Help!! Fractured AC Line Please Read!!

Soooo I need some TW opinion here please!

A few days ago I walked out to my truck and noticed a green pool of fluid below my truck. Immediately I thought it was coolant but later I found out that the coolant in my truck was pink. I called the Toyota dealer to make an appointment for them to check it out thinking that it was like a manufacturer defect. Upon arriving at the dealer one of the service techs looked at my truck and right away noticed that one of the AC lines was rubbing right up against my WARN Winch, and the green fluid was oozing out of the line. I didn't install my winch, I had another local business do it. So it wasn't going to be a fix that was covered by the dealer. So I took it back to the place that installed my winch. I showed them what was happening and I was told that they could fix it but it wouldn't be something that they would cover, because it wasn't their wrongdoing. When I asked them if they could fix it on their dime I was told, "you want me to pay for that?!". It was originally agreed upon by them during my 1st visit that they would just cover half of the cost to meet me in the middle, however they still didn't assume any liability for the damage. While this was better than nothing, it still was something that I believed to be a fault on their part. I understand that businesses make mistakes (I run my own small business and have been there) so I'm not out to ruin someone's business. I just want things to be made right.

Is this something that just happened over time and I should be the one to pay to get it fixed? Or was it the installers fault for installing the winch when it would be an issue for that line to rub against it. I didn't buy the which from them. I merely had them install it along with my Pelfreybilt Front Bumper. I'm no mechanic but to me it seems like if it wasn't for putting the winch in to where it hit the AC line then this wouldn't have happened. I was told that when they installed the winch that they did have to make some modification to the bumper but I know quite a few people that are running this same set up with no issues.

My truck is a 2015 TRD OR DCSB. 25,000 miles on the ODO. The winch was installed just a few months ago in July. Noticed the leak this past Saturday.

EDIT: The business in question agreed to pay for the part and install following a 2nd trip back to their business after consulting TW. Thanks to Sean aka DefconBrix and Pelfreybilt for helping out! Turns out that the winch was improperly installed as they didn't move it forward enough. I learned via TW that the Pelfreybilt front bumper has slots to adjust where the winch sits and upon further investigation the winch was seated all the way back instead of forward where it should be. I'll update this thread again once the part arrives and is installed. They used expedited shipping so it should be here before next week. No hard feelings here

 

The shop should have taken the time to ensure there were no clearance issues and addressed them or brought them to your attention so you could get it resolved.

This was a lack of attention to detail and I'd place fault on the installers.

 

Thanks for your input! I agree I would have thought they should have let me know

 

@Hunter.V.White @DefconBrix I know you guys run or have run similar set ups. Curious to know your two cents

 

Looks like the installer could just remove the brackets holding the AC line to let it wiggle a little during the install, but it's all hindsight at this point.

Did it puncture the line or is it just oozing out from a connection?

It sucks that they're not standing behind their work like that.

 

It totally punctured the line and there's about a 1cm hole in it now, you can actually hear it spraying out when the vehicle is in park. I live in Alaska and having no AC in the winter sucks. I really expected them to stand behind their work and make good on it, considering I've bought NEARLY EVERY aftermarket part on my truck through them and had them install it. Over $15k I've spent there.

 

This isnt an issue that we have run into as most installers have taken the time to address it. I also would fully expect the installers to stand behind their work. Some Winches barely fit in the locations and every truck is so different sometimes people have no problems at all. I would do whatever you could to get the installer to back up their work. If not I would report them.

 

I have no issues at all running the zeon 10s. When I get back to my house/truck I'll try to grab a photo of the clearance of mine.

 

Awesome thanks for you input man! I'm just trying to make sure I'm not in the wrong by trying to get them to fix it and cover the costs

 

Thanks Sean I really appreciate your help!

 

If you will notice on the winch mount the mounting holes are slotted so the winch can move both forward and backward inside the bumper. Make sure it is moved all the way to the front of the slotted holes to move the winch away from the lines. If the shop has not already done that I mean.

 

How long ago was the winch installed?

 

Then id insist they fix it.

 

I would say they own this and should fix the issue.....

 

Hmmm I was thinking about ordering parts thought this same shop and having them do some work...I might have to rethink that.

 

Don't. I used to totally recommend them but not after this. I've spent so much money there it's crazy, not how I expect to be treated as a loyal customer. They even did the suspension lift on my dad's tundra.

Edit: Following a second trip there today they agreed to cover the part and labor costs, after I learned about the slotted bumper for the winch to be moved, turns out the winch was in fact improperly installed by them and due to this the AC line broke.

 

Word of mouth advertising can be a bitch ay lol. Maybe theyll think twice.

 

Big thanks to @DefconBrix ! And @Socalduckslayer Sounds like the place that installed it definitely did it wrong. Could've been avoided easily. I had them do it because they seem to have installed a good amount of pelfreybilt products in the past

 

I would go on yelp and other like sites and post away......

 

Word spreads quick here in a tight knit community like AK, this place specializes in Toyotas too