My car broke down in Berkeley day before yesterday. I heard a rattling nose in the engine and I noticed the engine needle was all the way on hot. I pulled over. The coolant was near empty and my car wouldn't start after that.

So...this was a new engine I got back in January with new everything-- timing belt, water pump, etc....

The mechanic it was taken to that day (the same guy who orignally installed the engine) said that he found holes in the coolant resevoir thingie, so it leaked. Evidentally I have to get the head gasket replaced. So...if I just got a new engine and parts back in January how the hell did this happen? The mechanic says he's going to give me a break and only charge me $350 for parts and labor to fix my car. But, isn't it on him that my engine nearly blew up? I'm pissed... Oh for those that are curious it's a 95 honda civic hatchback.

yup, fishy.

i say get a second opinion and ask if what happened to the engine sounds logical.

Are there any reviews on the guy who fixed your car? Maybe other people have had similar experiences.

take the car to a honda dealer.

The only thing that sounds fishy is how on Earth did the holes get in  the coolant resevoir thingie?

A moment ago JC R. says:

yup, fishy.

i say get a second opinion and ask if what happened to the engine sounds logical.
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+1
This SERIOUSLY sounds wrong get a second opinion, I'm not sure the coolant would totally leak out just because there was a hole in the overflow reservoir but I'm 100% certain.

I got the engine installed at Motor Tech Auto Repair in Oakland, they don't have any reviews yet, they may be getting one soon....

go to Arts Automotive in berkeley, check out their reviews...

Raoul D. says:

The only thing that sounds fishy is how on Earth did the holes get in  the coolant resevoir thingie?
*********************
I thought that too.. I mean they're usually a really hard durable plastic, was it tampered with?

How long had them holes been in the coolant reservoir?  How the hell did they get there?  If the mechanic keeps a close eye on your car's happenings, he should have notice that.  Then again, have you noticed a little green pool in your parking spot(s)?  Had that temp needle been sneaking up on you in the past few days?  It's a hell of a mechanic that can scour over every little detail of a car, but your run of the mill grease monkey can't be relied upon.  If you really feel like he let you down, you can find somebody else.

oh, and to answer your original question..... yes, it sounds very fishy.  i would think your engine is still covered under some warrenty?

No wasn't tampered with in anyway unless when it was installed someone deliberately put holes in it. Is it possible that extreme heat could cause cracks in the plastic? Maybe during those really hot days a couple weeks ago?

engine warranties dont cover over heating

Holly H. says:

No wasn't tampered with in anyway unless when it was installed someone deliberately put holes in it. Is it possible that extreme heat could cause cracks in the plastic? Maybe during those really hot days a couple weeks ago?
********************
I wouldn't think so.. I have a 2000 Toyota and was driving in 105+ heat with the AC running in commute traffic (yes I'm tempting the car gods) and nothing happened to mine.

It's a fact that women pays a lot more to service their cars. These mechanics are betting on you not knowing anything about cars and take advantage of that. I had to tell my friend to stop going to a place where she was being charged $ 120 for a frickin oil change.

No, the engine needle had been on normal until right before it broke down

The way I see it is there is no way someone could have deliberately put holes in the coolant resevoir back in January and it took 6 months for the coolant to leak out.

The big question is how did the holes get there? Either someone poked holes in it (sabotage), it somehow melted, or it was some sort of super cheap coolant resevoir.

Where is the car now? Have you actually seen the coolant resevoir yourself?

XYZ motors in Oakland.  No bullshit with this guy.

$120 for an oil change?!  WTF?  That's the kind of shit that ought to make your friend want to learn how to do it herself.  It ain't that hard.

It's common for a coolant reservoir leakage to result in this problem.
I would not put it past a shady mechanic to punch holes in yours in the hopes that like a typical girl with better things to do than look at your gauges - you'd allow your head gasket to blow.
I'd take it in for a second opinion, because if the damage was intentional - wait, what was the original engine problem?

