Hey a-holes, turn off the high beams

[dixiehack]

A shop wanted to replace my cabin air filter for about $200 as they noticed it was a little dirty.

Two-step process here.

1. Ask for that estimate in writing.
2. If they are dumb enough to provide it, forward it to the consumer news reporter at one of your local TV stations. That is egregious.

 

[Gutter]

Two-step process here.

1. Ask for that estimate in writing.
2. If they are dumb enough to provide it, forward it to the consumer news reporter at one of your local TV stations. That is egregious.

It was in writing. Quoted with the other items that I brought it in for.

We were moving out of the area few weeks after so I knew this would be the last time at this shop.

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

We have a local (regional chain) tire shop near us, and my wife took her vehicle in a couple years ago because she had a screw in a tire.

No appointment, but they worked her in quickly, removed the screw and patched the tire. Then they refused to take any payment for it.

They are a little higher-priced than other places here for new tires, but by God that is where we take all of our vehicles when we need new tires.

 

[dixiehack]

There's a Michelin dealer in Tuscaloosa called Warren Tire that's legendary among UA students. Sits less than a mile from the quad straight down University Blvd. They are in the perfect spot where if they wanted to fleece students they could do so and make money. Instead they make more because they have a gold-plated reputation for value and honesty.

To give you an idea of their longevity, I was a student in the mid 90s. When I had to wait in their lobby I would look over their framed photo of Bear Bryant's 1965 national champions, an original straight from the school publicity department.

 

[justgladtobehere]

Another lost art seems to be flashing your lights at opposite traffic after you've pashed a cop looking for speeders. There once was a time we were all in this together.

There was a case where I live about the police citing a driver who did that. It was overturnedm

 

[playthrough]

A shop wanted to replace my cabin air filter for about $200 as they noticed it was a little dirty. This is a change I've done myself in the past … filters cost about $20 in stores. I told them they were crazy quoting me for $200 with $175 in labor costs.

Response I got: "Well it's pretty labor intensive to get to and remove the filter."

My response: "And yet you did it for free in order to tell me it was dirty."

His response: " …. …. …. So you don't want us to change it?"

Went to AutoZone the next day and had the filter replaced in 5 minutes.

Unfortunately, shops and their labor costs for simple tasks still target Suzie Single Mom who doesn't have the time to make the fix or research the fix and just wants it done.

Plus all the fear tactics they use to get someone to replace that Johnson rod that's falling off.

It's always the effing filters.

The tire-pressure light has been on in my wife's car for years. The sensor needs to be replaced, which costs about $300. That's where I put my foot down, darn it -- I look at her tires all the time and if one is low, I add air. I'm never replacing that sensor. It might make some drivers go batty to have that light on at all times, but my wife doesn't notice when she's almost out of gas so I know she's not noticing the tire light.

 

[Spartan Squad]

It's always the effing filters.

The tire-pressure light has been on in my wife's car for years. The sensor needs to be replaced, which costs about $300. That's where I put my foot down, darn it -- I look at her tires all the time and if one is low, I add air. I'm never replacing that sensor. It might make some drivers go batty to have that light on at all times, but my wife doesn't notice when she's almost out of gas so I know she's not noticing the tire light.

I took my car in over the summer for maintenance and they looked at the brakes and messed up the sensor. I checked the pressure and it was fine. Light eventually turned off but as the weather got colder, light is back. I constantly check my tires and they're fine. It's annoying. I figure I'm going to wait until I need brakes again before I mess with it. Hell I may need a new car before I mess with the sensor (2009 Corolla with 185k miles).

 

[Slacker]

Yeah, much better to find an honest shop and go there for everything.

I had a great mechanic for 15 years, and the trust and business friendship built up so well that he always took care of me, and of course he got to be really familiar with my car. ... Then he retired last year, but I was lucky, on a referral, to find another good shop. Once they know you'll be a steady customer, they'll be straight up with you unless they're total idiots.

 

[Slacker]

Response I got: "Well it's pretty labor intensive to get to and remove the filter."

My response: "And yet you did it for free in order to tell me it was dirty."

LOL, great comeback, Gutter! Total walk-off.

 

[Hermes]

My dad once handed me a roll of electrical tape after I complained the check engine light was on in his 14-year-old Trans Am I drove to school and said, "There. Fixed."

 

[Slacker]

We had a newsroom clerk one year, college student
but always the dim clerk, and one night it went like this:

"What does it mean when your engine light comes on?"

"Well, that usually means you need to get your car's engine
checked out fast. How long have you been seeing that warning?"

"Two or three months? I forget, but it's something like that."

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I highly recommend FIXD devices ($40). You plug it into the OBD-II port (usually located under the steering column) and download the free app. Warning light comes on and you hit scan on the app. It tells you what's causing it. Then you can do some research to see if it needs to be fixed ASAP or if you can keep driving.