Wow, what a day...
#1
10-19-2010, 07:47 PM
Wow, what a day...
Hello, all! New member here, just wanted a place to vent.
Up until 2 weeks ago, I was the happy owner of a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT. Then on October 8th, I was rear-ended and pushed into the car in front of me, and my Eclipse was totalled.
Started a search for a replacement vehicle, and went to see several. Most were in pretty crappy condition, since I had a small budget to work with. When I couldn't find another Eclipse that met my standards and that I could afford, I widened my search.
Yesterday, I went to Deals on Wheels in Shelbyville, TN (I'm in Nashville.) They had a 2001 Monte Carlo with 82,607 miles on it, and were only asking $5,495 for it. I've been an auto adjuster before, so I suspected it might have been wrecked or even have a salvage title on it, but I wanted to see it anyway.
Took my Mom with me, so I'd have someone to drive the rental back if I found something. We got to the lot, I looked the car over, and the body was in impeccable shape. I checked everywhere for signs of repainting, around the headlights, all the body panels, anywhere rubber meets painted surface, and it was perfect. Very few chips or dings, a small scratch that'll buff out, etc. However, the tires were bald as they can be (not a deal breaker, of course.)
I open the hood, and the engine compartment was pretty messy/dirty. Most of the other cars I've looked at have had clean (i.e. detailed) engine bays, but their bodies looked like crap, the interiors were nasty, or they felt like rattletraps, so this was different. I did notice there were painted numbers/letters on some of the engine components, but I had no idea what this meant. I saw the Sales guy Blue (yes, his name is a color) and asked him what's wrong with the car. He mentioned the tires, and that it's been on the lot for a while. We decided to take it for a spin.
They give me the keys, and I turned it over. Nothing. The battery was dead. No problem, I understand if it's been there a while and not started regularly, this can happen. They jumped it, and away we go. I do notice the Trac Off light is lit, as is the ABS light, so I made a note to mention this later.*
About 3-4 miles down the road, on a slight incline, it died completely. Power steering went out (since there's no power,) and I wasn't even going fast enough to coast it into the nearest parking lot, I only made it about half into the driveway. I called the lot, and they sent someone out to jump it. When he got there, the cables he had were bad. So they sent someone else. While we were waiting, I asked him how long the car has been there, and he estimated about 6 months. We got it jumped, and when we got it back to the dealer, they took it straight into a bay, checked the alternator, and replaced the battery. I mentioned the Trac Off and ABS lights, and he said that he'll provide me with a 90 day warranty (extended warranty type) that should cover anything like that that crops up.
I was still interested in the car, so when he asked me what I'll give him for it, I counter with "What's the absolute least you'll take for it?" He said $4,500. I countered with $4,000, and he shook his head. I asked him if he'd put tires on it, again he shook his head. That's his bottom line price, and to be honest, as good as the car looks (except the engine bay) this sounded like a good deal. Kelley Blue Book on it was $7,500, and NADA was $7,825. I made sure to get a Carfax on it, it was clean, no accidents (as I thought after close inspection) and only 2 owners.
As we wraped things up he casually mentions that while the car has 82,000 miles on it, the engine only has 42,000. I say "Rebuilt engine?" and he says yes. I started looking for a local tire shop, and he mentioned that they also own the tire shop next door, and said that he'd make me a deal on tires for it (it REALLY needed 2, but I wanted to get all 4 replaced.) He put Yokohamas on it for $500 installed.
On the way home, about halfway between Shelbyville and Nashville (it's a 53 mile drive) the Check Engine light came on. After we got back to Nashville and I dropped my Mom off at home, I ran to Advance Auto to pick up some stuff like new wipers new headlight bulbs, and a K&N Air Filter, along with some Mobile 1 oil and an oil filter, and floor mats (I have white huskies, I wanted as little carpet exposed as possible.)
The guy at Advance Auto helped me install the headlights and the wipers and he took a look under the hood for me. He noticed right away that the plastic cowl is missing off the engine, and that there are letters and numbers painted on the engine block. He said that that means the engine came from a salvage yard. He scaned it for Diagnostic Codes, and it threw a P0410, water in Air Pump.
I did a little research here last night, and found out that the Trac Off/ABS/Service Traction System issue could be as simple as cleaning the connections, or as complex (and expensive) as replacing one or more hubs. I also found out that the Air Pump will probably need replacing, as well as the hose and shield.
This afternoon I took it by Freedland Chevrolet to have them do the oil change, and see whether the above mentioned problems are covered under the 90 Day Warranty he provided.
The tech came back to me with some major bad news. Not only was the engine replaced from a salvage yard (NOT rebuilt), it's not even complete. The Secondary Air Injection System is missing, and they installed the wrong manifold on it. He told me there's no way it'll ever pass emissions like this. He gave me an exploded diagram of the engine with the parts missing highlighted.*
I called Blue at Deals on Wheels, and he could tell I wasn't happy. I had the tech talk to him and he explained what is missing. Blue said he had the missing parts, but since it's all emissions related - and down in Cheatham County they don't have to go through emissions - they didn't put them on. I let him know in no uncertain terms that the vehicle needs those parts in order for me to register it in Davidson County, and that I expected him to do something about it.
