Author Topic: Need advice, vehicle broke down  (Read 3180 times)

Moneywise

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Need advice, vehicle broke down
« on: April 10, 2019, 01:06:55 PM »
Hello,

Quick history: Until a few months ago I was doing great following Dave Ramsey and Mr. Money Mustache advice on paying debt down.
8 months ago my truck broke down, 2011 ram 1500. Instead of trading it in, I paid $3500 to get it fixed by an independent mechanic.
Since the engine was already apart, I had everything else that could possibly break down in the future replaced with new parts.

Fast forward to today. Last week my truck died while driving. Took it to the a shop and they said the timing chain guide broke and needs
a new timing chain kit. Even though I had this replaced 8 months ago, due to a faulty part now my engine is done. Worst part is the mechanic
went ahead and replaced the timing chain to find out the engine has no compression because it's an interference engine. When the timing chain
guide failed, the chain skipped and the pistons hit the valves most likely destroying them in the process plus possible piston head damage. Obviously
the mechanic didn't find this information until he had already changed the part (It took me 2 minutes to figure this out online). It would have been
a better choice to take the heads apart and find the damage rather than just expect a new chain kit would have fixed the issue (bad choice on the mechanic
and he admits this as well). Regardless of this, I still owe him $825 for a fix that didn't fix my truck.

Now that you know a bit of history here are the choices:
1-Pay an additional $400 for the mechanic to take the engine apart and find exactly what broke. (if I go ahead with option 2, mechanic will waive this fee) If I decide not to fix, I will still owe him $825+$400=$1225
2-Best case scenario: only valves are damaged. $1000 to machine the heads/parts included+$1000 for labor+$250 for misc. parts/fluids. Total= $2250+$825 already owed= $3075
3-Worst case scenario: pistons are also damaged along with valves. Labor far surpasses fixing so, a remanufactured engine is the only solution. Engine costs $4200, labor to install it $1600. Engine comes with 3 years warranty, shop offers 1 year warranty on labor only. Total: $4200+$1600+$825+$250= $6875

Hard facts: Truck if running is worth around $13-14k, I still owe $6000 on it. I already spent $3500 on it 8 months ago trying to follow money saving advice. Due to a faulty part now I'm facing big repairs bill once again. Even if I get the truck fixed, what if the transmission goes out next? so many variables. Truck only has 112000 miles.

I have a handyman business, I'm literally losing money every day my truck is down. I have other income sources so bills are paid. I really need a reliable vehicle that will last me a while.

Here are the other options I was thinking about:

1-Cut my loses and sell the truck hoping to at least get enough to pay it off. Then use the money I'd have spent on fixing and buy a beater truck to get me by until I can afford a better one. Con to this option is I need a reliable truck. If the new beater truck breaks down I will be in a worst spot I'm in right now. Plus I'd be using every available cent I have left right now so no emergency fund left after this.

2- I have good credit (get a car loan): Buy a used reliable truck like a toyota tundra with around 100k miles for about $17-18k. Con to this option is I'd be falling in the debt trap again. I can easily afford the monthly payment and the monthly payment of the broken truck until I'm able to sell it. I hate even thinking about this but my choices are limited and trying to fix rather than replace bit me in the butt hard with the broken down truck.

3- I do have another vehicle (4runner 2015) but my wife is afraid I will tear it up by using it for my handyman business. Plus she needs it to get around and pick up kids from school. Yes, it's very inconvenient for me to even use it and yes it will get torn up due to the nature of my business.

Why would you do if you were me?
« Last Edit: April 10, 2019, 01:13:56 PM by Moneywise »

techwiz

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2019, 01:23:42 PM »
Sorry to hear about the truck. 

Seems to me you have to go with option 1 to find out how much it would cost. It means more sunk cost but I don't see how to make a decision with out the facts.

Do you really still trust this shop? Maybe take tow it to another place for a second opinion/quote.

Best of luck!

