Dealer life

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97C1500TJ

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I can't stand dealers. Absolutely fvcking hate them. The salesmen just run and run and run their mouths like I don't know every word is a lie. And service writers who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground, who haven't held a wrench since codes were pulled with a paper clip attempting to be articulate, or treating me like they know the problem better than I do. They can all go straight to Hell. I'd much rather talk directly to the tech to get a straight answer. Or just never have any interaction with them at all.
I can 100% agree to that there and work for one.
 

WhiteUCF

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I don't miss it one bit. I was at a small VW dealership and us techs sold more cars than the salesmen. It was a crap show. Then I went to an independent dealership and the other "mechanics" had issues with swapping single cam Honda engines or doing brake shoes. After knocking out a year of backlogged work in 3 months (12hrs/day 6 days a week) I got paid and left. I'll never go back to it. I miss the people since there was a common interest but the stress of dealing with upper management can go somewhere. Upper management couldn't remember to torque the lug bolts to 80 ft.lbs., 100ft.lbs if it was a toureg. Then again, I'm the family mechanic so I may as well have never left! It's NBS Silverado wiring issues or valve cover gaskets on a 3mz Lexus. It doesn't stop.

I do miss the tool trucks though. I don't miss the debt of the tool trucks. I was young then..
 

Tommy1234

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I don't miss it one bit. I was at a small VW dealership and us techs sold more cars than the salesmen. It was a crap show. Then I went to an independent dealership and the other "mechanics" had issues with swapping single cam Honda engines or doing brake shoes. After knocking out a year of backlogged work in 3 months (12hrs/day 6 days a week) I got paid and left. I'll never go back to it. I miss the people since there was a common interest but the stress of dealing with upper management can go somewhere. Upper management couldn't remember to torque the lug bolts to 80 ft.lbs., 100ft.lbs if it was a toureg. Then again, I'm the family mechanic so I may as well have never left! It's NBS Silverado wiring issues or valve cover gaskets on a 3mz Lexus. It doesn't stop.

I do miss the tool trucks though. I don't miss the debt of the tool trucks. I was young then..
Ah the reason most techs are in debt. If tool trucks show up near our houses man everyone one would be in the poor house for life.
 

454cid

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I can't stand dealers. Absolutely fvcking hate them. The salesmen just run and run and run their mouths like I don't know every word is a lie. And service writers who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground, who haven't held a wrench since codes were pulled with a paper clip attempting to be articulate, or treating me like they know the problem better than I do. They can all go straight to Hell. I'd much rather talk directly to the tech to get a straight answer. Or just never have any interaction with them at all.

Years ago, when my truck was still a newer vehicle, but I was putting lots of miles on it, I wanted the gear oil changed in the front diff. I saw the dealer had a "quick lube" so stopped by to talk to them. I think I was already at the dealership for parts.... maybe the heater hose quick connect?

I found out it wasn't really a "quick lube" as they wanted to schedule it, but then said that the front diff had a lifetime fill, and was arguing about it with me. I should have left there, but didn't. The guy then started to say that it was going to be real expensive, as they had to drop the diff and split the case to do it. I asked why not just use the drain plug, and he replied, "if there even is one". Then started to say that it was going to take a special fluid that was real expensive since it might have a locker. I told him that wasn't even an option for the front. So he "proved" to me that there was by bringing up the diagram for the rear axle.

To this day, I don't know what his deal was...... was he that stupid? Did he not want to do the work, and if so why? Was he just trying to scam me? I wasn't trying to pay to have it done because I didn't know anything about anything, I was just BUSY working for the company that actually made the axles, and told him that. Anything I said, he would just double down on his non-sense. Supposedly he was a "manager" of some sorts.

I never got it changed until years later, when I did it myself. It was a faster job than I expected with a pump right on the bottle, and more years of wrenching experience. By that time I wasn't commuting as far either.

Once in a while I will use their parts department.... last thing, I think, was the o-ring for my oil filter adapter.
 

WhiteUCF

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Ah the reason most techs are in debt. If tool trucks show up near our houses man everyone one would be in the poor house for life.
Man, I was dead set on using Kobalt and Craftsman tools until I broke a 3/8 ratchet on a caliper bolt. Snap-on guy showed up the same day and figured since he was there, I'd try a 1/4 on that caliper bolt. The 1/4 broke it loose. I gave up on Craftsman right then and there. Didn't realize that caliper bolt would put me 5 figures in the hole. Then for it all to get stolen...
 

