Things purposely made to make you go Bump in The Dark

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  • Witsend
    Banned
    • Nov 2012
    • 2942

    Things purposely made to make you go Bump in The Dark

    #1 ) Farfignuugenized Vehicle information labels with ambiguous alpha numerical code ID (even on a 2010 Toyota Camry) doesn't even tell you time of day, a clear basic displacement size of the engine( not buried in other nonsense) , let alone give you a spark plug gap anymore.
    #2 ) Sealed Transmissions without a dipstick or drain bolt that manufacturer claims to have lifetime fluids and just inspect the fluid level every 30K, and no one will bother because it's a PITA process to do so.
    #3) purposely creating some of the strangest funky shaped oil filter housing covers that requires a unique proprietary tool to remove and do a LOF in a timely matter without potential damage.
    #4) Removal of access to a coolant block drain to get more old coolant out and service information is still showing that the car has a block drain in a real lousy illustration , yet doesn't showing a real good illustration view of it in a picture of it just to the side of the thermostat housing omitting any real important notes that the coolant block drain may no longer be found on vehicles built after a certain date or produced in different regions.
    I could see on the casting where the block drain hole would have been drilled , had one been there. This is a family member's car and I took out the thermostat and tilted the car to the right side to get more coolant out ,but if the auto repair information was correct and up to date for the model I certainly wouldn't have removed the lower radiator hose to bother searching for something that was no longer there
    Attached Files
  • Wheel
    Senior Member
    • Jul 2007
    • 719

    #2
    Originally posted by Witsend
    #1 ) Farfignuugenized Vehicle information labels with ambiguous alpha numerical code ID (even on a 2010 Toyota Camry) doesn't even tell you time of day, a clear basic displacement size of the engine( not buried in other nonsense) , let alone give you a spark plug gap anymore.
    #2 ) Sealed Transmissions without a dipstick or drain bolt that manufacturer claims to have lifetime fluids and just inspect the fluid level every 30K, and no one will bother because it's a PITA process to do so.
    #3) purposely creating some of the strangest funky shaped oil filter housing covers that requires a unique proprietary tool to remove and do a LOF in a timely matter without potential damage.
    #4) Removal of access to a coolant block drain to get more old coolant out and service information is still showing that the car has a block drain in a real lousy illustration , yet doesn't showing a real good illustration view of it in a picture of it just to the side of the thermostat housing omitting any real important notes that the coolant block drain may no longer be found on vehicles built after a certain date or produced in different regions.
    I could see on the casting where the block drain hole would have been drilled , had one been there. This is a family member's car and I took out the thermostat and tilted the car to the right side to get more coolant out ,but if the auto repair information was correct and up to date for the model I certainly wouldn't have removed the lower radiator hose to bother searching for something that was no longer there
    Since the government is gonna stick its nose into automotive design and manufacture, they need to make some serviceability laws (written only by mechanics with 5+ years experience) with some really draconian penalties for the slightest violation.
    You can expect the reputation of your business to be no better than the cheapest item or service you are willing to sell. - Wheel

    Comment

    • kirkbarrow.garage
      Senior Member
      • Jan 2015
      • 149

      #3
      Originally posted by Wheel
      Since the government is gonna stick its nose into automotive design and manufacture, they need to make some serviceability laws (written only by mechanics with 5+ years experience) with some really draconian penalties for the slightest violation.
      !



      I personally would have said it is accountants & so called " safety experts " that have caused modern vehicles to be so impossible to gain access to so they can be repaired successfully

      Comment

      • Witsend
        Banned
        • Nov 2012
        • 2942

        #4
        May I also add to my list

        5) Manufacturers have slightly different pan gasket and filter configurations between a 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder equipped model of their basic 6 speed and the aftermarket stores don't have parts in stock yet for a 7 year Camry.But you can special order it
        6) besides incorrect data listed in aftermarket repair , the estimator can be full of Sh@t too. Who's going to try and tell the customer it's going to cost over a grand labor to drop the trans pan and change the filter?
        There is one or two bolts that you need a 1/4" drive 10mm swivel socket to get the pan bolts off on 2.5L After you change a 2 bolt filter and clean out the pan and magnets. You can Over fill the trans and can take off the air cleaner inlet tube off and access the trans cooler hoses easy.With car level You can start the engine and remaining dirty stuff in the converter will expel, and just immediately turn engine off when you see the clean stuff coming or it starts spitting air.
        Attached Files

        Comment

        • JamesO
          Junior Member
          • Dec 2014
          • 23

          #5
          The 15.1 Hour Labor Time includes "R & I of Engine and Transmission Assembly".

          So this is either a small bit of time added onto the Engine and Trans R & I for changing the trans fluid AFTER the assembly has been removed from the car or someone did not pull up the Labor operation correctly. Maybe the software is buggy?

          Have to be VERY careful with ANY Labor Time Guide, these are "Guides" mainly for Estimation but people bill to these all the time. Often people ADD operations like time for a serpentine belt replacement when a water pump is replaced. But when the serpentine belt has to be R & I anyway when the water pump is replaced. So there should be NO additional Labor time for the belt replacement during a water pump replacement.

