Intuition is a crazy thing...
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Intuition is a crazy thing...
My radiator belt started squealing after i got my car back from the shop back in March so i thought "hey i will tighten it". So i do this around April when it first started... noticed some thick "belt dust" in the area.. thought "oh damn.. good thing I am tightening it" seemed odd but whatever...
But today I had a weird feeling to check under my hood and tighten my belt since it recently started squealing again... The belt dust was back.. so I looked closer...
It appears the shop that did my motor swap made one mistake.. they cut the custom top radiator hose slightly too long so where the hose elbows out of the radiator and heads towards the intake area... the elbow part of the hose was rubbing into the radiator pulley. It had a huge gash in it where the extra rubber shielding is on the hose. So I adjust the hose clamp and pull it in closer to the radiator so it is out of harms way..
This is super scary considering I almost was "driver" for the weekend going up to Lake Pillsbury which is about 2hours north of Santa Rosa. And you have to take a fairly long no cell signal dirt road to get to the boat dock.
If I had driven my car I could have very well been stranded there. So it looks like tomorrow I am calling up the shop to ask for them to replace the hose.. and to do it right this time.
Even though it has been about 4 months, do you guys think the shop should eat the cost on this? Considering it was their work that failed here? It should be a simple and cheap fix for them.. but.. I am just curious what you guys think? IMO they should cover it since it was 100% their work that was at fault here.
But today I had a weird feeling to check under my hood and tighten my belt since it recently started squealing again... The belt dust was back.. so I looked closer...
It appears the shop that did my motor swap made one mistake.. they cut the custom top radiator hose slightly too long so where the hose elbows out of the radiator and heads towards the intake area... the elbow part of the hose was rubbing into the radiator pulley. It had a huge gash in it where the extra rubber shielding is on the hose. So I adjust the hose clamp and pull it in closer to the radiator so it is out of harms way..
This is super scary considering I almost was "driver" for the weekend going up to Lake Pillsbury which is about 2hours north of Santa Rosa. And you have to take a fairly long no cell signal dirt road to get to the boat dock.
If I had driven my car I could have very well been stranded there. So it looks like tomorrow I am calling up the shop to ask for them to replace the hose.. and to do it right this time.
Even though it has been about 4 months, do you guys think the shop should eat the cost on this? Considering it was their work that failed here? It should be a simple and cheap fix for them.. but.. I am just curious what you guys think? IMO they should cover it since it was 100% their work that was at fault here.
Last edited by evsoul; Jul 5, 2009 at 08:40 PM.
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they should cover it but it will be interesting if they do since its been so long and they might try say it wasn't their fault. But hopefully for you they fix it but good thing you checked!
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My intuition... 
tells me the shop should not eat the cost on this. If it were some high dollar mistake then sure but this is an 11 dollar part for a prebent hose and 6 bucks for a straight hose. Also dunno if you went to a bigger radiator during the job but that can cause clearence issues also.
tells me the shop should not eat the cost on this. If it were some high dollar mistake then sure but this is an 11 dollar part for a prebent hose and 6 bucks for a straight hose. Also dunno if you went to a bigger radiator during the job but that can cause clearence issues also.
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My intuition... tells me the shop should not eat the cost on this. If it were some high dollar mistake then sure but this is an 11 dollar part for a prebent hose and 6 bucks for a straight hose. Also dunno if you went to a bigger radiator during the job but that can cause clearence issues also.
tells me the shop should not eat the cost on this. If it were some high dollar mistake then sure but this is an 11 dollar part for a prebent hose and 6 bucks for a straight hose. Also dunno if you went to a bigger radiator during the job but that can cause clearence issues also.
Originally Posted by Evsoul
It appears the shop that did my motor swap made one mistake.. they cut the custom top radiator hose slightly too long so where the hose elbows out of the radiator and heads towards the intake area... the elbow part of the hose was rubbing into the radiator pulley.
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They should def. cover the cost. I just got my car back (funny thing is I got backed into causing the radiator hose to get jammed back and do the same thing, among $5000 of other fixes) and I asked about the guarantee on their work. I was told as long as I have the car, their work is guaranteed, up to the day I sell it. So if it is a result of their work (which it is), I would make them pay for it. Obviously ymmv as far as other shops but still, they messed up... you didn't do anything except pay them to do their jobs correctly.
Last edited by 4eatme; Jul 5, 2009 at 09:13 PM.
lol its the power steering pulley and belt, they have no connections to the cooling system.
I have the same issue with my swap and the top hose clearance. The loose belt is a bad reflection on the shop that did the work, and you need to bring these issues to their attention. They certainly shouldn't 'eat' the cost though. Come-backs suck *** but don't always warrant handouts.
A new hose will be pennies in comparison to the cost of the swap.
I have the same issue with my swap and the top hose clearance. The loose belt is a bad reflection on the shop that did the work, and you need to bring these issues to their attention. They certainly shouldn't 'eat' the cost though. Come-backs suck *** but don't always warrant handouts.
A new hose will be pennies in comparison to the cost of the swap.
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they made a custom part that sucked. yes they should cover it unless it couldve been dismounted and shifted somehow.
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A reputable shop will stand by their parts and labor for 12 months/ 12K miles. I'd say go back and bring it to their attention. Worse they can say is no but being that you had some major work done there, they should be able to goodwill/warranty the custom hose since it's good for business.
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I would certainly warranty a hose if it was installed improperly at our shop. If it's obvious it's the shops fault, why wouldn't they fix it? Especially if it's something as simple as a single hose.
-- Ed
-- Ed
Just bein' devil's advocate. =P Thinkin' inside the head of the shop and use their argument.
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Hmmm....I'm trying to figure out why a custom hose would be needed in the first place.
Yes, the shop should take of you no questions asked.
Yes, the shop should take of you no questions asked.
No comebacks. The OP should have taken the car back when the belt started squealing. That kind of issue should not happen at a professional shop, and is why the ASE certification program exists etc. etc.
Like I said earlier the hose cost, with labor, is next to nothing. These little problems, however, are indicators of suspect quality control. For complete assurance I recommend asking the shop to do a full inspection; if they baulk you really should take your business elsewhere.
Like I said earlier the hose cost, with labor, is next to nothing. These little problems, however, are indicators of suspect quality control. For complete assurance I recommend asking the shop to do a full inspection; if they baulk you really should take your business elsewhere.