Dishonest repair facilities....

[ModMech]

Don't believe everything you hear, or are told.

We do not "do tires" at our truck repair shop, so when I found a leaking tire on my own car, I took it to my local National tire dealer's repair shop. I will not identify them, but suffice it to say they and Ford have recently had very significant disagreements about tires used on a particular Ford product.

So, I'm told "it will take about 45 minutes, because that's how long it take for the glude to dry". Right. (complete lie)

After waiting for about 30 minutes, the counterperson calls me and reports the findings of their "complimentary inspection".

1) I need a fuel filter (due on miles). This is a LIE. They have never performed any maintainence on this car, and they could not know if the fuel filter is due or not.

2) Oil leak. Yup, the drain plug gasket seeps. Big deal.

3) I need belts "because they have too many cracks per inch". Well weather checks do not count, besides, that criteria is for a serpentine belt, which I do not have. I have four "V" belts, and they are all perfectly good.

4) The oil needs to be changed, it is burned. Really. I ask "based on what?" Response: "It's very dark." Ok, well apparently this "professional national chain" doesn't know anything about oil. Different brands of oil are different colors (light to very dark) when NEW. Therefore, one cannot judge oil life by color alone. They did not know the brand, how long it was in, or the weight of oil. That is just plain dishonest.

The "last straw" was after paying the $30 bill, and a short drive home, I discovered my low rolling resistance tires all looked a little "flat". I checked the tire pressures, and found ALL were 30-35 psi. That's funny, when I left home, they were ALL at 44 psi as I inflated them before leaving. The sidewall rating on these tires is 44 psi, and according to GY, their "safe inflation range" is 40-44 psi.

I returned to the store and spoke with the manager on duty, as he saw me enter and offered to help with my obvious problem even before I reached the counter. I explained about the tires looking low, and that I had just checked them, and inflated the LR before comming to the store. He told me "We can't inflate them to 44 psi, it's unsafe. It's much higher then the door sticker says." I looked at him as if he were from Mars, and said "That's CRAZY! You know more than GY about the safe inflation pressure of this model of tire?" "This is a 'low rolling resistance tire', and MUST be inflated to 40-44 psi, according to GY." He said that they would do it, but that I assumed all responsibility. I had no problem with that.

Given the problems Ford had with underinflated tires on Explorers, and all the media coverage of the same, I cannot fathom how ANY "respectable, honest national tire store" could make such assanine assertions about tires and their inflation. Furthermore, I did not ask, or authorize ANYONE to check or adjust anything on MY CAR, they did this without my knowledge or conscent. When I brought that fact to their attention, they balked at making it right.

Their utter lack of knowledge about the products they sell will get someone killed, not to mention their deceptive sales practices defrauding untold numbers of patrons by "selling" repairs that are not necessary or truely advised.

[OverBoardProject]

I grew up in Chilliwack, BC Canada and fire--one didn't last long there because of their scams.

Besides the once that I ran their tires I had a dull rock go through the tread leaving me with a flat while moving. It was easier to have my car towed and tire fixxed than empty out my trunk for my spare. They were such lousy quality I'll never drive on another. Although I like Bridgestone motorbike tires

I have a simular thread because of another tire store from late last year http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...ight=rip+shops

[MagicRat]

Hey, ease up.
Most mechanics shops take a look at the cars that come into their shops. They are not forcing you to have work done, they are offering their opinion. You can always say no.

Also, from your post, you may not understand about recommended pressure.
The pressure indicated on the tire sidewall is the maxiumum recommended pressure.

It is only suitable at the maximum rated load. The more load you have, the more air pressure is required for the tires to retain the correct shape.

If you fill your tire up to this amount when your tire has less than the max load, it is over inflated.

Over inflation reduces traction, tire life and produces unneccesary structural stress on the tire.

IMHO a lightly laden Ford Exploder on stock tires should see pressures at about 35 psi and no more, unless you fill it full of people and luggage.

The Firestone tire problem was made worse because Ford recommended less than 30 psi in tires for normal use, which was too soft.

[OverBoardProject]

The rip off shops do make it sound like your car is un-safe and the poor honest person will often get the work done there just because they really believe that it is un-safe.

I actually saw an ambulance that just left a overpriced repair place where I live with the rear brakes adjusted so tight that they were gripping as hard as the emergancy brake. The shop owner told the ambulance crew chief (a good friend of his) that the trany was going and that's why it was having problems even moving.
My mom was a peremedic at that time, got a call and I arrived in town 1/2 hour after the call ended. The brakes were still red hot.
Just say that there was a complaint launched about the shop, and the crew cheif after B.C. Ambulance had to pay around $5000.00 to fix this fake problem.

The shop owner somehow gets all the Christians in the area going there and saying that he's so honest, and the best. But the rest of us know better and several people learned the hard way.

[ModMech]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

Hey, ease up.
Most mechanics shops take a look at the cars that come into their shops. They are not forcing you to have work done, they are offering their opinion. You can always say no.

They CANNOT force me, it is my car. They should not have mentioned ANYTHING but the oil leak, and they should have also qualified it as "not a bad one".

Also, from your post, you may not understand about recommended pressure.
The pressure indicated on the tire sidewall is the maxiumum recommended pressure.

It is only suitable at the maximum rated load. The more load you have, the more air pressure is required for the tires to retain the correct shape.

If you fill your tire up to this amount when your tire has less than the max load, it is over inflated.

Over inflation reduces traction, tire life and produces unneccesary structural stress on the tire.

I was pretty clear that GOODYEAR'S reccomendations are 40-44 psi for THIS MODEL TIRE. So I understand very well thank you. It was them that were GROSSLY UNDERINFLATING the tires based on the manufactorer's load/speed ratings.

IMHO a lightly laden Ford Exploder on stock tires should see pressures at about 35 psi and no more, unless you fill it full of people and luggage.

The Firestone tire problem was made worse because Ford recommended less than 30 psi in tires for normal use, which was too soft.

You were more correct above. The proper inflation pressure for a GIVEN TIRE (make/model) is determined by the tire manufacturer, and is given in a load chart. Unless you reference the LOAD CHART for a specific tire, you CANNOT know what the safe inflation pressure range really is. So blanket statements like "about 35 psi" are completely wrong.

[Paul Masley]

ModMech: I think that you are a little off line with some of your comments.

You are right about the comments regarding tire shops. Most do not know their head from their butts about tire pressure in a tire. Regardless of what I am having done to my tires, I always gauge them before I leave the shop.

I bought a set of BFG 33 12.50's. The DA's at the shop put 50 pounds of air in them. The door sticker said 35. This tire was three sizes over what originally came on the truck. The tires should have had 32 in the front and 30 in the rear (this is my experience for tire wear and ride).

You did not state what type of vehicle you were driving, the size of the wheels or tires and the type of tire. This information is needed in order to determine the actual air pressure. The easiest way to determine pressure is with the chalk test. It takes about an hour to do.