A&Q about 350Z
Q:
Greetings,
A few days ago my "LOW COOLANT" light came on for the first time ever. I added some coolant and went on my way. A few days before that, the vehicle had a minor shudder upon startup--I didn't think much of it.
The day after the low coolant light came on, I started having horrible shuddering when the vehicle would first start. It went away after maybe 30 seconds. I shut it off--started it back up, and a nasty cloud came out the muffler. Later that day the low coolant light came back on. The oil looks fine, no water in it--no cloudy 'milkshake' appearance.
The mechanic I brought it too at first thought it was the water pump, after driving it and a closer examination said it was the head gasket. Also--they said one of the cylinders was not firing due to a bad coil.
Estimated repair bill - $900:
Replace head gasket
Have heads machined
Replace faulty coil
Replace water pump
Change plug wires, etc. "Tune up"
Does this all sound legit? I'm hesitant to have them begin repairs because they have two complaints with the Better Business Bureau since 2004.
Thanks,
Denny C
A:
Sounds about right, I would try to find a better shop, two complaints in a year and half is pretty high unless its a very high volume shop.
A:
By the way, the head may not need machining, but it should be checked for make sure its not warped. Also have them check the valve seats while they have it off, those 1.9's up till 96 had a bad problem with valve seats dropping.