stealerships
#11
11-09-2007, 03:39 PM
RE: stealerships
ORIGINAL: Leon@carolinacycle
My wife took her Escape in to the local stealer for a 30k service and was told the front brakes needed replacing at $156 so she said go ahead. Went to pick the car up and the bill for the service and the brakes was $896!!! WTF, $740 for a service? Needless to say she won't be going back there! Back in the day...
My first bike, a 1970 CB450,I d cross threaded the plug.
The stealer wanted $80 for a helicoil, plus labor to remove the engine, pull the head and do the helicoil. They wanted stupid money so I asked how much for a service manual.
$5 later I walked out the door witha new OEM S/M and did the removal myself. The last time I let someone else touch my bike, the job took 2 weeks instead of the 3 days quoted. Not only did he not do the work he quoted for, he broke a part and cost me an extra $30! Buy a manual and do it yourself.
My wife took her Escape in to the local stealer for a 30k service and was told the front brakes needed replacing at $156 so she said go ahead. Went to pick the car up and the bill for the service and the brakes was $896!!! WTF, $740 for a service? Needless to say she won't be going back there! Back in the day...
My first bike, a 1970 CB450,I d cross threaded the plug.
The stealer wanted $80 for a helicoil, plus labor to remove the engine, pull the head and do the helicoil. They wanted stupid money so I asked how much for a service manual.
$5 later I walked out the door witha new OEM S/M and did the removal myself. The last time I let someone else touch my bike, the job took 2 weeks instead of the 3 days quoted. Not only did he not do the work he quoted for, he broke a part and cost me an extra $30! Buy a manual and do it yourself.
#12
11-09-2007, 04:49 PM
RE: stealerships
TRY to keep them honest - Wife took the van in for oil change - She called me practically in tears about them having 1000's in repairs needed NOW. - Leaking Power steering pump, leaking valve covers, flush brake system, and to top it all off, "Burnt Tranny Fluid" - Loved this one, because the same shop did the tranny flush 5000 miles earlier. - I told her to stay there, I'd be right over. - I walked in and demanded the service manager come out and show me the burnt tranny fluid - Of course it was pink and perfect. - THEN I started in with Leaking valve covers are NOTHING I'm going to worry about - waste of money - Made him show me every other item they suggested - wound up doing the power steering pump (Seal was leaking) and gave him the HOW DARE YOU SHAFT my wife on this one - I was PISSED. - Got tons of free oil change certificates off it though, and they think twice before suggesting crap I don't need.
USUALLY I just buddy up with one of the service writers/techs and if you talk to them appropriately, they generally will spill all the details of what they typically see for problems and how hard the fixes truly are - about 1/2 the time I take it to the dealer now - they discount Labor and Parts. Other 1/2 I do it myself.
Unfortunately, our Honda dealer seems oh so weak - they have nothing in stock, service is a week or 2 to get in, prices are horrible, etc. - though I'm starting to get an in at the parts counter - usually I start out by looking for the best prices on the net, then ask them to match - they have a set "Dealer to Dealer" price that they will eventually share with their regular customers.
USUALLY I just buddy up with one of the service writers/techs and if you talk to them appropriately, they generally will spill all the details of what they typically see for problems and how hard the fixes truly are - about 1/2 the time I take it to the dealer now - they discount Labor and Parts. Other 1/2 I do it myself.
Unfortunately, our Honda dealer seems oh so weak - they have nothing in stock, service is a week or 2 to get in, prices are horrible, etc. - though I'm starting to get an in at the parts counter - usually I start out by looking for the best prices on the net, then ask them to match - they have a set "Dealer to Dealer" price that they will eventually share with their regular customers.
#13
11-09-2007, 05:43 PM
RE: stealerships
ORIGINAL: Rubicon on 38s
How do you do an oil change for 20 bucks? Do you ride a 50cc or something?
How do you do an oil change for 20 bucks? Do you ride a 50cc or something?
I buy my filters in bulk on line for about $5 per filter. My oil comes in gallon containers and runs about $15 per gallon. Oil changes take me maybe 15 minutes not counting running new safety wire. Do the math?
When you are doing maintenance on multiple bikes, you learn how to do things yourself and how to do it cheaper.....
#15
11-14-2007, 07:39 AM
RE: stealerships
From our F**K Motorcycle shops
Here's another couple of my lifes' examples...
I'll move this conversation to your Stealerships thread...
Relating to techs/writer issues...
Frequently I find they just don't LISTEN to your complaint - or it isn't relayed properly from the writer to them. - One ex. - One of my many trannys in my Seville did something very interesting - They put a new one in it - the next morning I was driving it to work, came to a stop - hit the gas and it had dropped into neutral (no, I didn't shift it, no the lever didn't move, it just dropped out of gear). - I let go of the gas, waited 5 seconds, hit the gas again, and away I went - right to the dealership (Of course replicated the problem many times on the way - oddest thing I've ever seen). - Told the service writer EXACTLY what was happening and how to replicate it. - They called me back 4 hours later at work and said they found NOTHING wrong. - I was Pissed to say the least - I went there, had the writer and MORON tech hop in the car with me - took them 1 block and showed them the problem - They ordered YET ANOTHER transmission for me and the car sat with them for yet another week. - I asked that that tech NOT work on it again (That car went through 6 NEW GM OEM transmissions before I got one that would last more than 10K miles) - Luckily all but the 1st one was paid for by warranty.
After Dodge changed out my PowerSteering pump on my van, my belt started just popping off of the pulleys anytime I hit the slightest bit of water. This one took about 5 trips back and forth with them - New tensioner, New pulleys, some alignment TSB, new belt, another new power steering pump. - They NEVER did figure that one out. - I was to the point of trading the van before I gave up on my 5 star dealer and went over to my GM parts guy with the Dodge pulley the belt kept slipping off of - he pulled out a drawer and found me a pulley with guides on the side - Installed that part myself, and things have been working flawlessly. - This is after the Dodge place told me they could do nothing more for me. - ANNOYING to say the least - a van with a belt that pops off everytime you hit snow, slush, rain is WORTHLESS. - I'm not going to teach my wife how to put a serpentine belt on in the rain.
Of course for every bad, there is a good... - right?
Oil changes at my Caddy dealer (same one with the tranny issues) - They were changing the oil on our Allante and Seville (Never take your 2 running cars in for oil changes at the same time on the same day.) - Get overhead paged to come to the change bay. - 1st problem - the threads came out with the oil pan bolt on the Allante (Aluminum pan) - They can't plug it - it's no longer driveable - need a helicoil ($300ish). - Say fix it - what choice do I have - went and complained to the manager that they are the ONLY people to have touched that plug in the past 20K+ miles and they should cover the labor (Helicoil is what $17, Labor to R/R pan is 250ish...) - They offer to cover the entire repair (THANK YOU VERY MUCH!)
During the same incident, they call me again to the oil change bay - apparently my Seville "Caught on Fire" when they went to start it after the change. - Fusible link had burned out - found the short (Tach 12V wire rubbed through and shorted on a bracket. - They gave me a new fusible link wire, the crimper, electrical tape for the wire, and wireloom to keep it from happeni
stealerships screw the techs harder then they do the customers,this is often why these horror stories happen-the good techs quit!!
if there are any monkeys at dealerships,they are the service managers and advisors,the ones that tell you what you want to hear-rather
then what you need to know-these *** clowns are treated like royalty andthe techs are treated like garbage
i am glad to hear that you found a service dept that you like,they are getting harder to come by
if there are any monkeys at dealerships,they are the service managers and advisors,the ones that tell you what you want to hear-rather
then what you need to know-these *** clowns are treated like royalty andthe techs are treated like garbage
i am glad to hear that you found a service dept that you like,they are getting harder to come by
I'll move this conversation to your Stealerships thread...
Relating to techs/writer issues...
Frequently I find they just don't LISTEN to your complaint - or it isn't relayed properly from the writer to them. - One ex. - One of my many trannys in my Seville did something very interesting - They put a new one in it - the next morning I was driving it to work, came to a stop - hit the gas and it had dropped into neutral (no, I didn't shift it, no the lever didn't move, it just dropped out of gear). - I let go of the gas, waited 5 seconds, hit the gas again, and away I went - right to the dealership (Of course replicated the problem many times on the way - oddest thing I've ever seen). - Told the service writer EXACTLY what was happening and how to replicate it. - They called me back 4 hours later at work and said they found NOTHING wrong. - I was Pissed to say the least - I went there, had the writer and MORON tech hop in the car with me - took them 1 block and showed them the problem - They ordered YET ANOTHER transmission for me and the car sat with them for yet another week. - I asked that that tech NOT work on it again (That car went through 6 NEW GM OEM transmissions before I got one that would last more than 10K miles) - Luckily all but the 1st one was paid for by warranty.
After Dodge changed out my PowerSteering pump on my van, my belt started just popping off of the pulleys anytime I hit the slightest bit of water. This one took about 5 trips back and forth with them - New tensioner, New pulleys, some alignment TSB, new belt, another new power steering pump. - They NEVER did figure that one out. - I was to the point of trading the van before I gave up on my 5 star dealer and went over to my GM parts guy with the Dodge pulley the belt kept slipping off of - he pulled out a drawer and found me a pulley with guides on the side - Installed that part myself, and things have been working flawlessly. - This is after the Dodge place told me they could do nothing more for me. - ANNOYING to say the least - a van with a belt that pops off everytime you hit snow, slush, rain is WORTHLESS. - I'm not going to teach my wife how to put a serpentine belt on in the rain.
Of course for every bad, there is a good... - right?
Oil changes at my Caddy dealer (same one with the tranny issues) - They were changing the oil on our Allante and Seville (Never take your 2 running cars in for oil changes at the same time on the same day.) - Get overhead paged to come to the change bay. - 1st problem - the threads came out with the oil pan bolt on the Allante (Aluminum pan) - They can't plug it - it's no longer driveable - need a helicoil ($300ish). - Say fix it - what choice do I have - went and complained to the manager that they are the ONLY people to have touched that plug in the past 20K+ miles and they should cover the labor (Helicoil is what $17, Labor to R/R pan is 250ish...) - They offer to cover the entire repair (THANK YOU VERY MUCH!)
During the same incident, they call me again to the oil change bay - apparently my Seville "Caught on Fire" when they went to start it after the change. - Fusible link had burned out - found the short (Tach 12V wire rubbed through and shorted on a bracket. - They gave me a new fusible link wire, the crimper, electrical tape for the wire, and wireloom to keep it from happeni
#16
11-14-2007, 10:10 AM
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#17
11-14-2007, 11:54 AM
RE: stealerships
I just make freinds with the people at the dealerships that way at the very least I dont get screwed. Best case I dont get charged for labor. I dont do that specifically to get free crap, it just kinda seems to work out that way for me. Whether it be cars, bmx bikes, or motorcycles, i just love hangin out and learning all i can from people with lots more experience then me.
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