Car Talk

[brvheart 1,752]

Funny thing happened after work last night. I go out to my car and it won't start. No turning of the engine, nothing. The dash message reads "service vehicle" It's not the battery because the radio and lights still work. There was quite a bit of snow/ice built up in the wheel wells which I noticed on the way to work, feeling the tires rub against it while turning. Not sure if that affects braking or steering if you get a crapload of it in there, but I chipped away and cleared most of it. Tried again and nothing. I popped the hood, then looked around wondering why I did that because I know nothing about cars and had no idea what I was looking for in the dark. I jiggled some wires around but couldn't really see anything out of the ordinary so I dropped the hood closed. It slammed shut, and I tried the car again just for kicks.It started fine. I let it warm up for awhile, and I drove home. It sounded normal all the way home.Now I'm wondering if I should take the car in. Is it possible there was a wire or connection loose and the hood slamming shut put it back in place?This is a 2004 Saturn Ion 2.

I haven't read any responses, so you may have already gotten the answer, but it sounds like it was almost certainly the shift linkage. This exact problem will happen with any car, but basically the car wasn't in park all the way. This could be caused by a number of things, the most common of which, is that you simply need to replace your shift linkage. This problem is fairly cheap and I would go to a transmission related place to fix it. I would guess that you could get it replaced pretty much anywhere for $100-$200. Keep in mind that a starter takes a ton of amps to fire. Something like 400 +/- and your headlights only need like 30. So it definitely could be a starter, but since it started normally I tend to think that the starter is probably ok. Another reason that you may have done but not realized it, is moved the shifter. Many people wouldn't even remember 'jiggling' the shift column, and I think it's probably the shift linkage, that connects the shifter to the transmission. A transmission shop will be able to inspect it and tell you if it's bad.Remember you can also start your car in NEUTRAL, but it you shift linkage is bad the car will read that it's in park or neutral and it will not be, since the cable isn't working. Next time this problem occurs. TURN YOU KEYS ON ALL THE WAY AND LEAVE IT TURNED. THEN WHILE HOLDING THE KEY TURNED, SLOWLY SHIFT THROUGH ALL YOUR GEARS AND YOUR CAR WILL START WHEN IT GETS IN THE 'CORRECT' SPOT. (the correct spot being park or neutral, even though the reading on the dash will be off)I hope I explained this clearly... I feel like I didn't. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[brvheart 1,752]

apaprently it could just be the ignition switch in cold weather. http://www.carcomplaints.com/Saturn/Ion/20...turn_over.shtml (this site is making it impossible for me to buy a used car.)

Don't let that fool you. Cars are cars, they break. Save yourself 25,000 and buy a nice used vehicle. Just buy a 2004 or newer and you won't have any more problems than anyone else.

If you're here in Chicagoland, the temp is definitely the most likely culprit. The ****ing brake calipers froze on my Jew Canoe (Buick) that first big freeze we had a couple days back. I'm sure the ice from the ice storm then the stupidly rapid temp drop in 12 hours was the cause. mapp gas

You're crazy.

I own a 2007 VW Convertible Beetle. The passenger side turn light keeps acting up. At first, it was intermittent it would work fine and then go into hyper mode and the light would not blink. I took my car in for another issue and they thought they fixed it. Seemed to work fine for a couple of weeks and now it is acting up again but all of the time. Any ideas before I take it back to the dealer? I am sure it is under warranty since I only have 10K in miles but I would like an expert opinion before I take it back. Thanks so much brvheart for your help.

This problem could be caused by a ton of different things and your dealer won't care about finding the 'actual' problem while under warranty. They will just want to rig it up and make it work for the remainder of the warranty period. I obviously won't know for sure, but I do know that Bugs have a lot of issues with lights, for whatever reason. The rear lights can't even be changed through the trunk, you have to remove the tire... or squeeze your arm back in there to change them. It's pretty awful design... but that's neither here nor there. My personal 'best guess' is that the light chamber isn't sealed, or has cracked somehow and is letting moisture or water in the light area. So when they change the bulb, the light works fine until water starts shorting it out. If you keep the water out then I think the light bulb will last. (this is just a guess, but if it's true, and the dealer can 'fix it' by just replacing the bulb... then that is what they will keep doing)

Since it's under warranty... I'd let them fix it but it's most likely your hazard control switch.Had the same thing happen on my Audi.

One of many things it could be... but the dealer... or a third party (which I like better than dealers)... would have to diagnose that in person.

[bleacherbum3 9]

I haven't read any responses, so you may have already gotten the answer, but it sound like it was almost certainly the shift linkage. This exact problem will happen with any car, but basically the car wasn't in park all the way. This could be caused by a number of things, the most common of which, is that you simply need to replace your shift linkage. This problem is fairly cheap and I would go to a transmission related place to fix it. I would guess that you could get it replaced pretty much anywhere for $100-$200. Keep in mind that a starter takes a ton of amps to fire. Something like 400 +/- and your headlights only need like 30. So it definitely could be a starter, but since it started normally and many people would even remember 'jiggling' the shift column I think it's probably the shift linkage. A transmission shop will be able to inspect it and tell you if it's bad.Remember you can also start your car in NEUTRAL, but it you shift linkage is bad the car will read that it's in park or neutral and it will not be, since the cable isn't working. Next time this problem occurs. TURN YOU KEYS ON ALL THE WAY AND LEAVE IT TURNED. THEN WHILE HOLDING THE KEY TURNED, SLOWLY SHIFT THROUGH ALL YOUR GEARS AND YOUR CAR WILL START WHEN IT GETS IN THE 'CORRECT' SPOT. (the correct spot being park or neutral, even though the reading on the dash will be off)I hope I explain this clearly... I feel like I didn't. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks. You explained it fine. I'll keep this in mind if it happens again.

[rvrchsrhtr 0]

Alright screw fixing the car I'm too lazy and wife got a new one so don't really need it. Anyone want to buy a 98' Grand AM GT?

[brvheart 1,752]

Alright screw fixing the car I'm too lazy and wife got a new one so don't really need it. Anyone want to buy a 98' Grand AM GT?

DUDE! I'm sorry.. I totally forgot about you. Let me know if you need numbers to places in Fort Wayne where you can buy that motor. I have them if you want them.

[chgocubs99 0]

I haven't changed the oil in my '98 accord with 160k miles in about 8k miles. How long do you dare me to go without changing it?

[brvheart 1,752]

I haven't changed the oil in my '98 accord with 160k miles in about 8k miles. How long do you dare me to go without changing it?

The oil change will probably be worth more than the car by now... so it doesn't really matter.

[theresa113 0]

Since it's under warranty... I'd let them fix it but it's most likely your hazard control switch.Had the same thing happen on my Audi.

This problem could be caused by a ton of different things and your dealer won't care about finding the 'actual' problem while under warranty. They will just won't to rig it up and make it work for the remainder of the warranty period. I obviously won't know for sure, but I do know that Bugs have a lot of issues with lights, for whatever reason. The rear lights can't even be changed through the trunk, you have to remove the tire... or squeeze your arm back in there to change them. It's pretty awful design... but that's neither here nor there. My personal 'best guess' is that the light chamber isn't sealed, or has cracked somehow and is letting moisture or water in the light area. So when they change the bulb, the light works fine until water starts shorting it out. If you keep the water out then I think the light bulb will last. (this is just a guess, but if it's true, and the dealer can 'fix it' by just replacing the bulb... then that is what they will keep doing)

Thanks brvheart and Hollywood.I actually like my dealer. They have gone way above and beyond for me. I had my car washed at one of those chain places. When I picked up my car and put the top down, the handle felt as if it was out of place and something did not seem right. I few days later, I put the top down again and heard a loud snapping noise then my top would not go back up. The next morning I started the car and then all of the sudden the top worked and went back into place.Anyway, I took the car down to the dealer and they could not find anything wrong with itIntermittently, the top would not go back up. I would have to shut off the car for a few hours, restart it and then it would work. I went back to the dealer and this time they found a broken CD in the gear area for the top. I know the car wash guy put it there since I think I have only had someone in the back seat twice since I got the car. Anyway, since I had already taken the car to the dealer before for the issue, they covered the repair even though technically it was my fault.This is when they checked out the light. They knew it wasn't the bulb and told me they thought they figured it out. However, they did say if there was any issues just come on back down.The only thing I have paid to the dealer so far is 2 oil changes. I use synthetic and they charge $25 less than Mobil Lube express. The only type of car this dealership sells is Volkswagons. I have had nothing but great service from them. I wish I could say the same about the Toyota dealership but I can not.

[nutzbuster 7]

2004 Acura TLI'm about to hit 80K on it. Runs great but the little "Get reamed by the dealer time! come get your golden oil changed" message light is on. Actually the dealer is pretty reasonable about oil changes to be honest and they always give me a free rental car.But this time it's different. The guy told me that it is also mandatory timing belt and water pump change time. WTF???Said that if that sucker goes, b-bye engine. He did say the belt could last to 90+K, but that I would totally be gambling with the cars life by letting it go.Dealer cost....$1500. :justsquirtedmydrawersface:question is...1: Is this a truism?2: Is that price any where near accurate. Dealers always fuk ya, I know, but so far this place has been great to me. But if I can find out how someone else reputable can do this I'd obv. be far more inclined to go that route. The key is reputable. I don;t know any one around here that works on Acuras. And if the dealer fuks to pooch on the repair, it; basically all on them. But is an Independent guy blows it I think I would have a much harder time getting restitution. meh?

[brvheart 1,752]

Thanks brvheart and Hollywood.I actually like my dealer. They have gone way above and beyond for me. I had my car washed at one of those chain places. When I picked up my car and put the top down, the handle felt as if it was out of place and something did not seem right. I few days later, I put the top down again and heard a loud snapping noise then my top would not go back up. The next morning I started the car and then all of the sudden the top worked and went back into place.Anyway, I took the car down to the dealer and they could not find anything wrong with itIntermittently, the top would not go back up. I would have to shut off the car for a few hours, restart it and then it would work. I went back to the dealer and this time they found a broken CD in the gear area for the top. I know the car wash guy put it there since I think I have only had someone in the back seat twice since I got the car. Anyway, since I had already taken the car to the dealer before for the issue, they covered the repair even though technically it was my fault.This is when they checked out the light. They knew it wasn't the bulb and told me they thought they figured it out. However, they did say if there was any issues just come on back down.The only thing I have paid to the dealer so far is 2 oil changes. I use synthetic and they charge $25 less than Mobil Lube express. The only type of car this dealership sells is Volkswagons. I have had nothing but great service from them. I wish I could say the same about the Toyota dealership but I can not.

It sounds like you have a nice situation. By all means continue to let them pay for things if they will. Also, sorry about the bolded. Maybe Mexico could help?

[brvheart 1,752]

2004 Acura TLI'm about to hit 80K on it. Runs great but the little "Get reamed by the dealer time! come get your golden oil changed" message light is on. Actually the dealer is pretty reasonable about oil changes to be honest and they always give me a free rental car.But this time it's different. The guy told me that it is also mandatory timing belt and water pump change time. WTF???Said that if that sucker goes, b-bye engine. He did say the belt could last to 90+K, but that I would totally be gambling with the cars life by letting it go.Dealer cost....$1500. :justsquirtedmydrawersface:question is...1: Is this a truism?2: Is that price any where near accurate. Dealers always fuk ya, I know, but so far this place has been great to me. But if I can find out how someone else reputable can do this I'd obv. be far more inclined to go that route. The key is reputable. I don;t know any one around here that works on Acuras. And if the dealer fuks to pooch on the repair, it; basically all on them. But is an Independent guy blows it I think I would have a much harder time getting restitution. meh?

