Things shop owners say: your opinions!
 

I have been a Mercedes Tech for 30 years now and have heard some crazy things from shop owners. So please give your input.

1. Bad guide rod bushings warp brake rotors.
2. If the a/c doesn't work the car will run hot because the auxiliary fan won't come on.
3. a rear dome lamp without a bulb, if switched on, will run the battery down.
4. a/c system is weak, maybe the expansion valve is" flooding".
5. Customer service is a mentality people buy into.

Thanks for your thought's.

Brake rotors will crack with new pads if not turned or replaced.

lol, ive heard word for word 2 and 3.

The ones I can think of offhand was-

1. Your car isn't providing enough electronical activity for your alternator to charge
2. I connected the scanner to your car and its showing a bad O2 sensor. (not really crazy sounding, but this was said to me about a 1983 bronco with no such thing as OBD, so it was a blatant lie)

When things get REALLY bad between shop owner and paying customer:
 

The "classic" exchange between the shop owner and customer often goes something like this:


Customer:

"It's *MY* car and it's *MY* money, so you better fix it *MY* way!"


Auto repair shop owner:

"Well, it's *MY* shop and *YOU* are in here, so I am telling *YOU* to get the hell out of *MY* shop NOW!"

My last few years of college was mostly internships and a class or two. This kept me on the road a lot between work and college. I had a 1979 Cutlass with about 190k miles. It needed new drums and shoes. The prior owner had a pulled a camper with it and the back end did not set quite as high is it did new. I went to a Midas shop as for once I had the money but no real time to work on my car. I told them to replace the rear drums, shoes, springs, etc.

When I returned to the shop NOTHING had been done to the car. I was given an estimate for $738 of work (this is 1986) to be done on the car for new brakes all around and new rear coil springs. I was livid. The front brakes had been done about 4 months prior. I was told that they could not do the rear brakes because without replacing the coil springs the rear brakes would wear out right away. F**K Midas! I went out, made the time and replaced all rear brake parts for under $80. I suppose they thought I was some stupid kid that knew nothing about cars.

Vacuum leak

It’s normal. They all do that.

We made a mistake, but rather than a refund, how about if we salt it out for you?

When working at pep boys in high school I asked one of the technicians about his Formal training and or certifications (Pep boys made the parts counter take online tire courses from the SAE and basic automotive classes, I know most of you customers of pep boys will find that hard to believe lol)

And his response was, " you only need that if you're looking to make the big bucks"

Number 2 is correct, though might be better worded if "warmer" is used rather than "hot." If had a number of cars from various manufacturers (including MB) where the temp gauge sits in one spot with the a/c switched on but rises higher without the a/c switched on. Not hot in the sense of overheating, but warmer than without the a/c (and hence aux fan) running.

Most cars will still kick on the aux fan to prevent them from overheating without the AC on.

"you need new wipers"

When I worked at pepboys I we sold oil changes to people who had just had one done the previous month... by us! I didn't, personally.... but that's part of the reason I was fired for... the other reason was I wasn't selling tires to people who didn't need tires.

Seriously? I wasn't aware of that, but then we've never had to do pads before the rotors have also died. What's the reason for that?

Its a false. He is implying a shop told him that. Pad slaps are done a million times a day

To sell rotors and/or rotor grinding. No vibration while stopping, no major grooving, asked the guy to measure the thickness. Within spec. Told him to sand the rotors lightly and replace the pads.

A fellow former pep boys employee. They canned someone at my store because he wasn't upselling enough, and it just happened his customers genuinely only needed what the cars were there for. That place is a joke I haven't so much as bought oil from them since I left.

Im joining you guys, that makes 3 former pep boys employees who won't go back. :D

One rainy nite in west Ft worth a pep boys tire changing flunkee peel'd out backwards in a giant olds 98 and hit my car--pushing the fender into the windshield .....
Would you believe I had to sue them to get em to pay?

A Honda service advisor once told my father that his car wouldn't pass state inspection because the wiper blades, which I had replaced the previous month, were not OEM.

