Header Gasket.

Not sure how to ask a question here. I know nothing about cars.

1992 Dodge Shadow. 90,000 miles.

Running very hot and heater blowing cold air. Take to local Midas and
800 bucks later I have a new raditor(and valve cover gasket which has
been leaking a bit for a year).

Drive to work and it starts over....temp all the way to 'H' and heater
blowing cold air. Arrange to take it back at lunch. Before I go I check
out under the hood and the new raditor has the old cap on it....screwed
on but obviously not a fit. I returned and let them look at it without
saying I saw the old cap.

30 mins later the car is fixed again.....defective cap according to
them....as I'm standing there about to start harping about the radiator
cap, tons of white smoke starts blowing out of the exhaust.

Long story short, the car is still in the shop and I have an estimate
for header gasket replacement.

Could the old cap and no pressure for the 10+ miles I drove have
damaged the gasket ??

Any opinions welcome.

John

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 wrote:

> Not sure how to ask a question here. I know nothing about cars.
>
> 1992 Dodge Shadow. 90,000 miles.
>
> Running very hot and heater blowing cold air.

Probably a cylinder head gasket.

> Take to local Midas and 800 bucks later I have a new raditor(and valve
> cover gasket which has been leaking a bit for a year).

Gross overcharge. NEVER go to a chain place like Midas, even for exhaust
work and especially for anything more complex than that.

> Drive to work and it starts over....temp all the way to 'H' and heater
> blowing cold air. Arrange to take it back at lunch. Before I go I check
> out under the hood and the new raditor has the old cap on it....screwed
> on but obviously not a fit. I returned and let them look at it without
> saying I saw the old cap. 30 mins later the car is fixed
> again.....defective cap according to them....as I'm standing there about
> to start harping about the radiator cap, tons of white smoke starts
> blowing out of the exhaust.

Yep, you need a head gasket at least.

> Long story short, the car is still in the shop and I have an estimate
> for header gasket replacement.

Midas is not "the shop". Midas is the place you go to waste money and get
the incorrect impression that your car is unreliable. You should've gone
to an actual mechanic.

> Could the old cap and no pressure for the 10+ miles I drove have damaged
> the gasket ??

Not really, no.

> Any opinions welcome.

Get the car away from Midas NOW, before they overcharge and underfix
again. Even if you have to have it towed.

DS

In article
.com>,
wrote:

> Not sure how to ask a question here. I know nothing about cars.
>
> 1992 Dodge Shadow. 90,000 miles.
>
> Running very hot and heater blowing cold air. Take to local Midas and
> 800 bucks later I have a new raditor(and valve cover gasket which has
> been leaking a bit for a year).
>
> Drive to work and it starts over....temp all the way to 'H' and heater
> blowing cold air. Arrange to take it back at lunch. Before I go I check
> out under the hood and the new raditor has the old cap on it....screwed
> on but obviously not a fit. I returned and let them look at it without
> saying I saw the old cap.
>
> 30 mins later the car is fixed again.....defective cap according to
> them....as I'm standing there about to start harping about the radiator
> cap, tons of white smoke starts blowing out of the exhaust.
>
> Long story short, the car is still in the shop and I have an estimate
> for header gasket replacement.

"Head gasket" replacement.

> Could the old cap and no pressure for the 10+ miles I drove have
> damaged the gasket ??

I suspect that the original problem was a leaking head gasket,
they merely bilked you for what they could for the radiator and
valve cover gasket.
Your choice to go to a muffler shop for this type of problem was
a poor one.

Thats like taking your refrigerator to a lawn mower shop to get repaired,
LOL some things you just dont do.The radiator was leaking because the
compression was going into the cooling system causing seams to split

"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
n.umich.edu...
> On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 wrote:
>
> > Not sure how to ask a question here. I know nothing about cars.
> >
> > 1992 Dodge Shadow. 90,000 miles.
> >
> > Running very hot and heater blowing cold air.
>
> Probably a cylinder head gasket.
>
> > Take to local Midas and 800 bucks later I have a new raditor(and valve
> > cover gasket which has been leaking a bit for a year).
>
> Gross overcharge. NEVER go to a chain place like Midas, even for exhaust
> work and especially for anything more complex than that.
>
> > Drive to work and it starts over....temp all the way to 'H' and heater
> > blowing cold air. Arrange to take it back at lunch. Before I go I check
> > out under the hood and the new raditor has the old cap on it....screwed
> > on but obviously not a fit. I returned and let them look at it without
> > saying I saw the old cap. 30 mins later the car is fixed
> > again.....defective cap according to them....as I'm standing there about
> > to start harping about the radiator cap, tons of white smoke starts
> > blowing out of the exhaust.
>
> Yep, you need a head gasket at least.
>
> > Long story short, the car is still in the shop and I have an estimate
> > for header gasket replacement.
>
> Midas is not "the shop". Midas is the place you go to waste money and get
> the incorrect impression that your car is unreliable. You should've gone
> to an actual mechanic.
>
> > Could the old cap and no pressure for the 10+ miles I drove have damaged
> > the gasket ??
>
> Not really, no.
>
> > Any opinions welcome.
>
> Get the car away from Midas NOW, before they overcharge and underfix
> again. Even if you have to have it towed.
>
> DS

Very good, Max. Next you can work on responding to the actual poster of
the message to which you wish to reply.

