Think your shop is messed up?

[Matt Saunoras]

We have a windstar that was traded in a while ago (before the rear axle recall) that we use for a parts runner. So the recall comes out and we find that the vehicle needs an axle and is grounded until repaired. So what does the GM decide to do? That's right, we keep driving the damn thing. Run and get parts 5 days a week and the used car manager is driving it home every night. Remember this thing has a cracked axle!

 

So 2 days ago the fucking axle breaks on the road and the uc manager almost wrecks it. It's towed back to the shop where it sits right now. The GM asked yesterday if we can get ford to cover the tow bill. I'm starting to get fucking embarrassed working at this place. I'm never recommending anyone come here for anything.

 

Imagine what would have happened if someone got seriously injured out of this whole deal. I doubt anyone here would have a job right now

[Jim Warman]

The really sad statement on affairs is that I'm not surprised that it has finally happened at least somewhere. Looking back over my long (but not illustrious) career, I lose track of the number of times people have brought me cars that wont start to make them start - even though the fucking thing wont stop if you do get it going.

 

When asked "how long can I drive it like that?", I usually answer "how long is a piece of string?".

 

Your shop has proven that common sense ain't and, at this point in time, there's a chance that every piece of equipment in the shop is suspect until proven otherwise.

[Fredsvt]

Matt,

Isn't yours the shop the 2 story one, with the flexible floors?

[Matt Saunoras]

Yeah Fred that's me. Also last week we lost air pressure to the back half of the shop. I guess the lines rusted up so bad they finally restricted shut. We've had a water in the lines problem for as long as i've been there. The whole building is at the end of it's usuable life, I just wish someone would get the ball rolling and move us out of there

 

Luckily for my sake that windstar or repair order doesn't have my name or number associated with it anywhere

[mchan68]

We've had a water in the lines problem for as long as i've been there. The whole building is at the end of it's usuable life, I just wish someone would get the ball rolling and move us out of there

We had that problem for the longest time at my shop. The air lines would push more water than air for the first four years of my employment there. The straw that broke the camel's back, was when one of my 1/2" impact guns bit the dust after only being purchased 6 months prior (and it was a pricey one too). After uttering nearly every curse word I had in my English vocabulary almost to the top of my lungs at the time, the SM pulled me aside and immediately cut me a P.O. for the top of the line Snap-On 1/2" drive gun. Within a week, an air drier was plumbed in. Amazing the things that have to happen before things get done.

 

 

Originally Posted By: Matt_Saunoras

Luckily for my sake that windstar or repair order doesn't have my name or number associated with it anywhere

 

 

 

Which reminids me. Tomorrow, I'll be marching into the SM's office to tell them to take me off of ANY Windstar Subframe or Axle recall that rolls in. I have more than my share on my plate, without having to breathe in that horrible shit (the gas mask doesn't do squat for me).

[Alex Bruene]

I won't go anywhere near anybody doing that recall. I'm glad the truck shop at this dealership (as well as the last dealership) are separate from the car shops... but, at the old shop, everybody had respirators, at this shop all they use is paint masks...

[Matt Saunoras]

I don't do those recalls but i'm sure the guy that does wouldn't know a respirator if he tripped over it

 

It's only a matter of time before an air tool of mine gets ruined by water in the lines. It's tough knowing you spend money for the best tools a man can buy while your employer skates by on junk equipment

[Jim Warman]

On the old side of the shop (built circa 1980) we rarely have water problems... On the new side of the shop we had to install water traps on all of the outlets. The company supplied these.

 

What I don't understand... if you have a problem with water in the lines and the boss wont pick up the tab for a water separator, why wouldn't you buy your own?

 

I wouldn't be happy about having to pony up for something I feel is a shop item, but I'd be less happy if I destroyed an air wrench because of water.

[GregH]

I moved to the south side of the shop a year ago, the side with all the water. I bought a drier after my first day...

 

They are less than $100 - some far less. I consider it cheap insurance...

[Brad Clayton]

What happens if you have to work in another bay?

[Fredsvt]

Where I work now, the part of the building I'm in was a paint shop years ago so it has 2 very large air/water separator filters on both air outlets. The first part of the building is probably 100 years old, my bays, maybe 35.

 

I drain them about every 3 months in the summer. We've also got one 80 gallon compressor with a blown up compressor's 100 gallon tank as a slave to the first. The second tank acts as a good separator in itself.

 

When I worked at the limo company, the compressors were in a lean-to outside the building and in the humid summers, the water was insane. In winter we had routine freeze ups.

 

The compressors had to be on 24/7 in case a driver needed to air up a tire (yeah, right) I had to drain them daily all year long. I think they were probably 1/4 full (80 gallon) with water on bad days.

[Jim Warman]

What happens if you have to work in another bay?

Unplug the quick coupler and take it with you. I've seen guys mount them to the side of their tool cabinet with a pony length of hose to plug into the wall, too.

[Matt Saunoras]

There's only one rack and the alignment rack in the back. We have 2 50 foot hoses stuck together and running off my line for now

 

I have a seperator and I have a coiled hose in front of the seperator. It helps, gets about 90% of the water but it'll fill up in about a week. If I'm running any high volume tools it doesn't work as well

 

This building is atleast 55-60 years old and at this point in time every single piece of equipment is half assed to shit

 

I don't know what to do about this place. As long as I work there's no way they'll get rid of me, that's about the only thing I have going my way

[Matt Saunoras]

This is the last straw. Whatever happens tomorrow will determine whether or not I start looking for another job

 

I have a 4.0sohc explorer towed in for a "timing issue" 100k on the clock and an AFTERMARKET WARRANTY. The towing/auto repair company that normally works on cust pay jobs in the area passed this job up and towed it to us!!! RED FUCKING FLAG, not for our service dept though.

 

 

Diagnosis reveals no compression on cyl 6, all the other cylinders are normal. Pull the intake and notice a large amount of coolant in the intake runner and intake manifold. Obviously a headgasket leak also. Intake valve not seating fully resulting in the no compression, either bent valve or broken valvespring. Simple enough, at the very least the head has to come off for further inspection. cust authorized time to pull engine and determine failed components.

 

Pull engine, mount on stand, and I pull the head, At this point in time the engine is diagnosed with a broken valvespring, leaking headgasket and the #6 cyl wall polished smooth with upper wall rust pitted badly.

 

Needs an long block right? WHOA wait a minute, this warranty isn't gonna pay for long block. They want a quote on replacing one headgasket and one valvespring. They're also upset we pulled the engine because removing the head is an in vehicle repair. Forget about the cyl wall, I'm not even sure that was mentioned to them

 

Then my crack service manager decides he's going to play devils advocate and side with the warranty team. He actually said to me, you can hone that cylinder, I've done it before. I proceeded to ask him if he had mics to measure the wall diameter and taper.

 

I doubt he'll even give the cust the option of putting in a used long block. I said right to his face "I can't believe we are stupid enough to get involved with this"

 

If I have to bandaid this engine back together that will be 2 in 3 months. That's gonna be the end

 

sorry, I'm done ranting.

 

oh yeah and i blew the ram out of the engine crane today. the mighty 4.0L cannot be tamed

[Mbl35]

My rant soon to come.

[Matt Saunoras]

my job app is in at a bigger shop, they don't have a service director right now so no one to foward the info to at this time. they'll call me when things get straightened out

 

they have a ton of trucks/buses outside. that's what I like to see, the other place i interviewed didn't have one truck outside

[Matt Saunoras]

Oh yeah and I'm putting a used engine in that explorer, it's been outside for a week now with a big empty space in the engine bay

 

I still want out and today I remembered another reason why. 08 escape cd4e with a 2-3 flare. Still under warranty obviously, it'll be back for further diag monday right about the time I get started on that engine

[Matt Saunoras]

No diesel job for me........... and I almost got fired today for opening my big fucking mouth

 

I guess the boss found out I was on the hunt and I received a phone call this afternoon(we're not in the same store and I see him at most twice a year). Basically what I got from this conversation is "you're not getting anymore money and if you want to leave then I need to put an ad in the paper"

[Matt Saunoras]

well an application is in at another store. this one is actually looking for diesel tech, they're down to one guy and they do a good amount of truck work

 

I'm not a diesel tech but I played one on tv

[Keith Browning]

Man if you were closer you could come work with me... but things are a little dicey with hiring with the pending sale of our dealership. I really need another diesel tech on my team. We are getting busy again.

[Matt Saunoras]

This area is pretty much locked down as far as ford truck work goes. The one major truck store in pittsburgh is in big time jeopardy of losing ford. I thought about applying there years ago but I never went through with it due to the location. Corporate Ford doesn't like the location either. Not to mention it is a union shop and they are in big time warranty trouble

 

The other 2 major truck dealerships in the south hills area are owned by the same people. There was talk of moving the trucks out of the 2 stores and into one truck shop(I know for a fact ford wants this to happen). That would be ideal due to the fact each store really doesn't have the room for trucks either, it's one of the reasons I want to work for one of these dealerships. The largest store was last place I applied to. They already have 4 diesel techs and don't need any more. The place I just went to today is the smaller of the 2 stores. They normally have 3 diesel guys, lately they've had only 2, now they're down to one. Everyone is leaving to go work for oil field companies.

 

Then there is our dealership which has HUGE potential to steal a lot of work from the area if only the owner would update something and bring on some more techs. The truth is we don't have the room or the guys to work on trucks. As much as I like the job security that's about all I have going for me. I must have pissed off the SM because he's starving me of diesel work right now and tying me up on trannies. One of the main reasons I want out is due to automatics, it's simply not the direction I want to take

 

sorry for the ranting. I know you guys have all your own problems to deal with

[Keith Browning]

Nah, I love hearing how fucked up other peoples jobs are. Makes me feel a little better about mine.

[mchan68]

Then there is our dealership which has HUGE potential to steal a lot of work from the area if only the owner would update something and bring on some more techs. The truth is we don't have the room or the guys to work on trucks. As much as I like the job security that's about all I have going for me. I must have pissed off the SM because he's starving me of diesel work right now and tying me up on trannies. One of the main reasons I want out is due to automatics, it's simply not the direction I want to take

 

A lot of what you mentioned in the above quoted paragraph, sounds scaringly similar to my situation at my store. The only difference is, this week is my SM's last week after 10 years at this store. You talk about tranny's and not the direction you want to take, ours is going on holiday for two weeks. My next "project", a '12 Mustang GT convertible with all of 1400 kms. for a front pump replacement ........

[Matt Saunoras]

I am flat rate too so that is constantly a load on my mind

[Brad Clayton]

Quote:

Man if you were closer you could come work with me

I'll be there Monday, oh wait.........it's a 6 hour commute (one way) and I am way to burned out to do diesel work.