Timing belts are a weird bird, and it's not totally inaccurate that it's smart to change them before they break, but it's also not usually going to ruin your engine if they do. They are clearly trying to scare you into getting it done by making you feel irresponsible if you don't. Many (read: almost everyone) people don't even know what a timing belt is and never change it in the life of the car. It's a pretty sturdy 'bike chain' type looking thing that is inside your engine. It's a very labor intensive deal... where the chain is probably like $50 retail and the labor will be the rest of the cost. We currently charge about $90/hr for labor and that job on your car is 4.6 hours book time. So our final price would be less than $500. The water pump on your car is in the same area as the timing belt, so they are saying that while they are in there that they should change the water pump as well and I don't disagree with that. The problem is that they sound like they are charging you the regular book time for the water pump as well, which is also 4.6 hours but they shouldn't be because they are already using the labor time to get to the timing belt. The retail on the water pump is around $130. So at our place this job would run you $414 for the timing belt labor, $90 for the water pump labor (unless we really like you, then it would be free), $50 for the timing belt, and $130 for the water pump.Total bill for regular customer $684Total bill for a preferred customer $594Also, keep in mind that this is 100% preventative maintenance and likely not going to be a problem for potentially the life of your car, but almost certainly at least 50,000 miles or more. As a rule of thumb, we start mentioning the timing belts/water pumps at 110,000 miles.I know that everyone thinks that their dealer is awesome, and it's their job to convince you of that... but in my vast experience they have one mission. Build trust... then fleece you. I have many many stories of things dealers did to cars where people declined to fix something... then they would make sure the item broke sometime soon so that they could say, "I told you so." Thereby getting the job AND building trust with the customer... since they told them it would break. The problem is that this could happen anywhere. A mechanic that you can totally trust and believe, is absolutely invaluable... just like in Seinfeld.We had a guy come in for a 2nd opinion whose dealer said he needed a new transmission. They quoted him $3000. We looked his car over and found a blown fuse... changed it, charged him $15, and he never had his problem again. We could have said... "$3000!! We'll do that job for $1400" (which we would have), but we didn't. We found the problem, fixed it, and told him exactly what happened. Your mission is to find a place that you can trust.

[chgocubs99 0]

The oil change will probably be worth more than the car by now... so it doesn't really matter.

Car's worth $2000-$2500...you get hosed on your oil changes!

[beans-n-icewater 18]

Timing belts are a weird bird, and it's not totally inaccurate that it's smart to change them before they break, but it's also not usually going to ruin your engine if they do.

It all depends on if the engine is an "interference" type or not....If the valve lift allows the piston to contact the valve head if the cam suddenly stops and the crankshaft keeps spinning, major problems happen quickly. If its a "free spinning" type that wont allow contact the worst thing that will happen is the engine will die. Of course you know this but the vast majority does notI absolutely despise timing belts because my obsession with Italian two seaters force me to change their belts every three years or so as insurance against ruining several thousand in parts should it let go. Should someone fabricate a method of adapting a chain to the 308, 328, 355, etc line of cars they could become very wealthyId research the type of engine, cost of changing belts verses a used/rebuilt replacement engine should it let go, actual value of the car, and how long you plan on owning the vehicle before making a decision if it were meSorry to derail the thread sir.... excellent material in here.... good service to the community

[brvheart 1,752]

It all depends on if the engine is an "interference" type or not....If the valve lift allows the piston to contact the valve head if the cam suddenly stops and the crankshaft keeps spinning, major problems happen quickly. If its a "free spinning" type that wont allow contact the worst thing that will happen is the engine will die. Of course you know this but the vast majority does notI absolutely despise timing belts because my obsession with Italian two seaters force me to change their belts every three years or so as insurance against ruining several thousand in parts should it let go. Should someone fabricate a method of adapting a chain to the 308, 328, 355, etc line of cars they could become very wealthyId research the type of engine, cost of changing belts verses a used/rebuilt replacement engine should it let go, actual value of the car, and how long you plan on owning the vehicle before making a decision if it were meSorry to derail the thread sir.... excellent material in here.... good service to the community

Are you kidding? Your input should be a requirement. Thanks for the added info on the timing belts.

[theresa113 0]

You know, I never thought I would enjoy this thread so much. And for some strange reason, I find this thread extremely sexy. Maybe because one of my favorite poems of all times is ee cummings she being Brandshe being Brand... (XIX)e.e. cummingsshe being Brand-new;and youknow consequently alittle stiff i wascareful of her and(havingthoroughly oiled the universaljoint tested my gas felt ofher radiator made sure her springs were O.K.)i went right to it flooded-the-carburetor cranked herup,slipped theclutch(and then somehow got into reverse shekicked whatthe hell)nextminute i was back in neutral tried andagain slo-wly;bare,ly nudg. ing(mylev-er Right-oh and her gears being inA 1 shape passedfrom low throughsecond-in-to-high likegreasedlightning)just as we turned the corner of Divinityavenue i touched the accelerator and giveher the juice,good (itwas the first ride and believe i we washappy to see how nice she acted right up tothe last minute coming back down by the PublicGardens i slammed ontheinternalexpanding&externalcontractingbrakes Bothatonce andbrought allofher tremB-lingto a:dead.stand-;Still)Read this to your woman real slow and I promise you will get some.

