Shop Rant

[Drache]

So about three weeks ago I took my Dart to the shop to get the timing cover gasket replaced due to it leaking oil. I told the shop that I would be gone working for the week after that working out of town.

I came back after a week and the shop said my car was done. I asked them about storage since I might be gone until the end of July. They said no problem and quoted me a figure and I said that would be fine. I drove my car into their lot, covered it, and walked away thinking nothing of it and went back to work.

Fast forward to a couple days ago. I realized that if I took a day off work, I'd have a long weekend enough to race home, grab the Dart and make one of the car shows this year (with the way I work it was looking like I'll be missing all the shows).

So I raced home as the show is tomorrow (Sunday). Get to the shop and ask for the keys to pick up my car. I get told my car is "not ready". I ask how so since the car was ready the week before. I'm told they tried to move the car on Wednesday and the starter went. (They were allowed to move my car once a covered spot was available).

I received no calls stating the starter needed to be replaced. So not only did I take a day off work for nothing, they ordered a plain starter (which arrived on Thursday but they've been too busy to install it) for the car (purchased from NAPA)

[myk]

A lot of shops suck.  Even the "good" ones have service gaps like what you experienced.  Why, some people ask?  Because quite frankly it isn't their car.  Most people don't care about things unless it belongs to them, but you can see countless cars on the road whose owners couldn't care less about their vehicles.  Also, no disrespect to shop personnel, but most of them aren't groomed for impeccable service standards and care.  To put it bluntly, people just don't care, these days.  Hope you get to hit some of the shows this year...

[RECHRGD]

Did you check your mileage before you left the car?  I don't trust anyone anymore......

[rt green]

there are a lot of shops out there that give us good shops a bad name. a lot of our  customers bring us their muscle cars. we treat them with care.

[el dub]

 I thought your cousin ran the shop.

[Drache]

I thought your cousin ran the shop.

He does 

[el dub]

The plot thickens.       

[super77se]

exactly why I do everything myself

[Drache]

So I picked up the Dart a couple hours ago to drive it home. Noticed a chirping sound from under the hood.

Popped the hood at home and sure enough could hear it clear as day. Give the car some gas and the chirping speeds up. Figured it was a belt. Went back to the shop and they got me to pop the hood. They checked the belts and all appear to be fine and tight. He used a mechanics stethoscope and listened all over and then told me he had no idea what the noise was and to bring it back tomorrow morning.

The noise sounds to be coming from the engine itself, not the belts.

Once again, not happy. They should have been able to clearly hear this when test driving the car, I certainly did.

[Patronus]

My guess is a cracked rubber plug on the carb base...? The vacuum can make it sing sometimes...
Also, the starter only has 2 bolts and a nut, prob take you an hour if ya had to lay on your back. Sux tho...

[wingcar]

Sadly sooner or later it seems as if most everyone has had a bad experience with a service shop.  I remember bring in a car (a Monte Carlo SS) for some basic work.  When I picked it up...it ran worst then it did when I dropped it off the day before.  Barely left their lot when I brought it right back and asked why they didn't at least take it around the corner to ensure that all was right....they said they were too busy.  Turns out they left off a spark plug wire....needless to say I never went back.
 
I also remember when I brought my SUV into a dealer for an oil change...you know the "quick oil and lube Lane"...  Well when they finished and handed me the keys I got in and the floor mats had oil on them and the side door panel and steering wheel had grease on them.   I left the car and went to the service manager...He informed me that the "low skilled" beginners were the ones working the fast oil lane....that gave me a lot of confidence in their workforce and the job they did.   He made them clear up everything and made things right but as I told him...it's the little things that can kill your customer base...They lost me as a customer that day.....

Hope you get your Dart back on the road, it's so nice looking....

[TCB]

Whenever possible I don't leave my car alone at a shop.  I realize your situation is different since it was your cousin but I've heard a lot of these stories unfortunately.  Most of them worse than yours...

[rt green]

hope thet didnt spin a bearing

[birdsandbees]

Well you certainly have no respect for your cousin, considering you're dissing him on an open forum, so why the hell do you take your car there in the first place???  Do you get the 1/2 rate family discount on the labour? Looks like it takes them twice as long as it should to do the work = the same overall cost that the good shop down the street would charge you to do it right the first time.

..and like many have said, why I wrench on my own cars. You can only be upset with yourself for so long.. 

[Drache]

Well you certainly have no respect for your cousin, considering you're dissing him on an open forum

I'm not dissing my cousin. I'm ranting about the shop not calling me to let me know my car was not ready, that the starter went when someone who worked at the shop tried to move the car. 

[RJS]

Sounds like a Rod bearing.

[SuperJim]

Update?

[Drache]

Update?

Well the new starter went as soon as I drove the one hour north for a friend who wanted to use it in their wedding photos (didn't even make it to the wedding). At the same time the supposed fixed oil leaking from the timing cover was still there. Both of those are being done on warranty (ie free). As for the other problems, no idea. The engine will be inspected to look for other problems. At the same time I'm also swapping the old original rockers for roller rockers.