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Just about a week ago, I noticed that my coolant in my 1995 Corolla was not lime green anymore, but a dark, reddish brown. I looked through some auto repair manuals and found out that my car was due for a coolant flush. I later took it to a lube shop and paid $40 for what they called a radiator flush. It's now been 2 days since the flush, and when I checked this morning, the coolant was again red-brown. I guess it was unwise that I didn't check it immediately after the lube guys were done, right at the shop. I trusted that they would do a good job. I usually go to the local Jiffy Lube chain. Unfortunately, I lost trust in them because they charge too much, do halfway jobs, and would always recommend unnecessary maintenance. For example, they don't do a complete transmission fluid flush, where all the fluid is replaced. They only drain the pan and replace ~5 quarts. The last straw was when they charged me for a front and rear differential fluid replacement. I didn't know then that the job was bogus, since my car is front wheel drive. I consulted with some car-savvy friends and they told me that it isn't enough to just flush the radiator...that the engine block, heater core, and reservoir also had to be flushed. Is this true? And if it is, then do you think I was ripped off by the shop? Do you think this sort of practice by lube shops is unethical? I don't know what I should do next. Thanks in advance. Floyd,
If you have a question for Bob send it to: AskBob@stretcher.com. He's able to answer many of them personally and we'll include the best questions in future issues of The Dollar Stretcher .Do you have a time or money saving idea that wasn't included in this article? Please send it to tips@stretcher.com. We get the best ideas from our readers!
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