Odd note after fuel pump tsb

Truck was dirty, they called and asked if I wanted them to pressure wash it for $70, I didn't want to deal with it so I said yes.

Pick it up and they said they were able to get it done without the pressure wash cause the tank area wasn't as bad as they thought. Yay saving $70...

Then I get this note about possible fuel leaks because of dirt... Shouldn't it have been their job to make sure the connections were clean before and after disassembly/reassembly?

 

Yes it should have been there job to clean around any fitting connections they would have to disassemble to do the recall.

 

That’s so lame. What is the world coming to?

 

It does sounds silly to charge you... but then again, exactly how many layers of mud was your truck covered in when you dropped it off?

 

Pics of what? The tech didn't clean the connections, you think he took pictures for the customer?

 

Time is money...

 

I think your repair report should have read:

“Mechanic doesn’t like to get his hands dirty, or take responsibility for his work. If leaks are reported, you can contact him at his mother’s house, but speak softly as he scares easily”.

 

Since you have it in writing that they didn't do the job correctly take it back in and have them fix it. Mention it's a safety concern... take it up with corporate if needed.

 

Underbody, for all we know it's a 6 inch thick covered mud truck. They thought it was too caked to even get to the tank at first after all.

 

I have done about 100 Tacoma fuel pump recalls. And I can tell you. No matter how much you think you have the top of the tank, those that are covered in thick dirt, you can still end up with dirt in the fuel line connections. Its a PITA. Not to mention you end up with dirt in your hair, eyes, mouth, arm pits, down your shirt. If you off raod your truck. Take the time to clean it before you bring it in.

 

I think it’s a stretch to think the average customer has the understanding or facility to do this. People live in apartments, people don’t know what a fuel tank looks like. It’s the mechanics job to do the job properly, full stop, 100%, no leaks. If it’s dirty, and takes longer, charge the customer or Toyota (recall) more.

I work on high power electrical distribution. Largely diagnosing problems and testing its functions. Many of my tasks are impeded by dirt and grime and clutter and dead animals etc, but I have never once asked my clients to please make sure my workspace is clean prior to my arrival.

They expect me to do the job in it’s entirely, even if that means I need to take off my thinking cap for a moment, play janitor, and clean some shit up, because I care.

 

I can't believe the service manager would let that truck leave with a note like that. If it was that dirty that it could possibly cause issues then they should have taken the time to clean it and mitigate that issue. As @Stocklocker mentioned, that extra time could be billed to the customer or to Toyota. Pretty piss poor service there.

 

Especially if they asked to charge you $70 for cleaning and then said they didn't need to. Total BS if you ask me.

 

WARNING: SPECULATION FOLLOWS. IF YOU ARE FAINT OF HEART, PLEASE SCROLL ON.

Not to mention the dealership probably charged toyota the maximum hours allowed for this one job when it is likely the tech finished in less time.

 

Honestly. Can you imagine hiring a roofer, to re-roof your house, and when you get the invoice it says “it was kinda windy up there so your new roof may leak”.

Maybe this is a millennial thing I don’t understand.

 

I completely understand where you are coming from. I'm not defending what that dealer put on the invoice.

But Toyota will not and does not pay for the tech to clean the mud off of your truck. They base the time of the repair off of normal use trucks. And they do not consider your playing off road "normal use". You suggest that we charge the customer to clean the truck. I will tell you 99% will not agree to this. We have customers refuse to do the Third Brake Light recall, because they don't to pay for use to remove their cap and put it back on. And Toyota does not pay for this either. It is not factory equipment.

So you have to understand how techs get paid. It is off flat rate, not hourly. And warranty times are not very good. Lets say that the Tacoma fuel pump pays 1.5hrs to replace. And it takes you 45 minutes to remove the tank due to all the hose connections being stuck due to mud and dirt packed into them from playing in the mud. Then it takes another 15-20 minutes to clean all the crud from the top of the tank, and from the hose connections. It takes another 10 minutes to disassemble the pump housing and replace the pump. Then another 15-20 to reinstall the pump module and tank. So at this point we are at or over the time the job pays. And if we go over the time the job pays, well that extra time we took is on us. We spent the last bit of that time working for free. And I don't know anyone who wants to work for free.

 

But they then decided it wasn't that dirty... went ahead and performed the work, then complained that the area was dirty. If they were afraid of a fuel leak why did they give the truck back before fixing the issue?

 

I don't know what condition OPs truck was in or what the mechanic did or didn't do but I'd like to give a pro tip to make you and your mechanic happier.

Wash your dang truck before you take it in. You don't have to detail it but at least put in an effort. Especially if you know yours is dirtier than most. It will cost you less money in repairs. Spend the $4 and give the undercarriage a spray. That $4 will save you in labour charges even if your invoice doesn't show it. It takes longer to work on a dirty truck.