How to spend $2000.00 in 28 days or How to get reamed cause you own a 3.4....

[Daggar]

The background.

 

Almost a month ago on May 31 the clutch line blew on the Z34 (Again). Pissed off and frustrated cause I broke down on a street and was being honked at I pushed it to the side and called a tow truck. Now my dad said the mechanic he uses said he could fix the clutch problem so I had it towed there. Well it sat in the yard for 2 weeks before anyone even thought about looking at it. But finally one day they push it into the shop and started working on it.

 

The job

 

Well I knew it was having problems and after pulling the codes from the computer it was telling me a knock sensor. Ok so I tell the mechanic this and say fix the knock sensor and fix the clutch line as I am too busy to do it myself. I said get it running better then it is cause it runs like crap. If you stand behind the car at idle it actually sounds like "Putt, Putt, Putt" and it hesitates on acceleration. So after outlining these repairs a week goes by and I get a phone call. Well your exhaust system is worn out and it has some holes in it. So my dad decides to go look cause he's close to the shop and lam outta town. He tells me it needs a new exhaust system the y-pipe is gone and so is the down pipe and mufflers. So more gets done and I'm thinking it better sound and run allot better.

 

The result.

 

I didn't think it could run any worse but I was wrong. Even after I reset the computer and properly relearned the idle it sounds horrible and idles erratically. Oh and she is still sluggish on the acceleration. Oh and 3rd gear is now messed up it was so smooth at onetime.. now it crunches into gear sometimes and finally... it still goes putt, putt, putty,putt, putt except it's louder.

 

so for $2050.00 what did I supposedly get?

a tune up

new exaust system (But they only replaced the y-pipe and down pipe and no mufflers)

new dog bone (there was one sitting in the car waiting to be installed yet they put a new one in...)

Knock sensor replacement

Trouble shooting disconnected wires (they said there was a few wires in the engine bay that were not connected to something)

Broken 3rd gear synchro?

 

Anyway I was out of town and my dad paid for it outta my money I left him and I get the car back last night. I really think I got worked over on this one.

 

So how should I approach this? Back to the mechanic for another try and see if he can fix it? Or should I do something else like a lawyer or a formal complaint or what?

 

Also WTF is wrong with this car... I just want it to run right for once...

 

[GP1138]

Well, you've given us your story and a few vague symptoms, but nothing specific. Did you get an exact invoice from the mechanic? Is it throwing any more codes?

[Grand Moff Joseph]

Well, I'd voice your concerns to your dad, and get both of you to go see the mechanic to get this resolved. I'm sure your dad's intentions were good, so it sounds like the mechanic worked you both over...and is likely an idiot

[Daggar]

I'll have the invoice in tomorrow. My dad had it at his office and forgot to give it to me. I haven't seen a SES light yet but I'll check for codes again.

 

 

[White93z34]

if i were to spend $2000 at about any shop, my car better run like a raped ape afterwards.

[dohc v6]

2000 is a lot of money. Its not something that you just take out your ass. But yeah, w-bodys are very hard to work on and most people dont know how to work on them and wind up doing some ghetto shit to them. My brother had his clutch replaced in the z at one time, the guy used a clothes pin to connect the shift cable together. You need to do one of two things. Bring it back and watch them fix everything right infront of you or get your money back and bring it to a dealship. As much as you paid you probably could have had the dealership with all the specialty tools do it the right way. Man I cant stand fucking hacks, it pisses me off.

[slick]

Yeah, sounds like they really know what they were doing. Any mechanic with a decent scan tool should have scanned and read the codes, and figured out what was wrong from there.

 

Unless your exhaust was closed shut, or your catalytic convertor collapsed on itself, there is NO reason why your exhaust should cause running problems.

[19Cutlass94]

ok first dont go back to that shop every again. second, when your behind the car listening to the exhaust, can you smell raw fuel?

[ns87]

Some shops never check their work to see if it fixed the problem. I had to go back twice bc my entire exaust system was clamped on with NO WELDS. Don't be a dick when you go back, but be firm too. $2000 is horrible to spend, and worse when it doesn't fix the problem

[Daggar]

ok first dont go back to that shop every again. second, when your behind the car listening to the exhaust, can you smell raw fuel?

 

No just exhaust.

 

I saw the bill. Got charged for an oil change too. Yet the oil change on it was only a month old.

New plug wires.. Gee they sure look like the same ones I installed a month ago..

 

The mechanic booked off for the long weekend.. So I'll get him next week.

[1990lumina]

Sounds like your getting raped in the ass sans lube. Go back and complain.

[Andrew]

complain, get some money back. then report them to the BBB.

[19Cutlass94]

Well moving on trying to fix the problem....

 

Did you check all your vaccum lines?

[rockfangd]

if i were to spend $2000 at about any shop, my car better run like a raped ape afterwards.

lol x2 i would do the work myself any day before i pay anything to anyone