What's the dumbest thing you've heard from a salesman?

"Rainbow" (rainbeaux) 12/20/2016 at 11:17 • Filed to: None

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When I was looking at my Soul before ultimately buying it, I had the hood up and the salesman pointed at where it said “GDI” and said, “It’s Gasoline Direct Injection, so you can use regular unleaded, too.” I just said, “Oh, okay.” and left it at that, but I’m still curious... For one, I can use regular gas in addition to what? Pepsi? And two, what the hell sort of engine doesn’t use this “GDI” they’re so proud of? What would the alternative even be? Gasoline Indirect Injection, where it just squirts gas across the engine bay and hopes that it lands in the right place? I regret not asking him to elaborate.

Comes over to help work on your car and only drinks beer > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:21

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GDI injects the fuel into the cylinder itself instead of the intake. It’s certainly not uncommon, but it’s also different from what fuel injection was known as for many years.

EL_ULY > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:21

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When a salesman agreed to find out the viscosity of the rear AOC rear diff fluid because the “enthusiast” potential buyer is extra triple picky as fuck!

Enthusiasts then comes to parts department to confirm the salesman’s info.

mega facepalm!

Good thing enthusiasts are not our usual customer, even through our Aston and Lotus side.

So to answer your question, it’s when a salesman says “yes” to extra triple picky customers that never buy shit or get their car serviced here. They’ll be back either way when they break shit or neither they or their “mechanic” can put something back together

jasmits > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:21

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Lots of people think that needing to speed a bit more on premium fuel is the worst thing that could ever happen.

TysMagic > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:21

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On a non-car note, I will continue to call it the god damn independent model.

Car related, I always thought it stood for something Kia made up. Knowinlg that is just stands for gas direct injection, that’s worse than 2.0t badges imo.
Wow Kia, wow.

E90M3 > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:22

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When you start dropping engine/chassis codes, they usually shut up because at that point they know you know more than they do about the car.

I went to go look at Tacomas with a friend. We drop a 15 and a 16 back to back. Asked the salesman what was different and he said they’re basically the same truck. That is completely false, they got a major redesign between the two years. He should have at least known that.

LongbowMkII > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:24

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Most EFI engines are indirect. It sprays fuel in the intake runner which is then sucked into the combustion chamber. Direct injection sprays fuel into the CC. useful for modern turbocharged engines and just a bit easier to control the timing, benefiting power, efficiency and emissions.

Rainbow > Comes over to help work on your car and only drinks beer 12/20/2016 at 11:24

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Huh, well that’s neat! Still, it’s a bit of a misleading name then. All gas is directly injected somewhere . Even carburetors still use a form of injection, just in a different way. So fuel injection as a whole is a bit of a redundant name.

404 - User No Longer Available > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:24

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I actually find finance managers even more irritating. Tried to scare me into buying a warranty for my Solstice, because “my car has a limited slip diff”, and costs a lot to fix.

Last I checked the LSD and open diffs cost exactly the same, and installation procedure was the same as well. Only difference is the fluid needs an additive.

And of course the “paint treatment” pitch saying “I don’t need to wax my car ever again”.

Although I bought the warranty anyways as it was a first year car, got my money’s worth with door handles and the water pump.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:25

2

Had a sales guy tell me that the Dodge Challenger SRT 392 is called that because it makes 392 horsepower.

Also had one sales guy who had no idea about Volvos try and show off the amazing turning radius (then give up half way through because in case you didn’t know the S60R has one of the worst turning radiuses ever)

E90M3 > TysMagic 12/20/2016 at 11:25

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I will continue to call it the god damn independent model

One of my fraternity brothers got an Optima after college, the GDI badge was the first thing to come off.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > EL_ULY 12/20/2016 at 11:25

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I made a poor Volvo sales guy look up the transmission codes on an xc90 V8 to determine if it had already blown up or is waiting to...

jasmits > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:26

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To answer your actual question: A few summer ago when I was shopping for what ended up being my E36 Compact, I saw a decent looking E36 325i coupe at a seedy dealership in my area so I figured I’d check it out with low expectations coming in. While I was inspecting the engine bay, the salesman very enthusiastically started talking to me about the “turbo,” even pointing it out. the “turbo” was actually the cartridge-style oil filter housing.

(if you don’t read “turbo” in the Dr. Evil voice you’re doing it wrong) 

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:27

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“You don’t really want to drive the manual transmission, do you?”

