Mondays at the tire shop

[Crusadernoob]

This came into our shop just after her "mechanic" I mean, "boyfriend" changed her oil.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Here is the link:


http://www.la2nd.org/archives/docs/eda24b.pdf

It is not necessarily a good thing to be labeled "a sophisticated actor".

[wmtire]

I may have lost a "potential" future sale, but the lie was just too ludicrous for me to pass on.

Had a gentleman just come here wanting a used 205/75/15 trailer tire. I informed him we only had new ones and gave him the price. He said he was going to go try and find a used one and got into his pickup.

As I walked back in the shop, the phone started to ring and I grabbed the one in the customer waiting area. It was this same guy, asking if we had this same tire.

I told him that he called the same place that he's sitting at....and again told him what I had previously....as I am looking directly at him out the window he is parked in front of.

Now here is where it gets funny for the audience. He then proceeds to tell me that he's not at any place and is driving on the road. Keep in mind, I'm looking directly at him as he's saying this.

I have a quick inner debate with myself, and decide to call him out, knowing he will most likely then be too embarrassed to ever come back.

I tell him to look up, and when he does, I just wave at him thru the window.

He first has a weird expression on his face, then just kind of laughs and thanks me, then hangs up.....and now actually DOES drive down the road.

[tomkatb]

Dropped the Ram diesel at the dealer Thursday. Oil change/tire rotation.

Took all day. The service coordinator lady called at 6:00. Oh heavens, the tires have plenty of tread but, are starting to dry rot. Well, yes lady technically they do the day after they are made.

28 months old.

She volunteered to replace them with the same crappy tires for only $1400.

I cannot even find the minor crakes typically on 6 year old tires. Old eyes I guess.

I guess, business as usual at the stealerships. They said, oh. We have not changed your fuel filters. Only .$500. Cost $100 on Amazon. Takes an arthritic senior almost an hour to change them.

[TitanMike]

`

Originally Posted by tomkatb

Dropped the Ram diesel at the dealer Thursday. Oil change/tire rotation.

Took all day. The service coordinator lady called at 6:00. Oh heavens, the tires have plenty of tread but, are starting to dry rot. Well, yes lady technically they do the day after they are made.

28 months old.

She volunteered to replace them with the same crappy tires for only $1400.

I cannot even find the minor crakes typically on 6 year old tires. Old eyes I guess.

I guess, business as usual at the stealerships. They said, oh. We have not changed your fuel filters. Only .$500. Cost $100 on Amazon. Takes an arthritic senior almost an hour to change them.

It's not necessarily because they are dishonest, they just have a lot of fancy overhead to cover.

I have been watching a front pinion seal on my 4WD TV develop a leak. Estimate from Dealer to replace seal totaled $500 +/- a couple dollars.

Parts required? New Seal and pinion shaft nut plus 2 qts synthetic Gear Lule.

An OEM seal was ~$95, the nut ~$10, and oil was another $30.

I may be getting old but decided to just do the job myself. Flat rate time in shop------3 hours. Total time in my garage, using ramps under front wheels and creeper, just under four hours. One full hour of that time was consumed by grinding down the 30 mm impact socket so it would fit into the flange/hub.

For around $135 I got the job done and figure I have an extra $365 to spend on more upgrades to my TT. Doubt I'll ever be finished with those

[JPin AZ]

I had a customer who was out of town on a long trip call me this week and he told me the oil indicator on the dash said he had 15% left. He said he added 2.5 quarts and asked if I thought that would be enough to correct the issue. I asked if he had checked the dip stick and informed him that he had 15% left on his oil life (oil change). Long pause and then he tells me the stick shows about a half inch overfull. Off to wally world to get an oil change.

[Iwannacamp]

Originally Posted by JPin AZ

I had a customer who was out of town on a long trip call me this week and he told me the oil indicator on the dash said he had 15% left. He said he added 2.5 quarts and asked if I thought that would be enough to correct the issue. I asked if he had checked the dip stick and informed him that he had 15% left on his oil life (oil change). Long pause and then he tells me the stick shows about a half inch overfull. Off to wally world to get an oil change.

Easily fixed.....if we still had service stations

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

Easily fixed.....if we still had service stations

Not necessarily. As I recall many service station employees weren't exactly genius material.

Ever see one add a quart of oil to a radiator?? I have.

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Not necessarily. As I recall many service station employees weren't exactly genius material.

Ever see one add a quart of oil to a radiator?? I have.

Sure. I thought adding oil to the radiator was required every 2,000 miles to keep the water pump lubricated.

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Ever see one add a quart of oil to a radiator?? I have.

No, but I saw a customer, in the self serve lane, add a gallon of anti-freeze to their oil. By the time I noticed what she was doing it was too late to warn her. When I came over to self serve the young lady told me she knew what she was doing. Her Dad had given her the anti-freeze and told her to add it until the radiator was full if the Temp light came on... As hot as that car was I was actually glad she got it wrong. If she had taken off the radiator cap she would have been scalded really good probably.

