Originally posted by ssmumich00:
they owe YOU a new engine, doesn't matter what happened, if it worked going in, they worked on it, and it no longer works, it's THEIR responsibility to restore it to original working condition. . .end of story, and don't listen to their bs about 3 loud thunks and boom. . .sounds like they drained the oil, forgot to refill it, and heard piston slap from no lubrication in the engine. . .



Hi. As much as I wanted to say, "It has to be you who caused this!" I tried to not be accusatory when I got the news, a part of me thinking it was too early to go there. I really try (though sometimes I forget) to give people the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. As Jim suggests, I think waiting for more info is a good approach. Also, if the engine was run sans oil or coolant, or the car otherwise damaged, there should be telltale evidence to that effect.

Back over on the old-fashioned Contour listserve (which I still love though this site is great, too!) we've been discussing the possibility of air in the clutch being the culprit. That is, say, if they clutch didn't get bled right during the break/clutch flush/refill (they share the same fluid reservoir) and had air in it and wouldn't engage, and the car was started while in first gear (or between gears somehow), it might amount to starting it in gear with the clutch out, which could make some pretty colorful noises.

I'm hoping this is what happened. I wouldn't be thrilled by this scenario (well, maybe in a sense I would be!) though it would be better than having a badly damaged engine. If this were the case and they started it in neutral with the clutch in, it should turn over fine. But if what the service manager said is true, they turned it over once, heard really bad noises, and then tried to get more info about the engine and, it being New Year's Eve, hit a deadend until Monday.

Just came back from a New Year's gathering with extended family. My cousin is a very competent corporate business attorney, and a very down-to-earth, loving person. We agreed giving the shop the benefit of the doubt while they sort this out is probably the best approach (though she is willing to make a call if it comes to that). She told me a story about her maintenance shop. They'd changed her oil; 2300 miles down the road the oil drained out while driving and the engine was wrecked; turned out the filter had come off. She called the shop and told them politely what had happened. They offered to go find the filter to try to figure out why it had come off, telling her that if it had not put on properly they thought it would have fallen off ealier, but perhaps it was a bad filter or something else was wrong. She found the filter herself, and the shop looked up the serial number on it and took responsibility immediately for replacing the engine. Turned out someone there had put on the wrong filter. She ended up with a used engine with 12,000 miles on it (versus 160K) and the shop she went to for the new engine also replaced the clutch for the cost of parts ($130). It took a few days to do the job and the car has run great for quite sometime. She had never told her maintenance shop that she was an attorney, by the way, and she continues to go there.

We'll probably head down to the shop Monday morning with Janos' big shop manual and my Chiltons and Haynes in tow, to take a look at the engine and discuss the situation in a non-confrontational way. I may ask to sit in the car and feel the brake and clutch (though won't touch the starter with a ten foot pole!). They've always let me go back to see my car and talk to the mechanic when I've asked or had questions during previous service. Hopefully it will all have a happy ending... I'll keep you posted!

Thanks! Lynn

Lynn '95 Contour SE MTX, electric red, "Ferret II"