my service shop is fired.

[zout]

At what point from seeing the big oak tree at the back of the shop with a large diameter rope on it - give you a clue it was the wrong shop ?

It was a good thread to start for just my .02 worth. I have been turning wrenches 42 yrs now. That is in the trucking industry and also Harley Davidson dealership service manager. Check out my thread if you do not think I know what I am talking about.

Everyone has a story - good bad and ugly.

I am glad you went back and confronted the shop - in a mild mannered tone and just explained (I have seen the refection of this as well, where the guys is not about to listen). I am not up on Canadian shop laws - down here - if you did not sign for the required estimated work give or take 3% for unknowns - you are not responsible - no matter how much work they did to it.

Mechanics are another story and I am not about to get into that without sitting around a bon fire with a beer trying to settle world events.

Lets talk about "misc shop charges"

 

[charlietango]

You needed a shop to check your brake fluid? Not trying to sound mean, but that is something you should check on your own regardless of whether the shop does it.

as I explained it was already there for a safety inspection and this was a side thought while it was in the shop. I didnt have time to deal with digging into the problem at this time as I am a 30yr old self employed contract driver with a small fleet 3 years into business, I have 2 daughters under 4 and a wife that tolerates my hobby. not much free time for tinkering..not much time for driving the toys. Maybe in the winter but I dont have a shop to work in . -45 plus windchill ..I am getting used to frozen skin on wrenches..

I pay that shop to maintain all of my vehicles but lately they are not doing what is tasked or listening to instructions very well. and not just with the MV's... but that was icing on the cake. re-wiring something you don't understand is just plain stupid.

thankfully there are TM's on the site that I can print off and give to them.

cooler heads definitely prevail. thanks again fella's for listening to my rant.

 

[charlietango]

I am not up on Canadian shop laws - down here - if you did not sign for the required estimated work give or take 3% for unknowns - you are not responsible - no matter how much work they did to it.

its pretty much the same here. if they forget to make you sign they can be hooped if you say no. but that would end my business relationship with them for sure and I would have to start from scratch with another shop

 

[charlietango]

so I picked up my deuce today and they got it back to the way it was. That particular mechanic had it on black-out and got confused. Did not ask did not question. funny just days before another mechanic had it through a safety inspection that verifies that all lamps are operational. and funny again that when I went there today the shop foreman was yelling at one of the mechanics for not reading the instructions given to him for another customer's truck.

they bled the brake system out. BLACK fluid came out. they flushed it until it ran clean and replaced it with dot5. Brake lights are working good as new.

the end result with the bill was the brake bleed-out with fluid, and the safety inspection. Did not charge me for the wiring fiasco.

 

[usmc320]

Glad to hear everything worked out for you.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

November 21st, 2009.

At least here in North East Texas we have Weems Wrecker Service in Clarksville, TX. Mr Weems was a deuce mechanic in Vietnam and just about drooled to get the chance to change out my engine's leaking rear main seal. He figured 11 hours, found out more like 16
due to the bolts and nuts end of it, but got it right for $450 and fixed a damaged/missing tailgate hook ear in the deal. He also put my Air-O-Matic steering on, though none of his trucks in Vietnam had such a luxury item on them.... the drooling after that was better yet as he couldn't get over that you could turn it with one hand......
Now and then you get lucky, but generally modern Diesel mechanics have no clue in dealing with a deuce and the ones around here are scared of her....

You can always move the brake cylinder reservoir and fill up on the firewall after you get done cleaning up or replacing your brake light switch. The modification is on here and was developed for Fire Trucks/Brush Trucks and really beats Uncle's original access for the
Master Cylinder fill......

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[charlietango]

that sounds like a great mod Kyle, I will find the thread and get that done.

There are a few modernized modifications that are definitely worth doing. that is one and the screw on fuel filters, and air-o-matic steering are top on my list.

thanks for the suggestions guys.. your experience and figuring I needed to bleed the system fixed my problems and my cool head got the job done right. glad she is home

 

[mdog]

I was standing around at the Ford dealership either dropping off or picking up something and I asked the service manager what was the best way to insure good service. He said it always helps to be polite. If a customer comes in raising h*ll and being an *sshole they don't care if it gets fixed or not. I always remembered that. Sometimes its hard to keep your cool.

 

[BugEyeBear]

I'm betting that the initial service instructions just said "brake lights don't work", without any further description to just check the fluid level. So the mechanic was left to interpret what was needed to be done.

I have WAY TOO MANY horror stories of my cars/trucks not being fixed correctly by a service shop! So I now try to fix everything that I can myself.