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2019, 02:07:52 PM »
The shop owner is very nice and they have great google reviews. I don't trust their competency though. Any mechanic worth their dime should know the consequences of a failed timing chain. He should have never suggested to just change the chain knowing what will most definitely happen with an interference engine. He should have suggested to take it apart from day 1. Now due to his incompetency, I'll be out $825. It was actually $$985 but he brought the cost due to misdiagnosing it. Not sure what to do, I'm a bit tired of dumping money into this truck. I should have spent more 8 months ago and just had the engine replaced. It wasn't even installer error, the new part simply broke causing engine failure.

acepedro45

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2019, 02:15:48 PM »
The fact that your mechanic did not realize he was working on an interference engine and tried the $825 fix anyway is a very alarming indicator of his competence. When you pair that with the $3,500 fix from a few months ago that included all his recommended upgrades, it leads me to think you need a new mechanic.

I would offer $400 for his time wasted on the second fix and conduct no further business with this guy. As you point out, the damage to the pistons should have been obvious from 2 minutes of googling. I'm not a mechanic but I know the difference between interference/non-interference engines and I would have checked that first after having a timing belt/chain give out. Why continue to pay this guy thousands upon thousands?

Now on to your options: Using your 4runner doesn't sound good if it leaves your wife and kids in the lurch, so let's table that for now.

I would try researching around for another mechanic and getting your current ride repaired.

acepedro45

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2019, 02:20:00 PM »
It's also extremely uncommon - bordering on unbelievable - for a timing chain to fail in 8 months even racking up huge daily mileage. Most modern belts are good for 100,000 miles+. Are you SURE you buy his "it was just your bad luck" explanation? I sure wouldn't.

RWD

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2019, 02:22:42 PM »
It's also extremely uncommon - bordering on unbelievable - for a timing chain to fail in 8 months even racking up huge daily mileage. Most modern belts are good for 100,000 miles+. Are you SURE you buy his "it was just your bad luck" explanation? I sure wouldn't.

^^^ This. The original job was almost certainly botched.

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2019, 02:25:59 PM »
Oops sorry I need to clarify this first. The mechanic who did the previous $3500 fix is completely different than the mechanic working on it right now. Initially I believed the previous mechanic may have screwed something up and this is the reason I found the highest rated shop in town to take my truck to second time around. To my surprise, they are incompetent ( I can't win for nothing). Should I just bite the bullet and get a car loan... get rid of this piece of junk (dodge ram) and get a toyota tundra? lol.

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2019, 02:28:40 PM »
It's also extremely uncommon - bordering on unbelievable - for a timing chain to fail in 8 months even racking up huge daily mileage. Most modern belts are good for 100,000 miles+. Are you SURE you buy his "it was just your bad luck" explanation? I sure wouldn't.

Timing chain didn't fail. The plastic tensioner did. Once it broke, the chain skipped timing breaking everything. The bolts holding down the tensioner were still in place and in good condition so what else can cause the tensioner to fail?

magnet18

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2019, 02:29:11 PM »
The original work was less than a year ago, is it still under warranty?

If the original work isn't still under warranty, this mechanic doesn't seem too competent, if it was just a guide and the chain didn't slip, the engine would have made a rattling noise, not broken down.  He should have known this, every engine since the 60s has been interference. (I just replaced the chain on my 86 toyota, it's also an interference engine)

On top of that his prices sound like he's taking you for a total ride, I'd be finding someone else.

Used engine heads should set you back a few hundred I would think??

Start calling other shops in the area and tell them the vehicle and that the chain slipped, get their estimates for repair and for simply replacing the heads.

After doing the minimum to get it repaired, absolutely sell it. 

There's a hard lesson here, when you had the first mechanic "replace everything", sure, the parts were new, but most aftermarket parts are far less reliable than OEM parts, hence the current situation.  Who knows what else may now fail prematurely.  Also it's a Dodge, brand wars aside, it's factually statistically less reliable.

Sell it before fixing or sell it after fixing, either way get the most reliable toyota pickup you can without going into debt. 

magnet18

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2019, 02:32:19 PM »
It's also extremely uncommon - bordering on unbelievable - for a timing chain to fail in 8 months even racking up huge daily mileage. Most modern belts are good for 100,000 miles+. Are you SURE you buy his "it was just your bad luck" explanation? I sure wouldn't.

Timing chain didn't fail. The plastic tensioner did. Once it broke, the chain skipped timing breaking everything. The bolts holding down the tensioner were still in place and in good condition so what else can cause the tensioner to fail?

See my other reply

Unless you shell out for OEM replacement parts, replacements are often far cheaper and less reliable.  Something i learned quickly doing DIY work, the cheap stuff from rockauto.com half the time has manufacturing tolerances so sloppy the bolts don't even line up

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2019, 02:41:30 PM »
The original work was less than a year ago, is it still under warranty?

If the original work isn't still under warranty, this mechanic doesn't seem too competent, if it was just a guide and the chain didn't slip, the engine would have made a rattling noise, not broken down.  He should have known this, every engine since the 60s has been interference. (I just replaced the chain on my 86 toyota, it's also an interference engine)

On top of that his prices sound like he's taking you for a total ride, I'd be finding someone else.

Used engine heads should set you back a few hundred I would think??

Start calling other shops in the area and tell them the vehicle and that the chain slipped, get their estimates for repair and for simply replacing the heads.

After doing the minimum to get it repaired, absolutely sell it. 

There's a hard lesson here, when you had the first mechanic "replace everything", sure, the parts were new, but most aftermarket parts are far less reliable than OEM parts, hence the current situation.  Who knows what else may now fail prematurely.  Also it's a Dodge, brand wars aside, it's factually statistically less reliable.

Sell it before fixing or sell it after fixing, either way get the most reliable toyota pickup you can without going into debt.

The original mechanic stands by his work he says and is willing to take it apart for free and find out what happened. Problem is, he can only work during weekends and is located 1.5 hrs away.  If he finds out it was part failure (I haven't told him yet the cause), he will still charge me. Far less than the shop but then it puts me back to same place I was before. Dumping more money, no working truck for weeks, losing money daily, etc, etc.

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2019, 02:46:20 PM »
It's also extremely uncommon - bordering on unbelievable - for a timing chain to fail in 8 months even racking up huge daily mileage. Most modern belts are good for 100,000 miles+. Are you SURE you buy his "it was just your bad luck" explanation? I sure wouldn't.

Timing chain didn't fail. The plastic tensioner did. Once it broke, the chain skipped timing breaking everything. The bolts holding down the tensioner were still in place and in good condition so what else can cause the tensioner to fail?



See my other reply

Unless you shell out for OEM replacement parts, replacements are often far cheaper and less reliable.  Something i learned quickly doing DIY work, the cheap stuff from rockauto.com half the time has manufacturing tolerances so sloppy the bolts don't even line up

Yes it's my fault. I supplied all the parts. OEM were out of stock and back ordered so I just bought everything online. Parts alone for previous job was almost $2k. Another thing I just found out is the valve seats in the head on this hemi are known to prematurely drop causing engine failure. So buying used heads I run the risk of another engine failure in the future. I was doing so great paying debt down and something always comes up setting me back.

magnet18

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2019, 02:51:34 PM »
The original work was less than a year ago, is it still under warranty?

If the original work isn't still under warranty, this mechanic doesn't seem too competent, if it was just a guide and the chain didn't slip, the engine would have made a rattling noise, not broken down.  He should have known this, every engine since the 60s has been interference. (I just replaced the chain on my 86 toyota, it's also an interference engine)

On top of that his prices sound like he's taking you for a total ride, I'd be finding someone else.

Used engine heads should set you back a few hundred I would think??