DynamicWeight > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:27

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So I had to look it up. GDI does in fact stand for Gasoline Direct Injection. I suspect this is much like telling people the dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide. Most people have no idea how an engine works so the marketing guys put anything on it that sounds cool (I’ll admit, even I assumed it was something like VW’s TDI).

And yes, GDI does mean you can put gasoline in it. So he was correct right? Still, kind of an underhanded trick by Kia’s marketing department but hey, they’re not working with much.

jasmits > TysMagic 12/20/2016 at 11:28

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Somehow I don’t think whichever marketing genius came up with the idea to badge that went to a school with a greek life system.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:28

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Actually direct injection is not the only way of injection, it was not even very common until a few years ago. Direct injection works by injecting the fuel directly into the combustion chamber, whereas multi-point or port injection inject into the intake duct of the valve. Single-point and throttle body fuel injection even take the injector outside of the head and into the inlet manifold.

Also indirect injection does exist, it uses a chamber to pre-ignite the fuel, like the Honda CVCC system from the 70s.

His regular fuel argument is nonsense though, as that shouldn’t have anything to do with the way of injecting.

TysMagic > jasmits 12/20/2016 at 11:29

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I feel the same

Kanaric > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:35

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It’s not a really a dumb thing but more a good thing.

When I buy my WRX in 2012 at Subaru of Ontario (Cali) I had a saleswoman who went out of her way to convince me NOT to buy options for the car. She was saying like “don’t buy the exaust, it’s pointless and aftermarket is cheaper and better” and “the spoiler is more for looks otherwise don’t bother” etc. She was doing an effort for me not to buy options and actually knew what the good enthusiast options were like the short shifter and boost gauge.

I went in there like stoned faced and ready to fight a combative sales person so this caught me off guard and I didn’t know what to do so I kept the same way. Towards the end when I was signing the paperwork and stuff she kept asking why I didn’t look happy or if I was happy and things like that lmao. Like she was legitimately concerned, and I fully believe that she was.

Best dealer experience of all time. Wasn’t sold on a single bullshit thing.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:35

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Direct injection vs port injection. As in one sprays directly into the cylinder and the other sprays behind the valve.

High compression port injected engines will need higher octane to prevent predetonation, but because a direct injection system doesn’t spray the fuel until it’s needed (like a diesel), you can use lower (regular/87) octane fuel.

So... your salesperson is correct. If that’s really what system it uses. Port injection has been known by many different initials...

bwp240 > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:37

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Me: I want to compare this to the 2-door model.

Salesman: You will want the 4 door to haul all of your friends.

(vehicle in question was a RAM SRT-10 )

Rainbow > Kanaric 12/20/2016 at 11:39

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That is awesome!! I’d honestly be willing to pay more for a car if the experience was like that. Not a ton more, but still more.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > DynamicWeight 12/20/2016 at 11:39

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Assuming it is a true DI setup, it means you CAN use regular unleaded rather than 89 or 91 in a high compression setup, port injection system would require a higher grade. That said, from the amount of information the salesman provided, I’d say he had no clue what it meant and was just parroting a line. Even though he’s right I’d say he’s clueless as to what he’s selling.

EL_ULY > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 12/20/2016 at 11:40

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lol for real?

Xyl0c41n3 > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:40

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“But this car doesn’t have a vanity mirror.”

Followed by me turning to him with a dead-eyed stare and saying I didn’t care.

Later, he pointed to the wheels and said, “Those are steel wheels, not alloy.”

Again, I didn’t care. I don’t mind steelies.

And earlier this year, it wasn’t a sales dude, but a dealership service dude who told me the following when I brought my car in for a recall repair on a defective transmission (which has affected millions of Fiestas and Focuses) and I learned that they hadn’t even examined the damned transmission:

“We don’t go looking in people’s cars for problems.”

Followed by:

“Your car’s got what’s called a ‘dual clutch transmission.’ What you’re describing is a natural quirk of that kind of engine. Here’s a paper that explains how that kind of engine works.” (Then he handed me a print out that didn’t really do much to explain how DCTs work).

After giving him the look of death and assuring him that, yes, I do know how a DCT works, I proceeded to tell him to book my car a time slot with their transmission guy that week. Turns out this “chick” was right: clutch needed replacing. (And now, several months in, I don’t think that permanently solved the problem. Fucking dry clutch...)

It’s fun being a woman at a car dealership/mechanic’s shop.

Rainbow > bwp240 12/20/2016 at 11:41

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I would have wanted to tell him that I have more than three friends, so that’s not going to work.

MLGCarGuy > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:45

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On a Nissan Versa: “These air vents, the circular style, are so good that they use them on Lamborghinis.”

