Stream of Consciousness/General Conversation Thread

[Ross7]

Oil changed today at Pep Boy's, found out the previously included free tire rotation now cost $15.

They do still do a courtesy vehicle inspection, so I also found out I need a wheel bearing repacked ($165:Cry.

 

[Viking1204]

I wouldn't trust anything a chain store like Pep Boy's would tell me needs to be done. Take it to a local mechanic you can trust. I once had one of them chain oil change places tell me I needed a new serpentine belt and for $40 they'd replace it for me. I bought the belt for $17 and put it in storage on my truck. 3 years and 40,000 miles later my original serpentine belt was still going strong.

 

[TennJeep1618]

I wouldn't trust anything a chain store like Pep Boy's would tell me needs to be done. Take it to a local mechanic you can trust. I once had one of them chain oil change places tell me I needed a new serpentine belt and for $40 they'd replace it for me. I bought the belt for $17 and put it in storage on my truck. 3 years and 40,000 miles later my original serpentine belt was still going strong.

I had something similar to that happen with my Jeep. They told me my power steering fluid needed to be changed, even had a syringe with "this is what your fluid is supposed to look like." Mine was red, their's was clear/yellow. I guess they weren't aware that mine uses ATF in the power steering pump and that it was never supposed to be clear.

 

[Droshki]

I wouldn't trust anything a chain store like Pep Boy's would tell me needs to be done. Take it to a local mechanic you can trust. I once had one of them chain oil change places tell me I needed a new serpentine belt and for $40 they'd replace it for me. I bought the belt for $17 and put it in storage on my truck. 3 years and 40,000 miles later my original serpentine belt was still going strong.

+1

Especially Pep boys.

 

[Viking1204]

I go to Holmes Auto in Fort Walton Beach. Holmes is their family name and their business relies on them keeping their family name in good standing. They have great customer service, they fix it right the first time and their labor charges are half what the dealers charge.

 

[madeSICC88]

Yea those free inspections are 100% just to have a reason to tell you that something needs done, necessary or not. I will generally do simple maintenance myself if the car is out of warranty. I generally use the dealerships for everything I can't do, they are more expensive sometimes but they mail a lot of coupons for discounts off work and what not. They are also easier to have cover mistakes if they are made.

 

[Seanpcola]

Back in '94 I bought a brand spanking new Chevy Lumina APV van. At about 7000 miles I ran over a nail and had a flat. Closest place to my office to get it fixed at the time was the Big 10 Tires on Navy Blvd. I dropped off the van and walked to work. Checked on it at lunch and the manager tells me I have a problem so he left the van on the rack to show me. We walk over to my van and he shows me oil streaks running down both rear shocks. "Explains" how they're blown, I need to replace them immediately and they just so happen to be running a fantastic sale on Monroe Matic shocks. I told him that yeah, that sucks but this is a brand new car and I'll take it to the dealer for warranty repairs. Dude gets testy and explains that shocks are never covered under warranty. I retorted with "In my case it is. I just busted off a $28,000 check for that vehicle, that I was in the business for years and that I'll handle it myself". He gets all huffy and about the same time I notice the roll around cart sitting next to my van. On it sits one of those small oilers with the long flexible nozzle you use for applying lubricant up in tight places. I grab it, pump a little oil onto my fingers then wipe a sample off the shock. Same oil. Dipstick turned white as a sheet. I reported them. A week later another Big 10 tried to pull the same crap on my dad.

You will find jack asses and good people too in any business. When I take something in for work I carefully let it be known, in the case of cars for instance, that I've been involved in that line of work for decades. It tends to keep people honest. Same with about anything. I'm having all new air conditioning systems installed in my house this week. I did the research plus I have friends retired from the business. I got four prices from different companies. When the estimator walks in and starts banging on that calculator it makes a big difference when I start discussing tonnage, seer values, air flow, brands and what I expect plus the point that I've danced the dance before. I don't mean coming across like a know it all, I mean that as a consumer I have a strong grasp of the concept and a basic idea of what's going on. In my air conditioner price shopping I had one company come by when my wife was home but I couldn't meet the rep myself. That estimate was $1000 dollars higher.

So, it pays to shop and also to not walk into a situation uninformed. Glad I had Rick H. around or one of you bozos might have sold me a Jennings for $1500.

Just kidding.:yell:

 

[Stagman]

I have customers all the time come here after an oil change at a big chain store or dealership with a list of things that need to be done and 90% of the time they don't need the repairs. We inspect the items on the list and tell them they are good to go. A free tire rotation isn't "free" most of the time they will tell you that you need some kind of repair for instance we had a really good customer go to another shop for tires (being we don't do tires here) right after we did a full brake job and guess what the tire shop told them they needed brakes SCAM! Also cheap oil changes are just to get you in the shop to up sale you. I have regular customers that would go to a local dealership and get a $15 oil change and guess what they always needed unnecessary repairs. If they change your oil for less than you can buy the oil and filter then bend over here comes the list of repairs that need to be done and your car is not safe to drive. It cost me roughly $30 buck to buy oil and a good filter to change oil on my personal truck myself so you do the math they are not in the business of losing money on an oil change it's just to get you in the door so they can stick it in your "back door".

 

[Snow Bird]

The thing that really pisses me off is when I have had work done on the motor home done 2 times the labor cost was 1K more than said it would be. Bad part is that I LIVE in it and HAVE to pay it to get my home back. AND they have charged me for parts not installed.

That being said I one time paid a good Christain man $75 dollars more than he was going to charge me because I saw him do the work and saw the Parts he installed. It was a brake job on the rear wheels and I don't pull the duals off unless I have to.

Besides that we talked race cars while he was doing the work. There are honest people out there if you can find them.

Another time we were stuck on the road and a mechanic had to fix a $uck up on a new engine with 300 miles on it for me and charged me fair price while letting me hook up to his elctric for 3 days. It was at a NAPA store and we wrote a thank you note to there head quarters.

Of course the asshole that installed the engine didn't give me a dime back.

 

[Seanpcola]

I would bet that you can pull 90% of the cars on the road today into a shop and legitimately find a list of things that need to be fixed. Vehicles are mechanical objects and perfection is close to impossible, especially for a daily driver. A lot of the items would be a judgement call. I just had all new tires put on my truck. The dealer showed me that my brake pads were worn down to about 6 months life left. I didnt have them do it but had a friend in the business do the replacement later. I also tend to try going first rate whenever possible. Not trying to throw money away but im a firm believer in preventative maintenance. I know that not everyone can be a car expert but anyone with a drivers license should know the basics. I taught both of my daughters enough that they can't be bullshitted, if they suspect they are they get a second opinion.

 

[Django]

Had a bunch of tests done to find the source of some brutal headaches. The worst was a spinal tap which ended up leaking. Ive had migraines before but a spinal headache for 3+ days straight is one of the worst experiences I've had. I didnt know what the hell was happening to me. The blood patch was no picnic either. Going to a neurologist today. Wish me luck.

 

[Viking1204]

I'll be praying for you Django, does not sound like fun at all.

 

[Django]

I'll be praying for you Django, does not sound like fun at all.

Thank you.

 

[Seanpcola]

Yep, prayers and hope for you. Maybe it will be something simple. My wife developed a horrible headache last week which is unusual for her. Didn't go away for days and she finally went to the doctor. He seemed to think she was suffering from symptoms associated with a strain of flu going around and he treated those symptoms. Shes fine now so maybe you just have that?

 

[Django]

I appreciate the words of encouragement. I'm trying to keep positive. All prayers are greatly appreciated. I know that this forum gives this kind of support, that's why I like it here so much. Great group of people.

 

[MarkS]

Praying for you

 

[madeSICC88]

Got to chaperone daughters 1st grade class to the naval museum in Pensacola, I got to watch the blue angels for the first time ever and holy shit it was insane. The nerves they must have to pull those turns out is ridiculous. I will be back for sure.

 

[Django]

Yep, prayers and hope for you. Maybe it will be something simple. My wife developed a horrible headache last week which is unusual for her. Didn't go away for days and she finally went to the doctor. He seemed to think she was suffering from symptoms associated with a strain of flu going around and he treated those symptoms. Shes fine now so maybe you just have that?

I think you nailed it! Doc thinks it a virus! Much better than the alternatives! Never head of a brain virus before. They're ordering an MRI to be on the safe side. All the other tests (CT, Spinal, etc.) were negative. Thanks for all the prayers!

 

[Seanpcola]

My wife had an aneurysm a couple of years ago and I thought she was suffering one again. It was that bad. She refused to go to the doctor for a couple of days. It got to where it hurt so bad she was puking every ten minutes. I finally got her in there and they ran all of those test immediately due to her previous ailment. I'm not so sure it could be called a "brain oriented flu" as much as it screwed up the immune system, blood pressure, allergies and nasal passages to the point it caused the headaches. The outward symptoms weren't like a regular bug, she didn't have sniffles, or a runny nose or anything like that.

And on that point I want to say this: There is a lot of strange crap going around especially over the last couple of years. My wife and daughter work at Pensacola Aviation Center so every day there are dozens if not hundreds of people flowing through that lobby from all over the USA, the continent and even across the oceans. They finally got it set up where you can't go but 10 steps in any direction without finding hand sanitizer and I even got a shipment of antibacterial dispensers that look like ink pens from a friend in the business so all the people there can keep one on them. Air travel has its good points but it also is the best, fastest way to spread disease. Wife gets sick occasionally, I never do but I sometimes go a week or better without being exposed to more that 3 different people. I never get sick (knock on wood).

 

[maxfold]

Had something like that six weeks ago went into shingles , was a mild case but ---- headache for a week was terrible hope you get better . Maxfold