The final straw

Since my last post, "touch wood", my car has been running problem free, and all that's been required was regular ongoing maintenance, and replacement of brakes & tires etc.

Until this past week......... forgive my lack of mechanical terms, but here's what has happened now. The radiator system and the plumbing system attached to it, (as I understand it) is designed to move the anti freeze over the top of the motor to keep it cool when running, and then it circles back into the radiator, much like our own internal blood circulatory system.

What has happened, is that the components used to keep the antifreeze close but separate from the actual engine the burns the gas, has failed, and for 1 week, the antifreeze leaked into the engine, and so for a week, unknown to me, I was driving around burning gas and antifreeze.

Unfortunately, I found this out the hard way when the temperature needle rose in front of my very eyes in a matter of minutes while on a freeway. The radiator was out of antifreeze because it was internally leaking into the engine.

I have the car towed to the repair garage. The mechanic advises me that the engine is shot as a result, and I need a new (or rebuilt or used) engine. He also tells me that this problem is common to this precise type of Pontiac engine, as he's seen it over and over in the past.

I'm about to fork over $2900 for a used motor because of this "common problem" found in Pontiac motors.

Words cannot do justice to the anger & frustration I'm feeling right now. All I can do is write it here, and hope it's a warning to anyone thinking of buying a GM product.