Quote:
Originally Posted by lat19hi
The leak is fixed but the mechanic said that there are small bubbles in the rad fluid indicating a leak in the head gasket. He quoted $2665 to machine the head and replace the gasket. Ouch!  |
Get a second opinion somewhere else.
I have never encountered a Midas outfit I would trust. My first encounter was in 1970, and that convinced me never to spend money there ever again. Experiences of friends and colleagues in many states has served only to convince me I was correct.
I don't want to turn this into a Midas-bashing thread.
I think that the bad hose might be the right diagnosis. There may also be a crack in the lower hose mount to the radiator as a part of the problem, but get it checked somewhere else. It is completely possible--even likely--that the hose just came loose on the radiator mount from the bump.
Find out what kind of coolant Midas put into your car. If it was not HOAT, exactly by type (could be a specific Zerex subtype--search on this site), get it flushed and refilled with the right stuff--
someplace else. The original owner of my 01 had a lower hose replaced at Midas, and they refilled it with DEX cool orange juice colored coolant. DEX clogs the radiators on our cars. I had to replace the radiator when I bought it because it was clogged. I had the radiator work done
someplace else, the dealer. They put in the correct coolant.
I think your bubbles are perfectly normal from a drain and fresh refill and they will go away. On the other hand, if you have had repeated overheating before this incident, there may be something to it. If that's the case, get it checked--
someplace else.