I'll be taking it back to Shelbyville Thursday (he's booked up tomorrow) for them to install the missing parts. As it is, I'm not even sure they put the 3.8L V6 in there, as I don't know how to identify it without the cowl on it. When Freedland tried to install the K&N filter for me, they said it wasn't the right one for that engine, so gods only know what engine they put in it.
I really like the car. It runs great (though there's a very fast ticking sound, my boyfriend thinks this might be from the wrong manifold? and there's an oil leak at the oil pan) and I really just want him to give me what I though I had bought - a great car with a replaced engine. I'm gonna give him the opportunity to make things right (oh yeah, AND the cigarette lighter doesn't work, either, so I had to swap batteries in my phone halfway back to Nashville, since the GPS really ran it down) and use the warranty for anything it needs while I have it.
Keep your fingers crossed that I'll be a happy Monte Carlo owner by the end of the story.
(Sorry for the wall-of-text, at least I punctuate, capitalize, and use paragraphs...)
Up until 2 weeks ago, I was the happy owner of a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT. Then on October 8th, I was rear-ended and pushed into the car in front of me, and my Eclipse was totalled.
Started a search for a replacement vehicle, and went to see several. Most were in pretty crappy condition, since I had a small budget to work with. When I couldn't find another Eclipse that met my standards and that I could afford, I widened my search.
Yesterday, I went to Deals on Wheels in Shelbyville, TN (I'm in Nashville.) They had a 2001 Monte Carlo with 82,607 miles on it, and were only asking $5,495 for it. I've been an auto adjuster before, so I suspected it might have been wrecked or even have a salvage title on it, but I wanted to see it anyway.
Took my Mom with me, so I'd have someone to drive the rental back if I found something. We got to the lot, I looked the car over, and the body was in impeccable shape. I checked everywhere for signs of repainting, around the headlights, all the body panels, anywhere rubber meets painted surface, and it was perfect. Very few chips or dings, a small scratch that'll buff out, etc. However, the tires were bald as they can be (not a deal breaker, of course.)
I open the hood, and the engine compartment was pretty messy/dirty. Most of the other cars I've looked at have had clean (i.e. detailed) engine bays, but their bodies looked like crap, the interiors were nasty, or they felt like rattletraps, so this was different. I did notice there were painted numbers/letters on some of the engine components, but I had no idea what this meant. I saw the Sales guy Blue (yes, his name is a color) and asked him what's wrong with the car. He mentioned the tires, and that it's been on the lot for a while. We decided to take it for a spin.
They give me the keys, and I turned it over. Nothing. The battery was dead. No problem, I understand if it's been there a while and not started regularly, this can happen. They jumped it, and away we go. I do notice the Trac Off light is lit, as is the ABS light, so I made a note to mention this later.*
About 3-4 miles down the road, on a slight incline, it died completely. Power steering went out (since there's no power,) and I wasn't even going fast enough to coast it into the nearest parking lot, I only made it about half into the driveway. I called the lot, and they sent someone out to jump it. When he got there, the cables he had were bad. So they sent someone else. While we were waiting, I asked him how long the car has been there, and he estimated about 6 months. We got it jumped, and when we got it back to the dealer, they took it straight into a bay, checked the alternator, and replaced the battery. I mentioned the Trac Off and ABS lights, and he said that he'll provide me with a 90 day warranty (extended warranty type) that should cover anything like that that crops up.
I was still interested in the car, so when he asked me what I'll give him for it, I counter with "What's the absolute least you'll take for it?" He said $4,500. I countered with $4,000, and he shook his head. I asked him if he'd put tires on it, again he shook his head. That's his bottom line price, and to be honest, as good as the car looks (except the engine bay) this sounded like a good deal. Kelley Blue Book on it was $7,500, and NADA was $7,825. I made sure to get a Carfax on it, it was clean, no accidents (as I thought after close inspection) and only 2 owners.
As we wraped things up he casually mentions that while the car has 82,000 miles on it, the engine only has 42,000. I say "Rebuilt engine?" and he says yes. I started looking for a local tire shop, and he mentioned that they also own the tire shop next door, and said that he'd make me a deal on tires for it (it REALLY needed 2, but I wanted to get all 4 replaced.) He put Yokohamas on it for $500 installed.
On the way home, about halfway between Shelbyville and Nashville (it's a 53 mile drive) the Check Engine light came on. After we got back to Nashville and I dropped my Mom off at home, I ran to Advance Auto to pick up some stuff like new wipers new headlight bulbs, and a K&N Air Filter, along with some Mobile 1 oil and an oil filter, and floor mats (I have white huskies, I wanted as little carpet exposed as possible.)
The guy at Advance Auto helped me install the headlights and the wipers and he took a look under the hood for me. He noticed right away that the plastic cowl is missing off the engine, and that there are letters and numbers painted on the engine block. He said that that means the engine came from a salvage yard. He scaned it for Diagnostic Codes, and it threw a P0410, water in Air Pump.
I did a little research here last night, and found out that the Trac Off/ABS/Service Traction System issue could be as simple as cleaning the connections, or as complex (and expensive) as replacing one or more hubs. I also found out that the Air Pump will probably need replacing, as well as the hose and shield.
This afternoon I took it by Freedland Chevrolet to have them do the oil change, and see whether the above mentioned problems are covered under the 90 Day Warranty he provided.
The tech came back to me with some major bad news. Not only was the engine replaced from a salvage yard (NOT rebuilt), it's not even complete. The Secondary Air Injection System is missing, and they installed the wrong manifold on it. He told me there's no way it'll ever pass emissions like this. He gave me an exploded diagram of the engine with the parts missing highlighted.*
I called Blue at Deals on Wheels, and he could tell I wasn't happy. I had the tech talk to him and he explained what is missing. Blue said he had the missing parts, but since it's all emissions related - and down in Cheatham County they don't have to go through emissions - they didn't put them on. I let him know in no uncertain terms that the vehicle needs those parts in order for me to register it in Davidson County, and that I expected him to do something about it.
I'll be taking it back to Shelbyville Thursday (he's booked up tomorrow) for them to install the missing parts. As it is, I'm not even sure they put the 3.8L V6 in there, as I don't know how to identify it without the cowl on it. When Freedland tried to install the K&N filter for me, they said it wasn't the right one for that engine, so gods only know what engine they put in it.
I really like the car. It runs great (though there's a very fast ticking sound, my boyfriend thinks this might be from the wrong manifold? and there's an oil leak at the oil pan) and I really just want him to give me what I though I had bought - a great car with a replaced engine. I'm gonna give him the opportunity to make things right (oh yeah, AND the cigarette lighter doesn't work, either, so I had to swap batteries in my phone halfway back to Nashville, since the GPS really ran it down) and use the warranty for anything it needs while I have it.
Keep your fingers crossed that I'll be a happy Monte Carlo owner by the end of the story.
(Sorry for the wall-of-text, at least I punctuate, capitalize, and use paragraphs...)
Last edited by Danariel; 10-22-2010 at 10:22 PM.
#3
10-19-2010, 08:00 PM
Can't spell PIMP without an MP
Monte Of The Month -- November 2010
2010 Monte Of The Year
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Grove City, Ohio
Posts: 2,626
WOW! Welcome. I would ABSOLUTELY use the 90 day warranty as much as possible. It can't be considered "milking" if the dealer sold you a car that is less than what you expect. The members on here are an absolute charm to work with. It sounds like you took the correct first steps in getting your car into good running order. I wish you the best of luck and we are all available to help you with any questions that may arise.
#4
10-19-2010, 08:01 PM
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 11,978
welcome to the forum...wow, 
that was alot to read..
I hope everything gets fixed correctly for you and you become a happy Monte Carlo owner on the forum..
that was alot to read.. I hope everything gets fixed correctly for you and you become a happy Monte Carlo owner on the forum..
#5
10-19-2010, 08:21 PM
Thanks for the welcome, guys, sorry for the long post, and I appreciate everyone who actually read the whole thing. :-) I know I can be verbose on a subject I'm passionate about.
I consider myself a car enthusiast. I go so far as to name my cars (ok, and my gadgets, I guess I have a habit of humanizing machines.)
I'm an out-of work Graphic Designer (darn this economy!) and a Desert Storm Vet. Hats off to you, Sargent Miller!
I consider myself a car enthusiast. I go so far as to name my cars (ok, and my gadgets, I guess I have a habit of humanizing machines.)
I'm an out-of work Graphic Designer (darn this economy!) and a Desert Storm Vet. Hats off to you, Sargent Miller!
#7
10-19-2010, 08:31 PM
Can't spell PIMP without an MP
Monte Of The Month -- November 2010
2010 Monte Of The Year
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Grove City, Ohio
Posts: 2,626
LOL. No need to take a hat off for me! The farthest I have been from home was Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I am hoping I get the chance to deploy to Afghanistan here pretty soon. With my MOS (31E) the chances of that happening are pretty slim. Welcome again! You've got to keep posting so your count goes up! That way, you can post some pictures of the ride! It will feel like you are talking to yourself, but that's okay... We are used to it!
#8
10-19-2010, 08:43 PM
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Wauconda, IL
Posts: 13,335
Welcome to the site! I got laid off of my graphic design/production position back in July 08. I now work at an Alphagraphics with a huge pay cut and no benefits - still searching for my ideal job - good luck!
#10
10-19-2010, 10:31 PM
Thanks for the welcome, guys and gal! I've been a member of Club 3G (a 3G Eclipse enthusiast site) for 8 years, and learned a lot from them, I'm hoping to obtain the same education on Monte Carlos from you guys.