Leaking coolant water inside the car, errrr HELP! Options

[NaKeD]

Hey guys,
about a couple of months ago i was in an accident, someone hit my front right hand side of the car..
and it cracked the radiator a bit, the panel beater just place some glue on top of it... n recently its leaking so i took it back to get it fixed... ONCE again he put more glue on it, I'M NOT TOO HAPPY..

But the problem is now... i think theres another crack somewhere else... because coolant water is leaking inside the car. the front passenger side.....

I want to know is this a serious problem? does it need alot of work to fix all these radiator problems..
I know for a fact i need a new radiator for sure... but do i need to change other stuff??

any comment would help alot

THanks

NaKeD

[BigAl_UK]

Sounds like your heater matrix is leaking if it's the passengers footwell. Not too bad a price on the part but it's a right faff to change

[NaKeD]

ahhh thanks dude,
yer i think its going to be hard to get it, n replace...
farout what a **** panel beater... even though by law he has to fix n change everything.. i'm just afraid hes a tool n start trouble...

which will be a real hassle for me

NaKeD

[Bitter]

so go to someone else? is he the ONLY one down under that can fix your car?

[NaKeD]

so go to someone else? is he the ONLY one down under that can fix your car?

Its cause the accident was claim by insurance, so this panel beater didn't do the job in fixing the radiator properly. So hes liable for doing everything until the job is well done. I would love to go somewhere else, just stuck with him.

Cheers mate

NaKeD

[Bitter]

no, call your insurance, tell them/show them the repair work he's done and demand that another shop fix it correctly.

[vsideboy]

no, call your insurance, tell them/show them the repair work he's done and demand that another shop fix it correctly.

gotta say i agree with bitter!

tell the insurance that you want them to get someone else as this guy is a bag of sh*t!

'glueing up the radiator'???

thats the dumbest thing i've ever heard, yeah maybe its something you'd do yourself if money was tight as a temporary repair but when its an insurance paid repair, it should be a new radiator at least!

also agree with the heater matrix being broken (or at best it could just be a loose pipe going in/out of it mate?)

Dan

[NaKeD]

I got a call from the Radiator place today (a friend of the panel beater) telling me all these lies for 15 mins, stuff like:

1. your car is 11 years old, the radiator was going to go anyway, it has nothing to do with the accident
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e372/naked007/P3010003.jpg
You guys look at the pic and tell me if the radiator cracked because of the accident?

2. Celicas are known for bad radiators, they get old, rusty and crack easilly

3. You broke the Heater core after you left the mechanic, meaning hes not responsible for the car anymore
(errrrr what a load of sh$t)

4. Your heater core is old, we checked it and it was going to go anyway

i'm so mad at the shifty bugger!

NaKeD

[vsideboy]

eh?

rads won't last forever, but I would say the crash might have caused the front rad to go.

as for the heater matrix, i'm not sure, yeah they won't last forever but also

1. they aren't open to the elements that external rads are.
2. half the year they aren't used cos its too warm to need the heater on all the time.

I'd have a look at the heater matrix and see where its leaking, also the main rad. If they're just leaking cos of corrosion then fair enough but if they're leaking cos somethings been stuck through it then theres your answer. if you've crashed and its caused something in the dashboard to stick through the matrix then you should be able to claim for it surely.

sound like a right dodgy set of gits them two buddy.

[BigAl_UK]

Given what a pain it is to get to the heater matrix I would be very surprised if they had checked it.

That accident damage certainly could have cracked the radiator.

[Bitter]

and i bet the repairman billed your insurance for a new radiator and pocketed the money.

[NaKeD]

Some good news some bad, insurance is paying for the radiator but i have to pay for heater core.
Expensive to get the heater core done, labour and part. Guess i have to move on and continue keeping the celica, spent heaps of money on fixing it already

Yes Bitter the mechanic did bill the insurance n pocketed the money, hes all piss off now cause insurance is giving him a hard time

NaKeD