Who hurt you? Customer Dictates Every Step! STOP! Cadillac SRX 4.6
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ส.ค. 2022
- Check out my Merchandise (because I don't say MERCH) Store Below the video for Men's and Women's Apparel, MUGS and Stickers!
rainmanraysrepairs.myspreadsh...
Send support on Patreon, check out the bio: / rainmanraysrepairs
Patreon is a "Tip Jar" I don't post much there, daily YT uploads are all that I can manage right now
Amazon List, must have for any toolbox!
ATD Tools 13782 10-Piece Triple Square Spline Bit Socket Set amzn.to/3RV2fUB
Same as Matco. Mountain 5-Piece Metric Double Box Universal Spline Reversible Ratcheting Wrench Set; 8 mm - 18mm, 90 Tooth Design, Long, Flexible, Reversible; MTNRM6 amzn.to/3OJTRp2
Mercedes BMW VW Wheel Stud Master Kit: amzn.to/3OszRaL
Bahco "Frustrated" Pliers AWESOME tool! amzn.to/3IfDeOa
Brake Caliper Compressor: amzn.to/3gQBuiB
GearWrench Hose Clamp Pliers: Currently Unavailable
My Camera Gear:
Gopro Hero 8 amzn.to/3mPnpFA
Gopro Hero 9 amzn.to/3EKDcM1
Hero 8 Dual Charger amzn.to/3EId84c
Flexible Camera Mount amzn.to/3Jywrk5
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. #commissionsearned.
Also, I personally use or have used the products featured in my links and only recommended them if I feel they are of good quality.
“All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel does not claim any right over them.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.”
Motor Repair - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
All that math for 1/2 quart of oil. It would have been easier to just pour the oil from the partially full bottle into one of the empty bottles you just used to the 1/2 quart mark on the empty bottle and then pour that in.
Doing things the hard way is my toxic trait
@@RainmanRaysRepairs I'm surprised he did not bring his own 1-cup measuring cup to ensure you get 1/2 quart. After all 2 cups = 1 quart. It's almost like he provided a partial bottle to see if you passed the test. LOL
The sad thing about it, is that with his nit--picking, he's actually doing himself a major disservice by preventing you from fixing his car correctly. The results of his negligence could result in more expensive repairs in the future, or even bodily harm to himself or others. The irony is that it's obvious he wasn't taking that great of care of his car.
@@ao4v0ws ehh… isn’t there 4 cups in 1 quart?😉
@@frankthespank 🤣 I caught that too. Maybe guys like 'RoyalBlueRanger' are the reason this customer has to specify exactly 7.5 quarts! 'Ol Ranger would be loading that Caddy with 3.25 quarts, or "15 cups" of oil, and... down the road! ...for a couple blocks, at least... 🤣
@@ao4v0ws Yeah, over here shops would just refuse this job because the law's different and there's just too much headache with people like this.
Had my sons car in for a service. Was told it needed a new exhaust and an oil pan. Asked the 'mechanic' to show me what was wrong with them. His reply? 'I dont have time for this shit'. Got the car home and put it on the wheel ramps to gave a look. Absolutely nothing wrong with any of them. I am now back to working on our cars myself at 68 years old and arthritic!
The walker in the trunk says a lot. He probably lived a life of changing his own oil, but now has reached a stage where it's a lot more difficult. Then has transmission difficulty and wants to add friction modifier but doesn't know how to add it. Also with the oil under the vehicle, he's got an annoying oil spot on the driveway. So, he asks for help from a pro, and wants to verify that the oil spot is not coming from the old crush washer, with proof that the old washer was removed. He's on a fixed budget and has healthy skepticism, full knowing that service writers can smell weakness. What he really wanted was a diagnosis for the oil leak, a diagnosis of the transmission problem, and a trial of friction modifier, all for the price of an oil change.
That's irrelevant. I'm 25 and walk fine but have a Walker along with diapers in my trunk because I help my aunt take care of my grandmother.
Yeah, had a similar reaction to that. At first I was thinking he should just do it himself but maybe not capable of rolling around on the ground anymore. Especially if he's never been here before, and like me and my father have naturally paranoid dispositions about these things.
Your FBI analysis skills are spot on. 😄
Get out of my head. But seriously....thank you for saving the time to type out exactly what you said.
...or he's just a cranky old pain in the keister with delusions and issues making the world annoying for those of us with a grip.
