Bad Indy Experience, Advice on Handling
Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:04 am
I wanted to run this past the car crowd before proceeding.
I had an alternator done on my Benz at the good (or one of the best indy Mercedes shops) in Phoenix last week. I pick up the car, they say all is well. Tech notes that I can use the motor mounts in the future and tires are getting close to needing replacement. I drive the car home, then drive it around on Saturday. All is well.
Yesterday I had some time during the day, so I go to put the new tires on the Benz (I had the new tires sitting in my garage waiting to be mounted). Mount the tires, start driving home.
About 1 block away from my place I start smelling strong coolant odor. Butt immediately starts tightening. As I turn into my community gates, the "Check Coolant" signs comes on the dash board. I coast to my garage for the next 30 seconds and shut the car off. I step outside, and there is a fluid trail behind me, and coolant gushing from the driver's side front. I pop the hood to see where is it coming from, I can't really tell but it seems to be radiator area. I remove one of the intake sleeves and see one of the radiator hose is completely popped out from the radiator (car has the pop in hoses).
I know that in order to get the alternator replaced shop removed the radiator shroud, and to put it in...you had to wiggle it and massage it between the radiator hoses. The hose clamp on the hose that popped off looks a bit bent and deformed compared to the clamp on the other side. I took pictures and texted the shop asking for guidance...their response was "Tow it in tomorrow???".
After plugging the hose in myself and refilling the coolant, car seemed to run fine. I put the heater on and bled the system for about one hour. It seemed fine.
I am still taking the car to the shop on Wednesday to have them check the cooling system and I will ask for them to replace the hose, as it looks like they have damaged it during the installation of the radiator fan shroud.
I've spent close to $4,000 with this shop since I bought the MB, and this was the second time I had a coolant issue after I got the car back. First time they forgot to tighten the radiator drain valve all the way, and it started puking coolant in Flagstaff. This time the hose popped off, and it seemed it popped off because technician didn't push it in all the way after he disturbed it installing the fan.
With that being said, would I be asking too much to ask for a new upper radiator hose since it appears the the clamps on the one I have now are damaged? If I got any other more serious motor damage from the coolant loss, do I have any recourse here? Car came back from their shop on Thursday last week.
I had an alternator done on my Benz at the good (or one of the best indy Mercedes shops) in Phoenix last week. I pick up the car, they say all is well. Tech notes that I can use the motor mounts in the future and tires are getting close to needing replacement. I drive the car home, then drive it around on Saturday. All is well.
Yesterday I had some time during the day, so I go to put the new tires on the Benz (I had the new tires sitting in my garage waiting to be mounted). Mount the tires, start driving home.
About 1 block away from my place I start smelling strong coolant odor. Butt immediately starts tightening. As I turn into my community gates, the "Check Coolant" signs comes on the dash board. I coast to my garage for the next 30 seconds and shut the car off. I step outside, and there is a fluid trail behind me, and coolant gushing from the driver's side front. I pop the hood to see where is it coming from, I can't really tell but it seems to be radiator area. I remove one of the intake sleeves and see one of the radiator hose is completely popped out from the radiator (car has the pop in hoses).
I know that in order to get the alternator replaced shop removed the radiator shroud, and to put it in...you had to wiggle it and massage it between the radiator hoses. The hose clamp on the hose that popped off looks a bit bent and deformed compared to the clamp on the other side. I took pictures and texted the shop asking for guidance...their response was "Tow it in tomorrow???".
After plugging the hose in myself and refilling the coolant, car seemed to run fine. I put the heater on and bled the system for about one hour. It seemed fine.
I am still taking the car to the shop on Wednesday to have them check the cooling system and I will ask for them to replace the hose, as it looks like they have damaged it during the installation of the radiator fan shroud.
I've spent close to $4,000 with this shop since I bought the MB, and this was the second time I had a coolant issue after I got the car back. First time they forgot to tighten the radiator drain valve all the way, and it started puking coolant in Flagstaff. This time the hose popped off, and it seemed it popped off because technician didn't push it in all the way after he disturbed it installing the fan.
With that being said, would I be asking too much to ask for a new upper radiator hose since it appears the the clamps on the one I have now are damaged? If I got any other more serious motor damage from the coolant loss, do I have any recourse here? Car came back from their shop on Thursday last week.