PSA regarding vehicle service

[SnowedIn]

This seems to be the most general wrench-turning subforum here, so I figured I'd call out some recent experiences.

I typically do all of my own vehicle maintenance, other than brake flushes and major warranty work. It's a rule I've had for 10+ years now. The exceptions have been tire work and a really talented guy who specializes in alignments. This was due to a long string of bad experiences, especially with quick-lube places (which I will never, ever, ever, ever use for service again for any reason):

- Friend had a Sears put his oil drain plug back on with an impact. Required destructive removal and re-threading the pan
- Oil change shop grenaded one of my old truck's auto transmissions putting it into park while moving
- Oil change shop put wife's engine air filter back in backwards
- Small shop failed to reassemble cowling under the windshield correctly, resulting in 2" of water in the vehicle interior
- Brake shop lost my wheel lock
- Dealership grossly overfilled SUV auto trans, resulting in a boil-over on the highway, destroying seals and forcing AT fluid into the transfer case (which destroyed the transfer lever bushing later on)
- Oil change shop tasked to drain/fill and remedy that also grossly overfilled same SUV auto trans, with same results.

So no more chain shops. However, recently I've been in the dealerships quite a bit, being crushed with work and blessed with Jeep reliability. In the last year alone:

- First time I've ever had someone else do an oil change on my truck, the dealership opened the airbox (after I explicitly told them not to) to inspect the filter and then failed to close it back up
- Dealership replacing JKU torque converter under warranty failed to reconnect the transfer lever linkage. We learned this after sinking in the sand on the beach with the lever in the 4hi position, with only the rear wheels spinning.
- Same dealership replacing the radiator under warranty left the PCV hoses unconnected at one end, causing all manner of BS. Just figured that out this morning.

Auto service was always a bit dodgy, but this is getting ridiculous. If someone turns a wrench on your vehicle, inspect it yourself and don't wait too long to do it. I even made a note for myself to check my truck's airbox to make sure they didn't screw it up, and didn't do it right away because it was pouring down rain. Lesson learned.

 

[Wilbah]

I have never been to the quick change oil shops but have heard guys describe some of the crap they've done. Really bad. No training, no knowledge and paid commission so they routinely make stuff up. Pretty bad. I'm sure like any business there are good ones, but I havent taken that chance. Theres more service places now that run oil change specials that I would trust before one of the chains if I needed an oil change (which I do myself but just if I did).

I absolutely agree with your sentiments and think your message about checking things after is a good one! I would be some pi**ed off with what you've described. Yeesh.

 

[Buddha.]

I have never been to the quick change oil shops but have heard guys describe some of the crap they've done. Really bad. No training, no knowledge and paid commission so they routinely make stuff up. Pretty bad. I'm sure like any business there are good ones, but I havent taken that chance. Theres more service places now that run oil change specials that I would trust before one of the chains if I needed an oil change (which I do myself but just if I did).

I absolutely agree with your sentiments and think your message about checking things after is a good one! I would be some pi**ed off with what you've described. Yeesh.

I worked at a quick lube place when I was in high school. My supervisor was legitimately a meth addict and the owner was having an affair with her. It was a pretty messed up place. It was me and two other high school kids running the place during the afternoons and weekends with the supervisor occasionally showing her face and messing things up.

 

[Wilbah]

I worked at a quick lube place when I was in high school. My supervisor was legitimately a meth addict and the owner was having an affair with her. It was a pretty messed up place. It was me and two other high school kids running the place during the afternoons and weekends with the supervisor occasionally showing her face and messing things up.

Yikes.... what could go wrong right? Haha. Sheesh.

 

[NatersXJ6]

The absolute worst 3rd party auto service experience of my life was at a “5-Star” Jeep dealership that claimed to have a 100% positive feedback rating. Their work was borderline criminal. Second worst was another (different) local Chrysler dealership. Their scam was actually criminal, but I caught it before they got me to sign in the line. I do all work myself if I can, this extends to engine rebuilds and similar work. However, on those occasions where I’ve needed outside service I’ve found many many good independent shops. Basic rule of thumb, if you can talk directly to the mechanic you humanize the transaction and they care about you. Second rule of thumb, nothing says “thank you for taking care of my stuff” like a hot XL pizza or bucket of KFC dropped off when your rig is on the hoist. If you give 4 guys $5 none could care less, but drop off a $20 bucket of chicken and they will burn themselves out helping you.

Most basic rule though... nobody cares about your stuff as much as you do.

 

[rayra]

It's definitely getting worse. Failure of education, failure of families, failure of training and supervision. Things are breaking down all over. Do it yourself if you can. Find the time. Make it a learning / bonding experience with your kids. Use your smartphone for something besides social media, an entire world of info is literally right under your thumbs.

I go on about preventative maintenance in my 'Hey Vortec Guys' topic, linked in my sig

 

[Wilbah]

It's definitely getting worse. Failure of education, failure of families, failure of training and supervision. Things are breaking down all over. Do it yourself if you can. Find the time. Make it a learning / bonding experience with your kids. Use your smartphone for something besides social media, an entire world of info is literally right under your thumbs.

I go on about preventative maintenance in my 'Hey Vortec Guys' topic, linked in my sig

It's funny I have this discussion all the time with people and it doesnt apply just to automotive things. Any time something I own breaks that I am uncertain of I Google the make and model of the device with the issue and odds are if I am having the problem someone else is too.