Fun Fact: The Johnsen's BPC you used to clean the oil pan/plug/filter, etc., at 8:56 ... is my family's brand. We manufacture, package and distribute all of that right here in Cleburne, TX. Thanks for using our product and the free advertising!
NTX - Can we assume that you sent them some product for the next video ?
@@stevejette2329 you can assume whatever you want! I’d be more than happy to send some product.
@@ntx-outdoorsunlimited I would assume that free advertising on a well-respected YT channel like this one with 409K subs, 3,300 comments and 25K likes is worth a LOT to any company.
@@stevejette2329 I do not dispute that. I just stumbled across this video by pure luck. When I saw that he was using our BPC I had to comment lol. If he wants to reach out to me I would be more than happy to send him a care package.
@@ntx-outdoorsunlimited At 75, I have been a car guy since I was 16 (1933 Chev with 1957 Olds engine disaster). Built a Vette from boxes, recently worked at NAPA. And I don't know your product line ! But I love this channel and Ray is SO good. So now I will be researching your product line.
Had a guy like this back in my oil changing days. Was very specific, but after 2 or three oil changes he wouldn't get his oil changed if I wasn't working. Kept in contact with him until I heard of his passing. Was a very nice man once you got to know him
@Will your probably incompetent
@@Mikelong257 your[?]
Its actually "ur"
@@ItsMeUrDaad 👌
@@Mikelong257 Your comment is a joke that literally writes itself.
So sad that customers have been ripped off way too many times and now require evidence that their strict, limited instructions are followed to the letter. No more, no less. This speaks volumes for the dismal reputation of service / repair shops. Thank god there are "Good reliable" shops, somewhere. If you find one, stick with it and trust the machanics. Also, let them know you trust them.
Or he/she could just be senile and/or have severe trust issues.
You got a point and it’s valid. Owner doesn’t have any trust issues. I don’t trust mechanics been really burnt by 2 of them
Stick him in a lawn chair, just outside the door, and let him watch, and listen to the commentary. Describe all that is seen, and let him see and hear that you are one of the most honest technicians he'll ever meet. Perhaps then he'll rebuild his trust, and consider the diagnosis and desired repairs.
Agreed, I got screwed over a few times by mechanics. Even at the dealership they were just trying to squeeze every bit of money they could out of me. I just started learning how to fix it myself and it could have saved me a lot of trouble if I had an honest mechanic like this to take my vehicles to
I agree. When enough oil change places do sub par work makes the car owner become picky. Even new car dealers do poor work!
I kinda understand him. I was ripped by three separate shops in the past from like 8-10 visits. From skipping belt while doing timing belt change and blaming it on different faulty part that they "need to change" to actually charging me a new fuel pump while they only cleaned contacts on old one (the fuel gauge was not working). I did not have guts to make the repairs myself but after this my mindset got into "if that scamming idiot can work on my car, I can too" and with help of youtube I started repairing my car and car of my mother and mother in law by myself. On my driveway with common hand tools. So far I managed to do oil jobs, timing belt, complete front a rear brake job, trans fluid, differential fluid, headgasket, etc. And the best part? I found a new hobby, I know exactly what was done on my car without worrying about scammers and I save a lot of money by making it myself.
same here brother, almost the exact same story.
I don't know "who hurt this customer," but I know who hurt me. I wrench on my car, but I don't like to mess with oil changes. In one case, the oil change place left the passenger side door unlatched, and it flew open when I went to drive away. At another place, they broke my dipstick handle and cracked my intake accordion tube on the same visit. They tried to hide the broken dipstick using Scotch tape, and the broken accordion tube caused massive pinging. At yet another location, they didn't replace the filler cap (left it near the hood latch) and when I checked the oil a month later, there was a fine mist of oil everywhere. At this last place, they didn't reinstall the drain plug properly. I checked the dipstick (see above) and filler cap (again, see above), and I *really* wanted to check the plug by dropping to the ground and reaching under the car, but I didn't want to be "that guy." The plug flew out on the highway the next day and my engine burned up. I just recently bought a fluid drain pan and plan to change my own oil like I did when I was young. I just can't deal with those guys anymore and if anyone else changes my oil, it will need to be the dealership.
