Unethical Mechanics

[NightTrain]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/05/14/woman-wants-citgo-station-to-pick-up-tab-for-damage-caused-by-bad-fuel/

So the New Jersey gas station supposedly had a bad batch of fuel delivered... I don't know if I believe his story but we've all gotten bad fuel at least once. I've had bad fuel dozens of times and I've learned that Chevron (here in AK, anyway) is the most reliable. I've only had one fill-up that resulted in my rig dying on the side of the road, all the other times I could tell the engine was missing as it worked the water through but it kept running.

The problem here is the Mazda dealership taking advantage of a woman that doesn't know anything about cars, which probably describes a majority of people regardless of their sex.

The gas station owner is completely correct when he says that the fuel injectors and other fuel system components didn't need to be replaced.

All that mechanic had to do was flush the water out of the fuel system and change the oil just for good measure.

It's true that people should be pissed at the Gas Station owner for the watered down fuel, but the real crime here is the deliberate fleecing of that woman by a crooked mechanic.

[tailfins]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/05/14/woman-wants-citgo-station-to-pick-up-tab-for-damage-caused-by-bad-fuel/

So the New Jersey gas station supposedly had a bad batch of fuel delivered... I don't know if I believe his story but we've all gotten bad fuel at least once. I've had bad fuel dozens of times and I've learned that Chevron (here in AK, anyway) is the most reliable. I've only had one fill-up that resulted in my rig dying on the side of the road, all the other times I could tell the engine was missing as it worked the water through but it kept running.

The problem here is the Mazda dealership taking advantage of a woman that doesn't know anything about cars, which probably describes a majority of people regardless of their sex.

The gas station owner is completely correct when he says that the fuel injectors and other fuel system components didn't need to be replaced.

All that mechanic had to do was flush the water out of the fuel system and change the oil just for good measure.

It's true that people should be pissed at the Gas Station owner for the watered down fuel, but the real crime here is the deliberate fleecing of that woman by a crooked mechanic.


How do you expect a vehicle to run without an engine, dummy? :stooges:

[NightTrain]

How do you expect a vehicle to run without an engine, dummy? :stooges:

Nyuk nyuk! Wise guy, eh??

Another time I was carpooling as an apprentice with my assigned Journeyman to Anchorage every day, when one morning his front brakes started squealing on his Grand-Am. He was alarmed, but I told him that it was just the squealers on the pads letting him know it was time for front brake pads.

He had no idea as to how to replace the front brake pads, and wanted "a professional" to fix his brakes. I told him we could do it in 20 minutes in his driveway after work for less than $50, but he was dead set on having a pro do it.

So we swung into Midas after work that day, and the shameless bastard behind the counter quoted my buddy about $900 to replace his brakes. When my jaw dropped, he quickly added that the "rotors are probably warped & need to be changed out".

I told him the rotors were fine and it was a Pontiac, not a Lamborghini. That didn't change the price, but we were told the brakes would have a warranty. :laugh2:


So for $40 in brake pads and $10 in beer, we did it in 20 minutes in his driveway. Oh yeah, and those pads came with a warranty for free.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Nyuk nyuk! Wise guy, eh??

Another time I was carpooling as an apprentice with my assigned Journeyman to Anchorage every day, when one morning his front brakes started squealing on his Grand-Am. He was alarmed, but I told him that it was just the squealers on the pads letting him know it was time for front brake pads.

He had no idea as to how to replace the front brake pads, and wanted "a professional" to fix his brakes. I told him we could do it in 20 minutes in his driveway after work for less than $50, but he was dead set on having a pro do it.

So we swung into Midas after work that day, and the shameless bastard behind the counter quoted my buddy about $900 to replace his brakes. When my jaw dropped, he quickly added that the "rotors are probably warped & need to be changed out".

I told him the rotors were fine and it was a Pontiac, not a Lamborghini. That didn't change the price, but we were told the brakes would have a warranty. :laugh2:


So for $40 in brake pads and $10 in beer, we did it in 20 minutes in his driveway. Oh yeah, and those pads came with a warranty for free.

Had a place in Memphis fleece my first wife when she took her car in back in 1974.
They charged her 279 dollars for a basic tune up , in 1974!!!! Claiming that they put on a new set of plug wires too. I came home from a 15 hour shift ,she told me and I went ballistic!! I drove to that place and threatened to beat he hell out of whomever just stole over 240+ dollars out of my bank account! The managers got rushed back there and it was eventually settled. Check was torn up and I wrote another one for 35 dollars which was still a rip because it needed no new plug wires and the previous missing was due to bad gas I was able to find out next day.
Rip off mechanics should be shot on the spot IMHO..
The few times any started that with me I told them to get back on that turnip truck buddy and give me a damn real price or else I am going elsewhere, none ever lowered the price to a fair amount so I always drove away.
Some say I am a hard man to deal with and it's true always when people try to shaft me!! -Tyr

[tailfins]

Had a place in Memphis fleece my first wife when she took her car in back in 1974.
They charged her 279 dollars for a basic tune up , in 1974!!!! Claiming that they put on a new set of plug wires too. I came home from a 15 hour shift ,she told me and I went ballistic!! I drove to that place and threatened to beat he hell out of whomever just stole over 240+ dollars out of my bank account! The managers got rushed back there and it was eventually settled. Check was torn up and I wrote another one for 35 dollars which was still a rip because it needed no new plug wires and the previous missing was due to bad gas I was able to find out next day.
Rip off mechanics should be shot on the spot IMHO..
The few times any started that with me I told them to get back on that turnip truck buddy and give me a damn real price or else I am going elsewhere, none ever lowered the price to a fair amount so I always drove away.
Some say I am a hard man to deal with and it's true always when people try to shaft me!! -Tyr

I took my 1959 Impala to get the carburetor replaced because just slapping one on is no better than a temportary emergency fix. Doing it properly involves getting a meticuloutly rebuilt carburetor and carefully setting the fuel mixture and timing. I got down the road and smelled fuel. The fuel line going into the carb was leaking. It turns out they did EVEN LESS than I would have done myself in an Auto Zone parking lot in 15 minutes. Auto Zone sells Mexico rebuilt vintage carburetors for $169 that are OK in a pinch. All I could do is leave a bad review online because they technically did what was stated in the $400 invoice.