Why can't people get it right?

[Riad]

What happened to the idea of paying attention to the details these days. Every one seems like running after some invisible finish line for some reason. Every thing gotta finish in 2 seconds no matter what. So here's what happened. After I come back from my wheeling trip, I discover that both brackets on my mufler are cracked, broken and about to fall off. The whole thing was hanging on the rear tail pipe's and front cat's/pipe's hangers. So I purchase a OEM mufler. Unfortunately replacing/reparing those brackets invovle welding and cost more time than money. Beside I thought this would be a good maint. factor since the mufler is pretty old. I had MIDAS install the mufler for me. These guys seemed to do good work but like every one else out there (even the toyota dealer) they screw up too. I guess most of these shops are not used to work on "foreign" cars? I don't know.. any way, there are two rubber cushons that go with the mufler hanger. The OEM cushons have heat shield type plate on both side of the cushon, sounds like a good protection factor to me. Any way, these morons put on bare rubber cushons when they installed my mufler . So now after driving for a while I smell this burning rubber smell coming from rear PS under body. And it is the rubber they put on! The other day toyota dealer worked on my wife's 2004 4Runner, basically they resurfaced the front rotors. After she got her truck back, she almost rear ended some one because the truck would not stop unless the brake padel was floored. Turned out, the dealer didn't bleed the brake. So we went back to the dealer, waited another 3 hours and then they got it right. I don't even know why they would need to do that because they were simply resurfacing the front rotors. Anyway, I guess I have to go get those "right" cushons and get them to replace those burning rubbers. Maybe I will just do it myself, tired of this neglignece.

 

[MH_Stevens]

Make Midas put it right. The air in the brakes may be because they put back on the old worn shoes; taking up so much slack would drop the fluid level to where air could get in. With new shoes this just should not happen. Check this out.

 

[fj803fe]

Cure to this....do your own maintenance, don't trust ANYONE with your truck-ever.

 

[minghi]

hehe. I am so afraid to go to any shop for the last two years,that I either do my own work or take a day off and sit in front of the guy working on the car, just so that he would be less careless. most shops have opened seating spaces like the tyre kingdom setups. well, thats how it goes

 

[MTNRAT]

I am lucky. Where I take my 80 when I am too busy to do the work, lets me wander around the shop while they work. They also don't mind me asking them if they have done things. If it's late Friday afternoon I get a couple of pops as well ).
Cheers,
Sean

 

[skywalkerguy]

I had a Toyota dealer go through three power steering pumps and two power steering racks before they finally got it right on our 98 Avalon. Of course this was after the mechanic stuck a bolt in the A/C drain and forgot to take it out. My wife kept complaining that water was dripping on her foot and it smelled like something died. Anyway, four trips an hour away to the dealer, including them giving us a rental for the weekend while they detailed and refelted the carpet it's finally right.

Frustrating!

 

[Riad]

Yeah, I have got pretty much every thing to do my own work, EXCEPT a lift, a torch and welding machine. I guess also I could not do an engine swap because I don't have that engine jack/lift. Mostly space is the main issue. Other than that, I also take days off to do my own work. Next time I buy a house I am getting a lift in the garage, period.

 

[ranma21]

I do not send my vehicle to anyone else except someone I trust. I have friends who have trouble with dealers too. So far I have not send my truck to any shop except Firestone for alignment and balance my tires and guess what, they scew up too. One store will come out with different reading from another by their "expert" alignment technician!!!

 

[agomez]

Firestone+alignment= CRAP!!!!

 

[brianinaustin]

I hear ya man... I'll NEVER go back to NTB, the regional tire chain. I saw the "manager" use a steel tire tool to scratch my Maxima's painted Al wheels, they put directional tires on the wrong direction, and I've bounced to three locations in a day trying to get a car to drive straight. And yep, after aligning it, each subsequent tech said it needed an alignment. Whew... I feel a little better now. Kudos/props to Discount Tire Co. I've only been a couple of times, but they've done good work.

 

[GXO]

I do my own work. I still screw it up, I just can't win!

 

[El Perro Grande]

Cure to this....do your own maintenance, don't trust ANYONE with your truck-ever.

Sad but true.

 

[fj803fe]

On the exhaust hanger note. I just replaced two exhaust hangers last week. One that a muffler shop fuggered up after my LCs muffler had its final and last encounter with Moab rock.

Made up my own braket to mount to the stock Toyota bush and welded on.

Muffler shop+clamps=CRAP

got away for under 50 dollhairs and nary a problem.

 

[Montana Cruiser]

I do my own work. I still screw it up, I just can't win!

I screw mine up too ..... but its a hell of alot easier on the pocket-book because I wasnt paying someone $65 an hour

 

[80me]

When I figure what my time is worth (working) it ends up costing me more an hour to do the work on my truck than to pay someone. I just can't find someone I trust to do the work. If I were better set up with tools (a lift, etc.) I could narrow the margin a bit and with more experience I would certainly come ahead. It gets easier with very job and you know what you have. You see things that could easily go unnoticed when your head is poked under your machine for a couple hours and you learn about how your machine works………or doesn’t work.

 

[agomez]

Discount tire here in San Antonio does good work had new rims put on my other truck and tires rubbed on the corner of the bumper offered to trim corner did a great job tried to give a $20 he would not take it said it was part of the job, about fell out of my shoes nice to know you can still find quality out there just have to look.

Andy

 

[fj803fe]

When I figure what my time is worth (working) it ends up costing me more an hour to do the work on my truck than to pay someone.QUOTE]

Same, but if I look at having an only vehicle gone for 3 weeks (I drive on average 60 to 150 miles/day) and having the answer of "It won't start" after 1 week, and "Can't get that part" after 2 weeks and then having to find a part for them (2 days later) and finally getting it installed at the end of week 3-I can take a Sunday off from cycling for a $30 fix.

 

[Bob_Garrett]

Firestone+alignment= CRAP!!!!

Back in the early 90s some Firestone stores would try and sell you replacement stuff (mufflers, brakes, shocks, etc.) simply based on the mileage on your odometer. They apparently had a table that said if you had xxxxx miles, you needed xxxxx parts.

 

[ginericLC]

The mechanic I use when I can't do it myself is very fair and very thorough. He works along side his father who is 73 years old and still wrenching. His dad is the guy you want to go to if you need a carb rebuilt. The one think I don't like about my mechanic is that he is thorough he usually points out things I didn't want to know. By the way, you have an exhaust leak here. You have a broken stud on one of your shocks. Those brake lines don't look very good you should think about fixing those. He's not doing this to jack up his bill. He's just very concerned about safety and the wellness of my vehicles. He's anal. It isn't just with my rig. He could be working on a pile of junk and he takes the same amount of care with it. Most folks he has come into the shop and look at the parts and his diagnosis to make sure they agree with his diagnosis and understand why these things need to be fixed. I guess I'm lucky he cares. Even though he harasses me about being so Toyota I wear Toyota underwear.