Nothing but respect for this elderly customer caring for their vehicle this way. 👏🏽
Exact the same story here my friend:)
I actually rebuilt my automatic transmission watching TH-cam videos in my garage. I have always worked on cars but viewed the transmission as a magical mystery box. I hung the engine, removed the front suspension, and birthed that fwd transmission out the driver side. I took hundreds of pictures of me taking the thing apart so i could figure out how to get her back together. Took me about two weeks total and when i put it in reverse to back out the garage the first time I was so nervous.. everything working perfectly almost brought tears to my eyes.
40k miles after the rebuild the car has 285,000 miles on her and still shifts perfectly.
Im glad you found a hobby that saves money and makes things last longer. Welcome to the club!
Back when I was about 19 years old, I bought a coupon book (a common charity sale thing back then). One of the coupons was for an oil change for a pretty low price. I think it was something like $15. That was cheap, but sounds insanely cheap today. It was a good deal at the time. But when i got there, it turned out they charged $12 for the filter. In 1978, you could get a filter at Auto Shack (that was before Radio Shack sued them and they had to change the name to "Auto Zone") for about $3. So my response was "Never mind the filter, I'll keep the old one, just change the oil. They were obviously pissed.
I’ve had many many experiences with mechanics that would cause me to distrust them
I don’t blame this guy at all
I've gotten to a point where I dread it when I have to bring it to a shop.
Even after just a simple safety inspection the car came back with the headlights wired incorrectly, causing high beams to be on permanently.
I honestly have never had a positive experience with a shop, every single time the car comes back improperly repaired or their one minute diagnosis was wrong and they shot the parts cannon replacing the wrong bits.
I only bring a car to a shop if it's something I REALLY can't do myself, like a wheel alignment.
100%. And I can definitely relate to the notes about "don't do any other services, even the window washing liquid" because there's times where you'll go in for a basic oil change, and they'll start messing with everything else on your vehicle and then charging you for it. If it's my car, I want it done my way. Maybe if mechanics stopped ripping people off, adding extra services, and being so sneaky people would trust them more. Not all mechanics are like that, but most are.
@@rje613 What is your proof that most are
@@MrTibaron26 Anecdotal experiences from everyone I’ve ever spoken to. I don’t think there’s ever been a conclusive study to prove or disprove what I’m saying, but based on what everyone in this comment section is saying and my own experiences and accounts, it seems like a pretty consistent belief amongst most people. The only people I’ve ever seen disagree have been from honest mechanics that think I’m specifically dragging their name through the mud. The truth is, if you’re a honest worker and you do good work, you should be just as annoyed at the other mechanics that scam people and make us all hesitant to get mechanics to look at our cars, not at the customers for being hesitant.
Haha I am a mechanic and I distrust some of them. So the point that I don’t tell them I’m a mechanic just to see if they try to screw me over. Had that at a dear ship once. Quoted me a crap ton of money for “issues”. I asked them for more info and the specs they got. Whenever my wife goes somewhere and they say she needs something, I come down and talk to them.
Really feel like the owner of this caddy either used to do his own oil changes but maybe can't do it due to age or injury and wants it done exactly how he would do it *or* he got burned by a lazy mechanic claiming that they did something but either did it poorly or didn't do it at all which resulted in pain and problem for the owner of this vehicle so now he dictates he wants all the evidence back to know the service requested is the service received, and that no upselling or other bs happens.
it is the old which came first crap mechanics stripping oil plugs and not changing filters or annoyed customers who want it done right
You are 100% spot on! Yup feel for the old timer.....
I assumed he was burned by bad mechanics. Wants the used crush washer? He's been burned by mechanic no-no's on that.
I fully agree 👍
@@brunotulliani That old timer is basically everybody in these comments in a few decades.
I've done all of my own oil changes since I was 15 years old. (I'm 61 now) Was out on the road recently and had no choice but to let someone else do it. Got the car back with a broken door handle and a half quart over filled. I can feel the guy's concern.
Toyota scratched my hubcaps for an oil change and didn't do the filter change. There was metal from the assembly process in my filter. Years ago they broke a perfect set of wheel covers. Also my car nearly "slid off the lift" bending my pinch welds causing rust You never get a solution. Just sold a bill of excuses. And here's why: people want free stuff and so everyone automatically deflects blame. No one ever steps up and says yeah ok, but let me investigate. I believe if you want it done right, do it yourself. If I break it, I've only got myself to blame.
Was it an altima? Damn door handles are trash on altimas, especially in cold weather, Z's too. Maybe all nissans but those are the ones i personally have accidentally broke lol i do cover the cost and replace them, but its something i almost prepare for on early 2000s altimas lol.
Discovering an oil overfill by more than a quart because of mistaking the year. Car left at neighborhood shop. At least at a quick change shop, you can tell 'em beforehand and watch.
@@BurninSnowMan One owner, well cared for, 2002 Camry.
That is exactly why I'm very cautious and overly analytical of the oil capacity books at work. The way the books are typed up can get overly complicated on some makes/models/years. More than once I've come across a capacity that wasn't for the vehicle I was working on, but could've been mistaken for the correct capacity if I hadn't continued reading. Thankfully, my coworkers are smart enough to do the same, and will get a second opinion if they're unsure.
Used the same family owned shop for thirty years. Never asked how much, I knew they would treat me right. If they gave me a quote on a major job, sometimes they came in under the job. I ONLY used the dealer service for warranty work. Dealer's service always tried to add additional unwanted and unneeded service.
We moved 1500 miles away, took one of our two Nissans to the
local dealer and spoke with the service desk about our concerns
Prior to making an appointment for oil change and rotate and balance. No worries, we don't condone that here.
Sat in the waiting room nearly two hours. I had arrived a half hour early. Service desk guy comes out. Two page print out. These things should be done immediately... Battery, transmission, brakes. These very soon... Rear diff, two seals, radiator. $3,000+ in service. I'll just pay for today's service and leave. Oh, they are about to start that now.
The vehicle had been inspected stem to stern prior to the move, no issues. Brakes and rotors done six months prior. None of the extra has been done, two years later... No issues.
EXACTLY! And precisely why he, and I made VERY specific instructions how he wants it done, correctly. Sounds like Ray did it how he wants. Perhaps this sign of intelligence and honesty will make him a regular.
Lots of blockheads and thieves in the mechanic biz, especially the quikki lube biz
@@NBHank As a retired licensed technician (Canada), I will agree 100%. Avoid quick lube places at all costs. I'm sure there might be the odd one out there that might be ok, but the majority,,, no way. I've seen so many horror stories come out of those places. And their prices are absolutely ludicrous. More often than not you are having your vehicle worked on by someone of limited skill and minimal training. Is it worth it ? Just to save a little time over going to a reputable shop ? And good technicians are always busy. You can call for an appointment and have to wait two weeks before you can get in.
I remember my dad regularly went to the nearby Jiffy Lube for an oil change. All it took was for one day for him to make the 5 minute drive back home to become nuclear-level pissed when he noticed all the new oil had drained out by the time he got home because the plug was never screwed back in. I'm glad I didn't go with him back to the Jiffy Lube that day to see how that turned out. He made sure I knew how to do my own oil changes so that I only ever went to a shop when I absolutely needed to.
Saw a Jeep pull into a newly paved church parking lot with oil draining out since oil change folks didn't put the plug in. I watched as the church people came and poured sawdust everywhere to try and absorb it. What a mess. Guy in the Jeep wasn't too mad about it. All I can think is how bad his engine head warped. It was a hot day too.
(I was there changing their church door locks.)
Jiffy Lube should've never existed tbf.
@@3dsmaxrocks699 Just in case others don't know- lack of oil doesn't warp heads. Other serious damage- yes!!
I had jiffy(RIPOFF LUBE) change my oil because of me having a disability and by the time i got home(2 minutes) i noticed a trail of oil all down the driveway,called a friend who came with a tow dolly put my car onto the dolly and took it back to jiffy lube,explained what happened,pushed the car into bay and manager went underneath to determine what happened,came out and told me that the tech screwed the oil drain plug incorrectly and stripped the threads in the pan and bent the oil pan,leaving a hole in it-had it towed to the mechanic who had to replace the oil pan,gasket and re-change the oil and filter(repairs were $400)which i paid for in order to get the car fixed and 3 months later i got a check for the damages and never went back to them
I do as much work on my own cars as possible, but when I did take my car to an oil change place, I would always stand in the garage door or at the window where I could watch them perform the service and make sure they did everything they were supposed to.
You made his day. He was definitely screwed over in the past. I can relate. You put his mind at ease for minimal effort.
Driving a Northstar- he’s going to get screwed over again, soon.
Synthetic oil in a gm product=diamond on a pig.
@Herple Derp Oh and you 100% know when that pile of shit blows up, it was the last tech who worked on it. Because 'I know my car they're just trying to charge me for something I don't need'. Dude was fucked over once, and now thinks everyone and their dead nan is out to get him.
@@tag206 He will be the guy that comes storming in saying "ever since you fixed my car,,,,,,,,,"
I don't think a lot of people realize how much crap mechanics have to deal with. You can replace the front brakes on a car, 10 months later the muffler falls off, and now the customer believes that you are to blame. Two totally different systems on the car but because you were the last to touch it, it's automatically your fault.
@@Mike-qp8bvMike It's not just mechanics, It's any repair industry. #1 rule of service work. You touch it, you own it. well, in the eyes of the customer anyway. It's kind of the nature of the job. They are bringing it to you because you know what you're doing and they don't. You know part A has nothing to do with part B, But the customer just knows it's a magic black box of go. if you opened the black box and the go stops, the customers limited knowledge can only point to you as the common link.
I understand people wanting proof that everything was done. My daughter took her Camry to Toyota for a oil change 1.they put the wrong weight oil in it and 2. There was a new cabin filter install and I checked it and it was NOT and they had to redo the oil change, Shops and dealers have scammed people and now many are aware, I feel Ray is completely honest and does a great job but some of these places including dealers are real ripoffs.
its a bad career for honest folks, i hate it 20 years in and want out, i won't make money off lies or scamming folks, and when i do make a mistake i fix it and don't ask for pay.
@@Chris-kj9ou exactly, the scammers and morons in the auto repair industry have ruined it for all the honest hard working people who do rite by the customer.
My wife was hit with the cabin air filter at the Toyota dealer for $50. It was less than one year old.
@@2pugman Yep, I had less than 4000 on new pads/rotors on the Brakes on my truck and when I took it to the Dealer, they flagged them as marginal needing replacement real soon.
My thoughts exactly watching this. I used to want proof when I would take my cars in but now I dont need to because I do it myself.
You wouldn't believe how much oil is left in each bottle that's still "dripping"... I used to have a a gallon jug set up next to my tool box on the wall with a big funnel and a 1' x 1' piece of chicken wire across the top. After each bottle of oil was poured into a customer's car, I'd set them upside down in the chicken wire to drip into the container, til the next oil change came in. It almost always ended being enough for a free oil change every time I needed one in my personal car (was especially sweet when working at the BMW stealership, because it was always that BMW "Mobil1" synthetic).
Im a retired licensed technician from Canada and I've encountered many, many customers like this. Somewhere along the way somebody screwed them over and because of that they have no trust. I totally get it. Do only what they want. Nothing more, nothing less. Problem is, I've seen cars come in that are literally falling apart, actually unsafe to be driven. But all they want is that oil changed. That's the only type of maintenance that's been done for God knows how long because they don't want anything looked at. This is where things can get kinda tricky. You lift up the car, it's got severely worn out front tires from alignment issues caused by the tie rods so worn out. So you write it on the invoice. Recommend front end inspection, bla, bla, bla. Customers sees that when paying the bill and gets pissy saying "There's nothing wrong with the steering. Your just trying to rip me off,"
Away he goes, pissed off thinking your trying to rip him off like someone else did years ago. Couple of weeks later the car comes in, on a tow truck, broken tie rod or whatever. And now the accusations fly. "There was nothing wrong before I came here , yada ,yada ,yada.
Yes, I've seen this before actually more than once. Customers need to understand that if something is that blatantly obvious they need to know about it. If they keep bouncing from one shop to another for an oil change,,, Nothing More ,, shits gonna happen. And who's to blame for their not knowing ? Sorry, but as a licensed technician, you gotta cover your ass. If your car is unsafe to drive from your own neglect you can't blame it on anyone else. Cars need more than routine oil changes. That's just reality.
Pretty sure people try to scam garages doing stupid crap like that to keep their junker on the road. That's why most garages have you sign the invoice to prove you've and understood everything explained.
I would say no to the car owner if the owner thinks he know better than a mechanic. Too often this type of owner will blame mechanic for existing problems in their car "my car was perfect before coming here" but fact is they didn't see the worn out parts due to lack of knowledge.