[brvheart 1,752]

You know, I never thought I would enjoy this thread so much. And for some strange reason, I find this thread extremely sexy. Maybe because one of my favorite poems of all times is ee cummings she being Brandshe being Brand... (XIX)e.e. cummingsshe being Brand-new;and youknow consequently alittle stiff i wascareful of her and(havingthoroughly oiled the universaljoint tested my gas felt ofher radiator made sure her springs were O.K.)i went right to it flooded-the-carburetor cranked herup,slipped theclutch(and then somehow got into reverse shekicked whatthe hell)nextminute i was back in neutral tried andagain slo-wly;bare,ly nudg. ing(mylev-er Right-oh and her gears being inA 1 shape passedfrom low throughsecond-in-to-high likegreasedlightning)just as we turned the corner of Divinityavenue i touched the accelerator and giveher the juice,good (itwas the first ride and believe i we washappy to see how nice she acted right up tothe last minute coming back down by the PublicGardens i slammed ontheinternalexpanding&externalcontractingbrakes Bothatonce andbrought allofher tremB-lingto a:dead.stand-;Still)Read this to your woman real slow and I promise you will get some.

I'm loving where this thread is heading....

[nutzbuster 7]

Timing belts are a weird bird, and it's not totally inaccurate that it's smart to change them before they break, but it's also not usually going to ruin your engine if they do. They are clearly trying to scare you into getting it done by making you fell irresponsible if you don't. Many (read: almost everyone) people don't even know what a timing belt is and never change it in the life of the car. It's a pretty sturdy 'bike chain' type looking thing that is inside your engine. It's a very labor intensive deal... where the chain is probably like $50 retail and the labor will be the rest of the cost. We currently charge about $90/hr for labor and that job on your car is 4.6 hours book time. So our final price would be less than $500. The water pump on your car is in the same area as the timing belt, so they are saying that while they are in there that they should change the water pump as well and I don't disagree with that. The problem is that they sound like they are charging you the regular book time for the water pump as well, which is also 4.6 hours but they shouldn't be because they are already using the labor time to get to the timing belt. The retail on the water pump is around $130. So at our place this job would run you $414 for the timing belt labor, $90 for the water pump labor (unless we really like you, then it would be free), $50 for the timing belt, and $130 for the water pump.Total bill for regular customer $684Total bill for a preferred customer $594Also, keep in mind that this is 100% preventative maintenance and likely not going to be a problem for potentially the life of your car, but almost certainly at least 50,000 miles or more. As a rule of thumb, we start mentioning the timing belts/water pumps at 110,000 miles.I know that everyone thinks that their dealer is awesome, and it's their job to convince you of that... but in my vast experience they have one mission. Build trust... then fleece you. I have many many stories of things dealers did to cars where people declined to fix something... then they would make sure the item broke sometime soon so that they could say, "I told you so." Thereby getting the job AND building trust with the customer... since they told them it would break. The problem is that this could happen anywhere. A mechanic that you can totally trust and believe is absolutely invaluable... just like in Seinfeld.We had a guy come in for a 2nd opinion whose dealer said he needed a new transmission. They quoted him $3000. We looked his car over and found a blown fuse... changed it, charged him $15, and he never had his problem again. We could have said... "$3000!! We'll do that job for $1400" (which we would have), but we didn't. We found the problem, fixed it, and told him exactly what happened. Your mission is to find a place that you can trust.

wowzers. The mission, should I decide to accept it...Good luck me. And ty sir.

It all depends on if the engine is an "interference" type or not....If the valve lift allows the piston to contact the valve head if the cam suddenly stops and the crankshaft keeps spinning, major problems happen quickly. If its a "free spinning" type that wont allow contact the worst thing that will happen is the engine will die. Of course you know this but the vast majority does notI absolutely despise timing belts because my obsession with Italian two seaters force me to change their belts every three years or so as insurance against ruining several thousand in parts should it let go. Should someone fabricate a method of adapting a chain to the 308, 328, 355, etc line of cars they could become very wealthyId research the type of engine, cost of changing belts verses a used/rebuilt replacement engine should it let go, actual value of the car, and how long you plan on owning the vehicle before making a decision if it were meSorry to derail the thread sir.... excellent material in here.... good service to the community

This sounds very familiar but it's been 6 months since I talked to the guy about this up coming maintenance. The engine is a high output VTEC . I have no idea what I just said actually, but that's what he said.Also, the belt is made of a plastic (?!!!) compositie type material. Why they would use this type of belt is just beyond belief. I remember from my old Mopar days, metal chains will normally strech and the car will start to lose performance/timing as a result, thus giving you some sort of warning that they need changing. Acura "plastic" belts (f-ing retarded imo) will give no warning, and when they go, supposedly it's GG engine. Anyway, I think I will go the prev. maint. route but I will avoid the dealer.Thanks again all.

