PSA regarding vehicle service

[jadmt]

Not at all.
Aside from the sloppy & indifferent guys who would be better titled as unemployed.
It suits the low skill / knowledge needs of oil and filter changing or many other cookie cutter type of service / repair job.

The guys of vast knowlege. Who take seriously their job. Keep updated on education, certifications and so on dont appreciate being associated by title with Lubetard the Drainplug Stripper.
Great idea !

You are an ass but but I’m sure you are proud of that title as you wear it well.

 

[TylerA23]

My wife took her van to a nation wide chain a while back (I was out of town and we had a coupon ) and they told her she needed a new cabin air filter. She was quoted about $60 for this "badly needed" cabin air filter. I was out of town, and she called to get my opinion to which I obviously told her to decline the generous offer for this service.

The next time her vehicle came around for service I was going to be out of town again.... and of course the coupons were readily available, so we planned for her to take it back to the same shop. Before leaving though I went and got a new cabin air filter for $hits and giggles, and put it in. I'll be d@mned if they didn't once again tell her she "absolutely needed" her cabin air filter replaced.

 

[javajoe79]

So did you keep the same dead squirrel or did you find a new one every time?

 

[javajoe79]

Not at all.
Aside from the sloppy & indifferent guys who would be better titled as unemployed.
It suits the low skill / knowledge needs of an oil and filter changer or many other cookie cutter type of service / repair jobs.

The guys of vast knowlege and expertise. Who take seriously their job, keep updated on education, certifications and so on dont appreciate being associated by title with some Lubetard drainplug stripper.
Great idea !

You can be a technician in many different fields. Oil change technician is not the same as ferrari technician for example. I am a race car fabricator and I know many many techs. I’ve never heard a tech take issue with someone at an oil change place being called a tech. I also don’t take issue with handrail fabricators being referred to as fabricators.

 

[luthj]

hu·bris
/ˈ(h)yo͞obrəs/
Learn to pronounce
noun

1. excessive pride or self-confidence
2. Hubris (/ˈhjuːbrɪs/, from ancient Greek ὕβρις) describes a personality quality of extreme or foolish pride or dangerous overconfidence, often in combination with (or synonymous with) arrogance.
   
   
   

 

[leeleatherwood]

Will agree that if you can do it yourself, it's the way to go. Find a good service manual, a few good youtube videos, and most tasks are easily completed at home with basic tools. Added bonus of a gained sense of satisfaction and an expanded skillset after completion.

With that being said, I recently got screwed by a local AAMCO. +1 to those who have noted to stay away from the national chains. My 01 Tacoma started making some unpleasant noises from the gear box. I don't have the time to learn how to rebuild an auto transmission, so I took it to a shop. Was quoted $2300 (reasonable price for an auto transmission rebuild), so I authorized them to pull the transmission ($890 deposit- first red flag).

Next day I get a call saying it's going to total $3700. I went into the shop and talked to the manager and owner- neither could provide a reason as to why my rebuild was going to cost $1400 more than quoted. Labor alone was $2100 - and this was their "standard # of hours for this tranny"- at this point it was clear to me that with labor and parts it was NEVER going to be close to their quote. They acted like it was no big deal for a job to cost 50% more than a quote. They started blabbering about the cost of business going up each year... sure... but did it go up 50% in 24 hours? I don't think so ****************.

Classic bait and switch. They already had $890 out of my pocket so I was stuck with them unless I wanted to walk away with $890 already lost and with no repair. Makes me sick to my stomach that I got caught up in that scam. After talking to some friends and family who live local, turns out this shop has a bad reputation... Still losing sleep over this one.

******** that, pay the deposit with credit card and dispute the charges, take the work somewhere else.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You can be a technician in many different fields. Oil change technician is not the same as ferrari technician for example. I am a race car fabricator and I know many many techs. I’ve never heard a tech take issue with someone at an oil change place being called a tech. I also don’t take issue with handrail fabricators being referred to as fabricators.

My brother is a Ford Sr Master Tech, he prefers "tech" because he does more than just work on mechanical things (aka a mechanic)

I do my own work mainly because I can't pay someone else to. My Ranger... I love working on. I can say I have done everything on it but the exhaust and alignment (had my brother do the alignment)

But daily driver crap... ick. I had a bad balljoint on my F-150 a couple weeks ago, get a new one and poke it in. The inner CV boot is torn and nobody in town has one. Gotta drive it to work the next day so I put it back together. Then I get to tear it back apart as soon as we get an open bay at work (won't fit in my unheated garage) so I can replace the front axleshaft.

If the Ranger hits a snag where I need more parts or research... big deal. It can sit for awhile and the world still turns.

 

[Dirt Rider]

And if you do the repair yourself, its very hard to buy good parts these days, I cannot tell you how many parts I have bought from parts houses that were crap and I had to get another and try again. Stopped buying parts online, since I had to return so many, it was just to time consuming, so I go to the local parts chain store and then when I get a bad part I dont lose a week waiting on another. Very frustrating. What happened to quality parts?

 

[luthj]

People stopped buying them! I have had good luck picking well known brands from major online parts sellers. I avoid fly-by-night small resellers on ebay etc. For mission critical parts, the dealer is always a good option.

Its even worse for euro makes. The typical US aftermarket sellers just buy whatever is cheap from asia or eastern europe, and relabel.

 

[SnowedIn]

As depressing as this all is, at least it helps create a more comprehensive list of stuff to keep an eye on.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

And if you do the repair yourself, its very hard to buy good parts these days, I cannot tell you how many parts I have bought from parts houses that were crap and I had to get another and try again. Stopped buying parts online, since I had to return so many, it was just to time consuming, so I go to the local parts chain store and then when I get a bad part I dont lose a week waiting on another. Very frustrating. What happened to quality parts?

Name brand on Rockauto works for me.

Motorcraft balljoint on RA was the same price as the POS Moog that lasted 2 years from a parts store.

 

[Dirt Rider]

Tried Rock auto, same problems, thinking it may be time to start rebuilding starters, alternators and power steering pumps, so I know its done right and will fit.

 

[NatersXJ6]

Good luck finding rebuild supplies!

 

[Binksman]

Rockauto is the only place I know where I CAN get the parts to rebuild things like brake calipers, pumps, etc (I should add, for all my vehicles- an MB and two Dodges). What i have learned the hard way is not to order anything like a radiator from them. Twice I received bent radiators that clearly had been damaged from how their were stored, not shipped.

More than once I've gotten off-shelf parts with factory or NAPA labels from RockAuto, and I will say all the hard parts I've gotten from Rockauto have been as good as anything from my local parts go-to, NAPA.

I absolutely will NOT go to any auto part store that starts with a vowel. I can't stand the fact that they can't find a part for anything without knowing the vehicle and options it has. Most of the staff can't tell the difference between a brake pad and a brake shoe.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Rockauto doesn't actually have a warehouse. They drop ship things from the manufacturer warehouse... that is how the freight can add up so fast when you get stuff coming from different places at $8.99 or whatever a whack.

I have had pretty good luck with them and as far as getting the right thing... but maybe since my truck is such a hodge podge I do more research than average on what I need.