Keep it simple when it comes to car repair kids.

"EL_ULY" (uly)
09/02/2014 at 10:09 • Filed to: None

A millennial comes into the shop today.....

...on a damn tow truck (for no reason as you'll see later).

"I need a new alternator. My battery will not charge and I read online that is what the alternator that charges the battery. I also tried to push starting it but the didn't work (auto trans). How much is it for a new alternator?"

We put a battery jump box on it and it fired right up. The customer did not at all try to jump the car because...yes, he did not know how lol. But he did put it in neutral and have his friends push the car while cranking. *facepalm* Anyways, we hooked up the ol' VAT 45 just to check the Alt real quick and did a battery check. It held charge but did have a bad cell. With the standard 1 hour labor charge, he called his dad to cover the "ridiculously over priced" $147 battery with 5 year warranty. Then there was argument about the tow bill and how it was Volvo's fault the car's battery died after 4 years and all this hubbub.

At the end of the day, this soft handed bearded kid had to pay for everything and will most likely go on Yelp or Car Buying (lol kidding) and burn the shit out of my dealership for giving him a "hard time" and over charging. Further fueling the "dealerships are rip off's" theory that continues to grow and grow as kids become FUCKING dumber and dumber when it comes to suuuper basic automotive.

Ohh and.... geeeet off my yaaaard! or something like that lol :]

DISCUSSION (68)

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:12

I love my generation.

yamahog > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:13

this soft handed bearded kid

LOL that's my boy ;) He did just shave his beard last night though.

Also, if you were reallllly a stealership, you could've just gone "YUP, you're right, new alternator it is! And since it's behind the headlight fluid reservoir, that'll be about 6 hours labor too!"

Bad Idea Hat > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:15

Batteries really jumped up in price the past decade or so. I know the reason though., so it makes sense.

I do know that any time I have a dead battery, I do check the alternator. I don't want to pull a Sisyphus and push another battery up a mountain only to have it roll down at me, dead.

JGrabowMSt > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:17

I'm a little surprised that if he got AAA to tow it, the driver didn't try a jump first.

RazoE > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:17

Cranking in neutral. Lulz.

McMike > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:17

But he did put it in neutral and have his friends push the car while cranking. *facepalm*

Holy shit, are you serious?

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > yamahog
09/02/2014 at 10:21

That's fantastic. Check the tire fluids while your at it?

Do-Rif-To > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:23

So thankful that I ran with the engineering school Subaru crowd that can fix it all with just a multi-tool and some wrenches you stole from one of the competition teams.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:23

Back when i was in college, i used to have a part time job as a tech service in Sony.

Sometimes if this happens i'll just give them what they want and charge them accordingly.

I mean, if i cannot help you ave your cash, might as well do whatever he wants. You want a new screen and not replacing your cable instead? Sure, go ahead.

mcseanerson > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:24

Man walking into a repair shop trying to talk like you know what you're doing when you have no clue is just setting yourself up as a mark to be taken advantage of.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:27

Volvo's fault the car's battery died after 4 years and all this hubbub.

I'd have slapped the stupid out of him for saying that.

beautimouse > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:35

The 16 year old is irritated that I am making him fix the old Tercel with his step dad (a.k.a. me), that sits in the drive way, after which he will have his first car. This post is the exact reason I will not do it for him. I will help in any way he asks, I will pay for all the parts, but he is going to get some grease under his nails.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
09/02/2014 at 10:41

In all fairness that does seem like a bit of an oversight on Volvo's part, I mean my 1998 V70 AWD did still have the original factory battery in it when I sold it in 2011. What has become of Volvo?! /sarcasm... sort of...

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:42

Damn kids are always on my lawn too.

*looks out window and scowls*

Hey! You kids! get off my damn lawn!

*goes back to computer*

ungrateful punks!

Imirrelephant > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:52

I am so grateful I grew up with a mechanic father and had interest enough to want to learn how to work on my own vehicles. I still do the maintenance and repairs that I can do on my own. I'm about 4K miles from having to do a DSG maintenance on my MKVI Jetta that just came out of factory warranty on my way to work, so yeah, that will be fun. You better believe I bought and extended warranty with it!

DoYouEvenShift > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:53

I dont kow man, its my theory that 90% of teenagers from every genertion know absolutely shit about nothing. You hardly ever see the smart ones. Maybe Im just defending my generation, being a millennial.

Racescort666 > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 10:54

Kinja'd!!!

I was going to say something about hipsters but I deleted it. This guy deserves what he got. If you get a bad review, you do not.

ly2v8-Brian > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 11:08

Way too funny.

Sally O'Broder > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 11:08

Damn, son. That's an awesome price for a battery at a dealership. WTH.

Sally O'Broder > beautimouse
09/02/2014 at 11:11

Don't forget to let him sit almost directly under the oil filter when he takes it off for his first oil change!

Sally O'Broder > DoYouEvenShift
09/02/2014 at 11:12

Speak for yourself! It's the parents, really. I've known a ton of teenagers smarter and more responsible than most adults I know.

...Which explains the bad parents...

sellphones2493 > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 11:17

*Millennial here*

I needed my spare put on so I called AAA. I figure, I have the service - I might as well use it.

Sam > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 11:22

I'll admit that I didn't know how to jump a car till earlier this year (I'm 18), when I accidentally left the lights on in my dad's '97 4Runner. (I hadn't driven it before, and didn't know there is no buzzer or warning) Luckily I had jump cables with me and learned how to do it in the high school parking lot.

I only nearly blew up the battery on my friend'd 2014 Civic. (he has wealthy, but reasonable parents)

DoYouEvenShift > Sally O'Broder
09/02/2014 at 11:35

Oh yeah, no doubt. My wife was working full time and going to HS at 16 to keep food on the table and the lights on. Her mom was too busy looking for her next fix. So she got a dose of responsibility early.

EL_ULY > yamahog
09/02/2014 at 11:37

lol right? :] You actually need 2 alternators, one for positive and one for ground lol

EL_ULY > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
09/02/2014 at 11:37

people to this all the time.

EL_ULY > McMike
09/02/2014 at 11:38

oh yes.. gets an A for effort at the very least

EL_ULY > Racescort666
09/02/2014 at 11:39

Dude this sort of thing happens all to often with the younger customers.

EL_ULY > mcseanerson
09/02/2014 at 11:42

True, we get kids like this but also people that think they know everything and completely fail and ALSO get pissed and give us a bad review. People don't know that the adviser's pay check if depending on that CSI score and because of the lack of knowledge of a customer, we get a bad review and the poor adviser get $200 off his paycheck because of nonsense

EL_ULY > Sam
09/02/2014 at 11:44

You are at least being proactive about it and trying. This dude didn't. Kids can just look up a DIY video on Youtube, read forums, or ask Siri. They have the resources and still fail. That is when I think that there is no more excuse. But oh well :]

EL_ULY > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW.
09/02/2014 at 11:45

If they insist, we will comply

EL_ULY > Imirrelephant
09/02/2014 at 11:47

Warranty is so rad! The thing is that I understand being new to cars but when you have forums, Youtube DIY's, Siri, Google, and all those easy to access racecourses, there is no excuses

EL_ULY > Bad Idea Hat
09/02/2014 at 11:50

a VAT 45 is so easy to use. Alternator check in seriously a couple seconds. But Batts are start up and Alts are running. Dead batteries do not get me thinking of Alternators at all, but always good to just double check

mcseanerson > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 11:50

Yeah, what I'm talking about is if he went to a real scam shop they would have told him the reason he couldn't bump start it is the solenoid is out on the clutch automator and while he can save him the hefty fees of importing one from sweden the repair is pretty labor intensive and will take at least seven hours.

That's what happens when you try to talk about things you have no idea. He could've been taken like that and if the guy shook his hand right he would have walked out with a smile on his face, $800 poorer, and posted a 5 star rating on Yelp.

EL_ULY > JGrabowMSt
09/02/2014 at 11:51

Roadside Assistance towed it in and has a contract with the dealer. He tows cars in for flat tires sometimes lol. Independent contractor for our dealer. I'm there is a disclosure that the customer agreed on, maybe he doesn't do jumps, only tows

EL_ULY > beautimouse
09/02/2014 at 11:53

heck yeah! That is how I got my first car. Sitting under a tree for 2 years. If I got it running, it was mine ;]

EL_ULY > Sally O'Broder
09/02/2014 at 11:55

lol :]

EL_ULY > Sally O'Broder
09/02/2014 at 11:55

lol :]

EL_ULY > Do-Rif-To
09/02/2014 at 11:55

just nuts and bolts buddy. That is all that car repair is basically

EL_ULY > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
09/02/2014 at 11:55

lol!!!!

user314 > JGrabowMSt
09/02/2014 at 11:56

I'm surprised he didn't just do the battery himself.

AAA Battery Service AAA Battery Service is a mobile battery testing and replacement service. In areas where the service is available, a AAA Battery Service technician will test and assess the vehicle's battery and charging system. If the existing battery fails the test and the member would like to have the battery replaced, the technician will install a new battery, if available, that meets or exceeds the vehicle's original specifications.

Easy answer is the service isn't available there; still kinda odd though.

EL_ULY > sellphones2493
09/02/2014 at 11:57

welp, stay in school so you can own a car that is always under warranty and has roadside assistance. Most are not that fortunate

Racescort666 > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 11:58

The main reason I deleted my comment about hipsters is that I was basically guilty of what I was complaining about. The difference is that I do all of my own work on my cars and I'm an engineer in the auto industry.

EL_ULY > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
09/02/2014 at 11:58

me too, more money for us for doing basic ass things!

sellphones2493 > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 12:00

AAA is like $52 a year...

I could pay for that in coins.

EL_ULY > DoYouEvenShift
09/02/2014 at 12:00

There is definitely a shift of the lack of basic knowledge. The thing is though, when you have the resources like Youtube DIY's, forums, Siri, Google, there is NO excuse not to know basic things.

EL_ULY > Sally O'Broder
09/02/2014 at 12:00

preach!

Bad Idea Hat > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 12:01

My reasoning is really based on one of my previous cars eating alternators. Granted, it was an old car, but I usually just do it out of an overabundance of caution.

Imirrelephant > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 12:03

Exactly! There are so many more resources than there were even 5 years ago. For anyone buying a VW, though, I would still recommend the extended warranty. Mine is a bumper to bumper warranty good up to 118K miles and has a $100 deductible. Parts alone could easily cost more than that! I'm pretty comfortable tackling most things, but I'm also pretty comfortable with $100 for repairs I don't have to struggle with.

EL_ULY > Sally O'Broder
09/02/2014 at 12:03

Could be some Batts on our Mercedes side, those get pricey really quick. Not even counting the hybrid stuff lol. As for this basic rebranded Interstate 600CA battery with a 5 year warranty for this overly groomed child, that's kind of a good deal. Our mark up is not to high either

EL_ULY > Imirrelephant
09/02/2014 at 12:04

sounds like a good deal buddy

EL_ULY > Bad Idea Hat
09/02/2014 at 12:04

true true

EL_ULY > sellphones2493
09/02/2014 at 12:07

If you got it use it. Hopefully you are not in a hurry if you have an issue in the future.

Sally O'Broder > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 12:07

I paid maybe ~$20 less than that pro-rated for a battery from Sears for my 1995 Mitsubishi Mirage, so for going to a dealer with that dealer markup? Yeah that's a deal.

EL_ULY > Racescort666
09/02/2014 at 12:09

We all learn buddy, I an a multi brand Master tech, ASE Master with L1. I made errors when I was a kid also. the thing is though, when you have all these Forums, DIY videos on Youtube, Siri, Google, and all that sort of thing, there is really no excuses

EL_ULY > Sally O'Broder
09/02/2014 at 12:13

wowzers! That's a good deal buddy :]

zeontestpilot > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 12:23

Technically, everyone had to get the automotive knowledge somehow. If no one explained it to them, how would they know?

When I go into a car place, I ask in detail what exactly is wrong, how it's going to be fixed, let me see the damage, and if possible, let me watch the repairs. If dont have much automotive knowledge, but I don't mind picking the mind of someone who does to learn more.

But that's me.

NaturallyAspirated > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 12:26

I'm a certificated airplane mechanic, so I try to do as much work on my own car as I can. I don't have a lift or a cherry picker, and of course gas turbines and air cooled 360cid flat 4-bangers are somewhat different from water-cooled reciprocating engines, so from time to time I do have to take my car to a shop.

Now, most of the pilots I know personally are awesome people. But I have dealt with a few pilots who are rich a-holes. So, to avoid being "that guy," my rule when bringing my car to a mechanic is to outline whatever troubleshooting steps I've tried when I drop the car off, and let them do their job. The last thing I want is for a shop to change the wrong part "because I told them to."

I know they must get some real pieces of work. The last time my Subaru was in the shop was to have an exhaust leak welded up. I got a really apologetic call from the welder asking if it was OK to use a new gasket on the pipe they had fixed, since the old gasket had disintegrated when they took the pipe out. It was like a $10 gasket, and the guy was really apologetic. I can't even imagine what kind of customer would get upset over a $10 extra charge on your exhaust leak repair so that your exhaust doesn't leak.

EL_ULY > zeontestpilot
09/02/2014 at 12:32

And it is totally true and agree fully. Nobody knows everything at first. But this is mostly about the most basic of all things and with kids having all the resources possibly at their finger tips, I see no real excuses here.

EL_ULY > NaturallyAspirated
09/02/2014 at 12:52

People get upset over everything. I had a lady come in pissed over the $2.50 shop supply fee (used for topping off fluids and such). Hell, i've had customers pissed that their $80,000 car got a flat tire when they ran over some debris. "For as much as the car costs, the tires should hold up better than (this)" ... this being giant gash on the sidewall. We have to call and let you approve of any little thing no matter the price or how obvious it may be. People have turned down less. The tension is always high on both ends of a dealer service department.

This though was mostly for basic things that kids, with all the resources at their finger tips, do not know.

JEM > NaturallyAspirated
09/02/2014 at 13:05

I'm a QA Engineer and I try to do this as well. Diagnose as well as possible, give every fact I can (printed out if possible, just for reference), every thing I've done, etc.. This works just as well with cars as with guitar amps.

zeontestpilot > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 13:10

True, and he did some research (how else would he find out about the push to start thing with manuals). it's just, he didn't do enough.

Well, it's a start for him...

thebigbossyboss > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 14:18

What is basic? I got to admit, I got stumped by my power steering hose the other day.

I wasn't sure which hose going into the rack was high pressure and which was return.

EL_ULY > thebigbossyboss
09/02/2014 at 14:26

Google it lol :]

YouTube a DIY video.

You have the resources buddy.

thebigbossyboss > EL_ULY
09/02/2014 at 14:30

I did there is no DIY for it on youtube.

EL_ULY > thebigbossyboss
09/02/2014 at 15:47

There are diagrams of the systems which you can apply. But of course, it is never as neat under the bonnet lol :]

mattc993 > EL_ULY
09/03/2014 at 15:20

If it makes you feel any better I never would have pulled any of this shit as a kid or otherwise (currently 21 years old).

EL_ULY > mattc993
09/03/2014 at 15:25

must of us here wouldn't. It is only odd because it is basic automotive. I can understand other things. Plus, all the resources are literally at your fingertips.