The car is at Motor Tech Auto Repair in Oakland, the place where the new engine was installed along with all new parts...I saw the resevior and noticed the green liquid on top of the cap and some dripping right around the area (not much but some) and when I originall opened the hood the resevoir had a lot of steam coming from it and there was very little left in it

A moment ago Sheila G. says:

$120 for an oil change?!  WTF?  That's the kind of shit that ought to make your friend want to learn how to do it herself.  It ain't that hard.

-----------------

I'm guessing this was at a dealer, or synthetic oil was used?

Raoul D. says:

The way I see it is there is no way someone could have deliberately put holes in the coolant resevoir back in January and it took 6 months for the coolant to leak out.

The big question is how did the holes get there? Either someone poked holes in it (sabotage), it somehow melted, or it was some sort of super cheap coolant resevoir.
******************

+1

Holly, you had to get a new engine in Jan.
Why?

Raoul D. says:

A moment ago Sheila G. says:

$120 for an oil change?!  WTF?  That's the kind of shit that ought to make your friend want to learn how to do it herself.  It ain't that hard.

-----------------

I'm guessing this was at a dealer, or synthetic oil was used?

******************
Jiffy lube was charging me almost that for a 4 quart oil change using synthetic. Until I realized that was WAY to much and stopped going there *blush*

Ummm.....I will call bullshitr on this......your reservoir has NOTHING to do with the amount of fluid in your RADIATOR, much less cause the head gasket to blow!

If the radiator was FULL, at the time of rebuild, which...I would assume it was, even if you ran it for the next 2-4 years without refilling your reservoir, it would no way impair your head gasket!

I have removed my reservoir from my Audi during repairs, and ran it at HIGH speed and HEAT for 3 weeks while I waiting on a replacement from Germany.....my engine temp NEVER varied. And even if the coolant ran low, it would not cause the head gasket to blow.....sounds like a bad rebuild to me.

Your head gasket should be covered by a warranty, normally, 6 months or 12,000 miles if it is a reputable shop. IMO, I would NOT let the same guy work on the car, as it sounds like a scam.

Do yourself a favor, call Honda Service, at the nearest dealer, ask to speak to the service manager, explain the problem, ask for his professional opinion.

Did you actually get a new engine or just a lot of parts? I'm pretty sure they don't replace the resevoir when replacing things like the water pump, etc. So yeah, they could have saved you some money when they first replaced all that stuff, cause once you're in there it's mostly just parts, not a lot of extra labor. Resevoirs can crack or get holes but a second opinion is always helpful.

I got the engine replaced shortly after I purchased the car because the first engine had very low compression on the cylinders. It ran too low on oil and the piston rings wore out from the original owner.

There's no reason to have a dealership service your vehicle unless it's warranty work.  After that, you're just giving your money away.

I spent about $2,000 on the rebuilt engine, dude, this sucks

Abby, Synthetic oil is expensive.... buying at the dealer or store it runs between $11-$15 a quart. For 5 quarts of Mobile 1, which I run in all my cars, it is average $100-$120 depending on the car....when I take it to have it done.

My Lotus runs me $265 to do an oil change (2 hours on a lift) , with synthetic.....count yourself lucky!

I'll defer to Stanley ""I'll be your Huckleberry"." D., since it sounds like he know more about cars to me.

I figured that if your coolant resevoir leaked, you would lose all of your coolant, your engine would overheat, and this could cause your head gasket to blow. But, of course, that was only my half-baked opinion. I am in no way an expert on this stuff...

Stanley ""I'll be your Huckleberry"." D. says:

If the radiator was FULL, at the time of rebuild, which...I would assume it was, even if you ran it for the next 2-4 years without refilling your reservoir, it would no way impair your head gasket!
*************

That's what I thought.. the reservoir is only "extra" not what normally cycles through the radiator as far as I understand it..

I'm gonna have to like turn tricks to freakin pay this bill, lol. j/k.... I'm so broke...working two jobs both at $10 an hour...lame!

I always do my own oil changes, since I'm paranoid about the oil change places not letting it drain long enough. When I'm draining mine, I let it drain for hours while I do laundry or something. When I come back to check the car, I notice that the worst, sludgiest oil is dripping out after about an hour.

