well I'm officially done with my car place

[magical thyme]

The asst manager, then manager, I'd worked with for the last 8 years or so seems to be gone. His replacement is worse than useless.

First he scared the bejeezus out of me when I took the car in to swap out the summer for winter tires and started talking about how sometimes it costs more to keep a car on the road then is worthwhile. But the quote for keeping it safe and getting it through inspection came it at all of $300...like I'm going to replace my civic for $300

Then I made the appointment to get it done, and I dragged myself out of bed early last Saturday, during heavy rains and after working 2nd shift the night before, and spent 2 hours down there wishing I was still in bed. Only to have the mechanic come out and start listing all the things I needed to do to get through inspection, along with quote. Only they hadn't ordered the effing parts, so they wasted my morning re-doing what had already been done 2 weeks earlier

So yesterday I had to drag myself out of bed early after working 2nd shift and barely sleeping the night before. This time, I asked them if they had the parts as soon as I arrived. Yes. Asked how long it would take and he said 3, maybe 4 hours, and I was that's fine, I just wanted an idea of how long. So I walked across the street and got breakfast, walked up the street and did some window shopping, then came back and settled down to nap in front of their tv. Shortly after 10 am -- 1-2 hours earlier than expected -- they told me it was done. The bill came in over $400, which was no great surprise. I had planned for $500 or so after their quote, to cover things they hadn't checked out and I could see through my bleary eyes that they'd added in a tire alignment and probably a couple other things. So I paid the bill and left.

In my car, I put on my glasses and looked more closely at the bill. There at the bottom, in small print, it listed 2 of the things we'd discussed back in November that they didn't do. The heading stated "Customer declined the following:"

So I marched back in and asked the manager about that. "Oh, the computer just printed that out. We just stuck with what you needed for inspection."

My car is old and high mileage. My goal is to keep it *safe* and *well-maintained* so it will last as long as possible. Who the goddam fuck do they think they are deciding to decline work that we've discussed, claim that *I* declined it, and just not fucking do it.

Who the fuck are they to decide my car budget?!? It's not like I wasn't sitting right there for the last hour+ that they could have asked me?!?!

So now I will have to try some other places with the short list of things to be done and see if I can get anybody else to do them. Because, you know, I am made out of time and love the fact that it will now me 5+ fucking visits to mechanics to get the work done that should have taken 2.

[Tobin S.]

1. What all do you need done?

If you lived close to me I might have been able to fix you up for a twelve pack and supper. You would have had to buy the parts, though. Do you know anyone who knows how to turn a wrench?

[magical thyme]

2. they were supposed to clean off the leaked oil and inject dye

Then I drive around for a while and then they see if they can find where it's leaking. And they were supposed to find where it's leaking coolant and fix that too.

We aren't any place near each other, otherwise I'd be buying you lobstah and all the beer you can drink

I'm looking for the former manager. He must have gone someplace....

[Tobin S.]

3. It sounds like you may have run across some incompetent morans.

Good luck in your search for a good mechanic.

[sendero]

4. Does the car actually drip oil...

... or is it just on the engine mostly?

[magical thyme]

5. it's not dripping oil

I don't know exactly what it's on, but he had said it wasn't any kind of fire risk where it's landing.

[sendero]

6. Then IMHO...

... with my longstanding shade-tree mechanic credentials, you don't need to do anything at all.

Most cars have some oil seepage. Certainly, most cars over 10-15 years old. It is not a big deal.

These guys are just trying to create work for themselves.

[magical thyme]

7. what about the coolant?

[sendero]

8. I thought you had a slow oil leak..

... sorry I missed the coolant issue.

[magical thyme]

10. I have both leaks. And it's not just that they didn't fix them as they said and I expected

It's that I sat there over the course of 3 visits for 3 hours and they never once came to me and said, "we don't do these sorts of things," or "we can't do it today because blahblahblah, but it's not urgent and can we reschedule," or "these aren't needed for inspection, do you want us to include them or just do the things needed for inspection."

Instead, they led me to believe they were being done, flat-out lied on the invoice by claiming I never authorized them, and didn't even bother to mention verbally they weren't done. Had I not read the receipt closely, I would have driven off assuming all was taken care of. But they finished an hour+ earlier than projected, so I became suspicious.

I'm effing sick to death of jerks deciding what I "need" or "can afford" or "makes sense" about my life and my property. To me it's no different than the asshole across the street who decided I "needed" my lawn mowed and destroyed my dog tie-outs. Except I paid these assholes to do a job and they didn't do the whole job.

It's not good business, it's unprofessional, and it is supremely disrespectful. Therefore, I'm done with them.

[jakeXT]

9. Do you have to constantly refill it ? nt

[magical thyme]

11. presumably. I don't know where that fluid goes. The radiator?

And if the leak can't be fixed, does that mean a new radiator?

No idea, because they didn't look for the leak to see if it could be fixed.

[jakeXT]

13. Yes, usually you can see if there is enough in it when you open the cap

I remember in my cars there was always a min or max level indicator line

Who said there was a leak ? Maybe it was just water from the air conditioning

[magical thyme]

14. no a/c in the car.

I could see a small dribble of blue antifreeze under the car.

It could just be a leaking hose or connection, but fixing cars is something I don't do.

thank you for the video link. Jeff is cute. I guess I'll check it today. I'm heading out shopping later and can pick some up to have on hand.

[jakeXT]

16. I drove a car with a leak for some years, I discoverd it when the temperature gauge on my dashboard

got into the red level. I stopped the car, let it cool and refilled it with water at the next gas station.

[magical thyme]

17. my radiator is full, but the reservoir is nearly empty

so I'm definitely picking up coolant today and will put it in the reservoir tomorrow.

I feel less of a sense of pressure to rush to get things fixed. The oil I know leaks between 1/2 and 1 quart per 6 months because that is how much they had to add when I last had it changed. Right now it is full.

[magical thyme]

12. google is my friend. Per google, get it fixed asap, so this was not a

"wait and see" or "just refill all the time."

Average cost of a radiator is $200, so I figure I'm looking at $500 tops for the radiator.

With my old, high-mileage car I expect to spend $1000-1500/year on repairs, versus many thousands to replace my car. So the mechanic wasn't doing me *any* favors letting this slide.

This really pisses me off. I've been a loyal customer for 8 years or so. I didn't deserve them to eff with me like this, and I can't afford this kind of bs. One mistake was one thing, but to deliberately neglect agreed on repairs was inexcusable.

There's a new place just 4 miles away. They started with a tow business. Now have added in repairs. I'll pay them a visit on my way to work on Monday.

I already started asking around at work on Friday, and learned of another place to avoid, lol.

[Wounded Bear]

15. Finding a good mechanic is one of the hardest things to do...

and probably the most important. A trustworthy mechanic is probably more important than a faithful lover, and harder to find sometimes.

Finding where the old manager went is a good idea. Best of luck to you.

[magical thyme]

18. I got clever, called the place and asked for Ryan (the prior manager)

they said he went back to Kentucky or Tennessee or wherever he came from. Odd, I don't remember him having a southern accent at all...hmmm...