I just took my piece of carboard up with me. Willis that had it up on the rack to begin with, didn't see anything immediate, and told me to "think positive and find that leak" was there. I said "I know you're too busy to look at this today, but I'd hoped you could set it aside until Monday and that you might have another piece as this one is all used up." He took one look at how much coolant was on it, and immediately said "It must be a defective radiator, and the defect is up inside where we can't see it. We'll have to replace the radiator." I asked if their parts place would make it right with them and he said they would. I very timidly asked "What about the labor?" He said "That will be on us." He gave me some dexcool, and I even tried to take it back to him, saying that I felt badly enough about the trouble they were having to go to, I'd only used a little bit, and I'd go buy my own. He said "We installed a defective radiator and you shouldn't have to use any more of your own coolant for it.

My small question is that the coolant given was mixed 50/50 with tap water...the guy who handed it to me said so. I told him I thought it had to be distilled water and he said "Nobody does that anymore." Could they have added dexcool they'd mixed with tap water in the first place and that damaged the radiator?

Willis never had it up on the rack while it was running, but he took a cursory peek underneath after revving it. I've even thought "water pump" to myself, but I guess he'd still have noticed. I had used that cardboard both ends and folded it in half once to use that. I truly dumped a great deal. I filled it to the cold line before I left to go up there, and still had to add a small amount before bringing it home.

My bigger question is would the LIM (lower intake maniold?) drop the coolant back into the radiator for it to come out underneath, or spray it so that it collected in the crease of the splash guard so that it would continue to drip out at a steady rate for a 24 hour period? I'm thinking I should just let it be and let them put a new radiator in. I just hope this time they'll follow the fill procedure because it honestly has to be bled, run with the cap off, etc. It seems quite specific, though I fear asking for that will make them angry.

 

Thank you, I'll watch it and then worry over whether or not to be insistent when they replace it again. Surely recommending a youtube video to a shop is out of line, but maybe it will help me decide just how to proceed in regard to bleeding it.

 

That same crack on the side was the problem with the original radiator they replaced. Plastic... I doubt they'll go for replacing the radiator hoses, but it would be nice. It's a 3.4 in the vid and mine's a 3.8 but that's irrelevant now that I've watched it all.


First off, I felt a "hiccup" from the moment they installed and even brought it back after driving just two blocks...Willis got in and kept his foot on the accelearatror and wouldn't leave the tiny lot. He felt nothing and told me the 3.8 comes off of a cold start kind of rough. (Wouldn't it have been warm if they'd actually run it to bleed it, or at least long enough for the thermostat to open as Alan (other brother) swore to me had surely been done?)

I also noticed it jump in temp coming home, it shot up to the needle being vertical and then backed down to normal running temp. I thought it was just my thermostat opening because, again, they'd sworn there was no hiccup etc. I've not seen it jump any higher than that, in fact most recently it barely wants to read at all. I had it to proper operating temp on the way there this morning for a little while, turned on the heat and it dropped back down and didn't want to come up again, even after I shut the heat off.

I really and truly believe it was never bled, doubt the vacuum bleed was done either..however they're putting a new radiator in it free of charge and the heat does work, so I'm just wondering, at this point, how insistent I should be..I really would feel a million times better if they'd follow the fill procedure that's in my owner's manual, and if they won't, I guess I'll have bleed it myself when I get it home...though I've no clue if I have the right tool to open the single bleeder that is on top of the thermostat housing. My manual shows a picture of it and tells me how to access it, but it doesn't tell me what I need to open it at all.

I can't let this car be ruined, I"m obsessed with it, I'm incredibly grateful they're replacing the radiator. He's gonna order it Monday, they'll have it Tuesday and I'm supposed to call then to make the appt for the replacement. When I call I'm going to beg Willis to please make that appt for when they'll have plenty of time and will be able to follow the specific fill procedure. My God, I'm so scared about coming off as a pushy bitch, I'll play it down to a "please humor me and do this" stance and hope for the best, I guess. What's your opinion?

 

I honsestly hadn't seen your reply when I headed up there, and if he hadn't chosen to look at that cardboard after all, then believed me, and then said they'd replace it...I would have cut my losses and walked just as you've suggested. I also think I'm an idiot, because by "LIM" I thought you meant intake manifold, that wouldn't be lower, for sure, not even sure if the "l" is for left....I'm completely ignorant.

 

"The wheel bearing contains the ABS sensor you can't fix separately." I know. I just feel like an idiot I was told elsewhere that the bearing was good, the problem was with the assembly so the whole unit needed to be replaced...I had it done for much less with a less expensive part and it didn't solve the problem. I'll make the rest o the payments and build rapport and I've no clue why I brought it up to begin with. I think because unlike the radiator, this quote was made elsewhere. The shop I bought the car from did the quote rfor the R&R and the work, so I was hoping they'd make it right when I wrote this post. They are going to. They'd told me it much be a head gasket and I was completely freaked out when I posted.