sonic1519

Does this sound right. Took my car to the local Chevy Dealership after i saw some small patches of light oil on garage floor.

When they called me about it they said that the oil filter had a bad gasket on it and would have to be replaced along with a quart of oil. ok so far so good. Then he tells me the radiator has a very small leak and the skid plate is cracked. Both would have to be replaced. at the price of 1600.00

I drove the car for 2 full days in 90 degree weather and it showed no signs of over heating. Any ideas or something i should do about this mess.......

RICH 28

Have the dealer show you exactly where the leak is, and keep an eye on your coolant level for the next few weeks to see how bad it is. I would be doing a search on how to do this repair myself, and save a bunch of money.

sonic1519

Sorry i've got 5 thumbs. Would i check from the radiator or the reservoir.

RICH 28

Everyday I would open the hood and just look at the level in the reservoir to see if it went down at all. You don.t even have to open the cap to look.

RicardoFors68

You said that they said it was from the radiator, so I would star there. Drain petcock, were hoses attach, then the actual metal cooling lines if all else is dry. The dealer should have marked the spot and then show it to you. Cracked skid plate, well is a skid plate, source one elsewhere, remove and replace.

LMB-Z

Take it somewhere else and get a second or even third opinion if you are not capable of doing it yourself.

sonic1519

Thanks for the advice i'll check into that. At the least i'm going to have them show me where the leak is at. Wish i hadn't left my car there over night. I don't trust them.

AORoads

it would help if you had at least a town or state where you live in your profile. plus, you really need to find some good indie shops in your area that can, and do work on Corvettes. talk to (but you don't necessarily have to join) your local Corvette club via phone not email. going back to a dealer you don't trust is not smart. the "old"method was to spray some fluid on where the "leak" was---not saying it isn't there because it's possible that breaking the "skid plate" DID cause a leak or crack that is leaking.

Sunnyvale Dave

I agree with the others. Have the dealer show you where the skid plate is damaged and the leak. Get a second opinion.

jrose7004

Never take your car to a dealer for service unless it's a warranty item.

buckmeister2

THANK YOU!! Why all the work of draining fluid, checking lines, etc.? Take it to a really good shop and tell them you might have a leak, see what they say. You might also just say, "Could you look at the skid plate also? My wife says she thinks she ran over something in the road." A good shop will be glad to check it out, and will charge you less for the repair, if it is confirmed.

sonic1519

Thanks for the advice. I'll pickup my car tomorrow and drive it a little. If it's not over heating and I see no signs of leaks. I'll still head to a shop I trust put it on a lift and check it out.

Torquem

Post where you are located. Certainly someone can recommend a reputable shop.

B-Vette

I wanna see how this turns out. Hopefully you can find some type of resolution or piece of mind at least.

Gearhead Jim

The "Full Cold" mark is on the front of your coolant tank where hardly anyone ever finds it. That also makes it sensitive to any up/down slope when you park. Great engineering.

Park the car in the same place each evening and let it sit overnight. Eyeball the level in the morning, before starting.

The "skid bars" don't skid if you hit something, they are aluminum and just crack. That's unfortunately common. So the dealer may be correct, but a second opinion would be worthwhile.
Usually the impact doesn't damage the radiator but there are exceptions and sometimes radiators leak "just because."

Good luck with yours.

Not So Fast

Just simply ask them to "show me" the leak !!!

NSF

sonic1519

When I discovered the oil leak I took it back to where I bought it. There was not evidence of a water leak. Out of the blue they tell me I need a radiator. I will get second opinion on radiator. I put 105 miles on the car today never got above 204 degrees. Over flow reservoir was right where it needs to be. Ran A/C also. Thanks for all the advice. I'll find a different mechanic and watch the radiator for awhile.

Fly-N-LOw

Get a pressure tester (Auto Zone) maybe they will test it for you.
If not take it home let the car cool down!! remove the cap put the tester on pump it up to about 30PSI and see it it holds pressure. That's the sure way to find out.

If it doesn't hold pressure check the gasket!

You can buy a cover for the skid plate on this forum.

Good luck.

Fly-N-LOw

Why not check the hoses and the water pump first this is more likely to be where the leak is. Fluid from a hose will run to the bottom of the radiator and drip. Water pump seals are known to fail. I have not heard of a radiator leaking in a long time.

If your not mechanically inclined take it to a reputable radiator shop.