Hello everyone,
I'm new to the forum and so exciting to be a first time corvette owner.
I recently purchased a 2003 Anniversary Edition convertible with 15,600 miles. Drove it home a good hour and 1/2 away and it ran beautiful except for the old hard original rubber.
Decided to make things convenient and took it to my local Firestone auto care for tires, a coolant flush and inspection. Well, the ride was much better but a few days later on a cool evening drive with the wife we were sitting waiting for a train to pass and the car began to overheat. I took it back to Firestone and after 1/2 a day they said they couldn't figure it out and it needed to go yo the Chevy dealership.
$1600.00 dollars later I now have a new radiator, condenser and t-stat, that's after $1500 at Firestone. The dealership said they don't know what Firestone did but I drove it several days before the flush and it was perfectly fine.

Any ideas what may have happened and any recourse for negligence on Firestone's part? Bad news is I think it's still jumping way up in temp while not in motion.

Sorry for the long winded story but no short way to put it.
Thank you to anyone who can guide me
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Bongi.

 

is what happened. A good friend was a store manager for years. Quit. Could not find or keep competent help.

How far up is it still jumping on the gauge and on DIC? First IS IT REALLY OVERHEATING?
Did they check sensors and gauges?
Any hoses collapsing?
I assume coolant level and the pressure cap are fine.
Is check engine light coming on?
Do you hear fans come on?
You should clear and pull the codes with the engine running and while or after temp goes up.
THEN POST THEM HERE, so our great guys on this site can help. Bill Curlee, Daddaroo, Lionel Hutz, et.al.
There are code instructions and meanings posted on this site. They will also be able to interpret them.

If there truly is an overheating issue, which must be established first, the stealer was possibly just throwing parts and labor at it. Next, , find a good recommended Corvette specialist in your area, and stay away from stealers!!!!
Dave

 

First things first. I would never trust Firestone to do anything but tires or maybe an alignment. I worked at one as a teenager and can tell you first hand they do not have the best qualified technicians for your car.

Corvettes are somewhat of a different beast and have a several mechanical aspects unique to them. I would only take it to a shop you know is experienced with Corvette service. Either that, or get a set of service manuals and take on the work yourself.

As for the problem..... how hot is hot? It is not unusual for theses cars to run 230-240 after warming up and sitting at idle.

Do you know if the fans were coming on? It could have been a stuck relay, or the technician could have inadvertently pulled a wire loose.

Also, the flushing procedure could have caused some trash to come loose and get stuck in the thermostat. A stuck open thermostat will cause overheating because the water does not stay in the radiator long enough to reject a proper amount of heat. I've seen it happen no less than 4 times myself. This would be my guess.

lastly, did you check to see if there are any obstructions in front of the radiator? Since these cars are bottom breathers, they suck up a lot of road debris & leaves. I've heard of people cleaning the radiator and the coolant temp dropping 20°F.

Just a few thoughts....

 

It's still probably AIR in your system... pretty damn expensive air lock!
Could also been something as simple as the reservoir tank CAP...
or the radiator just needing cleaned...

 

In the future tell us what your issue is and there are plenty here to help you with the diagnosis.


Mr. Sam

 

Making decisions between Firestone and Dealerships, can and will be very costly. Contact us first for info and not after you went to the above.
There is a lot of valuable information on Corvette Forum and many out there that are more than willing to take your money.

 

The question I have is what did Firestone fill the system with. Dexcool? Then how hot is it? At least you got a new radiator! It probably does not help much that I said that.

 

 

what did the condenser have to do with overheating other than the fact it was plugged with debris on the outside ???? I hope you got the old parts back (by law you should) and I will bet you would find nothing wrong other than the radiator plugged with debris, and or air trapped in the system, (there is a specific procedure for bleeding the air out) I think you have been taken on a very expensive ride ???? get your parts back and have someone else look at them ?????

