Auto maintenance (minor rant)

[thedutchtouch]

I got my trucks brakes replaced last week, ended up going to a local meineke because I didn't have time to do it myself, and don't really know any great shops around me, they are all average or chains as far as I know. They replaced front pads and rotors (I don't think the rotors really needed replacement but I didn't have the energy to debate) and serviced the rear drums... Long story short they messed something up and I got some pulsing/shaking when braking afterwards... So they are redoing the fronts completely along with replacing some brake hoses. Hopefully this will get it actually resolved, and thankfully there's no attempt at passing along additional charges (they are saying they will eat the cost of the hoses as a favor... I read that as they realized that they screwed something up so are fixing it). I should probably not be so cynical, but now will be wasting another hour or two here on a brake job #2.

I suppose it's still better than dealing with rusty bolts in my gravel driveway but my inner DIYer is pretty annoyed at myself. Just wanted to vent a bit, anyone else got a car maintenance story? Misery loves company! Lol

 

[MattMan81]

Glade they are at least taking care of what ever they messed up. But I always ask the follow up... Will they get it right in the second go round..

 

[GCTerpfan]

18 years ago, when I was dating my now wife she was getting new tires put on her car. She called me at work and said that the tire shop would not let her leave until they put brakes and rotors on her car. They told her that her car was unsafe to drive.

I had just pulled a front tire and checked her brakes about a week earlier. They were due replacement, which I planned to do the next weekend. But they were far from unsafe.

The shop was only a few minutes from my work so I left early and stopped in to see what the deal was. After arguing with them for 30 minutes and them telling me that their ‘policy’ did not allow me to go in the back to see what they were talking about, I finally got them to allow me to drive the car home as is.

I bought brakes and rotors on the way home put the car in the garage and pulled all four wheels. As I expected the brakes needed replaced but still had some life left. The rotors were perfectly fine, so I returned the ones I bought.

To make matters worse, they cross threaded a lug nut when they were putting the tire back on so I ended up having to break a stud and replace it also.

Needless to say, I haven’t used that shop since and I’ve told that story to prospective customers probably 30 times in the last 18 years.

 

[elk yinzer]

I got a guy local I trust. It's about the same as my bow, the inner control freak in me, you're not touching that thing until I have some references on your work. I've changed my oil a few times and it pretty much ends there. I'm not much for DIY auto repair. Between time, skills, and interests, no thanks.

I'm fine with people learning on the job, we all start somewhere. That's not my fear at all. Humility is good. I've come across way too many people in life that always "know what they are doing". It's those arrogant nutbags that screw everything up. I don't know how they bumble their way through life with so much overconfidence.

 

[krub6b]

18 years ago, when I was dating my now wife she was getting new tires put on her car. She called me at work and said that the tire shop would not let her leave until they put brakes and rotors on her car. They told her that her car was unsafe to drive.

I had just pulled a front tire and checked her brakes about a week earlier. They were due replacement, which I planned to do the next weekend. But they were far from unsafe.

The shop was only a few minutes from my work so I left early and stopped in to see what the deal was. After arguing with them for 30 minutes and them telling me that their ‘policy’ did not allow me to go in the back to see what they were talking about, I finally got them to allow me to drive the car home as is.

I bought brakes and rotors on the way home put the car in the garage and pulled all four wheels. As I expected the brakes needed replaced but still had some life left. The rotors were perfectly fine, so I returned the ones I bought.

To make matters worse, they cross threaded a lug nut when they were putting the tire back on so I ended up having to break a stud and replace it also.

Needless to say, I haven’t used that shop since and I’ve told that story to prospective customers probably 30 times in the last 18 years.

Legally all they can do is advise you that your car is unsafe and make you sign a waiver saying they said so, a mechanic has no legal power to hold you hostage over your car's condition. On a commercially licensed vehicle they could notify DOT about your intent to drive a vehicle that shouldn't pass a pre-trip inspection, I never heard of DOT stopping a passenger vehicle for a roadside inspection. The reason shops say that is to get people who don't know how to check things like brake pads or suspension components. A friendly call to the Attorney General or Better Business Bureau regarding their "upstanding" business practices is always encouraged in such situations.

 

[Exhumis]

Had an oil oan leak on my suburban. It’s a colossal PITA to fix as you have to drop the front diff to pull the pan. Decided I didn’t feel like laying on my back for 5 hours and paid my local shop to do it. Right before 5 hour drive to the beach for vacation. We get down to obx and I notice a drip from the front end. Sure enough the driver side axle stub at the front diff is leaking. Get on the horn and chat with the shop. They’re like well the mechanic noticed slight wear on the axle stub but decided not to address it. Sigh. So had to run around the beach with a leaky front diff till I got home where they had to tear the front diff apart again and address it. Only charged me for the axle stub.

 

[NimbleTimbo]

I've got plenty of stories from driving old clunkers most of my life. I feel your pain. All I can say is find a good and fair mechanic and stick with him. My guy knows I like to do stuff myself so if it's something small he won't touch it, or he'll check first. He's happy to throw the car up on the lift and show me the issue.

For brakes and small jobs, I try to find the time because the going service technician rate is getting to be ridiculous. Auto repair is not rocket science despite what they want you to think, and if you are good with your hands and have some tools, you'd be surprised what you can do on your own and save a ton of money. Money that'd I'd much rather spend on hunting lol.

That said, I try to weigh the cost/benefit and the amount of headache per each job. With the amount of plastic and electronics on modern cars, sometimes you need a mechanic so they can utilize their special tools and expensive diagnostic computers. From a practicality standpoint, if it's the middle of winter and the job at hand would be that much easier to do with the car on a lift, well I ain't laying on the freezing ground for an hour busting my knuckles in my already limited free time.

Dutch, hopefully they got it back on the road with no issues going forward.

 

[thedutchtouch]

I've got plenty of stories from driving old clunkers most of my life. I feel your pain. All I can say is find a good and fair mechanic and stick with him. My guy knows I like to do stuff myself so if it's something small he won't touch it, or he'll check first. He's happy to throw the car up on the lift and show me the issue.

For brakes and small jobs, I try to find the time because the going service technician rate is getting to be ridiculous. Auto repair is not rocket science despite what they want you to think, and if you are good with your hands and have some tools, you'd be surprised what you can do on your own and save a ton of money. Money that'd I'd much rather spend on hunting lol.

That said, I try to weigh the cost/benefit and the amount of headache per each job. With the amount of plastic and electronics on modern cars, sometimes you need a mechanic so they can utilize their special tools and expensive diagnostic computers. From a practicality standpoint, if it's the middle of winter and the job at hand would be that much easier to do with the car on a lift, well I ain't laying on the freezing ground for an hour busting my knuckles in my already limited free time.

Dutch, hopefully they got it back on the road with no issues going forward.

Thanks. My 5 year plan is to either move to a house with a garage, or build one and a concrete driveway here if I stay in this house long term. Gravel driveway and single dad life gives me lots of excuses to throw money at things like this instead of time, but then I reconsider when spending the extra time sitting in a shop waiting room. It is what it is I suppose.

 

[GCTerpfan]

I should show my son this thread. He does all of his own maintenance and repairs and he drives Audi’s. “Why do I keep buying these stupid cars” is the most common phrase I hear him utter.

 

[Exhumis]

I should show my son this thread. He does all of his own maintenance and repairs and he drives Audi’s. “Why do I keep buying these stupid cars” is the most common phrase I hear him utter.

My wife is due for a new car. My only input was if you get European we’re leasing it only and as soon as the lease is up it gets returned.

 

[Micneador]

I go in over my head occasionally when it comes to mechanic work on my gen 1 tacoma. Brakes, rotors, alternator, power steering pump, accessory belts, and spark plugs. Simple easy stuff.

Reading threads on Tacoma World I found out how to do an alignment myself. Confirmed with a shop afterwards to check my own work. That was a pain. Did a valve cover gasket (sucked!) Next on the list is replacing the carrier bearing on my driveshaft.

I have a local guy I trust but he's had a few fudges in the past. He owns up to them and apologizes (we're all human). He quoted me 400 on a heater core not realizing its behind the radio on these tacos and you have to remove near everything on the dash. Took him a full 8 hours. He apologized for quoting me wrong, charged me 500 instead of the shop rate that would have made it near 1k with the parts.

 

[GCTerpfan]

I go in over my head occasionally when it comes to mechanic work on my gen 1 tacoma. Brakes, rotors, alternator, power steering pump, accessory belts, and spark plugs. Simple easy stuff.

