Oil in coolant. Engine gone?

[Aveo2010Portland]

Hey!

Sorry to be the newbie that joins to post, but seeking out answers is what helped me find this site.

A day ago I was driving down the road when my AC stopped blowing cold air. Soon after my engine read very hot. I drove it for about thirty minutes to get to jiffy lube where I had them refill my freon. It was then I was told I have oil in my coolant overflow, which was boiling rapidly.

Chevy told me I had a blown head gasket and it would be $1500 to replace. But stated that I more than likely need a new engine as there is probably something in my engine now.

In 2 days I have gone from having my cheap get-around car, to having a $5,000-$6,000 repair on a car worth barely that.

Hoping someone has some insight or advice for me on what to do from here. If what I typed up is correct and they were being sincere than I will just suck it up and get a new engine. I'm on my own with this one right now.

[avguy]

You should be able to get a rebuilt engine (with a warranty) installed for quite a bit less than 5K. Make some phone calls and ask around, but don't bother with the stealerships - they will always be way more than the independent guys.

[Aveo2010Portland]

I will look into that. Do you think the engine should be replaced here?

[avguy]

... Do you think the engine should be replaced here?

That's a tough call for anyone who is not hands-on with the vehicle. We often have doubts if a HG is really blown, but half an hour of badly overheated driving certainly sets the stage for that to happen. I'd still have a leak down test done, which should confirm the diagnosis. Those of us who DIY would automatically do the HG job because it's almost all labor and only a very small percentage being parts that we pay for. But 1.2K is a fairly big chunk of change, and there will be no guarantees that there are not additional problems with the engine.

Assuming the HG is bad, then it becomes a question of what you would be spending on a new engine (installed). If you find someone who would do a rebuilt engine (with warranty) for 2K or less, IMO that would tip the scales toward a new engine. And if your plan would be to keep this Aveo as long as possible, that would be a big reason to opt for the engine replacement.

[petrified.rabbit]

$1500 to replace the head gaskets sounds high, what else is included? is that a new timing kit and had bolts as well.

Even so, if you pay them to tear it down, then check the head. How much cost is in that? At worst you add the price of a head, not a whole engine. Depending on how long and how mixed the coolant and oil are, is what I would determine the condition on the rest of the engine, if it mixed really bad. It is possible that you washed the bearings. Its hard to say what that means in the long run. But its a risk that the bottom end has additional unwanted wear.

Oil in the coolant is better than coolant in the oil. I would check the oil to see if the transfer went both ways. Some coolants mix with oil now, so you need to check level as well as appearance.

[slayerized6]

It should only be a head gasket as of now. You're overthinking it that its the whole engine. Have the work done at an independent shop or do the work yourself.