The Funniest Waranty Story I Have
09-11-2003, 02:02 PM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 378
Originally Posted by j9fd3s' date='Sep 11 2003, 08:27 AM
[quote name='Cheers!' date='Sep 11 2003, 08:14 AM'] woah.
But isn't that how all dealership technicians are trained. THey just start replacing modules and components until the problem is fixed. They will not rebuild trannies, not trouble shoot.
THey just replace mindlessly until **** gets fixed. That is the difference between real mechanics who own their own shop vs techs at dealerships. THeydon't care. It's under warranty. Just start replacing ****.
But isn't that how all dealership technicians are trained. THey just start replacing modules and components until the problem is fixed. They will not rebuild trannies, not trouble shoot.
THey just replace mindlessly until **** gets fixed. That is the difference between real mechanics who own their own shop vs techs at dealerships. THeydon't care. It's under warranty. Just start replacing ****.
Were you just a line tech or what? BS about the techs not trouble shooting...a good ASE master certified tech anyway...they just don't hand those certifications out...also, its even easier for a tech to troubleshoot nowadays, the beauty of OBDII..
One of my old teachers fav. stories, at a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealership...had a grandpa come in with his Lincoln, complaining about intermitent brake lighting, it turned out at the factory, they pinched some wiring with the bolts for the seats. I don't know why they didn't catch this on the PDI but...problem got fixed, he came back, complaining that there was ink all over his leather seat (drivers side).......tech told the service manager he used seat covers, etc..the old guy flipped out..and as he walked the ****** had a pen in his checkbook, no cap, in his back pocket..damn senial old people.
-Marc
09-11-2003, 02:44 PM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Pensacola, FL
Posts: 124
I saved $500 in one weekend by not listening to the VW techs when I had a Jetta (yes I know they're gay.. that's why I sold it).
The AC stopped working on fan settings 2 and 3 one summer. I took the car to the dealership and told them that the AC wasn't coming on for fan settings 2 and 3. I added that it was probably just a corroded connection in the fan selector and that they could clean it real easy. 2 hours later they called me back and said the part would be $250. I was furious, so I started shouting "it's not even broken!" The lady on the other end of the phone said "But it doesn't work on fan settings 2 and 3 right?" "Correct," I replied. "Then it'll be $250 to replace the control unit." "Let me talk to your boss," was my next comment. So I talked to the service manager for 10 minutes about how all they needed to do was use brasso on the connector. He said that they could do that, but it wouldn't be warrantied work, and that they would be charging me $85/hr for labor. He also quoted that it would take 30 mins to do the requested work. "I'm coming to pick the car up now. Don't touch it," was my reply.
So I had a friend take my control unit apart (I didn't know how), we took off the copper selector and apply a little bit of brasso. I bought my friend some beer and saved $240+.
After that I was convinced VW was evil and that their techs were idiots. Same thing happened again with a different part and the same story happened. Saved another $250 that time too. What I'd do for a competent mechanic. I think that's why I want to be one.
The AC stopped working on fan settings 2 and 3 one summer. I took the car to the dealership and told them that the AC wasn't coming on for fan settings 2 and 3. I added that it was probably just a corroded connection in the fan selector and that they could clean it real easy. 2 hours later they called me back and said the part would be $250. I was furious, so I started shouting "it's not even broken!" The lady on the other end of the phone said "But it doesn't work on fan settings 2 and 3 right?" "Correct," I replied. "Then it'll be $250 to replace the control unit." "Let me talk to your boss," was my next comment. So I talked to the service manager for 10 minutes about how all they needed to do was use brasso on the connector. He said that they could do that, but it wouldn't be warrantied work, and that they would be charging me $85/hr for labor. He also quoted that it would take 30 mins to do the requested work. "I'm coming to pick the car up now. Don't touch it," was my reply.
So I had a friend take my control unit apart (I didn't know how), we took off the copper selector and apply a little bit of brasso. I bought my friend some beer and saved $240+.
After that I was convinced VW was evil and that their techs were idiots. Same thing happened again with a different part and the same story happened. Saved another $250 that time too. What I'd do for a competent mechanic. I think that's why I want to be one.
09-11-2003, 04:54 PM
#15
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: California
Posts: 22,465
Originally Posted by RotaryRocket219' date='Sep 11 2003, 11:02 AM
[quote name='j9fd3s' date='Sep 11 2003, 08:27 AM'] [quote name='Cheers!' date='Sep 11 2003, 08:14 AM'] woah.
But isn't that how all dealership technicians are trained. THey just start replacing modules and components until the problem is fixed. They will not rebuild trannies, not trouble shoot.
THey just replace mindlessly until **** gets fixed. That is the difference between real mechanics who own their own shop vs techs at dealerships. THeydon't care. It's under warranty. Just start replacing ****.
But isn't that how all dealership technicians are trained. THey just start replacing modules and components until the problem is fixed. They will not rebuild trannies, not trouble shoot.
THey just replace mindlessly until **** gets fixed. That is the difference between real mechanics who own their own shop vs techs at dealerships. THeydon't care. It's under warranty. Just start replacing ****.
Were you just a line tech or what? BS about the techs not trouble shooting...a good ASE master certified tech anyway...they just don't hand those certifications out...also, its even easier for a tech to troubleshoot nowadays, the beauty of OBDII..
