Boiling over! No water!

[heyitsEnricoPallazzo]

Ok I had the guys come and have a look and he said it's definetly the water pump. He replaced it but im still having problems, called them back and he is basically saying the thermo is sticking and needs replacing aswell. He quoted me $863.64 including GST for part and fitting. Coolent would need to be changed again as he recommended (was changed with water pump) and at an extra cost!
Am I getting ripped off here??? What do you guys suggest???

If its the Coolant thermostat (not thermo fans) we are talking about, that price is bull. Get another quote. Parts, thermostat, gasket, o-ring, coolant. And labour $$$$.
What location in Melb do you live?

 

[Shorty33]

I had a similar problem with my VZ V6. First mechanic said I had blown a head gasket. Luckily, I didn't start spending big bucks too quickly. Second mechanic did a lot of diagnostics and pinned the fault down to a faulty radiator cap. It lets coolant out, into the overflow reservoir, but doesn't allow it to return, and that explains your symptoms. A new cap, and I've had no problems since.

 

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

$864 to replace the thermostat and.... — Jeeeeesus!!! He's having a field day with your purse strings!
Radiator caps are an expendable item and will require replacement over time. But thermostats hardly, even realistically, warrant an almost thousand-dollar service. Take your car, and your wallet, somewhere else.

 

[Ray De Man]

I highly doubt the thermos would fail the same time as the pump. And that noise you say you heard, did it happen with high revs, or just under acceleration? Did he show you the old pump and where it failed? Because at least on the buses that i work on, when a water pump fails there will always be evidence that most people would recognize(Broken blades, worn blades, bent shaft, excessive clearance of blades to housing) .

Did you ask him to change the water pump, or did he diagnose it? If he picked that as the problem, and it didn't fix it, you either shouldn't have to pay for it, or he has to fix the problem for free. If not, go somewhere else mate. Otherwise he can keep diagnosing another problem for you to pay for.

Hi mate.
I had a feeling it wasnt related to the water pump but more towards the thermo being the issue. I'm no mechanic, just following whats recommended by a skilled professional to resolve the problem.

The noise I heard was at low revs from standstill but I have resolved the issue myself. It was the vacume hose that connects the to the TB, it had a split so I replaced part.

He did show me my old water pump. He said it was warped and was leaking water. To be honest I personally couldn't see any water marks on either the pump or on the block! He recommended part.

 

[Ray De Man]

I had a similar problem with my VZ V6. First mechanic said I had blown a head gasket. Luckily, I didn't start spending big bucks too quickly. Second mechanic did a lot of diagnostics and pinned the fault down to a faulty radiator cap. It lets coolant out, into the overflow reservoir, but doesn't allow it to return, and that explains your symptoms. A new cap, and I've had no problems since.

Thanks mate, I will buy one today see if that works. As all the prices I get are ridiculously around the same price. Hopefully my local Autobarn or bursons has the part.

 

[Ray De Man]

$864 to replace the thermostat and.... — Jeeeeesus!!! He's having a field day with your purse strings!
Radiator caps are an expendable item and will require replacement over time. But thermostats hardly, even realistically, warrant an almost thousand-dollar service. Take your car, and your wallet, somewhere else.

LOL, imagine my shock when he told me the price?

How much is the right price for a replacement thermo + fitting? Can someone recommend anyone?

 

[Ray De Man]

If its the Coolant thermostat (not thermo fans) we are talking about, that price is bull. Get another quote. Parts, thermostat, gasket, o-ring, coolant. And labour $$$$.
What location in Melb do you live?

Yeah it's coolant thermo, the part behind engine.

I live in 3170, South-east Melbourne.

 

[heyitsEnricoPallazzo]

Have you had it fixed yet, or just a diagnosis?

 

[Ray De Man]

Have you had it fixed yet, or just a diagnosis?

Hi mate not diagnosis, I did have the water pump changed but still problems. I changed the radiator cap on Monday, see how that goes... If that don't work, I guess i'm in a long, stressful and expensive journey ahead :bang: