Stealership first service experience- another reason to just do it yourself

This is only one sample in a large pool, so take it with a grain of salt.
My buddy retired after decades, he was a lead tech at large local dealer network.

From high level management; he was their golden boy, he'sbeen a loyal employee for nearly 30 years. He fixed all the owners family's cars. He could fix any turd they threw at him, he received numerous factory awards and certs, he was on an exclusive team that helped manufacturers get help to other dealers, when they couldn't. I could go and on.

From middle management level; he was pain in the ass, he was too slow, his precision wasn't profitable, he was old and weak. The young guys that changed tires, brakes, belts made more for the SW and the dealership. Of course anytime anything technical came in, it was my buddy that was to get them out of a jamb, as he was the only one there that could run through a wiring schematic, rebuild a manual transmission, etc etc.

He would help me in the evenings, fix my vehicles after hours. One day all the techs are filing out, and my buddy yelled
"Hey mikey! Whatcha work on today?"
Mikey "a blue MX3, why?"
Buddy "just planning ahead, trying to figure out what I'll be FIXING tomorrow!"

 

Oh they know...you know those surveys they tell you about that they REALLY need you to fill out because it’s vitally important, ect..ect. Yeah...I got one of those last night, the day I fixed their fuc& up. I’m pretty sure I’ll get a call, if I don’t ill let them know. I looked at the nuts and the threads and they are not damaged or deformed or anything so I’m not overly concerned now that they are on there correctly and torqued to the manual spec.

What aggravates me is their “oyota trained” techs, and expert service, and OEM parts and all that bull for the arm and a leg that they are getting from people. I over heard a young woman behind me in the waiting room get a quote for over $500 and all I really heard was just a brake job. It kills me that they are charging that kind of money on things for that kind of 1/2 a$$ work

 

When I was working in a shop reguardless of whether we took tires off or not we had to torque all lugs on dropping from lift with a torque wrench set to 105ftlbs we also checked air pressures were set to factory vehicle spec, and that the TPMS were programmed, and set for the rotation. took all of 5 minutes but was good insurance.. if we did any brake work we were to clean all hub, and rotor/drum surfaces to flawless clean and use a spray on copper anti-seize on all flat surfaces..

I had one bad return was a loose lugnut on a volvo I had just checked over. and done a brake job on.. I had rotated, and balanced the tire, put the lug nuts on snug with my impact at low setting (like 50ftlbs), torqued all of the lugnuts on the back wheels, got distracted by SM or something, and forgot to torque the fronts.. got my ass chewed... luckily it was the salesman that drove it.. I was told to go to the lot and torque EVERY car on the lot or lose the job.. simple mistakes happen.. I started writing down verified (double shecked) TQ on suspension/steering components & wheels on the service sheet after that..

 

Toyota uses those flat seat lug nuts that if you are not careful, can be tightened against the side of the wheel hole. If you ever think you tightened your lug nuts & some look higher than others, STOP & FIX!

 

The only problem that I had after the first service for my 2016 TRDOR was that when they rotated the tires they didn't
check the balance. So, on my way home I couldn't drive over 35 because the steering wheel shaking BAD.
I turned around and went back and got bunch of "we're sorry's".

 

I dont think your steering wheel was shaking because of "balance". Tires aren't separated from the wheel when rotated.

 

This was a euro shop... everything from BMW, mercedes, volvo, mini (bmw), jaguar, vw, porsche, audi, land rover, also jap cars, honda, acura, nissan, lexus, toyota.... was a pain to keep the specifics about each make straight, was a fun job, got to drive some really nice cars (not joy riding, but test driving/confirming repairs/noises etc..). found out quick which ones I liked, and which ones I hated.. on both aspects of working on them, and driving... have to say i liked the merc C250 twin turbo diesel 2.1 great car, and had 4 matic 7 speed auto.. super smooth, and quiet car, with plenty of get up... but for a drivers car I'd go with an audi A4 with the 3.2 v6, and 6speed manual..

 

All of this makes me want to sell my 18 and just go back to driving a beater that I can work when it breaks but also not care if someone f's it up. Everyday I obsess about where I park, who touches my truck, who works on it, who looks at it, blah blah, almost not worth it! I finally found a good Toyota service dept. so we will see after the next service I suppose.

 

I was on vacation visiting relatives - had a choice of getting service 400 miles early, or 600 miles late when I would get home.
So, I had service done early at Napleton (formerly O'Brien?) in Urbana, IL. I specifically stated "tire rotation, check and replenish everything since I'm on the road."
Twice.

They gave me a big long list of stuff they checked - including little stuff like bolts on the bodywork.​

After service was complete, I noticed that the tires were in the same places as before.
I could tell because the stupid valve caps keep falling off, and I have three different kinds.
I looked at the TPMS, which showed pressures all the same as before the service.

Their answer was they did not rotate tires because the rears had 1/32 more tread than the fronts.
I asked "how can I trust anything you said you did if you didn't even check tire pressure?"
SO I made them erase the service from my record and charge me nothing, take no "free service" from my Toyota "free service".

