My car blew up. Happy New Year.

[Mz Pip]

Why this kind of crap always seems to happen over the holidays...

My son is visiting from NY and he borrowed the car to go to the city. They are on the freeway and hear a POP! Then they look around and see smoke billowing out from behind the car. Fortunately, they managed to get off at the last exit before the SF Bay Bridge. The bad news is the car is toast. Blown head gasket. Costs more to fix then the car is worth. C'est las vie.

So now I'm in the market for a new car. Any suggestions? Maybe a Prius, maybe a Ford Escape Hybrid.

[Droopy]

1. Yeah, I'd go for a little economy car or a hybrid

That's what I'm going to do when my old beater finally kicks the bucket. You know that fuel is going to probably get back up there at some point.

[Mz Pip]

2. I read that now that

gas prices are down for like a week or something, people are back to buying big SUVs. Are they really such idiots that they believe that we'll never see $5 gas again? They get what they deserve.

I want a car that gets at least 30 mpg.

[kentauros]

10. Yes.

They really are such idiots. Because if they weren't, then the roads would be much safer places ;)

Good luck with getting another car. I know it's a pain. Get a Consumer Reports "report" on the model you want and take that with you to the dealer. I've heard they usually don't argue with the customers that come prepared like that ;)

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. Sorry about the sudden life event!

:hug:

Am planning on getting a new car in about a month.
I want a Honda FIT or Honda FIT Sport.
Am going to look toward the February Clearance sales, and hopefully get a 2008 off the lot.


Have heard good things about it.

What kind of car do have right now? :hi:



The FIT
Many ways to fold the seats!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4538468034443614141


I want this this color!

[Mz Pip]

5. That's a cute car!

I'll have to check that out. I like the way the seats fold down. I need space to carry my artwork and other large items.

I had a 13 year old BMW which was a really terrific car until today.

[NightWatcher]

4. get a Corolla, not a hybrid but costs about 15K and gets 35+ mpg

[LisaM]

6. It's a good time to buy a car

As a Michigander, I strongly encourage you to go American if you can. Those in my home state will appreciate it.

[Ikonoklast]

7. What model car, motor, mileage?

A blown head gasket isn't a death sentence for some makes; for others, like you said, too damn expensive to fix.

[Mz Pip]

8. It's old

It's a 1995 BMW 325si. Blue Book on the car is around $3000, way less than it would cost to fix. Even if we got it fixed the trade in value would be less than the repairs. We've been talking about getting a new car in the next couple of years. I guess we're just moving up the date a bit.

[Ikonoklast]

9. You got a toss-up, there.

I'd put it on eBay, as is, and see what kind of money I'd get for it.


Good luck.:hi:

[masshole]

13. $1200 including having the head machined

look into repairing if you really do like the car. I would hate to see an otherwise nice car go to the crusher.
Check out what these BMW enthusiasts are saying: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1091784

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. That presumes minimal damage

You don't know if the head's been warped, valves/valve seats cracked, block's cracked, pistons burned... You've gotta pull the head and run tests and just look before you have a clue on the estimate.

Some joker on that forum said it shouldn't take more than two hours to install a new head gasket. Oy. :eyes:

[masshole]

22. why so harsh?

whatever you may think of some of the posters at that forum, my guess is maybe someone there just might know a little bit about what they are talking about, being as they're actual BMW owners and all. I'm weird that way.

3K for a head gasket? There BETTER be more wrong. But all we know is what MzPip said, and that was the HG was blown.

I just wanted to offer up some different cost comparisons for a "blown head gasket" repair. I'm weird that way too.

[Oeditpus Rex]

23. I deal in reality, not best-case scenarios

I don't want Mz Pip or anyone else thinking they can get off relatively cheaply and then being smacked with the reality, which is that you never know what damage a blown head gasket's gonna cause. It depends on where it blew and how long the engine was run afterward, and under what load, etc. Maybe she'll be lucky and there won't be any significant collateral damage, and maybe she won't.

As for the guy who thinks he can change one in two hours — well, I'd really like to see that, without a pit crew. I once changed the gasket on a flathead and it took longer than that — and it was a '59, with far fewer peripherals than modern engines.

