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Rear Ended HELP - Engine Issues

Menace67

New Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
2
Hey All,

I'm new to the forum, however, I've been on the website before to get some useful maintenance information. Now, I'm in need of some real help. My 2007 Avy, which has 160K miles, was rearending recently at about 30 mph. I was a few miles from home, so I took it easy and limped there. A few days later, I was on my way to the body shop when my dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Engine light was flashing and the stabiltrak and traction control went offline. At that point the engine started making this puffing noise. I pulled over, checked all my fluids, looked at as much as I could at 6 AM. Eventually made it to the shop thanks to my hazards. Parked it and left it. So here's where the fun begins. The shop reviews the body/frame damage at $4800. Not too bad, however, they will not dig into the engine/electrical issues unless I can prove it was caused by the accident. Side note: I've been down this road before, when she was hit by a drunk driver while parked. They ended up fixing the $8k in body damage, before they found out it needed a new transmission and transfer case, $12K total! (which would have totaled it if they would have found this to begin with). I do not want to go down this road again.

So the body shop calls me the other day and tells me the engine is shot...  :help: I asked how they knew that, and they simply said because of the sounds it was making. Sounds like it's missing. But again, they will not dig into it, unless someone agrees to pay for it. The other guys insurance accepted liability, however, won't give the go ahead with the engine until it's proven to be from the wreck. So you can see I'm in a catch 22 here.

My main question is this: Is there anyway to prove this wreck caused my engine troubles????

Secondly, asside from the engine, there is frame damage on both rails where the hitch now looks at the ground. The body shop says the frame can be straightened but I tend to disagree since there are kinks in the side walls. He says the other option is to purchase the 2' Chevy rail extension, hack off the old, and weld on the new. Sounds good, right? but then he tells me only the bottom and sides would be welded, because the body would have to be lifted off to weld the top. I'm not an engineer but my construction experience tells me the top chord is the most important in tension (IE towing) Anyone have experience or thoughts on this as well?

Thank you for your help!!
 
First, welcome to the site and sorry for your troubles....

It would help to know what part of the country you are in if you are in the USA and if you have full coverage insurance or are in a "No fault" state.
I would say that a good mechanical shop should be able to figure out the degree and type of damage to your drivetrain/motor but they would need to tear the system apart to see what was knocked out of alignment. unfortunately you may have partial responsibility for damage if they decide that the accident caused a small problem and your continued driving made it a big problem. That could mean if it's a $10,000 repair you might have to pay several thousand yourself..
In Virginia you could go one of three ways to get payment for repairs. First document the state of the AV by doing things like take photos of it on a lift to show damage, then get name of mechanic that will disassemble areas as needed to determine exact damage. You may need his testimony in court or in a deposition. I doubt the insurance will pay based just on "it's making a funny noise so you should replace it type of talk." Now as far as the three ways....#1 you pay up front then file claim with other insurance company since you now have documented proof and witnesses , #2 If you have full coverage you file with your own insurance company for payment with same documentation that way they will fight for you against other company for payment, #3 You file a civil claim against other driver/owner and take them to court for payment.
I am not a body shop person or a welder but seems to me you could check out customer reviews on your shop and see if they have a good rep on repairs and go with what they say if you trust them, otherwise find another shop since you are in effect going to put your life and the life of your family in their hands when you drive the AV again.
Maybe you could do a compromise and let them straighten the frame then weld in reinforcing plates where the kinks were located?
Good luck with everything.
 
I don't think there's any way you can prove the accident caused your engine troubles.
 
A qualified tech needs to look at the engine problems and see what is wrong and then try to make sense of a claim that was caused by the accident. That will be the hard one. I believe it cannot be done.
 
At the very least see what the codes are that are causing the engine light to flash.  It may be something very simple like a kinked fuel line.
 
Some good points made - you should find out what's wrong with the engine before panicking. Could be a kinked fuel line or bent/plugged tailpipe. Could also be a broken fuel pump. I have seen this happen in collisions - the fuel pump sender literally broke from the impact and was hanging on by the hose and wires. The car still ran, but did not run well and would stall out when the tank was getting low because the pump wasn't in the correct position.

There's also no way to prove that the collision didn't cause the engine troubles. Much as I hate to say it, if the insurance companies are screwing you around, get a lawyer. Make the other guy's insurance prove the engine damage wasn't a result of the collision. This is a civil matter, not a criminal one. The onus of proof is on them, not you - you just want your truck to be the way it was before the accident. It would never get to court (they'd settle first), but if it did, you only have to prove that it's possible the engine damage was caused by the accident (there, I learned something from watching Judge Judy). Just about any judge or jury would side with you, because the engine worked fine before the accident and now it doesn't.

As for the rear frame damage - see if they'll put it in writing that any repairs they do will be as good as new, and won't affect towing capabilities. Have the body shop AND the insurance company sign a liability form that says that if you (or any subsequent owners - gotta protect yourself in case you ever sell it) tow a trailer within the factory specified limits of your truck and the repair fails or causes damage/accident/whatever that they are 100% liable. Bet they won't sign it, and if they won't, you have the right to refuse the repair. You bought your truck for its capabilities, and you should not reasonably be expected to accept any repair that lowers those capabilities due to an accident that you were not at fault (or indeed, even if you were at fault - that's what you pay insurance for).

*EDIT* You would of course have to word this waiver in a way that the body shop and insurance company are both guaranteeing the safety of the repair. You would NOT want a document that essentially said "We think/hope it's safe but will cover your butt if it fails", because that would not cover your butt - that would leave it open for anyone suing you to say "If there was any doubt that the truck was safe why were you using it?"

You need something from them that assures you that the repair is safe and to factory specification.
*/EDIT*

Performing an improper repair just because you can't get at the spot to weld it would be crazy, especially on a load bearing section of frame. Tell the body shop that if they have to lift the body, they have to lift the body, and to include the labour for doing so in their estimate. It's not their money - they're probably reluctant to do so because they're afraid of causing the insurance company to total the truck, in which case they wouldn't get the work.

Matter of fact, I know that at least in this province a frame repair that was not fully welded (IE all the way around) as well as reinforced (a plate welded over the weld) would not pass inspection and would therefore be considered unroadworthy
 
I would do what Enoniam suggests and have the codes checked to determine if it?s a simple problem that can be easily repaired.  If so, that could take care of the potential claim for damage to the engine.

Was the body shop your choice or one recommended by the other driver's insurance company?
If the engine damage appears to be severe I would proceed with Vaeagleav?s second recommendation (#2) and file a claim with your insurance company and have them check the engine and frame damage. If you have collision coverage and can afford your deductible this may be the way to go.  Your insurance carrier will reimburse you for your deductible when they receive a settlement from the other carrier.  They should also pay for an engine inspection to be done by a qualified mechanic and not a body shop.  They should also pay for any towing that may be required.

Your insurance company most likely has preferred shops that they deal with on a regular basis as they will have to guarantee the repair.  If the frame can?t be adequately repaired and the engine was severely damaged as a result of the accident the vehicle will be totaled.


Good luck!

 
All, Thank you for the feedback and help! To answer some of the questions and update you with that status:

1) I am in Ohio, it is not a "no-fault" State and thankfully the other driver accepted liability.
2) The fuel pump did fail as a result of the accident and the at fault insurance accepted the fix. It was decided today that the shop could go ahead and install the new fuel pump to see how many codes are cleared.
3) Depending on the results of the tests, assuming there are many remaining, the shop will then tow the truck to a GM dealership to better evaluate the engine issues. If it clears all or most, depending on the code, I may allow the shop to proceed with the fix.
4) It sounds as though the at fault driver's insurance is not ruling out that the issues were caused by the accident. BUT if we can't determine the wreck caused the engine issues without digging into it too much, then I will do as Paul Mitchell suggested and file it under my insurance. Speaking with them, they will cover the costs if i pay my deductable. When it's all said and done, if they determine it was caused by the wreck, they will file a claim with the at fault insurance. I would also get my deductable back (y)
5) The body shop was my choice (Or my insurance's choice) but they have always done work on my family's vehicles and do great work. But with all due respect, they don't specialize in engine teardowns.
6) I do not have an update on the frame issues, but we will dig back into those once the engine issues are figured resolved or we have a POA. I'm not going to stress over them, if they end up totaling the vehicle. However, if and when the time comes, I will do what Just4Kixx suggested and have the shop put it in writing that they installed or repaired it per the manufacturer's recommendations.


Again, thank you all for your quick responses to my dilemma! I was about to check myself into the loony bin. I will post another update next week after we get some results back.

 
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