Short version:
The metal transmission line that goes to the radiator keeps popping loose and draining the transmission fluid. Dealership already had the vehicle in once. They pushed the tube back in, filled the fluids, (both of which I already had done the 1st time this happened) and charged me $340. Now they want to replace the line, fluids, and the whole radiator!!! For a metal line that pops out of a socket part that threads into the radiator. Seems like a line/socket problem, not a line/radiator problem. Read on for more, a picture, and my plea for help.
After owning my 2006 Grand Prix GT for about 3 years, the metal transmission cooler line (metal one with a "barbed" end) that goes into the transmission popped out of the socket. I pushed it back in and it felt like it was firmly in place, topped off the lost fluids and then about 65 miles later (64 of those were highway driving home, and it was the last 1 mile when it was driven in-town the next day) it popped out again. Thinking that something must be beyond my understanding, I took it to the dealership.
$340 later, they filled it with 11 quarts of transmission fluid, and popped the metal tube back in. They claimed that they replaced a "clip" at the radiator, but I have my doubts that they did anything since there was really no mention of it on the bill. I was frustrated with the cost, but happy to be back on the road with the insurance of knowing that a mechanic who does this kind of thing for a living fixed it.
Well, fast forward 5 days since getting it back, and it did it again. Each time this leaves the vehicle stranded. This was last night.
So I voice my frustration to the dealership this morning and tell them that this time it is their responsibility to tow it in.
Now jump to this evening. I get a call from them. The service guys (not the techs, but the ones that just coordinate the service jobs) don't seem to really understand much, but here is what they said.
They wouldn't charge for the tow (gee, really?) and would credit us $190 towards the repair (at $13 a quart for fluid, that will go quick), but they also want to replace the metal line at $36, AND replace the whole radiator!!!! The service guy was saying that the clip keeps coming loose, so blah blah this, blah blah that. None of it makes any logical sense.
Here is a picture of what happens....
gp-trans2.jpg
The metal tube (yellow marking the barbed end) comes out of the socket piece (marked in red). The socket piece is what I was lead to believe that they replaced last time. It is like $6 at RockAuto. There was no line-item for it on the bill, so I don't know for sure.
The socket piece threads into the radiator and is the interface between the internal cooling part of the radiator and the transmission fluid line. If the metal piece doesn't stay in the socket, how is that a new radiator?
Oh, after their generous $190 credit, it would "only" cost us another $460 for a new metal line, the fluids, and the radiator.
I thought that the transmission line was low pressure? The service guy was saying that the radiator might be damaged where the socket is causing a loss in pressure and when there is a loss in pressure, maybe the metal tube isn't staying in place. Huh? Then he started talking like he thought that the socket is what came loose from the radiator. Huh? I explained this all to them. My biggest mistake was when I got stuck last night I pushed the metal tube back into the socket to see if it would stay put or felt any different than the previous time before the dealership "fixed" it.
I also talked to my father-in-law who is a mechanical engineer dealing with large earth-moving equipment. He taught me a lot about automotive repair as well, and it makes no sense to him as to why a whole radiator would need to be replaced when this tube keeps popping out of a socket.
Is there anything else I can do?
The dealership said that they can replace the line and fill it again, but if something else happens, they are washing their hands clean of the problem.