[redacted]'s daughters car was towed to our shop from another shop for a second opinion on a no start condition, not a rough idle condition. The date of that tow was 1/23/18 at approximately 4:30. We were called and asked to perform a diagnosis. It was explained at that time that it had been...
driven to his house one night by his daughter that had recently bought the car from a private party. In the morning the car would not start. It was pushed into a garage where the throttle body was propped open with a stick in an attempted to dry out the assumed fouled spark plugs. When the car later still would not start [redacted] went and got spark plugs and a intake gasket set which is required to replace them. After they were replaced it started and ran but he was unable to get the car to exceed eight to ten miles an hour. When he got back to the house it died and was unable to get it restarted. It was towed from his house to a shop in New York Mills. On 1/25/18 at approximately 5:30 as per our schedule we pushed the vehicle in for diagnoses. It was found that the timing chains had jumped which was the reason the car would not start. [redacted] and his daughter were notified of the possible cost of around 3500.00 dollars if a cylinder head would need to be replaced along with the timing chain component kit. At that time they decided they did not want to do the work and would send someone to pick it up. There car sat in our lot for over two weeks waiting to be picked up. After that, [redacted] and his daughter came down to discuss doing the work again. At that time it was requested that a leak down test be performed to try and decided if the cylinder head could be saved. According to that test we believed that it was very likely that it could be and the cost would be dramatically less. Around 1500.00 dollars less. The car was once again pushed into the shop on 2/12/18 at approximately 2:15 to have the timing chains replaced. After the timing chain component kit was installed the car started and ran but did not run the way it should. Two cylinders were not firing. A dead miss. It was found that the ignition coils were not putting out enough power to function the spark plugs. After the ignition coils were replaced it ran on all cylinders but still did not run correctly. While determining the cause of this the starter went out. Keep in mind that this starter has been used to try to get this car to start both at Steve's house, the shop that it was at previously, and my shop. The starter going out was not anything that our shop did incorrectly. We continued to search for the problem of why the car ran rough. We found the rear catalytic converter was almost completely plugged. Which was the reason [redacted] was unable to get the car to go over eight to ten miles per hour at his house. The converter failed more than likely to to the miss fire on the two cylinders that the ignition coils were replaced. They were called and notified at that time that we would need a starter and catalytic converter to continue with his vehicle. The cost of the extra work at this time was discussed. It was decided that they would come pick up the vehicle and be finished by [redacted] due to cost. It was explained that his daughter was a single mother and was having financial problems. So I suggested calling social services or rural minnesota CEP to help out with the cost. In the end I ended up calling and tried to get the information that was needed to get the extra help. After discussing this with [redacted] and telling him that she would have to call in and see if she could get help they decided that they had enough money to continue. After the converter and starter were installed in the car it started and ran like it should. It was left idling in the shop for fifteen to twenty minutes when the car died and would not turn over again. After the car sat for three to four hours it could be turned over and started but after the car ran for about fifteen minutes the idle would start to slow and die. [redacted] was then called and told that the car would start and run but then would die due to the motor seizing up. On 2/28/18 [redacted] came down to the shop to discuss what was going on. I expressed my understanding that it was unfortunate that the engine was no good after all the work was done but there was no way to know that until it was running. He was told that the car had to be payed for before he could take it. He said he understood and left. Ten minutes later the cops showed up at the shop. They told me that [redacted] and his daughter had informed them that they had dropped the vehicle off for a diagnoses and when they came back they had over a three thousand dollar bill and had not been contacted. They told the police that they should not have to pay for any work performed that the did not approve. After I explained everything to the police they suggested the car be moved to a different location. I originally was not going to do this but a snow storm came and with limited space in our lot I moved it to a local impound lot like I was told. Eventually [redacted] had come down and paid for the approved work and let me know that they would be taking me to court in search of their money back. In short we were asked to diagnose a no start issue and were successful. The internal motor problems that were also present were impossible to find without getting the engine running. All work was approved by them.
