There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches

[OR VietVet]

 

[mountie]

Oh, my.... That's a lot of work.......

 

[OR VietVet]

Got it all done in 4.5 hours.

 

[89Suburban]

Good job, thanks for sharing.

 

[Tonyv__]

Perfect for me would be a mom and pop shop with 9 to 5 hours that does good work and does not push unneeded work all the time. I have no problem recommending maintenance work at the scheduled intervals and selling needed repairs and warning that we may find more during disassembly or the recommendation of replacing something while in there or because it came off to reach the problem part. I like the pics convenience for the customer too. I hate high pressure sales and I have a feeling this shop may do that.

I, 1.5 years ago, had an 80 year old female member from my American Legion, take her Lexus car to a shop owned by an American Legion member's son and she had a surging problem at highway speed and the shop diagnosed as needing the transmission replaced. The word got back to me about it. The woman is a widow of American Legion long time member and a saint. Great cook too. I looked at it and looked at the shop paperwork. It did not show they added any transmission fluid and when I checked the fluid level, it was 2 quarts low. I added 2 quarts and took her for a test drive. The transmission performed normally. She was amazed. I dropped her at her house and took it to my house and found a very steady drip leak at the pan. I went and got a filter kit and did the repair and refilled and delivered back. 1.5 years later, is still driving fine.

This scenario really pissed me off. I confronted the American Legion father of shop owner and he made excuses for the son. I then went to shop and confronted the tech and the son. I was pissed for 2 reasons. The sales tactic and sending her out of the shop 2 quarts low on transmission fluid. They had excuse after excuse. I told them that I would spread the word at the American Legion. I did. I also said that because of driving the vehicle 2 quarts low, there could eventually be transmission problems, as I told the father and son and tech, but I told them the fluid is getting her by and that warning should have been told to her instead of the $8k estimate for a new transmission.

The other part of the story that I have not told yet, is this, The father owned the shop when I moved here in 1995 and he was the first shop I worked at as a service advisor. I left the shop after 9 months because of pressure selling tactics. The shop owner now son, I watched that kid grow up. His father turned him that way.

Transmissions are one thing I hate. I feel like gm trucks are lenient with being a qt high or low and will perform fine. Other brands get real picky.

I serviced my wife’s Mercedes last year with a filter change and fluid.


Ended up being a 1/2 qt low. I didn’t understand how to read the dipstick. There’s no factory dipstick, just a service dip stick that you have to buy and make sure you buy the right one for that vehicle. It’s numbered 2-10 on the dipstick Iirc. You need to know exactly what number your car requires.

She told me that the trans felt weird and just not normal after I did the fluid. ( not much to go off of). I did some more research on how to fill it. Added about 1/2 qt to the proper fill line and she’s been fine ever since.

I just couldn’t believe 1/2 qt made such a difference.

 

[OR VietVet]

Gonna be a thorough inspection for water leak source, on the 2005 Tahoe LS, above the blower/resistor area. When the wiper arms and cowling cover is removed that exposes a cover that is over a rectangular screened area that feeds ventilation down in to the area above the blower and resistor area. Where that vent mounts, the seal around there deteriorates over time and the cover also breaks down and there is a soft foam seal where it sets on top of the vent hole. There is also another soft foam seal that is exposed, more to the center area, when the cowling is lifted off. At each end of the tunnel under there, where the wiper motor is located, there is a rubber flap that also gets clogged up on the inside and backs up water that should drain out of there. You do not have to remove cowling to access these. It is literally just a rubber flap. Look deep and you can see and reach to them. Pull them back and reach in with a finger and check for debris.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Gonna be a thorough inspection for water leak source, on the 2005 Tahoe LS, above the blower/resistor area. When the wiper arms and cowling cover is removed that exposes a cover that is over a rectangular screened area that feeds ventilation down in to the area above the blower and resistor area. Where that vent mounts, the seal around there deteriorates over time and the cover also breaks down and there is a soft foam seal where it sets on top of the vent hole. There is also another soft foam seal that is exposed, more to the center area, when the cowling is lifted off. At each end of the tunnel under there, where the wiper motor is located, there is a rubber flap that also gets clogged up on the inside and backs up water that should drain out of there. You do not have to remove cowling to access these. It is literally just a rubber flap. Look deep and you can see and reach to them. Pull them back and reach in with a finger and check for debris.

If you do that can you take some pics? I'm trying to visualize your description, but I've never been in there. I don't have any leaks--but just in case.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yea, was gonna take pics.

 

[OR VietVet]

Ok, back at the 2005 Tahoe today. Removed wiper arms and the upper cowl cover. Found the p/s inner most vent hole foam seal was crap. The outer cover, when pried off, seal was crap. The screen cover below it had the spongy foam seal and was wet. You can see the blower motor wheel in pic. Cleaned it all completely. The outer perimeter of the outer vent with the cover, got a good cleaning and sealed with fresh silicone sealant around the whole perimeter. The cover was completely cleaned and sealed and when I pushed it back in place, the extra sealer oozed out and sealed smoothly around the outer perimeter. The inner most vent hole was cleaned and new foam seal installed. The bottom of the cowling cover was completely cleaned so that it would lay against that foam seal. Reinstalled everything. Pulled the blower resistor. Rain the water hose for 20 minutes and watched and felt for water back at the resistor mount hole. Felt dry and saw no water drips. Almost forgot, did check the ends of the lower rails and there was no blockage. You can see one, in the first pic is torn on the p/s. Also, forgot to say that I waited 1 hour before running the water.

