2000 Windstar fixed and fixed again?

This is my first post to the board. I have a 2000 Windstar 3.8L with 82K that's had several of the common problems (new tranny, DPFE sensor, etc) I've seen on this board and elsewhere. Last September, the Check Engine Light came on and the dealer did an "Engine Analysis" and replaced the valve cover, vacuum line, intake gaskets, and cleaned the EGR port. Parts listed included 1 cylinder head cover, 8 isolators, and 6 Gaskets as well as replacing the "IAC" and recalibrating the "PCM".

Last week, the car started to smell of antifreeze and then steam from in front of the driver's side windshield. It did not overheat. The same dealer did a pressure test and decided to "Replace Intake Tube for leaks". Parts for this job included Tube Assembly, 8 Isolators (same part number as above), and 6 Gaskets (same part number as above again).

Here's the question: Did they redo or partially redo the repair from last fall? Apparently, there's about $300 of labor getting to that area of the engine plus about $100 of identical parts. Do I have any recourse with this?

Thanks in advance.

It certainly sounds like they did. I am not sure what the intake tube is but I doubt that they needed to replace the isolator bolts and port seals as part of the process. I also don't easily see the connection between the seals and the coolant system.

You might want to go back with both receipts and ask for an explaination.

It may be the leak has to do with the "lower" intake manifold. Of course they would have to remove the upper to get to the lower, but I don't know why they did not reuse the isolator bolts and gaskets.

BTW, I had a major leak after doing the intake manifold job ... upper and lower. The quick-connect fitting fooled me. My engine DID overheat ... I'm lucky to still be driving it some 90k miles later.

There is a coolant tube that passes through the lower intake manifold....that gets the coolant over to the driver's side of the engine.....to the heater hose. I wonder if this had anything to do with it. I have seen it called a bypass hose, and also cross over hose. I do not know if the lower intake manifold gaskets were an issue on the newer style windstars or not. They are an issue with the older windstars, and there is a TSB to replace them with thicker gaskets (4mm) versus the 3mm.

If they did get down to the lower intake then they would have had to remove the plenum. If this is the case then perhaps the Isolator bolts are single use only (although I doubt it) The seals are most likely re-usable too. When I purchased my Isolator bolts and port seals the parts guy talked me into buying the upper to lower plenum gasket even though it is advertised as re-usable. Turns out I didn't need it. Maybe they were just erring on the side of profit.............err I mean side of caution.

If they did get down to the lower intake then they would have had to remove the plenum. If this is the case then perhaps the Isolator bolts are single use only (although I doubt it) The seals are most likely re-usable too. When I purchased my Isolator bolts and port seals the parts guy talked me into buying the upper to lower plenum gasket even though it is advertised as re-usable. Turns out I didn't need it. Maybe they were just erring on the side of profit.............err I mean side of caution.

I called the dealer - sure enough they said the gaskets were collapsable and therefore not re-usable. I pressed on about the isolator bolts and they said "single-use" only.

Thanks for all the advice.....