Anybody caught a shop putting miles on their car?

[apm]

I shipped my lachsilber e30 m3 a while back tp Southwest via a well known auto transport company. I noted the mileage and the odo had almost additional 200miles.

If you thought that putting the car in a flatbed and unloading it to the destination will be only 10miles at the most.

[15Michaeljoseph]

Some of these stories are crazy!! IDK guys, the indie who did my m20 transplant surgury said he drove it about a hundred miles to make sure it was taking and to change the oil again... and he was 100% honest. 86 miles more were on the car. If I ever found out that a shop or valet were beating my car I'd beat THEM.


--Mike

[frolf]

I dropped my E36 at a shop for an alignment. Had 4 miles on it, which i wasn't too concerned about until I popped the trunk: everything was comically slammed against one side. A lot of locals heard some language they weren't accustomed to when I walked back in the shop. I've never used them since.

[AWDBOB]

As an enthusiast, it is always sketchy dropping your car off somewhere.

However, in a LOT of cases, a test drive is almost completely necessary to see if the problem/noise/alignment/etc is fixed. NEVER do we beat on the car, but it's pretty common in the industry (especially states with Inspection) to put a mile or two on the car taking it for a lap around the block, which is required by law (road test) in Pennsylvania, at least.

I must also mention that it is often expected/requested by customers that we drive the vehicles for proper diagnosis.

Mainly confused at the OP's put a mile on and don't have to pay the bill theory? If you drop your car off for a tire rotation or an alternator it doesn't require a test drive, but for a lot of other things it's pretty necessary.

I suppose you are only referring to the times in which it is clearly not necessary?

I also work in a very small shop were a large level of trust is granted between customer and mechanic, so this stuff may not necessarily apply.

[kway]

I've driven 2 customer cars home this week (90 miles round trip). An r53 MINI S that we replaced the engine in (he hydrolocked his original one), and there's currently an e92 335i in the garage that I drove home tonight.

The story on this one is that the guy left the windows open in the rain and has had electrical problems ever since (naturally). We got everything working the first time, he came and got the car, then was back a day later with some gremlins that returned. Normally I wouldn't drive a car home for such a job (as I didn't on the first visit), but we want to be 100% sure this time. Better for the customer, better for us.

[Massimo]

[george graves]

[Cabriolet]

There is always one :)

I'm surprised that most of you guys simply stopped going to the shop instead of getting the job at cost/etc. Never happened to me.. so far *knocks on wood* but I would have lost my shit.

That calls for PPI by another shop covered by the offender too.

make it 2.
I live in the bay area, shop rates are 140/hr. it has become cheaper for me to learn and buy my own tools. that said. a shop doesn't need to ever put more than 10 miles on any car EVER. This goes for the work I now do for other. The only time I do more than 10 miles is for fresh engine break in. that does require a 35 minute drive and I do asked the owner first and report the exact about of time the car was on the road. I'm just a local guy. If a shop doesn't do at least the same write them negative reviews on yelp and google.

[Kevinl]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S7AyiVfNdA

[kway]

a shop doesn't need to ever put more than 10 miles on any car EVER.

Car is due for a state inspection/emissions sticker, you've just corrected a CEL related issue and cleared codes. The customer brought the car in with the expectation that it will be returned with no CEL and inspection sticker taken care of. You ain't gonna have OBD readiness after 10 miles, no inspection sticker for you, customer is disappoint. So, never EVER? That's just one instance.

Granted, we always tell the customer when the car will be driven for an extended period and explain why. I'm guessing the OP was in reference to a shop putting a bunch of miles on a car when there are no grounds to do so. There's no justifying that.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I'm sure yan has pretty good story about a shop putting miles on his car

[Julien]

Every shop pretty much does it (including the dealers). Just think if any of you worked at a shop and an s54 swapped e30 m3 came in for a/c service.. would you not take it around the block..?


It can also be a good thing when the service writers do it.. I've caught a handful of small issues like that (airbag light not reset, dirty interior, mis-diagnosis, etc)



a shop is way more likely to tune you out if you come across all high and mighty over a 20 year old BMW in mediocre shape.

[15Michaeljoseph]

I've driven 2 customer cars home this week (90 miles round trip). An r53 MINI S that we replaced the engine in (he hydrolocked his original one), and there's currently an e92 335i in the garage that I drove home tonight.

The story on this one is that the guy left the windows open in the rain and has had electrical problems ever since (naturally). We got everything working the first time, he came and got the car, then was back a day later with some gremlins that returned. Normally I wouldn't drive a car home for such a job (as I didn't on the first visit), but we want to be 100% sure this time. Better for the customer, better for us.

Are you drifting these cars? doing burnouts? taking them to the store? hauling topsoil?

Clearly there's a difference between testing, like what you're doing, and outright abuse of the customers property. I think what the OP is trying to say is if a shop puts on 100 miles for say... a brake job or something, they should pay for it.


--Mike

[e30onBBSs]

If I was a shop instead of driving it secretly, I would ask the guy when he comes to pick it up. "Hey can I take your e30 for a spin?" If they say no, it was worth the shot. If they say yes, great!

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I remember when I used to be on bimmerforums a guy took like 03 or 04 5 series in to get work done and one of the techs without anyone's knowledge took it for a joy ride and totaled it.