Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2004 18:02:49 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject: Re: VW Mechanic Experience Report
In-Reply-To: <BAY2-DAV15lQvQc0Mur00027fe4@hotmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
To me, the only major issue here was damaging the mud flap. I think the
shop was generous allowing you to supply the parts. That puts him in a
bad spot if there are any warranty issues. I think he could have made a
better effort to complete the work on time, however, I know the pressure
of more than one customer needing their car now. The customers who
display their urgency better or those who only need quick fixes always
seem to interrupt the work flow in a busy shop. Maybe give them a 2nd
chance.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Bob Stevens
Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2004 5:36 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: VW Mechanic Experience Report
Bugs 'N Bunnies
Salt Lake City, UT
Owner/Mechanic: Mike
I took the van there for diagnosis of what turned out to be a bad right
front wheel bearing. I took it back to drop it off for repair Monday
3/8.
Mike confirmed it was that bearing and "it may be both of them, hard to
tell"; I ordered both from an online vendor. Quick delivery on Wed.
3/10. I
stop by his shop on Wednesday on my way to work just before noon to
deliver
the bearings and my van is up in the air, on a lift, with the drivers
side
mudflap broken off because he "needed to crunch it to lift the van.
They're
all that way, you know? (I begin to feel like I'm in trouble with that
one
and almost remove the van from his shop, but I don't; my bad); Mike
says:
"we think the same way; since I'm going to be in there might as well
replace
them both." Mike told me he'd get to the right one Wednesday afternoon,
then
finish up the left one Thursday morning. On Wednesday, just after I left
his
shop, he called me to let me know the right outside CV boot was
ruptured,
grease all over the place, he had no boots. I contact another vendor who
gets the boots to me next day, Thursday at 0830 (very quick but I later
find
out that a local vendor has them on his shelf; John at Aircooled.net). I
take the boots over to Mike so he can finish the job. He says he can
finish
it up by Thursday night, both sides for the bearings + the right side
boots.
I call on Friday morning to see when I can pick up the van and he has
not
gotten to it, but it will be ready Friday afternoon. I call at 2pm and
he
says it will be ready at 6pm. I go over to the shop at 6 and he is not
done,
is 30 minutes or so away from finishing the right side, and was not able
to
get to the left front: "it's (bearing) good and doesn't need replacing."
Mike then told me I was lucky he didn't go into a fit and snit and just
stop
working on it when he had trouble with a couple bolts while undoing the
right inside CV boot. Gee, I felt so lucky.
He seems to have done a good job. No more noise. No grease flinging all
over.
I won't be going back there.
My next try in the Salt Lake area will be Millcreek.
I haven't found anyone who is as straightforward, knowledgeable and
honest
as Ed Rogers in Ogden. My experience with Contract auto has already been
reported on this list so I'm running out of places close to home that I
trust.
Bob Stevens
'87 Westy Syncro
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