First time I did this was probably 10+ years ago I had a "big" flat screen TV. But it was the kind with the big heavy chassis. It wouldn't turn on, but it wasnt that old either. I called a TV repair place and they said it is $50 to diagnose the problem paid up front (too many times people just never come back after finding out what the issue was, which I understand). So I said screw that. I googled it and a guy had made a YouTube video about it. The culprit was a small glass automotive fuse. Of course it was buried in the chassis but right next to the back "wall" of the TV. He showed where and how to cut it with a dremel to replace it. $0.50 later I had my TV back working. Since then I Google everything be is washers and dryer issues, how water heaters, furnaces, home appliances, snowblowers, lawnmowers and certainly vehicles. so much cheaper and I learn more abt my equipment.

 

[NatersXJ6]

YouTube has certainly been a game changer for DIY. I thank those that take the time to create high quality content.

Now as for sorting through the crap to find the quality...

 

[WOODY2]

Dont forget YouTubes moneyback guarantee.
When you followed some guys “how to” video and turns out its bogus information,(which there is abundance of...)
Something gets ruined or worse...
YouTube will give your money back.

I've had to use this feature a couple of times last week! They said they would credit my account.

 

[roving1]

I spent some years in a rental house and the only parking was at a weird angle on a super busy street making DIY service a nightmare so I was forced to take it to places for service.

Had one filter so loose it sprayed oil everywhere. Another oil filter had the previous gasket stuck to it. This one really pissed me off because when I drove back and they fixed it it was a quart low from all the oil loss and they wanted to charge me for the quart to top it up! I had to call the corporate office and scream at them to fill it up. Every single time I ever went anywhere they would take my air filter apart to try to sell me an air filter. 90% of the time they would leave the vacuum line off of the housing resulting in sucking unfiltered air right into the engine for perpetuity if I had not noticed it. They even did this with masking tape over the housing with "DO NOT SERVICE" WRITTEN ON IT".

My favorite though was always getting the sheet that says they completed the million point service checklist, and then walking over to all my zerk fittings with untouched dirt, or in some cases I would put little easy to remove pieces of tape over the nipples and ask how they could have possibly greased anything? Not once was anyone apologetic, in fact they were usually low grade pissed they had to crawl back under the vehicle and grease it.

 

[rkj__]

Almost every time a mechanic takes a wheel off my vehicle, they either over-torque, or under-torque lug nuts. On two separate occasions, I have had a wheel loosen while driving. When I put the winter tires on my wife's car last month, I almost could not break a wheel bolt free. My weight, on a 2ft breaker bar (370 ft.lb), would not crack it loose.

Also had air intake hose pop off, because hose clamp was not tightened.

Grease left on tan cloth interior? Why of course.

I'm sure I'll have more stories in the future.

I set my expectations very low, when buying almost any service these days.

 

[luthj]

I have had plenty of bad experiences. Oil filter installed with channel locks, drain plug impacted into place. Broken wheel stud with cross threaded oversized nut holding the wheel on! Over torqued lug nuts (broke the studs road side to get them off). Dealer didn't tighten UCA bolts after an alignment. Low wages in much of the field of auto repair doesn't help attract quality people either.

But many of those where my fault for going with the lowest bidder (or a dealer). Once I find a local shop that is trustworthy, I don't balk at paying a bit extra for good service, small and large.

 

[NatersXJ6]

Dont forget YouTubes moneyback guarantee.
When you followed some guys “how to” video and turns out its bogus information,(which there is abundance of...)
Something gets ruined or worse...
YouTube will give your money back.

Do they also add 45 seconds at the end of your life to cover the ads you watched? Maybe spot an extra 15 seconds for the misleading title that baited you into watching in the first place? That would be nice!

 

[jadmt]

I only do my own service unless warranty work and I have been lucky that way. I am a tire addict however and go thru tires like most cat owners go thru kitty litter. I was running a set of splined lugs that had a special key and I told them only hand torq I see the tire guy start to use the air wrench and I yelled at him and got his attention and he rolled his eyes and dropped the air wrench all disgusted like. So I go to leave and look in my cup holder for the splined key and nada. I go in and say I did not get my splined lug nut key back and they said, I kid you not. "yea we will hang on to it for you" I was ****** is wrong with you guys?

 

[Airmapper]

This year I needed tires and buy them from a local shop I really like the owners of, actually followed them to a shop they opened after I got to know them when managing another one.

I wanted to save some time and effort on my part, plus throw them a bone for more than just tires, and had new inner/outer tie rod ends, so I added that to the job.

They had some hick fool mechanic working there, he used an angle grinder to pop the bands on the tie rod boots. Then he just put the half cut up boots over, didn't even fasten them. (I'm not a tyrant, zip ties would have been acceptable, it just holds a boot on.) Not only that he gouged up my steering rack housing. (Aluminum vs. cutting wheel....you get the idea.)

Well I found it and was furious. Since I had such a good relationship with the owners I said I'm really mad but I know you guys didn't know he did this. Basically the mechanic got a big time chewing out, had to pay all the expense of the mistake out of pocket, which included refunding me, and had to endure me literally watching over his shoulder as he fixed it back. The rack wasn't gouged in a place I thought it would be an issue, so they replaced the boots and I sourced OEM replacements.

At some point it was pointed out, truck with a snorkel, mud on the underside of the hood, guess what, if it keeps mud out, you need to make sure it still keeps mud out.

It wasn't long after that they told me he was no longer there.

I still really like the owners, but I have to say it burned me for having any work done. I learned my lesson I guess, I thought, how the hell do you screw up tie rod ends, and didn't hover over it, that was a mistake.

I'm really appalled how nobody takes any pride in auto repair work, it is a skilled trade. The fact it draws skilled trade fees but shoddy couldn't give a crap work is frustrating.