2002 Buick Rendezvous

DISTRAUGHT

MEMBER
2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

Engine problem
2002 Buick Rendezvous 65000 miles

Recently, my engine overheated and the heater stopped working. I took it to the Buick service shop last week and was told I needed to replace the intake manifold gasket as it was leaking (I had almost no engine coolant). The shop filled it up with engine coolant on Friday last week and I scheduled an appointment to have a new gasket put in Thurs this week. On Monday this week, the car overheated again and I needed to add another gallon of coolant. I didn't drive the vehicle again except for taking it to the shop this morning. I got a call today saying that the engine oil shows signs that engine coolant has leaked into the engine (the oil appears as a chocolate milk-like substance). The options given to me are: 1) replace the gasket and hope that this solves the problem, 2) inspect all cylinder heads for cracks and replace as necessary or 3) replace the engine to the tune of $5k. Needless to say, none of these options are particularly attractive to me. What concerns me even more is I'm not confident that the Buick service shop has properly diagnosed the problem. Help!

1 Reply

DENNYP

MECHANIC
1,824 POSTS

It sounds like the shop knows what they are talking about. The recommendations are based upon the fact that the vehicle was driven with a serious internal and external leak. It is impossible for them to determine if there is any internal damage to the engine without taking it completely apart. They do not want to, and should not be responsible for the condition of the rest of the engine if they fix the leaking gaskets and there is something else wrong with it. Myself, I would recommend replacing the intake gaskets. Then have the mechanic look closley at the condition of the heads when he has the intake off. If he doesn't notice anything wrong, go ahead with the repair. Change the oil a couple of times within 200 miles. You will most likely be ok. This is a tough situation for a shop and the customer, because nobody wants to be out that kind of money. Hopefully, the gaskets get replaced and everything is ok.