2001 Sport..To Sell or Not to Sell..Blown Head Gasket

[debby]

Hello

I bought a 2001 Explorer Sport almost 5 months ago..200,000 miles in (seemingly) great condition inside out . I bought it from an older gentleman who seemed impeccable and very knowledgeable about cars..especially Fords. He had bought a new Ford SUV and wanted to sell his 2001 Sport. I was impressed with him and how well the car had been cared for. It was Car Faxed and I also had records from the mechanic he had been taking it to. All good.

I vaguely remember one morning while checking under the hood that the radiator cap was off. (Also seeing some splattered rust color around the engine and hood) I was thinking I may have mistakenly removed the cap the day before (just checking things out under the hood of my "new / old car.) and did not put it back. Didnt know splatter was a possible clue of circumstances to come. .Never checked the water level.in radiator. I figured water looked filled in the tank. . I put the cap back on and proceeded to drive. .I dont remember having a car with a radiator cap in years...I forgot its function.

To make this story short.....By late afternoon car sounded bad and began overheating. I was lucky to pull into a gas station close by and waited for it to cool down....Then Added Water to Radiator !!(by then too late!)
Next morning drove it to a garage. Oil looked very dark. They then saw a thermostat housing crack ..that was a problem but when the mechanic was checking the pressure it seemed like everything blew and oil turned quickly to milky color. Blown Head Gasket ..100%. (Several mechanics have since looked and all agree)

Not sure if this was my fault for driving the car on empty water in radiator of if radiator was blowing the cap off from overheating because of thermostat housing issue. I was just very upset after having the car only 7 days. Six of those days were wonderful driving experiences.....I was loving the car!

This vehicle drives but of course I will not drive it. It has been sitting here other than I start it a couple times a week. But sitting is not good. Dont know to sell on Craigslist as mechanic special or keep it. I was quoted 1700 to fix but who knows how much that can go up once he is inside.

I really love the car. Great for Kayaks and Bikes.
I have another car but may not have too much more time with it.

Any suggestions?
Thank you to...whoever has read this

Deb...

 

[George Orwell]

Hello

I bought a 2001 Explorer Sport almost 5 months ago..200,000 miles in (seemingly) great condition inside out . I bought it from an older gentleman who seemed impeccable and very knowledgeable about cars..especially Fords. He had bought a new Ford SUV and wanted to sell his 2001 Sport. I was impressed with him and how well the car had been cared for. It was Car Faxed and I also had records from the mechanic he had been taking it to. All good.

I vaguely remember one morning while checking under the hood that the radiator cap was off. (Also seeing some splattered rust color around the engine and hood) I was thinking I may have mistakenly removed the cap the day before (just checking things out under the hood of my "new / old car.) and did not put it back. Didnt know splatter was a possible clue of circumstances to come. .Never checked the water level.in radiator. I figured water looked filled in the tank. . I put the cap back on and proceeded to drive. .I dont remember having a car with a radiator cap in years...I forgot its function.

To make this story short.....By late afternoon car sounded bad and began overheating. I was lucky to pull into a gas station close by and waited for it to cool down....Then Added Water to Radiator !!(by then too late!)
Next morning drove it to a garage. Oil looked very dark. They then saw a thermostat housing crack ..that was a problem but when the mechanic was checking the pressure it seemed like everything blew and oil turned quickly to milky color. Blown Head Gasket ..100%. (Several mechanics have since looked and all agree)

Not sure if this was my fault for driving the car on empty water in radiator of if radiator was blowing the cap off from overheating because of thermostat housing issue. I was just very upset after having the car only 7 days. Six of those days were wonderful driving experiences.....I was loving the car!

This vehicle drives but of course I will not drive it. It has been sitting here other than I start it a couple times a week. But sitting is not good. Dont know to sell on Craigslist as mechanic special or keep it. I was quoted 1700 to fix but who knows how much that can go up once he is inside.

I really love the car. Great for Kayaks and Bikes.
I have another car but may not have too much more time with it.

Any suggestions?
Thank you to...whoever has read this

Deb...

So you didn't check the condition of the radiator coolant BEFORE purchasing the vehicle?

