Now I know why I fix my own vehicles

[Phonetek]

Recently I blew a metal brake line on my Tahoe. Coming to a red light, my pedal went to the floor. I quickly slammed it into low one and used the parking brake to come to a stop. I got out seen the puddle of fluid forming. I quickly made a Uey and headed slowly home. I got under and seen where the break was. The lines were all rusted because GM cheaped out and didn't use stainless steel like they are SUPPOSED to. I found the kit on Amazon to replace them all on the entire truck for 70 bucks, prebent and everyone who got them left rave reviews.

Replacing them is extensive work. I have to drop the tank, drive shaft and a series of electrical harnesses to do it. About a two day job on my back. The day I was going to order the parts my father in law called wifey and said to have it towed to the stealership that he wanted to pay to have it done. That's just his way, he brings his to the dealer to have a bulb replaced and even wipers. I've always been a DIY guy because I don't have that kind of money. I worked at a shop for 2 years as a wrench before I got into telecom. I didn't go to school for it other than a kick *** auto shop class in high school with a teacher I would compare to my head mechanic at work. I still talk to him to this day.

Today I got the call and realized while I DIY. The man called with a solemn tone and said. "Well we got under your Tahoe and it needs all new lines, also fuel lines, 4 new calipers so were looking at $5300. I said "WHAT!?" He says "Yeah, everything is so rusted it all needs to be replaced" I said "The calipers are all rusted? Kinda odd since they are solid steel" He said, "No but they probably won't get the bleeder screws loose without breaking them, they already shot them with penetrating oil" I said "What good is penetrating oil going to do? If the oil penetrates then the brake fluid would have been leaking out, Ever hear of a torch?"

He said "Oh we don't use torches because there is hydraulics inside" I said, "Your not heating the whole caliper, only the bleeder screw itself. You don't use an Oxygen Acetylene torch, just a propane to get it to 200 degrees your not trying to melt or cut anything. Get it hot then splash it with cold water, insert a 3mm drill bit in the screw so it doesn't collapse and gently turn it WILL come right out 100% of the time!" Not to mention, I just did the front brakes 3 months ago and the bleeders loosened right up and I put anti-seize compound on them. I told the dude "Don't call me like your a doctor with a terminal patient and tell me everything is a lost cause. If they can't get them loose without breaking them then they don't know what they are doing, they break it then they bought it I'm not paying for it PERIOD!"

They don't use torches? LOL EVERY mechanic here in the rust belt uses torches! If they don't, then they aren't mechanics they are parts changers! Also, my fuel lines are just fine, I was just under there looking at that very thing and checked them stem to stern and THEY are stainless steel like the brake lines SHOULD have been. Freaking Steelerships, such a joke!

[Phonetek]

I actually know their motivation for quoting me that ridiculous price. First is because they figured they found a sucker who'd pay it. The other reason is because my 01 Tahoe is in cherry condition. It doesn't have so much as a rock chip or spec of rust. It runs perfect, burns no oil and even the interior is perfectly clean. You'd be hard pressed to find another 01 around in that kind of shape in Illinois. The blue book on it is still several thousand dollars. The next conversation would be if I declined the repair was to use it for a trade in which they would low ball me on. They'd get the truck, put a couple hundred in parts on it and turn around an cash in from selling it. I'm not stupid. LOL

[GrumpyCatFace]

I think you nailed it with this part: "They're not mechanics, they're part changers"

There are very, VERY few actual mechanics left anymore.

[Phonetek]

I think you nailed it with this part: "They're not mechanics, they're part changers"

There are very, VERY few actual mechanics left anymore.

Exactly. I just talked to the head service guy. I told them, I simply will NOT pay for calipers if they break them screws and that's that. He can pay for his guys blunders and poor skills or pass it onto the next idiot to make up for it. No excuses. Fuel lines? I can see MAYBE the ones at the tank at most because in fairness I couldn't see them without dropping the tank, so I'll give them that.

He tried telling me that the water pump is leaking too. I called him out on that and cried foul. I literally just did a pressure test on the cooling system a few weeks ago because I was smelling coolant but seen no leak, no drips but a still a loss. An extensive pressure test, turned out to be the reservoir cap. The seal is bad so air gets in and allows coolant to vaporize and evaporate hence the odor. I swapped it with my wife's who has a Trail Blazer same cap, problem fixed but moved to her truck. Repeated pressure test with her cap, no loss. I swapped them back until I get a new one. Water pump? Pfft!

I'm shocked they haven't mentioned the drive shaft U-joints. Those are clearly bad, when putting it in gear you hear the loud clunk. I'll do those but I'm sure since they have to drop the shaft they didn't say anything about it. Oh wait! Those U-joints have plastic seals instead of snap rings that you have to use a torch to melt in order to remove them and they pop right out. Next call will be. "Uh sir, you need to replace your drive shaft. LOL You watch, I WILL get that call before this is over! LMAO

[fordman1]

I started leasing in 1986. Haven't bought a tire, battery, tune up or had a brake job since. Just an oil change every year and a half. I used to hate getting under those old cars and skinning my knuckles.

[Phonetek]

Unfortunately I'm not really in a position to do that. My credit is in the tank and a car payment even on a lease isn't something that would fit into our budget at this time. Ol Besse still has a lot of years left on her, she's in excellent shape and runs perfect. I've always been good at preventative maintenance. I don't even know if the check engine light works because it's never been activated.