Stanley ""I'll be your Huckleberry"." D. says:

Abby, Synthetic oil is expensive.... buying at the dealer or store it runs between $11-$15 a quart. For 5 quarts of Mobile 1, which I run in all my cars, it is average $100-$120 depending on the car....when I take it to have it done.
*************
really? I run Mobil 1 too.. the last time I did it myself I think they were $12/quart.. add another $10 or so for a filter and that's still only $58.. but I don't have a way of disposing of it so I have it done.. :-(

I wish I knew anything about cars

as do I presently....

Then it was a faulty r and r job.
When installing a new engine, all parts should be checked and verified for proper working order.
If the piston rings were fucked, then you had all kinds of things going on, fluids everywhere.
A flush and replace where necessary of the entire intake manifold, oil coolant system, water pump, radiator, and reservoir would be necessary. While it is likely that the oil system and water system stayed separate, checking and flushing is the right course to take.
Also, if you're sure that the gauge read normal - take it to a different mechanic and make sure that the thermostat wasn't tampered with.
In short: FISHY.

Fully synthetic is worth it and you pretty much have to do it if you have a turbo engine. Same with getting the high octane gas.

Abby S.,

PepBoys, and some of the Kragens, will take your old oil from you.

I always keep the old stuff in the drain pan. When I need to do an oil change, I take it to PepBoys, dump it, and buy my new oil.

Sorry for derailing your thread, Holly. ;)

You don't need synthetic oil for newer model cars. It's like using premium gas; which is not worth it. As long as you keep your car well maintained and serviced regularly. I've never heard of a $ 265 oil change, unless your bragging about driving a Lotus. =)

Here's a few tips:

editorial.autos.msn.com/…

Exactly....the reservoir is just that...and over flow container.....

Even if it was empty, you would still have between 75-85% of a full radiator....

To cause a critical heat failure, in a Honda no less...( Talk about reliable...and bullet proof) you would have to have a fairly empty radiator, or a leak SOMEWHERE in a coolant hose.....

I JUST had my brothers radiator rebuilt as he hit a deer on his way to SF on Sunday, and came into my place steaming, and leaking green fluid EVERYWHERE.....

Punctured the radiator with an antler.....and still the radiator had 75% capacity, and the temp never got over 50% spike.

(And I didn't get ANY deer meat out of the deal either...ugh...talk about insult to injury! LOL)

High octane gas doesn't do crap for your car unless you have a high performance engine.  Don't waste your money if you're driving a Camry.

mmmm dear burger

John, I SOOOOO wished I was bragging......is painful every time I take that thing in....

LOTUS = Lots of Trouble, Usually Serious

Porsche and such air cooled motors usually are more than 5 quarts, and on modern cars that are not high performance, there really is no need to put synthetic in them......

But, if you have a high revving motor, 7,000 rpm or above, and high compression...well, is like insurance....

I have yet to lose a motor to internal failure since I moved to Mobil 1. But, I am not the norm, and I track my cars.....

Raoul D. says:

Abby S.,

PepBoys, and some of the Kragens, will take your old oil from you.

I always keep the old stuff in the drain pan. When I need to do an oil change, I take it to PepBoys, dump it, and buy my new oil.
******************
Thanks! I'll have to try that my oil filter is REALLY easy to reach so it's not difficult to change the oil. I'm always concerned they're not putting the synthetic in, and not changing the oil filter but charging me for both. I check.. so far they've always changed the oil filter but it's hard to tell which type of oil they're putting in.

*calling dad who is an ASE Master Mechanic (and retired Highway Patrolman)  to try and help Holly, but the damn cruster isn't answering his phone*

Holly, if I ever get a hold of his ass, I will get his opinion for you.

Stanley ""I'll be your Huckleberry"." D. says:

Exactly....the reservoir is just that...and over flow container.....

Even if it was empty, you would still have between 75-85% of a full radiator....

To cause a critical heat failure, in a Honda no less...( Talk about reliable...and bullet proof) you would have to have a fairly empty radiator, or a leak SOMEWHERE in a coolant hose.....

