Kelvrick

Lifer
Feb 14, 2001
18,422
5
81
My car overheated last saturday night on the way home from work, and I just got off the phone with my mechanic (coolent leak seemed slow, filled up and drove it in). Apparently, the last jackass who installed my radiator (me) didn't install the mounts, and so the radiator has been rubbing against the frame or something the whole time (1.5 years) and so it caused a leak in the coolent.

Now its going to cost me 450 to fix it. Damn asswipe mechanics, wtf are they doing leaving radiator supports uninstalled?

Now, I figure do I wanna spend 500 bucks on my 2500 car (93 camry) or just donate it and buy a new car.

Oh well.
 

Heisenberg

Lifer
Dec 21, 2001
10,621
1
0
Erm...how do you not install the mounts? You'd think you'd notice when the thing fell onto the ground.
 

iamaelephant

Diamond Member
Jul 25, 2004
3,816
1
81
Mechanic = you? I'm lost, are you pissed at yourself? How could you not install the mounts, it's 4 bolts FFS. Arg automotive stupididty infuriates me.
 

Kelvrick

Lifer
Feb 14, 2001
18,422
5
81
Originally posted by: swtethan
so you pwned yourself?

Yes I did. Back then I was in college and the quote was like 400 bucks for them to install the radiator, so I went out and bought a new one for like 120 and installed it myself (using hanes manual).

Well, I'm not sure how I wouldn't have installed the mounts/supports for it, because the radiator has been in there for like a year and a half. He said that the whole time, its been rubbing aginst something (I forgot, I figure frame, or something else) and just now it wore down enough to cause a leak/crack.

The guy came with some good references and is only charging me 35 bucks for the diagnostic. That, and he caleld me once he figured it out and didn't do the other stuff I asked him to do (replace thermostat and recharge ac) so I don't see him totally ripping me about that.

I'm glad to see at the time of reply, 2 of 4 people noticed that the last person who did it was me, so the mechanic that ripped me off was me.
 

jtvang125

Diamond Member
Nov 10, 2004
5,399
51
91
No way is replacing a radiator $500. $150-170 tops. $100 for radiator, 50-70 for misc parts and labor.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: jtvang125
No way is replacing a radiator $500. $150-170 tops. $100 for radiator, 50-70 for misc parts and labor.
Have you looked under the hood of a modern automobile?

You practically have to take the engine out to replace it.