I'm only certified to do this... (Long)

[Spawned]

I don't know how many of you remember when I worked for Bank of America? I was about ready to kill myself, luckily, I got laid off. I decided to put my automotive service degree to use. I am employed now in the industry and thanks to schooling, some side gigs and a side business, I had enough qualified time to put towards my ASE certifications (only 1 certification left before I am a master tech).

Sucky Customers...unfortunately...exist here too.

SC: My battery keeps dying every night, I need a new one.

Me: Well if a battery is dying over night, but you are able to get a jump and drive it every day, it could be that you have some sort of parasitic draw on the battery that is killing it. I would like to charge your battery, see if it holds a charge and then check it for draw before we just replace it.

SC: No, I don't want to pay all that money when I know it is the battery. I use to be a mechanic.

Me: (Thinking: Um, why would anyone with mechanical skills not just go buy a battery and swap it out in the AutoZone parking lot? Probably because this guy clearly isn't a mechanic.) The price of the diagnostic is put towards the repair cost, it will actually save you money in case it is something else and you have to bring it back.

SC: I could always bring it somewhere else if you don't want to do it for me.

Me: I will replace the battery, but I can't warranty it without ensuring the charging and electrical system is functioning properly.

SC: That's fine, I just want the battery changed.

Me: No problem, I can have it done with-in the hour, are you going to wait or pick it up later?

SC: An hour to replace a battery!?

Me: I have another customer's car on the lift right now, just finishing up and then I can get to your car.

SC: I don't have all day, I will just leave it and get it tonight, but I need it tonight for sure.

Me: No problem, we close at 6, it will be ready by 4 easily.

SC walks away all grumpy.

I get his car in the shop. The battery was easily accessible, just had to wait on my parts guy from the local part store to drop off a battery. Pulled the old battery and put it on the charger. About an hour later the parts guy drops off the new battery and I have to give him the old for a core, problem is, old battery seems to be holding a charge. Try to call the customer, but no answer, so I have to go with what he wants, a new battery. Give the old good battery to the parts guy.

Put the new battery in, and since checking to see what draw is only takes a few minutes, I grab my DMM (digital multi-meter) and see this guy has 1870 mA (milliamps) or 1.87 amps of draw. This is enough to kill the battery in a night.

I write down my findings on his work order in case I don't get to talk to him when he comes back.

At 5 he comes in and talks to the actual service writer who tries to inform him of what I found. I guess he gave the service writer a hard time and the service writer came and got me to explain to him.

Me: The old battery was probably good. The car has a huge draw on it that is killing the battery. I suggest you let us fix that, maybe I can even get your old battery back and return the new one to save you some money.

SC: No, the car is suppose to have a large draw it's a luxury car (Lexus LS300, not really luxury).

Me: Factory specifications suggest under 200 mA of draw and ideal is 50 mA.

SC: No that's not right. I know my car, and I use to work for Lexus as a mechanic. Can I just pay please?

Me: Sure, Bill (service writer) can ring you up over there.

I meander off to finish an oil change in the garage.

Come in to work the next day, SC is there with his Lexus on a flat bed, dagger in his eyes.

SC: The car died again, you gave me a bad battery and I want a replacement.

Me: The car has a parasitic draw, it needs to be addressed. Unfortunately I can't warranty your battery and it probably just needs to be charged.

SC: Then just give me my old battery back and fix the draw.

Me: Can't, the parts store already took possession of it for a core charge.

SC: You guys are such a ripoff, you didn't fix my problem, and now I have paid to tow it here and am forced to have you guys fix it.

Me: I advised you of the issue, which you ignored under the fact that you use to be a mechanic, for Lexus, if I recall. I can gladly find that draw, the diagnostic fee goes towards the price of...

SC: Save it. I have had enough of your bullshit. You clearly have no clue what you are doing with cars. I'll take my business elsewhere.

Me: Have a great day.

Walk off to call his bluff. Luckily, he actually paid to tow it to another shop after mine.

[Andara Bledin]

What a dipshit.

I don't do much with cars other than drive them, and even I know that if you're losing power overnight, it's best to get a check to make sure that it's not something else draining it before replacing the battery.

Thankfully, the last time I had an issue, it was just the battery.

