TOPIC:

.This is why i do 98% of the wrenching on my stuff.
My car had started smoking from engine on right side back of engine.It also came some smoke / diesel /oil fumes into cabin.I found it was oil and or diesel dripping on the manifoil and exhaust catalyst .It got worce about 3 weeks ago and the cabin filled with smoke and it also smelled burnt fabric this time so i called the dealer and told them i will drive the car straight to them.If it had been summer i may have done this job myself ,but now it is -20 degree celsius and i have only a small garage with gravel floor.Im also sick so not much force to start this big job.The car needed a new valvecover and to change that lots of parts must come off like the injectors and rail .Well i delivered the car and they told me they have to replace the valvecover and the gaskets that sits in it..I told them it was okay and also that i wanted the thermostat and housing and diesel fuel filter changed.They gave me a price of 1400 usd.Then after 7 days they told me car was finished.When i was to pick it up they told me they had to replace 1 injector because when they tried to start it it runned on only 3 cylinders.I told them that was strange because i never had any problems with the car before.Then they say the bill was 3900 usd!!I I told them they should have called me before changing the injector so i could see the car running on 3. Anyway i just payd the big bill and drove home .On the way it started smelling funny in the cabin.I was thinking it must just be some old residue from the work.Then when i came home and stopped it started smoking from bonnet right side again !!!.I did not want to take the chance driving the car in the garage and burn it down so parked outside and called them and asked what the h... they had done with the car.

They told me they was sorry and that i can bring the car back next morning.A little later i drove the car into my supersmall garage. Next morning i was going to drive to the dealer/workshop,but the car did not start it was the first time it has not started the 7 years i had it.Then i cold smell strong diesel and it was now dripping diesel under the car.  I got mad and called them again and told them to bring a tow truck right away.They said they will come to me.Then after 7 hours they came but with no tow truck. I asked why they had no truck with them and they said that they will just use a diagnostick tool to make it run.I told them that it is useless since it is dripping diesel under the car from the coverplates and that it is most likely the dieselfilter that has disconnected from the preheater. he then conected the diagnostick tool anyway and told me that it has to be towed to the shop !!!.

A few days later they still did not show up and i started to take a closer look and took off the coverplates for the diesel filter .Very funny job in -15 degree celsius lying flat in the gravel and no workspace.I found the diesel filter had came lose from the preheater because a sloppy job replacing the locking spring.

At that moment i just did not try to fit it because im sick and it is very cold.Then i called the dealer again and told them that if they send a mechanic and he connects the dieselfilter there is no need to tow the car.They agree and they should send a man. The days goes and i got real frustrated and did the job myself.That almost gave me a heart attack again.I had 3 heart attacks before =). Then after the filter was fixed my diagnostic tool did not work to prime the fuel lines.

I the found a video on youtube that i cold prime by putting power to the low pressure pump under the rear seat.So i used a motorcycle battery and did that then started the car.Now the car runs but i only tok i for a short ride since it is a big snow storm here in oslo and  difficult to drive in all the snow here.
Now im really pissed off because i also discovered that they had not replaced the thermostat housing as they made me pay for.I know that because in july i did a big service on the car and took some videos down in the engine compartment.On the video there is a white paint spot on the thermostat housing and that is still there so they have not changed that.I then started to check more and took off more parts on the engine to se if they have replaced the injector.All looks new in there, but i can see that they actually have changed one injector ,but i am 100% sure it was not neded.

They called me today ,but i did not pick up.Tomorrow i will call them and tell them that i will never place my car in their scam shop  and that i will use a serius REAL workshop with a little self respect doing proper work to fix my car  and i will newer buy a car from them ever.
I will tell them to just keep the money for the thermostat housing because i will never set my foot in that scam criminal shop .

Long post but had some steam that need to came out.So the bottom line is pick your workshop with care.

 

Rolf I worked in dealer networks for years and it's story's like yours that deeply frustrate me. I used to pride myself on giving good service but unfortunately many people are expecting to get ripped off when they walk through the door because of shops like these. Those are strong prices, what do you Drive ? I guess you will never get the truth as to what happened to the injector (I would say however some modern diesels can be a bitch to remove ,the injectors requiring slide hammers and the like so damage may have been unavoidable) I know of one engineering company in the UK that has built a business from servicing dealers with an injector removal service using a hydraulic extractor they have developed.

Wookie58 wrote:

Rolf I worked in dealer networks for years and it's story's like yours that deeply frustrate me. I used to pride myself on giving good service but unfortunately many people are expecting to get ripped off when they walk through the door because of shops like these. Those are strong prices, what do you Drive ? I guess you will never get the truth as to what happened to the injector (I would say however some modern diesels can be a bitch to remove ,the injectors requiring slide hammers and the like so damage may have been unavoidable) I know of one engineering company in the UK that has built a business from servicing dealers with an injector removal service using a hydraulic extractor they have developed.



Yes it is sad that some dealer shops destroy the reputation for the rest that is serius. You are right about the injectors can be stuck .I told the dealer that the injector must have been damaged when they removed it.Now it is tempting and easy too fool customers because they newer wrench on cars  and think they know nothing about cars.My car is a bmw f10 520d .Here in Noway everybody wants to drive electric cars i dont like them.They say that electric cars are so much enviroment frendly,but after what i have read they are not in the long run ,but that is a long story.Anyway i just post some pictures of my car fun last weeks.

 

Guy and Rolf:
A friend that's a long time auto mechanic with a reputation for quality work tells a story about working in a dealer service department where the mechanic in the bay next to his had a bottom drawer of his tool box full of new oil filters that were never installed. The service manager didn't seem to have a problem with this, so my friend found another job soon after.  Shows the temptations involved with working  for "flat rate" pay.  At the other extreme, we always have the first three oil changes on a new vehicle done at the dealer (before I'm allowed to take over).  At the second oil change on our Escape, the technician cross threaded the oil pan plug and told his manager. The manager informed us that they replaced the oil pan at their expense.  There are many service departments and independent mechanics that are proud of quality work - they deserve your business.





 

sf4t7 wrote:

Guy and Rolf:
A friend that's a long time auto mechanic with a reputation for quality work tells a story about working in a dealer service department where the mechanic in the bay next to his had a bottom drawer of his tool box full of new oil filters that were never installed. The service manager didn't seem to have a problem with this, so my friend found another job soon after.  Shows the temptations involved with working  for "flat rate" pay.  At the other extreme, we always have the first three oil changes on a new vehicle done at the dealer (before I'm allowed to take over).  At the second oil change on our Escape, the technician cross threaded the oil pan plug and told his manager. The manager informed us that they replaced the oil pan at their expense.  There are many service departments and independent mechanics that are proud of quality work - they deserve your business.






 

Completely agree that the levels of service vary dramatically, unfortunately the "cowboys" have done a good job of tarnishing the industries reputation. Some of the issues come down to "time save bonus" for technicians (the more hours they sell the more money then earn) which does encourage "corner cutting" by some

During the time I was wrenching in the 80's most of my work was from the DIY types. I had some come in after a dealer or other shop had screwed up but that was rare. With most of the jobs I would buy the manual for each bike if I didn't have one on my own dime. The last two shops I quit much for the same reasons you describe and shady practices. The last one was busted for slinging meth two months after I left. I suspected that was happening after hours and they kept it from me but I could tell by the large containers of R22 in the storage room. 
Too bad I was getting referrals from the local Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki shops sending the 10 year and older bikes to me. Clearly that wasn't their business model and I was glad I left when I did. 
I was rebuilding my bike in the slow hours but I slapped her together and Got the hell "Out of Dodge" at the right time. The bust was plastered all over the papers with pics and everything. 
I went back to "pounding nails" and the next year I got custody of my kids. Funny how things work out. 
I've always worked on my own cars and trucks and worked on bikes as a hobby. Now I'm just and old guy working on my own SHT and liking it. 
Steve 

I always repair my own vehicles as well. And for all the reasons above, plus the fact I’m sick of maintaining my car, as soon as EV's reach mileage and charge time parity with gas cars I’m jumping in. Gladly. But we’re ten years from there.
Ill never go to an electric motorcycle however.