Start calling other shops in the area and tell them the vehicle and that the chain slipped, get their estimates for repair and for simply replacing the heads.

After doing the minimum to get it repaired, absolutely sell it. 

There's a hard lesson here, when you had the first mechanic "replace everything", sure, the parts were new, but most aftermarket parts are far less reliable than OEM parts, hence the current situation.  Who knows what else may now fail prematurely.  Also it's a Dodge, brand wars aside, it's factually statistically less reliable.

Sell it before fixing or sell it after fixing, either way get the most reliable toyota pickup you can without going into debt.

The original mechanic stands by his work he says and is willing to take it apart for free and find out what happened. Problem is, he can only work during weekends and is located 1.5 hrs away.  If he finds out it was part failure (I haven't told him yet the cause), he will still charge me. Far less than the shop but then it puts me back to same place I was before. Dumping more money, no working truck for weeks, losing money daily, etc, etc.

Was it the tensioner or the guide? 

If tensioner, how did it fail? Tensioners can fail if the bolts are overtorqued and the parts that slide get distorted, which is installer error but won't be visible. It's easy to do though, the torque spec for the tensioner on my Toyota was way lower than I would have done if I was just snugging it up by hand.

If guide, i assume plastic guide and not metal?
If the original guide was metal and he downgraded to plastic without consulting you I'd call that his error.

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2019, 02:57:12 PM »
The original work was less than a year ago, is it still under warranty?

If the original work isn't still under warranty, this mechanic doesn't seem too competent, if it was just a guide and the chain didn't slip, the engine would have made a rattling noise, not broken down.  He should have known this, every engine since the 60s has been interference. (I just replaced the chain on my 86 toyota, it's also an interference engine)

On top of that his prices sound like he's taking you for a total ride, I'd be finding someone else.

Used engine heads should set you back a few hundred I would think??

Start calling other shops in the area and tell them the vehicle and that the chain slipped, get their estimates for repair and for simply replacing the heads.

After doing the minimum to get it repaired, absolutely sell it. 

There's a hard lesson here, when you had the first mechanic "replace everything", sure, the parts were new, but most aftermarket parts are far less reliable than OEM parts, hence the current situation.  Who knows what else may now fail prematurely.  Also it's a Dodge, brand wars aside, it's factually statistically less reliable.

Sell it before fixing or sell it after fixing, either way get the most reliable toyota pickup you can without going into debt.

The original mechanic stands by his work he says and is willing to take it apart for free and find out what happened. Problem is, he can only work during weekends and is located 1.5 hrs away.  If he finds out it was part failure (I haven't told him yet the cause), he will still charge me. Far less than the shop but then it puts me back to same place I was before. Dumping more money, no working truck for weeks, losing money daily, etc, etc.

Was it the tensioner or the guide? 

If tensioner, how did it fail? Tensioners can fail if the bolts are overtorqued and the parts that slide get distorted, which is installer error but won't be visible. It's easy to do though, the torque spec for the tensioner on my Toyota was way lower than I would have done if I was just snugging it up by hand.

If guide, i assume plastic guide and not metal?
If the original guide was metal and he downgraded to plastic without consulting you I'd call that his error.

The tensioner and guide were broken. To be honest, the previous guy most likely over torqued it. I never saw a torque wrench while he was working on the engine. Hard to prove though, he will most likely blame the parts I gave him were the cause.

magnet18

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2019, 03:03:14 PM »
It's also extremely uncommon - bordering on unbelievable - for a timing chain to fail in 8 months even racking up huge daily mileage. Most modern belts are good for 100,000 miles+. Are you SURE you buy his "it was just your bad luck" explanation? I sure wouldn't.

Timing chain didn't fail. The plastic tensioner did. Once it broke, the chain skipped timing breaking everything. The bolts holding down the tensioner were still in place and in good condition so what else can cause the tensioner to fail?