Tripper > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:45

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I don’t have any particular examples to add, even though I know there have been a few doosies. I cannot stand talking to pushy salespeople, it is so off putting. Everyone sees right through those tactics anyway, right?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:45

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A few years back when we were looking for the Commander we test drove an I5 Hummer H3. (which I loved btw - you can’t see a thing out of it, but it was awesome)

As I accelerated out of the lot the salesman said - oh yeah, feel the power of that V6!

I was like dude. It’s an I-5, at least read the window sticker before you get in the car.

McMike > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:46

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Just about everything out of our Accord’s salesman’s mouth was annoying. It was all fancy sales shit that was partially misleading.

I can’t remember any of it, but know this is where most non-car people get these rediculous facts they share with others. Facts that make us say “WTF?” when we hear it.

For example. A friend of my neighbor’s buys Mini Coopers. I think he’s on his third one. I’m not sure because I really don’t care. I think they are all base model automatics, and he does nothing but talk about how sporty, responsive, at home on a back road it is.

Knowing I have two British cars (one is a Mini) he just won’t shut the fuck up. I try to avoid him, but he always ends up finding me to talk my ear off with absolute nonsense. I swear, I have heard the same three stories two or three times each.

One time at a party at my neighbor’s house, he walked up to me and told me “Well, I had to leave the “Cooper” at home tonight... (after a long pause because I was just staring back at him) I plan on having a couple of beers tonight and I don’t need “that kind of attention” from the police a car like that can get..”

Last time he snuck up on me, he told me that his latest Mini (current gen) is basically a “2 series BMW underneath, but a fraction of the price” Not wanting to call him an idiot I said, “That’s cool.” and made some excuse about needing to be somewhere else.

Turns out, it is.. but only the 2 Series Active Tourer - the non-US FWD model.

Where else would he have heard that shit? There’s no way he knew these two vehicles shared a platform.

$10 says the salesman told him that, and he’s telling anyone who listens.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:47

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The sleazeman at the local Fiat dealer who after declaring that the then new 500 Abarth only came with a manual continued to be utterly amazed that my wife could know how to drive one and kept talking to me the whole time we were in the store.

We were looking for a car for her. She drives a 5-speed Astra daily.

We did not buy a Fiat.

I know it isn’t technical jargon related but it still bugs me, and especially my wife that this asshat had his mind blown that a woman could drive a manual.

Rainbow > Xyl0c41n3 12/20/2016 at 11:47

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I can’t even imagine. My girlfriend is going to be buying her first car sometime in the near future, and in the meantime I’m trying to teach her a lot about what to look for. I’ll definitely be there with her, but I want her to do most of the talking. If they ever try to talk through me instead, I’ll just tell them it’s her car and she knows what she wants. If they can’t do that, we’ll just go somewhere else. It’s gonna take a while, I’m sure, but I’d rather have her buy from a place that sees her the same as any other customer, just in case she needs to come back with any issues and I can’t be there.

CalzoneGolem > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:48

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They told us our Soul was good in the snow because it has a short wheelbase.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 12/20/2016 at 11:51

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The regular fuel argument is correct. As in a diesel, a DI setup means the fuel isn’t present (I’m prepared to be proved wrong by at least one example here, there usually is one) until it’s needed. Therefore, you can run regular in a high compression or forced induction setup without knocking. Can’t explode what ain’t there!

Rainbow > CalzoneGolem 12/20/2016 at 11:52

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Wow. And they could have actually made some sense there, too! It’s actually not bad on snow (presumably - I don’t get snow here so I don’t know) because it’s FWD, so most of the weight is on the drive wheels, and the traction control can be turned off standard. So, you know, pretty basic, but still worth pointing out in a snowy region.

bwp240 > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:53

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lol, I said they could just ride in the bed. They’ll be fine.

At that point I affirmed I knew more about the truck than he did, and that this was going to be interesting. I inquired about the Sat Nav CDs (which it suprisingly had); he had no idea what they were.

Comes over to help work on your car and only drinks beer > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:53

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Carburetors don’t really ‘inject’ as suck gas into the air stream passing thru the venturi, but yes, every system other than a carb is injection, either into the throttle body (Single Point FI), into the intake just up from each cylinder (multi-port FI), or by directly injecting it into the combustion cylinder (GDI or DDI)...so...they’re actually pretty accurately named and not misleading at all, the different names based on where they are injected, which does make a difference to engineery types.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > EL_ULY 12/20/2016 at 11:54

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He actually followed through. Went to service manager and got me all the build info I needed on the car!

