Guitar Gear Forum

My car: free oil changes for life. Except every time it goes in it needs "part replacement" issues fixed. Surprising how long it took me to figure that one out. After my fourth thousand dollar free oil change, the car came back with a shakey front end when braking. They had said the control arm was shot and needed replaced. Except, they replaced it with a loose fit so nothing is solid on the front now. It's going to a little shop run by an old dude and won't be going back to the dealer.

My motorcycle: It went into the dealer for an oil change and some actual wear parts to be replaced. Came back with some of the bolts for fairings missing, and the rubber gromets and washers missing from the bolts under the fuel hatch. When confronted they told me I needed to buy full kits to get the replacement parts. I told them the "replacement parts" were laying around somewhere in their shop and they either needed to find them or buy replacements themselves. The manager came out and blank-looked me while asking repeatedly, "what would I do with the rest of those kits if I got you your replacement parts?" It went into an indy shop today. The dude there said he'd heard stories even worse from others. I told him to fine-tooth-comb the sucker because if they were that brain-damaged on the stuff you could see right out front, who KNOWS what they fucked up in the undercarriage. This dude looked JUST LIKE Opie on Sons of Anarchy, except with two spikes on his bottom lip. Highlight of my day chit-chatting with a dude that actually seemed to GET bikes.

I've got coworker stories too. Latest guy is an absolute fully invested idjit. I would get more specific, but I don't want this shit searched out. Suffice to say after a year and a half he still can't get a single fucking thing right and we spend more time cleaning up his messes than we do doing our own jobs. And the one that can actually do something about this doesn't seem to want to.

Is there somebody? ANYBODY? That can just do their job? ANYBODY?

No.

Seriously though dude, that sorta thing sucks. I have tons of stories about my dealership, but most are from incompetence, not trying to screw people over. I don't know if that's any better.

Course, we've fixed plenty of independents butcher jobs as well.

I fully believe its 100% trial and error working to find a good tech.

ovid9 wrote:I fully believe its 100% trial and error working to find a good tech.

This is unfortunately true.

Right now I've got both vehicles going to dudes highly recommended by friend/acquaintences, so I'm hoping it turns out alright. The bike shop is owned by my neighbor's nephew. The neighbor has a newer model Suzuki Boulevard C50, I've got an older C90. He says he takes his there for anything outside of the required dealer oil changes for the warranty to stick and they do good work. This Suzuki dealer in town sucks balls though. I had to go to Sioux City to buy my bike because the guy in town at the time kept saying Suzuki was out of bikes for the year and wouldn't be getting any more in and nobody else in the country had any either. Changed ownership the next year, was OK for about two years, then got into used cars too and everything went to shit.

I've got some ins with some car dudes, so hopefully I won't get hosed there too badly. Getting tired of trying to find somebody to work on my damn vehicles. The bike I could probably handle if I had time and the space for it. Newer model cars I'm helpless with. I can usually find the battery and the dipstick and beyond that I'm just stuck.

I could but why tho?

nightflameauto wrote: I had to go to Sioux City to buy my bike because the guy in town at the time kept saying Suzuki was out of bikes for the year and wouldn't be getting any more in and nobody else in the country had any either.

WTF?

nightflameauto wrote: Newer model cars I'm helpless with. I can usually find the battery and the dipstick and beyond that I'm just stuck.

God yeah. They need to make them more complex. They aren't crazy enough yet.

A good wrench is priceless. And by wrench, I don't mean tool.

As mechanically inclined as I am, I'm very thankful that one of my best friends is the best mechanic/wrench I've ever met.

Because of that, so much money stays in my pocket.

I asked for the gold/white C90T, 2008 model in late July, 2008. Direct quote - "Man, all out. Nobody else anywhere has them either. I've been calling all over. I *MIGHT* be able to get ahold of a black one for you by March next year or so, but Suzuki is literally out of bikes for the year and there won't be more until next spring."

WAT?!

Called up Sioux City and they had one built out of the crate that day and I went to pick it up the next.

I ended up doing my first two maintenance trips back to Sioux City too. Too bad it's not closer. That dude down there is GOOD. Some old crotchety dude that you can tell has been working bikes since he was a kid. He pulls no punches, but he runs a *TIGHT* ship on maintenance. Sadly, not only is Sioux City a big ride away, the highways between here and there will beat you to a pulp, plus, the rest of Sioux City may be the absolute SHITTIEST town I've ever been in outside of South side Chicago.

[Scene cuts to George at the customer complaint window]

GEORGE: Yes, I’d like to report a problem with one of your mechanics.

WILLIE: When did you bring the car in?

GEORGE: (To the man behind him in line) Yeah, right… I’m gonna get my car repaired at a dealership. Huh! Why don’t I just flush my money down the toilet.

So wait, you can't work on your own motorcycle?

How did that happen?

finding decent mechanics can be a crap shoot. but in a way, the ones you dealt with WERE doing their job. their goal was to screw you and they very well did.

i hate the pure experience divide between a layman and a mechanic. i know enough now, having worked in a maintenance capacity for several years now to know when im being screwed with, but damn.

In reality any tradesman that does their job well is worth their weight in gold.

paul88lx wrote:A good wrench is priceless. And by wrench, I don't mean tool.

As mechanically inclined as I am, I'm very thankful that one of my best friends is the best mechanic/wrench I've ever met.

Because of that, so much money stays in my pocket.

I WAS in that position, but my friend moved away from me some years back. The guy I'm using now is VERY good and honest though.

I don't think I've EVER taken my car to a dealership for service, and I've been driving since the 80's.

ovid9 wrote:Seriously though dude, that sorta thing sucks. I have tons of stories about my dealership, but most are from incompetence, not trying to screw people over. I don't know if that's any better.

Course, we've fixed plenty of independents butcher jobs as well.

I fully believe its 100% trial and error working to find a good tech.

I think it is worse that they are incompetent. I do all my own maintenance on my motorcycle and my cars because I know I can do the right job and use loctite where needed and save an assload of money. I realize not all folks are in the same boat with the ability to work on their own vehicles, but at the very least, someone can research what is being done to a vehicle that they own so they can talk shop when necessary. Otherwise all repair places think the customer is an idiot and then the assrapage comes along.

Y0UNGBL00D wrote:finding decent mechanics can be a crap shoot. but in a way, the ones you dealt with WERE doing their job. their goal was to screw you and they very well did.

i hate the pure experience divide between a layman and a mechanic. i know enough now, having worked in a maintenance capacity for several years now to know when im being screwed with, but damn.

George Costanza: [about mechanics] Well of course they're trying to screw you! What do you think? That's what they do. They can make up anything; nobody knows! "Why, well you need a new johnson rod in here." Oh, a Johnson rod. Yeah, well better put one of those on!