BUT for those times when it HAS TO go into the shop I print up a detailed list of what I want done in advance and hand this hard copy to the service manager. Included on this list are tips and reminders, such as "use only DOT 5 Silicon Brake Fuid", or "Left handed Threads", or "Check Oil Level 1 minute after stopping engine, as oil level will slowly increase as truck sits", or "Use only GL-1 or MT-1 rated 80W90 gear oil".

I also hand them either a printed copy of the specific TM related to the area that they are working on, OR I hand them a CD containing all of the TMs.
(Sometimes they will still ignore the TM, but if so they won't have an excuse for doing so!)

Then, at pick-up I check their work!


Recently I had an out-of-town shop redo 2 of the rear axle seals on a truck I'd purchased/picked-up in a neighboring state.
At pick-up of the repaired truck I did a test drive & then checked the hub temps with an IR Gun.
Temps on the untouched hubs were around 80degreesF, but temps on the "fixed" hubs were at 180degreesF!!
I pointed out this problem to the service manager, asked what procedure they used, what sort of bearing preload was used, what type of grease was used, etc.etc. (All of this was detailed in an earlier thread, so I'll spare you the details here.....)
LONG STORY SHORT, the service manager had his guys redo those 2 hubs PROPERLY with me standing there to observe. (I assumed the "girlfriend" role, handing them tools, holding the light, etc...) The main issue appeared to be too much bearing preload, and once this was set correctly the hub temps were all normal (none above 120degreesF).


MORAL OF THIS STORY:
-Fix what you can yourself!
-Read & Follow the TMs.
-Give your service shop a PRINTED list of what you want done.
-Include "TIPS" on this list.
-Supply pertinent TMs with this list.
-Check their work!!
-MAKE THEM fix their mistakes!!

BE CALM BUT FIRM when "requesting" that they fix their mistakes.
Don't get upset, don't call them names, and don't question their abilities.
Simply point out that it isn't right, suggest what it needs, and insist that it be fixed.
AND DON'T PAY FOR IT until they have remedied the problem!

OH AND NEVER PAY for any additional work that is done as a result of their failed 1st attempt!! It is their responsibility to pay for the time & materials necessary to correct their errors!!

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

I was standing around at the Ford dealership either dropping off or picking up something and I asked the service manager what was the best way to insure good service. He said it always helps to be polite. If a customer comes in raising h*ll and being an *sshole they don't care if it gets fixed or not. I always remembered that. Sometimes its hard to keep your cool.

Many years ago, a mentor of mine recommend that I read the book:

How To Win Friends and Influence People
By Dale Carnegie
copyright 1936

I did. And I've endeavored to apply it in all of my Human Relations experiences since then.

I'll be the first to admit that it's an OLD book, but Mr. Carengie was a wise and very successful man - a good example to follow.

BTW- I read it in a day (a rainy Sunday).

-------------
On a side note, I've always LOVED the Quote:
"Human relations would be so much easier if you didn't have to deal with all the **** PEOPLE!" - Gen. Anderson 1976.

And another quick quote....
"Of all my relations, I like SEX best" - Groucho Marx



We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming..........

 

[charlietango]

Yea bugeye I was very clear that they did work, just not correctly. I know better now and I am going to print off the TM's if I take it in there again. I am just learning to do more myself. Unfortunately some of the procedures are over my head as far as both knowledge and tools.

USAFSS I will check that book. I am too much of a hothead sometimes.

 

[OPCOM]

so I picked up my deuce today and they got it back to the way it was. That particular mechanic had it on black-out and got confused. Did not ask did not question. funny just days before another mechanic had it through a safety inspection that verifies that all lamps are operational. and funny again that when I went there today the shop foreman was yelling at one of the mechanics for not reading the instructions given to him for another customer's truck.

they bled the brake system out. BLACK fluid came out. they flushed it until it ran clean and replaced it with dot5. Brake lights are working good as new.

the end result with the bill was the brake bleed-out with fluid, and the safety inspection. Did not charge me for the wiring fiasco.

Good. So they are paying for the new wiring harness too since they apparently spliced all it up? BTW it is not always easy to solder the harness. I found some of the wires apparently have steel woven in with the copper. Strange. So I crimp with bare connectors, then solder the crimped joint, then cover with 3M self-fusing rubber tape.

It took a long time to pick a diesel shop to work on my M35. Several of them around here were not up to it, nor would follow directions. I use Inland Truck Parts for stuff I can't do myself. There is a guy there that worked on M35's in the army, and the shop forman also did.

 

[charlietango]

nah they didnt actually do any splicing. they just popped all the factory rubber wire caps off the tail lights and put them in random places. just had to re-assemble them properly.

lucky for you there are chances of finding guys who worked on them... my shop does some work on the CDN MLVW (M35) but not on the US models. they are learning not to touch things they dont understand.