A Plus Auto Doctor Replaced the water pump and never refilled the coolant. Mesa Arizona

Discovery  -  1/04/2019 - Replaced Water Pump and Timing Cover Gasket.

• New Serpentine Belt installed was too tight.
• Belt was installed contrary to factory routing specifications.
• The belt was so tight, that the mechanic couldn't get the belt completely on to the tensioner pulley.
• Vehicle was released in that condition.
• I went out and purchased a new belt from O'Reilly's and went back to the shop.
• When I arrived with the proper belt, two mechanics couldn't remove the tight belt and had to cut it off.
• I waited and waited for the mechanic to install the new belt; I finally had to install the new belt myself.
• Disgusted, I left and went home.

A serpentine belt that is too tight will prematurely wear out the bearings in all the units that it is connected to.

Later that evening, I went out to eat and the van started to overheat. I pulled over on the side of the road and called for assistance. 30 minutes later, I was given a ride to O'Reilly's and purchased 3 gallons of Antifreeze for $42.71. It took a gallon and a half to fill it. The next day, it took another half gallon for a total of 2 gallons.

Reason:

• Radiator was bone dry.
• The vehicle radiator was never filled with antifreeze after the repair had been completed.
• Mechanic never checked the antifreeze level.
• Mechanic never brought the engine up to operating temperature and checked the antifreeze movement and level with the thermostat in the open position to confirm that the engine was not air-bound.
• Mechanic never test drove the vehicle.
• Vehicle was released in that condition.

Kevin Matzke, the owner said there was an air bubble and apologized for the mechanic not checking. There is no light to alert the driver that the van is overheating; only a gauge. Should the driver miss the overheating condition, the heat could destroy the engine in a very short time. Since the radiator is empty, there would be no steam or outside indication that the van is overheating. Destruction would be silent and final. The cost to replace an engine is about $4,000.

1/08/2019 - 1:20 I took a ride to Arby's. On the way home the vehicle started to overheat once again. This time there was antifreeze everywhere and lots of steam; The money that I had spent on antifreeze, just yesterday, was now all over the ground. I was barely able to get the vehicle back home and discovered that the water pump inlet tube had blown out of the water pump. This inlet tube is normally bracketed and is held firmly in place by this bracket and an adjacent bolt in the water pump.

• The mechanic had broken the bracket off of the inlet tube.
• There was no bracket left bolted to the adjacent water pump bolt.
• The mechanic had tried to glue the inlet tube into place with black silicone.
• The black silicone failed and the internal water pressure expelled it from the water pump.
• Most of the antifreeze was expelled also.
• I called A Plus Auto Doctor and left a message with Michelle for Kevin to call me; they never called me back.

I purchased a new Inlet Tube from O'Reilly's for $12.75 and 2 more gallons of antifreeze for $27.62 and made the repair myself.

 Addendum:

The engine compartment fuse block cover was missing. When I returned, a mechanic found it and gave it to me and I put it on.

I also noticed that the carpeting in the rear of the van had been soaked. The only time it rained was Saturday/Sunday, the 5th and 6th of January 2019, the weekend that the van was in the shop. My shaving kit was soaked. The nail clippers and scissors were rusted. There was no reason for anyone to open the rear van door, as it had nothing to do with the water pump. Someone had been snooping and looking for valuables in the back of my van. Kevin, the owner denied this, but could provide no explanation of how the water got into my van when it was in his possession.