Need some serious advice....

[TJMaxx]

Good call LDub!! I sent him a message - I'll let you know what I find out.... thanks for the replys guys!
Ross

[TJMaxx]

On the Isuzu site it says the 10 year -120,000 mile powertrain warranty is transferrable to direct family members only - so I really dont know where that leaves me.... I did some complaining to the service manager at the dealership, I just cant believe that the thing cant be fixed with a helicoil or something... he called me back, left a message said he may have some helpful information for me... - we'll see.... I chat with him in the A.M.

[etlsport]

My apologies, i just looked in the warranty book that came with my VX.... there is a warranty for subsequent owners that arent related.. but its 60 mo/ 60k miles, sorry about the mix up!

[alleycat]

They used to have devices to repair a messed up spark plug hole. Why hasn't repair of the spark plug hole in your head being mentioned. They would drill out the defective hole and insert a" piece" with threads for a standard plug. Can't they do that any more? I have seen it work on everything from cars to lawn mowers. I forget the name of the procedure tool.

[VR4-Quest]

You can HELI-COIL the saprk plug hole, its routinely done. Like mentioned, you thread a new set of "threads" into the previous hole. usually requires enlarging the current hole. The you plug "bites" into the new metal threads. I would first go back to the shop that made the intake gasket repair and have them access the damages and make them pay/repair the spark plug hole. Do you even know for sure what amount of damage was done, what did the dealer say? And why would you have gone to the dealer and not back to the place that did they original repair, sounds related to me. Definitely look at repairing and not replacing the head!

[TJMaxx]

I did take it back to the dealer ( the ones who did the intake gasket) - they say its not necessary to remove the plugs for this and they dont.... so they're saying they have never touched the plugs... when they first gave me the estimate - i was all over them about helicoiling it, but they insisted it was too far damaged - now this morning after my pressure to the service manager- he says they have a "special tool" that can replace the threads -"not a helicoil though" and I may get by with repairs costing only 400.00. Whatever.... I still dont understand why my spark plug would just all of the sudden blow out of the cylinder - I still say they removed the plugs to do the intake gasket, even though it isnt required to do so

[VehiGAZ]

TJMaxx, from one Connecticut VXer to another - who was the offending dealer?

For what it's worth, I think it must have been a cross-threaded plug - I cannot imagine any other cause, and I've never even heard of such a thing happening to anyone. They may have pulled the plugs to check for evidence of poor combustion (every mechanic I know can tell what's wrong with a poorly-running engine by looking at the plugs), but I guess that wouldn't have been the one to pull; or the mechanic pulled the valve cover off to make the intake gasket replacement easier (my buddy who used to have a Trooper with the 3.2L just told me that's how he did it).

Although it's absolute nonsense for them to say that "they don't pull the valve cover off to change the intake gasket" (really, how can a service manager categorically say that there's no way in the world that the mechanic in the shop didn't pull it durign the repair that happened 2 months prior?!), they're not going to willingly admit their mistake.

Good luck!!!