Car Rants BIGTIME!!!!

[jgcable]

Mechanics suck. The only reason I brought my car for repair is because its 10 degrees outside and its too cold to climb under a car.
My 2001 Sentra needs a starter. It was turning slowly and sounded like crap. It just started happening Thursday. Its a Bitch to put in so I decided to bite the bullet and bring it to a local repair shop. I put in a new battery and had the alternator installed and its all good. It was definately the starter.
I bring it to a reputable local repair shop that has been in business since the 70's. They are literally 200 yards from my house.
WHAT HAPPENS!!!! They install my new starter and......
#1. My new starter is intermittently grinding. It turns the car over really fast with no problems but sometimes it just doesn't sound right. Almost like the selenoid is sticking.
#2. On the way home I notice a whistling noise. I get home and open the hood to find the mechanic didn't bolt the air box to the MAF Sensor housing. The bolts were in there. They just weren't tight. Not even finger tight.
#3. This may be nit picking but I keep my cars NICE.
The negative battery bolt is chewed to shit and looks like the mechanic used plyers instead of the correct 10mm socket or wrench.
When I brought the car to the mechanic I told him its just too cold for me to put a starter in outside. He asked me if I had already bought one and I told him no. He told me to run to the auto parts store and buy a starter and he will install it for $110.00. I went to the local CarQuest and bought one and left the car and the starter for him to install. Now I have a grinding starter.
I am thinking since he didn't tighten up the rest of the bolts, maybe he didn't tighten the starter bolts.
This is the second time in the last 10 months that I have had horror stories with mechanics. The last time it was another local shop who put in a water pump in my 2000 Neon incorrectly and it started leaking a month later. He told me it was a defective water pump. I sent it back to the manufacturer and they told me its not defective and it was installed incorrectly. Both pointed the finger at the other one and I was out an additional $300.00. That mechanic also cracked my lower splash panel when removing it.
So.. off to the repair shop tomorrow morning to fight the good fight about the starter. I am also not happy about how they forgot to tighten really important bolts and the fact that they chewe up my negative battery bolt by not using the proper tools.
THIS SUCKS.

[StukaJU87]

John, I feel your pain. I like to work on my own stuff as well. At least the stuff I can do. In the winter I am the same way. It is too cold outside to fuss around with your fingers freezing and getting your hands all effed up.

The mechanic shop I used to trust has been taken over by scAAMCO and I won't use them anymore. I started using a shop closer to home and so far they have been very fair with me and my g/f.

Being that he had you buy the starter, he may try to blame the rebuilder. As far as leaving bolts and stuff undone? That's not good. Like you, I try to stay on top of my maintenance also and don't like shoddy repair work.

[Cygnus X1]

I have something to make you feel even worse.

'96 Nissan Maxima...starter.
I knew it, didn't want to mess with it.
The mechanic summons me into the shop (he knows me).
He points to the TOP of the engine, says "Uh, it's right there".

Hint, hint.
I swapped it out in about ten minutes.
I used to hate that car, but for that...I love the Maxima,
and my mechanic.

I paid him 50 bux for that little point of the finger.
I easily saved twice that much.

[Jayster]

Bummer, I turn a wrench for a living but not on cars(I can, but have zero desire too). Luckily, I've never had a problem with the vendors(shops) that I've used.

After spending the last 20 years pushing around a toolbox, and being responsible for 6 miles of automated machinery ~ I'll let someone else change the oil <hahahahaha>. However, once my son gets a little older I'll be teaching him as quick as he can learn.

John, the generalized lack of attention to detail is getting scarily common and it really does suck that the customer is rarely considered right! Good luck with getting it straightened out, and enjoy that global warming

[Trussrod]

I replaced a brake caliper in 10 F weather and know where you are coming from. Tools feel like ice cubes after a few minutes. One thing I dislike more though is arguing over incorrect repairs and damaged property--as if anyone needs the added stress. Good luck!

[etepbbb]

I do most of my own work too. It just twists me up to pay some guy 4 or 5 times what it costs me in parts. But sometimes you just have to have it done by someone else, I just try and think of all the money I'm not paying them by doing the majority of repair work.

I've also noticed the same thing lately with loose bolts or covers and seals installed backwards. That does eats me up too, after spending the money, to either have to fix thier mistakes(saving time), or bring it back. It just less then professional workmanship.

As far your car is concerned the loose bolts are unexceptable, grinding starter is unexceptable, the battery clamp not a big deal-but I'd mention it in an effort to show the overall quality of the job sucked. Good luck at the shop tommorow.

[Spivonious]

This is why you put the car in the garage and get a space heater

[CharvelRocker]

I would be sure to get that bolt on the negative cable replaced ASAP; if it's chewed up now it will only get worse as it's corrodes and could well wind up unturnable, which I've seen happen.

I'm lucky in that when I need something done I have a mechanic who will do it right and use good parts. I also know that when the guy who actually owns it does the work, it's a good job. Sometimes the owners really are honest repairmen, but they have peons do the minor stuff and don't think to check it, which could be the case here.

[whackmaster]

As a former mechanic, i can tell you that no decent shop is gonna let you bring in your own electrical parts. There's a reason for the price difference between certain after market part makers and different levels of quality as well. There is a strong chance that it's the starter itself that's defective although it sounds like it could definitely be installer error, judging by the bang up job they've done for you so far! Good luck on getting things fixed and I definitely agree that the cable end should be replaced for free by them!

[Jason1212]

If the end of the cable end is bad replace the whole cable. Especially if it's the negative one which is probably only 12" or so long. Cable ends are good in a pinch, but they will end up corroding more due to the lead content and newly exposed cable. Also +1 on shops allowing you to bring your own parts. Not rubbing salt in the wound, but given what happened with your Neon I would think you would make them procure the part.

[Rsmacker]

So.. off to the repair shop tomorrow morning to fight the good fight about the starter.

Take your gun, it might make them more amenable.

I hate ti when things like this happen, I prefer to work on my own cars, or get close friends to do it. Thing is that now they are getting too hi-tech, there's very little I can do to my Jag myself, and I hate the way they have me by the balls at the Main Stealer. The only upside is that there are plenty of mechanics who work at the Jag plant who will do foreigners for cash. One even has his own industrial unit which he goes to work at when he finishes his shift at the plant!

[RacerX]

That sucks dude, here's how I solved it: bought a Lexus.

[Newc]

Get yourself one of those warm-n-cozy jumpsuits and some Astronaut gloves and work on your shit in the bitter cold.

[DonP]

That sucks dude, here's how I solved it: bought a Lexus.

And I an Acura.

I love taking the wife's Tahoe in and getting ass-raped by the dealer. But I don't trust independent mechanics because of things already mentioned in this thread.

[whackmaster]

Actually, the dealers are the most untrustworthy of all. They get next to no compensation for diagnostic time so they usually just guess, or, if the right mark comes in, throw as many parts on it as possible! your best bet aside from doing it yourself if you have the skills, is to find a trustworthy independent shop - they are out there, just hard to find - btw, firestone and goodyear are not independents!