 

Toyota techs don't care about your truck. Don't ever let them crap all over it, find a upscale mechanic shop and take it to someone you can trust.

My mechanic's flat rate is $125.00 bucks an hour. Uses top quality parts, never up-sales, very honest and just makes the needed repairs. I do as much as myself that I can, but when I need something done, they take real good care of my truck.

Shop is like a museum, techs are all wearing a shop uniform, waiting room has leather furniture, and the receptionist is smoking hot.

 

Auto mechanics is not difficult IF you have the right tools AND a lift. Unfortunately many of those tools and of course a lift are quite expensive. Not to mention the number of SST's (special service tools) that all auto makes have developed for certain parts and procedures (though many can be rigged with common tools).

That said, there are a great number of mechanically-related things that an average Joe can tackle with slightly over-average tool set, a floor jack, and the wealth of information on the interweb.

My advice is to educate yourself on your vehicle(s). Don't be intimidated by the work. At the same time, don't be a fool and get in over your head.

Two years ago I needed help putting in my leaf springs and replacing my front shocks. Since then I have been working part-time as a mechanic working solely on Toyotas (and a few VW's - we're a diesel conversion shop, please don't ask, you can't afford it, though if you're in or near San Antonio, I will do your gears for you for a really good price). Anyway, in just over a year I am doing gears, removing whole drive trains, and everything in between. This is how I know that so many things are not out of reach for an average Joe. If you take the time to educate yourself and lose the intimidation, you can save yourself a ton of money over the life of your vehicle.

Funny thing. In March 2018 I spent $1500 and my truck being in the shop for two weeks to install my 4.88's. Less than six months later I had installed gears in An FJ Cruiser, two Tacoma's, and a Land Cruiser and installed front and rear ARB lockers.

How I ended up at working at the shop is a long story. Never mind it.

End Note: As I wrote in another similar post, the best hands doing the work belong to a knowledgeable vehicle owner.

 

Honestly, it'll depend on the shop.

 

Torque sticks 10 piece set from Harbor Freight for $60.

 

The key is to make your new truck “a beater”, within reason. Life gets so much better with a Tacoma when you “get over it”. Screw the resale and pay yourself in happiness. I might need a $1000 cut polish if I ever sell my truck, but man I’d pay $20K or more for all the fun I’ve had and the places this truck has taken me. No regrets.....quite the opposite.

Coveting a pickup truck is a manifest mental illness that diminishes many men’s happiness. One thing I notice about women wheelers/overlanders is they are typically the first to accept some panel damage. It’s always the fellas who are the princesses with a chamois in one hand, and a bottle of tire shine (for their KM3s) in the other.

 

I had a tire repaired at America's tires. They all used torque wenches to put on tires, and each torque wench was set to 85ftlbs

 

I hope they were using the torque wrench to put on the wheel and not the tire. A torque wrench would make a terrible bead breaker/tire spoon

 

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...^^^... This is another reason to stay away from the dealers unless necessary.

I have had maybe a dozen Toyota trucks and I take the new trucks to Costco and put Michelins on them out of the box. Costco is the only dealer that I trust to do my wheels to proper torque. They power spin them on and then finish hand tightening them with a torque wrench to specs.

I don't even let the dealers do my FREE oil changes.

And ... when I do have to go to the dealership .... I do a walk around the vehicle with the service writer and ask them to note any damages on my work order before they move the truck and start their work.

And ... I do a walk-around and basically double check the vehicle at pickup before I start it.

 

I do know they put newbies for the maintenance services. They're not mechanics but "techs". Findlay Toyota in Vegas actually took photos of my wheels before they even touched it for a rotation and showed me while I waited in their showroom that I had scuff marks on them which I already knew. Someone mentioned Ford in this thread. I knew someone that was a Ford Tech and he forgot to tighten the lugs in one wheel and it wobbled before the customer can get out of the dealership. Just like with everything, you get good ones and you get bad ones. You take a risk whenever you have someone else do the work.

 

Stealerships are dangerous places. OP should be glad they didn't change his oil, over tightened the housing and stripped his skid plate bolts. My dealer must have called me a dozen times reminding me to come in for "free service". No thanks!

 

Never have, and never will trust them.. thread on by hand, use impact on LOWEST setting just to snug them up.. then put vehicle on ground, and torque to spec (typical is 95-105ftlbs unless you are dealing with a SEMI truck) with a calibrated torque wrench I use a 250ftlb rated gear-wrench. I keep it in my recovery/tool box in my bed for emergencies/trail changes.. if you over torque a fastener you risk snapping a stud. had some tech somewhere strip the threads off my sisters kia sedona, I had to break all 5 of them off with a 4ft breaker bar, and replace all the studs, and all the lug nuts... on top of doing a brake job.. I was pissed.. tech at a tire shop just ran them on with an impact full tilt.. stripped every thread off.. was surprised how easy the studs snapped too.... Korean steel.....