[Kavika]

I love my 2001 ZX3, especially since I paid 5K and it had only 30K miles !!!
And I've driven it very 'tenderly', coasting to save the brakes, etc. So on Sat. it wouldn't start. AAA man said it wasn't just the battery. He said something about the timing not being right ...

Today the local Ford place called and said they would fix the engine for $3300, or put in a new rebuilt one for $5200 !!! They said it must have overheated, that there was no compression, the intake valves won't close, and something about bent injectors ?!?!

All I know is that I NEVER had a temp gauge running high, NEVER had warning lights. I DID smell a hot engine or burning oil smell a few times, but those times I checked the oil level and it was okay. I also verified there was coolant in the resevoir.

So how did this wonderful car with NO past engine problems go from 0 to fried virtually overnight ???

I called the tow driver today with these questions, and he says I'm probably being ripped off. We agreed to consult an outside mechanic tomorrow.

But I would LOVE to hear what any of you guys think. Thanks in advance!

 

[JPSCOTT713]

i would say your getting ripped off, have it taken somewhere else

 

[Discord]

Yeah, that doesn't sound right. Overheating should have at least put into limp mode. You're not going to have bent valves since this is a non-interference engine. No compression you would have noticed long before now.

I'm guessing you took it to University Ford? I want to say there was a member on here or FJ way back when that had issues with them trying to dick him over. I had to go there once to have minor warranty issues taken care of...they were complete D-bags with the whole process, and didn't even fix the problem.

Either way, I'd get a second opinion. I mostly dealt with Capital Ford in Raleigh when I used to live there, and they never did me wrong, warranty work or otherwise.

 

[substanger]

May be why it was only $5k. Maybe the previous owner knows something you don't and had a case of the guilts when he sold the car?? I'm a mechanical claims adjuster (previously Ford driveability technician) and see this quite a bit on these types of cars......car gets sold and a few weeks later is in the shop for major engine or tranny work because the previous owner did something BAAADDDD, like overheated it because of a failed thermostat, or did something else to the car and didn't disclose when they sold it.

For that kind of money, you need to get a second opinion. There is NO WAY the rebuilt/reman engine should be $5200. I deal with this shit everday and at the most you should be able to get a longblock for about $2k, and the labor to slap it in there is about 12-14 hours longblock time with a 5 speed trans. You may be looking to crack open that check book brother!

Good luck.

 

[stivo]

May be why it was only $5k. Maybe the previous owner knows something you don't and had a case of the guilts when he sold the car?? I'm a mechanical claims adjuster (previously Ford driveability technician) and see this quite a bit on these types of cars......car gets sold and a few weeks later is in the shop for major engine or tranny work because the previous owner did something BAAADDDD, like overheated it because of a failed thermostat, or did something else to the car and didn't disclose when they sold it.

For that kind of money, you need to get a second opinion. There is NO WAY the rebuilt/reman engine should be $5200. I deal with this shit everday and at the most you should be able to get a longblock for about $2k, and the labor to slap it in there is about 12-14 hours longblock time with a 5 speed trans. You may be looking to crack open that check book brother!

Good luck.

$5K for an '01 zx3 sounds like the right price range for this vehicle. get a second opinion on the engine work.

 

[greddy339]

if it really overheated it would of melted the heat tabs..

check the condition and level of the oil...if all is good.. you can perform a compression test on your car yourself. it's very easy to do to verify you have 0 compression or low compression..

 

[Mr.Bergner]

I think you can pick up an engine from Ford for about 1,150 according to Mike at Hilbish, one of our sponsors.

 

[MaroonZX3]

Your description sounds vaguely like a broken timing belt. Valves not moving, no compression, timing not right... This is fairly common if the car has over 100k miles and the belt and idler pulleys have never been replaced. If it is a broken timing belt, it should be way less than $3300. Find another mechanic that you like and pay to have it towed there.

I hope they didn't really say "bent injectors", there is no such thing. Bent valves maybe, but even that is unlikely.