I JUST had my brothers radiator rebuilt as he hit a deer on his way to SF on Sunday, and came into my place steaming, and leaking green fluid EVERYWHERE.....

Punctured the radiator with an antler.....and still the radiator had 75% capacity, and the temp never got over 50% spike.

(And I didn't get ANY deer meat out of the deal either...ugh...talk about insult to injury! LOL)
------------------------------------------
Thermostat.
If her thermostat wasn't working properly in conjuction with holes in the reservoir - then it doesn't matter if it was a Datsun, it still would have overheated.

"Damn Cruster", LMAO

Sorry to hear that happened.  Sadly, when it comes to cars and engines, even if the engine is brand
new, it is only as strong as it's weakest link.  Coolant is what cools the engine internally and if it is
missing for any reason, the engine can overheat and ruin itself very quickly.  Although it would have been
nice if the mechanic had caught the source of the leak before it happened, one cannot always see a
potential leak until it happens.  For example, if a hose bursts or develops a leak on the road or if a hole
in a coolant overflow reservoir develops a leak (not quite as bad), then the engine will eventually operate
without coolant and overheat.

In the simplest terms, your engine has two major assemblies, the engine block which contains the pistons and
the engine head which is a smaller part above which contains the valves.  When there is no coolant in the engine, the overheating causes these parts to expand and a part sandwiched between them called a head gasket will fail.
I have done this repair twice on one of my cars in the past.  It is not a difficult repair for a mechanic or experienced home
mechanic, but is definitely not an easy repair for the uninitiated.

Hopefully, if you are lucky, the head gasket replacement is all that you need.  Regretfully, when an engine overheats,
the severity to which it overheats will dictate if more damage occurs.  Cracks in engine blocks and heads have been
known to develop when overheated too long and if this happens, the engine is toast.  These cracks introduce oil or coolant
into places that they ordinarily would not go.

In cases of extreme overheating (usually due to lack of coolant), the engine will stop running as it seizes up due
to heat expansion of the piston in the cylinder bore.  If you are lucky, things will move freely once the car cools down.
If you are not, you need another new engine.  Hopefully, yours is okay.

It's good that you watched your gauges and pulled over when you noticed a problem.  Turning if off is what hopefully saved the rest of your engine.  Ironically, once you did turn it off, the electric fan stopped and what little coolant was left in the engine stopped circulating.  Temps then rose further which prevented the car from starting.  Even then, that was the right thing to do as if you continued driving, you would have needed another new engine for sure.

Does the car run now and is it smoking?  Typical symptoms of a blown head gasket or cracked block or heads is white smoke coming out constantly as the engine is running.

No matter how new the engine or car, it can become a giant paperweight very quickly if it loses coolant or oil and is driven without them.  Overheating results in rapid internal wear too.  Piston rings, cylinder wall, valvetrain, valve guides, and seals all take a major beating shortening future engine life.

A Honda Civic is a popular car...you could always sell it on Craigslist as a fixer- upper, but better to fix it.

Stanley ""I'll be your Huckleberry"." D. says:

But, if you have a high revving motor, 7,000 rpm or above, and high compression...well, is like insurance....

******************
I don't have a performance vehicle but I rev the CRAP out of my little econo box :-) so.. I figure I'll be nice to her and give her something nice to help her out. In fact.. I've hit the rev limiter and cut the fuel to the engine more than a few times.. grr..

And get this... if her thermostat was STUCK, and then the bit of metal that was jerry rigged closed popped open suddenly..... blown head gasket - for sure.

Thank you Don!

Abby....damn......

Hitting the rev limiter is BAD...LMAO

Go girl.....I hit it once or twice on my old car cause of a missed shift.....sucked BIG time......

Love the Honda motors, they are so reliable, and easy to upgrade....

The synthetic will help keep the rings and pistons from wearing out too quick. Like I said...insuarance....$120 now, or 2-3K for a rebuild.....

And Jared does have a good point....

If you can lease something...VW will almost GIVE you a new car...$99 and between $99-199 a month payment for a brand new car.....

