hachiroku

Engine would be ok still, but i'd definitely need the entire heads removed to replace the snapped stud correct?

engine was parked and the low coolant indicator appeared. it seems i've been having a slow slow coolant leak. twice in the past 8 months i've started my engine and have had a rough idle til warmed up. Haven't seen any coolant run off anywhere on the motor so... ya...

what have people paid for this repair work at an independent repair shop?

stockC43

If you have coolant leaking into a cylinder (runs rough at startup) you can easily bend a connecting rod due to a hydro lock. Just saying, the fact that this has been going on for 8 months and you've been driving it you could of done some serious damage. You should of stopped driving it immediately. I would either have a dealer do it or a shop that has done multiple m156 engines. These engines are way too expensive to have a inexperienced Indy tech screw something up.

Ruthle55

Why in the world would you think this is a headbolt issue? If you were leaking that much coolant you would have spun a rod bearing by now.

CarbonHan

its one of the main symptoms of a head bolt issue.

hachiroku

i'm set to have a leak down test or similar test done Friday or sometime next week. also going to request a exhaust gas in coolant test as well as any other tests.

if i need to go under surgery how reliable are the updated head bolts? $900 dollars for Weistec ARP studs are a bit extreme, but the piece of mind is worth the value.

hachiroku

because i am not losing much coolant at all. this is the first time in 1 year of ownership that the low coolant light has appeared. anyway having it checked out soon.

what have folks paid for independent shop repair? i've read online that the dealer charges 5k for headbolt swap. not sure if that includes pulling the heads entirely and replacing all gaskets.

FeelThePower

Why don't you just top the coolant up and call it a day if everything else is running fine?

hachiroku

because if the headbolt is in fact causing coolant to leak, i'd like to repair it before the engine has the opportunity to hydrolock.

not cheap though...i've been quoted for 3500 using all factory parts from an independent if that were the situation. add in 900-1000 for Weistec studs....yowza...

Hulk

Has the car been over heating or running hot? Have you thought that maybe the coolant sensor is bad? Before you go opening everything up make sure the little things are checked

hachiroku

not overheating...not hot. for the past 2-5 months when i park on a slope my car would progressively read coolant level low please top off. last week the car on a flat surface read, low coolant. when the engine is run it would go away, but progressively now its always on.

as since the alerts progressively began appearing more and more i think the sensor is ok...but haven't looked to refill yet. still having AirMatic issues. gotta tow the car to a European repair shop on Friday to receive diagnosis and repair. Gonna ask them to appropriately check the cooling system as well. at what interval does the water pump generally need replacement? maybe its the waterpump...

Hulk

Have you had to add coolant/water ever? If not then it can be that sensor, those sensors go bad