Sadly we couldn’t make numbers work on it but I saved his number because I’d love to work with him eventually.

CalzoneGolem > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 11:56

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Yeah it’s not a bad little rig in the snow. The traction control can keep you pointed in the right direction and is easy to turn off if needed.

Takuro Spirit > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 12:03

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When I was younger and dumber I was told I shouldn’t get a Stratus R/T Coupe because the “R/T” meant my insurance would be a lot higher for someone my age. Got that Neon ES instead.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 12:11

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Direct injection is opposed to port injection (good old-fashioned EFI). Direct fires the fuel right into the cylinder the way a diesel does. Port injection pushes it into the intake port. The advantage is much better detonation control because there’s nothing to detonate until you want it to burn. It also doesn’t keep the valves quite as clean, but that’s not a huge deal in comparison to the emissions advantages.

DynamicWeight > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 12:13

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Dealerships are the worst with this sort of thing. I remember going with my mom to look at cars back when I was like sixteen and when she would ask the salesman a question he would answer it to me instead of her.

Xyl0c41n3 > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 12:19

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My dad was with me for part of it (I’d gotten out of work late, so he and the salesman were waiting at the dealership for me to get there). And even though I was the one telling him exactly what I wanted, I was the one asking questions, I was the one doing basically all the talking...

The salesman kept directing his comments and questions to my dad. My dad, in turn, kept doing what you’re talking about — saying it was my car and my money so the salesman needed to be telling me all that.

Trust me, it’s not fun to be treated like you’re not in the room, or to be treated like you’re dumber than a doorknob, especially about cars, because you’ve got boobs and a vagina.

Xyl0c41n3 > DynamicWeight 12/20/2016 at 12:20

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That happened to me, too. My dad was there with me for part of it, and the guy kept trying to talk to my dad instead of me. It was beyond frustrating.

DynamicWeight > Xyl0c41n3 12/20/2016 at 12:23

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Yeah, if you’re the one plunking down money on the car that’s crazy obnoxious.

404 - User No Longer Available > E90M3 12/20/2016 at 12:28

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When you start dropping engine/chassis codes, they usually shut up because at that point they know you know more than they do about the car.

Except for BMW dealers here, getting them to talk to you in the first place is the issue. Last time I was roaming the showroom the whole time, a bunch of sales guys were at the front desk chatting. Had to pull a guy from their “busy schedule” to get rates and residuals so I can do my own lease math.

Seems like if you don’t pull in with a late model AMG Merc or something they just ignore you.

PatBateman > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 12:35

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“The brakes vibrate like that as part of the Anti-Locking Brake System, there’s nothing wrong with the car.”

No sir. That vibration is caused by something called “warped rotors”.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Xyl0c41n3 12/20/2016 at 12:49

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Try being a woman who RUNS a garage. My mom gets customers who refuse to speak with her because they won’t beleive that she’s in charge of the place. She even gets it from other women.

Kanaric > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 12:58

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IDK if she still works there but I might as well mention it since i’m getting upvotes. Her name was Amber Arias and she was in internet sales at that point. IDK if she is still there but if you want a Subaru and are either in or willing to drive to socal I would send them an email.

It was worth driving from Las Vegas. The dealerships here are notoriously bad lol.

I heard that Subaru in Evanston illinois was as good as well from friends. Those people also honored engine replacement warranties even though they had heavily modded the car. One guy had a tune he downloaded off the intenet which cratered his engine. They still fixed it in warranty.

I heard a lot of people talking shit about Subaru dealers but I think with all dealerships it varies.

yamahog > jasmits 12/20/2016 at 13:05

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GEEEEEEEEEEEEDS

Xyl0c41n3 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/20/2016 at 13:09

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Oh, yeah. I get that kind of crap, too. I don’t run a garage, but I’m the editor of a publication. I’ve gotten people asking to speak to my boss (thinking I’m an assistant or entry-level worker), asking to speak to my editor (after I’ve already introduced myself as such), and people asking me what I do at my office (again, after introducing myself as the editor, and they’re not asking “what’s involved with being an editor?”).

Probably one of the best ones was when an older man walked into my office and saw my coworker first (he sits closest to the front of the office) and asked to speak to the editor, so my coworker pointed in my direction and said, “She’s right over there.” The older man walked up to me, proceeded to tell me what he came to tell me, but the entire time he kept saying things like, “Tell the editor when he gets here.” I would say that I think he thought I was the editor’s secretary, except I corrected him a couple of times during the conversation and he STILL kept referring to some nonexistent male editor he thought just wasn’t in the room at the time.

