Opinions Please (re: huge repair)
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4wd High
Joined: Mar 2007
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Opinions Please (re: huge repair)
We dropped our 2004 Disco (62,000 miles) off at the dealership last Wednesday because the service engine light came on and stayed on for the entire 9-hour drive home from vacation.
They finally called us on Monday evening and said that "due to the high cost of repair we are having to call an inspector in." I assumed it was an inspector because of the extended warranty that we have on the car (up to 75,000 miles). He told us that the service techs had found a leak in the head gasket, a throttle heater gasket leak, a faulty oxygen sensor, and a faulty brake switch. (Later he explained that if any repair is going to cost more than $1,000 they have to have an inspector from the extended warranty program come out.)
Yesterday, we got another phone call from the service adviser that the inspector had just looked at the Disco and the couldn't replicate the faulty brake switch in front of the inspector so that wouldn't be covered by the extended warranty. The O2 sensor would be covered by the extended warranty as would the throttle heater gasket leak. The head gasket leak really wasn't a head gasket leak after all, it was actually a valve cover gasket leak.
My question is this: Is it easy to confuse a head gasket leak with a valve cover leak? What I am inclined to think is that the valve cover gasket leak is either (a) a less involved repair or (b) a much cheaper/temporary fix. I guess I'm just confused as to how service techs could determine a head gasket leak and then an inspector, who incidentally, is from the company that would be paying for the repair could find something else wrong with the car.
I don't know enough about the cars to know if they are yanking our chain or not.
Can someone please help?
They finally called us on Monday evening and said that "due to the high cost of repair we are having to call an inspector in." I assumed it was an inspector because of the extended warranty that we have on the car (up to 75,000 miles). He told us that the service techs had found a leak in the head gasket, a throttle heater gasket leak, a faulty oxygen sensor, and a faulty brake switch. (Later he explained that if any repair is going to cost more than $1,000 they have to have an inspector from the extended warranty program come out.)
Yesterday, we got another phone call from the service adviser that the inspector had just looked at the Disco and the couldn't replicate the faulty brake switch in front of the inspector so that wouldn't be covered by the extended warranty. The O2 sensor would be covered by the extended warranty as would the throttle heater gasket leak. The head gasket leak really wasn't a head gasket leak after all, it was actually a valve cover gasket leak.
My question is this: Is it easy to confuse a head gasket leak with a valve cover leak? What I am inclined to think is that the valve cover gasket leak is either (a) a less involved repair or (b) a much cheaper/temporary fix. I guess I'm just confused as to how service techs could determine a head gasket leak and then an inspector, who incidentally, is from the company that would be paying for the repair could find something else wrong with the car.
I don't know enough about the cars to know if they are yanking our chain or not.
Can someone please help?
Recovery Vehicle
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,088
Likes: 1
From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
RE: Opinions Please (re: huge repair)
How much more time and mileage do you have left ??? If its a head gasket, it simply won't be fixed, so they'll have to do the job in the near futur. But if you'r warranty is almost up, I'd bring the car to another garage and pay to have them verify it to make sure that the HG is fine.
Rock Crawling
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 344
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From: Colorado
RE: Opinions Please (re: huge repair)
If it were a headgasket leak I think you would be losing coolant. The valve cover leak means you would be losing motor oil. Did the temperature gauge fluctuate while you were driving back? Any mechanic worth his salt should not confuse those two.
Cheers,
Pete
Cheers,
Pete
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4wd High
Joined: Mar 2007
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RE: Opinions Please (re: huge repair)
We are losing coolant and after some research on this message board found out it had something to do with the throttle heater gasket. There were pictures posted on this message board that showed exactly what was wrong. (Thanks, for that.)
We didn't know there was an oil leak until Monday when they called us to let us know the service techs had found it. On Monday, they told us it was a head gasket leak. Would the head gasket leak coolant or oil? After the inspector/adjuster went to the dealership to look at the car, he said the oil leak was actually a valve cover leak.
Thanks for the quick repsonses. Sorry if I sound ignorant about the Disco, I don't have much experience with them and am learning things slowly but surely.
