sparkplug

"Wild_Bill" > wrote in message
.. .
> The OP made 2 posts on the 18th (and maybe another), and the other subject
> line is:
> Plug broke-off in head, now what??
>
> ..where he says the dealer's mechanic said the plug broke off while trying
> to remove it, and that the "Initial estimate is $1700"
>
> That's a fuctup situation to be in, and the resolution needs to be
> negotiated cautiously, to obtain favorable results, IMO.
> It's time for a lawyer, sorry situation but likely, if the dealer won't
> take care of most of the cost of the repair, and also warranty the work.
>
> In a GM dealership garage in the '70s, that type of problem was a Code 59,
> damage incurred as a result of service work. The shop eats the cost.
>
> The OP might be busy looking for another vehicle.

Rather than pull a head or worse case replace the head, he should look for
another vehicle???????

You can't be serious.

Roy wrote:
> "Wild_Bill" > wrote in message
> .. .
>> The OP made 2 posts on the 18th (and maybe another), and the other subject
>> line is:
>> Plug broke-off in head, now what??
>>
>> ..where he says the dealer's mechanic said the plug broke off while trying
>> to remove it, and that the "Initial estimate is $1700"
>>
>> That's a fuctup situation to be in, and the resolution needs to be
>> negotiated cautiously, to obtain favorable results, IMO.
>> It's time for a lawyer, sorry situation but likely, if the dealer won't
>> take care of most of the cost of the repair, and also warranty the work.
>>
>> In a GM dealership garage in the '70s, that type of problem was a Code 59,
>> damage incurred as a result of service work. The shop eats the cost.
>>
>> The OP might be busy looking for another vehicle.
>
> Rather than pull a head or worse case replace the head, he should look for
> another vehicle???????
>
> You can't be serious.
>

Depending on the vehicle, that is write off territory....

I got a great Volvo Wagon that way a few years back for $50.00. The
headgasket was blown and the cost to fix it was in the same range. The
owner basically scrapped the car rather than pay that.

My son and I changed out the gasket in an afternoon and drove the car
for 4 years, then sold it for $50.00. The AC even still worked...

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

"Mike Romain" > wrote in message
g.com...
> Roy wrote:
>> "Wild_Bill" > wrote in message
>> .. .
>>> The OP made 2 posts on the 18th (and maybe another), and the other
>>> subject line is:
>>> Plug broke-off in head, now what??
>>>
>>> ..where he says the dealer's mechanic said the plug broke off while
>>> trying to remove it, and that the "Initial estimate is $1700"
>>>
>>> That's a fuctup situation to be in, and the resolution needs to be
>>> negotiated cautiously, to obtain favorable results, IMO.
>>> It's time for a lawyer, sorry situation but likely, if the dealer won't
>>> take care of most of the cost of the repair, and also warranty the work.
>>>
>>> In a GM dealership garage in the '70s, that type of problem was a Code
>>> 59, damage incurred as a result of service work. The shop eats the cost.
>>>
>>> The OP might be busy looking for another vehicle.
>>
>> Rather than pull a head or worse case replace the head, he should look
>> for another vehicle???????
>>
>> You can't be serious.
>>
>
> Depending on the vehicle, that is write off territory....

This one according to the OP is a toy 4 runner. I guess I figure that if it
is worth having sombody put in a set of plugs, it's worth a r&r of a head.

I think many folks today need transportation, although I don't assume to
know about the OPs situation.

When the estimate is used with a dollar amount, it sometimes means the
consumer is gonna get raked over the coals.
This estimate, given when the dealer should be taking care of the damage
IMO, seems to indicate to me that the car owner is likely going to be taken
advantage of.
As I suggested with the service Code 59, policies were (are?) in place to
cover these types of situations.

I suppose the situation may have other details concerning where the
responsibility of the repair costs which may apply.. such as if the car was
purchased by the present owner, at that dealer, and if the car had received
regular service at the same dealer (the car's original, or sparkplugs
installed by that dealer, for example).
Still, the damage was done in the dealer's garage, and IMO, that's their
responsibility, not just because the dealer probably has more assets than
the car owner, but more along the lines of "you break it, you buy it".

The details of the repair are parts, and labor. If I broke off a sparkplug
in my home shop, and took it to a dealer to be fixed, the costs might
actually be $1700. That's generally list price for the parts (dealer
profit), plus the shop labor rate (about $72/hr here, but not the mechanic's
hourly pay). So, the dealer isn't losing $1700 by doing the repair.
But it seems that the car owner didn't cause the damage in this case.

