Please Help - Repair Facility Replaced Knock Sensor Damaged Engine

[Rebecca001]

I recently had my 97 J30 Infiniti repaired at a repair facility. The repair facility stated to me that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. I paid $1,261.00. A week had past and I had called the repair facility to see if they had completed repairing my vehicle. Then another week, then another... Same response... I will have the owner call you. Finally, I get a call from the mechanic, "Jason". He said my car would be ready on Saturday. I called my sister, Jana, and she had taken me and my daughter to the repair facility to pickup my car. We waited 45 minutes and the mechanic and the owner came out to the lobby and said can you please come with me (I guess because several customers were in the lobby and they did not want the customers to hear). We walked to the vehicle and I saw that my engine was gone from the car. There were several parts laying on the ground in front of my car. The owner said there is a problem. The mechanic damaged your engine while replacing the knock sensor and were sorry and that they would replace all parts with new parts "just the way it was". The mechanic, "Jason", then had talked to me expressing how sorry he was but he was instructed by his boss to do the repair and how he did not feel qualified/comfortable performing the repair on the car. (I thought we drove all the way out here - me and my daughter waited 45 minutes thinking the car had been repaired and was ready for pickup as stated by the owner - and to top it off, I had tocall my sister to pick us up.) That Wednesday, the owner, said he would put me in a rental and asked if I could leave work to pick it up which I did. I calledthat next week. No answer.. called the week after and asked for the owner - he said he would have him call me back - two months had passed going ontwo and a half months. The owner finally called me back and said he had to hire someone outside the shop to fix my engine. I asked him if all parts were new. He said yes... He said just enjoy the rent-a-car and we will call you when it is repaired. Going on three months, I got a call from the owner that the car was ready and he asked if I could leave work to pickup the car which I did. I get my car back. On my way back to work, I noticed the car is jumping and it dies at the light and my engine light comes on. It took me 20 minutes to restart the car. I called the repair facility and the owner is not there. I then asked for Jason who had worked on the car. He said he got fired and no longer works there. I explained what my car was doing. He said well .. the engine may need time to adjust and to drive it on the highway. I said, No... the engine light came on and the car died.. and so on and so on.... He said he would have the owner call me back... On my way home, the car was jumping,stalling, making loud noises coming from the engine... I was scared to death to drive the car. When I got home, I popped the hood from the engineand noticed that it didn't look right. The Infiniti (silver part) 3.0 liter missing from car. I took several photographs of the engine. The next day leaving for work, my car died 6 times at lights... I was an hour and a half late for work.I constantly called the owner... no one would answer the phone. I had to deal with this for a week and a half before the owner would call meback. The owner finally called my office and said lets talk about the car and Iwill pick you up for lunch. He did. I refused lunch - he kept patting me on the back and said he was sorry and would make it right. I told him about the silver part missing from the engine. He stated, "Oh, we left it on the ground and forgot to put it back on, we will put it back on for you." He then said, "do you have time to bring your car up to my shop for another look." I leftwork again to bring it up there. I received a phone call from another mechanic who said it needed like 4 other things replaced on the engine and said I would be charge for the diagnostics????? I thought WHAT? I said just leavethe keys in the ignition and I will be by to pickup the car after work. The following weekend, my daughter and I were going to the store and wesmelt fumes/smoke coming from the engine and had to pull over the car because we could not breathe.Does any one know what they could have done to my engine when replacing the knock sensor? What is the shop hiding from me? Any recommendations and/or information that could help me is greatly appreciated.Thank you for your time and assistance.

B. EvansEmail: [email protected]

[littlewillie]

Modified by littlewillie at 10:52 PM 12/23/2007

[Rebecca001]

I am not sure why they did not tell me why the engine was taken out of the car. I have several pictures of before pictures to be safe before I took in my car for repair. I appreciate your reply Willie and will report to the BBB and will also hire an attorney. I may have to take to Sewell Infiniti here in Dallas and have one of the experienced mechanics take a look at it and to right a report of exactly what they "Kwik Kar" did to my car. I may have to hire an experienced mechanic as an expert when I get an attorney.Thanks Willie for your reply.

[littlewillie]

Modified by littlewillie at 10:53 PM 12/23/2007

[95-J30tt]

the engine doesnt need to be removed for the knock Sensor to be replaced, i've replaced them on the J, it takes a good day of work, but defenately not taking the engine out.....

i would make a huge deal out of it, rental just doesnt pay for the aftermath that you are going through......

what do the fumes smell like? (exhaust?), you are saying that the engine is noisy, i think it might be the exhaust not connected properly

for your safety, dont drive the car if you smell fuel

i'm just assuming, but, it might be that the engine they installed came from a 300zx (easy to come by, but the problem is that it is an OBDI system), it wont work properly unless it is tuned right, and the ECU replaced with the correct one (pre 1995 model).... but that is just a thought, dont quote me on it, but it would be a good idea to check....

run the engine codes, see what comes up, since it is an OBDII system (the original ECU "Engine Control Unit" system in the 1997 J30), then you will need an engine code reader or just take it to a shop to check the codes for you, it will cost you less than a 100$, but it's worth it to know what codes there are

finally, i suggest that you take it to a third party, reputable 300zx specialist around your area (i'm saying 300zx, because the engines and transmissions in the J30 are the same as the 300zx), the mechanics there would know exactly what is wrong with the engine right away, with now horsing around..... they usually stock extra engines and parts ready to go, so repairing time would be short too..... anyways, i hope that this helps, good luck, and please update us on what happens

[95-J30tt]

Check your e-mail

[Rebecca001]

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. The information you provided is very helpful and I am going to take the steps that you recommended. I greatly appreciate and have a great week. As soon as I know more, I will let you know. Thanks again.

[yodawill2000]

If you would please state the name of the repair place so I can avoid it.I'm over here in Grand Prairie.

[RZAA36]

I feel so bad for you, they took you for a ride, i would take them to the court and solve it there. Take it to the dealer and have it fixed the right way then make the bad shop pay for it!!!

Good Luck

Sorry to hear the bad luck you had. the J30 is a car that not alot of people can fix.

[littlewillie]

Modified by littlewillie at 10:53 PM 12/23/2007

[puck]

Wow, just wow. That is awful. I'd document as much of that as possible and take them to small claims court with the intention to win back whatever the value of the car was in money and start over with another car. Good luck.

-that is all

[driverdriver]

Welcome to NICO!!!

I feel sorry for all the problems you've had with the repair facility and your J.

Does any of your local news channels have a consumer affairs segment or reporter as part of thw weekly newscast? I would contact them. I would also contact an attorney.

[coolyun_98]

Sue the bastards.

1) Have the Infiniti Dealer looked at the car.2) State what was the problem b4 and after the repair.3) Have the Infiniti Dealer wrote down a report on what is damaged by the bastards.4) Have the dealer repaired the car.5) Gather all receipts6) Find a lawyer.7) Get tons of compensation. Maybe a J30 with a new engine.