Fortunately/unfortunately I wasn't there to witness this shakedown.

D'oh!

Yep, haven't been back for anything. Well, except for an engine leveler and only because it was the only place still open in a thirty mile radius that night.

I got fired for three things:
1) Not selling enough tires. I worked the 6-9pm shift after an engineering job because I needed to pay off some medical bills. The job board was already mostly filled by the time I got there and I never sold tires to someone who didn't need them.

2) Not selling oil changes or other minor things to people who didn't need them. I swear there was at least three moms with minivans who we probably sold oil changes to at least ten times a year.

3) Insubordination to my manager who was a no nothing pencil pusher. I was a service writer, and acting assistant manager during the evening shift. This guy comes in after I'd been working there for a few months. He's from the retail side of the store and has never worked on a car in his life.

He would act as a service writer from time to time and promise customers that a job would only take an hour when it would in all likelihood take three hours. "A brake job? Sure, we could get that done for you in about 30 minutes", "A misfire? We could have that taken care of in about an hour." I swear every job he estimated never took more than an hour in his mind.

I'd gotten the mechanic's ire a few times over his antics and the joke of his diagnosis abilities to the point where I'd double check his estimate and talk to the customer before his work got on the board. He called me to the back room one time and flipped out on me when I cancelled one of his tickets for four tires and an alignment because the vehicle just had that done a few months prior by us. I'd even taken the vehicle up on the lift to inspect the "loose" tie rod he said he'd found (and I asked him why he didn't ask the customer to replace it).

Close to the end of my time there he had fired the assistant service manager, two other service writers, two oil change monkeys and the most competent guy on the retail side. He and I had a brief spat with him saying "if you don't sell any tires by Friday then you're fired." I responded with "well, then I quit." I got a notice saying that I was terminated and when I went into turn in my work shirts he told me that it was because my probationary period hadn't ended yet and that I could be terminated for any reason. I let him know when I was hired and that my probationary period had been over for three months.

I heard from one of my former coworkers that he was promoted to regional manager the week after he fired me. Seems like he was just shaking things up enough to climb the ladder.

Man I hated that place.

So I shouldn't go back to Pep Boys for another Johnson Rod when this most recent one wears out?
Even if they offer to top off my headlight fluid for free??

I like the ploy about how you have to, as in HAVE TO, replace the rotors every time you replace the pads. I think the only problem with it is that it should not stop there.

In fact, the bearings would also need replacement, unless you want to die in a flaming death, which is I guess is up to you, but if it were me I would replace the bearings and, just to be safe... The spindle, too.

But as long as we are in there that deep we might as well put on a new set of struts. What? You say your car has shocks? Say... Whose's the Mechanic here, anyway?

So pads, rotors, spindles, struts, bearings.... Might as well get the tie-rod's as well; just to safe you know.... I think you would be looking at (after an alignment) $2,400?

A few hundred more for cotter pins, grease and the cost of rags.... I am sure we could get it done and done right for just a bit less than $3,000.

Well, Ok then... If it is going to be more I will call you, but if the guy doing the work can't get in touch with you.... Well, just trust us. We know what we are doing.

(Wow. I can't understand why I wasted my life in the oil business when I could have been such a talented Service Writer.)

^
Reminded me of one from long ago.

There was an exhaust leak that was coming through to the cabin of the Jeep. After driving for a while both me and my partner got so sleepy that we HAD to pull over and shut off the engine. It was rainy winter so windows were up while driving.

That event motivated me to take it to a shop and they diagnosed a leak originating at the manifold, and attributed it to a failed exhaust gasket. After hearing that, I okayed replacement of the gasket and the one on the other side.

About 2 hours later I got a call back and the shop’s SA stated that they broke a stud while removing the bolts for the manifold, and would need to bill me I don’t remember how much for using an easy out to remove the broken stud.

That was fine by me.

Then he said, that if I didn’t okay replacement of all the studs, they just might break more studs while removing them, requiring the same bill for each broken stud. I didn’t debate the veiled threat and told them to go ahead.

Last time I went to that shop.

Fuccillo Hyundai | New & Used Car Dealership in Syracuse, NY (Serving all of Onondaga County, Oswego, Rome, Utica, Ithaca, Elmira, Rochester, Oneida and Seneca Falls)

Fucillo Hyundai of Syracuse. STAY AWAY FROM FUCILLO

My Mom was in Syracuse shopping, stopped there with a CEL because she was in town and well, she was driving an '05 Hyundai at the time.

They proceeded to tell her that they couldn't figure out what was wrong, and they they could "try" a new gauge cluster for the CEL but no guarantee (est $900). They also found a non-existant crack in the front A arm, and worked her up into hysterics that she would die if she drove it home and they would not give the car back without her signing a release. In tears, she called my Stepfather, he drove out (2hrs mind out) to drive the "dangerous" car home while she drove his truck back.

Got the car home, took it to a local shop. Temp sensor was dead. $25 installed. Peeling/flaking paint on the A arms, no cracks to be found even after wire wheeling them.

If I did that, I'd not be able to shop at any of the parts stores. They all have tried to upsell me. Only people that haven't are Jegs and Summit where I get the feeling they are too busy taking the next order to barely sell what they have.

You mean you dont need 3 bottles of lucas fuel system cleaner and a packet of bulb grease with those spark plugs? And btw, why do you need 5 glow plugs? Are you skipping changing one or keeping a spare in the glove box?

3? I have more than 3 machines. I need no less than a dozen. What a coincidence. Autozone tried to sell me fuel system cleaner yesterday. Even if I didn't need it, I could keep it and it doesn't go bad, so I am told.

Cheapskate. Everyone knows that you buy in bulk for economy. A packet of bulb grease only goes so far. I need a large tube. Supersize is the name of the game.

They tried to sell me spark plugs for my diesel too. Do you happen to know if it works and what brand to buy? Is NGK better?

For your diesel? Get some Bosch Platinum Iridium +4's.

They are a little pricy but if you think it will give me more power and mileage, I'll go along with that. Thanks.

When the nice counter jockey supplies you with them nice shiny DIESEL SPARK PLUGS and writes a bill for you.

Ask where is the hole that would accept these plugs. (Sam Jackson style)

You'll get AT LEAST 30% more mpgs. Its almost like cheating the system man.

I have a HOT looking counter jockey at the local parts store so I'd be telling her where the hole to accept my plug would be instead of asking her.

Also, the service adviser at the MB dealership is a hottie. I'd love to have her look for an oil leak under the car.

dang - all the counter jockies I encounter are either High school lads or stoned dudes 20s guys who have zero idea of what a car is. all they can do is read the screen.

The service writers at nearly all MB dealers in my town dont like when I show up. They are a bunch of characters anyway.

As long as she is there, I'll go shop there.

My service writer is fine. She has seen me ream out one of her colleagues' boss because he simply spouted nonsense about how long it would take to remove the gauge cluster in my car. I usually already know what needs to be done so she puts me on hold and asks a tech the book time. IIRC, he over qouted the removal of bulbs and under quoted something else. All the while I just let him go on digging the hole deeper. 1 hour to replace a bulb in my 210 cluster? I can do it in 5 with the tools which I didn't have. About a half hour to do a fuel level sender in the tank? Seriously? Think the diesel fuel will miracle itself away?


I was at a dealership a few years back and the clown got the filter I was supposed to have AFTER I GAVE HIM THE VIN. Only problem was it was for an E320. "Is there a difference between gas and diesel?" was the question when I told him it was for a diesel. I had to use EPC to show him what I needed.

"5?" Seriously? To change a bulb out on a W210?! It's a 1 minute R&R job at most.......provided your coat hangers are bent properly.......

:laughing:

I assume you would go to the tool chest, grab the tool, grab a bulb, etc, etc. I think the coat hanger is a little thicker than the grab thingy I have so not sure if I would use that.

