# I think my mechanic messed up my engine **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** engines, radiators\ **Created:** [October 15, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669 "2014-10-15T18:00:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kat\_20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6a8cbe/32.png) [@kat\_20](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kat_20)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/1 "2014-10-15T18:00:06Z")
So my radiator had a leak in it, I called the shop I normally go to and they told me to fill it with water till I could get it there. So I kept an eye on the gauge and filed it as needed. I took it into the shop and they replaced the radiator. When I picked it up some started coming out of the undercarriage the shop said that happened during the test drive. Now I’m out $300 and a car. Did the shop do this or did I? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/2 "2014-10-15T18:04:44Z")
Exactly where on the undercarriage was the coolant leaking from? Exactly when after you picked it up did it start to leak? Immediately? After two days of off-roading? One other question: when you dropped it off at the shop, did you say “diagnose and repair it” or “change the radiator”? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/3 "2014-10-15T18:19:59Z")
The OP’s post is extremely unclear to me. > How many days elapsed between the phone call to the mechanic and when it was actually dropped-off at the mechanic’s shop? > When you “kept an eye on the gauge”, did the gauge ever indicate that the engine was very hot? If so…what did you do when you saw indications of overheating? > And, then, there is, “…some started coming out of the undercarriage the shop said that happened during the test drive.” When did the “test drive” take place, who performed the test drive, and exactly what happened during this drive? > The references to “messed up my engine” and “I’m out…a car” may indicate that the engine was heavily damaged by overheating, but this is just an assumption on my part. What exactly is the condition of the engine at this point? > How many miles are on the odometer of this Explorer? What model year is it? How often was the coolant changed? Can the OP please restate the exact events–including the timeframe of each–and also answer the questions that I posed? ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/4 "2014-10-15T21:43:06Z")
"Did the shop do this or did I? " Another possibility: it just happened, like the radiator leak. You’ll probably never know. If you’ve lost confidence in this shop, drive or have it towed to another. ---
**Author:** ![MY\_2\_CENTS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@MY\_2\_CENTS](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MY_2_CENTS)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 3:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/5 "2014-10-16T03:19:53Z")
What is your engine doing that makes you think it’s “messed up”? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/6 "2014-10-16T04:49:32Z")
It might be some of the leaking coolant has accumulated in the recesses of the engine compartment and is slowly leaking out is all. When a radiator leaks, it isn’t just that the coolant level drops and if you watch it carefully and keep it topped off, no problem. That’s not the only problem with a leaky radiator. It also means that the coolant pressure isn’t holding, which allows the coolant to boil and high temperature pockets of steam to form in the cooling system. Maybe that is part of what’s happening here. Continuing to drive the car with a leaky radiator is always something of a risk. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/7 "2014-10-16T06:56:16Z")
Your post is extremely unclear. What year, make,make, engine, and mileage is your car? What was coming out of the undercarriage of your car and where in the undercarriage was it coming from? Do they still have the car? What did they suggest you do? ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/8 "2014-10-16T17:11:45Z")
> So I kept an eye on the gauge and filed it as needed. By as need do you mean when the temp. gauge went to hot? How many times was needed? Repeated episodes of even almost over heated can be as bad as 1 episode of way overheated. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/9 "2014-10-16T17:24:00Z")
I’m glad to see that Oldtimer 11 and PvtPublic are as confused as I am by the OP’s statement of “facts”. Clearly expressing one’s self is obviously a lost art, but if the OP will return to answer all of our questions, perhaps we can be of help. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/10 "2014-10-16T19:39:12Z")
O.P. ? Hello? Where are you? ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/11 "2014-10-16T19:45:51Z")
He really didn’t give anyone much to go on. Though I like the short and sweet posts, Vs the long winded ones. I think the OP expected us to bash the mechanic right away. I don’t think he understood that we would ask questions first to dig deeper. Yosemite ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/12 "2014-10-16T22:19:13Z")
**“I like the short and sweet posts, Vs the long winded ones.”** As Sgt. Joe Friday used to say on _Dragnet_, “Just the facts, ma’am”. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 5:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-think-my-mechanic-messed-up-my-engine/87669/13 "2014-10-21T05:17:54Z")
I was realy hoping that–5 days later–the OP would have returned to answer our questions. @kat_20–What can you tell us?