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A Mechanic's Life - Tales From Under the Hood

3515 messages,  Last post on Jun 18, 2013 at 2:06 PM

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Messages Page 135 of 352

#1335 of 3515 Re: Here's a good one [roadburner] by isellhondas

Feb 10, 2013 (11:39 am)

Replying to: roadburner (Feb 09, 2013 6:21 pm)
I was trying to be as PC as possible, thus the use of "Californian"

#1336 of 3515 Re: Here's a good one [steve_] by isellhondas

Feb 10, 2013 (11:49 am)

Replying to: Stever@Edmunds (Feb 09, 2013 6:29 pm)
I agree.
 
I NEVER thought I would see the day when Stanley Tools would be made in China but they certainly are now. On a recent trip to our Lowes store, I carefully examined several of their Chinese made tools and I had to admit that the quality appeared to match the old U.S. built stuff.
 
Now, the materials used, heat treat etc may not be as good but appearance wise, they have done a good job.
 
Kinda sad, isn't it?
 
Channelock remains a U.S. made product and they have always produced the best products.
 
I also looked at several "Kobalt" branded Chinese wrenches, sockets and ratchets and again, quality appeared to be up to snuff.
 
Still, I would NOT buy a Chinese set of jack stands!
 
Harbor Freight stuff is another story. It's made tor the person who only cares about price and for a casual user on non critical applications it can do the job.

#1337 of 3515 Re: How would you have handeled this? [kyfdx] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Feb 11, 2013 (7:30 am)

Replying to: kyfdx (Feb 10, 2013 7:42 am)
I pay $135/hour where I live in CA, and some places are $150/hr. And $4.50/gal for diesel fuel.
 
So if your VW TDI breaks down, you'd better have the budget to fix it and drive it around

#1338 of 3515 Re: How would you have handeled this? [Mr_Shiftright] by isellhondas

Feb 11, 2013 (8:07 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Feb 11, 2013 7:30 am)
I was in a Mercedes Dealer with a buddy three years ago when he needed a xenon headlight replaced. The bill was 320.00 and at the time they were at 160.00 per hour for labor. It's probably higher now!
 
This was in Orange County CA.

#1339 of 3515 Re: How would you have handeled this? [thecardoc3] by xwesx

Feb 11, 2013 (1:05 pm)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Feb 09, 2013 2:18 am)
That's a good point for a shop... you can't assume a car has a given problem just because its symptoms are the same as those in the past. I don't think it is necessarily a poor move for an owner to hedge their bets like this, but it doesn't qualify as "professional," and a shop should always be professional.
 
Along those lines, I'm having a weird issue with my Fiesta - something I've never experienced before. It is suddenly quite loathe to take fuel! Every since I returned from my 2.5 weeks away to deal with my grandfather's passing, the car is extremely difficult to fill. If I fill it any faster than ~1 gallon per minute (that's terribly slow, FWIW - just barely pulling the filler handle), it will activate the auto-shutoff.
 
I thought maybe there was ice (frosted up) in the filler neck because it sat for a few weeks in some freakish weather (warm & raining one day, -35 the next). The next fill it filled mostly just fine, but did click off once or twice mid-fill. Then, yesterday, it was back to the same antics as the fill-before-last.
 
Suggestions I've seen are related to the vapor recovery system being blocked. Is it possible that ice could be doing this, and a few hours in a garage could "cure" it, or is it something that is going to need a full diagnosis?
 
It spent all day Saturday in Palmer, and the temps were up in the 40s that day, so I'd think that would be enough to melt out any ice that may be causing a blockage... ?
 
It's under warranty, but I hate to lose the use of it for a day over something trivial.

#1340 of 3515 Re: Here's a good one [isellhondas] by xwesx

Feb 11, 2013 (1:19 pm)

Replying to: isellhondas (Feb 10, 2013 11:49 am)
Channelock remains a U.S. made product and they have always produced the best products.
 
They do, but you certainly have to pay for it! The same goes for Mag-Lite. I think I paid $30 for a Mag-Lite a few weeks ago, vs. less than half that for a knock-off version from China. I can't say anything about the Chinese one, but *DANG* that Mag-Lite is nice! It blows the socks off the one I bought twenty years ago (and still have because it still works).
 
Channelock is based in my wife's hometown of Meadville, Pennsylvania. I make a point to buy their stuff, but I have to budget for it!

#1341 of 3515 Re: Here's a good one [xwesx] by isellhondas

Feb 11, 2013 (3:09 pm)

Replying to: xwesx (Feb 11, 2013 1:19 pm)
The tool company I was with sold both Channelock and Mag Lites.
 
I used to tell people " the best warranty is the one you never have to use".
 
Mag Lites are built with such precision they look like they could be used in the medical field. Cops love them and sometimes they serve double duty as a nightstick. Did you know they have a spare bulb in the end cap?
 
Channelocks blow everthing away and they last a lifetime.

#1342 of 3515 Re: Here's a good one [isellhondas] by xwesx

Feb 11, 2013 (6:00 pm)

Replying to: isellhondas (Feb 11, 2013 3:09 pm)
Yes, I do (at least, they used to when they had incandescent bulbs... not sure about now), and that's a great feature! Funny enough, I haven't needed to use the spare in my 20-year-old. But, the 3 D-cell batteries only last a precious few hours in it. That pushed me to go with an LED version, which has a 67 or some-odd hour life span. I wasn't expecting the amount of light it produces. Again, dang. I bet it is 20x or more brighter than the original. I doubt I'll ever use the other one again except perhaps in a pinch. Maybe I should just fill it with concrete and keep it as a billy club.
 
I'm impressed by my Channelock wire cutters. That's one tool where the cheap ones just can't compare. I think I went through three different pair of cutters from tool kits (Allied, Stanley, etc) before I just went out and dropped the $20 on a Channelock set.

#1343 of 3515 Re: How would you have handeled this? [xwesx] by thecardoc3

Feb 12, 2013 (5:56 am)

Replying to: xwesx (Feb 11, 2013 1:05 pm)
Along those lines, I'm having a weird issue with my Fiesta - something I've never experienced before. It is suddenly quite loathe to take fuel! Every since I returned from my 2.5 weeks away to deal with my grandfather's passing, the car is extremely difficult to fill. If I fill it any faster than ~1 gallon per minute (that's terribly slow, FWIW - just barely pulling the filler handle), it will activate the auto-shutoff.
 
TSB 11-7-6 ( 00-070, 11-6-7) addresses a slow or hard to fill condition. The tech has to first inspect the tubing between the tank and cannister for any kinks, and if that is OK, replace the NVLD assembly with an updated kit.
 
The labor time alloted via the TSB is .4hr.

#1344 of 3515 Re: How would you have handeled this? [srs_49] by thecardoc3

Feb 12, 2013 (6:49 am)

Replying to: srs_49 (Feb 09, 2013 2:54 pm)
Does he report the income that he is making and pay taxes on it?
 Why shouild I care? Unless you're going to tell me I have to pay more taxes because he pays less.
Is his "shop" in an area zoned for commercial business?
Why should I care? So long as he's not next to my house .
Does his insurance agent know that he is operating a business at his location?
Why should I care?
Does he have liability insurance?
Why should I care?
 
What your answers display is the crux of the matter. Every one of them is a measure of honesty, morality, and responsibility. The last one;
Has he been attending training on a regular basis?
 
You correctly identify as ;
 
OK, maybe this one makes a difference.
 
The truth is they all make a difference but back-yard Bob is given a free pass because of the inferred price gap between him and a real shop. It's just not "PC" to talk about people like him and how they are ultimately hurting the consumer in the long run. Instead the concentration has always been on telling the consumer how to not pay the rates that the shops charge. Every story about the consumer buying a cheap code puller concentrates on that concept, and IMO relies on trying to discredit us in order to give creedence to their "toy tool".
 
We learned a long time ago, that we cannot control that kind of pricing pressure and tried to simply ignore it. The trouble with that is that it has hurt the trade, and is eroding it from the bottom at an ever greater pace, while the cost of keeping up with the technology in the cars has been crushing us from the top. The only thing that can make a difference today is the consumer, and they can't do that unless they learn just what kind of a value we really do bring for them. That will only happen over time through accurate articles and not just the cookie cutter versions of "how to choose a good shop" that we usually see.
 
Back-Yard-Bob, shouldn't be getting a free pass. When you really sum him up, you would crucify him as a professional shop and if he is getting paid to work on cars, then he is assuming the roll as a pro regardless of his training and ethics. Toy tools, which are really just limited code pullers and have some data stream do not represent the kind of investement that it really takes to work on todays cars, and they should be shown for what they cannot do on a regular basis, not be allowed to raise the suggestion that they are all anyone needs.
 
When I see the mention of $160/hr labor rate, that screams a lack of competition. Without shops like mine, that's where everyone will end up. At the dealership, paying that kind of money "to replace a headlight". You can bet the more difficult work will demand even higher rates. BTW, we are $78.77.......

Messages Page 135 of 352

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