Have I been ripped?

Dinhster · 07-18-2000, 05:50 PM

I have this shop change my clutch. Everything is nice. It shifted better than ever. Twenty minutes later it breaks. I have it towed back to the shop.

The next morning I get a call from the shop that the clutch is fixed, but and it's a big but, the condenser was pushed up into the radiator. When the car came down from the tow truck it smacked something. I don't know what but I heard a thud.

So, we, the shop and I assume that it was the towing companies fault. After the insurance company pays me, the shop tells me that the condenser was never bolted down right and that it would have fallen out regardless. I don't believe them.

The car just had major service about 3 months prior, belts, radiator, and A-arms done at another shop. I drove it for 2,000 miles really hard. The condenser was never a problem. Now it seems that according to the shop it was always like that.

When I had the original car sales inspection the boys at Andial never mentioned the condenser being loose. The shop that did the major service had changed my oil in that time without any notification of a problem.

Who do I believe? What do you think? I didn't sign anything and took the keys to my 86'951 back. I'm waiting tow it back to the shop that did the major service.

hoff944 · 07-18-2000, 08:50 PM

You lost me after the shop agreed it was the towing companies fault but then said it wasn't bolted on right.

Dinhster · 07-18-2000, 09:19 PM

The shop (Haus of Performance in Costa Mesa, CA), said that the condenser was loose, hence a thud such as the one coming off of the tow truck caused the damage.

Now, this car has been through quite a few hands; the alignment shop, the company that did the major service, the inspection shop, the gas station that did the smog check, and the Haus of performance.

Now these guys (Haus of BS) are telling me that all these companies all missed the glaring fact that the condenser was not bolted in correctly and that they (Haus of BS) were helping me by not point out this fact to the claims appraiser.

I went through hell and back with Farmers Insurance to get those bastards to pay for the negligence of one of their vendors, the towing company. Now I hear this mess about the condenser?

I don't know what to believe. I have my theories, but I wanted to get other feedback.

PS. Mention the DOI, or Department of Insurance, the regulating body of the insurance industry and they'll listen.

LtUSMC · 07-19-2000, 04:15 AM

Dealing with insurance companies really sucks! It's one of the worst things one has to do on this world.

All I can say is that why would anybody mess with your alternator anyway?? It's not invovled in a clutch job in anyway, right? It's quite possible it was "loose," and over time came off. In fact, if it wasn't totally on right, it's likely to have been loosened up over time, finally totally falling off. Sometimes life has strange coincidences. If this is true, it's likely the inspection service fault, since they're the only ones I could imagine playing with the alternator?

It's going to be hard to put blame on one specific person here since it passed so many hands. As long as you get all your money back, it's probably the best you can hope for. Just make sure you do, and don't take any crap from anyone.

hoff944 · 07-19-2000, 09:18 AM

Okie, I understand now. Surely it wasn't loose after it has been through all of that.

cyclemike · 07-20-2000, 05:35 AM

Here's a thought. Buy yourself a set of manuals. Don't let anyone lay hands on your car unless it's something you can't fix yourself. Next time something falls off your car you'll know exactly who to pin the blame on.

lm6y · 07-20-2000, 03:47 PM

Amen Cyclemike! Not only that, but you will gain the confidence, and experience to change things that you wouldn't dream of at first! Are reading this Hoff?

------------------

Dinhster · 07-20-2000, 05:42 PM

Update, the insurance company is paying for everything. They will then pursue the towing company. The car is now at the shop that did the major service a while back.

LtUSMC "All I can say is that why would anybody mess with your alternator anyway?"

Exactly. Why would someone mess with it? Unless they were upto something. Also, it wasn't the alternator, but the condenser which is a part of the AC system.

Also, nothing integral to an engine can fall off without creating seriously major damage! Condensers just don't fall off. If it had, then it would be pulled it into the crank where all the belts are centrally located. Then watch as it went boom!

Lt, you're also missing the point. I think that the shop (Haus) set me up for a big whammo! How the hell do 3 reputable shops, as well as Haus(those bastards) miss a supposedly unbolted condenser? That's just plain stupid. They are affliated somehow with the POC, so I think I am going to write some complaints. Just cuz.

[This message has been edited by Dinhster (edited 07-20-2000).]

hoff944 · 07-20-2000, 09:56 PM

Loud and clear lm6y. I think we covered that about a week ago

divezic · divezic's Garage

Unfortunately, in the past 3 years of Porsche ownership, I found out there are a lot of clowns out there who claim to be "German car specialists" or "Porsche" mechanics who know very little about our cars. They probably worked on a VW or 914 and now they are experts. Don't get me wrong, I Love 914's, but it ain't no 944, mechanically.

There are three types of shops. 1-The guys who know what ther are doing and do it well, 2-The guys that don't really know what they are doing, screw something up and are honest enough to take the blame and fix what they broke, and 3-same as 2 but blame everybody else.

This is the best forum to protect yourself from numbers 2 and 3. I've never changed my water pump or timing belt, but I know enough from reading this and other BBSs (and Haynes)to ask some in-depth questions. If they didn't know what I was talking about, I walk away. One place actually said to me, "Naw, you don't have to retention the timing belt at 15,000 miles." He couldn't figure out why I was laughing at him while I did an about-face and walked out.

Educate yourself and ask questions. Knowledge is power.

------------------
Dave
1984 944
Stuck in hell with a year to go.

hoff944 · 07-21-2000, 10:50 AM

So you graduate next year Dave?

Its also a good time to ask some guys in your loca PCA which shops are reputable and which are not. I take my car to have the belts done at a shop that services nothing but Porsches, Audis, and Acuras. They are a lot closer to the PCA than our dealership is. I also figured it a good hint when they had a picture of their 944 racer on the wall.