Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 07:38:58 -0400
Reply-To: EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
Subject: Re: DISASTER AT JIFFY LUBE!!!!
In-Reply-To: <a9b5060c.24acf82b@aol.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
This thread does not suprize me a bit. I worked at a local gas
station for 10 years. The owner was clueless as to how to hire people.
Over the years, most of the problems happened by kids who "knew every-
thing".
If you want to see a mess, this takes the cake. This kid, put a
minivan up on the lift with the rear hatch opened. As he was putting
it down, he was BSing to a freind not paying attention to what he was
doing. The lifts twist some as they move up and down. With the rear
hatch opened, up in the air, it latched on to the garage door rail
attached to the roof. On the way down, lifting the van off the rack,
until the van was almost standing on it's nose. Suddenly the hatch
let go slaming the van to the ground and impaled the lift in to the
bottom of the vehicle, in several places. We needed a tow truck
to get the van off the lift. It didn't look bad, but both doors
would not open. Found the transmission to have a crack in it, and the
floor in several places was bent in. It was totaled.
This is the best of many, many cases like this. Worst is the dealers
that work "flat rate" and are not getting payed much on warrenty work.
I really feel bad for people who can not work on there own cars.
I would never let anyone touch one of my cars after seeing the useless
people working on them. This is the reason most people by new every
few years, but never even have there oil changed.
Eric 86-VW4x4
vw4x4@fyi.net 72-240z
Pittsburgh, PA USA 1936-Chrysler
On Thu, 1 Jul 1999 JordanVw@AOL.COM wrote:
> since i change my oil regularly, sometimes i just go to a quick lube place,
> and have it done...usually the ones where theres a drive in bay, and just a
> open pit in the floor. and i usually stand there and watch the kid take off
> the filter, and instruct him that if he strips the threads in the drain plug
> (bottom of case) - he will die :<) and then add the oil myself (20-50
> synthetic) and theres never a prob.
>
> today was different....
>
> i happened to be at the local sears...and they have a new jiffylube franchise
> that they opened in conjunction with the sears auto center.. anyway, it's
> all new, and the lifts are the above floor type, with platforms that lift up,
> that the car is driven up on. all the employees, are new, and most of them
> have names i cant pronounce.
>
> the first thing Julio (yes, that was his name on his nametag) did was drive
> the van ('84 vanagon) up on the lift platform FRONT first, when the service
> platform is in the front, since most cars are front engined.
>
> that was bad omen #1.
>
> then i proceed to climb up the stairs of the platform, and straddle the wheel
> supports in the back, while the van is on the lift, to get the hatch up, and
> engine lid open to check the ATF. Julio asks me what i'm doing, and then
> says "oh! the engines in the back? that's wierd, man" <----- that is a
> direct quote.. scary huh?
>
> that was bad omen #2. i should have said lower the van back down and got
> the hell outta there...but i didnt..
>
> then he drains the oil (almost takes off the wrong drainplug) and removes
> the filter, and reinstalls a new filter and the drainplug.
>
> ok...so far, so good eh? not.
>
> so he starts lowering the van, so he can add oil, since he drove it up on the
> platform the wrong way..
>
> i was looking the other way, then all the sudden i hear all this yelling in
> spanish....
>
> i look back at my van - and it IS TILTED...WITH 3 WHEELS ON THE
> PLATFORM...AND THE WHOLE LEFT FRONT OF THE VAN IS BEING HELD UP BY THE
> DRIVERS DOOR!!!
>
> the MORON left the drivers door open when he lowered it! the door got
> caught on the platform, and lifted the front of the van up....
>
>
> at this point, i am livid.. the door frame is bent...and the door wont
> close..at all...
>
> julio, scared that he is gonna get sh*t canned, then lowers the van all the
> way to the floor, and hops in, and holds the door while backing the van off
> the platform....
>
> WITHOUT ANY OIL IN IT.
>
> at this point, i am ready to beat the krap out of this guy.. out comes the
> supervisor...and he assures me that i will be fully compensated for any
> damages, and it will be repaired completely.....after a bunch of yelling...
>
> after filling out some accident reports, and adding the oil, the supervisor
> hands me a bunch of free jiffy lube coupons...i dont think i'll be needing
> those... and drove home with the seatbelt holding the drivers door
> closed......
>
> makes you think twice before you leave your van in someone elses hands...
>
> chris
>
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