We didn't know there was an oil leak until Monday when they called us to let us know the service techs had found it. On Monday, they told us it was a head gasket leak. Would the head gasket leak coolant or oil? After the inspector/adjuster went to the dealership to look at the car, he said the oil leak was actually a valve cover leak.
Thanks for the quick repsonses. Sorry if I sound ignorant about the Disco, I don't have much experience with them and am learning things slowly but surely.
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 60
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RE: Opinions Please (re: huge repair)
HG-generally coolant leak, coolant in oil. typically not oil
VCG-oil leak. nothing to do withcoolant
sounds like the inspector has some sense, not sure why the service techs missed that though...
VCG-oil leak. nothing to do withcoolant
sounds like the inspector has some sense, not sure why the service techs missed that though...
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 25,707
Likes: 107
From: Denver, Colorado
RE: Opinions Please (re: huge repair)
ORIGINAL: cruzen
We dropped our 2004 Disco (62,000 miles) off at the dealership last Wednesday because the service engine light came on and stayed on for the entire 9-hour drive home from vacation.
They finally called us on Monday evening and said that "due to the high cost of repair we are having to call an inspector in." I assumed it was an inspector because of the extended warranty that we have on the car (up to 75,000 miles). He told us that the service techs had found a leak in the head gasket, a throttle heater gasket leak, a faulty oxygen sensor, and a faulty brake switch. (Later he explained that if any repair is going to cost more than $1,000 they have to have an inspector from the extended warranty program come out.)
Yesterday, we got another phone call from the service adviser that the inspector had just looked at the Disco and the couldn't replicate the faulty brake switch in front of the inspector so that wouldn't be covered by the extended warranty. The O2 sensor would be covered by the extended warranty as would the throttle heater gasket leak. The head gasket leak really wasn't a head gasket leak after all, it was actually a valve cover gasket leak.
My question is this: Is it easy to confuse a head gasket leak with a valve cover leak? What I am inclined to think is that the valve cover gasket leak is either (a) a less involved repair or (b) a much cheaper/temporary fix. I guess I'm just confused as to how service techs could determine a head gasket leak and then an inspector, who incidentally, is from the company that would be paying for the repair could find something else wrong with the car.
I don't know enough about the cars to know if they are yanking our chain or not.
Can someone please help?
We dropped our 2004 Disco (62,000 miles) off at the dealership last Wednesday because the service engine light came on and stayed on for the entire 9-hour drive home from vacation.
They finally called us on Monday evening and said that "due to the high cost of repair we are having to call an inspector in." I assumed it was an inspector because of the extended warranty that we have on the car (up to 75,000 miles). He told us that the service techs had found a leak in the head gasket, a throttle heater gasket leak, a faulty oxygen sensor, and a faulty brake switch. (Later he explained that if any repair is going to cost more than $1,000 they have to have an inspector from the extended warranty program come out.)
Yesterday, we got another phone call from the service adviser that the inspector had just looked at the Disco and the couldn't replicate the faulty brake switch in front of the inspector so that wouldn't be covered by the extended warranty. The O2 sensor would be covered by the extended warranty as would the throttle heater gasket leak. The head gasket leak really wasn't a head gasket leak after all, it was actually a valve cover gasket leak.
My question is this: Is it easy to confuse a head gasket leak with a valve cover leak? What I am inclined to think is that the valve cover gasket leak is either (a) a less involved repair or (b) a much cheaper/temporary fix. I guess I'm just confused as to how service techs could determine a head gasket leak and then an inspector, who incidentally, is from the company that would be paying for the repair could find something else wrong with the car.
I don't know enough about the cars to know if they are yanking our chain or not.
Can someone please help?
Mike
RE: Opinions Please (re: huge repair)
Sounds to me like you are almost out of warrenty and the warrenty company does not want to cover the major repair.
To everybody else, THIS is why you NEVER buy a extended warrenty.
They will cover his $200 repairs but not the $1600 one.
To everybody else, THIS is why you NEVER buy a extended warrenty.
They will cover his $200 repairs but not the $1600 one.