Stuff dissappears...

[digger]

I've heard a lot of stories about the drain plug in the oil pan getting cross threaded or stripped too.

 

[RevoME]

flippen "Technicians" can't figure out where in the world it came from... Naturally they were shocked when I put it back for them without the aid of a lamp, service guide, and bloodhound.

I will be laughing and sharing this one for a while to come, glad there was no coffee....

Shortly after we relocated I applied and was hired as a Manager of a Quicklubechain, not a Jiffy Lube though. We hired a lot of kids of the local "Methadone Programs" and one day we had a silver Corvette in for Service. The owner knew me and trusted my shop to do the job.

It took several attempts to open the hood for the "mechanics" and 20 minutes into the deal I pulled a completely stoned screwhead off the driver seat. He fell asleep during the light test.

I hired the guy that runs the stores now, when I left for a large dealership. So whenever I'm up there I visit and chat for a while and nothing has changed. At $8.00 per hour you get the last trash from the street, unable to tie shoes, but more than willing to screw around on cars.

I just got an offer to go back into Automotive Sales Management and I have to admit, even the six figure offer did not keep my neck from cramping up, feeling misplaced & in the wrong store. The quality of people has decreased and while they are high maintenance employees I told the GM that I would probably replace ever single "salesperson" within two to four weeks. I am considering the offer, but dealerships are not the best place to work for me anymore. I have trouble interacting with the high demand customers and can not relate to people who think they are better than others. Go highline and thats what you will see everyday.

GM seems to man the horse by throwing the rider up in the air, hoping that a horse run's underneath... If they would treat customers better and stop telling the world that their cars are good the picture would change.

 

[hamz9561]

I've heard a lot of stories about the drain plug in the oil pan getting cross threaded or stripped too.

Or not tightened. My Dad lost the engine in his Diesel Blazer that way.

 

[redneckracer1979]

It is a 2000 Sunbird. I have been told that you can check the trans fluid with a plug on the side of the trans just diff checking the fluid in a axle. I am not sure as I have not looked for it at all.

 

[chuck3]

i had to take my 1991 jeep cheroke in to get a new muffler put on it. when the guy pulled the muffler, i think he hit the catylitic converter, damaging it slightly. then he came out of the shop and said "you need a new cat cause yours is going out" i told him i wanted to look at it before i did anything. i went out there and sure enough. there was a ding in the mesh about the size of his cutting torch!! i didnt say anything, but just asked him how much a new cat would cost. he replyed "give me a sec, i need to look it up" when he came back he told me the price for the one i "need" is 350 plus labor!!! i said, "oh really?" he then said that he could put in a cheaper one, but it wouldent work as well, and i asked him how much that would run. he told me "hold on, i have to look this one up too." when he came back this time he said, "this one is only 250" i then asked if that was labor inclusive, he replied no. i told him to just leave it and put on the new muffler (it was under warranty , so i went to this place instead of my normal shop)

about a week later, sure enough the cat fails and i have to take it in again. i thought maybe it had just started going out, but noooo. when i took it to my normal shop, they pulled everythign apart and told me that i the cat liquified and ruined the muffler. i said "that sucks, what does it cost to fix everything?" they relpied "180, and that includes labor" and that was for the one i "needed" according to the other guy. i asked the shop i was at and they said it doesn't really matter that much.

needless to say, i will never go to midas again, even though i used to get free mufflers under warranty.

 

[HeartBreak]

It is a 2000 Sunbird. I have been told that you can check the trans fluid with a plug on the side of the trans just diff checking the fluid in a axle. I am not sure as I have not looked for it at all.

If in doubt, you can always get a Haynes (better) or Chilton (so-so) book for the car. They run about $15 or so, depending on the store. They have pretty much all procedures, except tearing down the trans itself. Including the diagnostic codes. Grab that, and if it's the right year (early 90's), a paper clip.

Yep, a paper clip. The GM cars/trucks of the early 90's had a built-in code scanner. Jump the right most-lower and upper pins together in the diagnostic connector, turn the key to run, and count the blinks of the check engine light.

 

[redneckracer1979]

Can't use a paperclip on this car far as I know. It is too new. It's a Sunfire not a sunbird also. I already had my trans serviced but like a week later the oil change shop told me the fluid was burnt and bad and tried to show me a dipstick for the car which it doesn't have.

 

[Karl M]

Damn Chuck, I've always had good service at Midas. I don't go there that often, really just for the free brake inspection but I have never been cheated like that. I had the shocks replaced on an old S10 that was good and rusty, I thought they would have been justified charging me a little more for the effort. (I'm glad they didn't)

 

[HeartBreak]

Can't use a paperclip on this car far as I know. It is too new. It's a Sunfire not a sunbird also. I already had my trans serviced but like a week later the oil change shop told me the fluid was burnt and bad and tried to show me a dipstick for the car which it doesn't have.

Most likely it won't. OBDII was made standard around 95-96 or so, and pretty much did away with the ol' hillbilly code scanner.

 

[redneckracer1979]

If I ever have a light come on I just go to my buddies shop and he will hook it up for freee and tell me what it needs.

 

[RevoME]

If I ever have a light come on I just go to my buddies shop and he will hook it up for freee and tell me what it needs.

For some reason the BMW hasn't shown any lights yet, it's mostly the old cars that have them come on. Hasn't been to a shop though, so no idiot had a chance to mess it up forever onder2:

 

[redneckracer1979]

The sunfire hasn't had a light come on yet either. When I had my Sonoma the check engine light would always come on and then switch off. It was checked for codes but nothing could ever be found.