^-.-^

[Sheldonrs]

His car isn't the only thing with a battery drain.

[rose_metal_nz]

ALMOST makes you feel sorry for the next place he takes the car to... And the next... And the next.... Wonder how long before he actually listens to someone?
Also, "I'm a(n) $expert in $yourfield is almost always a lie isn't it?

[Crossbow]

Wouldn't be surprised to find out that his idiocy is what's draining the battery. He's so stupid and stubborn he sucks the life out of electrical systems as well as our souls....

[Argabarga]

Ah yes, another one of those "YOUR car runs on regular old mechanical principles, but MY car is a LUXURY car and it runs on magic and pixie dust that you can't POSSIBLY comprehend, MORTALl!" people

They're always good for a laugh. I haven't got the heart to tell him he just overpaid for a Toyota

[thehuckster]

SC: No, the car is suppose to have a large draw it's a luxury car (Lexus LS300, not really luxury).

This blows my mind. If a car is so "luxurious" to require over an amp of power when it's sitting in the driveway, then I'd suggest to him he turn on his APU, just like those airliners need.

[Pagan]

What a dipshit.

I don't do much with cars other than drive them, and even I know that if you're losing power overnight, it's best to get a check to make sure that it's not something else draining it before replacing the battery.

Thankfully, the last time I had an issue, it was just the battery.

^-.-^

Same here. The last time I had a problem with intermittent not starting, I was pretty sure it was a solenoid. Even so, I was taking it for an oil change at my trusty mechanics. Told them what it was doing and what I thought it was, but I didn't insist that I knew what it was, because I have a very little clue under the hood.

Luckily, I got save a diagnostic test charge because the bloody thing did it to them! For once, the damn car does it trick for the mechanic!

[wolfie]

Drawing close to 2 amps? My cooler draws 6 amps, and in cold weather it can get the batteries (set of 4 group 31 deep-cycle batteries - gearheads should realize what that means, and anyone who knows what I do for a living should realize why I've got that much battery capacity) down to the point that the low voltage cutout for nonessential loads kicks out. A Lexus doesn't have anywhere near the capacity of ONE of my batteries.

[bainsidhe]

There's a reason I try to use one specific mechanic shop and that's because they'll take care of my car and do little extras that other places would never do. They'll also tell me I don't have to do XYZ until I hit so many miles. The oil change place will try to sell me new brakes every time I go. Including less than a year after I got new brakes installed.

My beloved Mazda started having battery issues and I took it to WalMart to get the battery replaced (never do it again). I outright asked the guy if there was any way to tell if something else was causing the battery to go dead or if the battery just needed replaced. He assured me it was 100% the battery. A day or two later, the new battery was dead. Come to find out, my trunk light wasn't turning off (the pressure sensor/bracket got bent) and that was draining my battery. Grrrr.

[Raveni]

Congratulations on surviving BoA.

[Emerald Knight]

Yeah, anyone who claims to know about your field to contradict you doesn't know anything. The number of times I've heard customers (either at work or while I'm a customer or visiting my friends at the local gaming store) claim to know their rights and in fact they know nothing about them. It's mind-boggling really.

[Spawned]

Congratulations on surviving BoA.

Spoken like someone who experienced it like I did.

One thing BOA has taught me is to not care more than is required to do the job. I feel that I did right by the customer and gave him multiple opportunities to let me actually fix the car. So, the lost business isn't bothering me much.

As far as 4 deep cycle batteries, that's a lot of juice. I have 1 deep cycle in my GSX so I can run alternator-less at the track, if that tells anyone what 4 would be capable of. Sounds like your run a catering truck or something similar.

[Sapphire Silk]

What a complete idiot.

Changing a battery is incredibly simple. If he can't even do that, and he's a "mechanic" then he deserves what he gets: high auto repair bills.

Some dishonest mechanic is going to get hold of him and suck him dry.

[Seshat]

One thing BOA has taught me is to not care more than is required to do the job. I feel that I did right by the customer and gave him multiple opportunities to let me actually fix the car. So, the lost business isn't bothering me much.

I'd recommend modifying that. A genuinely good customer is rare, but is like gold. For those, care. For the rest, do an honest job (like you did for the bloke in the original post), and then shrug and move on.