Usually when i get hit with "recommended service" instead of saying its bullshit your ripping me off. Why not just ask to see what the situation is? Its usually something obvious. More often then not your service tech will allow you to see what hes talking about. Sounds like these people just want to be able to deny reality.
Doesn't help people automatically assume all mechanics upcharge every thing and scam the hell out of you
Licensed tech here from Canada also. I always right down what I see on the work order. Have to CYA. I literally write down what I torque the wheels too and sign beside it. No issues
I can understand exactly where he's coming from. Overfill, underfill, overtighten, undertighten, things left off, things not connected correctly. Had a tech tell me 'Oil is oil'. What's a person to think? Distain goes two ways unfortunately. It becomes a 'Trust but verify' relationship. A good tech is a thing of beauty. You're not a 'Good' tech, Ray; you rate in the 'Superior' tech catagory. You have 10's of thousands of followers that wish they lived closer to you. I fall in that catagory. So, keep on keepin' on. Thx for the post.
Agreed. I wish I lived within a few hours of Ray, cuz I'd trust him with both of my cars....but I'm in SC.
I can understand. I do work on my own car but had to bring it in to a dealer mid week for wheel bearing (130 mile commute so couldn't push it). I specifically asked for a quote on front right wheel bearing then after they took it all apart they told me the price I had been told was for REAR wheel bearing. Then tried to sell me new tires, oil change, air filter etc and even forgot to put the engine air filter back in!
I've been ripped off by dealerships and shady repairmen. I replaced my struts and springs and replaced a control arm driver side on my dodge, took it to have the alignment done because it was something I could not do proper on my driveway. The tech told me the rear struts were leaking and needed to be replaced and that the brakes needed to be replaced all around and that it was dangerous to drive. I service my car's brakes yearly and when I replaced the struts I had checked them. They were near new still, and the struts were brand new. I called the bluff and told them to prove it, they refused, I told them to finish the alignment, they did but did a bad job. I took it to my tire guy and they were able to fix it, and they gave me a print out showing how bad they other shop did. Just another example of dishonest repair shops. My mom took her car to a dealership for an oil change. The dealer took her car, they went and serviced it and took her money and gave it back. I inspected the work, found they did not change the oil or filter. How did I know, well I did her last oil change, I used a K&N filter and new synth oil. I know for a fact the dealership uses there branded filters and standard oil. Upon inspection I found my filter still in use and old used black oil. I checked the invoice to confirm the charges, they also charged her for transmission inspection, and spark plug service. Again I checked what I could, but as far as I could tell they did no work, spark plugs were well used but still good. I had her reach out about these issues and dealership did not care, and would not follow up. So yeah bad service leads to broken trust.
I went to a shop the other day for tires, I told them it does not need an alignment because the dealer literally did one 4 days before I got the tires done. Next thing I know, my car is on the alignment rack and there are a bunch of scratches on my brand new wheels from the ding dong trying to rig up his magnetic alignment disc things. The excuse was "our computer automatically puts alignment on the sheet, sorry we don't cover damage to wheels it says so on the sign".
My husband used to take pictures of the problems and show them to the customers. This is why he had the honor of a very rich customer that owned a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow and a $300,000 Jaguar to do the work on them. Honesty will get you respect. I respect you and your coworkers.
I know this awesome mechanic that TH-cams the service work he does. He is famous!!! 🤣
@@fiero880 his name is Eric, right?
@@catnapwat Car Wizzard surely?
Watch Wes Work maybe?
I think that is SOP these days because when my suv goes in for service I get a digital confirmation of extra services in addition to the main reason why I am there (oil change and tire rotation)
This reminds me of a situation at work many moons ago when I was a young IT tech in a corporate work environment. Long story short, user was difficult and demanding because of poor quality of service he had received in the past from the IT dept. I showed up and fixed his issues quickly and to his satisfaction. Next time he called in a trouble ticket, he specifically asked for me. From then on he was always happy to see me show up when he needed help...I had earned his trust. His recognizing my competence via the company's employee recognition program ended up winning me a free trip to Toronto.
So yeah, sometimes you have to prove yourself to people, but when you do, good things can sometimes happen.
Must have been in Ottawa.....
@@patrickinottawa27 Upstate NY pre-9/11, back when crossing the border was easy, lol! Been to Ottawa a few times though...including our honeymoon
I just watched my 50th Rainman Ray video .... and I have this strange urge to go buy some brake cleaner.
