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120 PSI is not *real* bad compression, what are the other cylinders?
Are you saying the original engine was never overheated or over-revved, or the current ex-junkyard engine?
What, besides smoke (what color?) is the current engine doing wrong? Have you considered taking it and driving it for a few weeks, with the shop warrentying that it will pass smog later? Assuming they are willing to go this route. Engines that have been sitting sometimes will smoke when first started up, but will quit soon after.
Something to think about, you are not that far from Dinan, if the car is otherwise in excellent condition, maybe someone would buy it to put a Dinan engine in? Just a thought..
The original engine over heated by me and another shop. I cannot prove that it was them that caused the block to warp but I know they didn't stop and pull over but drove it back to the shop hot. Another mechanic I know and trust suggested getting a used motor since they run so long without an overhaul so I did. The other cylinders are at 160. This engine has had a lopey idle since it was installed like a cammed out v8. I just don't know who to trust on this.
The original engine over heated by me and another shop. I cannot prove that it was them that caused the block to warp but I know they didn't stop and pull over but drove it back to the shop hot. Another mechanic I know and trust suggested getting a used motor since they run so long without an overhaul so I did. The other cylinders are at 160. This engine has had a lopey idle since it was installed like a cammed out v8. I just don't know who to trust on this.
A couple of thoughts... If you bought the engine, it isn't the installing shops fault. If they have to change the engine again, you pay the labor again, because you supplied the bad engine.
If the installing shop keeps replacing things that fail to solve the problem, they don't know what they are doing. If it runs poorly, a good mechanic can diagnose the problem pretty quickly. If they changed a number of things before checking compression, or at least run a balance test on the scope, they have no business anywhere close to a car. It doesn't take days to find the problem if one knows what one is doing.
I would make the engine seller liable. Let them pick the car up and fix it. If the engine is at fault, the engine seller eats it. If the engine turns out to be good, the mechanic who was unable to properly diagnose it should pay the engine seller.
If you have one low cylinder, any good mechanic can pinpoint the reason, whether it be rings or valve.
When something like this happens, first find a competent mechanic and get it fixed. After it's fixed, you will know who is at fault, and who you will probably take to court. Get a complete written statement as to the trouble, and keep any bad parts. Build a trail for court. Hopefully it won't go that far, but be prepared with all the information you can get. If the guy pulls a head and finds the problem, call the engine seller and the incompetent mechanic and offer to let them inspect it.
You have to give the parties involved the opportunity to repair it to be legal. If both parties refuse work with you, take it to BMW (or any shop who specializes in that car) and get it fixed. You need to know the problem before you can go after anyone.
Tell the engine seller and the mechanic what you plan to do, make them aware whomever is responsible will either pay of be sued. That is giving them every chance to rectify the problem. that makes you look good in court...
A couple of thoughts... If you bought the engine, it isn't the installing shops fault. If they have to change the engine again, you pay the labor again, because you supplied the bad engine.
If the installing shop keeps replacing things that fail to solve the problem, they don't know what they are doing. If it runs poorly, a good mechanic can diagnose the problem pretty quickly. If they changed a number of things before checking compression, or at least run a balance test on the scope, they have no business anywhere close to a car. It doesn't take days to find the problem if one knows what one is doing.
I would make the engine seller liable. Let them pick the car up and fix it. If the engine is at fault, the engine seller eats it. If the engine turns out to be good, the mechanic who was unable to properly diagnose it should pay the engine seller.
If you have one low cylinder, any good mechanic can pinpoint the reason, whether it be rings or valve.
When something like this happens, first find a competent mechanic and get it fixed. After it's fixed, you will know who is at fault, and who you will probably take to court. Get a complete written statement as to the trouble, and keep any bad parts. Build a trail for court. Hopefully it won't go that far, but be prepared with all the information you can get. If the guy pulls a head and finds the problem, call the engine seller and the incompetent mechanic and offer to let them inspect it.
You have to give the parties involved the opportunity to repair it to be legal. If both parties refuse work with you, take it to BMW (or any shop who specializes in that car) and get it fixed. You need to know the problem before you can go after anyone.
Tell the engine seller and the mechanic what you plan to do, make them aware whomever is responsible will either pay of be sued. That is giving them every chance to rectify the problem. that makes you look good in court...
The part in red is what I am going to base my decision on.
I think the engine had a compression problem from day one and the mechanic didn't catch it. I took the car back in twice during the warranty period and even complained of an idle problem and that the car was dying when put into reverse and at a stop while in gear. I don't know if he touched it the first time but the second time the check engine came on and he changed some parts and then decided it was the vanos. The light went out but the poor idle problem persisted. The service engine light came on when it was supposed to for service at the mile point for that service which makes the third trip back in in 4 months. About 10 days later (now out of warranty time) I noticed a blue puff when I started the car. This may have been going on also from day one but I wouldn't notice it being in the car, I just noticed it in a mirrored window.
So now he has replace 02 sensors, a valve and something else and when I went to pick it up it has a blue cloud on startup. He claims it has 2 low cylinders and this is the first time he's done a compression test. The parts guy said he would have been able to do something had the mechanic notified him in the warranty time but since I've been throwing money at the mechanic to fix phantom stuff it would be fair for the mechanic to replace the gasket if I pay him for the parts and hours for the phantom things that didn't fix it.
Thoughts? Does this seem fair?
If he doesn't agree do I have to pay him and then try small claims if I think I'm being hosed here? Which I do by the way.
Bottom line is I paid a lot of money to fix my car and I didn't receive an engine that would even pass smog. Three months and three trips back in should be enough time for a competant mechanic to diagnose and fix an issue. Hell, all he had to do was have someone start it while he stood behind the car.
