I'm a mechanic, Go ahead and ask me anything

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by theonlywhiteout

Luckily futureshop replaced it for free but I'll never go back to that garage, they fought me tooth and nail and refused to fix it even tho it was clearly done by them shorting something during an oil change

Sucks to lose a customer over a charger, sucks to lose a good shop over a charger.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by theonlywhiteout

My charger, not the ipod. I have a simple link ipod charger/player that goes in thru the glove box to the back of the radio into the AUX. When I picked up my car the clock was reset, as if the battery was disconnected. From then on after my ipod would play in my car but not charge. Directly after too, it was working the day of the oil change.

Luckily futureshop replaced it for free but I'll never go back to that garage, they fought me tooth and nail and refused to fix it even tho it was clearly done by them shorting something during an oil change

That's different than I thought you'd say. Did they acknowledge anything about the clock being reset and hence, the battery either being disconnected and/or shorting something out during the work? If not, I guess you have a case.

[bc-chris]

Originally Posted by WilsonFourTwo

If your car can't be safely put on the road, why the heck would you drive it (let alone take passengers)? (honest question)

Car = Money Pit = Convenience

Besides, that two grand is 6-12 months worth of car payments. If that car lasts longer than that (without more costs), it's "Saving" you money.

couldn't agree more with the safety issue!!

years ago i was told the most cost effective thing to do with a vehicle is keep maintaining it. maintenance is A LOT less expensive than selling/buying new.

i've got an '89 chev 4x4 step side... and i love it. bought it used for $8000 in '97 from a lady in brooks, alta. i've dumped in a new transmission, rebuilt the motor, jacked it up 6", put on nice rims and big tires (jeeze - i sound like a red neck! ha!). my wife asked me a while back if i wanted to get a new truck - and to be honest, shiny and new is very appealing, but the replacement cost is ridiculous!! not only that - i love the style of my truck so the 'newest' truck i'd want to get would be 98/99 becuz chev changed the style after that.


heck... my truck even made it into the "bragging rights" section of a truck mag...

[theonlywhiteout]

Originally Posted by 4X4

That's different than I thought you'd say. Did they acknowledge anything about the clock being reset and hence, the battery either being disconnected and/or shorting something out during the work? If not, I guess you have a case.

They refused to even acknowledge that. They said that they don't disconnect the battery during an oil change. I said, "yeah of course why would you". By the time I brought my car back I had already set my radio stations again and the time so I didn't have much proof. I even talked to Steve about it and he wouldn't do anything. Really disappointing because my entire family took their cars there for years and years.

Originally Posted by Pinner

Sucks to lose a customer over a charger, sucks to lose a good shop over a charger.

It does but trust is important. I can't go to a garage if I don't trust them to be honest. If they damage my vehicle during a routine oil change and don't stand by their work and fix the damage there's no way I'm going back

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

I recently rented a car from some car lot and there's some sort of red liquid all over the inside of the trunk and the latch is sort of bent. Could this be some sort of fuel leak?

Sounds like they used the car to dump a body

[Buff]

Should I have mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes for supper?

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by Pinner

Sucks to lose a customer over a charger, sucks to lose a good shop over a charger.

Mechanic...good shop...

We have entered the twilight zone.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by theonlywhiteout

They said that they don't disconnect the battery during an oil change. I said, "yeah of course why would you".

They are lying. Quite often during an oil change they will do a multipoint inspection on shocks/struts, lights, check the battery etc. Is there anything on your bill that says they cleaned the battery terminals?

[DuffMan]

Do you have a remote starter without a kill switch. I had a vehicle like that and told them it was OK to disconnect the battery when they had the hood opened. Don't want the thing to accidently start when someone is working on it.

[theonlywhiteout]

Originally Posted by Dion

They are lying. Quite often during an oil change they will do a multipoint inspection on shocks/struts, lights, check the battery etc. Is there anything on your bill that says they cleaned the battery terminals?

No, just the oil change.

No car starter either.

[Frequitude]

The horn on my '98 Cherokee sport stopped working last month. How would this horn work...pneumatics or totally electronic? It kind of "fizzled" out on the last couple uses. Any suggested starting points to fix it myself?

[Pinner]

Electric horn, two wires, easy fix once you find it, hopefully it's just the horn and not a broken wire.

[Pinner]

The push switch in the steering wheel would be a real pain with the air bag there.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

The horn on my '98 Cherokee sport stopped working last month. How would this horn work...pneumatics or totally electronic? It kind of "fizzled" out on the last couple uses. Any suggested starting points to fix it myself?

Is the airbag warning light lit on your dash?