This is a great example of why you don't go to the dealer for simple little stuff.

At the dealer you're greeted by the receptionist/cashier, who directs you to the SA. The SA writes the RO then sends it to dispatch. The dispatcher gives the RO to the tech who gets the car, punches onto the job, and goes to the parts dept. to get the bulb. The tech replaces the bulb, parks your car, and writes the repair up. He then punches off the job and gives the RO back to the dispatcher/booker. The booker bills out the RO and sends it back to the SA. The SA prints out the final bill, closes the RO, and sends it back to the receptionist/cashier. In the meantime the lot attendant pulls your car into the service drive, removes the paper floor mat, locks the car, and puts the key with the paperwork at the front counter. The cashier smiles, takes your money, and thanks you for coming in.

So now your cluster lights are working and you're out of there at last. You may have even gotten a comp' wash n' vac. End of story, right? Not exactly. The closed RO now goes to the the guys/gals in the back office who will scan, save, and archive the complete RO (about six pages!).

FWIW, it takes the same amount of people to do an M272 balance shaft or rebuild a transmission. ;)

Used to love going in to get parts for my '51 Willys...
As soon as the counter jockey would sidle over to the computer...I would tell him to step away from the computer and get the book... it's right there under that part of the counter...;)
Occasionally I would allow them to try, always to no avail...

When the BS starts, I like to ask for some thing that is not obtainable. They normally ask for my number & say they will ring me back. I just give them some random number & say that I look forward to their call. I have thought of looking up the number of some escort service & giving them that one.

Nah, the number to give them is, "867-5309", tell them to leave a message, receptionist's name is, "Jenny". They NEVER catch on!:P


(Google "Tommy Two tone")

I went there to buy parts soon after I moved and haven't unpacked the tools. Thought I could get it done faster than to find the tool box under some boxes.

When I go to the dealership, I tell the SA what I want done. Generally, I see the customers see the SA and they take care of it. If you pay with plastic, the SA can ring it up in their office too. Most customers I see simply tell the SA what is wrong or they think is wrong and leave the keys. I tell them what is wrong and how long it takes and which tech I want. Most often, I bring the parts. When it is done, I go to the tech and discuss what happened, go pay for it and be done.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I wish we had a local number in Australia for it.:D:D:P

I seldom go to dealers, but the bull**** they spew in service is unreal. I drive the guys at the parts stores crazy with odd requests for outlier vehicles and bits I need to fab to fit other cars than the intended use. I have found one or two O'Reilly's and a NAPA that have counter guys who get it. Some are older & a few are engineering types that work for the FAA or Tinker AFB and are moonlighting for spare cash. They enjoy my odd projects (62 Dodge Powerwago, 78 Porsche weber carb conversion, 55 MB 180, etc)

If I get bs from other stores, I just put on the mean guy scowl & make them show me on the computer. I usually end up corecting their f ups......

A real "counterman" at a real auto parts store?

Must be living 40 years ago...............:mad:

I usually just buy all my parts online. I gave up going to the autoparts store for items on these cars, unless its a specific thing that i know they would carry.

I usually just buy fluids, tools, etc from the auto parts stores.

I really haven't had much bad experience with our local MB dealer. They haven't tried to upsell me on anything.

What do you expect from a service writer? Only ones I know that knows what he was talking about without consulting was because he was a tech himself. They have a few classes in automotive stuff but they aren't really techs. Hence I always talk to a tech first then tell them what I want done.

It is cheaper so unless there is a convenience factor, I'm online.

I wouldn't. I get them from Wal*Mart if I can. They are usually cheaper or a push.

My SA is a hottie and checks with the tech first so we don't have a problem.

yeah, old enough to remember going to a NAPA back home working on some POS I owned and the counter guys correcting you if you didn't know your ****. they actually took pride in knowing what worked....

I wonder how much a counterman made 40 years ago compared today?

old as dirt...............:D