Tommy1234

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Man, I was dead set on using Kobalt and Craftsman tools until I broke a 3/8 ratchet on a caliper bolt. Snap-on guy showed up the same day and figured since he was there, I'd try a 1/4 on that caliper bolt. The 1/4 broke it loose. I gave up on Craftsman right then and there. Didn't realize that caliper bolt would put me 5 figures in the hole. Then for it all to get stolen...
Yeah snap on is pretty skookum
Craftsman used to be until they set up manufacturing overseas.
 

WhiteUCF

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Yeah snap on is pretty skookum
Craftsman used to be until they set up manufacturing overseas.
My granddad has 50 year old Craftsman tools he uses on a daily basis. That's why I trusted them. Little did I realize the newer stuff was garbage. Now I'm experimenting with Eastwood, Tekton, Sunex, etc. I'm not turning wrenches for a living anymore but I still want the best affordable tools you can get either online or at the big box stores. That's the problem with new techs. I was one at one point. Snap-on guy is manipulative. He's nice, gives you a free tool, lures you in. He's a salesman. It's his job. The young techs aren't exactly ready for that brain work yet. The older techs don't care. They still have their Snap-on tools from 20 years ago and they learned their lesson. Replace the tools from 20 years ago when they break but know that the mortgage is more important than having the name on their wrench.
 

GoToGuy

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Caliper bolts are notorious for being hard to remove. They live in the worst environment. Being the rust belt, or constantly heat / cold soak, or the gorilla that last installed them.
Tool debt, yep working the Ford truck dealer. Family had ford's, I always GM guy.
Ford paid everything for first born boy. I started at flat rate $27.50 an hr.
Unlike a lot of the horror stories, the service manager was a fair straightforward manager. As a young guy he started on heavy crane repair.
Once had a boxvan in, diagnosis- one dead cylinder. 1700 miles out of warranty. He asked what do you want to do? Me " The other cylinder's are great, change the bad one". " Ok, pull it and do it, I'll tell parts".
So he warrantied the whole job, Ford agreed.
I got stuck, or assigned alot of not quite usual jobs.
The motor home RVs built on Ford chassis.
The special ordered parts, that went to paint for custom color, then ready install. Get paperwork, parts on cart, pull customer high end Explorer into bay. Look at parts, look at Explorer, oh no. Look under body, no fittings, no attachment points.
Parts ordered, custom painted, except..... Her year is one year prior to this optional part. They don't fit! Get this, her dad buys 10 new trucks each year from my dealership, big company. I don't know who took the bullet for that screwups. The service manager said "can you me it make work? What do need?"
I gave him list, and started layout. 45 minutes later a tool hardware rep shows up opens the back of van, " I was told to give you whatever you need". So what was a 1 hour job turned into 4.5 , I never found out what they told her or big cheese dad, but it was a laugh. Always had lot's of work back then.
 

Tommy1234

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My granddad has 50 year old Craftsman tools he uses on a daily basis. That's why I trusted them. Little did I realize the newer stuff was garbage. Now I'm experimenting with Eastwood, Tekton, Sunex, etc. I'm not turning wrenches for a living anymore but I still want the best affordable tools you can get either online or at the big box stores. That's the problem with new techs. I was one at one point. Snap-on guy is manipulative. He's nice, gives you a free tool, lures you in. He's a salesman. It's his job. The young techs aren't exactly ready for that brain work yet. The older techs don't care. They still have their Snap-on tools from 20 years ago and they learned their lesson. Replace the tools from 20 years ago when they break but know that the mortgage is more important than having the name on their wrench.
Well for tools that are kind of cheap I recommend Duralast. Since the warranty is pretty good and the Auto zone near my house is 24 hours.
Parts I would not use Duralast.
 

WhiteUCF

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@GoToGuy I was pulling pads off of a 20k mile GTI. Nothing should break on something that looks brand new!

$27/hr?! My whole life before VW was cars. My first small block was at 9 years old. Both of my parents drag raced. My granddads both had full caged nitrous cars in the 80's. I knew my way around by 12. I started VW at $12/flate rate hour. Our foreman made $22. I'd still be turning wrenches right now for that money!
 
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