One of my old teachers fav. stories, at a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealership...had a grandpa come in with his Lincoln, complaining about intermitent brake lighting, it turned out at the factory, they pinched some wiring with the bolts for the seats. I don't know why they didn't catch this on the PDI but...problem got fixed, he came back, complaining that there was ink all over his leather seat (drivers side).......tech told the service manager he used seat covers, etc..the old guy flipped out..and as he walked the ****** had a pen in his checkbook, no cap, in his back pocket..damn senial old people.
-Marc [/quote]
i was the parts manager, i just got to watch
mike
09-11-2003, 05:50 PM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 378
Originally Posted by kkw4p' date='Sep 11 2003, 11:44 AM
I saved $500 in one weekend by not listening to the VW techs when I had a Jetta (yes I know they're gay.. that's why I sold it).
The AC stopped working on fan settings 2 and 3 one summer. I took the car to the dealership and told them that the AC wasn't coming on for fan settings 2 and 3. I added that it was probably just a corroded connection in the fan selector and that they could clean it real easy. 2 hours later they called me back and said the part would be $250. I was furious, so I started shouting "it's not even broken!" The lady on the other end of the phone said "But it doesn't work on fan settings 2 and 3 right?" "Correct," I replied. "Then it'll be $250 to replace the control unit." "Let me talk to your boss," was my next comment. So I talked to the service manager for 10 minutes about how all they needed to do was use brasso on the connector. He said that they could do that, but it wouldn't be warrantied work, and that they would be charging me $85/hr for labor. He also quoted that it would take 30 mins to do the requested work. "I'm coming to pick the car up now. Don't touch it," was my reply.
So I had a friend take my control unit apart (I didn't know how), we took off the copper selector and apply a little bit of brasso. I bought my friend some beer and saved $240+.
After that I was convinced VW was evil and that their techs were idiots. Same thing happened again with a different part and the same story happened. Saved another $250 that time too. What I'd do for a competent mechanic. I think that's why I want to be one.
The AC stopped working on fan settings 2 and 3 one summer. I took the car to the dealership and told them that the AC wasn't coming on for fan settings 2 and 3. I added that it was probably just a corroded connection in the fan selector and that they could clean it real easy. 2 hours later they called me back and said the part would be $250. I was furious, so I started shouting "it's not even broken!" The lady on the other end of the phone said "But it doesn't work on fan settings 2 and 3 right?" "Correct," I replied. "Then it'll be $250 to replace the control unit." "Let me talk to your boss," was my next comment. So I talked to the service manager for 10 minutes about how all they needed to do was use brasso on the connector. He said that they could do that, but it wouldn't be warrantied work, and that they would be charging me $85/hr for labor. He also quoted that it would take 30 mins to do the requested work. "I'm coming to pick the car up now. Don't touch it," was my reply.
So I had a friend take my control unit apart (I didn't know how), we took off the copper selector and apply a little bit of brasso. I bought my friend some beer and saved $240+.
After that I was convinced VW was evil and that their techs were idiots. Same thing happened again with a different part and the same story happened. Saved another $250 that time too. What I'd do for a competent mechanic. I think that's why I want to be one.
09-11-2003, 07:25 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Maryland
Posts: 3,867
I work for Mercedes. I have some pretty funny stories too. Maybe later...
As far as dealerships not having experienced techs, and techs not having to do diagnostic work anymore, thats bullshit. I spend more then half of my time trying to diagnose electrical/mechanical problems. Just becuase a car has OBD2 doesn't mean ****. That just means that there is more **** to break. Honestly I'd rather work on an '85 then a '03 when it comes to diagnosing problems, especially electrical. You can't just throw 10 parts at a car without an exact reason why each part needs to be replaced.
This only pertains to myself/Mercedes, I can't speak for other manufacturers.
As far as dealerships not having experienced techs, and techs not having to do diagnostic work anymore, thats bullshit. I spend more then half of my time trying to diagnose electrical/mechanical problems. Just becuase a car has OBD2 doesn't mean ****. That just means that there is more **** to break. Honestly I'd rather work on an '85 then a '03 when it comes to diagnosing problems, especially electrical. You can't just throw 10 parts at a car without an exact reason why each part needs to be replaced.
This only pertains to myself/Mercedes, I can't speak for other manufacturers.
09-11-2003, 07:51 PM
#18
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: California
Posts: 22,465
actually mazda is really easy. they bitch about the waranty cost of everything so if you get a car thats hard you call mazda so they guess, you change their part and if they dont get it on the 3rd try they get to buy the car back
mike
mike
09-11-2003, 08:21 PM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Maryland
Posts: 3,867
Thats the thing. We gotta do so much **** before we can even call Mercedes...then they just start guessing. I have to spend at least a whole day diagnosing...then I call....change 1 part, that MIGHT fix it, and only get paid to change that 1 part and maybe an extra hour or two. How is it that I'm the one getting fucked over?
09-11-2003, 10:10 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,108
actually not all service techs are idiots... i love the service techs at my local honda dealership... My dad has been using hte same dealership for the last 2 honda accords we had. They knew them inside out. And always got the problem fixed