1998 CHEVROLET Beretta

While chatting with the mechanic at the dealer i recently heard that general motors has had a problem with the new style orange antifreeze corroding head gaskets on some of their v-6 engines. word has it they knew there was a problem but have kept quiet about it. i also heard from another mechanicthat they have a problem with premature failure of the valve seats. they both worked at the chevrolet dealer. which ever the case, i had a chevrolet barretta with a v-6 engine. without warning water started coming out of the exhaust pipe. there were no broken hoses or other leaks present. at the time i thought this was strange. i took it to the chevrolet dealer, and they told me they could replace the heads, but they wouldn't gaurantee that would fix it. they talked me into buying a new car. all i could afford was a low mileage demonstrator.now the new car is approaching the same age and it has the same engine. *ak i travel to ohio for christmas. now i'm worried about this car. i'm a military widow and i can't afford a new car every two or three years. i always took my car to the dealer for inspection and service. i am lucky i was home when this happened. if it had happened last christmas on my way to ohio, i would have froze to death. most of the dates here are guesses. general motors should have all the correct dates on file. i bought the first car in cabot, arkansas and i bought the second car in branson , missouri. my friend has been a mechanic most of his life and he can't do it any more. he presently owns a 1990 chev. astro van with a v-6 engine with 250,000 miles on it with no problem. it has always had the old style green antifreeze in it. i feel that if there has been a known problem they should warn people about it. and if i have the same problem with this car it should have been fixed before i bought it.

The transmission is slipping upon shifting gears while in motion. the code # indication is 1870. my local service center advised me that this is the third he has seen recently w/ the same code. i contacted my dealership who also advised that they have been receiving the same problem with other chevrolet vehilces. it would seem these are not isolated incidents as my service station is on the far northside of indianapolis and the dealership is on the far southside and all having the same code #1870 and transmission slippage indication. i have owned 2 blazers previously and never experienced this problem. the safety implications are apparent. we consumers should not have to replace the tranmission at over $2000 when this is obviously an internal problem with the chevrolet engine that needs to be corrected.*ak