I brought my car to a shop here in NJ, the e-brake's were not working.

Previously I brought it to another one of their shops, they are a small chain here.

Well the manager told me that the shop before them ground down the adjuster on one side and that the brake cable is worn.

he said he was going to eat what he did (which was check it out only) until he orders the parts he told me to come back the next day and I did and I waited 3 hrs to make sure the parts were available they were not.

Getting frustrated with waiting, he told me to call him the next day to make sure the parts were there.

On my way home I was thinking about it and I found out that I need the e-brake recondition kit or something like that... it includes all new hardware for the e-brake system.

I found that out from the dealer.

so I went on ebay and someone was selling exactly what I needed for $50.00 NOS so I bought it.

recieved it there was everything I need to recondition the e-brakes.

Went out and did the work, I had to down adjust the parking brake cable.

then hooked the cables to both levers, I did not put an adjustment on the e-brakes left them in a non adjusted position.

and before I put the rotors back on the both sides worked.

rotors went on and brakes and tires.

got in the blazer pushed the parking brake dow and it goes 1/2 way and the blazer is solid.

So they BS me about a brake cable and they probably were going to just repair one side when in fact I replaced everything on both sides, everything...

so that was 2 weeks ago.

I got a note at my door from the manager saying to me that if i do not call hime the cable goes back.

THEN I see out my window one of the mechanics look under the blazer to see if my cable was new, he shakes his head to the manager that was in a different car than his...

AND then the mechanic touches my hood to see if the hood is hot.

can you believe that sh*t?

I got screwed once with the ebrakes then they stalk me.

If a customer doesn't come back YOU DON'T GO TO HIS HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now if I let them do the work it would of been around 300.00...

I got the ebrake recondition kit for 50.00. dealer is 150.00.

and my time.

The previous garage with in the same company already screwed me for 200.00 to "repair" the ebrakes.

UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jim

 

wow i cant believe they would stock you like that!!

 

yeah I wouldn't think so either but I guess they don't have the sales they should and then they try to bully their customers.

The economy and all...

But I am laid off and money is tight and they know that.

to BS me about the parking brake cable really pissed me off b/c I could see it wasn't frozen.

AND they didn't check to see if the e-brakes were engaging with out the cables attached to the levers!!!!!!!

when you take the cables off the levers then you can see if the shoes are moving out like they should.

the other shop of thiers ground down the adjuster on the drivers side B/C (I figured this out) b/c the cable was so overly adjusted (B/C of them) that there was always tention on the adjusters that they would not close properly, so they figured the adjuster was too long (WRONG!!!).

with my overhaul I installed all the hardware, verified it worked by hand moving the lever, then (after down adjusting the cable) hooked the cable to the lever then pushed the footbrake down and saw the shore move out. simple as that..... so everything is back to stock as it came from the factory.

they didn't know what they were doing...

and I have the note they left...

I called up a police officer friend of mine and he asked me if I wanted to file a complaint, I said no but if they come back they will be in trouble.

 

I would def call the cops if they came back

 

Oh I will.

It just irks my as* that they are going to go stuff like that!!!!!!!!!!

We are looking after our money, I have NO sympathy for a garage that would BS customers to make their numbers!

My father owned a garage for 35 years and he was brutally honest with customers, that is why he was booked up 6 months in advance! for a garage that is unheard of no-a-days.

everybody trusted him and he was really really honest. he had customers come from NYC and surrounding areas.

and im not bsing

and I went down to the garage on sat and he taught me how to do alot, even tho it was 34 years ago ( I was 8 when I started going until he and my uncle sold the business I was 19 years old) but still.

to this day I see some of the old timers (in their 80's) still rave about the way he and my uncle did the best work around.

My father and uncle died 10 years ago.

some of the customers remember when I was there on a sat...

And the customers that I see around always ask me why I didn't take over the business, I tried to convince my father to stay open I would do all the work and he would do the books.

He didn't want me to get into the business he said I was better than that. not impuning himself or other mechanics (no a days these shops are part changers not mechanics, mechanics diagnose problems, they put thought into what they to, now it's just ot make a fast buck)

 

OMG, I would have called the police and said someone was trying to steal my car then run out and catch em' red-handed! I cannot believe that they came to your house, that's some crazy stuff.

 

That really sucks man! This mechanic is def a nutjob, call the cops. He has no right to bully you into paying him money that you dont owe him. Plus, his diagnostic was obviously wrong, so he's not doing HIS job.

Somthing similar happened to me but thats another story.....that was at a Firestone garage.

The garage that I work at (Meineke franchise) is extreemly successful because we are extreemly honest with our customers. We do the very best we can on every car we get, even if it is just a simple oil change. No exceptions.

It's very sad that even with current mechanic honesty laws (such as a required estimate over $200, etc....), there are still issues.

 

I know of a dealer in town who's just as bad... made my uncle flush the transmission on his van annually, it blew now, because the last time they flushed it they got dirt in, now they won't cover it because he went to another shop for a second opinion... the second shop just took a quick look at it and said it was the dealership's fault.

He's got his lawyer in it now.

 

The most reputable mechanic shop around me charges $90 for an electricle check on the engine and tranny.....basically they plug in a code retrever and tell you what codes come out. The auto parts store down the road allows you to use their code retrever for free.
It's amazing how people will try to screw you over things they think you don't know.

 

The thing I don't like is some mechanics think they are their highhorse when you go to the shops.

Ok they have your car but YOU have rights.

If you look at someone you do not know what they know, so if your explaining something that is wrong and the other person knows it also and the other person is standing there saying to himself "This guy is full of S*it".

And that is what I did, got the parts installed them for 50.00....

That is why I do not like anyone working on my Blazer.....