Mechanic Blunders

[rede30]

Back in the day before i did much on my car myself i found oil in my coolant res. It wasnt mixing or anything but there was a fair amount. I flushed the system and found oil back in coolant so I took it to a nice euro car shop who has been great to my family in the past. All they did is flush the system for me and sent me on my way. I still cant belive they didnt suspect a head gasket leak in this situation, it makes me mad because i had to get a new engine shortly after. I didnt really piece together how stupid they were for not realizing my head gasket was leaking so after my engine swap I took it to them again because after i finished the engine swap my car wasnt idling well. They spent $1000 tring to figure out why the rpms would rise and fall after some gas was given. I dont know why this happens but i have now figured out that after unhooking the battery the car will do this and then stop after a few drives. Why the hell didnt they know this? I had to spend 1000 and all i got was a new idle air stabilizer. I am angry with myself for spending money at the machanic. Wheel bearings and maby a clutch if the tranny and engine is in the car, are the only thing i wont do. Oh and last year i took my car to a bulldog machanic who does only bmws to have my sunroof fixed, i didnt want to mess with it and it only cost me 40.

[Graham325]

I had a 01 camaro ss that engine shit its self 3 days after buying it (barely used, it was the owner of the dealerships son, who was a family friend), dad was pissed, I caught hell for a week before it was figured out to be a manufacturer's defect in the block, so chevy covered a whole new long block, somhow during the installation somthing was messed up and on the test drive the engine once again shit itsself, so in went a new 3rd engine, all on a car with less than 8k miles

[jhower08]

not what a mechanic did but kinda along the lines. i took my blazer in for inspection this past spring. the guy gets done doing it and goes, "your oil cap was sitting on top of your aircleaner..." ive never felt any lower regarding something ive done mechanically.

[DEV0 E30]

I think what these guys are trying to say is that you crossed the line...and I agree.

Underfuckingstatementofthefuckingyear.

There is a saying that has something to do with, not stooping to their level. I think dropping like a bomb past it is refuckingdiculous.

We've all been screwed by someone at sometime or another, how you deal with the situation defines who you are.

[ptownTSI]

I passed a Plymouth Horizon that was in the middle of head work. I then stopped turned around, and jammed the half of the washers into the spark plug sockets and the other half got dropped into the exhaust manifold. I grabbed the 2.23 from my change b8in in the ashtray and threw it to the manager.

I wonder if that 2.23 was worth the labor of removing the washers from another customers car.

ibyoudidnotdothat. liar.

[joshh]

I think what these guys are trying to say is that you crossed the line...and I agree.

[Dave]

I call bullshit on the washers in the Horizon head story. The shop would have had to have known you did it having been there that day. And I'd bet somehow they could have tracked you down and either had the Police visit you or more likely, the tech who you fucked would have given youa beat down.

[aaron.j]

"He handed them over, and I told him I had to get the money out of my car. As I walked thru the shop to the back lot I noticed lunch break had come and no one was inside. I passed a Plymouth Horizon that was in the middle of head work. I then stopped turned around, and jammed the half of the washers into the spark plug sockets and the other half got dropped into the exhaust manifold. I grabbed the 2.23 from my change b8in in the ashtray and threw it to the manager.

I wonder if that 2.23 was worth the labor of removing the washers from another customers car."



You are a waffleswaffleswaffleswaffles. The guy you fucked over probably had nothing to do with your car. The customer you fucked over definately had nothing to do. You are a low life sack of shit.


"His rims fit fine, the steelies, however, had a different hub bore. No fitty...The shop "manager" tried to explain to me how buying an inch or so's worth of washers for each lug bolt, behind the wheel, would give me the opportunity to get on the road and get home. I took him up on his offer as long as he purchased the washers. He reluctantly agreed and I headed off to the local hardware store. I returned, washers in hand, change too, to watch the idiocy begin. "

Who is the bigger fool. The fool or the fool who follows him?

[joshh]

I've never had a shop do any work on any of my cars, besides getting alignments done, so I don't have any bad stories.

That reminds me of a bad alignment story....lol.

With Hondas you can add washers to the upper rear arm as a cheap way to add/remove camber. I had the shop remove the wheels and add 2 skinny washers so the camber was not so high. I end up waiting for about 1.5 hours. Wondering why it's taking this guy so long. Finally the guy gets finished. He really had a hard time trying to get the toe corrected, which is weird because I've never heard anyone say that about this car before.
I thought the car felt a bit funny but I had an autocross the next day. So I went and the car really felt odd during the autocross but the only real change was the camber.
I ended up bringing the car back to another one of their shops to have the alignment checked.....LMFAO...the toe was set at -2* all the way around. The first guy added the washers to the rear suspension after he started the alignment and forgot to reset the machine. Bonehead move but I didn't bitch because it was only like that for the weekend.

[Digitalwave]

I've never had a shop do any work on any of my cars, besides getting alignments done, so I don't have any bad stories.

As I walked thru the shop to the back lot I noticed lunch break had come and no one was inside. I passed a Plymouth Horizon that was in the middle of head work. I then stopped turned around, and jammed the half of the washers into the spark plug sockets and the other half got dropped into the exhaust manifold. .

Wow! And I thought I was a total fucking asshole. You take the fucking cake.

[jbsjunk]

Not to hyjack, but how about stupid mechanic tricks?

I had a newer Mitsu Eclipse come in with a rod knock, no biggie. Pulled the engine, got it on the stand, swapped the crank and checked everything. Pulled the head so the bad rod could be replaced. Everything was done, and running in the car for about 3 minutes when it locked up. It ran great. After checking everything over, I found that the cams were stuck. Ok. Pull the head again. I found the problem once I got the head off. I got the head gasket on backwards it fit both ways, but if you get in the wrong way, you block the oil passage going to the head, as was the case here. The head went to the machine shop to get the cam journals machined. Got that back and reassembled (I checked the head gasket about a dozen times to make sure it was on right THIS time).

All told, when it was done, it ran perfect. It did cost me alot of time (I was commission there) and the shop a few bucks. Did I learn from this? Damn right, and I've been doing this professionally for 20 years, and have been ASE Master certified for the last 12 of those. We all screw up, it just how you settle it.

Steps off the podium to a corous of boo's.

[eurostyl e30]

A tech at a dealer left the oil cap on my crankcase off, ruining my Corrado's $150 hood insulation. The engine bay was cleaned for me and I was given a new oil cap. Whatever, I needed new hood foam anyway.

Oh yeah, there was the time I had my clutch done on one of my VWs, and the shop failed to see my trans mount was gone while they put the transmission back in place. My VRs intake manifold bopped the hood causing a nice upward dent on my immaculate car. They replaced the mount for free and gave me complimentary paintless dent removal on the hood. All was rectified.

Needless to say, both mistakes were worth a little more than three dollars and yet I never felt the need to get all malicious on a tech or the manager. And hey, look at that! They fixed their mistakes, no questions asked! It's amazing what happens when you're not a jackass about things.

[joshh]

First....DO NOT bring your car to Les Schab. They are a rip off and will not even do small things for you. They charge you for the whole job. 7 years ago when I was still learning about doing some of these jobs, they wouldn't even check my 71 Ford brakes to make sure everything was correctly done. They wanted to charge me a full brake job for it. They also will not match prices with other shops for tires. Fuck them.

You guys have some intresting stories...that really suck I might add. Makes mine not seem so bad.

My "worst" one was with my Acura. I was finishing the install of a Type-R LSD and was in a huge hurry to get the car done so I could get an alignment for the next days autocross.
I put the tranny back in and had 90% of the car back together when I look down and the speed sensor cable is crushed between the tranny and the motor with the connector on the inside....I had to basicly pull it all apart again and fix the connector.

[der affe]

Exactly the point. If you really believe it's okay to fuck with another mech's work, why shouldn't I? Given the fact I knew it wouldn't work and gave more than enough leway for an established tech to retract his assanine suggestion of washers holding a wheel to a hub. He deserves to be beaten with your 8 pounder for even thinking of risking my neck so he could get another few bucks in his wallet.

I'm done.

first off when we do it, it is nothing too malicious. things like spray a bunch of oil/lube in the runner so it smokes alot when you start it up, switch/ semi disconnect sensors so you get a check engine light. nothing like what you did...would you do that to a friend that was working on his head in the garage because you were mad at his parents???? same logic, not cool! still didn't say if you were charged labor or attempted to be charged labor. was the tech doing the head job the same as the one trying to use the washers to space the wheel away from the hub??? prob not. the manager was wrong to suggest that you use washers to space the wheel out, you can do that kind of shit at home not at a prof. shop (you are opening yourself up for a lawsuit), and actually doing it at the shop:roll: , but to fuck with someone elses work, it is asking to get beaten!!!