[Mz Pip]

26. At first the mechanics

started with the water pump - that was about $400 then they discovered they had to replace some kind of heating element - another $800. After that they ran a diagnostic and discovered carbon in something which meant either a blown head gasket or a cracked block - add $3000 to the initial repairs.

After Mr Pip more thouroughly quized our son about the blow up he was pretty convinced that the damage was major. It happened on the freeway and although he got off and stopped the car as soon as possible, it wasn't soon enough. It wasn't just steam coming out of the car, it was smoke. Ouch.

Right now we're on hold about getting the rest of the repairs done. We're out the $1200 they've already done so it's just deciding if we want to dump more money into an old car or call it a day and start fresh. :shrug:

[LuckyTheDog]

11. Pontiac Vibe

You'll love it. It's basically a Toyota, but built by the UAW. It's also a very solid little car with a lot of room inside. My wife has one and we both think it's a great vehicle.

[pink-o]

12. So you're from here. Remember a week ago Fri that torrential rain?

I was driving my little Tercel on 280 North by Alemany, and drove into a virtual Lake Superior, where I hydroplaned and careened across 4 lanes, only to be sideswept by a Chevy Tahoe. Car not totaled, but would cost more than it's worth to fix, so I hear what you're saying.

However, I am completely intact, just a few bruises but not even enough to keep me from the gym. Even with the bad timing re the holidays I am so grateful I emerged okay and no one else got hurt. I did have to dig into emergency funds, and just bought a 2004 Corolla, which is a great commute car. A lot less than a Prius, a lot better than the car that hit the water.

I wanted to buy an American car, and looked at a Focus, but the Corolla was just a better car. Sorry. I want to see the US automakers step up to the plate, but 35 years ago they were behind the times, and it looks like nothing's changed.

[Mz Pip]

18. Glad you're okay

My son was upset that he "blew up" my car but it could have happened to anyone. It wasn't his fault. I'm glad he and future DIL are okay.

We used to have a Corolla years ago. It was a great little car - a 1976 station wagon. We sold it to our kid's preschool teacher and I think she drove it for another 15 years. I just wish they made a station wagon now.

[ogneopasno]

14. Get a Focus. We're on our second and they rock. The one we have gets 35-40 mpg.

[whistler162]

15. The suspensions that bad?;)

[ogneopasno]

16. :p

[Mz Pip]

17. You're lucky

My son has one and it has been in and out of the shop. Cost him 3 grand the last time, a month after the warranty expired. The dealer was kind of a shit about it since he'd just had it in a few weeks before.

I do kind of like the Escape Hybrid but it's kind of pricey compared to the Toyotas.

[ogneopasno]

24. Maybe we were lucky, and maybe your son was unlucky.

We've had four Fords since 2001 and have had nothing but good out of 'em.

[leftyclimber]

19. How much do you want to spend?

I have a 2005 Suzuki Forenza (out of necessity, not choice) and it's a pretty reliable bare-bones vehicle. Relatively inexpensive. Gets about 33 MPG (averaged between highway and in-town), AC and heat work reliably, 4-wheel disc brakes, decent acceleration. You won't beat anyone off the line, but you can get on the highway and maintain speed (read: do 80 without realizing it) just fine. No cruise on the one I have, so long distances can suck if you've got bad knees or ankles.

It's crap in the snow, though. If you get snow, do NOT even consider one.

-lefty, who has snow and really, really would like a Subaru

[krispos42]

21. Before you junk it...

It's worth spending a few bucks on a radiator leak sealant and running it through the engine's cooling system. There's a chance that it might seal that leak up.

:shrugh:

No guarantees, but if it doesn't work you're out about $7 per bottle, some water, and a couple of hours of your life. And if it works, even for a year, you're saving yourself several thousand dollars in payments and increased insurance premiums.

[Maine-ah]

25. C'est la vie - no s

it's the name of my father's (rip) boat, he was a french teacher for 20 years. :hi:

Sorry about the car, that really sucks. :hug: