This is exactly the kind of experience that encouraged me to continue doing all my own repairs and maintenance. At age 70, I'm still buying tools and hoarding supplies from my local thrift store.
Me too I am 66 and traveling the US in my 1998 Doge camper van full time and I have always done all my own work on vehicles since I was 16. I have to say, it is even easier now with all these helpful YT channels like Kennys.
i learned as a young kid you have to learn to fix your own car. there were plenty of ripoff car repair garages even back then. total ripoff garages just take advantage of people
My daughter's first on her own, without involving me repair was the coolant bottle on her T&C van. She figured everything out on her own and told me afterwards.
KISS is a basic rule my dad taught me in 1969 (keep it simple stupid) i was a young kid learning the trade in elementary school years, and i spend the money on distilled water at the grocery store
Many shops are to eagar for the money 💰. You are a man of integrity. Shops like the one you work are getting more and more difficult to find. It's a shame. 😢
After 40 years in the electronic field you learn always check the easy fixes first. These guys who looked at the car are amateurs. Amazing. Good catch!!
@cliff8680 You're right. Most times it something that is glaringly obvious. I'm not sure how the other guys missed the leak. Thanks for watching & leaving a comment. Keep wrenching! Kenny
I always get something out of your videos brother Kenny. You made this repair so simple but then again you are the consciences mastor mechanic or excuse me technician. Well done as always.
@glennfields8121 Thank you for your kind words brother GlennBob. I always appreciate you watching my videos & leaving a comment. Meg sends her love & hopes you are doing well. Keep wrenching if you are feeling up to it. All the best! Kenny
Great that you found the actual problem, and the repair was fairly easy. Now they have to hope they didn't overheat it too much before and damage the head or head gasket.
They saw the leak. My guess would be that the part was in stock at that place, and they didn't want to send out for it or overnight it like you said. Quickly repair is all they do
That looks like a VW coolant bottle. My first one died with 125,000 miles on it and it left a big mess on the inner fender of my bug. Good video! I like them because the coolant flows thru it.
Fill with water and Pressure test is my way of finding the leak Plus Scan for Codes Coolant on the outside of bottle was my first clue . Keep up the Good work Kenny I enjoy your videos.
@williamtaylor628 Coolant on the outside of the bottle is a great indication of a coolant leak. How the first shop missed it still baffles me. Thanks for watching & leaving a comment. Keep wrenching! Kenny
1st vid in 3 months I've been able to find. RU-vid is shadow banning you bud. Not sure why. Love the show. Hustle on good sir. Glad to see you're still here
@mikeschaner That's odd. I'm not coming up in 'suggested' videos or you didn't get a notification when a new video came up? I'm still getting the hang of this RU-vid thing. Thanks in advance for your help. Keep wrenching! Kenny
@@WrenchingWithKenny Not in suggested, correct, but your channel has also been hidden even when typing in search. A few other channels I'm subbed to have this same issue
Did you really test drive that vehicle to Mexico and back ??? Wow, I'd have to drive for 4 days one way just to get to Mexico, that would really test the hell out of that vehicle !!!
@ralphjohnson4041 Sometimes, that's how far I have to go to make sure the repair is done correctly OR to duplicate the complaint the customer came in for. I'm not one of those mechanics who just assumes the repair fixed the issue. Sometimes, the brand new part I spent 2 hours putting in is bad. I wouldn't know unless I took the vehicle out for a good ride. Thanks for watching the video and leaving a comment. Keep wrenching 🔧 Kenny
my 2002 camry had 3 c enter intake head bolts losing clamping pressure due to 13 threads inthe aluminum block failing. i kept losing coolant nto knowing where it was going till after parking one day and seeing wetness dribbling on the inside of front passenger fender . i used 3 longer head bolts to tap into 8 good unused threads at the bottom of each hole (holes had 21 threads total) , torqued ot a smaller value, and have been driving the car since about 20,000 miles now no problem!
Well, guess I would have gone about it a different way. Found bottle low, added water until full, pressure checked it with a pressure checker to see if its leaking. Go from there.
Great idea! I would have done it your way also. After completing repairs, I would ascertain that the coolant mix was correct. It has been a while since I worked on them, but I seem to remember protection to -34*F from the factory; also provided overheating protection to 260*F. with the proper pressure cap. Gave the system proper corrosion protection. I probably would have recommended a flush and refill to complete and insure the repair.
@johnhaddenham3189 I'm thankful the customer got to our shop before something happened to the heads. That would have been a nightmare for him. Thanks for watching & leaving a comment. Keep wrenching! Kenny
Get em Mr Kenny, they can't even come close to your experience Sir. Sometimes you know a little more than the scanner does just using your hearing. Great video and thanks 😂🎉😊 Please tell Mrs Kenny I'm not trying to give you the big head lol. 😅😂
A lot of incompetent technicians out there, sadly. Its lucky this engine survived the overheating without blowing the head gasket. They got it to you in time...
Remember scanning the code this big money. I agree with one comment open up the hood play old fashioned look, 2 gal low you got a leak, And is the head gasket still good.
@donmunro144 We don't get into freezing temps until January, maybe for 2/3 weeks tops. I'm coming to realize that if the issue doesn't show up on a scanner, some techs don't know what to do. It's not that they don't want to fix it they just were never taught. Thanks for watching & leaving a comment. Keep wrenching 🔧 Kenny
@WrenchingWithKenny agreed, with the codes showing an over temp, common sense would point towards coolant, not an oil change. I don't understand the younger generation mindset.
I've noticed in the last 10-15 years the expansion tanks are made of a much thinner plastic and only last around 6-7 years before they get tiny micro cracks. I have a 30 year old GM with an factory fitted original expansion tank, no cracks and holds perfect pressure.
As a mechanic I've seen two things when it comes to people and repairs, one people will come in to shops in hopes of free diagnosis, meaning they just want you to look at what the problem is to fix it themself or have their mechanic fix it!, two my manager's have done this to me many times, don't point out problems until the owner has a concern with that component. Most shops are turning that way now, it's a way they can add a diagnosis charge to your bill! I'm all for helping someone and have been trapped by both. It really sucks when you help out only to get the oh I'll fix that myself or have my mechanic fix it, and it's really demeaning when a manager forces you to overlook something because the customer didn't ask or have a concern about this or that! The I'll have my mechanic fix it one I try to take note of what car it was and never change their oil again, if their mechanic can't change oil what good are they!
Had mine flushed in my newer mustang. It's always orange coolant as that's what it came for. I get home and see that it's yellow coolant!. Took it back and made them put orange coolant in it! Put back in what you took out. Screw that multicolored coolants
Ford vehicles, came with different colored coolant. Depends on the year. Ford is very specific on the coolant. Instead of jumping on some one. A Ford Technician who runs his channel Ford Mocoloco.
@dougwebb1634 thank you. She is getting better. Each doctor we see gives us a suggestion of something to try. She is better than she was for sure. Thanks for thinking of her. Keep wrenching 🔧 Kenny
@jthonn Thanks! They either didn't care, didn't have time or didn't know what to look for. Of course the coolant fluid dripping at their feet would have been a good indication of the problem. Thanks for watching. Keep wrenching! Kenny
I’m just a sledgehammer/ crowbar mechanic but first thing to check is coolant level. If it’s low where did it go? Oh wait, there it is on the ground 🤦♂️
@alanmize5627 We all make mistake. You guys see me make mistake all the time on my videos. They didn't even try to find the problem. I'm thankful the guy made it to the shop before something worse could have happened. Keep wrenching! Kenny
Personally, those plastic pressure/reservoir tanks are a bad idea as are plastic used in radiators. A peterbuilt truck blew a headgasket that used the sealed radiator/pressure reservoir, the only way to determine the fluid was low was to remove the cap allowing air to enter to find the system was leaking, turned out the plastic reservoir leaked only when the engine was running and hot.
Yeah, I don’t like going to those big chains. My nephew took my van to one of those chain places to get the oil changed. When I got back out of the hospital, I pulled the dipstick and blocked and the vehicle was 1 quart low on oil. They didn’t fill up all the way when they changed it.when I took it to my regular mechanic recently and had him change the oil I just checked it to be sure and it was right where it needed to be at the top of the stick. Those big chain places are rip off with people that don’t know what they’re doing.
