My car is brokeded.

[Blackhawk]

This morning on the way to take the kids to school my van (2001 Windstar) starts chugging and losing power, and the engine light starts blinking.  I'm able to get the kids to school and take the van directly to the local auto place.  A few hours later they tell me that the #4 cylinder has zero compression, while the ones next to it are fine.  They also tell me that they don't do deep engine work and actually getting it diagnosed and repaired will require taking it to a different place (there's only one place in town that does it.)  I took it there, but they won't be able to get to it until Friday, if not Monday. 

The phrase 'deep engine' sounds expensive, and I'm more than a little stressed right now about what this is going to cost me.  I know absolutely nothing about cars.  I have no idea what zero compression is caused by.  Can anyone suggest a best case/worst case scenario and approximate repair costs?  My finances are completely locked right now because of this, and I can't plan because I have no clue what it is going to cost me, other than the ~$100 for diagnostics from two shops.

[TK-421]

Probably cheaper to buy a rebuilt motor and start making friends with folks handy with a wrench.

Rebuilt Engines & Motors
2001 Ford Windstar 

Year:   2001
Make: Ford
Model:
Sub Models: Base
Engine Sizes: 3.8L V6 GAS
Items Available: 6
Average Price: $939.67

Just an idea of what you are looking at. 

Tearing the motor down and rebuilding it will likely run around the same.

[hispanicgamer]

I'm not a mechanic but it sounds to me that you need new rings in that cylinder or like TK says a rebuilt engine. According to Autotrader your Windstar my be worth $4K so it might be worth plunking $1K and getting another 100K miles? Sorry this had to happen to you. Just curious, how many miles do you have on it?

[Blackhawk]

It's 12 years old, 170,000 miles.  It had 100+ of that when we got it 10 years ago.

[Blackhawk]

Looks like good news.  It was a 'valve spring.'  I don't know what that is, but it looks like it isn't available on Steam.  Oh, well.  In any case, it'll run me about $200 for the fix, which is only about $100 more than I have.  That's actually good news, as I was afraid I was looking a three to five times that much.

[Covenant]

Great news Blackhawk!! Sounds like you really dodged a bullet on that one 

[Blackhawk]

I was overdue for some bullets anyway.

[Devil]

RACIST!!

 

[hispanicgamer]

So glad to hear your troubles have improved! Ford may not make the most fuel efficient cars but they make one helluva good engine. I'm at 140K mile with my 1993 Ford Ranger. Only thing major to repair was the radiator and water pump. Everything else is great. A buddy of mine is a mechanic and had someone bring in a Ford Ranger with +100K miles and no measureable oil in the engine but was still running fine like that for well over 20K miles! The guy neglected to maintain his truck on a regular basis but was still able to drive it with nearly any oil in it.