I just got my car back from the shop today. I had a spun rod bearing, so they replaced all of the bearings, ground the crankshaft, resurfaced the heads and all of that good stuff. I have a warranty, otherwise it was have cost me 2g's. Now, onto the problem.

They took my whole engine out of the car, and I guess they did a POS job of putting it back in. Let me make a list of what is wrong.

I have to push the clutch ALL THE WAY down in order to shift, ive never had to do this before. Also, it is SO hard to shift the car, as if I dont have the clutch engaged at all. Now, it gets harder when the RPM's in the car get higher. Also, everytime I try to get into reverse I feel as if it doesnt "go in" all the way.

I did a couple of high rpm runs, and when I go to the 4500+ range, the "check gages" light started to flicker sligthy. And YES the car does have gas, plus the 98's didnt have a low fuel light anyway. My oil pressure is fine..any ideas?

Also....my air conditioning is not cold at all, its as if the fan is just on...thats something new.

And last but not least, a little while after driving, my SES came light came on and has stayed on.

I am taking it back to the shop tomorrow morning for them to fix. I am so pissed considering I waited SEVEN WEEKS for my car to be done. SEVEN WEEKS and they cant even do it right.

Any advice on what could be wrong with the shifting? My mechanic said that there "might be some air in the system, just drive it for a while and see if it goes away" WTF does that mean?
HELP!!

NEW NEWS:

I was on the freeway tonight coming home from my girlfriends house when all of a sudden my car just DIED! Everything went out, it was like someone just flicked the "off" switch. I wasnt even able to get completely off the freeway...All it ended up being was that the battery cable had come off, so i just hand tightened it, started my car up and kept on driving. I am SO MAD. What can I do to this shop. If I could sue I would. THis is just unbelievable.

 

If the hydraulics were opened, they may not have bled the system to get the air out of the lines. This could be a simple fix by the shop to bleed the lines of the clutch. As for the A/C, it sounds like the system may have been compromised or emptied of the refrigerant and not recharged. Again, a simple diagnosis and fix if that's the problem. Have them check both items and I'm sure they'll find the issue. There's no telling how many techs touched the car in seven weeks so someone may have missed something. Fortunately, your warranty will cover it all. I'm sure it'll be easily remedied.

 

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Everytime I have had my motor out - we've had to either adjust the connecting rod for the McCleod (comes off behind the clutch pedal) or bleed of the clutch and pump it. It always seemed slightly off and engaged at a different height then before we pulled the motor.


Was it definately the "check guages" light or the "service engine soon" light? With it "flickering" - the first thing I thought of was misfire but that wouldnt apply to the "check guages" light and I dont know of any reason the check guages light would flicker.

They may have drained it and just not recharged it.


This could be a multitude of things. When my motor came out at the dealership - I ended up burning up a cat from passing raw fuel through the motor. It could be something as simple as a fouled o2 sensor though.

Bleed it.




What you NEED to do is contact the GM Customer Service Center (look in your owners manual). You will need to file a complaint or request a case number. They will make calls on your behalf and keep a file of the transgressions. This aslo makes it easier to request compensation (ie - if the dealer had your car for over a month - did you make a car payment for a car you couldnt drive?) or if things ever esculated to the point of involving lawyers - your case information will be beneficial.

Speaking from experience, this sounds harsh - but the Customer Service place is a waste of phone lines as I would hunt down results and information 2-3 days before they would call me an inform me. Unfortunately though - its the best way to cover yourself and document your troubles.