Thread: should i give up

so heres the prob got a v6 3800 gtp sc (not a mechanic) put in new: icm, coils, battery, alternator, pcv, plugs, wires, wheel barrings, a tie rod, all new brake stuff and im sure im forgetting a lot more also ses abs end low trac lights all always on low coolant light comes on and kinda flashes till i put more water in it (i know waters not the best idea) but pretty sure head gaskets blown (or cracked manifold) i have put so much money, time, blood, sweat, tears and more money into this really really pretty pain in the ass. i do not have money to even think about trying to buy or finance another car. should i give up on it and drive it till id dies and try to save 500 for a crapcar or keep fixin it? i do get a massive discount on parts my bf works at auto parts warehouse and he puts them in so i do not have to pay mechanics costs. please help i need input what do you think???

sorry just trying to remember everything that is wrong it knock when it is started does this for about 5-10 min then runs fine ont time the knocking wouldnt stop but i added lucas and now it just does it when it is started also occasionally it will misfire cyl 4 or6 and the whole car shakes but it stops and runs fine after its warmed up. also mysterious coolant loss but oil still look good. i want to know if you think it is worth having my bf do the head gaskets.

does anyone know how to tell the difference between blown head gasket and cracked intake manifold

Compression test will show the blown head gasket whereas it'll test fine with a cracked LIM (assuming its your lower since i've never heard of a cracked blower case).

Its probably your LIM gasket as we discussed in the chat.

oil seems fine a little crud on cap and dipstick but its deffinately not milky but i am slowly losing coolant with no visible leak

the question is, what coolant are you running (colour) and how long has it been since the LIM gaskets have been changed and how long since the coolant has been flushed.

Compression test is worth your time if you have someone with the equipment who can help or let you borrow their tools.

warbeaver i got bosch platinum plugs dont know the gap. matt i think its the orange coolant we usually use but just been adding water lately i dont have the money to keep dumping coolant down the drain. not gonna do the tests dont know anyone with the equipment. but this week we will be replacing both the upper and lower intake manifold gaskets also the valve cover gaskets and seals, going to flush the coolant and do oil change. and while it all apart we may be replacing a lifter that may be stuck. i really hope by the end of all this i still have a car. lol let you know how it goes. any more input always greatly appreciated thanks guys

by the way i have no idea how to thank you guys for the help. im still fairly new here. but thank you very much for all the input!!

sorry just thought of another question ... i got ses codes p0440 (evap emission control system malfunction) and a misfire code that switches from cyl 4(p0304) to cyl 6 (p0306) do you think those will go away after replacing all this stuff this week???

evap code wont be solved by this and the misfires might if coolant was the issue but i highly doubt it.

Get some non bosch plugs and see if the misfire goes away, if not, get some new wires.

ok ill try that too but i just did the new plugs and wires about 6 months ago should i get more new wires or just the plugs

wait first

ok so replaced the upper and lower intake gaskets and the plugs, flushed the coolant and changed the oil. it still ticks but not as bad and not as long it stops before its warm. and i got the same codes back the misfire and evap emitions...so next project i guess will be replacing lifters, heads and valves. ahhhh any tips or advice very much appreciated