My car is a 2002 Dodge Intrepid with a 2.7L enigine. Three weeks ago, I was on my way to work when I noticed what looked like lots of exhaust coming from the back of my car, although the car felt and sounded like it was running just fine, I wasconcerned, soI took the next exit and pulled over. Before I go on, let me just mention that although this car is getting up there in age and mile (120,000) the ONLY problem that I have ever had with it is a dead battery.
So, I pull over, and ass the car if slowing down, I notice that what I thought was exhaust comiung from the back of my car is actually smoke coming from underneath the hood. Just as the car is rolling to a stop the engine sputters a bit, then stalls out.I got out, opened the hood and my car was on fire......great!

I have it towed to a repair shop. It sits there for 3 days before an iunsurance adjustor come out to inspect it. It is determined that the wiring harness caused the fire, and the insurance willcover the costs to repair the wiring harness, some vacuum lines, and the coolant tank (all of which we're destroyed or damaged from the fire). Almost 2 weeks later, I finally hear from the repair shop, and this is their story:
They started the engine up after the insurance adjustor left and drove the car around the parking lot and everything appeared to be running just fine. Over the next 2 weeks the complete the repairs mentioned above, and start the car to test it out. The mechanic starts the engine, then gets out and walks to the front of the car where he finds coolant spewing from the weep hole.
The insurance company says they will not cover the repairs to the water pump, since we can not prove that the fire caused any issues with it, and it would fall into a lack of matenience on my part. So I tell the repair shop to go ahead and fix it (for $450). Three days later they call and tell me that it isn't actually my water pump, just the thermostat gasket. So I tell them to fix that then (for $225). The next day they call and say that they were wrong and it was actually the water pump, which they can reaplce for now $600......yeah, big price jump from a couple days ago, but that that is probably not the only issue since now the car won't even turn over, but they have no idea why, but that the could open it up andinspect the timing belt for $1500.

Basically, I had a great car the was working just fine even after the engine compartment caught fire, and now that it has sat at the repair shop for 3 weeks, it appears as though it is completely DEAD! Is it possible that the fire did cause some kind of internal damage on the engine that would effect the water pump that would then make the insurance company responsible for covering the costs?

Sorry that this is so long....and thanks for taking time to read it, and thanks even more if you take the time to respond!! I just don't know what to do here. I've paid full coverage insurance for years just for when something like this happenes.....now I'm stuck with a junk car and a bill for $200 (to cover my deductible).

ORIGINAL: kristib00

My car is a 2002 Dodge Intrepid with a 2.7L enigine. Three weeks ago, I was on my way to work when I noticed what looked like lots of exhaust coming from the back of my car, although the car felt and sounded like it was running just fine, I wasconcerned, soI took the next exit and pulled over. Before I go on, let me just mention that although this car is getting up there in age and mile (120,000) the ONLY problem that I have ever had with it is a dead battery.
So, I pull over, and ass the car if slowing down, I notice that what I thought was exhaust comiung from the back of my car is actually smoke coming from underneath the hood. Just as the car is rolling to a stop the engine sputters a bit, then stalls out.I got out, opened the hood and my car was on fire......great!

I have it towed to a repair shop. It sits there for 3 days before an iunsurance adjustor come out to inspect it. It is determined that the wiring harness caused the fire, and the insurance willcover the costs to repair the wiring harness, some vacuum lines, and the coolant tank (all of which we're destroyed or damaged from the fire). Almost 2 weeks later, I finally hear from the repair shop, and this is their story:
They started the engine up after the insurance adjustor left and drove the car around the parking lot and everything appeared to be running just fine. Over the next 2 weeks the complete the repairs mentioned above, and start the car to test it out. The mechanic starts the engine, then gets out and walks to the front of the car where he finds coolant spewing from the weep hole.
The insurance company says they will not cover the repairs to the water pump, since we can not prove that the fire caused any issues with it, and it would fall into a lack of matenience on my part. So I tell the repair shop to go ahead and fix it (for $450). Three days later they call and tell me that it isn't actually my water pump, just the thermostat gasket. So I tell them to fix that then (for $225). The next day they call and say that they were wrong and it was actually the water pump, which they can reaplce for now $600......yeah, big price jump from a couple days ago, but that that is probably not the only issue since now the car won't even turn over, but they have no idea why, but that the could open it up andinspect the timing belt for $1500.

