So I'm kinda fucked and need opinions. A week ago I inspected and test drove a 2004 Mustang GT in really nice shape...

So I'm kinda fucked and need opinions. A week ago I inspected and test drove a 2004 Mustang GT in really nice shape. Ended up buying it and picked it up today. The test drive a week ago was fine. The drive home (1.5hrs on the highway) was fine.

Parked it at my house (sounding great,) and half an hour later I started it up and heard A LOUD FUCKING ROD KNOCK. Sounds awful like an old diesel. So what the fuck happened?

-Oil's full and looks great
-Not an exhaust or plug leak
-Sounds like it's coming from the oil pan
-Not an accessory problem
-Didn't overspeed or overheat it on the way home
-Oil pressure and engine temp were good
-No CELs
-Car was maintained by a Ford dealer on a schedule for the previous owner, who DDed it for 11 years

I know 4.6s can sometimes have issues, but this seems nuts. Does this just suddenly happen? Is there any way it could have been a preexisting problem and just suddenly happened?

Drain the oil, see what it looks like.

I'm going to change the oil and the filter tomorrow. The stuff on the dipstick looks clean. It was changed around 2500mi ago.

You sure it's a rod knock and not something stupid like a cracked flywheel?

It doesn't seem to change with the clutch in or out. I haven't spent much time looking at it today. Just that it sounds like it's coming from the oil pan.

These engines are sometimes known for timing chain tensioner problems but I don't know if that'd sound as low as this does.

Does the knock go away when the engine warms up? Guy could've warmed it up ahead of your test drive and pick up.

It seems to get worse as it warms up. I just stated it again after 4~ hours and it's not as loud.

The car was cold both days I drove it. First was around 40 minutes, second time was almost two hours today and the car wasn't knocking when I pulled into my driveway. Just after starting it up 30 minutes later.

I want to blame it all on the previous owner, but it was his DD and within the last year he's put a nearly $3K into tires, brakes, intake manifold (Ferd plastic cracks), plugs, fuel pump, and alternator. Last service was in June at a Ford dealer and the "complimentary 99 point inspection" was clean.

Same problem man fuck 4.6liters go 5.0 coyote swap or go ls swap. You'll have better torque and less mechanical issues.

Except I could get a late 00s Grand Marquis engine for $500 that'd drop right in. Poorfag here.

>>the last year he's put a nearly $3K

So he dumped a bunch of money into just to sell it right after? You got hosed op, he probably put some of that honey type shit you buy at any autoparts store and got it circulating to cushion the sound.

Honestly op. Pull the engine and just rebuild the fucker. Its gonna cost but you can bump the power up.and then you won't need to worry about a junkyard engine swap

Either the previous owner or the dealership poured a shit load of additive into the oil before you came to drive it OP. The additive burns up/decays, and the knock comes back

That shit actually works at all? Didn't realize you could hide a knock like that. Never run into this with a car I've bought before.

I have receipts with mileage over the last 1.5 years. It looks like the work was done as it was being driven, not all shoveled into it.

As a used car salesman of some experience, let me say that it's surprisingly easy to polish up a turd to look great for about a day or so before it collapses back into a moist pile of shit again

And yes, in certain circumstances, you can hide a knock for about 100 miles or so by playing around with the oil weight and/or going 50/50 on an oil/additive mix in the engine (using something like Lucas/MMO/ATF depending on what you are trying to hide)

Go for it my friend, there's alot of junkyard LS engines.

>Ford with engine problems
Color me surprised

Wow you're a piece of shit desu senpai

Checked those dubs though

But the 4.6 has that sound that nothing else can make that for some reason sounds like an old diesel truck.

Why? I've never done it, and our lot doesn't do it (if you get the reputation of selling shit, you never lose it), but I've been around the business long enough to know HOW people do it

OP here. Thanks. So my state (Massachusetts) has a law that private party sellers must warranty a car for major undisclosed problems within 30 days.

What's my best course of action to build a case? I was going to get written reports from a couple garages. Would it be worth getting the oil analyzed?

Yup. Get 3 estimates/write ups if your budget allows. depending on what those come back with, an oil test may not even be necessary

How should I start the case off with the seller? Get a lawyer involved first or just contact him and say "we can do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Contact him and just be honest and straightforward at first, and escalate the asshole level as circumstances dictate

If it were me, I'd start with: "Hey, the car developed X problem shortly after I got home with it. I'm having A, B, and C places look at it this week. You are legally required to warranty the car for 30 days, how would you like to proceed once I have the problem identified? "

This. The poor bastard may not have known and you could just be unlucky. No need to be a cunt about it.

Approx 3 hours after I bought my first car, the accelerator pedal broke, jamming the throttle on. That was an interesting time.

>not taking a car to it's redline in the first few gears while on test drive.

This is how I found out that my Honda burns oil. Haggled em down to 800 bit found some other issues later. Oh well.

Sorry you're getting fukt m9

An oil analysis might show that a non standard lubricant was used to cover the sound. But you would need to tell the lab what you are looking for because that isn't a typical test.

1. Massachussets doesn't require a private person to warranty anything, so that should be an interesting conversation. Every car I've ever sold comes with a tail light warranty period.

2. Shit happens.

3. Spun bearings happen right now. Threes is no lead up, no gradual problem that ends in a big problem. Just engine is running and bam, problem.

4. You're looking at between 4-6k to have a shop rebuild a bottom end, about the same on an engine swap.

keke this

To clarify here is the part of the law that's relevant.

Private Party Sales:
In addition to the Lemon Aid Law requirements, a private party who sells a consumer a used vehicle must tell the buyer about any known use or safety defects. If the buyer discovers a defect which impairs the safety or substantially impairs the use of the vehicle, and can prove the seller knew about it, then the buyer can return the vehicle within 30 days of purchase. Private parties are bound by this law, regardless of the age or selling price of the vehicle."

And you legit can't tell it when driving the car? Even when driving hard? That's fucked up, senpai.

>and can prove the seller knew about it,

kek good luck with that. Maybe send in the oil sample to one of those places that checks the content for zinc, additives, etc. If they come back saying "yeah there's a bunch of shit in it that shouldn't be there" then OP has a case. Otherwise, that sounds fucking hard.

It's like $15 for the sample test so I'd do that

Additives like motor honey an hide worn rings and worn bearings by thickening the oil. It will cut down on oil burning and quiet a little slop inthe bottom end.

Op sounds like hes describing a seized bearing on the crank. Continuing to drive it is asking for a rod through the block. You can't rebuild from that and won't get a core refund with a replacement engine.

I've had 2 seized bearings in my life. Both times tooling along at the insane speeds of 30-40mph, engine sounds and feels just like any other day. Then SLAM, feels like i hit a telephone pole. Car stops in its tracks, then engine starts beating itself apart.

Beating welds itself to the crank, (slam) then the rest of the engine breaks the weld apart and fraks the bearing so the rod is just slamming around.

0 way to tell that was going to happen.

PROVING the seller knew the future... that's tough.

Got a text from the seller this morning say I'm the owner of the car now and not to contact him again.

Fun.

he sounds like a real cunt

He just texted me again saying he'll call the police if I contact him one more time.

I literally said nothing but I'd appreciate his cooperation.

I dont mean to laugh op but damn. You dont really have a legal leg to stand on. If i was in the same situation id put the bitch on ramps and begin taking the oil pan off.

Either hes a con who got another sucker. Or he thinks you're the con.

Call a lawyer, and start taking the oil pan off man

Lawyer's been called and I'm not doing any work without documentation. In some cases I think a dealer is required to provide estimates for legal purposes.

I'm still trying to figure out what could cause an intermittent bottom end knock. Like it knocked for half an hour, then didn't when I started it later. Then it knocked again any time I'd start it all afternoon yesterday.

>Remove oil pan
>Send in oil sample (make sure to TELL THE MECHANIC YOU WANT TO KEEP THE OIL)
>???????
>Instead of calling this faggot, have him served him with papers in 2 weeks. Enjoy your lulz.

kek

...

Rod knocks are not intermittent. Something else is going on.

And the seller is a dick.

Here's what it seems to be, and why I didn't notice it on the test drive:

>Start car cold, sounds fine
>Drive around for one hour, sounds fine
>Park car for ~30 minutes
>Start car, sounds like a cement mixer until you shut it off for least a few hours

The sound doesn't seem to be coming from the heads or top end. Sounds like right in the middle near the oil pan but I haven't torn the engine apart.

Lawyer says to get a mechanic to do any evaluation and get everything in writing.

yea certainly take it to a mechanic.
keep us posted, I'd like to hear what happens the the cocksucker seller

Yea they pour extra thick oil into it. Like fucking vaseline basically.

Should've had a mechanic check it out before you bought.

>he'll call the police if I contact him one more time.
He fucking knew about the problem and thinks he can get away with it. Get a test done and when it shows he tricked you sue his ass.

This is the land of the free and the home of the lawsuit, after all

rape him op

But don't turn the rape into a murder

Worst buyer ever. You drove it for hours with no issue. It broke on your dime. He is right to tell you to fuck off. You won't see shit from him.

autism

seller is obviously hiding something if he's immediately hostile.
at least play dumb and try to get away with it

>2004 Mustang
So you learned a $2,500 lesson. It happens get over it.

Best financial decision at this point is to part it and don't look back.

>So you learned a $2,500 lesson.

Where does Veeky Forums get these meme prices? There are 15-20 2004 GT's on my state's CL and only one is under $4K.

>Get 40,000 mile Grand Marquis engine for $500
>Swap into shitstang
>???
>Drive

>only one is under $4K.
Still not worth fixing.

>labor

The Ford Mustake

>he can't swap a Mustang engine

It's literally $500 and an afternoon with an engine hoist.

How does the engine get to my house?

Better add a few extra hundred for hoses, belts, fluids, and broken stuff.

>A week ago I inspected

Sort of like this thread

Tell the oil lab to save the oil sample if possible and you'll pay to have it set aside if the lawyer thinks it would have further use as evidence.

If the lab finds out that there is a ton of thickening additive to prevent the noise, then that is close enough proof that the previous owner knew something was wrong and was HIDING it. Otherwise, there is no need to use a bunch of cans of super thick gunk to restore compression or stop bearing noise.