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EMERGENCY Please help my 95 year old parents

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Logan541

New member
I have a 1997 grand prix so I am a forum member but my parents have a 2001 PT Cruiser, they are the original owner and the car only has 28,000 miles on it I was taking them from New York to Tennessee to visit me about 2 hours into the trip the cars temp light came on an the gauge almost went into the red I pulled it over checked it water, oil, trans fluid were all good. I let it rest for 30 minutes then continued it after 90 minutes it started again I need gas so stopped for gas checked water still fine in the little bit of time it took to fill it it cooled down to normal. after 100 miles it did it again, again under hood everything is fine. heater works car has power we can hit 80 no problem. Every time I stop it even if its just for 10 minutes the gauge drops to normal and I get about an hour out of it I begin to figure I have a bad gauge Drive it for 170 miles with gauge in red. Suddenly engine quits car completely dies and steam is pouring from under the hood. We are in West Virginia 400 miles from home. We get the car towed guy is supposed to tow it to a chrysler dealer, calls the next day says we need a new engine. I had to pry why out of him he said we blew a cylinder header head. I said just change the head and gasket. He stated that "well it has new compression so I know the bottom end it gone too." When I get there it turns out he did NOT tow it to a Chrysler dealer he took it to his own shop. I had to get a car to get my parents home two guy still has the car. Any ideas what to do? I am thinking of having him tow it to a Chrysler dealer and get a second opinion, problem is if it is a whole engine Chrysler will probably want more than $5,200 dollars. I got suspicious when he; a.) brought it to his own shop b.) would not tell me why we needed an engine and c.) stated "Soon as I pulled the radiator cap I could see this was going on for a while and knew you blew the engine" d.) also said; " You want to change the head you are welcome to it but we don't do that here when the head is gone and you have no compression at all engine gets pulled and we put in a jaspar engine" I looked him up online and he has 27 reviews three go0d the rest stating he is a crook and did bad work or unnecessary work. Dad and mom are upset they loved the car and wanted me to have it. Please help I need ideas quick I don't know in west Virgina who can recommend someone I figure this guy saw the New York Plates and figured he has us.
 


Those engines are noted for the head gaskets going, which would cause the symptoms you described. Unfortunately, as stated above, driving it that far with it in the red probably did some serious damage.

Good luck with it.
 
See I did think that but I read somewhere that that is whats called a no interference engine and it should be salvageable. Unfortunately I can't find a cut and dry explanation of a non interfreance engine. Also wondering if I should bring to a Chrysler dealer or let this guy work on it. He has 27 reviews on line and 3 are good rest claim he is a crook, charged one guy $157. for an advance auto parts battery that when he went in to advance he found out it only cost $57.88. Some one else said he replace their battery and the car died in 23 miles turns out the alternator was bad. Guy charged them 100.00 to tow it back and $360 for the alternator. Another said he charged $230 to change an O2 sensor to get rid of the check engine light and the light never went off. So I am a bit worried about that too. I mean is that a fair price and how good are Jaspar engines? I heard of them but don't know much. Online seems reviews are mixed
 


Not unless you bent valves.

My guess is you not only warped or cracked the head, but you probably also fried the piston rings running it that hot for that long.

Where in WV are you stuck?
 
non interference only matters when the timing belt/chain breaks as to whether or not the pistons contact the valves.
 


The only issue I have ever heard about them is their towing tacticts. I heard rumors there was inside jobs with some crooked town cops calling them to tow drunk drivers cars. I unfortunately don't know much about their mechanical abilities.
 
I would go to the dealer. If the engine is toast and gets replaced, the dealer will probably have some kind of warranty for the replacement engine. Sounds to me like this guy may not have such a reliable warranty program.
 


honestly to me, it counds like a thermostat problem.

If the head gasket was toast there is no way he could go 90 min problem free, then have a problem. I think overtime the thermostat just starts to stick closed and cauing the over heating.

The best way to check to see if the head gasket is gone is with a HG tester for the coolant.
 
i agree with ffdp. if there was a head gasket issue there is no way you can travel all those miles causing it to overheat and losing no coolant or at least i'm assuming you werent losing coolant when you say the level was fine.

i hate stealerships. they charge nothing but arm and legs. unfortunately tho being out of town, you dont have much of a choice. go there and get a new engine since yours is done. thats really too bad since it had super super low mileage. lesson learned dont get anything chrysler related.

based off the reviews you mentioned, seems like this guy just replaces stuff and doesnt properly diagnosis things. good luck with everything
 
The 2.4 IS an interference engine. Of the 6 we've done timing belts on in the last 3 months or so, 4 lived, 2 had valve/piston damage.
 
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