Mpittman4

a couple weeks ago i bought my first audi, a 97 1.8T quattro with 89k miles for $3200. i bought it from a salvage/recovery shop which had a few vehicles for sale in their lot. they told me they bought it from the original owner because he could not afford to replace the head gasket and that they replaced it before they put it up for sale. they also told me they had replaced the belts and the water pump. i took it for a 10 minute test drive and everything seemed ok plus it had just been inspected by a different garage so i bought it.

the mechanics at both garages are either incompetent or just saw me coming because it was overheating and smoking before i could even drive the 12 miles back to my house. i pulled over and unscrewed the cap to the antifreeze tank and it started spewing out brown foam that looked like a peanut-butter milkshake. i called them back and they said to bring it back. i got AAA to tow it there and then got a call a couple days later saying it was running great after some work and ready to be picked up.

this time i was actually able to make the 12 mile trip back to my house, then a few hours later i was able to drive it just 4 miles or so before it started overheating again. after that i took it to my local valvoline and had the coolant system flushed several times but even after that i couldn't drive more than a couple minutes before it was over heating and the antifreeze tank was full of foam. but it was white instead of brown this time so at least i got something out of the $100 i paid for the flush.

after that i had it towed to a mechanic that i did business with before and always seemed honest and fair. he said that the fluid was caused by a damaged head gasket and that it may still be damaged but either way it had been circulating for so long that it would be impossible to get all of it cleaned out and that just for starters i should get a new motor, if i was even able to find one. he didn't pull the motor to find out exactly what the problem was but since i can't afford a new motor, even if i could find one, that is a moot point.

i really just have 2 questions. do you think i could get the car to run reliably without a new motor and do you think i would be able to sue the shop i bought it from since i have only put about 30 miles on it? i haven't been able to find much info on the limit laws in pennsylvania. also, i really doubt that the garage i bought it from is a licensed dealer so the laws might not even apply.

i would really appreciate any advice, i have no idea what to do with this audi.

Prospeeder

You should have no issue pulling the head and seeing whats wrong. Could be a cracked head and putting a new gasket wont do anything. Need it welded or a "new" head. You can get the stuff out of the cooling system fine. Sound like you have a lazy money hungry mechanic. take it elsewhere.

Mpittman4

thanks for the advice, i was thinking about getting a second opinion and now i will. are you sure it would be possible to get all of that foamy s**t out of everything? also, what do you mean by the "head"? i know as much about cars as i do about brain surgery.

after i took the car back they told me that the head was cracked and they had replaced it. is it possible that a new head and a new head gasket could have gotten messed up after driving about 30 miles?

Prospeeder

no. they did it wrong. or they lied.

Mpittman4

what about the possibility of a cracked block? this is what i'm really worried about, i can't afford a repair like that. would there be other indicators besides the coolant mixing with the oil?

Prospeeder

gosh, its a cast iron block. but i suppose anythings possible. You really would need to pull the head, and just inspect the block surface for a hairline crack. then take the head to a machine shop to be pressure checked and completely gone over for cracks. they might just be feeding you a story. i would give it back to them and get your money back. if possible. usually get a 72 hour window to straight up return a car, and a week implied warranty if it has a major problem like engine failure unless you signed off on that.

Mpittman4

i called a couple audi certified shops and they said that there is a coolant monitor right next to the oil filter that has probably got bad since the head and gasket have been replaced recently. they also said that they have never seen an audi with a cracked block.

assuming that the sensor is the problem and i can make the car drivable for more than 5 minutes at a time, do you think it would be worth the money to have all the tubing replaced since so much of that oil/coolant mixture has gone through the lines?

Mpittman4

make that a "oil cooler":

http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/199...il_cooler.html