@DBVintage Having your own mechanic is the way to go. That was very sweet of your nephew to get your oil changed for you though. Thanks for watching & leaving a comment. Keep wrenching! Kenny
@papatomsthoughts We are very excited about being so close to 100K followers. I don't understand why the first shop didn't see the coolant leak. I just shake my head. Thanks for watching & leaving a comment. Keep wrenching! Kenny
Where did the coolant go is the question. I had a ford mondeo with a slow coolant leak that I just couldnt find. After about 18 moths I found that the seals in the parking heater had burned because of an earliler problem with a cracked expansion vessel that put the parking heater above the coolant level. IT was enough for the heater and parking heater (which i didnt use) not to work but never overheated.
Yeah, I don’t like going to those big chains. My nephew took my van to one of those chain places to get the oil changed. When I got back out of the hospital, I pulled the dipstick and blocked and the vehicle was 1 quart low on oil. They didn’t fill up all the way when they changed it.when I took it to my regular mechanic recently and had him change the oil I just checked it to be sure and it was right where it needed to be at the top of the stick. Those big chain places are rip off with people that don’t know what they’re doing. What other thing, my 2004 Chevy still has its original coolant tank and it does not leak. I know this vehicle here in the video is nowhere, but that is pathetic that it needs a tank already.
@EnglishTurbines 😂😂😂That, my friend, is an understatement! There are some really good ones too. Lately, it has been rough, though. I appreciate you making me laugh. Keep wrenching, brother 🔧 Kenny
I can't believe that they couldn't see that but those places are going to worry about cost and how fast they can get it done to get on to the next one..
I have seen this many times. Once a shop told me car needed a radiator.I open the hood and see right away someone had a tee on a return line with a crappy clap that popped off. Did that shop even open the hood?? How do you diagnose something without even looking at it??
@DavoShed I'm happy the customer made it to us without damaging anything else, like the head. Thanks for watching & leaving a comment. Keep wrenching 🔧
@bigsparky8888 any crack that has coolant will make itself obvious at some point. Well, if you actually care to look, hahaha. Thanks for watching & leaving a comment. I appreciate you. Keep wrenching! Kenny
Plastic, plastic plastic! Probably old PP bottle cracked at the hose nipple since. It lost a bolt at the mounting tab. I would. have had to be old school since I don't have a scanner. You hook up so often, its no big deal and sometime you would see another problem.croping up. When working on something and a lot of coolant spills, I take an old bottle or two of water or garden hose and rinse that coolant, especially around any wiring connectors away. If i don't it seems to dry up and wait for moisture to come back.
I swear to fn god these are the same people that will drive around like this until it pops, then they really have the never to say it was ALWAYS maintained and never missed it a beat
@robertdiehl9003 Roughly 20% of Americans don't know how to release the hood of their vehicle. Some of them come in & tell us there is a leak under the car but they can't tell us a location or even a color. It's so crazy. At least this one was blatantly obvious. Well, maybe not to everyone. Thanks for watching & leaving a comment. Keep wrenching! Kenny
Where you at? lol 4 states you can hop to Mexico. Had a friend buy a used car. Hopped the border accidentally. They found a joint between her seats and she lost her car. New here. 1000 videos. DADGUM. LOL
@eric_seguin Yikes! That must have been scary for your friend. I just say 'mexico' to seen like I'm going someplace cool. The scenery looks just like Durham, North Carolina. Keep wrenching! Kenny
yeah i bought a ford focus darn thing over heated on me.. so limped it to a costo got a case of water... put in about 6-8 500 ml bottles of water.. and later the morning after added a full gallon?? of mixed rad fluid. change the expansion tank cap no over heating since. previous owner knew nothing about maintenance.
I took my 99 Ford Ranger in to the steelership ( dealership) for over heating problems and took three day to tell me it was a leak in the radiator. On the service sheet they also said i need new windshield wipers. I replaced them my self two weeks ago. If you trust them about wipers then how can i believe anything they say. I replaced my and my girlfriends at the same time. I did replace the radiator and it fixed the problem but the new OEM radiator also has a small crack and will try another one. Third Motorcraft radiator i had to put in in six months.
