Is it time I just went and took my car from mechanic?

Ave Sodalis

Hi all,

On the 8th of August I left my car into a mechanic to get fixed. There was a few small things (general service, sensor change) which as far as I am aware are done, and one major issue which doesn't render the car undrivable but annoying all the same. The car's coolant overflow tank was boiling over if the car was idling too long or driving in an indoor car park. There was nothing wrong with the engine/head gasket so it was definitely in the cooling system. Last I heard, he had changed the radiator and that didn't work, and had done something else which didn't work. That was on a Thursday over two weeks ago (will be three weeks this Thursday). He told me he had another thing to try and he will ring me back at the weekend. He also said he would be away on the Wednesday so would like to get it sorted by then.

Come the weekend, there was no phone call. I tried ringing on Monday and there was no answer. I rang twice on Tuesday but the phone was off and the voice mail was full. I knew he was away on the Wednesday so didn't ring but rang Thursday and no answer. Finally got through to him last Monday and through the really awful reception, I gathered he was actually on holiday. The phone cut off before I learned when he would be back. I have heard nothing since.

I'm starting to feel like a pest with the phone calls because every call so far, I've had to make (even though he's told me he would ring me at X time, he never does). I have no idea what's going on with my car and I'm really quite stuck for lifts. I cycle when I can but I live in the middle of nowhere, and it takes a while to cycle anywhere, and it's not ideal with the awful weather we've been having. If he can't fix it, that's fine but I'd rather he told me. Likewise, surely it's reasonable to expect updates? My previous mechanic updated me regularly (unfortunately, he's also the type to go a bit overboard so I couldn't afford him this time), so maybe I've unrealistic expectations. I understand that it could be a problem that takes a bit of time to fix, but I wouldn't mind so much if I knew what was actually going on. For all I know, the car could have been sitting there this last two weeks and nothing being done with it.

Is it unreasonable at this stage to just go and collect the car, regardless of what's been done? I can't help but feel the mechanic is just taking the p*ss.

Should have been diagnosed within an hour of working on it if he's capable.
He sounds like a monkey. I'd get the car back.

veganrun

I was in a similar boat, left the car in to get a coolant leak fixed as it was still under warranty. Long story short they had the car for 4-6 weeks, I can't remember exactly. There was an awful faffing around and the guys were honest and doing their best, but it was just a nasty problem thing to fix. But like you they didn't always call when they promised they would which I found annoying.

They gave me a courtesy car but I used up my full month's cover transfer on the insurance with it. The issue was eventually fixed and I got the car back but sure enough a month later the coolant started leaking again. I had enough at that stage and traded the car in for something else.

Hope you have better luck than me.

Ave Sodalis

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

........The car's coolant overflow tank was boiling over if the car was idling too long or driving in an indoor car park..............

Sounds like fan isn't coming on if it's fine when moving but overheats when idling. The temperature guage in the car rises above half way presumably?

Changing the rad wouldn't be the first port of call unless it was confirmed the rad was blocked / totally shot /corroded etc

Ave Sodalis

veganrun wrote: »

The issue was eventually fixed and I got the car back but sure enough a month later the coolant started leaking again. I had enough at that stage and traded the car in for something else.

Did they tell you what it was?

Ave Sodalis

Augeo wrote: »

Sounds like fan isn't coming on if it's fine when moving but overheats when idling. The temperature guage in the car rises above half way presumably?

Changing the rad wouldn't be the first port of call unless it was confirmed the rad was blocked / totally shot /corroded etc

Temperature gauge doesn't move from normal. The only way I could tell it was overheating was when I could see steam. I don't think the fan's coming on when it should, but the car is also airlocking a lot so (in my own completely naive and ignorant opinion) it could be as simple as a crack in a pipe.

veganrun

It was some nasty seal that was damaged but it was in a very difficult place to access, they basically had a full days work just to get at it. Then when they put it all back together the car wouldn't start/run properly. That was caused by some sensor but there must have been something else wrong as the coolant started dropping again after a few weeks. It was a 2013 Fiesta with the Ecoboost 1 litre petrol engine. I'd heard issues about that after the fact but you live and learn.

