I am the owner of a '95 Volvo 850. My car was sidelined due to a series of unfortunate events. It seemed that a radiator hose was leaking, without my knowing, and I got stuck in Kingston peak-hour traffic.

I only realised something was wrong when the engine stopped. I gave it to a local mechanic who I have dealt with for a while. After the engine cooled, he tried to start it, but it wouldn't fire. On removing the cylinder head, he advocated a re-ring job. He asked me to buy 0.040 oversize rings, and there my problems began. After installing the parts, he put the head back on, reinstalled the engine and started. The engine ran rough, smoked, and was down on power. I have since removed the vehicle from where it was.

Before going further, can you tell me what he did wrong? And what I should do now?

- S.R., Mandeville

Dear S.R.

European cars tend to be fickle, especially if they weren't configured for our tropical climate. With the state of affairs of the economy, I can't blame you for wanting to take the easy way out - dealer service prices might give you cardiac arrest, but because your particular model is rather thin on the ground, you don't have many options. If you have not already done so, find one of those folks who is dealer trained but has found the grass greener on the other side of the fence.

It is rather unprofessional of him to try to sell you on a ring job at the outset. From the tone of your letter, it would seem as if he pre-empted part of the diagnostic process - there was no measuring and no further disassembly of the block. Mr Quick Wrench only covered one of the reasons the car wouldn't start - so how could he deliver a professionally done job?

Subsequent talks with you have led us to this PROBABLE sequence of events, which starts out even before the New Kingston nightmare - with a previously broken heater hose. After the hose was repaired, the cooling system was filled with water. Carbonates and other dissolved compounds in the water from our potable domestic supply might be good for us, but not so good for an engine. It caused the engine thermostat to corrode (verified by you), which led to it sticking, creating a hot spot in the cylinder head.

Idling in traffic

The resulting excessive pressure caused the hoses to expand and contract dramatically, fatiguing the rubber and eventually causing it to rupture. Idling in traffic with a less-than-full coolant complement caused the situation to slide rapidly downhill, the end result being the engine beginning to operate outside its design envelope with regard to temperature - piston-to-cylinder clearance began to decrease until the engine seized.

What the mech should have done is to determine, before the teardown, why the car wouldn't start. He should have done a compression test at the very least to determine any variations in cylinder pressure and, therefore, he would know what to expect during teardown, instead of guessing from the condition of parts. What he found during disassembly, as he was expecting broken rings, was that the rings were in seemingly good condition. It came to light that the block was cracked between cylinders - a condition he did not diagnose, having gone about his analysis the wrong way.

The second mistake was recommending the ring job in the first place - without measurements. The presence of ridge at the top of the bore indicates, at the very least, that the block needs to be rebored. How much is determined by measuring the amount of taper within the bore, and how far it is worn with relation to specified limits. If the wear exceeds 30-40 thousandths of an inch, usually the block has to be discarded, or resleeved. Such a job would have to be done at a competent machine shop - and only then should the parts be bought.

Next time, choose your technician based on experience with your particular model, and insist on certification.

Email feedback to mario.james@gleanerjm.com or saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.