The car:
Chrysler LHS, Year 2000, fully loaded, owned since new - September 2000. Mileage: 55,000 km / about 35,000 miles. Maintenance: with the exception of a nasty tire issue, always by one of four Chrysler dealers - two of them now closed. Full service records on file at home - no serious problems up to now. Oil/Filter changes, lubes and such (always at the dealer) every 5K kilometres. Air filter changes done by me twice.
The car is parked indoors day and night (both ends of my commute). The body is oiled yearly - the car has led a pampered life.
Extended warranty: An aftermarket 'plan 6 - zero deductible' warranty from PP.
The problem:
About 3 weeks ago the car started running warm. Temp gauge rose to above the center line, would drop back down to normal when idling. I took the car to the dealer and they diagnosed a leaking water pump. They told me my coolant was 'dirty'. They also recommended changing the serpentine belts (2) and insisted (against my strongly stated skepticism) on doing a 'power flush' of the coolant. I had an oil/filter change done at the same time, about 1000 km before it was due.
(the skepticism stems from a bad experience with crud being flushed into the engine block on a 1972 Datsun 240Z many years ago)
They pronounced the car healthy, charged me about $200 and PPP about $600 and sent me on my way.
Arriving at home there was a strong smell of antifreeze - the following day I noticed that the temp gauge was wandering, slightly above the center line (previously it was about 1/3 the way up). Heading home I stopped to get my mail (superbox) and heard my cooling fans running - temps were about -15. Strong smell of coolant that night.
I called the dealer, they suggested bringing the car back in and they diagnosed 'air in the cooling system' - they bled the system and, because I was there I had them flush and refill the transmission for another $100. They again sent me on my way.
The following day, still the smell of hot coolant after parking and a wandering temp gauge (no obvious leaks, by the way) - I had spoken with the service adviser previously and called again on the 21st and spoke with the service advisor at the dealer because I was planning to take my son snowboarding the next day and was concerned about the problem - his assurance: "Don't worry about it. It can't be serious. We'll find the problem. You have a warranty . Take your son skiing."
On the way home from work that night the car started seriously warming up. I took photos of the temp gauge with my cell phone and called the shop - they told me to bring the car in, that they would share the cost of renting a car with me and would solve the problem.
The gauge continued to climb - and eventually hit the 'red zone'. So I shut the engine off, let it cool down for a while then restarted. I drove a few blocks and shut it down again. I repeated the process a number of times until I got to the dealer. At no time did the gauge go to the top of the red zone - I do have a photo (I own a camera phone) of as high as it went.
Dealer issued a 50/50 purchase order and I rented a car to drive. I was told on the 23rd that they replaced the radiator with authorisation from PPP the previous day. Apparently that did not solve the problem. They wanted to open the head and look for a cracked head gasket and had filed the request with PPP. Dealer reported that PPP insisted on inspecting the car prior to authorising further work - this on the 23rd.
On the 24th I was skiing with my son again and was told by the dealer that PPP could not inspect the car before the following Monday (the 28th), a full week after it was brought to the dealer and 5 working days after the problem was reported to PPP. Since PPP pays for only 7 days of rental - and their delay would be 6 days - this was unacceptable to me and I called and spoke with PPP - the discussion was not pleasant. They insisted that the 7 day limit is to give THEM time to inspect - my impression was that they limit was to protect them in the case where parts might be on backorder and that they have an obligation to be responsive!!!
Aparently they showed up on the 28th, gave the permission to pull the head and went back to see the car on the 1st (Tuesday). I was given a call by the dealer and told that:
- There is some dark 'gluey' substance that is completely blocking the coolant plumbing in the head
- It seems that someone 'might have' put a foreign substance into the coolant which congealed in the head
- The head can be cleaned out, but PPP will likely deny paying, not only for the repair, but for the car rental and previously authorised-by-them radiator and other work.
- I should come in and sign authorisation for them to proceed (even though apparently PPP has yet to formally deny the claim).
I have spoken with a number of mechanics. They tell me that the diagnostic sequence done by the dealer was correct - but that there are some very plausible potential explanations for the problem:
- A cracked head gasket is apparently fairly common. Oil leaking into the coolant as a result is apparently pretty common on the 3.5L-V6 Chrysler engine - but there was no report of oil in the original coolant when the water pump was changed - just that the coolant was 'dirty'. I've heard no mention of oil in the new coolant either. If there was a contaminant, you'd expect that the mechanic doing the work would have noticed either with the first drain - or with the second.
- There was no smell of coolant until AFTER the water pump change.
- Apparently the transmission cooler plumbing runs INSIDE the antifreeze. If there was a leak, that might explain the contamination, though the mechanic who suggested that as a possibility said that he'd never heard of it happening before.
The car was sitting at the dealer with the head off. I was invited to 'look at the car' and have to authorise the repair - estimated at $3,000. Obviously I am not happy to be asked to do this and to pay for several weeks of car rental.
The dealer will not support me in any way - they will not get the substance analysed. The fact is that the only fluid ever put under the hood of my car by someone other than a Five-Star Chrysler mechanic at a dealership was windshield washer fluid - by me - and I KNOW where that goes.
The head gasket (and apparently the head and block) are reportedly just fine.
Yesterday morning I went by the dealer and authorised the repair 'under protest' and 'without prejudice'.
They told me the 'gooey' substance had 'disappeared', but there is a brown almost powdery substance remaining (presumably the moisture in the goo evaporated). I took a couple of pictures and collected a sample of the powder in a sterile container.
The powder was blocking screens that seem to be installed in the head gasket, preventing coolant flow - they believe that the foreign substance was introduced by persons unknown and collected in the head as goo.
Someone at the office suggested that this could be a condensate from a reaction to a coolant chemistry change with the flush . . . someone else suggested that the powder is aluminum that was in suspension and that came from the deteriorated water pump.
I've done nothing obviously wrong and one would imagine that the warranty OUGHT to cover anything that isn't patently abuse. I am looking for suggestions as to just what went wrong in my car and how to get the warranty group to hold up their end of the deal - or even get Chrysler to cover the costs - yes, the car is past the warranty period, but the mileage is very low and the car was maintained by their dealers to their specifications.
Anyone have any suggestions?