Maybe the oil man knocked the wire of the cooler fan connection. The wire must be on the connected the fan sensor to get the fan going when the engine gets up to temperture.
mrfxit,
Jul 13, 6:20pm
I suggested the franchise for advice 1st, as they will know more about that specific vehicles known issues & also as a professional advice giver for helping to deal with the OilChangers company. It's very possible that the franchise may already know what the issue is & that it's got nothing to do with the oil change situation.
mrfxit,
Jul 13, 6:22pm
Exactly, anythings possible at this stage, but a bit of Pro advice could save a lot of hassles or help the OilChangers staff deal with it better
yz490,
Jul 13, 6:37pm
cloudcover--Franchise meaning-- as in your local Mazda Service Center [Official Mazda Dealer]. Also, i know your husband only checked the radiator plastic catch bottle, but don't EVER take the radiator cap off the radiator itself when it's hot [or very hot in this case--steam only maybe] or he could get very burnt. If desperate to do that [not recommending it] i'd throw a big heavy sack over it first. Or if it has bleed nipples on the motor or thermostat housing just crack one free [Carefully or get steam burn] & go make a cuppa till the steam &/or pressure settles then off with the cap. Sorry none of that's directly helping, except maybe the Franchise bit. Edit, can't read--i put Toyota lol, no hope sorry, changed it.
yz490,
Jul 13, 6:45pm
& we all want to know the outcome now, pretty please! .
snoopy221,
Jul 13, 6:52pm
Well presuming the vehicle has NOT moved a simple common garden approach could be 2 people one videoing and the other now it has a cold radiator and a cold engine SIMPLY being videoed timed and dated removing the radiator cap. And then pouring simple measured litres of water in slowly. Simply to gauge in litres how bad the engine overheated. If this is done then a posting of the literage in here will allow further advice. The advice NOT to START or Drive is still a prerequisite until the litreage is posted. As to how the heater went cold from lack of water and the engine was seen as HOT on the gauge and by smell afterwards. And the coolant recovery tank being normal well there be a leaking/water loss going on somewhere
..james..,
Jul 13, 7:14pm
Why would they "reset the light"? Don't shoot the messenger. Kind of irresponsible don't you all think?
3tomany,
Jul 13, 7:30pm
Not a rats arse chance would i do that. I would get the mazda dealer to diagnose then go to oil changers with the correct diagnosis. Still give them the chance to rectify but no way let them diagnose the issue.
gsimpson,
Jul 13, 9:36pm
They may have checked the radiator and not refitted the cap fully home allowing water to escape. cloudcover, the car ran out of water when the heater stopped working.
phalanax,
Jul 13, 10:23pm
My experience. I wont be taking my car back there. they drained it and refilled it . then started the car revving it to near redline probably. they are morons. saw something similar the other day at a tyre shop. clown thought it would be nice to rev some customers v8 in the shop. some engines cant take being revved , it damages them. im picking they revved the guts out of it and have damaged it.
cloudcover,
Jul 13, 11:57pm
Update: - Phoned Oil Changers, they said they don't send anyone out and they wanted us to drive it into their shop. - We phoned for a local mobile mechanic to come and take a look at it. He poured water into Radiator. hubby saw water coming out a hole on side/top of radiator. Mechanic saw that the (returner?) hose had been snapped off its plastic fitting at top of radiator. Certainly was done during transmission flush. - Phoned Oil Changers and told them (with Mechanic listening). -Mechanic wrote it up on his invoice ($80) -Oil changers very apologetic - said they'd send out their mechanic. - OC Mechanic came and happened to be the guy who did the flush. He said he could see how it had been bumped and caused the problem. -Removed radiator - took in to be repaired/replaced. At this point it won't be fitted until Monday. They will then do a pressure test of the motor to check for other damage.
Hopefully if there is further damage they will foot the bill, but that hasn't been talked about yet.
Thanks so much for all your comments/advice. Helpful when you feel a bit overwhelmed - especially not being the car-techy type. Will update again once we know the final outcome.
supernova2,
Jul 14, 12:10am
Don't forget to get the $80 back from OC as that's a fee you wouldn't have had to pay if they hadn't broken the pipe. Unlikely that the broken plastic pipe can be repaired so you should end up with a new radiator. Don't let them put in some 2nd hand thing they have found at a scrap yard.
snoopy221,
Jul 14, 12:35am
Good to have an update and as predicted the old story a bit of carelessness and a water loss problem. That is ONLY the initial START of your problems sadly As to the check engine light that could be involved HOWEVER it may have been coincidental. Either way it should NOT have been simply queried and cleared WITHOUT BEING FAULT CODED.
Alas the check engine light is like a child that won't settle and may need a doctor or a hospital.
And as stated prior in terms of loosing coolant and overheating an engine when the heater blows cold air. Is akin to child being between the doctor and the hospital.
