Simmer down, simmer down
Keep cool, keep cool
Worry, worry, worry, worry!
Worry, worry, worry, worry!
Just a little childhood jingle I've been running through my head, lest I do irreparable damage to something or someone.
Okay, you know how the Mighty Taurus just got back from the mechanics on Thursday afternoon? If not, the Mighty Taurus just got back from the mechanics on Thursday afternoon. I took it in because I was smelling antifreeze when I shut it off, and because it's been having intermittent rough-start issues. And, of course, the RPM dip.
According to the bill, they declared the RPM dip normal, and they couldn't replicate the rough-start issues. The antifreeze leak, however, was found and diagnosed: a small temperature-sensitive leak. It had to be small, because I've only had to top the thing a quarter-odd inch every three or so weeks.
So, anyway, today - Saturday, the second full day after it got back from the mechanic after having its coolant leak fixed - the car was running as usual as I made a quick jaunt to a couple stores in town. When I got out at home, however, I smelled that syrupy-sweet smell. Just for the heck of it, I popped the hood.
I noticed two things right away:
1 - The smell of antifreeze definitely seemed to be coming from the engine area.
2 - The antifreeze level was down over two inches.
Two inches down in two and a half days, as opposed to the old leak rate of a quarter inch every three weeks. As a topper, I went out and looked at the car this evening, about six hours after I topped it off originally. It had dropped nearly half an inch. So it's leaking even as it's sitting, which it never did before.
This, according to the mechanics, is "fixed."
I don't think so.
It goes back in on Monday, and they had better do it for free.
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4 comments:
Bring the bill from the last visit, where they stated the coolant leak was fixed, and see if you can get a picture of the coolant level changes (maybe if you have a digital camera that can time stamp your pictures? They should trust your word, but a time stamp would be an additional aid to your case)
zinstive - a valve used by mechanics to redirect fluids when hoses become blocked.
Sounds like somebody didn't clamp down a hose tightly enough somewhere. They darn well better do it for free!!
wreween... what mechanics secretly term those they think they can pull one over on
Well, the antifreeze didn't drop notably overnight, but that only means that the engine has to be warm for the leak to occur, since it did drop from when I topped it yesterday afternoon (when the engine was still hot) to later that day (when the engine was cold): a temperature-sensitive leak, in other words. Which, if I'm not mistaken, is the very thing they supposedly fixed.
I tell ya, I'm so ready to take that car out to a vacant field with a loaded shotgun... wouldn't mind if the mechanics were out there, too.
alendl - A meaningless operation mechanics do to look like they're doing something in an engine, when in fact they're doing nothing. "Hey, Carl, why don't you alendl under the hood for a while so we can bill for overtime?"
You need that trebuchet that Chris built in Northern Exposure. Well, actually, I guess it'd need to be an even bigger one. You could fling it!!
ensaign - the flag attached to a car showing it's near death's door.
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