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We're trying to buy a 2.5L 2005 Outback wagon with 110,000 miles. We test-drove it for hours (really), brought it to our own trusted mechanic for a physical, and then it went back to the seller's service shop to get fixed up before the sale. Now the two mechanics have given us conflicting reports and I would really, really love some smart advice on who to trust here.
OUR GUY: "This is a nice car, well-maintained, but head gaskets are leaking pretty seriously and were previously patched up with stop-leak product. The stop-leak goo has seriously leaked into the coolant. So in addition to new HG, it needs a coolant flush and might or might not need a heater core in the future. It's also time for a timing belt, so make sure to get the whole kit done."
THEIR GUY: "Your hometown trusted mechanic is lying to you. HG and timing belt were both just replaced 3000 miles ago. We pressure-tested the new HG and did a ph test and the coolant looks fine." He gave us a copy of the receipt from that work, which he got from the nearby dealership where it was done, and a bunch of photos that make everything look clean.
If we don't walk away from this sale right now, we'll take it to a 3rd mechanic. But before we get that far: is it possible for these 2 accounts both to be accurate?
1. Are there typical signs of prior leakage that our guy could have seen and stopped his inspection before noticing that the HG was just replaced? And could the stop-leak goo not be detectable by ph test the way oil might?
2. Is a new timing belt obvious to the eye? That's such a basic thing that it seems stupid for either mechanic to try to mislead. Either it was done or it wasn't. Can you actually see the thing without taking it apart? I'd definitely LIKE to think that our guy, who has been caring for our cars for years, just assumed it hadn't been done but couldn't know for sure without opening it up. Is that possible?
Thanks for any insight . . .
OUR GUY: "This is a nice car, well-maintained, but head gaskets are leaking pretty seriously and were previously patched up with stop-leak product. The stop-leak goo has seriously leaked into the coolant. So in addition to new HG, it needs a coolant flush and might or might not need a heater core in the future. It's also time for a timing belt, so make sure to get the whole kit done."
THEIR GUY: "Your hometown trusted mechanic is lying to you. HG and timing belt were both just replaced 3000 miles ago. We pressure-tested the new HG and did a ph test and the coolant looks fine." He gave us a copy of the receipt from that work, which he got from the nearby dealership where it was done, and a bunch of photos that make everything look clean.
If we don't walk away from this sale right now, we'll take it to a 3rd mechanic. But before we get that far: is it possible for these 2 accounts both to be accurate?
1. Are there typical signs of prior leakage that our guy could have seen and stopped his inspection before noticing that the HG was just replaced? And could the stop-leak goo not be detectable by ph test the way oil might?
2. Is a new timing belt obvious to the eye? That's such a basic thing that it seems stupid for either mechanic to try to mislead. Either it was done or it wasn't. Can you actually see the thing without taking it apart? I'd definitely LIKE to think that our guy, who has been caring for our cars for years, just assumed it hadn't been done but couldn't know for sure without opening it up. Is that possible?
Thanks for any insight . . .