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wolfwingsTwo days ago, I got my driver-side front drive axle and CV boot assembly replaced. It's been clicking, as the CV boot was torn nearly off and had no grease inside, and I ran that poor axle into the ground.
I'm annoyed. I came in, said, and I quote, "Hi, how much to replace the driver-side front drive axle on a 1985 Honda Civic 3-door Hatchback with the 1.3 litre engine and a 4-speed manual transmission?"
Can you get much more specific in what service you're requesting than that? I just detailed what year, make, model, body style, engine, and transmission assembly the car has, and what part I want what done to.
This shop has always been populated by people that have English as a second language every time I've gone there. There's a reason I research what I want done before-hand, and an so explicit when I drop the car off. It's cheap, and fast service.
Apparently, they just hired someone that... well, to say they speak fluent English is an understatement. They have a mastery more commonly found in used car salesmen and lawyers, and they stand out among everyone else there like a dandelion in a coal heap, a glaringly pale, balding, slightly overweight cauccasion among a shop full of wirey, tanned Vietnamese and Mexicans.
Anyways, to make a long story short... previously, on the drive to work, there is a steep hill I have to drive over. Before getting my drive axle replaced, I could cruise over the hill in 3rd gear at approximately 55mph, with the speed limit benig 50mph so this is a Good Thing. On the highway there, I could hit 85mph if I needed to pass a fast moving vehicle for some reason.
Now, I can't even make 40mph on the same hill in second gear. And I can't even break 70mph on the freeway. And it's now running so roughly that I feel just about every single RPM in my seat, it's 'rumbling' along so strongly now. Before, it purred, and was a very quiet-running engine.
To say I'm pissed is an understatement. I looked over the 'worksheet' they gave me, with recommended maintenance. Reading it in detail, and comparing it with my previous work-notes... I see about ten red flags.
It claims I need a new distributor cap and rotor. Why the hell did they even touch the distributor at all when I was paying them to replace the drive axle? You can't reach the distributor assembly except from passenger-side top. You remove the drive axle from driver-side underneath. I know, I have a copy of the service manuals that detail the removal, and reassembly of the driveshaft components in explicit, vivid detail.
It also claims I need a tune-up and new spark plugs. Um... no. I just got a tune-up approximately 9-10 weeks ago. With new spark plugs.
Those are just the most glaring two attempted rip-offs they did. They're also claiming I have a bad enough brake leak in the rear passenger side (um, no, the front passenger and master cylinder are the ones with the blown seals, ThankYouVeryMuch) that I have no braking on that wheel so the car is unsafe to drive, because the drum brake assembly is being soaked in brake fluid. So why, when I was driving home and tested that on a straightaway with no traffic at a stoplight, did my rear wheels, both of them, lock up before and instead of my front wheels?
They are about... 20 minutes away from possibly getting reamed a new asshole, and if they don't fix my car so it runs well again... I will take them to court. Not for my money back, to force them to repair the car until it runs as well as it did. I may go to the mechanic for some things, but it's not because I don't know cars or how they work. It's because I don't have the tools or parts suppliers to do major repair work on them myself.
I'm annoyed. I came in, said, and I quote, "Hi, how much to replace the driver-side front drive axle on a 1985 Honda Civic 3-door Hatchback with the 1.3 litre engine and a 4-speed manual transmission?"
Can you get much more specific in what service you're requesting than that? I just detailed what year, make, model, body style, engine, and transmission assembly the car has, and what part I want what done to.
This shop has always been populated by people that have English as a second language every time I've gone there. There's a reason I research what I want done before-hand, and an so explicit when I drop the car off. It's cheap, and fast service.
Apparently, they just hired someone that... well, to say they speak fluent English is an understatement. They have a mastery more commonly found in used car salesmen and lawyers, and they stand out among everyone else there like a dandelion in a coal heap, a glaringly pale, balding, slightly overweight cauccasion among a shop full of wirey, tanned Vietnamese and Mexicans.
