Any and all mechanics

[Switchfront]

To those who know about cars.. this is for you.

I need your advice. I need your true and honest out right advice.

I recently just bought a 1998 Saturn SL2. ($3995)

4 cyl. (wanted cheap on gas)

Great A/C (didn't have that on my last vehicle was a definite must on the new purchase)

interior/exterior in excellent condition, as if brand new

motor - "Looked" brand new

trunk - new as well

Tires - new

So far I was sold... Motor sounded great. I'm not a mechanic but i've had my share of trouble in the past and I've known things to listen and look for on a car to be bad warning signs of things to stay away from.

Looked/listened for all those. None found. I couldn't find anything wrong with this car.

So. I had not the 4k to toss all at once so I set up on payments and I'd have it paid off under a year and a half.

Over the past 2 1/2 weeks I've loved this car but as of yesterday I heard something that I've heard before and I know the sound too well. I know the cost of this sound isn't cheap.

The sound? A rod knocking.

I listened for this first thing when I was on the lot.. never was it heard. Yeah I know they can put stuff in to muffle the sound out.. Maybe I was deceived. I have bought a car off these guys before and it lasted me a good 2 years before I just gave it hell and well... it sets motionless in my driveway (that's another story, another time). I never thought they would trick me into this. Could it be possible they didn't know either? Could it be possible whoever sold the car to them already put the stuff in and they didn't even notice it?

My first thought was... well can I do anything about it? As far as I know.. no. I bought the car "As Is" No warranty. Therefore opting me out of the 30 day lemon law..

My second thought... Do I keep the car and actually try and scrounge money up to get this fixed? Yeah I know.. $1500-$2000. Hell I could get another used car for that price. But would that used car last me? or would it be as reliable as what I have right now?

My debate is.. If I spend the money into this.. get it fixed then I'll have a good car (i think) I mean cosmetic wise.. great, the motor would be rebuilt and ready to go.. and nothing else (that i know of atm is wrong)

OR... am I stupid in getting this fixed. Should I take it back and see what other piece of crap they can give me?

I need help and opinions.. Anyone at all. Help me out

[Jugsmalone]

well In my opionion They knew That is the reason for no 30 day warenty If they had not known they would have given you a limited 30 day most cars in decent shape are definetly going to ast 30 days and if its a used car dealership they know what thier doing if its an individual selling it I would say they may not know....I think you got the wrong end of the stick unfortuneately... I would have a really reputable shop look at it and ask them if they think its worth while or maybe some other unforseen things wrong like a cracked engin block..check it out good before sinking any more money into it..Good Luck sweety buying cars New or Used is a gamble you just have to hope for the best ... I personally wont even finance or own a car i make payments on I buy one hoopty after another pay a few Hundred bucks for them and maybe a few more tohave them inspected ... drive em junk em and strt over My Mini van was 300 bucks another hundred to get it inspected and on the road and I have not had a prob for 4 yrs It runs like a charm and ony reg maintenance

[Decavolt]

Definitely have a certified Saturn shop look at it if you haven't already. You may have to drop $50 for them to give it a physical, but it'll be worth it.

If you find that it really is a serious problem, most states have pretty strong Lemon Laws to protect you against being sold and then stuck with a car that a dealer didn't tell you everything about. Check www.findlaw.com and Google to see what your state has on this.

As for the fix it or ditch it... I'd decide that after the mechanic has a look at it and you know for certain exactly what's wrong. If you have to sink another $2k into it, on top of the $4k you bought it for then it turns into a $6k+ car and you're getting it in the ass.

My wrangler is sitting in the garage with a blown transmission, but it's paid off and the rest of it is freakin perfect. It'll cost me $2500 to put a new tranny in, but... to me, it's worth it. I like it enough and plan to keep it around as a trail monster. If I were planning to still keep it as my only every-day drive, I think I'd be making a bad move putting the cash into it.

I'd bug Jawhammer about this one too. He drinks a lot, but seems to know his way around an engine compartment

[Suue]

The first thing to do is take it back to the dealership, and let them know you have an issue. It's always a possibility they didnt know it was borked (if it is), and are willing to make good on it. Odds are also good if they did know there was a problem and see you coming back with it they will be afraid it will bite them in the ass. Do that first, see what response you get. You can always continue up other avenues of possibility later.

People tend to forget that dealerships really rely on word of mouth. One unhappy customer can make lots of noise, and scare away dozens of prospective ones.

[Otori]

A 4 Cyl with a good A/C? A/C is gonna draw a lot from your Alternator, as well as the power steering and water pump. Do the noises get worse when the A/C is on by any chance? All 4 Cyl use one universal belt for all that business, so it's pretty vital. Personally I'm driving a 97 Grand Am to death and just replaced the alternator. Any battery charge problems? Dummy lights on your dashboard? You can drive these mid-90 4 Cyl well into the 200,000 miles range. Look for sounds during particular use...that A/C compressor will give you mighty hell if you are running it all the time (It's kinda hot, let's crank the A/C).

Anyways, lots of XP (not sure about my pool ) with these type of engines. They make sure we understand combustion before sending us on too Quasi-Quantum power...

[Switchfront]

Gonna take all this advice into consideration. With my work schedule it's hard as hell to go down there and talk face 2 face (which is what I want, none of that over the phone stuff). I go to a local mechanic here alot in the past with my previous cars and i'm good friends with them. They're always straight up with me and they're the ones who confirmed the rod knocking.

I called them back to see if they could give an exact estimate and said that they were unsure cause if the damage was minimal then the repairs could be as low as 3-500$ which would be too good to be true, then could be as high as 1500.. BUT... good part is.. since i'm such a good customer (don't know if that's such a good or bad thing haha) they're gonna break down my engine and take a peak inside to see just how bad the damage is and give me a qoute on how much the repairs are really going to take FOR FREE w00t! That rawks

So. If it's not too much, I'm just gonna keep my mouth shut and repair it.. if it's a lot.. i'm on the witch hunt.

Plus i'd hate to think the salesman sold me a bad car knowing it had a rod knocking BECAUSE he lives like less than 50ft away from me. Cause ya know.. if I was a crooked salesman, I wouldn't invite a neighbor in to buy a bad car knowing i'd see them day in and out and knowing eventually they'd go off on me haha But who knows.. I'll keep ya posted.

[Switchfront]

Oh yeah O-man, about the a/c, it'll make the noise whether the a/c is on or off so definitely not that Wish it was that easy though. When it's idling atm (could get worse as time goes on but right now..) idling, you won't hear the noise.. but give it some gas and ratatatatatatatatata there she goes..

I'll see how things go tomorrow though.