If you can buy, use the Honda as a trade and walk away from it....

Thank you for that explanation Harry, it's much appreciated

After I get the repairs to this car, I'm selling it. I need a car with air conditioning anyway...

if you car isnt speced out for premium gas, you dont need it. if it is. YOU NEED IT.

if your car isnt speced out for synthetic, do you need it? no. would i? yes.

my care take 8.8 quarts of synthetic, just for oil alone, it costs about 50-60 bucks.

ladies, i HIGHLY suggested talking to a person that knows some stuff (even JUST a bit) if you dont know at all.

DO NOT GO TO JIFFY LUBE. most of them are completely incompetent.

holly, that does sound very fishy and that sucks.

i KNOW for a fact there are many "car folks" on yelp. if you start a thread about "hey can you come look under my hood" *cough* im sure you can find someone to help you.

The coolant reservior has nothing to do with the engine. If it was the original part then it's a piece of plastic that's been bouncing around under your hood for 13 years these things wear out.

But your car is worth about $1500 why'd you bother getting a new engine in the first place?

Get one of these instead:
metaefficient.com/images…

Piaggio MP3

Saves you tons of gas.

On my radar....

oh and fyi, for a normal engine, 4 quarts of mobil1 oil change should be no more than 70 bucks. and thats pushing it. id say fair price is around 55.

Thermostat - I'm out.

Wow, when I first started typing, no one had responded yet!  

Anyway, yes, there is always a chance of someone tampering with a car to make it fail and yes a bad overflow should not drain all the fluid out of a radiator, but it could be a contributing factor to another problem.  Although anything could happen, I doubt the mechanic would intentionally go that far, especially if it has a new engine already.

Head gasket failure on Japanese cars is actually pretty common.  It can be slowly failing and as the coolant is sucked into the combustion chamber, you can suddenly be driving with no coolant which results in overheating.  The first time mine failed, it was due to a slowly weeping waterpump that caught me off guard.  The second time, it failed in between cylinders 2 & 3 so it didn't smoke, but ran rough as heck.  Many modern cars have an iron block and aluminum head which have different expansion rates under heat which contributes to the failure.

Also, did you buy the car used?  If a car has overheated badly in the past, a new head gasket can fail again if the surface of the head is not perfectly flat.  A process called decking solves this problem, but involves shaving the surface to make it perfect again.  Anyway, I wish you the best of luck and hope you're back on the road again real soon.

BTW, someone mentioned an oil change on a Lotus.  An oil change at Silicon Valley Group (formerly Ferrari Los Gatos) or Boadwalk Redwood City on an exotic like a Ferrari or Lotus is actually $500.  I once saw a bill for $18,000 for an 80,000 mile service on a '91 Ferrari Testerossa.  Engine has to come out to do the belts, but hey, that price included a new clutch.  Even if someone were to give me that car, I couldn't afford it.  LOL

15 minutes ago Stanley ""I'll be your Huckleberry"." D. says:

Abby....damn......

Hitting the rev limiter is BAD...LMAO

Go girl.....I hit it once or twice on my old car cause of a missed shift.....sucked BIG time......
*******************
I didn't miss a shift but when you're going 80MPH in 3rd with a 108 HP 1.5 liter 4 cylinder engine LOL stuff happens. I got it for the gas mileage but I drive it like it's a Lamborghini LOL

consumerguideauto.howstu…

A simple engine rebuild on a Lambo V12 (just rings and bearing) starts at $20,000.

euge "fanfuckingtastic" l. says:

ladies, i HIGHLY suggested talking to a person that knows some stuff (even JUST a bit) if you dont know at all.
************
I agree.. I don't know much but daddy tried to teach me enough to keep me from getting ripped off :-)

A moment ago Harry "Haricot Vert" C. says:

A simple engine rebuild on a Lambo V12 (just rings and bearing) starts at $20,000.
*****************
and that would be why I own a Toyota ECHO and just pretend it's a Lambo V12  :-)

Stanley ""I'll be your Huckleberry"." D. says:

Abby....damn......

