Install nightmare new csf radiator
 

So after being on a 3 month waiting list from Stillen for the new csf tripple pass radiator I ffinally get it installed today at my local Nissan dealership. They originally estimated this install at 2.9 hours at 95$ an hour but also said it might be more because of all the after market mods ie Stillen SC, and to expect it to be as high as double the original estimate. So yesterday morning I drop my baby off and so begins the wait... Well today around noon I was told to come in as they will be finished soon. I get dropped off there at 1 30 only to wait around until 5pm for the car to be finished. I get the bill and it's 1,014$ which is 414$ more than what I paid for the radiator! Total rape! Then on the way home I turn on the AC only to be greeted by hot air. I then pull into a gas station pop the hood and immediately hear a hissing noise... The sound of freon leaking from the lines. I tried to call Nissan back but of course everyone has gone home for the day! So I'm hot in more ways than one!

Wait they just figured they would keep working and charge you? That's BS.

So... You paid double per hour of labor? AND they fùcked up?

I'd ask for 100% of your money back

They wont be called stealership for nothing!
Im sorry for your misfortune.

'Tis why I only go to the dealer for warranty work. Anyone in the area that he can go to in the future?

Wats a cfs tripple pass? Sounds stinky..

Rape
 

They told me it was12 hours total at 95 an hour so 1014 was a compromise. So pissed

The thing is the service advisor who I always deal with is a good guy. had nothing but good experiences with him in the last 3 months I've been going to this stealership. He's hooked me up before with the cost of other installs but this time it's total rape! I was mad about the money but I was thinking well at least I know I got quality work. Joke's on me. So pissed off right now. Can't believe it cost me a grand to install a 600$ mod.

And he told me that the lead tech was working on my car. He said he was their GTR tech.

I hate to say this they might even deny any wrong doing with your A/c lines and charge you again for that repair. Looking at the year model of your Z you might already be out of warranty or Did you have an extended warranty?

tell them I did it in 4 hours, taking my sweet time. im not a "professional" mechanic

they took advantage of you! The leak may be the sensor o-ring on top of the ac reservoir. They probably used the OEM black rubber oring. They need to use the flat green washer CSF supplies.

Talk about being taken on a ride. I installed mine in 5 hrs taking my time.. Straight up robbed u...

You should have never payed that amount so it may be hard to get it back. Did you use a CC? When I have had the dealer or even shops do installs I get quotes in writing and put a limit on what they can "do" or charge. They have to call if they run into problems and then I usually tell them to put it back to stock and im not paying you anything. Most of the time the work gets done for original quote.

Im not going to pay an incompetent installer 3x the normal install because they do not know what they are doing. Guess what? Neither should you! Hopefully you can get a refund for the shotty work. Get loud and dont settle for any B.S.

agreed 100%

Jesus. I would not have payed them and I am actually suprised that you did. That is a ridiculous amount of money to pay for such a job. These experiences plus the cost of the installs is why I do all the work myself on all my cars. I'm no mechanic but you would be surprised how far common sense and youtube will get you.

well it is kinda easy to tell the op wat he shouldn've done after the fact... but that dont help him now. :ugh:


op- dogdamn spilled milk on the floor... :mad:

forum: shoulda been more careful. :shakes head:

op- yah, thanks. :ugh2:

Your absolutely correct. It's leaking there and on the driver's side at the female flange

Man its so hard for me to get loud and be that guy. I know that sounds lame but it's just not like me to do that. The reason I did pay was about a month ago they installed my headers and quoted me what the computer told them to and it ended up being twice what they originally estimated and the service advisor, who is kinda a friend of mine, got theshop to eat it. So I knew when they told me 2.9 hours but to expect up to double that, this c ould end up being a similar situation. I didn't expect this though. I know they had to rearrange my oil cooler and trans cooler and they rearranged my braided lines on the coolers. Basically had to rearrange everything up front to make this fit plus had to charge me for the freon. They did a really good job at everything except the ac lines leaking. And since I've neverins talled a radiator I figured I was making the wise decision havingnNissan do this. Honestly if not for the leak I would have been somewhat content knowing my car was sound regardless of the price

I wil, however, never return there if I have to pay one more cent to have them fix this

I'm the second owner. Warranty did not transfer

Weren't you the one who said you didn't have to use the lines that came with the radiator? They told me that the lines did not jive with the OEM lines so they had to fabricate to make things fit. That supposedly took the majority of the time. I told the servicead visor about someone on the forum who didn't have to use the supplied lines and just had to bend the OEM ones, he said not unless you had a mill and a shop with extensive experience and equipment

Yes but you guys don't have a supercharger as the OP does. I can see it taking a bit longer but to do it without notification is not acceptable.

lol He has no idea what he is talking about! I bent the OEM lines over maybe a half inch towards the drivers side to make it work. It took 2 seconds with my bare hands.

Maybe I should go apply at Nissan, apparently Im a GTR certified master tech by now.:bowrofl:

What exactly did they fabricate? These guys dont sound too bright.

Lol I have no idea bro. The service advisor is a really cool mofo but not sure about the tech. What I am sure of is I'm not going to depend on a OEM shop for aftermarket anymore. And I don't think they are going to be upset about it.

Did your radiator come with any o rings? All I had in the box was the radiator the lines and a piece of black plastic that appeared to be a mounting bracket

OP Im curious about how would the stealership would fix and correct the problem without charging you back.

Update us, hopefully everything works out either get your money back or have them fix the problem for free.

The ac reservoir on the csf radiator has a bolt plugging it for (shipping/so no dirt gets in there.) On the bolt is a flat green rubber washer. That is the one you need to use to prevent leaks:tup:

Stock ring is a black rubber ring

I didnt use the black plastic bracket. And I removed the OEM black plastic bracket. This allows you to use/bend oem lines with csf radiator/condensor.

My advice is get your money back no matter what

Thank you. I'm going to relay this info to the tech.

I'll keep you guys posted. They couldn't get me back in until Wednesday. So we'll see. I won't be paying any more money tho. I'm going to tell them that up front and if they don't agree, which I think they will, I just won't be going back. I have another Nissan dealership the same distance in the opposite direction

Great so I'm certain they removed said washer, failed to use it and without a doubt didn't keep it. So any suggestions on how to proceed from here?

Well give them hell first! For robbing you and wasting your time.
Tell them your gonna sue them for damages and post to every Nissan forum your bad service experience with them!
Have a talk with the service director make a formal complaint!

call csf and see if they can ship one out asap. Im not sure

What happened to your stock radiator. Maybe they put that bolt/washer on the OEM radiator while swapping things over to CSF. Thats what I did, found the leak, and then realized that flat green washer needed to be used

I left the old radiator with them. It's probably been scrapped by now but I'll call Monday and see what they did with it. I feel like such a schmuck for getting had like this

Wait just one second... you got a csf radiator... from Stillen... last week?

O

No sir I was first on the waiting list. Waited 10 weeks. Got it about two and a half weeks ago. Just got around to installing it

Thank you. That will come in handy when I am being "THAT GUY" while talking to Stillen on Monday as to why I have been Z-less for over 6 weeks now waiting for a warranty replacement radiator from them - and being told that they can't lay thier hands on any.

O

Oh wow. That sux Stillen has had a few bad reviews on here but I have had nothing less than a great experience with them. Dean was very helpful every step of the way. Well I did drop about 14 gs in a matter of a couple weeks with them but they should be treating everyone the same regardless of the degree of patronage.

Well if all of the above would have been in your OP I may have removed half of what I said lol

I understand but it went from 275 to maybe 550 all the way to 1014 and didn't get it right and then made me wait a week to fix it. Also it says on the receipt they did the dye test for leaks which obviously was a lie