Multiple Mechanics.. different diagnoses....

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Thu 3 Dec 2015 23:35
Multiple Mechanics.. different diagnoses.... - fendertele

Hey guys i really don't know where to start.... but i have problems with my car and every mechanic i've seen have told me a different reason and i don't know who to trust.

I bought my car back in Feb 15, i use it as a taxi so it's more than a car its my lively hood....

Since i got the car it has always pulled to the left... but it aint an alignment issue as if i hold the wheel centred it will go straight but i can feel it wanting to pull through my hands.

So for months i tried alignments... was told by one mechanic it was due to the car sitting lower on one side.... so took it to another guy for a second opinion... he told me that it wasnt sagging... it was a sticking strut mount.... Also had an issue with my handbrake.... i need to pull it all the way up for it to hold...... one guys telling me it due to a rear caliper.... other guy says its brake pads... So with so many conflicting diagnoses i decided to put up with it and left it.

And now i have a few more things going on with the car that can't be ignored..... a dull knocking when driving over bumps in the road, a loud creaking when going over big speed bumps and my surge tank goes empty overnight after refilling......

So took it into a garage and was told the creaking/knocking was strut mounts and the leak is the radiator..... just to make sure it was this i took it to my dealership and paid for the diagnosis.... and they have told me there was no leak in the radiator and that it was the surge tank ( which i replaced as they told me if i didn't my engine could get damaged ) and that the knocking and creaking is caused by worn anti roll bar and something about the front brake caliper carriers......

So who do i believe ???

and btw the car is still leaking after replacing the surge tank... despite the dealership telling me it was definitely the surge tank and not the radiator...

meanwhile im off the road now 4 days and not making any money afraid to drive the car... incase i ruin the engine.

S

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 3 Dec 2015 23:58
Multiple Mechanics.. different diagnoses.... - Peter.N.

It might help if we knew what car it was but for the steering problem try swapping the front tyres round.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 4 Dec 2015 00:06
Multiple Mechanics.. different diagnoses.... - fendertele

Chevrolet cruze 2011

tried alignments, tire swapping, new tires, tire pressure.....

One mechanic told me it was car sitting lower on side it pulls, other one told me there is no sagging and that it is caused by a sticking top strut mount....

every issue has been diagnosed differently by each mechanic... how do you know which one to go with ?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 4 Dec 2015 08:09
Multiple Mechanics.. different diagnoses.... - hardway

All of it is always just a guess,

And everyones guess could be different.

Even here.

You present the symptoms/problem and a tech makes his guess,

then tests for the guess/truth.

Take for example the leak,

First step is pressure test the cooling symptom,

not guess!

TEST!.

A pressure test reveals if and where the coolant is being lost from.

Find a garage with a coolant pressure tester.

Least then you'll be able to drive it after repair.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 4 Dec 2015 08:50
Multiple Mechanics.. different diagnoses.... - Railroad.

Steering pull - Very often caused by a bad tyre. You may think your tyres look round and true, but very often they are not. Change your front wheels side for side (bearing in mind that some tyres are directional) and see if your car now pulls to the right. Then do the same for the rear wheels if it's still the same, and chack again to see if it pulls to the right. If it does then one of the tyres is bad. Also take into account that roads are cambered, and so there will always be a tendancy for a slight pull to the left, but this can be discounted if you are able to drive on the right hand side of the road in a quiet spot to see if the car now pulls to the right.

Cooling system - As Hardway says, pressure test it. That will check for leaks that you will be able to see external, and if the gauge is dropping with no external traces of coolant the leak could be internal. Also run the engine from cold with the pressure tester fitted in place of the pressure cap and watch the system pressure as the engine warms up. Temperature and pressure are directly related, so as the temperature rises the pressure rises. The hotter the engine gets the higher the pressure will be, and as it cools the pressure will fall, and so the pressure in the cooling system is regulated by the temperature. The pressure cap is an overall safety valve and will usually lift at about 15psi. In theory the pressure in the cooling system should never reach this because the engine should never get that hot. If it does you may have a failed thermostat or a blocked radiator, or if the pressure increases quickly when the engine is cool you have a problem, most likely a blown cylinder head gasket. The water pump merely circulates the coolant. It is a centrifugal pump which is a high flow, low pressure pump. It has nothing to do with cooling system pressure.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 8 Dec 2015 11:18
Multiple Mechanics.. different diagnoses.... - colino

If you are taking it to a Chevrolet dealer and they say your steering fault is the first they have seen, they are lying. Everything from changing tyres, 4-wheel alignment, replacing brakes and suspension have been attempted without a definitive answer. Personally I think it stems from its pretty basic, older design and is classic torque steer that can be minimised, but isn't going away.

That however is your minor issue. You need the coolant system properly pressure tested before it lets you down in the middle of nowhere.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide