Coolant leak - advice needed

Less than 90 days ago I had MAJOR service done to my car by trusted TDI mechanic whose name I found from this site. This service included timing belt/water pump replacement, coolant refill, not to mention a TDI injection pump rebuild and other items, too. He told me his labor is warrantied for 90 days.

Anyway, today I noticed my coolant fluid level light flashing, so I pulled over and saw coolant pouring from under my car. I managed to find water and had to keep filling the reservoir every couple of miles (4-5 minutes). Once at home I took a closer look and I see a couple of the short, thicker coolant hoses toward the front of the engine, but deep down on my right side of the timing belt. One of them has a hose clamp end sticking out that SEEMS to have sliced into the other piece of hose, but its hard to tell and they are not very accessible. That seems to be the source. I am assuming they had to have been removed during the water pump/timing belt and/or fuel pump work?

In addition, the car has a new oil leak since this service as well as a new exhaust smell in the cabin when the fan blows, so I was planning to bring it in and have those looked at (I am assuming under the repair warrantly, but I want him to tell me if not - I don't want to pay more) but this leak seems to me to be also directly due to that service. I want to demand that this be taken care under the service that I had had. I assume I am in the right on this one?

Since this mechanic is an hour from my house now I have to have my car towed there b/c I cannot easily repair this coolant hose, but that means I have to pay for a tow....

Anyway, I paid a lot of money to get this car back in shape and I want what is fair. Any suggestions are most appreciated.

Thank you.

Don't bring it back to the source that you claim did the damage. Find a local garage, and get the work done to your satisfaction.

What is it about the internet that causes people to lose perspective?

You had your car serviced. There was a problem. The proper thing to do is to contact the mechanic, not blast garbage all over the web. If your troubles are wholly or partially due to his work, he should have the opportunity to make it right.

Nobody is perfect, and stuff can happen. It is the final outcome that matters.

Human interactions trump the cyberworld. This ain't match.com you know.

P.

The problems you are encountering happened more than one day but less than 90 days from the major service that was performed. If it had to do with the service, the problems should have developed immediately after the service. So it is possible that the hoses were due for change and the cabin filter (that is why you get smell inside the car) needed replacement. Regarding oil leak, it depends on the source. If it is coming from the crankshaft or camshaft, the mechnic may not have replaced the oil seals because they are not considered part of timing belt change procedure unless you had specifically requested that they be replaced. However it is possible that the removal of components may have accelerated the demise of the hoses that were in any case reaching the end of their lives. When the cars reached timing belt change interval, other components are very vulnerable for demise due to age and high mileage. So your best option is to take to the mechnic who did timing belt change and see what he says. After that, decide whether to have him do. The other option is to change the hoses, filter, seal etc. yourself in which case you do not have to hassle with the mechnics. Pepboys or Autozone may be your procurement choice for the components.

This is a case of "give the guy a chance".

Maybe instead of you having to bring the car to him, he'll come and get it. How do you know if you haven't asked? If he misaligned a hose that got cut, and if he's a stand up guy, he'll replace it. No hose is that hard to fix.

Anyone willing to warranty his work at least has to be given the chance to perform. It stands to reason YOU should do the right thing. It is a reciprocal situation. If the mechanic doesn't know there is a problem, how do you expect him to fix it? Is he Clairvoyant?

I would at least give the mechanic a chance to make it right.

thank you

OK, Thank you for your input.

I did talk to the mechanic on the phone since I sent the message. He told me that if it is due to a cut hose that the coolant leak would not be caused by the service he did, which did not involve removing any hoses, so perhaps it is because the car is old. I guess I thought that changing a water pump would involve taking off and replacing some of these hoses, but I haven't done it on a Passat. Anyway, I am having the car towed to him tomorrow, since it is still under 90-day warrantly. That way he will have the chance to make it right, as some of you pointed out. The oil leak was immediate, but I haven't had a chance to get it to him until now and I wanted to see if anything else was amiss.

Also, the cabin filter had been replaced by him, so the smell is not due to that.

big_ole_truck said:

Don't bring it back to the source that you claim did the damage. Find a local garage, and get the work done to your satisfaction.

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This is the worst advise ever.

I agree with others, have the TDI guru take a look at it before anything else.

turbocharged798 said:

This is the worst advise ever.
I agree with others, have the TDI guru take a look at it before anything else.

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Second that