 

Corvettes are specialty cars that require techs that know what they're doing. Ask around and find one in your area. You don't have to go to steelerships for repairs. Unless you live in bfe there's probably a good shop not too far from you that will be able to help you out.

 

with which to accurately diagnose the problem, if there is a problem.. Let them know how the real smart folks here on the forum can help with the process. MR SAM is RIGHT---COME HERE FIRST. It will save you big $

Like in medicine, the treatment/fix plan is best guided by a logical process of resolving differential diagnosis, then applying the remedy that fits the dx, then monitoring the results. Generally, one starts with the least complex and least costly treatment/fix. Your " big box experts " may have been shotgunning the dx, by treating the unknown at your cost. They have little to lose! The fellow I use, Martin's Corvette, says, "if I don't fix it, you don't pay!"

Dave

 

I have reread your post !!!! the car has less than 16,000 miles get a lawyer and go back to both places and get your money back, Without looking at it the problem started at Firestone because they didn't get the air out of the system ???????????? My 10 cents !!!!!!!

 

I will add, that mine had a true 18K on it and I pulled a half a bushel of pine needles and leaves out of my lower radiator area when I went over it after purchase. Half blocked!
Dave

 

I totally agree. That's a ton of money for air and a missed diagnosis. Small claims/ or a letter from an attorney.

 

Sorry OP I didn't really answer your thread question...
EVERYTHING
This was a doomed goat rope from the get go...

 

This was your first post. Welcome to Corvette Forum! Sounds like you've got a nice new-to-you Corvette and unfortunately, have run into some headaches and now your wallet is lighter.. Ouch! First off, since your first post is AFTER all of this happened, you've had some lessons to learn. If you like to do your own work, then always come here first for questions, then ask away. Lot's of knowledgeable guys here willing to help. There are a handful that hang out here that are genuine EXPERTS at this stuff and are willing to help for FREE!!!
If you don't care to work on the car yourself, then find yourself a knowledgeable Corvette mechanic in your area. They're WAY less expensive than a dealership and usually won't take advantage of you. You can ask here if you feel like you're being told the truth. So you stated "any advice would be appreciated".

1. We're here to help. All of us want to keep our cars working correctly and as inexpensively as possible. We work together to reach that goal. And we'll help you as well.
2. Find yourself a competent Corvette mechanic and get to know him. Invite him to lunch and tell him what you're looking for. Then in the future, when you need him, he'll be there for you.
3. There are no silly questions. If you want to know something, just ask. Sometimes, some members here like to poke fun, but its all in good humor and nature.
4. More than likely, what happened to you was nothing more than an improperly filled coolant system (others have had the same issue) and your car started to heat up because of that. The dealership really stuck it to you. You needed NONE of that stuff. Here on CF, we commonly refer to them as 'stealerships' and its not hard to figure out why.
5. So... lesson learned. Kind of expensive. You can chalk it up to live and learn or you can contact an attorney. That'll be up to you.

I remember how much I loved (and still do) my Vette when I first got it so I know how you feel. It's all yours and you want to take care of it. I get it. Become a regular on here. If nothing else, just read. So much good information. One last thing, finish your profile. Nearly every new user does the bare minimum when filling out their profiles. When we know where you're located, we can be of more help. Ok, off the soap box. (and you thought your post was a long-winded one....)

 

Follow up to my previous message. Since this was your first post, get some pics of your new car and open yourself a Photobucket account (it's free) then upload those pics to your account. Go to the General section here and introduce yourself as a new member and post some pics of your new ride and let the rest of us enjoy your car as well. If you don't know how to do so, then just ask. It's easy and plenty will help. There have been some great friendships developed here on CF thru the years. Your journey is just starting!

 

I would also recommend joining a local Corvette club. I have found members more than willing to help and they also know the local vendors. The biggest benefit is probably the fun you get to have!

 

Maybe i missed something in reading all of the posts but......was it suggested that the system was bled properly to remove trapped air ?

 

we covered that in several post Lou !!!!! I think he spent a ton of money for a air lock ????????????