 

[greddy339]

i know! probably bent the muffler bearings?

why not replace it with a used engine? my brother and i replaced his in my garage..he found a zetec vin3 engine had 34k miles and paid 600 shipped.
drives like a champ now

 

[Kavika]

More info on my 2001 zx3

First, thank you ALL for great replies. I paid $5.5k for it when it had 30k miles, in 2005, not recently, and there have been NO problems until this. I do no car repair at all ... no skills there. YES! it was University Ford ... and my tow driver remarked that they looked like they had little repair work lined up to do .... thus my quote? The tow driver also mentioned the possibility of a broken timing belt! I spoke to a guy in the service dept. who said the intake valves won't close, there is no compression, and when he shoots air into the spark plug hole it comes out ... somewhere else. It was the service dept phone gal who mentioned the bent injectors, not the service guy himself. But they offered no serious diagnosis unless I pay them to remove the cylinder head.

The tow driver has advised me where to take it for opinion #2, and if these first guys are trying to rip me off I will make a HUGE stink, as publicly as possible.

So glad I found this site! Many thanks to all.

 

[Kavika]

i know! probably bent the muffler bearings?

why not replace it with a used engine? my brother and i replaced his in my garage..he found a zetec vin3 engine had 34k miles and paid 600 shipped.
drives like a champ now

Replacing an engine is way over my head, by a mile. But I'd gladly buy one for the mechanic to install. Where do you go online for this model? Thanks.

 

[Kavika]

Your description sounds vaguely like a broken timing belt. Valves not moving, no compression, timing not right... This is fairly common if the car has over 100k miles and the belt and idler pulleys have never been replaced. If it is a broken timing belt, it should be way less than $3300. Find another mechanic that you like and pay to have it towed there.

I hope they didn't really say "bent injectors", there is no such thing. Bent valves maybe, but even that is unlikely.

broken timing belt is exactly what my tow driver suggested when I called him to discuss all the details. I hope that's all it is.

 

[Kavika]

I think you can pick up an engine from Ford for about 1,150 according to Mike at Hilbish, one of our sponsors.

Thanks for suggesting Hilbish in Kannapolis. I'll check with them for a quote, and then find out why University Ford quoted me $5300 .....

 

[substanger]

and then find out why University Ford quoted me $5300 .....

Heck with that! I'd get your car towed out of their ASAP and flip them the bird out the back window of the tow truck as you're driving down the road. $5300...are they smoking crack?? Do they understand you're driving a $5k car. Really!![bash]

 

[penguin]

> f it really overheated it would of melted the heat tabs..


What are "heat tabs?"

 

[Master-Baits]

If it's a broken timing you're fine.... its non-interference. A dealership will charge you A LOT to replace it though. I'd take it somewhere else if you can't do it, and while you're in there you might as well change the water pump even w/ low mileage since you're already down there. My dealership which my best friend works at and gets me parts at cost quoted me 1600!!! for the timing belt water pump job. WAYYY too much go somewhere else

 

[greddy339]

ahh...posted in wrong forum..

heat tabs are usually on the head or block, when engine temps get over i believe 260degrees farenheit these tabs melt...they are used to identify that the customer has overheated the car and the dealership or repair facility does not have to fix the car under warranty! your owner's manual specifically says they do not warranty overheated vehicles.. due to neglect..and if those tabs are melted your screwed!

 

[zetecDon]

Ah, something smells fishy here and no it's not the local fish market. $5,200 for a new "rebuilt" motor? More than likely they will just throw in a used motor with low mileage on it and say that it is a "rebuilt" motor. Did you get a CarFax report on this car before buying it to see if it was taken to Ford or any other dealerships? Sometime's dealerships sell excess trade-ins to smaller used car dealerships if the car needs work or something. And some of these smaller used car dealers are just out to make a fast buck on the vehicle so they throw it out there suspecting that it really doesn't have that much of a problem. That's why you get that "As-Is" warranty on them. Meaning, what you get is what you get and nothing more. Definately have this car checked by a mechanic that you can trust or you feel is trustworthy. Don't even tell them of the conditions of the car or the trouble that you had at the dealership etc... so he doesn't get the same idea and just agree with the dealership so he will be making the money instead. Go in there saying that your car just broke down etc.. and that you wanted it towed here to do the work and so on. Make him think that the problem had just occured and the mechanic was the first person that you turned to.

 

[Brindfan]

I agree it's probably the timing belt. It's not just mileage that kills belts, it's age. Heat and oxygen are not friendly to rubber.

Also, with just 30,000 on that car, it did a lot of sitting around, letting the belts get nice and stiff over the past seven - eight years. You may want to get the serpentine belt too.