Ave Sodalis

What do you know, mine is a Fiesta too :pac: A 2004 though.

Did the coolant drop all at once or very slowly over time? Mine goes down slowly, so over the course of weeks unless it boils.

Toyotafanboi

At this point, I'd certainly take the car back.

That said, it will raise all the questions re: payments etc and it sounds like you don't have an agreement in place for that. He hasn't fixed the problem so in that regard can't expect full payment for the job, but at the same time if he's fitted various new bits to your car, you will have to afford him the opportunity to take them back, or you may wish to keep them at an agreed price.

I'd be curious to know what kind of outfit this is? Would you say yourself it's a case of paying peanuts and getting monkeys to work?

Ave Sodalis

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

At this point, I'd certainly take the car back.

That said, it will raise all the questions re: payments etc and it sounds like you don't have an agreement in place for that. He hasn't fixed the problem so in that regard can't expect full payment for the job, but at the same time if he's fitted various new bits to your car, you will have to afford him the opportunity to take them back, or you may wish to keep them at an agreed price.

I'd be curious to know what kind of outfit this is? Would you say yourself it's a case of paying peanuts and getting monkeys to work?

I don't mind paying him for the labour he has done (unless he charges for a full months work). Not entirely sure about paying him for parts as, in the case of the radiator at least, mine was working fine and he now has a perfectly good spare radiator to use/sell on. He will be paid no problem for the small things, provided they're done.

He's just a man who runs a small garage himself with a young apprentice. He used to work in a dealer garage before leaving to set up himself.

veganrun

Mine would drop down to the minimum level after about 2 months from being at the max level. It wasn't boiling over but I know if there coolant runs out it can cause bad things to happen to the engine. They did a pressure check and it was fine and they were going to change the water pump I think but the main Ford HQ made them try this other thing instead.

I felt like just leaving the car with them and getting my money back but in the end I knew that was unlikely. So I waited it out and I at least had a replacement car but then it started leaking diesel! But even so, I wanted my own car back.

Lord Nikon

If you have a spare key, go pick up the car as it, and worry about your man when he gets back. He could have been polite enough to tell you he was going away, and didn't mind too much leaving you without a car. Who is to know, the car might be drivable at this stage, and you could make some use of it until the guy gets back.

Toyotafanboi

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

There was nothing wrong with the engine/head gasket so it was definitely in the cooling system.

The bigger problem for you OP, is that the items you mention above are actually all one and the same thing.

To be fair, how was the head gasket checked?

If the car has had a radiator, water pump and thermostat changed and it is still continuing to drop the coolant level/ create air locks/ empty the expansion tank through one means or another it pretty much has to be head gasket failure.

I'd be setting myself up for that, even if it's with a different mechanic.

Things sound amicable at the moment, so as exciting as it sounds, don't go and steal the car from the mechanic. Just go and meet him, make your intentions clear and take the car back. He'll be as glad to get shot as you are to get it back I'd say so it should be easy.

Ave Sodalis

Toyotafanboi wrote:

To be fair, how was the head gasket checked?

The engine was changed! Like I said, my last mechanic tended to go a bit overboard. Great for NCT things, not so great otherwise. He also changed the thermostat, which in fairness made a big improvement.

Toyotafanboi wrote:

Things sound amicable at the moment, so as exciting as it sounds, don't go and steal the car from the mechanic. Just go and meet him, make your intentions clear and take the car back. He'll be as glad to get shot as you are to get it back I'd say so it should be easy.

I was planning on going to him tomorrow, if he's back. I was just wondering if it would be acceptable to ask for the car back then, or if I should be giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Ave Sodalis

Lord Nikon wrote:

If you have a spare key, go pick up the car as it, and worry about your man when he gets back. He could have been polite enough to tell you he was going away, and didn't mind too much leaving you without a car. Who is to know, the car might be drivable at this stage, and you could make some use of it until the guy gets back.

