Automotive Machine & Import Engine - Adirondack Auto Repair ripoff Argyle, Queensbury New York

I purchased an new rebuilt engine from Automotive Machine & Import Engine(AMIE)for approx.$2000. The new engine was shipped to my mechanic @(RX4-Speed)and they installed the new engine.

My mechanic heard a tapping, he said is sounded like rod knock. AMIE said it was probably just a lifter sticking or piston slap. The car was drivable but soon it began to overheat continually and the tapping became more frequent and louder.

We could not keep enough antifreeze in the car. We didn't know where it was going. There were no signs of leakage or puddles under the car. RX4-Speed suspected the copper head gasket as the culprit.

AMIE authorized RX4-Speed to pull the head and check the head gasket. The head gasket was not o-ringed. A leak test was done and RX4-Speed determined that must be where the antifreeze was going into the piston chambers.

The over-heating was getting worse and finally the engine spun a bearing. The new motor was installed in April 2004. It spun a bearing in July 2004. This motor has a one year warranty.

I towed the car 270 miles back to AIME the end of August 2004.

AIME had the car for 5 months. They continually found something else wrong with the car or were to busy to work on it.

I was promised a complete written diagonstic of the blown engine. AIME said he would honor the written one-year guarantee that was suppose to come w/the engine but didn't. They mailed me the warranty months after the engine had spun a bearing.

The warranty also stated that the installer must use a new remote oil cooler, otherwise the warranty is void. We did.

AIME said he had to take care of his paying customers first, so I had to wait. He told me on numerous occassions that the car would be finished any day but then something else always came up.

He told me he changed the fuel injectors and the fuel regulator and the car was running 94-96%. I said that was good enough and I will come up to get it.

I was driving up from Mt. Holly the Tuesday after Christmas to the Glen Falls area, about a 4-5 hour drive, to get the car. He called me when I was about 45 minutes away from his repair shop.

He said there was another problem with the car and if I drove it back to New Jersey he would not honor the warranty.

When I got there after his disturbing phone call. He also had a $1,300.00 bill for me to pay. I left w/o the car.

He told me he put a new rebuilt engine in the car and it was perfect and nothing was wrong with it. The problem was with the SAFC.

He told me quite a few times, he took the car for test rides exceeding 20 miles. One time he ran out of gas.

AIME was frustrated and wanted to wash their hands of this mess! He talked about having spent too much time on money on this piece of !%#$.

The people running Adirondack Auto Repair wanted to keep working on the car, but couldn't until I squared away the bill with AIME, their landlord.

I made an appointment to pick up the car @ AIME's repair shop(Adirondack Auto Repair) w/ my mechanic from RX4-Speed on Jan. 15th, 2005.

The car was @ his repair shop (Adirondack Auto Repair). He apparently rents this property called Adirondack Auto Repair to two former employees.

My mechanic looked over the car, started it up. Made a few changes to the wiring he saw was installed incorrectly, made adjustments to the fuel regulator which was @ 55lbs. not 43lbs., as well as a couple of other small adjustments. He felt this should be ok to get back to Jersey.

I had to pay the bills to get the car out of there! They refused checks, so I paid cash! I knew I was getting ripped off, that feeling made it worse, but I had no choice.

Adirondack Auto Repair said I authorized diagnostic and replacement of sensors. We only talked about what might be wrong based on error codes coming from a diagnostic test confirmed by AIME.

Adirondack Auto Repair replaced my mass airflow sensor, when I asked for the old one, they said they gave it to someone who can fix it. The also could not give me my old O2(downsteam)sensor they said they replaced, they didn't know where it was. They also charged me for 5 hours of diagnostic testing.

Adirondack Auto Repair was suppose to discuss our options after AIME was out of the picture. They had a $600.00 bill waiting for me on 1-15-2005. I didn't even pay AIME yet!

I wasn't suppose to pay anyone anything because the engine was under warranty.

I paid AIME $ 800.00 and Adirondack Auto Repair $500.00
I desperately wanted to get the car out of there so I paid the bills.

My mechanic drove the car about two miles to get gas, we then went about another 10-12 miles and pulled over. My mechanic said something is not right, the car has lost power.

We opened the hood and the engine manifold was glowing red. It melted one of the plastic fans that has previously melted. Adirondack Auto Repair said they had melted the fan and they were going to replace it, but they didn't.

I called up U-Haul in Albany, rented an auto-transporter, drove to Albany to get the auto transporter and drove back up to Glen Falls back to the car, we put the '95 Mitsubishi GSX on the transporter and drove it back to Jersey.

Sunday morning JAN. 16th 2005, my mechanic @ RX4-Speed did a compression test(using two different tester) and all four pistons were @ 80 lbs. There was oil all over the bottom of the engine, there was an exaust leak and there was rust and peeled paint on the bottom end of this supposidly new rebiult engine. We have digital pictures.

This is not the promised new rebuilt engine I waited 5 months for. This is a pile of junk. They jerked me around for 5 months with dozens of excuses. I am out another $1,300.00 between AIME and that repair shop. I have a worthless engine. I have been ripped off!

AIME also said he had to replace the cluth and the flywheel. That is total BS!

The clutch was fine before the bearing spun back in July of 2004. If anyone burnt the clutch, they did, test driving it during the last 5 months.

I need my money back($ 3,300.00) or a new rebuilt engine that works! Please don't let them get away with this.

That amount does not include the two rentals of the auto transporters($225.00 total)from u-haul or gas and tolls($240.00 total).

So right now I am back to square one with this car...I have lost 5 months and thousands of dollars. The car doesn't run and the motor has to come out again!

Edward
Mt. Holly, New Jersey
U.S.A.