KraZeeZX Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Ok.. I got ALL that great work done yesterday on the Z. So.. today I took it right to the front of my neigborhood (1 block away) to get it inspected (they do inspections 7 day a week). I start it up... temp at 160, oil pressure fine, power steering how it should be.. . everuthing was running great. I get it there and they start doing the inspection... it passed everything on the look-over. So then they get it on the dyno to do an emissions test... I'm talking on the phone standing right outside the shop and they start running the car. About 2 minutes of it running at low rpms and all of a sudden.. SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I look over and GOBS of white smoke is pouring out of my precious Z. :eek2: I nearly died right there on the spot. I run over and see what the heck happened... the lower radiator hose popped off the radiator and threw coolant all over the engine! They cut the car off thank god and got a tech to look it over. They reattatched the hose, and clamped it down with a MUCH better clamp than what was on there and then found out that all of the other clamps on my hoses were loose too! So now I'm really confused... I know I checked the clamps over.. but they weren't tight enough I guess. So then they refill it with coolant and try to start it up and run the test again. BAD IDEA. The temp sensor is reading 250+ (it should be at 180) and they're sitting there expecting to run through an entire emissions test!!!!???!!! I don't think so. So after starting the car and letting it die... they started it again and tried to drive it on the dyno real quick to pass off the test... WRONG IDEA again... it started shooting a bit of black smoke out of the exhaust!!! So now I'm even more pissed.. I told them to just screw the inspection and get the car off of the dyno.. it needed to cool down, but for some reason, they though the new coolant would instantly alleviate that problem! So I get it out, roll it aside, and got them to let me use a compressed air hose to blast away all of the coolant in my bay. I sprayed the radiator for a while too and got the temp back down to 200. So now I'm ready to drive it back home quickly (for that 1 block). I go to start it... the fan isn't working on the radiator (I'm assuming they blew my relay) and then it didnt start all together! Got them to let me use a battery charger.. hooked it up.. started the car and quicly left... with squeeling power steering now... and got it back home... the temp only went up to 210 on the ride back. So wow.. amazing how a required inspection can completely RUIN all of the hard work I put into the car in only a matter of 20 min!!!! This morning.. the car ran perfect... NOW... it's still hot, my radiator fan doesn't work... and I have a mysterious power steering leak! Un-freaking-believable. Sorry, but I just had to rant. It sucks... I am not letting any shops do maintenance on my car, but an inspection has to be done in order to get the darn sticker... and it figures that they would end up messing up my car. I'm just glad it wasn't anything worse than the radiator hose... but now I have to go take care of all that. Just added frustration. Grrrr... ok.. now to go and relax before I pass out from all this stress!!!! Be safe guys.. and tighten your radiator hoses! -Vann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COZY Z COLE Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 DAMN!!!!! This is part of the Hybrid world we live in . Seems my list of things to do for a long distance drive applies also for a one block drive. http://hybridz.org/nuke/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=37351 LARRY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dot Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 That really sucks. You better hope none of that coolent got sucked into the intake. It'll ruin the O2 sensor and fail the next test. When it comes to hybrids, it usually is dark before things turn out really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Actually you really did beter by finding these problems parked in a garage than on the interstate 20 miles from home. If you were at speed you might not have noticed the steam and really trashed the block and heads (aluminum warps when it gets over heated). Every cloud has a silver, well you know. Consider youself lucky and may the HybridZ force be with you, Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KraZeeZX Posted October 4, 2004 Author Share Posted October 4, 2004 That really sucks. You better hope none of that coolent got sucked into the intake. It'll ruin the O2 sensor and fail the next test.When it comes to hybrids' date=' it usually is dark before things turn out really good.[/quote'] Ya... I think the filter has held up fine, but I made sure to dry it out before running the car again. I definately dont need any more sensor problems! Actually you really did beter by finding these problems parked in a garage than on the interstate 20 miles from home. If you were at speed you might not have noticed the steam and really trashed the block and heads (aluminum warps when it gets over heated). Every cloud has a silver' date=' well you know. Consider youself lucky and may the HybridZ force be with you, Dale[/quote'] I'm definately agreeing with you here... I would be pretty much screwed if I had taken the car anywhere else and that had happened. Lucky it was at a shop, but still crappy that it caused so many other problems to pop up. I was having such great luck with all my little jobs I was doing, but I guess it had finally run out (depending on which way you look at it ) It just irks me though that all of the problems so far have been started by someone else's hands other than my own! Oh well... once it finally passes inspection, I will be the only one doing any maintenance... that is, until next year's inspection! lol It's all just dumb setbacks... I'll get em all taken care of and get my Z back on the road in no time! -Vann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 I don't think it's fair to blame the inspection station for the problems. I actually think it was REALLY nice of them to assist you the way they did...... All the problems that you had appear to be normal conversion 'teething problems' and bugs..... Hope it all come together soon!! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KraZeeZX Posted October 5, 2004 Author Share Posted October 5, 2004 I don't think it's fair to blame the inspection station for the problems. I actually think it was REALLY nice of them to assist you the way they did...... All the problems that you had appear to be normal conversion 'teething problems' and bugs..... Hope it all come together soon!! Tim Ya it was nice of them.. and I'm not blaming them for the initial blowout, but for trying to drive it 2 times while it was EXTREMELY overheated without even waiting??? That's not good at all. -Vann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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