I don't think that's very fair, and even if he is taking the mick, it wouldn't really be in me to do that. There's nothing stopping him from telling people in the area that I stole the car without paying him for the work.

Ave Sodalis

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

The engine was changed! Like I said, my last mechanic tended to go a bit overboard. Great for NCT things, not so great otherwise. He also changed the thermostat, which in fairness made a big improvement...................

Engine changed? How long ago?

Toyotafanboi

You know what they say:

If an engine is giving trouble, it's always better to replace it entirely with a used one of unknown background or origin rather than diagnose the actual fault at hand and repair the existing engine as necessary.

Wait, actually, that isn't right is it?

Lord Nikon

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

I don't think that's very fair, and even if he is taking the mick, it wouldn't really be in me to do that. There's nothing stopping him from telling people in the area that I stole the car without paying him for the work.

Stolen? You own the car so how can you steal your own car...text the guy and say you took it, and ask him to call you when he returns with information on what was done to the car, costs accrued from repairs, and if the car is actually repaired.

Ave Sodalis

Augeo wrote:

Engine changed? How long ago?

At the start of a year

Toyotafanboi wrote:

If an engine is giving trouble, it's always better to replace it entirely with a used one of unknown background or origin rather than diagnose the actual fault at hand and repair the existing engine as necessary.

I'm not a mechanic and don't know much about cars. If a mechanic tells me it's better to do something, then I don't really have much choice but to believe them. It's not a particularly great position to be in, but I don't have the time to change it.

Lord Nikon wrote:

Stolen? You own the car so how can you steal your own car...text the guy and say you took it, and ask him to call you when he returns with information on what was done to the car, costs accrued from repairs, and if the car is actually repaired.

From the sound of your post, it just sounded like I should go take it without any sort of payment or acknowledgement of the work he has done. Sorry if I took it up wrong!

Toyotafanboi

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

I'm not a mechanic and don't know much about cars. If a mechanic tells me it's better to do something, then I don't really have much choice but to believe them. It's not a particularly great position to be in, but I don't have the time to change it.

Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for you for that very reason. You had a car giving you grief, you took it to a professional as is what you would expect someone to do, they gave you bad advice, now you're out of pocket and out of a car and there's still no end in sight. It's crap.

Lord Nikon

My previous car starting giving terrible hassle(engine misfires). After swapping out injectors(not cheap), full DPF clean, turbo removed and cleaned, etc. and other stuff. Ended up paying a lot of money, and still it wasn't fixed, after been to two different mechanics.
Finally, brought it to third mechanic, and diagnosed the problem to being a bent camshaft. Didn't have the cash to bother spending on repair and traded up.
Spend just under 2 grand on all that mess, and still hadn't it fixed.

Ave Sodalis

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for you for that very reason. You had a car giving you grief, you took it to a professional as is what you would expect someone to do, they gave you bad advice, now you're out of pocket and out of a car and there's still no end in sight. It's crap.

It is a pain, and I do regret not learning enough to get me by. I'll most likely get around to it at some stage. Although, sometimes it can be difficult enough to get a mechanic to listen to the problem you're telling them without them talking over you as it is, nevermind listening to my thoughts on the matter

Lord Nikon wrote: »

My previous car starting giving terrible hassle(engine misfires). After swapping out injectors(not cheap), full DPF clean, turbo removed and cleaned, etc. and other stuff. Ended up paying a lot of money, and still it wasn't fixed, after been to two different mechanics.
Finally, brought it to third mechanic, and diagnosed the problem to being a bent camshaft. Didn't have the cash to bother spending on repair and traded up.
Spend just under 2 grand on all that mess, and still hadn't it fixed.

The worst of it is, there's a good chance I'll get this sorted, sell the car on and the next owner will never have a day's bother with it... but if I keep it, something else catastrophic will happen.