Over heating from the header tank

[Wakeykd]

I will change the fans at some point, the prev owner said he will come back to me with some he has if not I will have a look around for some.

[Wakeykd]

Just a quick update. I ve booked the car in with Foulds Motors Independent Lotus Specialist in Huddersfield back end of July for a new rad (ordering from Coolex) and new fans from the last owner. Hes quoting between £200-300 plus vat for fitting. Anyone any thoughts on the quote. I work for a main car dealership but wouldn't want the lads here to do it as they wouldn't know where to start.

[dapinky]

If the price is including the radiator, then it looks okay to me.... but if you are supplying the radiator and fans, it may be a tad high, but I could be out of touch with current labour rates.

That said, it is a simple but awkward task and involves getting at and undoing (and thus re-fitting!) some fiddly bolts in tight spaces. Then you have to consider the state of the bracket/cradle which holds the radiator in place. They are often rusty and crabby, but respond well to a bit of graft and some black paint - rarely are they so bad as to be unuseable again, despite the awful look of many I've seen removed.

I would expect to be able to change my rad in about an hour - but have done it a few times and know that my bolts are not likely to be seized (I fitted stainless ones when I first did the job). That would be lying on the floor in an awkward position, on a lift it would be so much easier, but probably no quicker.

Then they will have to be careful with the hoses if you are on original ones, not so bad if they are Samco replacements..... then they need to refill the system, check for leaks, drain and refil with correct coolant and bleed the air out.... it all takes time.

They will be charging for a fair bit of 'waiting time' as the engine runs up to temperature and the fans kick in..... you wouldn't want them to just leave it in a corner unsupervised in case of a leak or fans not coming in.

All in all, it may seem high, but is probably a good 2-3 hours all in, allowing for heating up time, cooling down time and bleading before a final 'hot' test to sign the job off.

[peteoddcar]

I did mine at a year or two ago home on axle stands, pretty sure it was the original rad, quite corroded bolts etc.
It took me about 5-6 hours in total but I had all the brackets blasted and painted, so it was a start stop job.
Sounds as if yer man has probably done them before so knows the score, but in the South East 2-300 seems fair for a specialist rate.
If it’s corrosion free then should not be more than 2 hours I’d say on a decent lift.

Was really worth the effort of fitting the alloy rad.

[alan e]

Just a quick update. I ve booked the car in with Foulds Motors Independent Lotus Specialist in Huddersfield back end of July for a new rad (ordering from Coolex) and new fans from the last owner. Hes quoting between £200-300 plus vat for fitting. Anyone any thoughts on the quote. I work for a main car dealership but wouldn't want the lads here to do it as they wouldn't know where to start.

How to remove the rad and refitting it is all on you tube its worth a look it my save you some money.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

The You Tube video on radiator removal is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbBncofcJ68

This is for the NON USA version cars. The USA/FED car is completely different.

Have you verified the thermostat is installed correctly:

That is with the jiggle pin at the twelve o'clock position AND the wax bulb facing TOWARD the engine?

The first thing that should be done is to replace the thermostat as they really do go bad after a while.

Make sure you get the correct temperature version: 180F or 82C.

[Rambo]

It's the simplest and cheapest option too. And if it makes no difference, at least you can eliminate this off your list of potential problem areas

[Simon_P]

Hes quoting between £200-300 plus vat for fitting. Anyone any thoughts on the quote.

Yes, it sounds quite reasonable. Especially if the seller was a dealer - You are going to write to him telling him that he needs to pay for it and the parts.

[Wakeykd]

*

[Saltire]

Taking the dealer to the Small Claims Court is a fairly straightforward process and applies to the recovery of sums up to £5,000. Depending on how much you paid for the car, you might like to investigate that before arranging repairs.

[dapinky]

Okay, here's another option you may find fits your circumstances....

... under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you have the right to a full refund within 30 days of purchase if the car is not as described or develops a fault.

This option to 'reject' the vehicle would apply for the faults as found, and would save you the trouble of having to rectify the faults and then sell the car on (which may mean that you don't make a gain or loss from the sale). The very fact that you have publicly declared the faults on a public forum within the 30 days will prevent the garage from saying that you haven't acted swiftly enough, given that they will not enter into dialogue at this stage.

The way to approach the matter is to send them a letter ('signed for') formally stating that you wish to reject the vehicle and giving them 7 days to arrange collection from your home address and issue a full refund. (obviously, you won't let the car be collected before the refund is issued!).

CAB or any solicitor will be happy toi help you with the process, or if you have a local Trading Standards office, give them a ring or drop in to see them - they are always happy to help, and would be my preferred option should you choose this route.

[tb10]

Taking the dealer to the Small Claims Court is a fairly straightforward process and applies to the recovery of sums up to £5,000. Depending on how much you paid for the car, you might like to investigate that before arranging repairs.

It's £10,000.00 now: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/ ... mit-rises/

regards

John

[Rocklobster]

Don't know what happened there