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| Tales from the Shop; Post your work tales | |
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| Topic Started: Sep 21 2008, 01:25 PM (8,077 Views) | |
| Johnny Mullet | Sep 21 2008, 01:25 PM Post #1 |
"Geo Whisperer"
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This thread is where you can share all those strange or interesting experiences from your job. Whether you turn wrenches or flip burgers, everyone has something interesting happen at work. I run into all kinds of weird situations with customers I encounter during my daily job as a mechanic. I work at a local family owned shop now and enjoy it there. I also worked at a large Ford dealership for 6 years and worked on heavy trucks for the rest of my career. The shop I am at now works on Heavy Trucks, Medium Duty Trucks and also Automobiles so I fit right in and operate on both sides of the building. Here I will share current and past shop stories with you for your entertainment. We will start off with this guy driving a Chevy 3500 HD pickup. This truck is huge and is used as his daily driver. The other day he called and asked us about a grinding noise that has been getting louder the more he drives it. We told him to get in in here so we can see what's going on, but the customer insisted that he would drive the truck for another 2 weeks so he can do his state inspection at the same time. Well, 3 days later, we ended up having to pick up his truck from the Interstate because the left front wheel locked up. We towed it to the shop and after I tore it down, this is what I found...................  How can you continue to drive a vehicle and ignore something that is obviously unsafe? As you can see, the bearing completely came apart and ground the rotor into the caliper brace and also cut into the inside rim. If he would have brought the truck in when we told him, a bearing replacement would have been a lot cheaper than the work he needs now. More to come 
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| Will | Sep 21 2008, 09:36 PM Post #2 |
Victory is mine!!!!
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Man, I do not understand people sometimes... |
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| Johnny Mullet | Sep 22 2008, 09:30 AM Post #3 |
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"Geo Whisperer"
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Check out these common complaints I used to get from warranty customers that we have had to deal with when I worked at the Dealership. I think you will find these complaints amusing............................. "My leather seats make noise when you move in them." "This car won't start unless I push the clutch in!" "The left window washer squirts slower than the right." "The liftgate on my mini van is too heavy to lift." "The leather in my seat has small, tiny cracks in it" "When I hold the gas pedal to the floor, the engine seems to miss." "My passenger side window goes up a half a second faster than the driver side if I hold both buttons at the same time" "I was on the internet and found common issues related to my make and model. Can you check these out even though no problems are apparent?" "My door handle broke off when I tried to open the door with all this ice on it." "Well it's a 4X4 so I drive it in 4 wheel drive all the time." "These heated seats get too hot." "This 4X4 truck is brand new and it should do better than 15 MPG." "The tire pressure light is on, fix it." "Offroad diesel voids my warranty on my truck?" "This truck rides too rough." "My rear defroster quit working after I removed the temp tag from the window." "I'm here for my fuel pump replacement appointment verified last week. The tank is full." "I would like these snow tires mounted on my 2004 T-Bird." There are tons more of these, but I figured I would share the best. |
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| Will | Sep 22 2008, 04:27 PM Post #4 |
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Victory is mine!!!!
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Dude!! The same thing is wrong with my car!!!!! |
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| metrojoe | Sep 23 2008, 09:30 AM Post #5 |
smokin'
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:wtf |
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| Jamie P | Sep 25 2008, 08:56 PM Post #6 |
New Member
  ![]](http://209.85.62.24/static/1/pip_r.png)
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Those warranty complaints are classic......I used to work as a GM Technician at Buick, Pontiac, and Chevy Dealers, and dealt with the same thing. What is even worse is when an advisor or technician start down that path to satisfy the customer and end up marrying the thing by digging a hole that they can not get out of. I am all for trying to satisfy the customer but if you have 12 others on the lot that exhibit the same odd ball characteristic, chances are, you are not going to be able to repair it by installing a bunch of parts that are the same parts that were taken off of it. Funny thing, is that it was very rare to see a Metro role in for anything under warranty. I did driveability and suspension, and the only thing I remember is doing some stuff at higher mileage.....30K, brakes, a wheel bearing, decarboning one because it was so carboned up it would not breath enough air to run, and doing a fuel injector on one. |
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| redneckgeek53 | Sep 26 2008, 11:14 AM Post #7 |
Redneckgeek53
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Wow, I guess computer techs aren't the only ones to hear the weird stuff. I worked as an alarm repair tech for a couple of years, both fire and burgler, and I came to the conclusion that "the public is an ass". And yes, I include myself in there, as I have raged at cusomer service techs when they couldn't fix something I couldn't describe. HeeHaw! After a while it does begin to sound like the braying of an ass!! |
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| Johnny Mullet | Sep 26 2008, 07:31 PM Post #8 |
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"Geo Whisperer"
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Well, this falls into the category of people who buy a vehicle they cannot afford. A beautiful 2003 F-150 King Ranch Edition comes in for a State Inspection and after checking it all out it only needed 2 tires and it also needed front brake pads and rotors. The 18" tires were a little pricey, but the brake parts were reasonable. I took the quote for needed repairs to the customer and he started getting mad and complaining that he just got the truck and is paying $400.00 per month for it and needs it to get back and forth to college. I told him that if he just got the truck, maybe the place he purchased it from could help out, but it turned out he got it financed "As Is"  I always thought a vehicle had to be safety checked before it's sold, but he bought it in Ohio where no inspection is required. The truck only had 35,000 miles on it, but still, those repairs were required for inspection. This kid gets on his cell phone and after about 20 minutes of screwing around, he told me to put it back together and he would do the work himself to save some money  I talked to the guy for a little before he left and I asked him right out. "Why would you purchase a truck like this for going to college?" He replied.......... "Because it's a phat ride dude." I then said......... "How much does this cost you in gas for school per week?" Are you guys ready for this..................... "$160.00"  I just don't understand people sometimes and this younger generation growing up has no respect for the value of a dollar. |
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| Will | Sep 26 2008, 08:05 PM Post #9 |
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Victory is mine!!!!
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 And this guy is in college? Damn, time to move to Australia boys!!!
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| metroschultz | Sep 27 2008, 05:06 PM Post #10 |
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NHRA N E 1
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I feel your pain brother. I have had many customers who obviously should restart school around the second grade. I am headed out to dinner now but will organize my thoughts and give you some of the best from 30 years of service to the motoring public. Schultz, out. |
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| Johnny Mullet | Sep 27 2008, 08:04 PM Post #11 |
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"Geo Whisperer"
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Love to hear it metroshultz! In the meantime, I was looking forward to getting Saturday's work over with and I had an F-450 4X4 dump truck that needed upper and lower ball joints on both sides and an inner drag link. This job would take about 5 hours and I could get out shortly after lunch and go home, but as I was cleaning up, the boss said "I have one more job for you to do before you go."  He hands me a key and says that it's out front and needs checked over for inspection. I was ranting a little because I wanted to get the hell out of there. The boss said "C'mon man, these cars are your specialty." I was thinking, great! Another freakin Ford! I walk out front and I was surprised! It was an ugly, green Metro  After I wipe the drool from my face, I get in for the test drive only to be disappointed by an automatic transmission  I start it up and it sounds different from what I am used to and the idle was exceptionally smooth. Turns out to be a 1.3L and it only has 75,000 miles on it. I take it for a ride and was totally unimpressed with the transmission. I get it on the rack and check it out real well. The control arm mounts were beautiful! The whole undercarriage was rust free and I knew it was not from around these parts. It failed state inspection for these items.............. 2 rear tires bald. LR wheel cylinder leaking. LF broken caliper mount bolt. I suggested other items not required for inspection............ All 4 tires. 4 wheel alignment. Rear brake shoes. New headlamp units (barely passed candlepower test) Lube, oil & filter. Air filter (full of sand?) Heater blower switch (worked on HI only) I talked with the customer and he told me he got it on E-bay a few weeks ago and just got it here from Florida yesterday. He also noticed my Metro and we talked about the cars for a pretty long time. He is leaving it in my hands to fix next week and wants to do all the work it needs and all the suggestions I offered  I spent 2 hours on a 45 minute inspection and totally forgot how bad I wanted to go home  I can't wait till next week now  |
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| metroschultz | Sep 27 2008, 10:25 PM Post #12 |
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NHRA N E 1
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J.M. you have been a state inspector for a while. I have carried a state card for Va. off and on since 1978. I have seen many things. Some bizzarre; A man pushes his car from somewhere down the street and asks for a state inspection. We push it into the stall and it is a large pile of dog doo  I fail the vehicle and he asks why?  (Is this for real?) Some lewd; I fail a young lady for front brakes and as I am writing the failure decal she leans waaaayyyyy over my desk so that her boobs fall in my face and says, add sweet sexy voice here, "Are you suuurre I need brakes? can't we work something out?" Some just plain funny; I am performing an inspection on an older car (rear wheel drive, upper & lower control arm front suspension) when I jack up the front and the upper ball joint is in such bad shape the steering knuckle falls from the car, it is hanging by the brake line. The owner looks me in the face and in all seriousness asks, "This isn't gonna fail me is it?" Dude you failed before ever I drove in the shop. There are many things I have seen in my day, I keep telling my wife that I am going to write a book. Maybe I will just regail you nice fellas with them, then she don't have to hear them any more. L8R, S. |
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| Johnny Mullet | Sep 28 2008, 04:25 PM Post #13 |
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"Geo Whisperer"
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I notice stuff like that all the time. People bring in cars with obvious issues like loud exhaust, grinding brakes, etc and don't see what the problem is. I had a car come in and the bearing on the LF was so loud I was getting a headache. After the repairs and inspection was done the customer said................... "I never knew my car was supposed to be that quiet." |
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| metrojoe | Sep 29 2008, 11:44 AM Post #14 |
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smokin'
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i wish i was a mechanic. |
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| Will | Sep 29 2008, 06:35 PM Post #15 |
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Victory is mine!!!!
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I wish I was filthy stinkin rich. |
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