Hey guys, I sent my 2004 TL AT to the dealership for diagnosis because it had engine light on, shaking, temp warming up on idle. Today they gave me the bad news about the blown head gasket. They are quoting $2200 for repairs.
What should I do? The car just hit 160K miles.
Would it be cheaper to get it done by local mechanic? Anyone in Houston know what to do?
Should I just get an engine swap? Local mechanic is quoting $1600 for engine swap (includes engine + labor).
Or would it be best to sell the car (of course clearly stating the problem it has)

All comments are greatly appreciated, Thank you

 

There would be a reason for the head gasket to blow.

You should find out the reason before doing repairs on it.

Or it might be the dealership trying to go after you when the problem is less severe.

Getting it done by a local mechanic would be much cheaper.

 

I wish I was good with cars. It seems almost all local mechanics are thief's they all say different problems just to get paid, which is why I went directly to Acura.

If anyone knows a good reliable mechanic in Houston please let me know.

 

PM member justnspace and see if he can recommend a place. I would also check out the regions forum on AcuraZine and see if there are any recommendations in Houston.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. One more question:

Would it be better to swap out the engine with a used engine? LKQ is selling 05 TL engine for $450 with 106k miles, or so they claim.

Would that be smarter alternative? Mechanic said a swap job would cost about $500 so total I would spend would be close to $1000

 

1600$ for engine swap including labor? Jeeze, what kind are Frankenstein reconstructed monster will you get? Unless hes willing to give you a 1 year warranty, I would never go with that option.

Of course, dealer is expensive, but you know you can trust them. The real question here is, how much is trust worth for you? I learned the hard way with my transmission that not everybody puts their full motivation and effort into their work and the smallest mistakes at first can lead to much bigger problems later on.

If there is one thing i don't know about you its your financial situation, but I know that a TL 3.2L engine does not cost 500$ unless it's a lego puzzle made from other cars, cheap replacement parts or has a lot of mileage on it.

It's a tough call, i wish you luck.

 

At the top of the page under forums is regional forums, find your area and post there to get the best local advice . Over heating usually damages the heads , which may account for the reduced costs.