Ask the Car People.SM


Customer Service: The good, the bad and the ugly!

258 messages,  Last post on Aug 04, 2008 at 8:43 AM

You are in the Smart Shopper Forum.

What is this discussion about? Car Buying

Messages Page 23 of 26

#219 of 258 Re: Here's a vintage horror story... [jlawrence01] by mac24

Sep 21, 2006 (7:23 pm)

Replying to: jlawrence01 (Sep 21, 2006 5:58 pm)
It was a joke, not a jab at unions. I was just wondering what kind of meeting you might have been going to that required you to take a pipe wrench.

#220 of 258 1st oil change by roundtrip

Sep 27, 2006 (6:49 pm)

Went to the dealership to get my first 5000 mile oil change. I made a Saturday appointment and let them know I had some funny creaking, groaning noises. They seemed to think the brakes were the cause. They told me it was b/c the pads were now made with more metal than asbestos. Also, I wanted someone to teach me how to put the gas cap on so the check fuel cap wouldn't come on. They said I needed to watch the line from the car to the cap and make sure it didn't get pinched. The receptionist was very amiable.
 
They had free drinks, chocolate covered donuts, and HG tv with Rachel Ray. However, even after moving seats twice, I still had a clear view of the men's room each time the door opened. And boy howdy did those guys ever have to visit the rest room. Must have been the coffee.
 
The really bad news is that the dreaded dash rattle started-up three days later. Don't know if there is any cause/effect relationship. Other than that, I can't complain.
 
P.S. The oil change was free, but if I had paid, it would have been only $23.00. Cheaper than Wally World!

#222 of 258 "Gollee Gomer!" by dougb10

Sep 28, 2006 (7:45 am)

Some years ago, we had a cottage on a remote lake in Ontario. It was water-access only...parked the car at the marina for a 5 mile boat ride to the cottage, One afternoon I returned to go home. My '93 Bonneville was a leased company car. The key would not go into the ignition, no matter how hard I wiggled the steering wheel or the gear shift. A call to the 1-800 car leasing phone line brought a tow truck two hours later.
I should have realized this was going to be an adventure...the tow truck door said "Bob's Bait Shop and Towing".
"Gomer" took out a huge pair of vice-grips and started hammering the key into the ignition. A few minutes later. the broken key and various parts of the steering column were all over the floor.
In order to tow the Bonneville, which was facing forward into a rocky cliff, he had to move it backwards so the front end could be lifted. He climbed under the rear of the car, attached a chain and winched it backwards.
Half way to the GM dealer (about two hours drive), "Gomer" (looking in his side view mirror) asked me if the Bonneville had four wheel steering. We stopped and I noticed the left rear wheel was turned in at a crazy angle...obviously he had attached the chain to a tie rod and bent something seriously out of whack.
The end result...."Gomer" had to pay about $600 to fix everything. This has to be a very funny experience...not so much at the time though.
 
Doug

#223 of 258 Re: . [imidazol97] by corvette

Sep 28, 2006 (7:46 am)

Replying to: imidazol97 (Sep 18, 2006 12:21 pm)
I agree about putting the best tires on the rear, but if you rotate them regularly, they stay even enough that it doesn't matter. If you don't rotate them, many suspension setups will cause the tires to cup and they'll begin making a lot of noise.

#224 of 258 Re: "Gollee Gomer!" [dougb10] by jmonroe

Sep 28, 2006 (9:05 am)

Replying to: dougb10 (Sep 28, 2006 7:45 am)
..."Gomer" took out a huge pair of vice-grips and started hammering the key into the ignition...
 
At about this time I would have taken my 16 oz. ball-peen out of the trunk and worked on Gomer a little bit. Obviously using your hands on a brilliant mind like this would have been a total waste of time and you would have surely hurt your hands.
 
As I've said before, some mechanics work by the motto:
 
SOMETIMES YOU NEED A BIGGER HAMMER
 
When anybody brings a pair of vise-grips to work on anything on the interior of a car LOOK OUT !!!
 
jmonroe

#225 of 258 Re: "Gollee Gomer!" [jmonroe] by dougb10

Sep 28, 2006 (10:05 am)

Replying to: jmonroe (Sep 28, 2006 9:05 am)
"Gomer" was half my age and outweighed me by 50 pounds.
The only thing that kept me from going nuts, was that this was a company car and ultimately someone else was going to get the bill. He wasn't worth going to jail over.
 
Doug

#227 of 258 Re: New Country Toyota - Saratoga Springs NY [newq7] by user777

Oct 19, 2006 (3:10 am)

OK. I'm hooked. How does the story turn out?

#228 of 258 Re: "Gollee Gomer!" [dougb10] by jmonroe

Oct 19, 2006 (12:49 pm)

Replying to: dougb10 (Sep 28, 2006 10:05 am)
"Gomer" was half my age and outweighed me by 50 pounds.
 
EXCUSES, EXCUSES !!!!
 
He wasn't worth going to jail over.
 
OK, you have a point there.
 
jmonroe

Messages Page 23 of 26

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement