Akron Auto Clinic

"I really wish you would have waited a few weeks or a month to see if it leaked out before passing judgment. We have a state of the art leak detector and a top of the line Snap On charging station that installs the exact amount of Freon called for. You, yourself told us the Freon leaked out over the winter. There is absolutely no doubt you will be recharging your AC next summer; however, you are more likely to have leaked out sometime before the summer is over. Please consider this:where did the Freon go that was in your car last summer? If you think about logically, you are ignoring the fact we found a leak, you had it charged last year, it leaked out and the people that charged it the next day told you it might leak out they just couldn't find a leak. The unfortunate consequences of this hasty report is our reputation is now damaged with the Angie's List followers that might somehow think we are, plainly put, incompetent or dishonest. When your AC leaks out would you please remove the post?"

"I appreciate your concern as I would feel the same way if I did not know how we identified the problem. The diagnosis for a head gasket problem is sometimes difficult to make. Many times the problems that come with "a blown head gasket" can go unnoticed for months. We primarily use a chemical test which involves drawing air from the radiator, pulling it through a chemical solution that will turn from blue to greenish yellow as carbon dioxide passes through it. The chemical reaction involved can only be caused by a compromise in the cooling system, such as: blown head gasket, cracked head or block. We observed the solution changing color from blue to green under a load but not at idle. A compromise can be minor, like a hair line, up to a major, which is easy to detect. We also installed a reservoir on the radiator were the cap is placed, ran the engine under a load and observe bubbles coming up into our testing reservoir. That only occurs when there is a problem with combustion in the cooling system. Once there is a compromise in the system the problem will progress until it is repaired. There is an old joke that goes like this: "Saying a head is not that blown, that much is like saying she is not that pregnant". It will become a fully blown head eventually. We tested your engine before we recommended the radiator and we continue to test after, because it is our policy to be very careful to not continue making repairs such as the intake only to find out the head was blown all along. At that time we did not see evidence of a blown head. We are by no means perfect and we have made mistakes in the past, be it very few. We have never lied or fabricated problems to get more work. Please be careful about spending $600.00 making a repair that will end up not solving the problem in the long run. I recommend getting a third opinion at a radiator shop. They generally specialize in head gasket problems. If it is found we were wrong, I will sincerely apologies and refund the money you spent for diagnostics."