Stealerships

[fastfredracing]

Man am I glad I left the dealer . I only made it a year and a half. For as much as I liked working on cars, I knew that was not the life for me. Back stabbing, lying, ass kissing, I was not good at any of it . I just wanted to spin some bolts and earn some cash.

[Otter74]

As a mild corrective, I will offer a small no-complaints story. My normal car is a 2013 JSW TDI, which I bought as a CPO car early last year. It's been a fantastic car. I was going to drive it to GA for Christmas and it was coming up on 40k so due for a service. Checked what a 40k entailed, then called the WI dealership I bought it from and asked them what all it received when they prepped it for sale at 35k. Turns out it got an entire 40k service and then some, so all it needed was an oil change. I go to one of the online parts sources and price out the correct oil and filter and gaskets - I haven't had a dealer or shop do an oil change since like 1995 - and it comes to $X. I look at the dealer's website and they're offering oil changes for TDIs for....$X. I call and verify this. For the same amount of money of *course* I'm going to have them do it and save my time. Drove down with my bike, went for a bike ride along the lake and did errands, oil change cost me exactly the promised $X with no upsell.

[manbridge 74]

As a counter corrective especially for Porsche owners. Oil drain times vary wildly between techs. Porsche specifies 20min minimum. Many guys put the drain plug back in real quick. On 996 the filter housing is supposed to be cleaned out. Flat rate means guys don’t care as much. Always better to DIY if you’ve the time and ability/care about your car etc….

[stevej37]

Last summer I brought my Honda Prelude to the dealer for the 80K timing belt replacement.
When done...the total bill was $100 less than the estimate.

They have treated me more than fairly at every turn.

[asphaltgambler]

Ok^^^^^I say pix ^^^^or it didn't happen^^^^^

[stevej37]

Here you go....

[stevej37]

Trace the line from the purple box on the right of the middle pic.
75 shot.

[stevej37]

One last pic...
The heater blanket keeps the bottle temp high enough to give a full shot of nitrous.

[fastfredracing]

That prelude is sweet . My wife had a 92 SI in that same color red as yours ,and my sister had a black 94 si. I loved those cars.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

That prelude is sweet . My wife had a 92 SI in that same color red as yours ,and my sister had a black 94 si. I loved those cars.

Thanks! (Milano Red) I bought it new in 98 and it's only been in the 'stealership' once....for the timing belt replacement. My skills are not enough to tackle that.

All is original. Runs the same as the day I bought it...except when I use the Zex.

[stevej37]

The cost of nitrous is getting ridiculous.
$50 to fill a 5 lb. tank.

If I was a dentist...I could get it for less.

[thor66]

people are huffing more nitrous because they are stressed from covid, which has disrupted our nitrous supply chains, plus there was a cyber attack on a big nitrous pipeline and...

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by thor66

people are huffing more nitrous because they are stressed from covid, which has disrupted our nitrous supply chains, plus there was a cyber attack on a big nitrous pipeline and...

Well...F those huffers. They are wrecking our fun.

[Zeke]

I have a younger and distant relative I only see on Thanksgiving (and sometimes not every year) who is pulling down about 100K/yr at the Chey dealer in the service lanes. Not a manger.

He was at a Mercedes dealer when something came up (IDK) and he got canned. He was making over 120K there.

[stevej37]

No idea why there is such a stigma from nitrous.

All it does..is increase the amount of oxygen going into the intake. Combined with extra fuel..it leads to hp increase.

It's not a magical mixture.

[Bugsinrugs]

Off topic but when did the v- tec engine go to a timing chain?

[stevej37]

^^^ post #44
My 2010 Fit has a timing chain. Not sure when they changed over. Good question.

[stevej37]

My timing belt on the Prelude was replaced at 110K miles...still looked as new.
My Fit has 230K on the timing chain...if it breaks, bye bye engine.

[speeder]

I've had positive dealership experiences, most recently with my Jetta Tdi that is still under extended VW dieselgate warranty. Everything is free and they have replaced some sensors and other things. Very nice service writer and mechanics.

A friend recently had an experience at a Toyota dealer that was truly hideous. She has a 2005 Tundra, (featured in another thread on this board), w 140k miles in good condition. It threw a couple secondary air injection codes and went into limp mode, so she brought it in for a diagnosis. Mind you, this is an extremely common failure on Toyota V-8s over the last 20 years, (failed electric air pump), Toyota even extended the warrantee to 10 years on certain models for this part. The dealership had to have seen this problem dozens of times if not more. On top of that, it is throwing the two codes associated with the failure that could not be anything else.

Instead, the service writer in concert with one of the mechanics told her that she needed a new transmission at a cost of $7k and that it probably exceeds the value of the truck. They then offered to buy it from her for $500. A quick scan of Ebay shows clean 4x4 Tundras of this vintage fetching ~$20k if completely rust-free and nice. Hers is. It's a TRD, etc. Crazy used car prices right now.

I really want to go down to the dealer and do some on-the-spot dentistry on those freaking lizards but I'm trying to formulate a better response. A lawsuit is not off the table, if there are grounds. Those employees are getting fired when I'm through, that's for sure.

[Bugsinrugs]

She kept the truck I hope. ???