But you don’t even have to be managerial for that shit to happen. Back when I was a photographer I ran into sexist shit all the time, too, particularly at sporting events (ironically enough, I never got that kind of shit from players or coaches, it was always other people). Like the time my sportswriter and I had just gotten to the stadium. We were standing on the sidelines making small talk with people. I had my three cameras, various lenses, a monopod, my camera bag filled with necessaries, and my laptop bag all hanging from my shoulders. This man looked at me and said, “You carry all that?” No, buddy; this is just an illusion. What I really responded with was, “Yeah. And I can run with it, too.” (You gotta do a lot of moving when shooting a football game).

Probenja > MLGCarGuy 12/20/2016 at 13:56

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It’s true though:

MLGCarGuy > Probenja 12/20/2016 at 14:08

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I knew they were. I just don’t see the point of trying to convince me that a Versa is like a Lamborghini.

E90M3 > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/20/2016 at 15:12

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I think it all depends on the dealer. I’ve had both good and bad experiences at car dealers with getting them to talk to me. When I was driving my 1997 Explorer they wouldn’t even talk to me, whole different story in the M3. I went to a VW dealer to look at a C250 and the guy didn’t ask for my license or anything, he was like hold on let me go get the keys. BMW of Corpus was pretty friendly, BMW of San Antonio not so much.

ateamfan42 > Rainbow 12/20/2016 at 15:21

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#1:

I had 2 different salesmen at two different dealerships try to claim the Mazdaspeed 6 has “ram air” because there is ducting directing cooling air to the intercooler.

#2:

A Subaru salesman didn’t know what engine displacement was. When asked the size of a car’s engine, his reply was “6 cylinders”.

“Yes, but how big?”

“It’s six cylinders.”

“Yes, but what is the displacement?”

“Do you mean the liters?”

“Yes, what is ‘the liters’?” (I die inside a little saying that.)

He also told me my Audi I had at the time was no good because it reverted to FWD above 50 mph. Apparently there was a little man underneath that unbolted the rear driveshaft at speed.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 12/20/2016 at 16:30

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THANK YOU.

I was reading through all of these comments and was hoping to find someone that actually understood why the statement made total sense.

You can run “Regular” as in not premium gas since, despite high compression and performance from the motor, the fuel being directly injected into the cylinder means it is less prone to pre-detonation and therefore does not need the longer burning fuel.

It is important. It is especially important with cheaper, but still sporty cars where some manufacturers require premium still and thus the car will cost you more to run.

It’s not a stupid statement at all.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 12/20/2016 at 16:45

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The way it was said, without any additional info, makes it sound like he’s just repeating something he was told to say without knowing what it means... but yeah he is correct.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 12/20/2016 at 16:55

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Oh they’re all parrots.

When I was in college and driving swaps and deliveries for a local dealership, they realized I knew more than the average bear when it came to technical stuff on the cars. They started having me take their tests on new models/technology so they could stay certified with the brand (eligible to spiffs and other prizes/gifts) I was taking tests for the service managers by the time I was done. It started to get really fun when I would print out the question and the suggested answer, correct it and send it back to the manufacturer to show how they were wrong. They would send my nom de plume a pen, clock or polo shirt.

As you passed the tests you would earn points, I glommed them over to a generic account in the dealership and bought some nice stuff with all of my quizlet passing.

The sales teams were subjected to videos, or demos at every launch, or refreshers when a major competitor had a refresh. They were fed soundbites. They then repeated soundbites.

For the most part people don’t care what a car has in it more what it does. So who cares that the intake has a double runner system with a butterfly valve to redirect flow based on throttle position and engine RPM, what they want to know is that the engine’s technology means you go faster, sooner when you hit the gas pedal.

The Compromiser > Xyl0c41n3 12/21/2016 at 19:24

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My wife is a car person. Not a details and specs, but she knows what she is talking about. She does the shopping. I do the research. She bought a Durango, and all I had to do was show up at financing and grunt a couple of times. I also read the owners manual twice the night we ordered it. I explained to the sales guy what he was explaining to me and failing. He was clueless.

The original salesman tried to talk to me like I was buying it, when I came along to finalize the details. I answered him once with,”why are you asking me? It’s not my fucking truck.” the part that slays me is that my wife was there a few times to figure it out, as well as various calls. It was never me.

The next time I spoke to him was after he finalized the order and asked if there was anything else he could help us with, I told him I wanted the Mopar scarf in the display outside his office walked out, grabbed it and left.