I think my 06 H3 is dead...

[gordenbro1]

The other day on the way home from work it started making a ticking noise from the engine, it still ran fine but it was ticking, kinda like a knock but kinda different and more a unique tick. It would speed up and slow down with the RPMs but no effect was felt on the driving performance. I get home and have it running for a minute or so in the driveway before I shut it off and the oil warning light flashes on and off a few times, I quickly shut it down just incase.

In the past few months I'd randomly get the CEL popping on for the VVT sensor/solenoid not working right so after some reading online that was my first go-to and I ordered one...

Today about a week later I go to finally put it in, before I do I try to crank the engine... It starts, momentarily, instant loud tick and the engine bogs and bangs and clunks and thuds and I shut it down within a split second of starting it, scared that my baby is almost dead... I didn't get the new VVT solenoid in because I couldn't get the old one all the way out (need a bigger prybar lol) and it's cold outside and it was pissing me off. Pretty sure the one that's in there is the original with 196500 miles on it as it took a good amount of pulling and prying to even get it partially out.

Hopefully it's not a blown engine or something like that but I'm not holding out hope.

Wonder how much CarMax will give for a damn near 200k mile 14 year old H3 that's otherwise perfect except for its broken heart ... Oh and I still owe like $5,700 on it.

[Stealthee]

CarMax will give you scrap value, at best, which isn't much.