See my other reply

Unless you shell out for OEM replacement parts, replacements are often far cheaper and less reliable.  Something i learned quickly doing DIY work, the cheap stuff from rockauto.com half the time has manufacturing tolerances so sloppy the bolts don't even line up

Yes it's my fault. I supplied all the parts. OEM were out of stock and back ordered so I just bought everything online. Parts alone for previous job was almost $2k. Another thing I just found out is the valve seats in the head on this hemi are known to prematurely drop causing engine failure. So buying used heads I run the risk of another engine failure in the future. I was doing so great paying debt down and something always comes up setting me back.
I'd still go the used heads route if cheaper
Then sell the truck
Feel free to tell the buyer if the heads have more miles than the engine if you feel morally obligated to do so

Still be aware the amount you're getting charged is insane, a quick google shows I can get a whole crate engine for your truck for less than $3K!!

Granted it's not turnkey but it puts it in perspective


Don't worry, you'll get out from under the dumb truck and get a smarter truck.  If you hadn't been saving, your options would be way more limited and painful right now
The original work was less than a year ago, is it still under warranty?

If the original work isn't still under warranty, this mechanic doesn't seem too competent, if it was just a guide and the chain didn't slip, the engine would have made a rattling noise, not broken down.  He should have known this, every engine since the 60s has been interference. (I just replaced the chain on my 86 toyota, it's also an interference engine)

On top of that his prices sound like he's taking you for a total ride, I'd be finding someone else.

Used engine heads should set you back a few hundred I would think??

Start calling other shops in the area and tell them the vehicle and that the chain slipped, get their estimates for repair and for simply replacing the heads.

After doing the minimum to get it repaired, absolutely sell it. 

There's a hard lesson here, when you had the first mechanic "replace everything", sure, the parts were new, but most aftermarket parts are far less reliable than OEM parts, hence the current situation.  Who knows what else may now fail prematurely.  Also it's a Dodge, brand wars aside, it's factually statistically less reliable.

Sell it before fixing or sell it after fixing, either way get the most reliable toyota pickup you can without going into debt.

The original mechanic stands by his work he says and is willing to take it apart for free and find out what happened. Problem is, he can only work during weekends and is located 1.5 hrs away.  If he finds out it was part failure (I haven't told him yet the cause), he will still charge me. Far less than the shop but then it puts me back to same place I was before. Dumping more money, no working truck for weeks, losing money daily, etc, etc.

Was it the tensioner or the guide? 

If tensioner, how did it fail? Tensioners can fail if the bolts are overtorqued and the parts that slide get distorted, which is installer error but won't be visible. It's easy to do though, the torque spec for the tensioner on my Toyota was way lower than I would have done if I was just snugging it up by hand.

If guide, i assume plastic guide and not metal?
If the original guide was metal and he downgraded to plastic without consulting you I'd call that his error.

The tensioner and guide were broken. To be honest, the previous guy most likely over torqued it. I never saw a torque wrench while he was working on the engine. Hard to prove though, he will most likely blame the parts I gave him were the cause.

You can remove the bolt, hold it against a good metal straightedge, and see if the bolt is stretched from over torquing. It will be skinnier in the middle where stretched.

magnet18

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #15 on: April 10, 2019, 03:05:30 PM »
Maybe not as pronounced as this, but it gives you an idea

https://www.fastenerdata.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/products2/grade/streached_bolt_1.jpg

acepedro45

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #16 on: April 10, 2019, 03:18:38 PM »
Long term where do you, the OP, need to be to be in the best spot financially? I'd say in a used-to-beater Tundra if indeed you positively NEED a truck. OP, it sounds like you do need a truck since you, unlike most truck owners, are using yours to make money.

I don't think the Ram with the potentially wonky engine is your long-term best bet.

I see you discounting the beater truck route as one that will lead to further heartbreak and further unreliability. Don't let this crappy experience cloud your thinking. If you do a lot of good homework and determined Craigslist shopping, you can find a solid truck at a huge discount to dealer prices. 

