Forget it! I'll bring it to the shop...

[hitthebricks]

Sat. I spent 3 hrs trying to remove the calipers so I could inspect and repack the bearings on the boat trailer and never even removed one. Pulled the boat out of the garage, jacked it up, removed the wheel, dug out the 3/8" allen wrench, determined a ratchet style will work better and made a run to Northern Hyd. for it. Tried again, found out the springs and the U bolts are still in the way even with a flexable joint. Go back to N.H. to see what else I could try, big ZIP. The point is, in 3 hrs. I didn't even get 1 rotor off. The hitch and trailer shop by my house said $60 per axel x 2 = $120.00 plus parts, GREAT, have at it. Boy did I waste a beautiful afternoon. HTB

[delmuts]

some times a person just has to let some one else do it !

[FL SNIPER]

I always try and justify bringing something in to get fixed by saying, "my time is worth about $1000.00 per hour (not literally) so it pays to have someone else do it"...my friends just say..."ya whatever". Bottom line...do what makes sense to you.

[rubber duck]

Sometimes the best tool in the box is the phone to call the shop and ask when they want to do it!

[Jeremy airjer W]

And "WE" (The people that fix your stuff) are more than happy to fix your stuff and take your money!!!

[burl]

Just finished this job my self on saturday.An allen wrench with a ball end worked just right.Removed the whole caliper assembley and pulled the disk off.Took me about three hours from start to finish and i know the job was done right.Its tough to find any kind of service shop that does a good complete job.I had a fuel pressure regulator replaced in my truck three times before it was fixed right.Burl.

[clam up]

Well, FL Sniper....am I glad I moved up near you....looks like I should be able to cash in on your "personal rate". So, when should I be expecting a call to have your muffler belt changed!

[FL SNIPER]

Read Forum Policy please.....

just kidding....

good one!

[ChemE]

Speaking of lazy guys at shops. How many times have you had to replace your wheel lugs because the "professional" with the air wrench wasn't paying attention and stripped out 4 on one wheel? Or, how about the time when your wife brings the vehicle in for an alignment and then you take the vehicle fishing that evening and find, to your utter shock, that the lug nuts weren't even finger tight on the front wheels? Yikes! Beware of the "professionals" in the shops.

[Hookmaster]

Or overfilling on oil changes. I've had it happen twice on the complimentary one you get with a new car. Now I don't even let them do that one.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Funny, I have over 11 years of experience as a "professional" and I've never done that!!! Just because they have garage doors and a neon open signs doesn't automatically make anyone "professionals". Mislabeling these people as "professional" while implying that all "professionals" make these mistakes is unfair.

The biggest mistake we make is waiting until our vehicle needs a repair that we are unable to do and then bringing it to a shop that we assume is run by "professionals". This is the worse thing you can do. For starters you have no experience with how the shop does business, also you have no idea if the guy working on your car can actually fix it. For example we have the most problems with first time customers from greater minnesota/ out of towners. It usually starts when they hear our labor rate wich is pushing $100.00 per hour (rural MN is still around $45-$50). Right off the bat there accussing us of highway robbery when they get the estimate because jimbobs auto back home can do the job for half the price.

My suggestion is to start looking for a service facility before you need a major service. Once you find one with potential let them do a tire tire repair, oil change, tire rotation, a coolant flush, or any other minor routine service. If you are satisfied with there "professionalism" than give them another shot if your are not satisfied than move on to another shop and start over. Becoming familiar with a shop and letting them build your trust is the biggest asset you can have when your vehicle needs a major service.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Hookmaster, just out of curiosity, what kind of vehicle is it?

Heres a funny story. We had a customer bring in his toyota for two complaints. The major concern was lots of smoke coming out of the tail pipe. I started it up and pulled it in checking the rear view mirror the whole time and didn't see anything. I had it running in the shop for a couple of minutes when the shop started to fill with dense blue smoke. I shut it off and checked the oil sure enough it was way overfilled around 8 quarts to be exact.

Later we found out that he had brought it to one of those "professional" quick lube places. The only thing we can figure is the "professional" in the pit never pulled the drain plug and the "professional" up top just put in the four quarts and didn't bother checking the dipstick!!

[Surface Tension]

Auto techs are human and make mistakes just like all of us.

[Hookmaster]

The first one was a 1985 GMC S-15 pick-up and the second was a 1995 S-10 Blazer. Both oil changes were done at the dealer where the vehicle was purchased and were different dealers. What irks me is they put the oil in but didn't check it after it had been run. I didn't have any signs of overfilling like blue smoke, just when I checked the oil level. The GMC was overfilled about 1/2 quart and the Blazer between 1/2 and 1.

[Jeremy airjer W]

WHAT!!!!!!! I get to make mistakes? Wait a minute I'm human????

Hey hook where you by chance checking the oil after it sat all night?

[Hookmaster]

I checked it as I always do: on level pavement about 5 minutes after shutting it off after running it up to full radiator temp.

[hitthebricks]

Finally had time to bring it in, and paid a premium price. The tech did get it done in the same time it took me to figure out the exact tool I needed to do the job, (6" ball end allen wrench) and I did get to do what I needed to do during that time. Next job, change the over priced spark plugs. HTB

[Northlander]

Airjer, yes you are human and can make mistakes. Just not on my vehicles!

[Jeremy airjer W]

That figures! Its o.k. to make mistakes, but not on any car that I work on!! I can't get a brake!!

HTB, glad to hear you finally had it fixed. Those ball end allens can be a real lifesaver.