So as to how much water was LEFT in the cooling system-well ONLY when the cooling system has been bled and the engine pressure tested FULLY-as in ENGINE cylinder leakage tests NOT just a coolant system pressure test Will the damage be known and another adage like the child. The cylinder head is akin to the boiled dry pot left on the stove . NOT FLAT. But higher in the middle and well like zee burnt pot either replace or money spent straightening. So if ya lucky and competent qualified people do the CORRECT PROPER FULL checks and ya okay well and good otherwise anything around 5 grand or more.
I would advise you ask in this forum /thread as to a GOOD Reputable mechanic/workshop in YOUR area and Do NOT use these !oil changers! franchises again And make sure the computer which saw a problem and MADE the check engine light come on is coded and YOU are GIVEN the codes that are in the engine management computer. And sorry about ya drama but thanks for listening to/ reading the EXPERIENCED mechanics advise given freely and NOT driving/ starting the vehicle. Post as it happens and we have the EXPERIENCE to advise you as to avoiding the pitfalls of incompetent vehicle work.
cloudcover,
Jul 14, 9:43am
Thanks snoopy221, for your advice. Just wondering about those engine codes. I don't think any codes were seen - just the light on the dash and the guy said he would reset it.
We will be asking what testing they are doing and make sure they do the Engine Cylinder leakage tests along with the cooling system. We can ask for paper work as proof right?
mrfxit,
Jul 14, 9:54am
Yep make sure everything is documented from here on. A free 2 year mechanical warranty from a reputable supplier would be a good start. Kazbanz would probably have a couple of good recommendations for you to check.
franc123,
Jul 14, 9:57am
Just at this point I would like to point out that OC staff are just that, staff that have had in house training by that company in fluid exchanging and rudimentary service tasks, have no external qualifications and are not qualified mechanics in any form and are certainly not worthy of a technicians label either. Therefore future references to them as "staff" and not anything else above that are appropriate IMO. I would urge you (and other potential customers) to consider this point before accepting any diagnostic feedback from them unless it was from a third party, post #39 was plain scary to say the least, even if they possessed the equipment to carry out that test. Carry on.
cloudcover,
Jul 14, 11:49am
Just to clarify: - The guy who is removing/refitting radiator is a mechanic (who works for OC) . so yes, the guy who caused this mistake was a experienced mechanic. - We would expect (and check) that testing is done at a proper mechanic workshop and will be following paperwork etc all the way through
franc123,
Jul 14, 12:03pm
I'd be asking for verification of that.
ladatrouble,
Jul 14, 12:23pm
Plastic radiator top tank, they are a hard plastic, and get harder and brittle with age. Just brushing it with his arm as he reached down to get at the trans hoses would've broken the little barb to the overflow tank. All the guys here have never made a mistake in their life of course, but I can see it happening, especially in winter with sleeves rolled down.
franc123,
Jul 14, 12:41pm
There is making mistakes and there is making mistakes. It's evident the car wasn't road tested and re examined after the work was done otherwise it would have been picked up, this should always be done after transmission servicing. The public gets what they pay for in these instances.
supernova2,
Jul 14, 1:19pm
Maybe, but wouldn't an OC worker get the trans hoses from under the car rather than trying to fight their way down from the top past fans, cowlings, hot manifolds and god knows what else? Isin't the bottle on a Mazda 6 on the back of the rad anyhow so another thing in the way? If I correct here then surely the OP would have noticed the hose wasn't connected when the checked the fluid level? Er ? What's the explanation for not seeing a green puddle on the floor and checking to see where that alien blood had come from? What's the explanation for just resetting a CEL without checking why it lit up? Best explanation I can come up with is, to use another posters favorite expressions, Swapatron Moron. The OP says the guy involved is a mechanic that works for OC. A car mechanic, tractor mechanic, small engine mechanic, bike mechanic? Well maybe but one has to wonder why a qualified mech would be working for OC. Could perhaps be the franchisee I suppose but surely a qualified mech wouldn't get any job satisfaction doing 5min oil changes all day every day. Maybe I'm wrong but would OC pay more than $16.50ph?
toenail,
Jul 14, 2:48pm
never use quick lube places. use a trusted mechanic if you can't or don't have time to do the job.
yz490,
Jul 14, 4:56pm
Well, as LV Martin's Add on TV [Alan Martin] used to say--"Its The Putting right that Counts". Was always impressed with that add. So hopefully all will turn out well for you & good old Mazda recovers unscathed. One thing's for sure, if you go back regularly to the same guy while he's working there, then you can guarantee he'll take extra care of 'your job'.
kiwitrader43,
Jul 14, 8:30pm
Good chance severe overheating has occurred damaging the rings which will now result in excessive oil consumption in future. This could also have happened at a dealer. Accidents happen Good luck having them make it right. New radiator and 1000km oil consumption test.
kazbanz,
Jul 14, 9:25pm
Just a heads up. They gave you very specific instructions. Had you followed those instructions THEY are liable for the concequence of that action. But to be sure Ida wanted an e mail confirmation.
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