About two weeks ago I was puling into my driveway after an extended trip and I smelled the all too horrifying smell of antifreeze. Car was not hot but coolant was low. I caught it in time before something serious happened. I popped the hood and the water was seemingly coming from the back drivers side of the engine bay. Here comes the fun....
First thought: Heater hose. I checked but couldn't really tell. I'm an newbie.
Second thought: I'm a pizza man with a problem.
I tried to work that night but coolant loss became too much too fast and I called it a night fairly early. I would get on top of it tomorrow morning as to not miss any work. The next day......
First thought: Hoses look ok, might be block
Second thought: I have no idea what I'm doing
So I took the Volvo to a random mom and pop place. They don't do volvos. I was pissed. So I took it Firestone (don't ask me why)
ME: I think it's the heater hoses or the valve but I can't really see around the manifold and I'm not even sure what I'm looking for
THEM: (some offhanded comment about volvos) We'll do a pressure check for 14.99
ME: Does that include the heater valve?
THEM: I dunno it shoud
Day and a half later.....
THEM: Umm you passed the pressure test we have no real idea. Might be a head gasket
ME:......
ME: Doesn't the pressure/ compression test check for that?
THEM: I dunno I think you should take it to the dealership
ME:.......
Another day later at the dealership
ME: So I need to know if I have a blown head gasket and where the water is leaking from. How much to check the water leak and do a compression test
THEM(receptionist):Ummmmm diagnostic is $76
ME: does that include compression test?
THEM:Ummmmm diagnostic is $76
ME: how about the heater hoses? It's leaking form behind the engine?
THEM:Ummmmm diagnostic is $76
ME:.....
Practically a week later..... (they are closed on weekends...)
THEM(Receptionist):So they did the diagnostic
ME:ok....
THEM: You're leaking water
ME: and you're playing a mean joke....
THEM:ummmm let me get the mechanic
ME:(excitedly) alright
THEM(MECHANIC): Hello Jerry you're leaking water
ME:Thanks
THEM:....
ME:from where?
THEM:Well your radiator clamps look old
ME:ok
THEM:we pressure tested it and they leak at 25 PSI
ME:But what about the back of the engine
THEM:no leak back there
ME:.....
THEM: We pressure tested it and looked over it.. there's no leak back there
ME:......
THEM: You see electrolysis..... (I don't feel like typing out his speech but it ammounted to there was a possiblility that water was leaking from the front of the engine hitting a belt and being splashed all in on speciic place)
ME:Isn't that a gradual thing?
THEM:It'll be $384 to replace hoses clamps thermostat and housing
ME:I want to leave
THEM:That'll be $85
Two days later leak continues I can't see it. I stop by independant VW shop.
ME:I have leak behind engine I think it's hose
THEM:ok
ten minutes later....
THEM:Your bottom heater hose is split.. replacement with labor and new coolant is $46
THEM:you also have some seepage around waterpump but it's not very bad at all.
ME:Have my children


So car is fine now. Hose was massivley split. I have a few questions....
1)I'm angry with dealership. I'm a poor college guy and $85 is a lot of money to me. They said they checked the hose. I'm holding it in my hand now and it is split almost half way through. Should I request/demand my $85 back? I also lost a week and a half of work. (not that I expect pay for that it just angers me)
2)Just curious.... isn't 25 psi quite a bit of pressure to be pumping through a cooling system?
3)If two different places "pressure tested" the cooling system why didn't water blow out of the heater hose? With the hose split I couldn't go 10 minutes with the engine on before I ran out of water. I don't really understand how this stuff works for the most part but, thats why I trusted the people at the dealership.
BTW for any Tallahassee area brickboarders the good shop was VW works on lake bradford