JLee

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #17 on: April 10, 2019, 03:31:06 PM »
You could get a junkyard pull.  I'm seeing ~$1600 (4.7l) to ~$2200 (5.7l) from car-part.com (there's a huge price range, but I picked from the lower third or so).

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #18 on: April 10, 2019, 03:37:05 PM »
Thank you all for the advice! It's hard to find sound advice online because most of the world is conditioned to just get rid of it and buy new... I tried the "cheaper to fix than to buy newer" route and it failed me. Since the original mechanic is willing to take it apart free of charge, I will have my truck towed over there and just have him take it apart even though he may have played a part in the engine failure. Other option I've got is to have it towed to carmax and see how much they would be willing to give me lol! I already called and they said for a running truck same as mine, they would offer 10.5k I couldn't imagine what they would offer for a non running one. Should I do it and just cut my loses? Or have this other mechanic take it apart and check? Either way, I still owe 6k in the loan and every penny I keep throwing at this truck will not get me anywhere.

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #19 on: April 10, 2019, 03:39:06 PM »
You could get a junkyard pull.  I'm seeing ~$1600 (4.7l) to ~$2200 (5.7l) from car-part.com (there's a huge price range, but I picked from the lower third or so).

Yes, they offered me $2600. I think that's way too low. If the truck was paid off, I'd have taken it though.

JLee

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #20 on: April 10, 2019, 03:42:03 PM »
You could get a junkyard pull.  I'm seeing ~$1600 (4.7l) to ~$2200 (5.7l) from car-part.com (there's a huge price range, but I picked from the lower third or so).

Yes, they offered me $2600. I think that's way too low. If the truck was paid off, I'd have taken it though.

Sorry, I meant you could get an engine pulled from a junkyard for $1600-2200, instead of $4k+ for a reman.

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #21 on: April 10, 2019, 03:56:46 PM »
You could get a junkyard pull.  I'm seeing ~$1600 (4.7l) to ~$2200 (5.7l) from car-part.com (there's a huge price range, but I picked from the lower third or so).

Yes, they offered me $2600. I think that's way too low. If the truck was paid off, I'd have taken it though.

Sorry, I meant you could get an engine pulled from a junkyard for $1600-2200, instead of $4k+ for a reman.

Yes I also tried that. All hemis in junkyards in my area are there for similar reasons already. Go figure...

JLee

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #22 on: April 10, 2019, 04:23:28 PM »
You could get a junkyard pull.  I'm seeing ~$1600 (4.7l) to ~$2200 (5.7l) from car-part.com (there's a huge price range, but I picked from the lower third or so).

Yes, they offered me $2600. I think that's way too low. If the truck was paid off, I'd have taken it though.

Sorry, I meant you could get an engine pulled from a junkyard for $1600-2200, instead of $4k+ for a reman.

Yes I also tried that. All hemis in junkyards in my area are there for similar reasons already. Go figure...

car-part.com - plenty of places should ship.

Although if it's a common failure point, you might not want a used one..

acepedro45

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #23 on: April 11, 2019, 12:55:43 PM »
Can you use your other car for a short interim period while you figure out a longer term solution? You mentioned it's inconvenient for your other family members and that you don't want to damage the interior. Is it doable in the short term?

If so, then you have a way to get your long-term truck situation sorted out without the gun-to-the-temples pressure of "I need a truck to make money RIGHT NOW." That kind of mindset can force you into some hasty, sub optimal decisions.

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #24 on: April 11, 2019, 09:51:15 PM »
Thank you all for the help. So, here is an update: I paid the shop $825 for a repair that didn't fix my truck. I was going to leave that shop a negative feedback online but changed my mind because the owner is really nice, not nice enough to eat the cost of his incompetency though. I'm having the truck towed tomorrow to the mechanic who originally fixed the engine. He will take it apart and find out exactly what happened almost free of charge. I saw the broken parts personally, the actual chain guide broke in half and the tensioner came apart. Bolts were fine enough for the shop to reuse them so I didn't get to check them. If the damage is not that extreme, I will try to get the truck running just long enough to sell it to carmax. I would feel bad selling it to someone knowing it's a piece of junk. Carmax will give me around 10k for it if it's running with no check engine lights.

I found a toyota tundra 2008 with 82k miles. 1 owner and every single recommended service done on record. Lots of looking around and the best I can find locally for the price. Hopefully it won't let me down. So much for the bullet proof hemi engine they say... piece of junk ram 1500. If it's cheaper to fix than buy, fix it they say... I'm sure they don't account for faulty parts.

JLee

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #25 on: April 12, 2019, 10:18:45 AM »
Thank you all for the help. So, here is an update: I paid the shop $825 for a repair that didn't fix my truck. I was going to leave that shop a negative feedback online but changed my mind because the owner is really nice, not nice enough to eat the cost of his incompetency though. I'm having the truck towed tomorrow to the mechanic who originally fixed the engine. He will take it apart and find out exactly what happened almost free of charge. I saw the broken parts personally, the actual chain guide broke in half and the tensioner came apart. Bolts were fine enough for the shop to reuse them so I didn't get to check them. If the damage is not that extreme, I will try to get the truck running just long enough to sell it to carmax. I would feel bad selling it to someone knowing it's a piece of junk. Carmax will give me around 10k for it if it's running with no check engine lights.

I found a toyota tundra 2008 with 82k miles. 1 owner and every single recommended service done on record. Lots of looking around and the best I can find locally for the price. Hopefully it won't let me down. So much for the bullet proof hemi engine they say... piece of junk ram 1500. If it's cheaper to fix than buy, fix it they say... I'm sure they don't account for faulty parts.

Which engine does the Tundra have?  The 4.7l is a beast.

https://jalopnik.com/heres-what-a-toyota-truck-looks-like-after-1-000-000-mi-1776141464

SunnyDays

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #26 on: April 12, 2019, 10:31:17 AM »
Why can't you use the 4Runner and buy your wife a cheap run-around with the proceeds from selling your broken truck?

Moneywise

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #27 on: April 12, 2019, 09:39:07 PM »
Thank you all for the help. So, here is an update: I paid the shop $825 for a repair that didn't fix my truck. I was going to leave that shop a negative feedback online but changed my mind because the owner is really nice, not nice enough to eat the cost of his incompetency though. I'm having the truck towed tomorrow to the mechanic who originally fixed the engine. He will take it apart and find out exactly what happened almost free of charge. I saw the broken parts personally, the actual chain guide broke in half and the tensioner came apart. Bolts were fine enough for the shop to reuse them so I didn't get to check them. If the damage is not that extreme, I will try to get the truck running just long enough to sell it to carmax. I would feel bad selling it to someone knowing it's a piece of junk. Carmax will give me around 10k for it if it's running with no check engine lights.

I found a toyota tundra 2008 with 82k miles. 1 owner and every single recommended service done on record. Lots of looking around and the best I can find locally for the price. Hopefully it won't let me down. So much for the bullet proof hemi engine they say... piece of junk ram 1500. If it's cheaper to fix than buy, fix it they say... I'm sure they don't account for faulty parts.

Which engine does the Tundra have?  The 4.7l is a beast.

https://jalopnik.com/heres-what-a-toyota-truck-looks-like-after-1-000-000-mi-1776141464

it's the 5.7L.

Also to answer questions above about not using the 4runner and just buying a cheap vehicle for the wife. "If you were married you wouldn't be asking that question." Also my wife is not 100% in line with my money savings making it worse...
« Last Edit: April 12, 2019, 10:03:15 PM by Moneywise »

SunnyDays

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Re: Need advice, vehicle broke down
« Reply #28 on: April 13, 2019, 10:02:59 AM »
Haha, okay, fair enough.  You're right, I'm single!