Meeting people as a mechanic.

[POSYJ]

LMAO

Best thread on DFWM

[LaserSVT]

Customer complaint: Exhaust is leaking a lot and may be out of fluid. .. ... ? I get the thing started and hear the tell tale sound of a 4.0 on its death bed.
What was exiting the catalytic converter:



One cylinder was making a great water pump. Start that Explorer up and it was like a waterfall. I am waiting for her to come back. She said it went to 5 other places and nobody could figure out what was wrong. Racked up $400 in tow bills. I want to know which shops couldn't figure it out because..... well damn, anyone could figure that problem out. LOL

[Wanderer]

No shit, anyone could tell the muffler bearings have gone out and are leaking muffler bearing grease. Jesus!

[Juiced4v]

Muffler fluid leaked out.

[BP]

You should sell them a water pump, new belts and hoses and flush the radiator first. Get them for the small and high profit stuff then next week when the engine completely craps the bed tell them they should have brought it in sooner and that you don't replace engines.

That's the shops I deal with on a daily basis.

[LaserSVT]

That's terrible. She told me the other shops she went to and I know them to be idiots. I explained a 2000 XLS Explorer is only a $2000 truck when running right and that a reman engine installed is double that cost. Told her to list it on craigslist for a grand and put in the ad "Needs new engine". She said it may just go to the wrecking yard. I have dibs on the wheels if it does.

Small backstory on this truck.
It was brought in on a wrecker because it wouldn't run after sitting 3 years. I saw the fuel pump was bad so suggested a pump and she okayed it. $400 latter (also had to clean the paint thinner from gas tank) I start it and hear the knocking and see the waterfall.

Called her up to give the news and she said "Oh yeah, we did stop driving it because it was running rough. We thought it was because the catalytic converter was leaking so much. We had to keep replacing spark plugs"

Really? You could have saved $400 had you given me that info in the first place. You say "Exhaust leak" and I think gasses, not fluids. LOL

[JC316]

One cylinder was making a great water pump. Start that Explorer up and it was like a waterfall. I am waiting for her to come back. She said it went to 5 other places and nobody could figure out what was wrong. Racked up $400 in tow bills. I want to know which shops couldn't figure it out because..... well damn, anyone could figure that problem out. LOL

I honestly think that most shops don't know what the fuck they're doing anymore. I just bought an E46 328i that sat for two months at a mechanics shop and he couldn't find the no start issue. Hook a scanner up, shows all 6 cylinders misfiring and a MAF code. Unplug the maf and it fired right up. Swapped it out and it ran, but ran like shit.

Noticed black tape all over the intake tube. Took that off and it was full of holes that someone taped up, but here's the great part, the tape went through one of the cracks and was blocking 80% of the tube. Taped it up properly and the car runs like a champ. Got a new intake tube coming.

All in all, it took me 10 minutes of diagnosing and actual work to get the fucker running. This is simple shit that shouldn't take a mechanic 2 months to not figure out.

[BP]

I honestly think that most shops don't know what the fuck they're doing anymore. I just bought an E46 328i that sat for two months at a mechanics shop and he couldn't find the no start issue. Hook a scanner up, shows all 6 cylinders misfiring and a MAF code. Unplug the maf and it fired right up. Swapped it out and it ran, but ran like shit.

I won't say most by any means but there are real winners. I had a Meineke today that pulled the balancer on a Mazda 6 engine. Then he argued with me about why we don't put a warning on the engine after I had him read the invoice where it says "NEVER REMOVE BALANCER". I told him that if his tech doesn't read Alldata or our invoice then he probably wouldn't read a warning labor either.

Good times! That was a $1400 screwup by his tech.

[JC316]

I won't say most by any means but there are real winners. I had a Meineke today that pulled the balancer on a Mazda 6 engine. Then he argued with me about why we don't put a warning on the engine after I had him read the invoice where it says "NEVER REMOVE BALANCER". I told him that if his tech doesn't read Alldata or our invoice then he probably wouldn't read a warning labor either.

Good times! That was a $1400 screwup by his tech.

Which engine and why aren't you supposed to remove the balancer? I ask because I have an 03 Mazda6 in the garage with the 3.0L. Never heard anything about it.

[Baron Von Crowder]

Which engine and why aren't you supposed to remove the balancer? I ask because I have an 03 Mazda6 in the garage with the 3.0L. Never heard anything about it.

The 4cyl, it's not keyed.

[Nash B.]

The 4cyl, it's not keyed.

Whoops!

[JC316]

The 4cyl, it's not keyed.

Ah. I would happily drive my mazda off into the trinity right now if I didn't think I would get a ticket that would cost me even more money.

[Scott Mc]

Man those Mazda 3 engines are praised but seem to have so many issues.

[Cooter]

Customer complaint: Exhaust is leaking a lot and may be out of fluid. .. ... ?

One cylinder was making a great water pump. Start that Explorer up and it was like a waterfall. I am waiting for her to come back. She said it went to 5 other places and nobody could figure out what was wrong. Racked up $400 in tow bills. I want to know which shops couldn't figure it out because..... well damn, anyone could figure that problem out. LOL

Industry lesson here...

I'm betting those other shops that couldn't figure out what was wrong knew that the biggest problem was going to be the customer... She's not going to have the money to fix it and the sob story she's going to give IF she ever pays the diag is going to guilt them into not charging her storage when she finally hauls the thing off.

if she's stupid enough to think the exhaust fluid all leaked out, she's probably too stupid to make decent enough money to cover the repair. safe bet anyhow

[appelingogt]

Had senor taco shell come in with his midget translator saying his 04 5.4 3 valve with 120k needs spark plugs because "it e go bump down dee road" and has heard they may break...I asked have the plugs ever been changed before...he doesn't know, he just bought it and wannee the plugs changed...I said I'd rather charge you $100 to put it on the IDS and look for dtc's and such and he declined. Whatever...change de plugs and it starts running like ass...pulled dtc's for the drivers side cam phaser...he throws a fit and gives the go ahead to pull the valve cover and replace the solenoid housing and phaser...I pull the valve cover and find one of the worst case of sludge that I have ever seen. I called the customer to come down and look at this shit and highly highly highly highly suggest not to replace the parts quoted and call it done...needs long block...he throws another "pinche" fit and I also decline "flushing" the engine...its fucking done, sell it or black box it...he said fuck it, put those parts($1800) on we quoted and he'll flush the engine...I REALLY need to learn tejano...and suggestions??? Rosetta stone work??