Trans flushes are a bad idea... They only exchange the fluid and leave the dirty filter... I would rather have a clean filter and 25% old fluid left in the TC than a flush.

I would just let them fix it... I mean, its a blazer, not a brand new truck that requires a dealer. Just leave it there till they get it right.

Im a mechanic, and they are right, sometimes stuff happens... Let them try to set it right. I doubt they will pay your dealer bill. If you a return customer, give them the chamce to fix it, you trusted them for years, dont throw that relationship away cause of one mechanics mistake. Winnie the pooh would tell you that you catch more bears with honey.

 

I very much appreciate your other view and professional view insight ohsofly...if you wouldn't mind I'd like to engage you further, because I have been struggling with this (incident happened 3 weeks ago).

As far as trans flushes go, I will never have it done again. I was pretty apprehensive about it but thought I would give it a try. Should have listened to my gut.

By your reply, it would appear you agree that they should not put the replacement and repair on me. They are responsible. Yes?

Let me explain why I will not let them do the repair.

1. While I was speaking with the owner (we were not arguing, just having a normal level conversation) that is when the mechanic walked in. He listened for about a minute standing off to the side and then audibly scoffed and walked away shaking his head with a smirk on his face like I was an idiot (later during this little ordeal I did make him aware that his conduct was unprofessional).

2. When I got my truck home I immediately put it on ramps and got underneath. Now I'm the type of person that believes you can tell a lot about a person's work ethic by how much attention to detail they pay. What I found is he had broken 2 of the the plastic plugs that hold the plastic cover to the frame. The heads were sheared off. You could easily tell it was fresh breaks. Those things are like 25 cents....why couldn't have replaced them instead of leaving them? Lack of attention to detail. I also found 3 places where he had wiring harness off the frame (held by those little plastic clips that push into the frame). He did this to access the fittings on the tranny cooler. No, it wasn't like that before. Why didn't he take 30 seconds to push the plastic thingies back in, instead of leaving the harness hanging? Lack of attention to detail. Next, it was pretty easy to read his tool marks...PIA spot to get to, but I'm 99..9999% sure that's how the wrong fitting started leaking. I think he either hit the fitting trying to get the correct fitting off, or he pulled that line to make it easier to get to the other line and once he put it back on it wouldn't stop leaking.

3. Lastly, the matter-of-fact way the owner first told me while I was paying. Like it was a no-brainer to not take responsibility. Like he had done it hundreds of times. I have no idea whether they know or not that I work on vehicles. But I think the mechanic knows he was wrong and didn't expect to get called out on it.

ohsofly with the above knowledge of this situation, if you were me, would you still give them the opportunity to do the fix? If it was your vehicle?

Thanks very much for your time!

 

Yup, i would. Theres 2 types of workers, those that care about a good job, and those that dont... You are showing the owner which of those 2 his mechanic is... He couldnt have known that when he hired the guy, and feedback is the only way he will know. That shop has more than one mechanic working for them, ill bet that you get a different guy on your work order when you go back. Also, that shop owner is going to have alot of appreciation for you for returning to HIM and his business despite the jack around one of his guys gave you. You may also not see that hack mechanic there again as getting called out like that is pretty embarassing, and we both know its the kind of thing his coworkers will give him a hard time about at coffee and lunch. It also costs the employer who has to eat the parts, and pay a guy to fix anothers mistake, and those are the things that will make him fire a guy.

I would let the shop do the fix, eat the price, and i would continue to go back to them and have a good relationship still and continue to use their services. They may lose a couple hundred bux fixing that guys mistake, but they will make it back from you in your continuing loyalty thus it will pay off in the long run. Its not the shop that did you wrong, it was just an employee... And we all work amongst those types at our jobs.

I wouldnt be mad at the shop, and its not my place to be mad at the mechanic... The boss will take care of that end when you leave. Lets the shop fix it properly, replace the clips, and have you happy, because thats how they keep return customers and get reccomendations, and thats the only way to keep their doors open. That workers work ethic will be what he can ponder while standing in the unemployment line, or explain to his wife whos mad at his going through jobs every other month....

You were a customer there before that guy worked there, and should continue to be a customer after hes worked there too.

I have a good example from my own past to share. Many years back i worked at an 8bay shop with about 6 mechanics. A regular customer brought her brand new jeep yj in for the first oil change and tire rotation. A lazy mechanic didnt set the hoist right and her new jeep fell off and landed on its side, all windows smashed, and both axles housings broke off plus other damages. The jeep was a write off. The owners bought her a brand new jeep (insuramce prolly paid them back) and rented her a car till the deal was done. She brought that other new jeep in for its first service, and her friends and family still used that shop and prolly still do to this day. Accidents happen, and lazy people will be lazy. The boss saw the marks from where the hoist was set, and sent the mechanic walking as a result.

 

This is why I do my own work on the truck.

 

Running a shop ill say there wouldn't be any way in hell I would have let that fly. That's the reason why I'm still a one man shop. You simply can't trust anybody now and being my name on the shop door and my only source of income I can't afford that.

 

Thanks ohsofly, neo71655 and everyone else for their opinions and insight. Very much appreciated!

 

Personally, I would have no problem taking it back to that shop, but if that mechanic was still there, I would insist on watching them do the work. And I don't give a damn about their insurance regulations. And I don't trust them telling me another mechanic was doing the work.

 

Always do the work yourself.

The wages they are paying to people to do oil changes and "Flushes" aren't hiring competent mechanics.

They push those "flushes" because they are quick money makers for the speed income shops. Stop getting "flushes". You are better dropping the pan and changing the filter and refilled with FRESH fluid.

Besides, most car makers no longer have transmission dipsticks and Ford even removed the entire dipstick TUBE to STOP people from taking vehicles to these "Flushing Centers". Only Dealerships now can tell when the tranny's are full of auto tranny fluid on many new cars and trucks.

(Ford mechanics ain't happy about it because they burn their arms on catalytic converters now as they remove the plug on the side of the trannys to check fluid levels)

 

Mom and dad went on vacation a year back in their van. Took it to "iffy lube" and they charged her for a oil change, air filter (had and still has a k&n), and a cabin air filter (that model doesn't even have one).

Always make sure you are getting the services you pay for and don't pay for things you don't need or get. Personally I'd suggest staying away from any lube shop anyways.