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Car troubles

Guest

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My car's been acting really weird lately. I had it looked at on last Friday and the ignition switch was replaced because I thought that was the problem. It turns out that the problem is much worse.While driving to work today, I stopped to get some gas. After filling up, I attempted to start the car and nothing happened. So, I had to call AAA and have them call a flatbed. I had the car towed to a service station 2 and 1/2 miles from where it broke down. It turns out that the car has an oil leak somewhere and that leak has caused the starter to get dirty, thus affecting the way the starter works. It appears to be a new starter but for some reason, the mechanic thinks it is malfunctioning due to the oil leak.So, in turn, I told the mechanic to go ahead and replace the starter with a rebuilt starter. He says this might work for the short term but in the long term, I will need to find the leak in the engine and fix it. The only reason I didn't opt for that is because it would cost more money than what I can afford and there's still no guarantee that things would be fixed. My boss suggested that I clean off the engine, start the car and watch and see where the oil leaks. If it leaks out of the head gasket, it'll cost $$ to replace. If it's somewhere else, I might be lucky. Until then, hopefully that rebuilt starter will help for the short term. I really don't have a lot of money to put in the car. Also, I feel a sense of responsiblity by taking the car to a mechanic and paying for the repairs. For the first time since I got my license, I'm not depending on my dad to help me with this. I feel that I've gotten enough help from him over the years and that it is time for me to take responsibilty for my car. I've evaded this for years and ended up owing my father a lot of money in the process. It has to end sometime.Hopefully my car will be ok. I really do hope.

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joeybastard

Your boss is right. You need to find the oil leak to fix this. Starters will fail if they get soaked in oil. Replacing it will only fix the car temporarily until the new starter gets soaked in oil. Depending on the car, the oil leak could be something as simple as a poorly installed oil filter or loose pan plug. Even if it was valve covers, on most cars that's not that big of a deal to get done. Clean the engine, make sure you have the correct amount of oil and start the car. Let it run for a while and see if you can spot the leak. It's tough sometimes because oil can drip and run from place to place on engine so it could look like it's coming from one spot but in reality it's another.

 

Head gaskets are different story. Some cars aren't worth fixing when those go. Good luck with it.

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Brad2600

Well the oil was leaking because my dad didn't tighten the oil filter enough after changing it a few weeks ago. He managed to correct this last weekend and if I'm lucky, the starter might be alright.

 

I'm having the engine cleaned possibly next week or so.

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