 

[OR VietVet]

 

[OR VietVet]

 

[OR VietVet]

 

[OR VietVet]

On the same Tahoe, it has hydro-boost brakes and when on a rough enough road or over bumps, there is a rattle noise under the dash on d/s and sounds close to the firewall. I checked and is not the lower collar bearing on the steering column and not the attaching shaft at bottom of column. Did find a lot of play at the upper brake pedal pivot. Has a large horizontal bolt with a threaded nut. Cannot seem to see or feel the other side of it to see if the bolt head is there. I was tired and did not spend a bunch of time digging. Also has P/S fluid seepage at back of hydro-boost at the firewall. See pics of seepage and threaded bolt. Bolt is at top of the pic. Anyone ran in to this before and know anything about tightening the bolt? Is there a bolt head or is it captured? Thanks in advance.

 

[OR VietVet]

Then I had a customer from previous work, call me out of the blue and asked if I could install his new battery. He said other shops were putting him off for at least a week. It is a 2015 Ford Escape SLE AWD with the 1.6 turbo. I found a coolant leak that 3 other shops could not find, about 1.5 years ago. Done a couple oil changes and Reinstalled a rubbed off fuel tank cover for him as well.

Took 30 minutes to install battery. Remove wiper arms, remove upper and lower cowlings and dig out of the box it is in, in front of driver close to the firewall. Then I reset his oil change reminder light and asked why? He said he had the oil changed and realized that he slipped up. I saw a new sticker and he did not call me for the oil change and the shop did not do the reminder light reset.

I told him $40 for the battery install and he paid me $50 instead and begged forgiveness for not calling me about the oil change.

 

[OR VietVet]

So now, more work in my future on this 2005 Tahoe that I did the door hinge pins on. I found a video that explains EXACTLY the rattle under the dash problem and shows what to do to fix. For info purposes, I have already ordered the bushing, gonna do the brake light switch while is off for bushing access and in my case, I am going to remove the driver's seat for way better access for me. At 6'4" and 280 pounds, I need some room. In the video, that I am supplying the link for, it is also a hydro-boost brake system with the exact same p/s fluid leakage/seepage that I saw on her Tahoe. The video is a Suburban.

 

[homesick]

It was a standard "pep talk" interview and there will be another after they send me a questionnaire to fill out and send back. The questions were mainly, "Tell me 3 things about yourself, that other people do not know". How did I get started in the business? Tell me something good your friends would say about you and something bad they would say about you. What is the salary I would be willing to start at? Able to work 5 days a week and when can I start.

What do I know about the shop? What have I heard about the shop?

All this took place over a 15 minute period. I was not impressed, really. I am wanting to write service at a light truck/auto repair shop, not talk about my feelings and desires.

It was an independent company out of Colorado doing this.

LOL, at least they know what's important for the job. You could probably get a raise if you tell them that you already know that "homeless" is being superseded by "unhoused".

joe

 

[OR VietVet]

Once the seat is out, looks like I can lay completely flat and have plenty of room.

 

[OR VietVet]

Sorry, no pics, of the 2017 Explorer front brake work. Old pads as thick and clean as the new ones so did not replace them. Replaced both rotors for the warpage problem. #40 torx holds the rotor to hub. Caliper slides pins held in place with 17mm and the caliper bracket bolted on with 18mm bolts. Removed it all, cleaned and lubed thoroughly and Brake Cleaned the new rotor surface and reassembled. Took it on a road test and verified no pulsation at any speed, including highway exit ramp speed. Seated the old pads to the new rotors and the owner was happy. Total time, 1.5 hours.

Tomorrow, replacing both headlamp assemblies on an American Legion friend of mine, wife's 2017 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premier. Assemblies arrived this morning and will do work starting at 11 tomorrow.

Rest of part should be here by Tuesday to do the brake pedal assembly bushing and stop light switch on the 2005 Tahoe LS.

 

[OR VietVet]

If I had an air compressor, I would not even be asking. My neighbor knows a guy that bought his "mid-life crisis" car. The white 1986 IROC Z28 Camaro is straight and nice looking but someone has lowered it in the front, or at least he thinks so and he bought a 12 piece kit for center link, inner and outer tie rods and sleeves and idler arm with bracket and lower ball joints. It has struts instead of upper control arms. It is a 5.0 MFI engine. I told him to get a free front end inspection because I was not going to inspect for free. Ask to go in the alignment rack area and be shown what is wrong and take pics if can. I told him if the springs are original, they may just be sagged. I am curious about the lower control arm bushings. I can remove the lower arms, no problem. Ball joints, no problem. Replace coil springs, no problem. Control arm bushings....problem. I used to just air hammer them out but I have no compressor. I have heated and melted the rubber out before and removed the bolt sleeves. The outer metal housing is the problem. Best ways to remove. I do not have a sawzall to cut them and fold them in on themselves. So....I ask....any recommendations? I guess I could take to a shop and wait for however long for them to do them but I would prefer to do them myself, if it is feasible. Thanks for any help.

 

[OR VietVet]

Replaced both headlamp assemblies on this 2017 Outback. Involved complete front bumper facia removal, detach fog lights, remove brackets that the facia clips press in to so that they snap out and back in to place, found that someone had to be in there before because one of the bracket bolts were missing. Found a replacement bolt and installed. The rest of the attaching bolts are black and my replacement bolt is grey. Also found that an attaching bracket across the top had not been reinstalled as should have been. You can see where there was no shadow of where the bracket tabs should have been and where I realigned and set tabs as should have been. Some sloppy previous work. All that is required to remove the bumper facia is clips removal. Yes, the AL guy was a 1st Cavalry vet in Vietnam. The battery was filthy so I cleaned it. See pics: