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...or how Midorikawa will be seeking $150 in damages, a full refund of $271 for a timing belt replacement, and if it's not handled correctly tomorrow, will be going to small claims court.
Wife's car reached 86.5k miles last week. With an 800 mile each way trip starting Wednesday, that means the timing belt needs to be replaced now. I have a mechanic I've taken my precious 1973 Duster to before in cases where I don't have the tools and space to do the repairs necessary, and he's done well.
When I go to pick it up, he comments on how well the car's been maintained, and how well everything works for having 90k miles on it. (Why yes, I am a good mechanic, aren't I?
)
We get it home, and don't think anything more of it. The next day, we go for a hike in the mountains, get it up there, do our hike, and halfway back down the mountain, we start smelling something hot. We pull the car over, and the brakes on one side is pouring out smoke (This is a transverse engine. To get to anything, the front passenger tire has to be removed.) I limp the car home, using engine braking as much as possible, driving in the right lane with my emergency lights on, etc. I get it home, and go to pull the tire off, and one lug nut just doesn't feel right.
My neighbor is watching, and I say to her:
Me: This just doesn't feel right. I mean, I don't want to force it, but how else am I going to get the tire off?
*puts a bit of force behind the lug wrench*
Me: This feels cross threaded. I REALLY hope that's not the case.
Neighbor: No kidding. And a mechanic would do that?!
Me: You never know.
*Puts a bit more force behind the lug wrench, and falls over when the lug stud shears off*
Me: BLOODY FUCKING HELL!! HE CROSS THREADED IT! ...I wonder...
I popped the hood, and started going through fluids and other things he would have had to have worked on to change the timing belt, and that's when I notice that the coolant has changed color, and there's now brown sludge in the bottom of the overflow reservoir.
I spent about 14 hours (I posted 8 on facebook before I got a final count of time spent on this mess) collecting replacement parts, tools to do the job, and tearing the car apart to undo 2 hours of stupidity spent with my car.
I'm NEVER trusting another mechanic again. NEVER. I'm also never trusting another human being again.
The shop is a Monday through Friday outfit, and I discovered the damage on Saturday. The car HAS to be back by today (Sunday), and even then, we ended up canceling lots of plans to get this mess fixed. I siphoned off some coolant, and have kept receipts, and all the damaged parts. I'll be confronting the business owner tomorrow, and if I don't get a full refund plus the cost of all damaged parts replaced, I'll be taking him to small claims court over it. Most things I let go provided no real damage came of it, but this is asinine, and enough is enough.
Wife's car reached 86.5k miles last week. With an 800 mile each way trip starting Wednesday, that means the timing belt needs to be replaced now. I have a mechanic I've taken my precious 1973 Duster to before in cases where I don't have the tools and space to do the repairs necessary, and he's done well.
When I go to pick it up, he comments on how well the car's been maintained, and how well everything works for having 90k miles on it. (Why yes, I am a good mechanic, aren't I?
)We get it home, and don't think anything more of it. The next day, we go for a hike in the mountains, get it up there, do our hike, and halfway back down the mountain, we start smelling something hot. We pull the car over, and the brakes on one side is pouring out smoke (This is a transverse engine. To get to anything, the front passenger tire has to be removed.) I limp the car home, using engine braking as much as possible, driving in the right lane with my emergency lights on, etc. I get it home, and go to pull the tire off, and one lug nut just doesn't feel right.
My neighbor is watching, and I say to her:
Me: This just doesn't feel right. I mean, I don't want to force it, but how else am I going to get the tire off?
*puts a bit of force behind the lug wrench*
Me: This feels cross threaded. I REALLY hope that's not the case.
Neighbor: No kidding. And a mechanic would do that?!
Me: You never know.
*Puts a bit more force behind the lug wrench, and falls over when the lug stud shears off*
Me: BLOODY FUCKING HELL!! HE CROSS THREADED IT! ...I wonder...
I popped the hood, and started going through fluids and other things he would have had to have worked on to change the timing belt, and that's when I notice that the coolant has changed color, and there's now brown sludge in the bottom of the overflow reservoir.
I spent about 14 hours (I posted 8 on facebook before I got a final count of time spent on this mess) collecting replacement parts, tools to do the job, and tearing the car apart to undo 2 hours of stupidity spent with my car.
I'm NEVER trusting another mechanic again. NEVER. I'm also never trusting another human being again.
The shop is a Monday through Friday outfit, and I discovered the damage on Saturday. The car HAS to be back by today (Sunday), and even then, we ended up canceling lots of plans to get this mess fixed. I siphoned off some coolant, and have kept receipts, and all the damaged parts. I'll be confronting the business owner tomorrow, and if I don't get a full refund plus the cost of all damaged parts replaced, I'll be taking him to small claims court over it. Most things I let go provided no real damage came of it, but this is asinine, and enough is enough.
This sounds like more than a bad/off day... maybe it was a n00b he let do it? That would make the most sense... 
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