[redacted]'s daughters car was towed to our shop from another shop for a second opinion on a no start condition, not a rough idle condition. The date of that tow was 1/23/18 at approximately 4:30. We were called and asked to perform a diagnosis. It was explained at that time that it had been...
driven to his house one night by his daughter that had recently bought the car from a private party. In the morning the car would not start. It was pushed into a garage where the throttle body was propped open with a stick in an attempted to dry out the assumed fouled spark plugs. When the car later still would not start [redacted] went and got spark plugs and a intake gasket set which is required to replace them. After they were replaced it started and ran but he was unable to get the car to exceed eight to ten miles an hour. When he got back to the house it died and was unable to get it restarted. It was towed from his house to a shop in New York Mills. On 1/25/18 at approximately 5:30 as per our schedule we pushed the vehicle in for diagnoses. It was found that the timing chains had jumped which was the reason the car would not start. [redacted] and his daughter were notified of the possible cost of around 3500.00 dollars if a cylinder head would need to be replaced along with the timing chain component kit. At that time they decided they did not want to do the work and would send someone to pick it up. There car sat in our lot for over two weeks waiting to be picked up. After that, [redacted] and his daughter came down to discuss doing the work again. At that time it was requested that a leak down test be performed to try and decided if the cylinder head could be saved. According to that test we believed that it was very likely that it could be and the cost would be dramatically less. Around 1500.00 dollars less. The car was once again pushed into the shop on 2/12/18 at approximately 2:15 to have the timing chains replaced. After the timing chain component kit was installed the car started and ran but did not run the way it should. Two cylinders were not firing. A dead miss. It was found that the ignition coils were not putting out enough power to function the spark plugs. After the ignition coils were replaced it ran on all cylinders but still did not run correctly. While determining the cause of this the starter went out. Keep in mind that this starter has been used to try to get this car to start both at Steve's house, the shop that it was at previously, and my shop. The starter going out was not anything that our shop did incorrectly. We continued to search for the problem of why the car ran rough. We found the rear catalytic converter was almost completely plugged. Which was the reason [redacted] was unable to get the car to go over eight to ten miles per hour at his house. The converter failed more than likely to to the miss fire on the two cylinders that the ignition coils were replaced. They were called and notified at that time that we would need a starter and catalytic converter to continue with his vehicle. The cost of the extra work at this time was discussed. It was decided that they would come pick up the vehicle and be finished by [redacted] due to cost. It was explained that his daughter was a single mother and was having financial problems. So I suggested calling social services or rural minnesota CEP to help out with the cost. In the end I ended up calling and tried to get the information that was needed to get the extra help. After discussing this with [redacted] and telling him that she would have to call in and see if she could get help they decided that they had enough money to continue. After the converter and starter were installed in the car it started and ran like it should. It was left idling in the shop for fifteen to twenty minutes when the car died and would not turn over again. After the car sat for three to four hours it could be turned over and started but after the car ran for about fifteen minutes the idle would start to slow and die. [redacted] was then called and told that the car would start and run but then would die due to the motor seizing up. On 2/28/18 [redacted] came down to the shop to discuss what was going on. I expressed my understanding that it was unfortunate that the engine was no good after all the work was done but there was no way to know that until it was running. He was told that the car had to be payed for before he could take it. He said he understood and left. Ten minutes later the cops showed up at the shop. They told me that [redacted] and his daughter had informed them that they had dropped the vehicle off for a diagnoses and when they came back they had over a three thousand dollar bill and had not been contacted. They told the police that they should not have to pay for any work performed that the did not approve. After I explained everything to the police they suggested the car be moved to a different location. I originally was not going to do this but a snow storm came and with limited space in our lot I moved it to a local impound lot like I was told. Eventually [redacted] had come down and paid for the approved work and let me know that they would be taking me to court in search of their money back. In short we were asked to diagnose a no start issue and were successful. The internal motor problems that were also present were impossible to find without getting the engine running. All work was approved by them.