Last, if 120 in two isn't that bad maybe he is still going down the wrong path trying to fix it?
If the engine has a low cylinder, it probably came from the wreaking yard like that. How many miles since installation..?
If it had a bad hole, the first thing the shop should have done was put it on a scope, and he could have saved hours and lots of money. The other thing that would have accomplished was to show the engine seller the problem before too much time had passed. If it's been weeks and lots of miles, the sellar can say it was good when it left here.
I must assume the hole was bad when it was delivered. That is a good engine, they don't go bad over night.
120 in one, or two holes is bad. To run smoothly, all cylinders need to be fairly even, within 10 pounds at least... It is probably bad rings, a bad valve would leave the hole at zero..! If it needs rings in two holes, it needs the rest doen too. I wonder how many miles it really has on it.. That engine should be good for well over 100k, probably twice that is taken care of.
It sounds like you have two people at fault. The mechanic should refund all money spent on un-needed parts, and the engine seller should be responsible to repair the engine thay sold as a good engine.
You may need the mechanic on your side for small claims, and since his cost was the lesser of the two, you might want to keep him on your side.
If you notified the seller there was a problem right away, he was informed and should be liable, and not get away with the "Out of Warrantee" excuse. He knew there was a problem right away, he is trying to get out of his responsibly.
I would also be concerned about having that mechnic do the engine work, after what you said about him. Not scoping the engine immediately is telling. Does he even have a scope....
Like I said, get a good paper trail to prove to a judge what happened.
The reason I think the engine had an issue with a head gasket right away was the lopey idle. The mech kept feeding me the line that to make sure I use premium and the computer will adjust to it. As far as I know it is a head gasket for now. The mech didn't notify the engine seller in the warranty time because he was too busy chasing phantom fixes and charging me for them.
I think I can easily get the engine seller to write a letter for me for court if it falls through. I don't know who to trust but he said the motor tested 160 all cylinders before he pulled it.
The reason I think the engine had an issue with a head gasket right away was the lopey idle. The mech kept feeding me the line that to make sure I use premium and the computer will adjust to it. As far as I know it is a head gasket for now. The mech didn't notify the engine seller in the warranty time because he was too busy chasing phantom fixes and charging me for them.
I think I can easily get the engine seller to write a letter for me for court if it falls through. I don't know who to trust but he said the motor tested 160 all cylinders before he pulled it.
I really doubt that the sellar did a compression test on that engine before it was pulled. that is a story, and is certainly not standard proceedure.. No wreaking yard will go to that trouble. I would be surprised if they even ran it. How did it get a blown head gasket in a week or two..? Did you ever see the odometer on the car it came out of? Does it state the mileage on the reciept?
Which cylinders are low, are they next to each other? If not, it isn't a blown head gasket... Ask to see a reading of the compression on each cylinder so you know which cylinders are low...
I think you are stuck between two people who are both trying to save their own butts., at your expense.!
While it's fresh in your memory, write down every conversation you have had with both parties, including dates if possible. Judges like a paper trail. The better prepared you are, the better your chances in court.
Both reseller of the engine and mechanic agree it is a bad engine based on tearing the head off after the leak down was sour. Reseller notifies (or tries to) the yard he bought it from. Turns out the yard sold it to some other guy a week after we bought the engine so I doubt the guy could have made good on another engine anyway.
I think it's Attorney time as this ball of yarn has come undone in too many ways. The yard has offered a discounted engine but won't replace it, the mechanic has offered a discounted install but won't do it for free. I am thinking about getting the engine and letting another shop do it then possibly dragging all two or even all three into this as I just don't know where to turn. That is why it might be in my best interest to talk to an Attorney as it's dragged out long enough.
The engine was bad but the mechanic didn't catch it until 2 weeks after the warranty period even though it was brought in 3 times during the warranty period. Now the reseller is asking the yard for another but since they weren't the seller at the time they won't replace only sell another.
Well, first I would suggest evaluating the offered discounts against the cost and uncertainty of litigation. A junkyard engine is just that, it's a used engine, and you can't really tell a good one from a bad one once it's pulled from the car. That said a lot of yards around here will go to the trouble of doing a compression test and documenting it on a tag that they put on the engine after they pull it, you have to do the compression test before taking the engine out of the car usually. What I am saying is that the yard could very well give you a good engine the next time. I have to wonder about your mechanic though, if he knows anything he knows he needs to help you determine if you got a good engine or not before the yard's warranty expires, and he failed you there.
If you are determined to fix this car and fix it right, suggest you go to that shop I recommended to you in a DM a few weeks ago, DM me if you lost that message. If you are real lucky, my favorite San Diego BMW shop will have the engine you need and can make you a deal on it.
Words are just that...words that are meaningless in legality.
A good mechanic would be like a MD who needs to check things out himself and not assume someone else has done all the testing. A leakdown test or compression test would have shown the valve problem or low cyl (rings) and NOT a head gskt which would have been a over heating thing with WHITE smoke out the tail pipe. BLUE smoke means RINGS.
The difference of 120 lbs and 160 lbs on the other cyls will make a engine lope a little at idle but smooth out at higher RPM down the road...and maybe die at a traffic light.
Normally a mechanic should be able to solve a problem based upon the symptoms and start the eliminations/possibilities.
If this is an inline 6 with head gasket issues, and the head is now off, "all" you need to do is put the head back on with a new, good gasket, and you should be good to go. I'd check the head for straightness of course while it's off, and arguably you might as well install new valve guide seals since these come with the head gasket kit anyway. Any *competent* shop should be able to do this. I have done my Scirocco and the 87 Toy myself (well I had help on the Toy, that one just about takes 2 strong men and a boy...) so it's not that big a deal.
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