Basically, I had a great car the was working just fine even after the engine compartment caught fire, and now that it has sat at the repair shop for 3 weeks, it appears as though it is completely DEAD! Is it possible that the fire did cause some kind of internal damage on the engine that would effect the water pump that would then make the insurance company responsible for covering the costs?

Sorry that this is so long....and thanks for taking time to read it, and thanks even more if you take the time to respond!! I just don't know what to do here. I've paid full coverage insurance for years just for when something like this happenes.....now I'm stuck with a junk car and a bill for $200 (to cover my deductible).


Wow, where to start...

A 2002with a 2.7 has no timing belt. As far as I know, they are chain driven only. The water pump is driven by the timing chain (or belt if 3.5). Fluid from the weep hole is an indicator of a bad pump (leaking past the impeller shaft seals). I cant say for sure if an engine fire could cause it to go bad, but I'd say it was a possibility if the fire were to get hot enough...but realize this, with the number of miles you have, the pump was more than likely on its last legs.

Now, let me get this straight... they changed the pump (timing chain driven) and it used to run, but now will not run (and they say that NOW they need to open the timing cover). Understand this...to change the pump, the cover AND chain must be off. It comes down to this...if it used to run while in their care, now after their maintenance (pump change), it does not...I would conclude they did a poor job and seek another mechanic and legal council.

I’m not sure, but I also could read your post another way and say, they did nothing but only want to open the cover to inspect the chain fortroubleshooting. Well any mechanic wroth his salt would have a reason to rip off the front of an engine, not just to see the belt/chain. You could do a compression test, check the timing, read codes, or pull a plug to see if the piston is moving (all different tests for different timing chain/belt issues). Not to mention, a no start could be computer, fuel, timing, or electrical related. Why just arbitrarily want to go for the belt/chain? This all sounds fishy to me.

BTW, if it were belt driven like the 3.5, the heat could have burned the belt and caused damage that became evident at a later date. In this case, the insurance would need to pay for the repair,but as far as I know, the 2.7 is chain only.

To me it sounds like you are either getting the facts mixed up in the recant of the story (which I doubt), or you are being victimized by a poor/shady mechanic (from what I read, this is my conclusion).

Hope this helps you...

1500 bux for the timing chain?!? my mechanic charges 450

Thanks Kurts2!!! As far as the timing chain vs. belt.....I just stated that wrong, you're right, it is a chain. Also, they haven't actually done any work on the car involving the water pump. They've replaced the wiring harness, vaccuum lines, and coolant tank, only after all of that did the water pump go. So according to them, they have not even looked at the car since initially seeing the coolant coming from the weep hole, although they have admitted to starting it 3 times, and attempting a fourth time, except that now it will not even turn over.
I don't really know a whole lot of anything about cars, but I'm learning some as I go through this ordeal. It is my understanding, from the opinions of other people that a car with a probable water pump issue should not be started. Like I said , I don't know much about cars or how they work, but based on that information, I'm worried that they may have cause more damage to the engine by continously starting it.
Also, I'm just trying to understand how the repair shop can say that without a doubt the damaged water pump WAS NOT caused by the fire, esspecially being that they have not even actually seen, or inspected the water pump. It just seems to me that logically when you add the heat of a flame to an engine there are plenty of gaskets that could be affected, plus when you begin damaging vaccuum lines, as well as the coolant tank, that it would be POSSIBLE for the fire to have caused some damage to the water pump as well as other parts of the engine. But again, I don't know much about cars, I'm just using logic and factoring in the coincidence that the water pump may havejust happened to go in the 200-300 feet that the repair shop drove it, without any influence of the engine compartment fire. I just can not see how anyone can say that the water pump WAS NOT, in any way affected by the fire, although I realize that it is possible the pump just went, I also can see that its is just as possible that the fire damamged it.


Thanks again Kurts2 for your response!!!!!

ORIGINAL: kristib00
It is my understanding, from the opinions of other people that a car with a probable water pump issue should not be started. Like I said , I don't know much about cars or how they work, but based on that information, I'm worried that they may have cause more damage to the engine by continously starting it.


Why those people say that is it could cause the engine to overheat, but that wouldn't happen from just a few moments of running...however, I wouldn't run it for long. There is an exception (of course), if the pump shaft broke, or was so grossly loose, it could either jamb or skip the timing chain. In this case, the engine wouldn’t run and there is potential to do more damage.

Good luck let me know how it turns out.
Kurt