I noticed my car was overheating while in idle (long lights, stop & go traffic, long lines at the drive through).. But running fine and not overheating, if I'm traveling steadily or on the highway. I noticed this a few times so I did what you're supposed to do when you're car overheats and blasted the heater. I planned on taking it into the shop as soon as I possibly could. Mar 7th my car overheated again in the Brookshires parking lot (and i had actually planned on taking into the shop the next day, BEFORE this happened), steam was coming from the hood, so we popped the hood and there was what appeared to be radiator fluid sprayed all over the engine.
I let the car sit and cool off, turned on the heater and drove the car home (it was too late to take it into a shop) The next day, March 8th, my boyfriend put water in the radiator, while I looked up places in the phone book to take it. I CHOSE Advanced Auto Repair BECAUSE they advertise a warranty on their work. 12,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first. I drove my car up there and my boyfriend followed me. When the guy was typing in my information, I mentioned that I noticed it overheating a few times before while it was in idle, and that the day before I took the car in, something burst and theres radiator fluid all over the engine, and asked them to check my fans, because I had this problem one other time w / one of the fans. I finished up w / my info and left the car.
The next day, March 9th, they call me and tell me its basically a whole new cooling system. Radiator, radiator hose, thermostat, water pump, and also a timing belt (which i already knew about so thats fine). They estimated the cost at $1,389.09!!! I tell them I'm gonna have to call them back because I dont have that kind of money. I called my mom and tell her whats going on w / the car. She sais she can help w / part of it, and she'll ask my uncle for the rest. So basically my mom & my uncle end up paying for these "repairs".
I get it out of the shop March 10th, seems fine until March 11th. Same freakin problem! It overheats while I'm at a light. I blasted the heater. Since then, I have been driving it around like normal, and just blasting the heater when i see the gauge start to rise, ONLY because I have not had time to call them or take it back, or if I have had time, its been after their hours of operation.
A few days ago, on April 17th, I take my car to a different place for an entirely diff. Problem. To get my AC recharged. They did a check and said that it was actually over-charged and there was too much pressure behind something blah blah whatever, and that my "cool-in fan motor" is not working. They didn't even know about my car overheating. So, I explain to the guy that my car is overheating when its in idle, and asked if that could have anything to do w / that. He said yes because there is not enough air blowing on the radiator when I'm sitting in idle, thats what the fan is for.
So, today, April 20th, I called Advanced Auto Repair, I spoke to a manager, and explained whats going on... That my car is still overheating and that I just have NOT had time to call or anything, and that another place said its a fan. He looks up my information, and tells me that I'll have to bring it in so they can look at it (of course). I cant bring it in until my boyfriends truck is out of the shop because one of us needs a car so we can get around. So I tell him "Ok, well I can't bring it in until my boyfriends truck is out of the shop so one of us has a vehicle" and then ask him "but whenever I bring it in, whatevers going on w / it, y'all are fixing that free, right? Because theres a warranty." He tries to tell me no because its a new problem. I explained to him "no its not a new problem... Its the same problem, and your warranty covers your work".. He sais "yes but you can't call us a month later for a fan and get it for free" and i said "well, isnt the fan what would've caused it to begin with? The radiator busting and all that stuff? Because if i'm not getting enough air on it, its gonna heat up when i'm in idle which is what i brought it y'all for. Because it was overheating, and still is" "he said, yea but its been a month, i can understand if it happened the next day" Thats when I told him "listen. Thats what I'm telling you. It DID overheat the very next day" He asks why I didnt call him sooner. I said "Thats what I just told you! That its been overheating since I got it back from yall, and that I just havent had time to call or bring it in! I'm busy! I've been driving it around w / the heater on" Then he tried to tell me that the fan was working when it left there. Long story short, I ended up hanging up on the guy because I was pretty ticked off. I called back a second time & asked to speak to the same guy but he was on another line. He's supposed to call me back tomorrow (April 21st)
My point is, OK. I took it in for overheating while in idle. Ok. Thats the fan. They get paid 1,389.09 to do all this crap for my cooling system. The fans are connected to the damn radiator, so when they replace the radiator, don't they have to do something w / the fans? Unplug them? Check them? Etc. If the fan wasn't working when it went in, how could it be working when it came out, if they never even checked it to see if thats what the original problem. Nowhere on my receipt does it say that they did ANYTHING w / the fan, and the should've ATLEAST checked it, ESPECIALLY since I asked them to, which I shouldnt even have to ask them to... I may not know a lot about cars but I know enough. The fans are part of my cooling system, so if an auto mechanic is fixing something with the cooling system, they're supposed to search for all possible causes for the overheating, which would include my fans. Also, how could it have worked when I picked up the car, if it overheated the next day and I'm still having the same problem??!!! The warranty sais 12,000 miles or one year... Its been neither. The fact that I didnt call them and let them know until a month later should be irrelevant. They got paid to fix my car from overheating while in idle, and its STILL overheating while in idle. Sure. My radiator and all that stuff is fine now because they replaced it, but my fan being out is what caused them to have to replace all that stuff in the first place. They never even checked it. Legally, don't they owe me?
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