "engine light" also

So i guess i will see how it runs when i get it back and if not good then will raise hell to get my money back.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by Designer5

Sorry 4.3L my mistake
the code for the light "P0507" engine high rev

they are putting the new upper gasket on and putting it back together to see what happens.

i replaced the radiator,thermostat, rad cap, myself, also got it flushed for 2
hours, still over heating. then i replaced the fan clutch, no luck thier.

Took it in to dealer and had them look at the high rev "engine light" also

So i guess i will see how it runs when i get it back and if not good then will raise hell to get my money back.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
MT

[Designer5]

another quick question, could the upper or lower intake gaskets cause the engine to overheat. They said that the upper gasket would have nothing to do with it overheating, that is a different problem.

I am pretty sure the lower would have something to do with overheating.

Thanks again

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by Designer5

another quick question, could the upper or lower intake gaskets cause the engine to overheat. They said that the upper gasket would have nothing to do with it overheating, that is a different problem.

I am pretty sure the lower would have something to do with overheating.

Thanks again

That goes back to you need proper testing by a good mechanic to find the problem.
But you did not answer my question.
Was it heating up from coolant lose or other?

If the heating up was not from coolant lose and you have check all other stuff.
Like stat and rad and clutch fan and water pump.
I would ask for a head gasket test.
A chemical block head gasket test.
It will tell you in about 10 minutes if you have exhaust leakage into coolant.
Which would be a cracked head or block or head gasket.
Good Luck
MT

[Designer5]

Sorry

I beileve that is was not from coolant loss, I have always kept an eye on it and have never seen it low. When having it pressure tested and seeing no leaks, they replaced the thermostat with flush, with no luck i then proceeded and replaced the radiator and cap, refilled properly, and still ran hot. So i then replaced the fan clutch and no luck thier then took it in. throughout all this i made sure that the coolant level was right and nver had to add from disappearing coolant.

THe coolant on the inside of the intake was very minimal, like between 1 to 2 oz's

hope this awnsered your ?

[MT-2500]

If and when they put it together I would run the chemical block head gasket test on it.
That way you will know if a head gasket leakage or other reasons.

A intake gasket leak will not cause a heat up/run hot unless the coolant gets low.
I can not see the upper intake gasket leaking coolant.
The lower intake is the one for leaking coolant problem.

Run a head gasket test on it.
And go from there.
MT

[MT-2500]

Has anyone checked the oil for coolant in it?

[Designer5]

I have checked the end of the dip stick, not milky but a few bubbles right after running, not bubble after siting, when they told me about the intake i told then to check the oil for coolant, I asked when i went in and they said no coolant in oil. but these guys are driving me crazy, they wanted 350 to replace the lower intake gasket,

so hum 300 on top of 600, on top of 450 of my own work, that would be a nice little payment torwards a new car. I am like you guys already had me put 600 and have solved nothing. so i guess we will see what happens at 5pm. maybe i should ask them to test the head gaskets for free