DCsportsfan53

Not sure what area you're in but harbour freight over in Gburg should have that.

I'm still having a hard time buying that one. Gas stations and independent shops charge less per hour and pay techs less per hour than dealerships. I think somewhere around $30 per hour is where dealers usually max out, MAYBE 35 and that's for a damn good, damn experienced tech. I'm having a really hard time understanding how they're making 35-50 per flat rate hour. There's a misunderstanding here somewhere, that doesn't happen.

Definitely agree. It's just this one guy, he won't show up early enough to get any good tickets and then flips out constantly because we're not doing **** paying, tedious warranty work fast enough. We'll see how long he lasts, he's made an enemy out of almost everyone there, techs, parts and the other writers. Btw, I wasn't suggesting you BS your customers or techs, just something you definitely see happen. Advisors basically making **** up on the fly as they talk to the customer, not even making sense half the time. I know it can be a pain in the ass job in it's own right but there are definitely good and bad advisors. Unfortunately for us techs, we're somewhat at the mercy of the luck of the draw on that.

I'm going to go ahead and assume you're averaging the number of hours they turn and that's not their actual take per hour turned because if it is, where do I sign up? I've NEVER heard of a dealership, let alone an independent shop, paying a tech $50 an hour. That's unheard of.

Semi sarcastic question, why is it that all Service Writers seem to think they're mechanics while simultaneously thinking that all repairs are quick and easy (at least when they're talking to the technician, not bsing the customer? Seriously though, my service writer has been ****ing killing me lately, what a douchebag.

Here is my problem with American cars. They don't offer you nearly the reliability of a Japanese car. They don't offer you nearly the comfort or driving experience of a German car. They're mediocre and blah at everything. It's like a football team that's 7-9 every year. :laugh: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: I'm not going to lie, you're not far from the truth. It's almost like playing russian roulette......electrical problems style. I will say this though, the engineering in the drivetrains and the chassis' is superior. Generally speaking I've found that people who really stay on top of keeping a German car running right get good returns. Neglect them and they will exact revenge. But there's no question it'll likely be an overall more expensive car to own and maintain than either of the other two. The MK5 VWs have been excellent, though. Much better cars these days, they've climbed dramatically in the reliability ratings the last several years, and from a "behind the wheel" standpoint, the best to drive and closest to the original idea since the first Rabbits. Bottom line, Japanese and German cars give you some form of excellence to hang your hat on, a reason to have the car based on merit that is lacking almost wholesale in American cars, save for a few models (like a Vette). They are not excellent at anything. They're not going to be the cheapest to own, get the best fuel mileage or give you an amazing driving experience. They'll be a few years behind in technology and generally unimpressive in most ways. I definitely agree that buying American is a good thing but, IMHO, they've still gotta ****ing earn it by making a car that stands up to the competition. :2cents:

Also curious if the key is original or one that had to get made at some point. Sometimes a locksmith doesn't do a good job and that key that never seemed to work just right wears out the lock cylinder.

Something tells me these two situations are not coincidences :laugh: Loctite on spark plugs? Alrighty then. You probably stripped the threads putting the plugs in.

What all is involved in a 60k service for your vehicle? I'm guessing it's something like air filter, fuel filter and spark plugs. If so, I would get it done. Clogged air filters and old, worn spark plugs can contribute to carbon buildup in the engine and lead to misfires. Also, these are easy things to do. I'm betting you could do them yourself. Bad idea on a turbocharged engine. The extra pressure on the engine created by the turbocharger creates the need for the higher octane gas. Not using the proper fuel could cause detonation and misfires which could lead to engine failure in the right conditions. I would definitely stick with 93 if I was you.

The fuel injection service is not bs but it is oversold. It's good to do once in awhile, though, as it does do a pretty good job busting up all that carbon that builds up over time. I would say, though, that the need for it is going to be heavily based on driving conditions. If you do a lot of stop and go, yeah it's going to be helpful to do that every, say, 30k miles. If, however, you are frequently running the engine at full operating temperatures for extended periods of time and letting it stretch its legs a little bit, you probably don't need it. As far as coolant, I don't go by mileage, I go based on the condition of the coolant and how dirty the coolant/cooling system is. In general, radiator flushes done with the stupid machine are pretty worthless. Personally, I don't bother selling them or the stupid power steering flush because I think they're just ways to get money out of your pocket into mine. That doesn't fly with me. If I'm working on a car and I think it's time the coolant's going to be changed, I'm going to do a full on flush of the whole system, not just change a quarter or a third of it with the machine for a quick buck. I like to run the car, with the return line disconnected and a hose in the coolant bottle, for a good half hour. That really gets all that crap out of there. Also, just as a note, be very careful about mixing coolants. I've seen engines nearly ruined because people mixed coolant types. When you do that, the newer style long life coolants break down into a brown sludge that just clogs up EVERYTHING. Many times you will never get it all out of the cooling system. He's right, to make more money. Personally, I probably cost myself just a little bit by avoiding the services I feel unnecessary even though they're technically "recommended" (by the company selling the product to us, anyways). I'm a HUGE stickler for not trying to sell anything to a customer that the car doesn't actually need or isn't truly preventative maintenance. I stay away from all those BG and MOC flushes and crap. About the only flush I routinely sell is a brake fluid flush because brake fluid absolutely should be changed every two years regardless of mileage. At the same time, though, it's not like if I'm doing an oil change on a car and I notice things wrong with it that I'm not going to try and sell that work. It varies greatly from shop to shop and tech to tech on what their standards are.

Yeah, it has to have been posted at least a half a dozen times now but it's still hilarious.

Might want to take that one down, Mooney, it's sure to offend. Edit: Probably both of them, I was originally talking about the terps one

I thought it would be ok but I took it out just in case.

True, it is pretty damn good even as far as WRC goes. You watch a little bit of that and wonder how the **** people even stay awake during a NASCAR race. :laugh:

:laugh: Lots of funny pics on that page

Believe it or not, that's actually fairly routine for rally racing.

Fair enough, back to pictures.

It's just a joke man, seriously, are we really that PC obsessed these days?

Personally I found it quite funny. Besides, it's VERY different from racism. Mocking a belief system is entirely different than mocking someone for their genes. I don't think you have a legit gripe here, I fail to see how this picture is unacceptable or violates ES rules.

When you know about a murder before the bodies have been discovered, yeah, you're going downtown for questioning. Whoever wrote that either found the bodies and didn't think it necessary to tell anyone or they knew what was happening before it happened. Either way, he/she has got some questions to answer, that's for damn sure.