          You need to look at the job and Labor from a total, overall view. Using Labor Time Guides for billing purposes causes many Technicians to make more money than Lawyers. It also drives customers away that actually think about what is going on.

          There needs to be a realist balance.

          Comment

          • Crusty
            Senior Member
            • Dec 2007
            • 2450

            #6
            Originally posted by JamesO

            You need to look at the job and Labor from a total, overall view. Using Labor Time Guides for billing purposes causes many Technicians to make more money than Lawyers. It also drives customers away that actually think about what is going on.

            There needs to be a realist balance.
            Absolutely. A labour time GUIDE is a GUIDE and NOT GOD.
            There are times when a door panel shows 0.5 to R&R yet the component inside the door shows 0.4. Common sense would mean the job is 0.9.
            Unfortunately, there are many who can't use common sense and want to pay the tech 0.4 only.
            That's why when a time shows up as extremely high, the tech goes with it to make up for the previous 4 jobs he lost REALISTIC time on. Shop owners love it. Four customers are subsidized by the techs time and one guy is pissed. Shop owners are the heroes at the techs expense.
            An quality job will take as long as it takes.
            Sometimes every nut & bolt goes smoothly and sometimes every single nut & bolt is a struggle.
            How would you want YOUR vehicle done-?
            Flat rate or quality work-?
            Don't blame the techs. Blame the shop owners who want to use flat rate.
            The guy (gal) is only going to spend as much time as they are PAID to spend.
            If that means slamming a shoddy job out the door because flat rate is unrealistic, they will slam it out the door.
            A very old saying (from many years before I started in the trade) is... "flat rate can make a hack out of a good mechanic"
            It is very hard to maintain a quality standard one can be proud of.

            Comment

            • Witsend
              Banned
              • Nov 2012
              • 2942

              #7
              Chrysler CrossFire is a Rebadged Mercedes SLK320

              I auto ID'ed a 2004 Chrysler Crossfire but the scan tool was unable to scan Jack Sh@t as a Chrysler product until I manually selected a Mercedes Benz SLK320 and then I was able to communicate with most of the modules and pull codes and do Bi directional testing of Evap components, but PITA to figure out the Farfignueggen BS nuemeric type way of ID -ing their car models. Changed valve cover gaskets , cleaned and resealed the seeping valve cover crankcase breather chambers with RTV. Estimator for 2004 Chrysler Crossfire pays measely .7 hr. per side to replace valve cover gaskets , yet 2004 Mercedes SLK320 pays a more realistic 3.4 hrs. Got to wonder if the domestic car makers are paying the estimator companies to lower the customer pay times to make up even more ridiculously low warranty times.
              Attached Files

              Comment

              • kirkbarrow.garage
                Senior Member
                • Jan 2015
                • 149

                #8
                Originally posted by Witsend
                I auto ID'ed a 2004 Chrysler Crossfire but the scan tool was unable to scan Jack Sh@t as a Chrysler product until I manually selected a Mercedes Benz SLK320 and then I was able to communicate with most of the modules and pull codes and do Bi directional testing of Evap components, but PITA to figure out the Farfignueggen BS nuemeric type way of ID -ing their car models. Changed valve cover gaskets , cleaned and resealed the seeping valve cover crankcase breather chambers with RTV. Estimator for 2004 Chrysler Crossfire pays measely .7 hr. per side to replace valve cover gaskets , yet 2004 Mercedes SLK320 pays a more realistic 3.4 hrs. Got to wonder if the domestic car makers are paying the estimator companies to lower the customer pay times to make up even more ridiculously low warranty times.
                If you drove a Crossfire onto the ramp, lifted it up and went on a breakdown / recovery, I could swap your Crossfire for the SLK while you are away and you could not know, until you let it down again 😎😎😎😎

                Comment

                • Witsend
                  Banned
                  • Nov 2012
                  • 2942

                  #9
                  If you drove a Crossfire onto the ramp, lifted it up and went on a breakdown / recovery, I could swap your Crossfire for the SLK while you are away and you could not know, until you let it down again 😎😎😎😎
                  Reply With Quote
                  Not gonna stand for anymore Innocent Bystanders getting caught in The Crossfire.
                  Book Times Matter, It's time to start rioting in the streets

                  Comment

                  • kirkbarrow.garage
                    Senior Member
                    • Jan 2015
                    • 149

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Witsend
                    Not gonna stand for anymore Innocent Bystanders getting caught in The Crossfire.
                    Book Times Matter, It's time to start rioting in the streets
                    Had a guy ask " what is the book time for ' looking for the locking wheel nut ' "

                    Comment

                    • Crusty
                      Senior Member
                      • Dec 2007
                      • 2450

                      #11
                      Originally posted by kirkbarrow.garage
                      Had a guy ask " what is the book time for ' looking for the locking wheel nut ' "
                      Haha...Ask the warranty administrator at the dealership.....If there isn't an operation "code" and time for it, HE can do it, THEN hand the keys to the tech.
                      Falls under the "no tickey, no laundry"....

                      Comment

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