don't worry i had that same problem with a brand new battery! i have seen pressure tests done so 6 of 1 - 1/2 doz of the other

Sheesh, that's ridiculous! Do you service your own car/s now, or see a service center?

have always tried to service my own .... but when needed i out scource .. and no i don't see a "service centre" .. just a mechanic with his own shop ... i also have a brother-inlaw with contacts

Ahhh. It's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know.

yep very true! ... however if i can do it i will, however a 'service' on an auto . . . pass the buck

Hello,

Your Car is nearly 20 years old. Things will go wrong, and it may develop different problems after service work has been done. ( unrelated to what was done ) That is life, but find a good workshop to do things you cant. The cheapest is not always the best. Most places know it is easier to keep a customer than get a new one, so ask around, and when you go to a new place tell them they were recommended. Most places want to grow their business with happy customers coming back.

Hi there.

Thanks for your comment.

Yeah, I definitely had no problem with the radiator need replacing. I didn't even have a problem with the fact that it kept leaking afterward, because none of the REST of the cooling system was replaced WITH the radiator. As long as it's expected things like wear and tear from age/use/whatever, then I don't mind so much. That's what happens when you have an old vehicle. I just want to find someone that I can trust who won't sabotage the car in some way, whether by actively damaging it or keeping quiet about things they notice during regular services. This new mechanic seems okay so far, so we'll see how that goes. I've been to four different people/companies in the last two weeks and so far he's the one who seems the least BSy. I'll definitely be taking my car back to him for the next service, and then maybe services after that if all goes well.

Hello,

There are also dodgy customers in the balance of things. That is why many places take Pics of the Car when you drop it off. In some cases the owner hasn't noticed a scratch until they pick up the Car. A local workshop owned / run by a mechanic is a good starting point. If / when there is a problem is the time you will find out what they are really like.

Wherever there are people, there is the potential for dodginess. I've been taking lots of pictures of my engine the last couple of weeks to monitor the coolant, and I'll be doing that after the water pump repair ANYway, just to keep on top of the cooling system and make sure that nothing else is busted.

The temperature gauge never went above the o of NORMAL, though. And it took aaaaages to heat up, and mostly, when in clear air, sat on top of the C (for COLD). It's done very well since the new radiator was put in, so I think the system overall is fine. Only time will tell after the water pump is replaced. I'm picking him up tomorrow and I'll give it a few days and see how things go.

I was taking my car to the same place for almost the whole four years that we've had him, and he's always been really good. Always come back without major repairs needed (one time was the windshield wipers - they needed new rubber; and the cigarette lighter fuse needed to be fixed).

Then on Day One, when we discovered that there was zero coolant (just little puddles of remnants) in the reservoir, we took it to an auto parts place to get some coolant and an employee there said that his car had been damaged when he took it to the same mechanic shop we'd been sending ours to over the last few years. We initially thought that maybe they forgot to top up the coolant when we had him serviced only two months prior (in January), so we already had a tiny bit of bias against them from that. He's actually the one who recommended we take the car to the first mechanic (second one) who did the first two-hour, $20 pressure test. The first three mechanic shops were local (within eight minutes of our home). It's difficult knowing who to trust if you don't have enough knowledge to fully understand what they tell you is wrong with your car. My knowledge has vastly improved over this past fortnight BECAUSE of this cooling system problem I've had.

I think quite possibly, the radiator just decided to leak, maybe AFTER the January service, or it was showing signs of wear and tear and they just didn't think to check it, thus leaving it vulnerable to failure. It's hard to say. I can say one thing, though; they're Toyota-lovers, and though they admit that Falcons are great cars all-around, they don't like them very much lol.

This new mechanic is twenty minutes away from my home, and didn't charge too high to fix the water pump, and offered to take a look at the steering rack boot (and hopefully the steering rack under it; it's a big enough hole in the rubber to see beyond it) for free while the car's up on the hoist, so... I'm HOPING that we can stick with them. I don't mind driving twenty minutes one way to get him serviced if it's by trustworthy, reliable people. AND they offer loaner cars at a pretty affordable rate, so I'm not complaining. It's early days, though, so we'll see!

My BIGGEST thing is that I don't want to lose what is otherwise a super-reliable, straight-driving, smooooth car.

Hello,

The Temp gauge should sit around the middle. It should get there within about 5 minutes of driving. If not it means the thermostat is bad. More engine wear and worse fuel economy. You get to know a Car after a while, things change but anything sudden needs to be checked, and any Car watch the Temp gauge.

Yep, it does get to the middle (mostly the R, sometimes the O). With the older radiator, it would sit on the L of NORMAL for freeway driving, and get to the N of NORMAL in bumper to bumper traffic. The radiator fan would kick in, but would only stop it from getting hotter.

With the new radiator, it seems that it heats up and cools down a lot more normally now. It doesn't go past halfway for bumper to bumper (sometimes it sorta looks like it might, but then we get out of traffic and it cools down). On freeway driving, it stays just below the [ that sits around the word NORMAL. I think the temperature gauge is fine. How does one check that, though?

In any case, I'm very relieved. I've made it a goal to check the temperature gauge often and, at least with this car, check the coolant often, too.

Got Davis back today, and it seems like the radiator fluid went down a tiiiny bit after I he cooled down, but hasn't lowered beyond that for the last several hours. I think everything's okay. I'll keep checking to make sure that the underside of the car dries up (it's just damp now, not saturated) as whatever's left there blows away with driving/evaporates.

I'm going to be checking the coolant levels very often and stay on top of any potential problems. I know my car now way more than I did before, and in a way I'm grateful that I do - even though potentially engine-threatening problems lead to it.

Quick question, though... The coolant tank looks like it's got residue build-up on the inside. I am just wondering what that is? The reservoir has supposedly been flushed at least once, when the radiator was changed, so I guess if that gunk was anything to worry about, it would have been removed, right?

 

 

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Hello,

A sludge coating wont flush away. I get a bit of rag and use a stick to wipe off the sludge. It only will affect the looks in the Tank. There will also be a coating through the engine, there are some " snake oil " cleaners you can buy. In the past, laundry powder was used. The level dropping a bit will be air being purged. If there is no problem, it will stay at a slightly lower level than at first. Remember, the water expands so it will drop slightly when cold.

If it holds pressure and the level doesn't drop it is fine. The coating inside the engine is normal with age, that is the reason that radiators eventually block up. You can buy a filter to catch some of this, very few people do though. Good coolant is the best prevention.

Yeah, I didn't think that it was anything serious to be concerned about. Thanks a lot. That's further reassuring.

Mate I hope I am wrong, but I think your problem has only just started.