This problem is completely caused by poor craftsmanship, cheaping out on materials not maintanance. Brake lines should outlast any vehicle. These aren't even galvanized. Heck, the rubber hoses to the calipers aren't even dry rotted, pretty sad when rubber outlasts metal. If you google it, there are literally thousands of complaints about this particular issue but GM won't do a recall like they should. These cheapy lines create a severe safety risk. My quick reaction to downshifting and using the parking brake is the only reason I didn't go flying through the intersection to my death or someone else's. You'd think on a vehicle which cost $45k back in 2001 they could have been a little less frugal on something so important.

[Timmyb]

I do all my own non-warranty repairs. I can rebuild almost any RWD transmission, engines, diffs, and I've never met a brake job I couldn't do. Funny thing is, I no longer do my own oil changes. Cheaper to get done by the kids than crawling around by myself.

[Phonetek]

I do all my own non-warranty repairs. I can rebuild almost any RWD transmission, engines, diffs, and I've never met a brake job I couldn't do. Funny thing is, I no longer do my own oil changes. Cheaper to get done by the kids than crawling around by myself.

LOL I do oil changes myself too. I had my drain plug stripped out and filters cranked on with a wrench where I had to shove a huge screwdriver through them to get them off. Somehow they think filter wrenches are to remove and install them. BUZZZ! Thanks for playing. Lube the gasket fresh oil, twist on by hand then snug tight 1/4 turn, 1/2 turn absolute MAX and only by hand. Wrenches not only over tighten them but can crush the filter. I'm sure you already knew that Timmy.

[boatman37]

Welllllll, let me tell you about my local Dodge dealer. It had 2 previous owners before the current one and I never had any issues when the others owned it. The current owner bought it (Napletons) and it has been a disaster since then. It is so bad now that you drive by in the summer and there are more empty bays in the garage than cars in there. You don't need appointments anymore for basic stuff because they are never that busy.

Let's see. 4 out of 5 oil changes they left the filter loose (3 different vehicles). They never reset the oil change alert thing. I took my just washed truck in for an oil change and they dripped oil down my fender and didn't even clean it off. I have permanent fingerprint marks above my one headlight that won't come off. Even had a different dealer try to get them off. Will need to be wet sanded and buffed to get them out. Not sure how they did that. This is on a 2013 Ram that was about 2 years old when it happened. Went there to buy tires for same truck because they had buy 2 get 2 free. Drove to work the next day and about rattled my teeth out. Called dealer and the asst' service manager said the mechanic said i had a bent rim. i knew this wasn't true but asked why they didn't call me if i had a bent rim? and also mentioned that it was fine before that. went back in the next day and talked to the service manager (who was off the day before). she asked the mechanic and he said he never mentioned anything about a bent rim. So they rebalance both rear tires and fixed that.
That was my 2013 Ram (except for the loose filters which were my Ram, wifes 2006 Commander and daughters 2006 Grand Cherokee)

So daughter takes her GC in for an alignment. She just had a 2" lift installed and needed the alignment. The dealer said they broke a few bolts off and would have to order parts because they couldn't get the broken bolts out. Meanwhile these bolts were out a week earlier when the lift was installed. So anyway they had it a week and the bill was over $500.

Step-son has a 2015 Dodge Dart he bought new from them. He had an engine issue so they replaced the engine with about 20,000 miles on it (under warranty). He got the car back with a cracked front bumper, the little plastic 'door' in front of the front tire to change the headlight was missing, there were wire looms not put back into place and even one that couldn't be put back because it had to go around the exhaust manifold so either the exhaust had to come off or the harness unplugged and re-routed. Then he took it in for an oil change and tire rotation. They stripped his locking lug nut on one wheel and ruined the locking lug socket and also scratched his wheel up all around the lug holes.

That's all I can remember but i quit going to them. The only reason we kept getting oil changes was cause they were doing buy 1 get 3 free so I got in the habit of checking the filters when I got home. 4 out of 5 were leaking and could be turned by hand about 1/2 turn. Step-son was stubborn and kept going there. told him to go to a different one but he said it was too much of an inconvenience but i think with this lug nut deal he is done there too.

[J Anderson]

Back in the mid 80s, I took my car to the locally owned alignment shop for a front end alignment and was charged the going rate. A few weeks later, my dad took his ‘75 Dodge Monaco with about 50,000 miles in for an alignment and was told he needed to have the upper and lower ball joints as well as the tie rod ends to the tune of about $700. Dad took the car across town to a different shop. They replaced one tierod end and the car was fine.
P.s. the first shop had been sold the year before and was out of business within five years.

Earlier this year, my 2002 E250 work van was running rough so I made an appointment to take it to an independent garage. Unfortunately, that day the van ran fine. It had stored a code that a cylinder wasn’t firing but they could not figure out which one it was. They said to come back when it started to act up again. About a week later it did and they were able to find the cylinder that was misfiring and replace a bad coil. The next day, the check engine light was on but the van was running fine, so I drove in with out an appointment. I was thinking they had forgotten to clear the code and I hadn’t noticed. One of the techs came right out to the van, plugged his code reader in and saw the cde for a bad egr valve. Made an appointment to have them fix it. When they went to replace the valve they found the vacuum hose was cracked where they could not see it. They cut the line back, checked to make sure the old valve was working, and sent me on my way. The only thing I had to pay for was changing the coil. Not all car repair shops are crooks.