Reading threads on Tacoma World I found out how to do an alignment myself. Confirmed with a shop afterwards to check my own work. That was a pain. Did a valve cover gasket (sucked!) Next on the list is replacing the carrier bearing on my driveshaft.

I have a local guy I trust but he's had a few fudges in the past. He owns up to them and apologizes (we're all human). He quoted me 400 on a heater core not realizing its behind the radio on these tacos and you have to remove near everything on the dash. Took him a full 8 hours. He apologized for quoting me wrong, charged me 500 instead of the shop rate that would have made it near 1k with the parts.

I replaced a heater core in a Ford Escort, one time right after I was married. Everything behind the dash had to come out. My brother-in-law stopped in and help me finish up. As I snapped in the very last plastic piece of the dash to finish the job, my BIL picked up the big pile of screws and bolts that were left, tossed them in the trashcan and said “bet that’s fewer than the shop would’ve thrown away” he was probably right.

 

[thedutchtouch]

Ugh not fixed. After putting new rotors and pads on and doing the hoses problems still there and they are blaming my calipers now. Since truck drove fine before the brake job, I told them that something must have happened to the caliper(s) during the repair so they are calling their regional manager to try to get that comped and I have to go back tomorrow again and hope that it is, otherwise I'm on the hook (I see no point going elsewhere and paying for a full brake job again at this point, hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me...). And because this kinda thing always happens at the best possible times (I thought I'd prepared by getting this done last week but hadn't driven on the highway until yesterday), I'm supposed to leave for a 5 hr drive up into PA tomorrow afternoon, hopefully third time's the charm. Fun stuff.

 

[MattMan81]

Yikes. Probably not their fault. I imagine pushing the calipers back in caused the issue..
If you did it your self, still would have been an issue.. pretty sure my car needs a new one on the driver side to. But haven't got around to it.

 

[Skunkworkx]

Years ago (1980-something) it was pretty cold out and I needed an oil change...told them oil and filter only, don't touch a thing.

Well, Jiffy Screwed I got.

I was inside and never watched what they were doing. Seems one of their guys just went and did the standard "checks" ( found out later they got a commission on sales)...I guess he checked the master cylinder fluid level and didn't get the cap back on right.
I made it a few miles down the road before losing my brakes, jumping a median, and into a parking lot.

I was not very happy when I made it back to their store using the parking brake and doing 10mph.

 

[Weldabeast]

I replaced fuel injector spider on 4.3 Chevy....the job was relatively straightforward but the cars owner had a DUI and some contraption u had to blow into to get the vehicle to start.....who can we call to blow into this car to see if it'll start. Hahaha

 

[Skunkworkx]

I replaced fuel injector spider on 4.3 Chevy....the job was relatively straightforward but the cars owner had a DUI and some contraption u had to blow into to get the vehicle to start.....who can we call to blow into this car to see if it'll start. Hahaha

I seen where you can blow up a balloon with compressed air and use that ? Just saying

 

[bigmike23]

I try to do it all myself. My father is genuinely one of the most brilliant human beings I've ever known when it comes to his hands. Gunsmith, mechanic, master carpenter, electrician, plumber, painter, masonry he literally can do all that and do it well. I was fortunate to learn a lot from him with working on cars. I can't stand mechanics I don't trust any of em around here.
Goes back to that saying if you want something done right do it yourself

 

[The_Fit_Ness_Monster]

Sitting at a place now while my truck gets allignment, oil change, inspection and tire patch. I had a nightmare that lasted 3 years when I was in my late teens and it’s called a Mitsubishi Eclipse GT… that’s all I’ll say on the matter lol

 

[Skunkworkx]

I try to do it all myself. My father is genuinely one of the most brilliant human beings I've ever known when it comes to his hands. Gunsmith, mechanic, master carpenter, electrician, plumber, painter, masonry he literally can do all that and do it well. I was fortunate to learn a lot from him with working on cars. I can't stand mechanics I don't trust any of em around here.
Goes back to that saying if you want something done right do it yourself

Lots of the same here, watching/helping Dad...
I guess it's in the DNA ? He was a mechanic in the army, always working on someone's car/truck.

I work as an Industrial Maintenance Tech...burn, weld, machine, rebuild, modify, install, PM, yadda, yadda, yadda.
As well as work on my own stuff...
My other hobby.