Coolant change question

[sln123]

With only a cold, wet drive to work on I bought the parts to service my bus but ended up taking it to a local garage recomended to me to get it done. When it went in there I know for certain that the cooling system did not leak. I used it recently (first time since the service) and noticed a pool of coolant leaking from under the front, level with the back of the front wheels where the plastic and rubber hoses join. Took it back to the garage on Satuday who have made me book it in to be sorted. They looked at it on the ramps and said that they would not take this pipe off to empty the system as there bleed points along the system and it is most likely because antifreeze leeks through gaps that water would not leak through.

This seems a little difficult to believe so I wanted to get some thoughts on:-
1. would you disconnect the connection between the plastic and rubber pipe to empty the system
2. is a cooling system with antifreeze more likely to leak than with water or very diluted anti freeze in it

I provided the proper anti corrosive anti freeze which is not cheap and it now looks like this going to have to be replaced and I get the impression that they are going to charge me for fixing the leak, so I would be grateful for any thoughts that anyone has.
Cheers
Steve

[Nicola&Tony]

. . . said that they would not take this pipe off to empty the system as there bleed points along the system . . .

Surely the bleed point would be at a high point in the system, but you would drain it from a low point? Only bleed point I know of is the one at the top of the radiator. How could they drain it from there?

Have a look at the hose clips on the joints you're talking about, have they been replaced or do they show signs of recently being set about with pliers or a screwdriver etc?

Tony

[kevtherev]

They looked at it on the ramps and said that they would not take this pipe off to empty the system as there bleed points along the system and it is most likely because antifreeze leeks through gaps that water would not leak through.
This seems a little difficult to believe

indeed it is.... what a load of c*ck.

it matters not what fluid is in there, if the joint isn't good it will leak.

there's a good artical in the wiki on this subject.
I changed my coolant and drained it from the bottom hose on the rad.
filling up I opened the bleed on the thermostat housing.. and on the radiator.
took twenty mins to fill up