Let me start by saying, that if you find a good, honest mechanic, you should keep them. But even the best can make a mistake, and how they handle that mistake is essential to my definition of good. So, let’s talk about what happened.
My son’s car is a 2001 Volvo V70 with the Aisin Warner AW55 automatic. I bought the car in 2019 with 70,000 miles on it, and went through it nose to tail. Timing belt, water pump, hoses, radiator, vacuum lines, aftermarket down pipe and exhaust, front and rear brakes, calipers, hoses, complete suspension, including Bilstein struts, shocks, balljoints, tie rods, control arms, strut mounts, spring seats, and some engine work including spark plugs, coils, wiring, injectors (Thanks @Trav ), throttle body rebuild, turbo compression bypass valve, turbo control solenoid, boost hoses, complete PCV system, new camshaft and crankshaft seals, transmission work, including a new GM valve body (with some solenoid and wiring changes to make it work) and external cooler, filter, and thermostat, and then wheels and tires, with an additional set of winter wheels, and a host of other stuff I’ve probably forgotten.
I gave it to him as a college graduation present in 2019. So, let’s just say, I know the car pretty well.
So, a little while back, he texts me thinking he has a power steering fluid leak, because he sees fluid on the ground by the left front wheel. His guess is good, however, that’s right where I mounted the external filter.
See the setup, here:
So, he takes the car to his local shop, and drops it off before leaving on a trip. When he gets back, they’ve found that the leak was the filter itself, which had rusted in the harsh Vermont winters of salt and snow, and they’ve fixed it, new filter, top off fluid.
My son’s car is a 2001 Volvo V70 with the Aisin Warner AW55 automatic. I bought the car in 2019 with 70,000 miles on it, and went through it nose to tail. Timing belt, water pump, hoses, radiator, vacuum lines, aftermarket down pipe and exhaust, front and rear brakes, calipers, hoses, complete suspension, including Bilstein struts, shocks, balljoints, tie rods, control arms, strut mounts, spring seats, and some engine work including spark plugs, coils, wiring, injectors (Thanks @Trav ), throttle body rebuild, turbo compression bypass valve, turbo control solenoid, boost hoses, complete PCV system, new camshaft and crankshaft seals, transmission work, including a new GM valve body (with some solenoid and wiring changes to make it work) and external cooler, filter, and thermostat, and then wheels and tires, with an additional set of winter wheels, and a host of other stuff I’ve probably forgotten.
I gave it to him as a college graduation present in 2019. So, let’s just say, I know the car pretty well.
So, a little while back, he texts me thinking he has a power steering fluid leak, because he sees fluid on the ground by the left front wheel. His guess is good, however, that’s right where I mounted the external filter.
See the setup, here:
So, he takes the car to his local shop, and drops it off before leaving on a trip. When he gets back, they’ve found that the leak was the filter itself, which had rusted in the harsh Vermont winters of salt and snow, and they’ve fixed it, new filter, top off fluid.
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