On Sat, 1 Jan 2005, maxpower wrote:

> Thats like taking your refrigerator to a lawn mower shop to get repaired,
> LOL some things you just dont do.The radiator was leaking because the
> compression was going into the cooling system causing seams to split
>
> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> n.umich.edu...
> > On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 wrote:
> >
> > > Not sure how to ask a question here. I know nothing about cars.
> > >
> > > 1992 Dodge Shadow. 90,000 miles.
> > >
> > > Running very hot and heater blowing cold air.
> >
> > Probably a cylinder head gasket.
> >
> > > Take to local Midas and 800 bucks later I have a new raditor(and valve
> > > cover gasket which has been leaking a bit for a year).
> >
> > Gross overcharge. NEVER go to a chain place like Midas, even for exhaust
> > work and especially for anything more complex than that.
> >
> > > Drive to work and it starts over....temp all the way to 'H' and heater
> > > blowing cold air. Arrange to take it back at lunch. Before I go I check
> > > out under the hood and the new raditor has the old cap on it....screwed
> > > on but obviously not a fit. I returned and let them look at it without
> > > saying I saw the old cap. 30 mins later the car is fixed
> > > again.....defective cap according to them....as I'm standing there about
> > > to start harping about the radiator cap, tons of white smoke starts
> > > blowing out of the exhaust.
> >
> > Yep, you need a head gasket at least.
> >
> > > Long story short, the car is still in the shop and I have an estimate
> > > for header gasket replacement.
> >
> > Midas is not "the shop". Midas is the place you go to waste money and get
> > the incorrect impression that your car is unreliable. You should've gone
> > to an actual mechanic.
> >
> > > Could the old cap and no pressure for the 10+ miles I drove have damaged
> > > the gasket ??
> >
> > Not really, no.
> >
> > > Any opinions welcome.
> >
> > Get the car away from Midas NOW, before they overcharge and underfix
> > again. Even if you have to have it towed.
> >
> > DS
>
>
>

Calm down Mr regulator, this was the post that popped up as the first post,
and this is the one i wish to apply too, thats why I replyed to it, hope you
dont loose any sleep over it
"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
n.umich.edu...
> Very good, Max. Next you can work on responding to the actual poster of
> the message to which you wish to reply.
>
> On Sat, 1 Jan 2005, maxpower wrote:
>
> > Thats like taking your refrigerator to a lawn mower shop to get
repaired,
> > LOL some things you just dont do.The radiator was leaking because the
> > compression was going into the cooling system causing seams to split
> >
> > "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> > n.umich.edu...
> > > On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 wrote:
> > >
> > > > Not sure how to ask a question here. I know nothing about cars.
> > > >
> > > > 1992 Dodge Shadow. 90,000 miles.
> > > >
> > > > Running very hot and heater blowing cold air.
> > >
> > > Probably a cylinder head gasket.
> > >
> > > > Take to local Midas and 800 bucks later I have a new raditor(and
valve
> > > > cover gasket which has been leaking a bit for a year).
> > >
> > > Gross overcharge. NEVER go to a chain place like Midas, even for
exhaust
> > > work and especially for anything more complex than that.
> > >
> > > > Drive to work and it starts over....temp all the way to 'H' and
heater
> > > > blowing cold air. Arrange to take it back at lunch. Before I go I
check
> > > > out under the hood and the new raditor has the old cap on
it....screwed
> > > > on but obviously not a fit. I returned and let them look at it
without
> > > > saying I saw the old cap. 30 mins later the car is fixed
> > > > again.....defective cap according to them....as I'm standing there
about
> > > > to start harping about the radiator cap, tons of white smoke starts
> > > > blowing out of the exhaust.
> > >
> > > Yep, you need a head gasket at least.
> > >
> > > > Long story short, the car is still in the shop and I have an
estimate
> > > > for header gasket replacement.
> > >
> > > Midas is not "the shop". Midas is the place you go to waste money and
get
> > > the incorrect impression that your car is unreliable. You should've
gone
> > > to an actual mechanic.
> > >
> > > > Could the old cap and no pressure for the 10+ miles I drove have
damaged
> > > > the gasket ??
> > >
> > > Not really, no.
> > >
> > > > Any opinions welcome.
> > >
> > > Get the car away from Midas NOW, before they overcharge and underfix
> > > again. Even if you have to have it towed.
> > >
> > > DS
> >
> >
> >

On Sat, 1 Jan 2005, maxpower wrote:

> Calm down Mr regulator, this was the post that popped up as the first post,

Then I suppose you ought to learn how to configure your newsreader
properly.

naaa im fine just the way it works, maybe take a sleeping pill if you have
problems sleeping. or just dont read anything that relates to me
"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
n.umich.edu...
> On Sat, 1 Jan 2005, maxpower wrote:
>
> > Calm down Mr regulator, this was the post that popped up as the first
post,
>
> Then I suppose you ought to learn how to configure your newsreader
> properly.
>

maxpower wrote:

> naaa im fine just the way it works, maybe take a sleeping pill if you have
> problems sleeping. or just dont read anything that relates to me
> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> n.umich.edu...
>
>>On Sat, 1 Jan 2005, maxpower wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Calm down Mr regulator, this was the post that popped up as the first
>
> post,
>
>>Then I suppose you ought to learn how to configure your newsreader
>>properly.
>>
>
>
>

DS, he can't use the shift key. How do you think he'll be able to
configure his newsreader? :-)


Matt

On Sat, 1 Jan 2005, Matt Whiting wrote (regarding the lightning intellect
of 'maxpower'):

> DS, he can't use the shift key. How do you think he'll be able to
> configure his newsreader? :-)

Well, c'mon, don't sell him short. He's quite a powerful guy; he can find
throttle body injectors and distributors on vehicles that have MPFI and
DIS.

And I bet he's real familiar with short buses.

DS