Tire store thought it was okay to jack car up by floor board
 

So I walked out to the bay to find the kid trying to jack my 633 CSI up by the floor board. Luckly I caugjt the jerk before he did to much damage. I told the mangager that I was going to have to take it to BMW to have them inspect. I think that everything is okay, but I'm more then less in shock because of this kids dumb move and furthermore his lack of respect to my car. So, I don't know where I will buy tires next time. LOL.

Don't most shops train their staff before they turn them loose on vehicles?

If for nothing more than practicing safety when installing tires and such...you CAN do harm to yourself and/or the vehicle if done improperly...

Where did this happen wo we can avoid this place.

America's Tire Company

I latter found out that the guy was just concearned with going to luch. The reality of the situation is the kid probably worked at Starbucks lastweek and taco bell the week before. Well I want a perfesional to work on my car not a KiD! I'm concearned that the facotry undercoat may have been damaged casuing an entry for moisture to come in to the car.

send them the bill...

I took my 300D to a local tire place to have a tire replaced as well. .I always watch them work on my car.. I insist upon it..

Get this.. the idiont brings a floor jack out and puts it on the transmission pan.. I flip out, he tells me he knows what he is doing.. I tell him he is not and proceed to leave the retards... great thing is they refunded me my money when I hadn't even paid yet.. I was like.. thanks dumbasses

You pretty much get what you pay for these days. With all the pressure to undercut prices, most tire shops can't retain very good people. Sometimes you get lucky, but usually you get a total lunkhead looking at your car, and you just hope it comes back undamaged. Even worse are the guys who are willing to work and enthusiastic, but still know nothing. They are the ones you feel bad for. Especially true in DC area, it seems - where you can't afford to live on a mechanic's salary.

Another story of stupidity (Lovely '82 300SD, with some pictures) !!!
 

I met High Desert Benz from Schuman's on the way back to Reno.

He had a beautiful '82 300SD on the trailer.

http://www.schumanautomotive.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3859&d=1194273927

Here was the story:

It was beautiful, running great and the owner had brought it in for a simple oil change.

They put it up on the lift, and squashed the oil pan (from the lift cross member).


JUST LOOK AT THIS: the cause of death!!! --- :eek::mad::hanged:

http://www.schumanautomotive.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3856&d=1194271961

Guy comes back, pays, drives off, 2-3 miles down the road, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK.

Takes it back there, the engine is dry, ruined.

The owner so mad, he comes back, throws the keys, and the pink slip, on the shops. office table, and storms out, never to return.

(I would have done something else!!!):mad::mad::mad::mad:

Shop owner then puts the car up on Craig's, for $700;

HDB wo has his own Mercedes diesel repair shop in Reno, sees the ad, buys it for $450, loads up his Ford diesel pickup and trailer, & hotfoots it down to Sacramento and, loads it up.

I met them near Auburn on their way back, and had lunch with them.

HDB had a spare diesel engine, for it out of a W116, back in Reno, too!!

Here's the story with some pictures, in his words:

http://www.schumanautomotive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5017

That was a pretty dishonest move on your part there.....they didn't do any actual damage yet you feel its ok to take their money? Who is better in that situation....

Anyways, what shoddy tire place jacks up the car with floor jacks? Discount tire has hydraulic floor lifts than raise the whole car up a couple feet. Worst they've ever done to our cars is overtorque the lugs a couple times, but I just re-did it myself, and now I tell them 80lbs every time I go there. They generally do a good job.

Yep all the tire shops around here are morons, and they can't balance tires.

So now that a car that I give a damn about needs tires I'm kind of SOL. So I'm going to have the dealer do it, because while it may cost more, the job will be done right! I'm going to try to order them from Tirerack, and have the dealer do the labor, it will probably be a wash than.

Also the dealer is the only one who can do a good balance job.

I had to pay them 10$ to put my car on the lift for them to check it out.. when I told them I didn't want to.. The tire fiasco was only going to cost me 15$... you would think they would hire a competent person to change a tire.

The place I went to used to have a good reputation.. and now it has gone down the drain.. they charge insane amounts, do shoddy work, do stupid stuff..

example

for 30$ they will do a CEL diagnosis... autozone next door does it for free and will sell you the same part for less

No kidding. I make pretty good money and bought my house back when it only cost about 25% of what it would today. Even at that, I sometimes feel squeezed. I don't know how people around here can get by in low-paying jobs.

