I have a 2000 Cadillac Deville. At 205,000 miles, I had it
checked for an oil leak. I went to Bridgewater Motorworks in Bridgewater, NJ.
They diagnosed the problem and determined that my engine block had a crack. The
engine ran well, but leaked oil. My options were to install a re-manufactured
engine (Jasper) or look for a used engine. They found a used engine with 40,000
miles on it, and quoted me $4500 to install. This would have a 6 month, 6000
mile warranty. The Jasper engine is fully re-manufactured and comes with a 3
year, 100,000 mile nationwide warranty (transferable).
I chose the Jasper Engine. Bridgewater Motorworks (BWM)
claimed to be the largest installer of Jasper Engines nationwide. They have
been in business for over 12 years. Their reputation appeared to be stellar.
However I believe I got the trainee installer from hell. The Jasper engine,
installed, cost me just over $7,000.
When I picked up the car it ran great. There was no more
daily oil puddle on my driveway. I'm retired now and don't drive as much as I used to. The car ran well for 3 months
and then I moved from New Jersey to Arizona.
In finding a new shop to service my vehicle, I found a local
Jasper dealer. I brought the car in for an oil change and to have some other
(non engine) maintenance done. They told me that the engine was leaking oil. I
didn't see it on the ground yet, because it was slowly coating the block and
undercarriage. Eventually, there would be a puddle on the driveway.
Since it was a new engine, they easily traced the source of
the leak to both valve covers. The installer (BWM) did not put grommets on the
valve cover bolts. Therefore the leak. This in itself is a small detail,
however the repair cost over $200. All due to a sloppy installation. I had
already had this vehicle in for oil changes 3 time in NJ, before I moved to AZ.
They didn't notice the oil leak or tell me. I would expect that it would be
ignored until I eventually saw oil on the driveway again.
In this case, I called Jasper and they actually took care of
the problem and paid the AZ shop to make the repairs (even though it is
installation related).
Now for the real problem! The second problem due to sloppy /
poor installation by BWM. With only 7,000 miles on the new engine, I developed
an idling / air intake problem. The AZ shop diagnosed the problem as being due
to severe intake leaks. These leaks were due to the reuse of Air Intake Bolts
(11 years old, 205000 miles). These bolts should have been replaced as part of
the installation of my new engine. They are special and help seal the air
intake system. It also appears that the original PVC hose was reinstalled
(again original part), which cracked and came off. This leaking air cause
problems where exhaust materials were backflowed into the Mass Air Flow (MAF)
sensor and destroyed it (the cause of my very high idle, and rough running. The
bolts and PVC tube amount to about $50 in parts. This is peanuts compared to
the $7000 price tag for the new engine. The actual repairs just cost me $761.44
and nobody cares - Not Jasper, Not Bridgewater Motorworks.
Jasper won't cover any of this. I contacted BWM and they say
I should have brought it into them (I'm 2500 miles away now). BWM's owner said
the engine ran well when it was delivered to me and that they could not do
anything about this. They offered no options or understanding. It's not their
problem!
So beware of bridgewater motorworks in bridgewater, nj. Also
beware that the jasper nationwide warranty - does not cover installation
issues!
You just can't win. My new engine cost me a lot more than it
should have. My only consolation is that my problems are fixed and the car runs
great. My new shop is paying attention to detail and doing it right. During
this process, they didn't cut any corners. They kept me informed every step of
the way and were very thorough in making the repairs.
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