[theresa113 0]

Any thoughts are purchasing an extended warranty? Do they really cover anything? Are they actually worth the price?I am very diligent about oil changes and maintenance on my vehicles. If I take great care of my cars would it be cheaper to just pay for repairs when needed as opposed to buying a warranty? Thoughts and opinions please.

[chgocubs99 0]

Any thoughts are purchasing an extended warranty? Do they really cover anything? Are they actually worth the price?I am very diligent about oil changes and maintenance on my vehicles. If I take great care of my cars would it be cheaper to just pay for repairs when needed as opposed to buying a warranty? Thoughts and opinions please.

When I worked for a rental car company, we sold insurance. It was $13/day. For people that rented a car for a couple days, it was cheaper and easier than paying out a deductable/filing an insurance claim for a vehicle they did not own. Did we make money? Yeah. A lot? Not as much as you might think...because when someone bought it and got in a major accident causing $3k in damage, then someone totals an SUV the next week, we lose pretty big. It's really about if you want to gambooool. You can take perfect care of your car and stuff still could go wrong. In the long run, you will lose money by buying the warranty, because it's a zero sum game and you know if they are selling it, they are making money. Does that mean it doesn't have value for you? Not at all...there's plenty of value even if you don't use it.

[qyayqi 11]

what do we think of the 0w30 oils? i'm tempted to use it. in a car, obviously.

[brvheart 1,752]

Any thoughts are purchasing an extended warranty? Do they really cover anything? Are they actually worth the price?I am very diligent about oil changes and maintenance on my vehicles. If I take great care of my cars would it be cheaper to just pay for repairs when needed as opposed to buying a warranty? Thoughts and opinions please.

My thoughts are that you should avoid them like the plague. They are just one final chance for a dealer to screw you. The dealers are almost never involved in the extended warranty, but rather, it's a 3rd party company like Wynn's or something. This 3rd party company has inspectors all over the country whose only job is to find a reason that they shouldn't have to fix your problem. We deal with these companies on a regualr basis and they ask us tons of questoins during the inspection, like "So did this _____ have water in it?" (because water voids the warranty) Things like that. They will pay for some things, but you simply need to know that it's their job to find a reason to NOT pay. Plus many of these warranties are thousands of dollars, it just doesn't make sense. It's usually 5-7 years before parts start breaking down... just sell the car before it happens.

[theresa113 0]

My thoughts are that you should avoid them like the plague. They are just one final chance for a dealer to screw you. The dealers are almost never involved in the extended warranty, but rather, it's a 3rd party company like Wynn's or something. This 3rd party company has inspectors all over the country whose only job is to find a reason that they shouldn't have to fix your problem. We deal with these companies on a regualr basis and they ask us tons of questoins during the inspection, like "So did this _____ have water in it?" (because water voids the warranty) Things like that. They will pay for some things, but you simply need to know that it's their job to find a reason to NOT pay. Plus many of these warranties are thousands of dollars, it just doesn't make sense. It's usually 5-7 years before parts start breaking down... just sell the car before it happens.

Cool. That is what I thought. I have not purchased one but I keep getting LOTS of phone calls and direct mail trying to sell me one. Thanks again!

[qyayqi 11]

if a gas pedal is very firm, can this be fixed with a new cable or spraying wd-40 on the old? it doesn't 'stick', it is just very, very firm.

[brvheart 1,752]

year/make/model/VIN?

[qyayqi 11]

year/make/model/VIN?

it is a '91 sunbird. i borrowed the car to get me through 6 months to where i can buy something new-ish. however, having now driven it a couple times it may have more issues than i was told.the car that went tits up 6 months too soon has coolant leaking into the oil. do you have a guesstimate of how much it'd cost to diagnose whether it is the intake gasket (cheaper to fix) vs something cracked? i just need it to limp along for a few months 'til i get some stuff paid.