I just lost a full day on a coolant leak because I didn't check the heater hose quick connect

Had a 2017 Ford Escape in the bay with a slow coolant drip. Spent hours pressure testing, looking at the water pump and radiator. Finally, after like 6 hours, I found the plastic quick connect on the heater hose under the intake was cracked. The part was $12. I billed the customer for the part and an hour of labor, but I ate the rest of the time. Should have looked at the common failure points first. Anyone have a better order of operations for chasing coolant leaks on those Ecoboost engines?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewdixon3d ago

Honestly you did the right thing eating the cost. It's part of the job to figure things out, and you learned the hard way for next time. Charging the customer for your learning curve isn't fair.

sethm463d ago

Totally agree. I read this piece by a contractor who said he always budgets a "mistake margin" on first-time projects. Like if he's installing a new type of flooring, he'll buy an extra box knowing he might mess up the cuts. He eats that cost, not the client. It builds way more trust than pretending to be perfect and then hitting them with a surprise fee later.

avery_jackson3d ago

Totally get that, reminds me of what sethm46 said about the mistake margin. I've definitely been the guy who messed up the first cut on a DIY project and had to swallow the cost of a new board. It stings but you're right, it's the only fair way to learn.