As another response indicated, many folks do just get replacement cars, and
I recently discovered this same thing, when I was looking for info about the
high numbers of GM speedometer failures in late model cars and trucks.
One forum had over 600 posts, and quite a few car owners that were given
estimates in the range of $500 (from GM dealers), decided to go buy other
(non-GM) vehicles instead of paying for something out of their own pockets,
which they felt was GM's responsibility.
There were several situations where the GM dealers took care of the repairs,
even though the owner's cars may have been out of warranty. Different
situation, though.

WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"Roy" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Wild_Bill" > wrote in message
> .. .
>> The OP made 2 posts on the 18th (and maybe another), and the other
>> subject line is:
>> Plug broke-off in head, now what??
>>
>> ..where he says the dealer's mechanic said the plug broke off while
>> trying to remove it, and that the "Initial estimate is $1700"
>>
>> That's a fuctup situation to be in, and the resolution needs to be
>> negotiated cautiously, to obtain favorable results, IMO.
>> It's time for a lawyer, sorry situation but likely, if the dealer won't
>> take care of most of the cost of the repair, and also warranty the work.
>>
>> In a GM dealership garage in the '70s, that type of problem was a Code
>> 59, damage incurred as a result of service work. The shop eats the cost.
>>
>> The OP might be busy looking for another vehicle.
>
> Rather than pull a head or worse case replace the head, he should look for
> another vehicle???????
>
> You can't be serious.
>
>
>
>


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

In article >,
"Wild_Bill" > wrote:

> But it seems that the car owner didn't cause the damage in this case.

Please describe what you believe the mechanic did to cause the
spark plug to break.

He got a job at the dealership where the plug broke. I'm sure that clears it
up.

WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"aarcuda69062" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Wild_Bill" > wrote:
>
>> But it seems that the car owner didn't cause the damage in this case.
>
> Please describe what you believe the mechanic did to cause the
> spark plug to break.


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

He got a job at the dealership where the plug broke. I'm sure that clears it
up.

WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"aarcuda69062" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Wild_Bill" > wrote:
>
>> But it seems that the car owner didn't cause the damage in this case.
>
> Please describe what you believe the mechanic did to cause the
> spark plug to break.


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

In article >,
"Wild_Bill" > wrote:

> "aarcuda69062" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >,
> > "Wild_Bill" > wrote:
> >
> >> But it seems that the car owner didn't cause the damage in this case.
> >
> > Please describe what you believe the mechanic did to cause the
> > spark plug to break.
>
> He got a job at the dealership where the plug broke. I'm sure that clears it
> up.
>
> WB

Yes, thanks.

On Fri, 20 Jul 2007 10:14:56 -0500, "*" > wrote:

>
>
>Danny G. > wrote in article
>...
>>
>> "semidemiurge" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>> > My mechanic broke off a sparkplug trying to remove it from the engine
>> > on my 4runner and I am trying to research possible solutions. It
>> > broke off halfway down the threads, so that half of the bottom metal
>> > part is still in the engine head. I was thinking using and easyoff
>> > extractor but worry about metal pieces includint the electrode tip
>> > falling into the cylinder. Anyone have ideas or experience with this?
>> > thanks, rick
>> >
>>
>>
>> Something is wrong with that story.
>>
>> Put a old plug in your bench vise and try to do that
>> with a hammer and chisel to see what I mean.
>> Drilling or even beating out the center of a plug when
>> it's installed would be a good trick. Even in a vice its
>> real tuff.
>>
>>
>> GL
>> Dan
>>
>>
>>
>
>The situation as the OP described it is quite common.....and the often DO
>break right at the top of the threads.
>
>Steel spark plugs in aluminum heads can create some electrolytic activity.
>
>100,000 mile plug change intervals simply give this activity longer to do
>its job.
>
>Stop by virtually ANY professional automotive machine shop, and there's a
>good chance that there is a head or two that have been dropped off and
>sitting in the "To-Do" pile, awaiting a spark plug threadectomy.
>


you never "screw" around or work on aluminum heads or intakes when the
engine is hot or even warm...... only when the engine is cold. I've
learned that lesson the hard way after getting in a hurry on a couple
of my projects.

The "galling" happens at high temps....
-----------
Elbert