Anyways, to make a long story short... previously, on the drive to work, there is a steep hill I have to drive over. Before getting my drive axle replaced, I could cruise over the hill in 3rd gear at approximately 55mph, with the speed limit benig 50mph so this is a Good Thing. On the highway there, I could hit 85mph if I needed to pass a fast moving vehicle for some reason.
Now, I can't even make 40mph on the same hill in second gear. And I can't even break 70mph on the freeway. And it's now running so roughly that I feel just about every single RPM in my seat, it's 'rumbling' along so strongly now. Before, it purred, and was a very quiet-running engine.
To say I'm pissed is an understatement. I looked over the 'worksheet' they gave me, with recommended maintenance. Reading it in detail, and comparing it with my previous work-notes... I see about ten red flags.
It claims I need a new distributor cap and rotor. Why the hell did they even touch the distributor at all when I was paying them to replace the drive axle? You can't reach the distributor assembly except from passenger-side top. You remove the drive axle from driver-side underneath. I know, I have a copy of the service manuals that detail the removal, and reassembly of the driveshaft components in explicit, vivid detail.
It also claims I need a tune-up and new spark plugs. Um... no. I just got a tune-up approximately 9-10 weeks ago. With new spark plugs.
Those are just the most glaring two attempted rip-offs they did. They're also claiming I have a bad enough brake leak in the rear passenger side (um, no, the front passenger and master cylinder are the ones with the blown seals, ThankYouVeryMuch) that I have no braking on that wheel so the car is unsafe to drive, because the drum brake assembly is being soaked in brake fluid. So why, when I was driving home and tested that on a straightaway with no traffic at a stoplight, did my rear wheels, both of them, lock up before and instead of my front wheels?
They are about... 20 minutes away from possibly getting reamed a new asshole, and if they don't fix my car so it runs well again... I will take them to court. Not for my money back, to force them to repair the car until it runs as well as it did. I may go to the mechanic for some things, but it's not because I don't know cars or how they work. It's because I don't have the tools or parts suppliers to do major repair work on them myself.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-22 03:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-22 04:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-22 04:51 pm (UTC)That said, since they gave you work that you didn't ask for, I believe federal law requires them to give it to you for free.
Good luck.
Oh, they didn't actually <b>replace</b> anything...
Date: 2005-01-22 04:57 pm (UTC)And they accepted that it was their fault. So they have one day to make the car run well. If they call back and say I need XYZ part... I will be walking up there, and asking them to put, in writing, that I'm not paying for this because it was their fault this damage occured.
If they refuse, I'll ask them to credit me up to the original cost of the axle replacement towards these repairs.
If they refuse even that, then I will be calling the local DA's office. Because at that point I can give a valid point where I offered them a fair chance to fairly compensate me for the problems they caused.
Giving them one chance to fix it.
Date: 2005-01-22 04:58 pm (UTC)Re: Oh, they didn't actually <b>replace</b> anything...
Date: 2005-01-22 05:04 pm (UTC)Good luck.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-22 07:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-22 07:48 pm (UTC)Exactly.
Date: 2005-01-22 08:22 pm (UTC)Either way, instead of paying the $180 ($80 for the wires and replacement, $100 for the tune-up they wanted after the wires were replaced) I payed... $15 total at AutoZone, and replaced them myself.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-22 08:26 pm (UTC)I would also like to recommend Milan's Honda in Wilmington, just north of Long Beach. It's a used car shop and garage. They will do what you ask them to do, for a fair price. It's where Carol and I bought the "beater." (Which is Carol's now, and probably has problems from lack of operation and/or maintenance.)
an intersting story
Date: 2005-01-23 03:22 am (UTC)it's never a mater of inclination, tis the tools and the time...
i hope they fix her... though I woln't want them back under the hood, i wouldn't trust them...
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-24 04:01 am (UTC)If you'd like! Sure. =^.^=
Date: 2005-01-24 04:08 am (UTC)Definately going to start doing the body-work soon though, once I do the last outstanding replacement on the engine-side of things, the timing belt, water pump, and radiator. (Replacing the radiator with the one for the larger engine size, same model car, so it'll handle desert heat better in the daytime.)