 

[debby]

No....I needed a car quickly...I did this transaction on my own. The person was convincing and said he would have no problem with a check prior to purchase . I felt he was on the up and up and got the car I wanted and needed the next day for work. I don't know if it was his irresponsibility or mine. That aspect is over. I have learned but now the issue is the condition of the car itself..and if repairing gaskets is worth it.
Thanks..

 

[Frank trac]

I guess I'd fix it and try to get your money's worth out of it. Selling it as is condition might prove to be difficult and a loosing proposition in the end. I'd also shop around for a better price for that repair. Head gaskets are almost always mostly labor and that number can very from shop to shop. Good luck and I hope it all works out for the best.

 

[sr139fox]

Get the transmission serviced too. Filter and fluid. No flush. The transmission fluid is probably burnt too. Dave P.

 

[koda2000]

Sounds like the old geezer screwed you over. Needing a vehicle quickly is no reason for not doing due diligence when buying a used vehicle. Oh well, mark it up to lessons learned I guess. Rusty water in the cooling system was a big clue the vehicle was not maintained.

You don't say what engine it has (I assume it would be a SOHC V6 in an '01 Sport) $1700 sounds about right to replace the head gaskets and get everything else squared away, however the SOHC V6 also suffers from timing chain component problems and if the engine is apart, these parts should also be replaced (this requires the engine to be removed from the truck). It's not a matter of IF the timing chain components will go bad, but WHEN. Making these repairs along with the head gaskets may make the job too expensive and if your mechanic doesn't know what he's doing you can end up with an engine that still has problems.

You won't get much for a vehicle as a "mechanic's special" (especially a 4.0L SOHC V6) as a lot of mechanics won't even want to work on them. You don't say what you paid for the truck, but putting more than $3k total into it isn't worth it IMO. Where I live, they sell for around $2000-$2500 in good working condition (some for under $2000).

Next time you buy a used vehicle, have a qualified mechanic check it out thoroughly first. It will cost you a few bucks, but it will save you money in the long run.

Good luck.

 

[debby]

Yes ...absolutely correct! I will never purchase a car and not have it checked out no matter how "honest" or "respectable" the person seems from whom Im buying it. Its a long story but invariably circumstances did work out for the best even if I was "taken for a ride" or was too naive about this vehicle. Now its just about a good looking 2001 black Sport of no value while it just sits in my driveway.

The person had this car listed at 2300...I bought it at 2000. It looked great ...inside out...no rust...ran beautiful...tires new...I went to his mechanic to ask about car care....he said all was up to date on the SUV but he really hadnt seen the guy in a while. Im still thinking maybe I forgot to put the cap back on when looking inside the car the day I got it and all the radiator fluid blew out and I was driving without a cap so it overheated and blew. I just dont remember if I took that cap off or not. Cant bother with the thought any more ....It is what it is and was what it was. Now I have this car sitting with no "life" at all!

It sounds as if this vehicle will cost more than 1700 to fix...with transmission fluid..thermo housing...timing chain...etc. Taking the whole engine out sounds very intense. It would be best to get a new engine. Plus the car has 200000...not sure what else might be worn out. Maybe I can get 7 to 800 on Craigslist. Just not sure. No one was jumping at 1000 . Just hate to see it sit and sit with no purpose. I thought a mechanic could put in the time and money ...maybe 800..900 and resell it for over 2 or 3000. Just a guess.

 

[koda2000]

I'm sorry to hear you got ripped off. As a non-runner I think you're looking at maybe $400-$500 unless you manage to find someone who maybe got rear-ended and is looking for a good body to stick their engine in.

The other weak(er) part of the SOHC V6's drivetrain is the transmission. That would be another $1700-$2300 in repairs if it would go out. Rebuilt engines run $1700-$2400 on top of that.

If it makes you feel any better, I think that even if you had left the radiator cap loose/off that wouldn't necessarily have caused you to overheat. The system normally runs below the coolant's boiling point (around 190-205 degrees). Every pound in the rad cap get's you around another 2-3 degrees of temp w/out boiling over. Plus you'd have to go many years with out maintaining the coolant system to have it be full of rust, or just have used water in the system w/out any antifreeze.

 

[debby]

Well... It was fun while it lasted. (5 days). I will put it on Craigslist and hope for the best but won't expect much.

Thank you....