Need car advice

So...I have learned over the past 2 years that you guys know everything! :)

I took my car in to the dealer right before Christmas for that "give us all your money" 115,000 mile check up. Everything checked out ok and they said my car was "good for winter". The price was about one car payment so I figured it was well worth it to prevent having to pay monthly car payments for a new car.

One week ago, my check engine light came on. I took it into another mechanic (not a dealer) and they said my catalytic converter needed to be replaced. He said I could continue to drive it and it would be about $850.00 (I have a Suburu). I did some research on line and learned that not all 'catalytic converter problems' are really catalytic converter problems and that I shouldn't bother to get it fixed unless I was having performance problems.

I picked the car up and it ran fine for 3 days but on Friday night when I got home from work, I noticed the engine was smoking and the hood was not closed fully (careful mechanics, I guess) :mad:. My friends dad came over and looked at it, he said my radiator was full but the reserve container was completely empty. He filled it half way with antifreeze.

This morning, I drove into work and while my car ran fine and there was no more smoke, there is a strong fumey smell. I'm thinking that is the catalytic converter issue and am probably just going to park my car until I can afford to have it fixed. My lungs have felt funny the last few days so I'm wondering if there is a lot of Carbon Monoxide being released and for my own health and the health of the ozone, I'd rather not drive it.

I guess I'm just looking for a few more opinions. Does this sound like the catalytic converter (the fumes) and the smoking the other day was the empty reservoir for the radiatior or does it sound like a more serious problem. When I do take it back in, should I take it to the dealer?

Thanks :)

I SWEAR mechanics and car dealers see a woman coming and it's all over.

I only trust my car to a high school friend who runs a car repair business. He's fair, tells it like it is, and doesn't take advantage of me. I'll never trust my car to anyone else.

I'd report them to the BBB. I drive my cars well over the 100,000 mark. That's why I always buy new cars.

I hope you can find a solution to your problem.

Once cars become computerized, it became harder to do stuff on them; you have to have the right computer reader machine, AND you have to have the source codes. I wonder if the mechanic who told you it was the catalytic converter has the right codes.

For regular servicing, I go to a local business. But for those computer light issues, I often head to the dealer figuring they will have the right diagnostics.

I hate the "check engine" light as it could be a million things. At least the oil light suggests you need oil and the gas light, well, you know you don't want that lit but you also know what to do. Check engine? :rolleyes:


I'd say it is worth a call to the dealer, or rather, go IN with the car, and tell them they just checked it all over, said all is well, and now you go this light on, what's up with this? They may be able to do the diagnosis for you for free, it you work on them. THEN you can feel that, having a second opinion, you know what is in store.

If youa re going to park the car for a time, also why not right in to one of the car columns (click and clack, Tom and Rob -- which is in our newspaper ) see if you can get info.

ALSO, if you have the time, go online and find a forum for your car. I am on PriusChat and have learned SO much about my Carmine. Folks on there will have good info for you. Like any forum, you will quickly learn the jerks (they'll make snide remarks about women ignoring a check engine light and wondering WHY she got smoke, among other things) and won't be helpful.

If you go the forum route, start buy searching make AND MODEL. The more specific the forum, the better. When you post, include the make, model AND YEAR, the package if you know it. Beats me why car makers love to change the codes year to year, package to package, but sometimes they do. The more info you post, the better the replies will be.

Best wishes!

It does not sound like a catalytic converter problem would cause all that smoke. Get back to the dealer and explain what you've told us, and I am sure they have your information on file.

A catalytic converter is further down the exhaust system, not right under the hood, and has nothing to do with the radiator's fluids ... And the "fumey" smell could have been that your friend's dad just spilled some antifreeze when he was refilling the reservoir, and they were being burned off when you can the car next.

Thanks everyone! I decided to bring it in to a local mechanic who my friend uses and trusts. I won't tell him anything about the Cat. Conv. and will just see what he comes up with.

That's a good idea, having him do a "blind" check on the car so he doesn't get any preconceived notions. My Matrix's check engine light comes on a lot; it's very picky about what gas it likes. The cat. converter did go, but it was under warrantee. (I actually had two big warranty repairs; my tranny and the catalytic converter! Not what one would expect for a Toyota, until recently.)

Some lights come on because it's the LIGHT that is malfunctioning.

I suspect the smoke and continuing smell come from the rad fluid that might have spilled or overheated.

You could check your former mechanic's listing on the BBB site and see what the reports are. Bad reports aren't necessarily "bad" - it all depends on how the garage handled them!

The 2nd mechanic said I have a bad head gasket "not quite blown but close". They don't fix those and recommended the dealer, who quoted me $1,200.00. Fun! :)

It's a subi 2.5l flat 4......you can take the darned engine out and fix it on the diningroom table!

The headgasket would, however, explain the low coolant and the CEL.

Just FYI, OBD II codes (anything 1996 or later) are universal, and you don't need a Ford code reader to read ford codes, and the codes are universal. Doesn't matter if it's the scantron at AutoZone or the $20K diagnostic computer at the local auto shop, they're all reading the same failure codes.

The difference is in how deep the diagnostics can get, whether it's just reading codes or allowing the mech to do a live monitor diagnosis.

It was the head gasket and it is fixed and running like new. I had to wear a gas mask to drive it into the dealer to be fixed; the fumes were so bad :)