leftofthedial
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:05 PM
Original message |
DU automobile mechanic folks--what happened? |
|
you were a big help recently when I had a troubling vibration in the front-end of my Saturn. I did the wheel balance and alignment and tire rotation thing and it got much better, but didn't go away. I took it into the Saturn dealer. They said there was nothing wrong, but if it got worse to bring it back in.
Last Sunday night I was driving on the freeway, 50-55mph when there was a loud "snap" and a thump. I thought I'd had a blowout on the right front tire. The car started to move to the right, then suddenly the wheel spontaneously jerked hard to the left--so hard I couldn't turn the wheel at all. In fact, I literally tore every muscle in the left side of my torso trying to turn the wheel and regain control of the car. The car went into a spin (3 or 4 times? I couldn't even tell) and finally stopped in the median. Thankfully, I hit no other cars.
My car is totaled, I have the aforementioned torn muscles, but no other injuries.
Any idea what happened?
|
lazarus
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:07 PM
Response to Original message |
|
or front axle. Broke. Very bizarre.
|
leftofthedial
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:10 PM
Response to Reply #1 |
6. I'll tell you it freaked me out |
|
one minute I'm driving my car
the next it is totally uncontrollable.
I'm still shook up.
|
bahrbearian
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:07 PM
Response to Original message |
Worst Username Ever
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:08 PM
Response to Original message |
3. God, I am blanking on the name of the part. Basically your wheel fell |
|
off, or about halfway off since there are two connectors and you lost one of them. Damn... blanking...
|
Worst Username Ever
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:12 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
|
Edited on Fri Jan-07-05 07:13 PM by Worst Username Ever
that is what I am trying to think of. You busted the ball joint, the part that conencts the axles to your wheel and allows you to stear a front-wheel drive car. Bascially the wheel partially disconnected from the car.
|
leftofthedial
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:39 PM
Response to Reply #8 |
15. it was impossible to budge the steering wheel |
|
now the right wheel points 90 degrees to the left and the right wheel points straight, but "sags" inward.
As violent as the "turn" to the left was, I'm just glad to be alive and that no one else was injured.
|
Wilber_Stool
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:10 PM
Response to Original message |
|
rack and pinion steering. Big bucks.
|
leftofthedial
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:40 PM
Response to Reply #4 |
16. the repair estimator has already told me it's totaled |
|
so at least I won't have to fix it.
|
Spinzonner
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:10 PM
Response to Original message |
|
Are you going to bring it back in ?
Oh, and sue their asses off ?
|
leftofthedial
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:11 PM
Response to Reply #5 |
|
they also totally misdiagnosed a virtually dead battery that died and left me stranded the very next day. Unbelievable.
|
leftofthedial
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:41 PM
Response to Reply #5 |
17. that is, I know I won't bring it back in |
|
it's totaled.
I don't know about sueing.
|
ayeshahaqqiqa
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:13 PM
Response to Original message |
|
a tire could have blown, steering linkage could have broken, the axle could have broken. The first thing that came to mind was broken axle, because a problem there could very easily have been missed when they worked on the front end. And it could have caused the vibration.
This information from my husband, ASE Master mechanic.
|
leftofthedial
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:15 PM
Response to Reply #9 |
|
for the excellent info
I don't know what to do about it.
|
ayeshahaqqiqa
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:30 PM
Response to Reply #11 |
14. Get in touch with your insurance company |
|
They have your car now, I assume, and they are looking into what caused the accident. Find out from them. Also let them know about the repairs and what the dealership said about the car being ok.Give them copies of your receipts.
If it turns out to be something that a reasonable mechanic should have spotted, go to the dealer to seek restitution. If he fails to cooperate, get an attorney.
|
leftofthedial
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:41 PM
Response to Reply #14 |
18. my insurance company is on it |
|
I'll ask them Monday
Thanks!
|
mr_hat
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:14 PM
Response to Original message |
10. I think you're all wrong. I'm guessing a snapped axle at > |
|
the CV joint.
Your dealership put your life in danger by mis-diagnosing that.
|
Worst Username Ever
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:18 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
12. The axle went, or the CV joint went? |
|
If the CV joint went, he would ahve known long, long ago (there is no missing the clicking of a worn CV joint).
|
mr_hat
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:20 PM
Response to Reply #12 |
13. They're one and the same anymore. > |
|
Mechanics replace the entire assembly from the joint to the rack and pinion.
|
yorgatron
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Jan-07-05 07:46 PM
Response to Reply #13 |
19. they told you everything was OK? |
DU
AdBot (1000+ posts) |
Thu Apr 25th 2024, 06:30 AM
Response to Original message |