Hitting the rev limiter is BAD...LMAO

Go girl.....I hit it once or twice on my old car cause of a missed shift.....sucked BIG time......
*****************
oh, and Stanley :-) hitting the rev limiter sucks but I just mashed the clutch back in, let go of the gas and the engine hummed right back up into service :-)

Stanley ""I'll be your Huckleberry"." D. wrote:

John, I SOOOOO wished I was bragging......is painful every time I take that thing in....

LOTUS = Lots of Trouble, Usually Serious
______

Stanley,

Noticed you're an Elise guy.  I was lucky enough to get a ride in the very first turbo Elise a few
years back, the ForcedFed version...great fun.  BTW, not sure how much they charge
for an Elise oil change, but $500 really is what friends have paid for their Esprit oil change at
those dealers I mentioned.  Ridiculous.  I personally do it all myself.

As for Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious...out of four cars that I presently own, my Lotus Esprit Turbo
is the most reliable, far more than my two Corvettes and my Nissan.  Others have not been quite as
lucky with reliability.

: (     I wish I had money to buy a hybrid

at this point, I wish I had money to go grocery shopping, lol

Harry, this is my 3rd Lotus.....I had a 111R in Belgium, then got the '05 Elise, (I had it lemon lawed......8,000 miles and replaced 7 instrument clusters, 2 clutches and LOTS more...)

I now have a 240...which i dialed up to 11, and track....

I had a tunes ECU that puts me in the 265-280 WHP area, at UNDER 2,000 lbs.....(I love Porsche's...they taste like CHICKEN!)

Car is a ROCKET, and suspension puts me at 1.21G's in the skid pad....BRUTAL on the 880 around Oakland...like 3 marbles in a paint shaker....but the new seats make a difference.....

Love the Esprit Turbo's as it is a GREAT car..... but for track and street, my Supercharger is the BOMB! But build quality could be MUCH better......

Holly, take a look at the new Tesla's.....they are very cool....all electric, and 0-60mph in the 4 sec area....

Holly H. says:

: (     I wish I had money to buy a hybrid

***************

You could always look into a used Toyota echo :-) ok.. total plug.. but Mine has around 145,000 miles is 8 years old this month (she was born in Japan July 2000), runs like a champ, no maintenace issues, and gets about 35 MPG in REALLY nasty 0mph - 20mph commute traffic :-) I can get 38-40 MPG if I can cruise at around 65MPH.

I know the feeling though *sigh* I'm so sorry you're in this situation :-( I bought mine with $1,000 down under similar circumstances (my previous car died and I HAD to have a car ASAP)

I was making.. $11/hr at the time at only one job..

Doesn't sound fishy.  You can replace the engine, but unless you replace every single component, something else could break the next day.  The coolant system is a sealed system.  If the reservoir had a leak, you could have lost your coolant to steam, then overheated your motor, then kaboom.  Best case scenario is that you just need a new head gasket.  If you severely overheated the motor, you may have warped or cracked the head or block and you'll need a new motor.

The more important question is why you didn't get a warranty with the new motor installation?

Yeah, Civics go for a long time, but 13 years begins to move into the realm of sucking every penny you have. I have had many old Civics and when I'm debating whether to call "time of death" or keep shoveling money into them, I always take them to my mechanic Frank at A&E in San Carlos
yelp.com/biz/a-and-e-aut…

The guy is a saint and will tell you the truth. (If you can get your car from Berekely to San Carlos, I highly recommend A&E)!

Well, here's what my dad (somewhat qualified as an  ASE Master Mechanic) said via email (translated from dad-speak, but it still kind of rambles, so sorry about that). Sounds a bit harsh, but he's an honest mechanic (if one actually exists). The bit on BAR's expectations is worth noting:

"It is not on the mechanic. Assuming that the car drove well for, what, five months, he has no legal responsibility to fix the problem.  A leaking coolant recovery tank actually would allow the vehicle to lose coolant and when the level was too low to cool the engine, you've got problems. If the tank was leaking before or after the engine was installed the owner should have noticed the leaking fluid on her garage floor. [my note: where he lives, people actually have garages]  Also, the owner should have checked her coolant level at times, and if she noticed it was losing fluid, she should have then taken it to the mechanic to have the loss checked out (another reason for regular oil changes, at that time any loss of fluid would have been noticed and the owner advised of that fact). BAR (Bureau of Automotive Repair) in California requires that a job be covered for four months or four thousand miles. If the problem was not related to the work that was done, the shop is off the hook. When installing a new/rebuilt engine, a new coolant tank would not be replaced unless it was leaking at the time (assuming the mechanic did not notice a leak in which case he would have or should have notified the owner). How would the owner expect the shop or mechanic to have any control over parts on the vehicle which the job had nothing to do with? She is getting a good deal on the price break given by her mechanic. Most would not give her anything off on the work needed to fix her overheated engine."

So that kind of sucks that BAR only puts your mechanic on the hook for 4 months or 4 thousand miles. And I would guess that even if your tank was leaking when he replaced it, it would be tough for you to prove that it was since you didn't have a problem until recently. I called him and asked specifically to explain how a crack in the coolant reservoir tank could drain the radiator (since his email was not clear). He explained that it is actually part of the coolant recovery system. When your engine is hot and you stop and turn it off, there is no circulation or airflow to cool the coolant, so the hot fluid boils over into that plastic tank. When the engine and radiator cool, they actually suck the fluid back into the radiator. Your crack let the fluid escape and, after several cycles of your radiator pushing hot coolant into a cracked tank that let it escape, you eventually ran out of coolant or it got so low it couldn't cool your engine anymore. So that tank does a little more than just hold extra fluid. Anyhow, he also said that sounds like a very good price for replacing the head gasket on your Honda.

Sucks if your dumb enough to pay $500 for an oil change.

Susan...Extreme heat could contribute to the cracking, as would normal road vibration from driving, combined with the thirteen year old now brittle plastic coping with the weight of the whatever coolant is inside the recovery tank.  It's a common problem on some American cars too after they pass the ten year mark.

Stanley...your car sounds like a blast!

Holly...the situation s#cks, but for $350, it is worthwhile to have him do it.  Most other places will charge a lot more and you can sell the car for a lot more afterwards if you decide to get rid of it.  If you decide to sell the car "as is" then the hit that you will take on the selling price will be considerably more than $350.  As with most repairs, the problem is always bad timing and coming up with the $350.

I forgot to mention that the second time I blew a head gasket on my Nissan, it was because I was commuting back from Fremont to SF and by freak occurence, the cheap plastic radiator petcock (drain plug, but that's what it's really called) vibrated loose and fell out.  Had a nice drive home with no coolant at all which killed it.

Stanley...the electric Teslas are cool, but I think they're $100K and they haven't resolved the transmission issues yet.
               The last I heard they were contemplating going to a one speed instead of the initial two.  Saw a prototype
               driving around on Union St the other day.

Maybe a used Prius or Yaris would be a good choice and more in her price range, but personally I think someone as
cool as Holly should be driving something with a lot more personality that fits her and her lifestyle.  After seeing her pics, I just can't visualize her in a Yaris. (A la Seinfeld...not that there's anything wrong with that!)  It doesn't have to be expensive, just something with a bit more personality.  

I've built cars that were in Car Craft magazine before and this may sound twisted to some of you, but I still dream of building an old hot rod Cadillac hearse with a blown big block Chevy, maybe a 572, tubbed with a narrowed rearend for steam roller back tires and custom license plates that say THE END or ONE WAY.  The thing would probably get 6 MPG, but would be such a blast for shows and Wed night drags at Infineon Raceway.  As an added bonus, hearses traditionally don't get ticketed.  As always, the problem is $ and where to store it since it would be such a long car and not practical.  Anyway, sorry to go on...it's just that I love cars, all cars.

That reminds me...be sure to have your mechanic double-check your hoses and hose clamps if he does the repair.  As with any car, you will be right back at square one if one of them fails and you lose coolant again.  If the hose (radiator or heater) is brittle or too soft, replacement at this time is cheap insurance, especially since he will have the car apart to do the head gasket.