mechanic replaced thermostat and water pump 2 weeks ago,now its leaking coolant and the mechanic says i need a new radiator!! explained the pressure of new water pump caused the radiator to crack,am I getting ripped off?

 

Where is it leaking from? From the radiator area or back further by the engine? Just put a new thermostat on my mini only to have the bleed plug strip out. Also depends on how old the car or radiator is. New water pump can cause more pressure

 

+1^

I never heard of water pump creating more pressure!!! My guess is the water pipe between the thermostat and the water pump either broke or is not sitting right...common area for leaks.

 

Yeah, I don't see the water pump cracking an aluminum radiator. Water pipe being cracked on removal of the old thermostat is a more likely possibility. Or... the radiator was the original leak?

What quadrant under the engine is coolant dripping?

 

The radiator may be cracked, but the new water pump did NOT cause it. That's an idiotic thing to say, so take the car somewhere else to get fixed, and never go back there. Don't tell the next shop you think it's the radiator, just let them find the leak.

 

There is a UV dye you can put in the AF. Then when it is leaking under pressure, you can use a blacklight-flashlight to see exactly where it is leaking. This is what they did at the factory I worked in .

The dye & flashlight are not expensive.

 

Being a woman,(they see me coming!!) and having worked at a local repair shop as a receptionist,I just dont trust mechanics to own up to their mistakes,I appreciate your input. There are products that supposedly stop leaks,not sure I trust that it wont cause some other type of damage. I am thinking that if the coolant leak was a problem how the thermostat and water pump were installed,the leak would have been noticed as soon as I brought it home, not 2 weeks later. My Ford Escaped is a 2005 model, but it only has 73,000 miles on it. I am going to fill with antifreeze,so I can get another opinion, without suggesting the radiator.

 

you mention UV dye in AF??? what is AF?

 

I cant tell where it is leaking from. Originally my suv got hot an stalled, had it towed to repair shop. was fine for two weeks after the water pump and thermostat were replaced. Dont you think if it were related to repairs the coolant would have started to leak sooner than 2 weeks? Mechanic told me if I keep adding coolant I can still drive it? I am going to have to crawl under and try to see where the leak is coming from, I am a woman, and NOT a mechanic, but when I was told the radiator was cracked,and he pointed to it, I did not see a crack. should I try products that claim to stop leaks?

 

AF= Antifreeze

I would not use any snake oil leak stop, it will gum up your heater core.

Who knows if leak is related to previous work, may or may not be true.

Can you take a picture of the area that your technician pointed too? It should appear wet & have a wet streak going down from there.

Sometimes a mirror & flashlight help look into dark corners.

A technician should be pressurizing the system to 15 PSI (they have an adapter for this) which will make the leak happen on demand.

Good luck

 

Ford Escape? You realize that you're posting on a forum for MINIs?

 

Ford Escape eh? How did you wind up posting here?

And no, I wouldn't put stop leak in whatever car you are driving. In 99% of cases it doesn't work and as previously stated it just craps up the cooling system.

 

I used half a bottle of Rislone cooling system stop leak in my Mini and it completely stopped the leak in my thermostat housing. You can use it, it won't clog things up. Just don't use more than one bottle. If it still leaks after that, get it fixed. I've been a mechanic for many years, and that stuff is amazing.

 

Completely false. Leak stop is usually copper pellets or some other clogging agent and it will clog the heater core eventually. Its a temporary fix that has permanent consequences. The heater core is usually the lowest point in the coolant system and as such the clogging agent will settle in the heater core and will eventually will clog the core.

My advise is avoid all those stop leaks and have the issue repair correctly, and if you used a stop leak get your coolant flushed asap before you're spending huge bucks on a new heater core.