3rd gens BEWARE of your dealer mechanic/technician!!

... recently had 4wd & MT service for the 4th time on my 1st gen ...
I found an independent, well-certified Toyota/Lexus only mechanic to do this work because all of the local dealers have been pushing the flush-your-wallet services which I finally had enough of.

The mechanic told me he had quite a difficult time removing the front diff drain plug due to its having been stripped and rounded out. He had to employ some crafty engineering to get it out, drain my fluid and install a new plug

NOBODY but the dealer mechanics have ever been underneath my truck in this area

why would they not see fit, when I last had this service done, to give it a new plug instead of just rounding the old one to give the next mechanic a headache

makes no sense to me
just giving you and your newer trucks a heads up!

 

In this scenario I would ask for documentation, pictures and even the drain plug itself once removed to bring it to the dealership that originally worked on my truck. However, if you take your truck to multiple dealerships, my advice is nil.

 

crafty engineering = pipe wrench

 

it had been a number of years since I had it done when I had timing belt done at 92k
now that I think about it I should've asked if that fluid that came out looks like it only had 23k miles onit.
Could be they never changed it the time before, just gave up on getting the plug out from the last dealer mechanic that did it
good grief@!

 

Hammer + Anything else

 

I asked the guy at the service dpt to install a K&N oil filter I took in. They told me they had to use their own toyota ones. Ok, I took my truck to my friends shop right after and asked them to do it. Well the cap had been tightedn about half an inch too much so they didnt want to try and force it open and cracking it. Next oil change Ill see what they say.

 

I am still working on getting back to the dealership for the halfass valve cover gasket job they did and charged, its a Warren Buffet owned dealership too

 

This will solve the oil filter issue.

$22 Toyota Genuine Parts - Cap Assy, Oil Filter (15620-31060)

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Toyo...lter+canister&qid=1554410427&s=gateway&sr=8-5

G.

 

This is not something that is unique to dealers, any place that pays there techs on flat rate is a invitation for techs to cut corners

 

one would think they would take pride in their friggn work
that's how I was raised anyways
could be heck to pay if they cut corners on my VCG job

 

If look around you some people don't even have pride in their appearance anymore, so what makes you think they have pride in work? I honestly think 60% of America is just trying to survive the work day to get home to watch Swamp People and my 600# life while swigging down for Bud Lights.

 

The dealer doesn’t employ mechanics because they are pay by the hour. What they employ are called technicians which means they spent 50k on fucking education from non-accredited school so their degree isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on and their work reflects that.

 

With a 3 foot pipe on the end for.. leverage

 

C'mon, don't bunch all of us up in the same group....some of us prefer Coors Light.

 

Am I reading this right? All this fuss because a $3 drain plug had to be replaced on a 22 year old vehicle?

yawn.

 

Lol yeah I love silver bullets. Easy there.

 

Nothing new... dealerships service depts have been horrible for decades now. Some good some bad.

What I don't get is why outside of getting your recall work done why people depend so much on dealerships to get their vehicles fixed & upgraded???

 

i know! i know!
my point is that I had entrusted the certified trained professionals to keep my $29k 'investment' in tipTop working order. I don't think I should have to get my half-crippled arse underneath to make sure everything is kosher! You guys have probably $40k to 50K? in your trucks and those that choose not to service it yourself, are you expected to double check what they are doing behind the 'big curtain' for safety reasons I don't believe customers are allowed back there!?

 

Off topic, expenditure not investment unless you’re making some capital gains off it.

Ok carry on.

 

i put investment in single quotes ' ' lol
expenditures are to maintain the 'investment'
it's sorta like 'investing' your time in someone you love to keep her happy or maybe i dunno
hopefully she is not high maintenance because then the expenditures start adding up

@Jamesboy2233 was that a Toyota dealer mechanic that did that?

I suppose I would rather have somebody that is certified to know my vehicle inside and out vs. someone certified to know every single vehicle out there and will use chinese made parts and whatnot