Fortunately she lived near the station. I had here call her Dad, from the gas station, for advise before driving. After a about a minute she handed me the phone and said her Dad needed to talk to me. After telling him what she had done I suggested an engine flush and oil change as a possible solution. Fortunately for her that worked... While I was under the car I tightened the loose lower radiator hose clamp to stop the radiator leak...

Working in a full service station back in the early 70's was definitely interesting... But it supplemented my GI Bill college money so it was worth it.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by RedLdr1

No, but I saw a customer, in the self serve lane, add a gallon of anti-freeze to their oil. By the time I noticed what she was doing it was too late to warn her. When I came over to self serve the young lady told me she knew what she was doing. Her Dad had given her the anti-freeze and told her to add it until the radiator was full if the Temp light came on... As hot as that car was I was actually glad she got it wrong. If she had taken off the radiator cap she would have been scalded really good probably.

Fortunately she lived near the station. I had here call her Dad, from the gas station, for advise before driving. After a about a minute she handed me the phone and said her Dad needed to talk to me. After telling him what she had done I suggested an engine flush and oil change as a possible solution. Fortunately for her that worked... While I was under the car I tightened the loose lower radiator hose clamp to stop the radiator leak...

Working in a full service station back in the early 70's was definitely interesting... But it supplemented my GI Bill college money so it was worth it.

Back in the mid-70's, my friends sister put water in his VW Bug's engine. We drained and flushed it 3 times, but it only lasted a month or two. Spun the bearings and left her 50 miles from home. Had to rebuild the engine (easy on a VW).

[wmtire]

That was definitely an interesting phone conversation I just had. A guy called, stating he had put 35 psi in his tire but it was leaking out. He then wanted me to tell him why it was leaking, on the phone without seeing the tire.

I explained several possible causes, the main one being he had a puncture. He was extremely dismissing of this.

He figured it was because the tire was slick, and a different size from his front tire. I tried to explain the size of the tire had nothing to do with it leaking, but he had convinced himself otherwise.

Told him to bring it in and we would look at it. He then again wanted me to tell him definitely why it was losing air.

I just gave up at this point and told him there was no way to tell, but (name of my competitor) might know and to call them.

[Flybob]

Would seem to me the answer was obvious. The air was not leaking, but rather being transferred to the front tire in an effort to make it the same size as the back one so the car would ride level. This is automatically controlled by the auto leveling computer.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Flybob

Would seem to me the answer was obvious. The air was not leaking, but rather being transferred to the front tire in an effort to make it the same size as the back one so the car would ride level. This is automatically controlled by the auto leveling computer.

Great, why didn't I think of that when I had him on the phone? Will file it away for future. [emoji3]

[wmtire]

Well he actually just showed up. His leak is over 3 psi in a week's time. He is using one of these .99 cent pencil type air gauges. I explained to him that air pressure changes per the temp, and did he take both measurements at the cold stage in the morning.

I don't think he had a clue when he did either. We checked the tire pressure and it was fine. Told him to come back in a week and we would regauge it.

Hurriedly pushed him out of the way to get to the next customer who was going to purchase a tire which is a new story below.

This customer couldn't fathom that tires don't already come mounted on the rims.....and I would need his wheel. I get several of those types a week.

He was supposedly going back to get his rim and tire...then come back. We'll see.

[Flybob]

I was buying a battery at Sam's Club yesterday. Guy in front of me had one used tire and wheel in his cart. He bought 4 tires and was not going to wait for the service bay to open up, so he jacked up the car in the parking lot and was going to bring the wheels in one at a time for mounting and balancing. Keep in mind the Temp/Humidity index was 110F.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Great, why didn't I think of that when I had him on the phone? Will file it away for future. [emoji3]

and remember...."In case of emergency, the roll of duct tape in your hand works wonders."

[TheWolfPaq82]

Ok WM. Wife's Odyssey has a slow leaker....35 to 26-28...or enough to trigger TPMS in about 3 weeks time. Haven't had it looked at yet. What do see with the most for these ? Valve stem ? Rim defect ? Very small puncture ?

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Flybob

I was buying a battery at Sam's Club yesterday. Guy in front of me had one used tire and wheel in his cart. He bought 4 tires and was not going to wait for the service bay to open up, so he jacked up the car in the parking lot and was going to bring the wheels in one at a time for mounting and balancing. Keep in mind the Temp/Humidity index was 110F.

I'm sure the Tire Tech's didn't care if he was going to do a good part of the work himself. Especially in the heat.


My tire dealer was happy as a clam that I brought my trailer tire/wheels to him two at a time for new tires. No hassle of parking my trailer in his lot, jacking it up, or removing/replacing wheels. Price was the same and he put his guys working on other jobs.

Wasn't near as hot when I did this. If it was I would have let his guys do it all. I'd fire up the generator and sit inside the TT in nice cool comfort (Dealer doesn't have AC in his waiting room).

[Bluepill]

This thread can be re-titled "Why America is in the mess it's in".

Of course, the sub title would be "You can't fix stupid"

As the guy in the White House would say "So sad".