Autozone doesnt do a diagnosis. Some jackass who used to work at tacobell hooks a $25 code reader to your car and then tries to sell you a part based on what the code said.

same exact thing snyders charged my friend for... a taco bell cook turned wheel installer hooked up the same OBD II scanner that az sells and pulled the same codes.

needless to say I fixed her O2 sensor that was bad for no cost at all

Let's not even get into the pneumatic torque wrenches set to 100 foot-lbs that stretch your wheel bolts and warp your discs......

my dad had a shop here in town for years.and the one thing that every wheel got was torqued.even if it was a total piece of crap with drum brakes.we used to get sooo many cars from firestone and goodyear with warped rotors it was pathetic.to this day i will not let anybody touch my wheels but ME.

I often remove my wheels and drop them off and then pick them up with the new tires mounted.

I have watched the tire barn guys use one of those click torque wrenches and keep pulling another eighth of a turn after it clicks......duuuuuuuh.

Tom W

Good point. Another experience that underscores that of the OP, i.e., it's true what they say about it being hard to find good help these days.

Heh,Heh... I watched a tire monkey at Wal-mart today use a clicker torque wrench on a car, AFTER running the lugs on as tight as his impact gun would get 'em. Tighten to 200+ ft/lbs with the gun, and then go around and 'click' each lug with a torque wrench set at 90 ft/lbs.

I don't even let those lamebrains change my oil anymore.

I got a bad burrito at Taco Bell the other day, damn thing fell apart as soon as I picked it up. I'll bet that dumba$$ who made it worked at a tire store the week before!;):D

LOL!

Tom W

May not be very effective...

Autsch ...

That explains why I don't patronize TB. Hopefully that guy had at least his hands washed before he changed the industry ...

I've had plenty of bad experiences from letting shops service my vehicles, which is why I tend to prefer doing the work myself, even if it means spending more money in the end on special tools and other supplies.

The thing that ticks me off the most at tire places is when they go trying to roll two wheels across the shop at once, and manage to let one of them drop right on its face against the concrete floor. Yeah, that's real good for the wheel finish. Thanks a lot.

I find that the best tire and wheel service comes from the high-end custom wheel shops. At a store where selling appearance products such as aftermarket wheels, they know better than to scratch, bang, or otherwise mistreat any wheel, and they don't grind grease in to my floormats, either. I'll pay $20 per wheel to have them balanced on a good machine at such places. I'll have them filled with nitrogen while I'm at it, as well. Air tools? Those do nothing but screw up pretty chrome lugs, so they don't use those, either.

The only trick to dealing with such shops usually revolves around tolerating some of the spoiled-rotten customers that are there for a new set of rims because the set they bought last week was just seen on another car in town, and besides, they're a week old. We all know how those week old rims are always so "last week!" :rolleyes:

When I did the first oil change on my W123 the plug was completely worn off, almost round. I figured I had exactly one chance to get it open ...

One of the most dangerous challenges for generations of lamebrainers to come is to understand and apply the difference between Metric and Standard measures.

What the heck is that?
A tool set for a Taco Bell Burrito Wrapper??? :D

10 low profile removers, fits sizes from 3/8 to 3/4 in. and 10 to 19mm. Used for removing damaged, stripped, rusted or painted fasteners (screws/nuts/bolts) of all types.

• Designed for use in areas where space is limited as well as standard use
• Can be used with a combination wrench, adjustable wrench, pliers, vise grips, or socket
• Special 6-flute spiral design draws itself onto the fastener allowing it to loosen
• #1 Bolt-Out fits 3/8 in. size fastener; #2 Bolt-Out fits 10mm size fastener
• #3 Bolt-Out fits 11mm and 7/16 in. size fastener; #4 Bolt-Out fits 12mm size fastener
• #5 Bolt-Out fits 13mm and 1/2 in. size fastener; #6 Bolt-Out fits 14mm size fastener
• #7 Bolt-Out fits 15mm size fastener; #8 Bolt-Out fits 16mm and 5/8 in. size fastener
• #9 Bolt-Out fits 17mm size fastener; #10 Bolt-Out fits 19mm and 3/4 in. size fastener

popped the rounded drain plug out of the SDL lickity-split. I suck the oil out with a mityvac now. An easy 2 beer non-dirty, civilised way to do things.

A wrenching buddy picked up a set of those a while back. They really do work rather well at un-$%@&#^#i-ing the mess that ham-fisted wrench monkeys and and brainless mechanics leave behind in some cars. That Craftsman Bolt-Out set has saved both of our butts numerous times.

Those things are amazing. Great stocking stuffer for the DIYer too!

I could sure use a set of those, that'd be nice! I asked for other tools for christmas though. :D If I get some cash maybe I will pick up a set.

They are well worth the cost and they're much cheaper now than they were 4 or 5 years ago.

Also, the snobs way to change oil. Great stocking stuffer for those of you with size 73 feet.

http://www.denlorstools.com/shop/images/MIT-7201.jpg

made by Mityvac - easily googled.

I don't think I'd want a top sider unless it made it a lot easier (if the car had covers underneath etc...) but on the W123 and W126 its just way too easy to quick go under and loosen the drain plug.

Here's my idea to improve the drain plug:

Replace the drain plug bolt setup with a setup like a brake caliper bleeder screw. So you can attach a hose to the bolt (screw) and drain it right back into an empty jug with no mess, then just re-snug the bolt....and you're done. No total removal of the bolt. No more washers to deal with....etc. I think that'd be cool.

http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/

You still have to crawl or reach under, depending on how long your arms are. It doesn't have that "lean up against the car and watch the oil flow into the mityvac whilst sipping an imported beer" snob appeal; but it sounds like what you want.

Wow cool, that is exactly what I was thinking of, even better! I may buy one....I'd love to be able to drain it right into a couple gallon jugs with a piece of tubing, that'd be sooo much easier and far less messy/annoying!

Yikes....they are $25....hmmmm.....I'll have to think about that one. Definatley a "when I have nothing else to fix" purchase....

That would warrant for an unwanted extension of the oil plug toward the asphalt ... :o could be critical.
If you ever hit the asphalt with your oil pan, leaving the plug rolled open like a tuna can, while flying 65 mph, you'll know what I mean ...

So, that thing reaches down the dipstick tube ...right? I mean the tubes of it, ofcourse.

I'll promise not to stuff my G/F stockings with it...:P

That's what's done on boat engines where you can not get to the drain plug. On mine, I have them all plumbed in with Aeroqup hoses, all terminating at one point, up high in the engine bay, I can easily hook my pump. All I do is unscrew the cap of the drain hose, plug in my pump, and proceed to pump out about 5 gallons from each engine. I then take the pump, reverse the conections, and pump new stuff back in.

On many regular boats, oil changing systems are installed. But the whole thing is too heavy for me because of all the valves and the weight of the pump, so I rigged my own bare-bones system.

There'snNothing from stopping you do the same on your car. Topsider works, but takes so damn long. 1/2" hose and fitting, and warm oil, makes the process go fast.

Unless it is with a trusted mechanic, I will NOT let the car out of my sight.

I think I heard on Car Talk that many of the lube places don't even take the oil pan drain plug out any more -- too much chance of liability. Instead they have a device that sucks it out through the dipstick tube. :eek:

That there's some pow'rful suck.

Less chance of accumulated debris draining out though.

Only if the debris is rather large. If so, you have bigger problems.

Good point. At least with draining it, you get some heads up on the bigger problems coming your way.

Yes, that is true. In fact, draining from the pan caught a problem in a friend's 460 before it became catastrophic. We found unidentified metal there, and didn't know where it came from until we tore the engine down. It turned out to be a piece of a valve tip.

Also you know whether to put that expensive synthetic fluid in it or some El Cheapo you get from Wal*Mart.

..........No way it happened.........especially the pink slip BS......
:bsflag: :bsflag:Nice urban legend though........

Sounds like you’ve been there too. You’re not alone.

My other “Service Moron” issue is with the kids at the oil change shops that don’t know how to check a door jam for tire pressures.

I had a kid come up after an oil change in one of our Ram 1500 pick-ups to tell me all they’d done for me. Vacuum out…wash windows…check washer fluid…85psi in all the tires…. :eek:WHAT ?!?

When I questioned it, he proceeded to escort me to the truck to show me where on the tire it even says 85psi. Sure buddy. At a max load of something like 6800 pounds!! That would have been fine if the truck weighed something like 27,200 pounds or so. :rolleyes:

I proceeded to ask him if he knew just how far at 35 mph that truck would slide on a wet road with all four wheels locked up (even with ABS) if I hit the breaks for any reason, with 85psi in the tires. A loooooonnnnnggggg way.

On the other hand, I’d bet I’d get better HW mileage with that 2.5 sq.in. contact patch at each corner. ;)

Good lord, do they orient those guys at all? (Is that right usage, as in orientation?) What passenger vehicles go with 85 psi?!

They probably hired some local guy not an oriental who is oriented. :D