Problems with mechanic?

[Fun_Bucket]

Hi guy's,

The radiator cracked on our Ford Focus a few weeks back, so we took it to Ryans Radiators and they replaced the radiator and thermostat. The car ran fine for a few days, but then it started to over heat within about 5 mins of driving. We had it taken back and they said the top hose was hot so it may be a water pump issue. We left it with them and then got a call saying the head gasket was gone for the following reasons -

Tested positive on CO2 test
Exhaust fumes preset in cooling system
Over pressurisation

We took the car to another mechanic as they don't do any other work. A few days later he called us and said that the thermostat that had been installed was faulty and would not open. He has put a new one in and everything seems fine now. He firmly believes that the head is fine and he said it's not worth spending the money to have it looked at. He said if the head gasket was gone the were be so many obvious problems that the car isn't displaying, he's been driving it around as well and hasn't had any issues.

Now back to the original mechanic. After they couldn't diagnose the problem as anything other than the head gasket, they rang us and said if we don't get our car today from out the front they were having it towed. It's a little hard to move a car that doesn't drive, and looks as though they were the cause the whole time by not checking the thermostat they installed.

What sort of position am i in as far as getting my money back from the original mechanic. I have put it to them that i want to be paid in full for the cost's involving another mechanic to replace their faulty thermostat. I also said i want a full refund on their work bar the "cost" price of the radiator. They said to bring the car in so they can have another look at it. They've looked over it 5 times now, it went back when a sensor for the gearbox kept going off after we picked it up the first time. I'm not sure i want them to get their hands on it, i don't know if they would go and do something sneaky to try and cover them selves up, what do you guy's think?

The other mechanic said if an engine is running red hot because the thermostat is jammed shut he said of course their will be over pressurisation, and that there isn't even a point in running a CO2 test unless you've sorted everything else out first. The "proof is in the pudding" as he kept putting it, that the car is running fine.

[Andrew426]

So the car has been overheated?

I think Its unfair to demand that the first place refund your money. Faulty thermostats happen, occasionally they are defective from the factory. Really you should give the first workshop the opportunity to replace the thermostsat at their own cost and go from there.

[Fun_Bucket]

So the car has been overheated?

I think Its unfair to demand that the first place refund your money. Faulty thermostats happen, occasionally they are defective from the factory. Really you should give the first workshop the opportunity to replace the thermostsat at their own cost and go from there.

Yes it over heated when the radiator first went, and then again after the work had been carried out.

Well it's sort of hard to give them the oppurtunity to fix it after they couldn't identify the problem, to me that was their oppurtunity, that had a few goes at it, and then just gave up. What more could i have done. They said to me straight out we can't fix it, you'll have to take it somewhere else. I have been very nice to both parties thoughout the whole ordeal, but so far it hasn't got anywhere except further out of pocket.

I understand thermostats can be faulty, but they can also be tested. They said to me that the thermostat can't be tested like older cars, that it's a sealed unit. My new mechanic however said that is false, and that it's defiately faulty, and that he had the thermostat in boiling water for well over half an hour.

[VR38]

Contact consumer affairs if you want to find out about taking the matter further.

[azazeldeath]

The hard part is proving they knew or not. I am still trying to prove that a mechanic up here sold parts off my car and put old parts on, in some cases broken parts.

[vx_commodore]

The hard part is proving they knew or not. I am still trying to prove that a mechanic up here sold parts off my car and put old parts on, in some cases broken parts.

That sux if that happend!! I would not be happy!

[RiCeY]

The first mechanic should have tested his repairs before releasing the car. Onus is on him not you.

[Grennan]

The first mechanic should have tested his repairs before releasing the car. Onus is on him not you.

Meh weve had themostats returned to us after a days use. Sometimes they can be faulty straight from the box. Other times the mechanic might bleed the system and test that it opens only for it to fail once it closes again.

Doesnt happen often, but it happens enough.

...other times they arent mechanics and are just parts fitters and have no idea what is actually wrong.

[BenDoverVL]

Meh weve had themostats returned to us after a days use. Sometimes they can be faulty straight from the box. Other times the mechanic might bleed the system and test that it opens only for it to fail once it closes again.

Doesnt happen often, but it happens enough.

...other times they arent mechanics and are just parts fitters and have no idea what is actually wrong.

Had this happen to me last week, fitted a thermostat in a RA rodeo, filled it up and got rid of an air lock. Was running fine for about half an hour then left it out the front for the bloke to pick up. When he came to get it he started it up while we were chatting and the thing over heated in less then two minutes. had to fit the old thormostate back in until the parts shop could get me another one, it's part of a houseing and you can test them but it worked before i put in on the car. Easiest thing to say is S#@t happens.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Number one, it had a cracked radiator that was fixed.
Number two, they are a radiator place, not a mechanical workshop. They fixed what they were asked and qualified to fix.

I don't think that they did anything wrong apart from a false diagnosis. Happens all the time. All they are obliged to do is pay for the replacement thermostat or given the opportunity to fix it once a correct diagnosis has been made. Any other problems with the car could have stemmed from the first time it overheated or just coincidence.

[RiCeY]

Number one, it had a cracked radiator that was fixed.
Number two, they are a radiator place, not a mechanical workshop. They fixed what they were asked and qualified to fix.

I don't think that they did anything wrong apart from a false diagnosis. Happens all the time. All they are obliged to do is pay for the replacement thermostat or given the opportunity to fix it once a correct diagnosis has been made. Any other problems with the car could have stemmed from the first time it overheated or just coincidence.

False diagnosis is a big wrong. If they dont know what they are talking about, dont give uneducated advice.(ie claiming the head gasket was gone) It can cost people a lot of money needlessly.