Everyone Should Have Their Bankroll Ready!

The 1996 Buick that she purchased from her automotive technician was doing okay until a couple of weeks ago. I was starting her new “used” car to reposition it so I could have a neighbor clear our driveway of snow. I noticed that the engine was knocking. Naturally, I became concerned. Her oil was fine. The only thing I could imagine is that someone sold a melon at auction. Either the previous owner drove the engine low on oil, overheated it, or maybe it was just a defect, but we were the recipients of whatever happened in the past.

One never knows what one’s getting when purchasing a pre-owned vehicle. I’ve seen where guys would try to hide an engine knocking by putting SAE 90W oil in the engine, just until it was sold. The thicker oil can mask the knocking somewhat because it is thicker. Once the knocking starts, there is no turning back…period! The only way to fix it is to tear the engine apart and replace the worn out stuff. Might as well purchase a new “short block”. A short block is just the lower parts of the engine: Crankcase, pistons, camshaft and crankshaft. I’m not sure, but it may be that a short block does not include the camshaft in some engines. Regardless, my wife’s Buick was sick, and she had not even had it thirty days yet.

Well, to make a long story longer, she was driving from the city to our little home in the country a couple of days ago, when her engine finally seized up. She had AAA tow the vehicle to her auto tech friend’s shop. He gave her another pre-owned vehicle, free of charge, until he figured out what the problem was. Pretty cool!

A friend told me that his dad had a 1996 Buick Lasabre, which did the same thing. He was told that the seizure was due to the engine crankcase being eaten away by the newest antifreeze on the block, “DexCool.” Apparently, there was a compatibility problem with Dexcool and aluminum. I’ve not validated that yet. If anyone else knows something about this, please comment.

I am not concerned about DexCool because 1996 was a long time ago, and the SAE is well aware of the compatibility issues associated with DexCool by now, no doubt. My 2003 Chevy S10 that I used in our video, Basic Car Maintenance For Pretty Hands!®” uses DexCool. The old S10 is humming along like new! It helps to start fresh with a new vehicle. I can really help my vehicles stay healthier longer because of the way I maintain them from the start, barring any unforeseen “yahooties” that the manufacturer decides to install for me.

I guess the bottom line is that even though you try to maintain your car properly, there is no guarantee that the owner before you did! Without a major overhaul, you cannot add metal to the inside parts of an engine once the damage has been done. Once someone has overheated your engine, the damage has been done; there are no Band-aid fixes. As if that is not enough to look out for, how are we supposed to prepare for little demons inserted by the manufacturer, like, “intergranular corrosion” and “dissimilar metal corrosion,” and “calculated obsolescence”?

I guess the only defense is a good offense in this case…use your savings account! Save your pennies! Be prepared with a bankroll to obtain the repairs necessary for your engine. Or just buy a new car every couple of years.