I’m going on 73 and hope to keep taking care of my cars myself as long as possible. This eliminates a lot of hassle and stress in life.
I try not to let demanding customers bother me unless asking me to do something dangerous or something. At the end of the day it's their car. Sounds like this guy probably had some drain plug leaks and incorrect oil fills in the past
Well even ray didnt torque the sump bolt down to manufacturer specs. Its why i do everything myself now i dont trust anyone
@@mehmeh5471I haven't seen anyone torque a drain plug in my life since my high school auto shop teacher
@@mehmeh5471 OMG. LOL.
@@mehmeh5471 Wasn't in the instructions... customers always right, even when there not..
@@crforfreedom7407 my shop has several costumers like this. I wouldn't deny service just because they are concerned about their car maintenance. There are alot of shops having 18 year olds doing the lube jobs
Some years ago I took my wife's car in for a state inspection. Came back to find 3 guys doing a push and tug contest on the hood. Seems they failed to remove the hood prop rod and tried to close the hood. Bent the crap out of it. Then stood there telling be the dent was there when it came in. I got the shop manager involved and he offered me a free inspection, I refused, paid for the inspection and insisted he put the damage on the customer receipt. Then I drove straight to the company owned body shop (they did tire shops, repair shops, and owned several car dealerships) . Walked in all guilty looking and said I needed an estimate, Body shop guy asked for what, and I said "just imagine if I was doing an oil change and forgot to remove the prop rod before slamming the hood. He looked at it, laughed and said it could not be fixed, would always be weak at the bend, and would not be safe on the road. I asked him to put all that on the estimate in case my insurance company wanted to try and fix it. He did. Then once I had the estimate, I handed him the receipt from his inspection shop and said, order the parts and have a loaner set up for when I bring it in. Guy tried to change his tune, but I did get a brand new hood. Never did business with them again. That is why some people never trust a shop. I have since found a shop that I trust to be honest and never tries to oversell me.
Dont even know anything about Rainman repairs. TH-cam just recommended it for some reason but the fact that this mechanic couldn't understand his concern and kept saying he was being commanded and "we dont do that" made me completely understand the customers perspective. The customer is paying for a service and you agree to do the work for some $. Why not just do what he wants and be excited your getting paid. If you don't want the $ then send him on down the road seems a simple enough arrangement?
When my car was still under warranty, I did the same thing when going to the dealership. I asked for my old parts back to make sure it was actually changed.
When going to Walmart (I don’t anymore) to have tires rotated, I placed a small mark on one of the tires to make sure that the work was actually done.
Assuming the owner is elderly, having cared for my grandmother, they tend to be very wary of people doing services since it is so easy to get ripped off sadly. That being said, I see this as a "test" to make sure you are a person who does as you should and can be trusted. That said if you have their trust, it is a sign of respect.
They were driving an old Cadillac of course they were elderly.
I’d rip them off more just for being annoying and overbearing.
@@aarong6616 that’s one way to handle it. But being a master tech for over 20 years I’ve met more than my share of these types of clients. I follow their instructions explicitly and I’ve earned their business for life. Talk to them condescendingly or rudely and I’ve lost his business and half of his family.
I noticed the rolling walker with the seat in the back of the car when he opened the hatchback.
@@Moistnmeaty90 Yeah, sometimes it's tough to swallow what you want to say to people, but I've found that at the very least it keeps things from going south, and often turns out better than you expected.
Once had a customer argue that his oil level was wrong, he pulled into the parking lot next door and checked the oil level with the engine on and on an incline. “I was an engineer” was his argument
Try doing remodeling for an engineer I automatically charge a 500 dollar pain in the ass tax when I bid a job for one
and half the time with the aircraft I work on, that argument would make me trust it less
Sounds like a tricky customer, props to you for being accommodating as possible
Not to take away from this or anything, but the customer wasn't excatly asking for a lot. Returning some empty bottles and a wash doesn't add much extra time.
I think this was a kind of test? The customer wanted to see how you guys handle a simple oil change before coming back another day to get the engine warning lights and janky transmission sorted. They've obviously had troubles in the past with garages ripping them off. It's sad that people have to do this sort of thing but It is understandable.
This car is not worth a trans R&R. That trans dies its entire value is what a scrap dealer will pay for the cats.
Nope just an old fart being annoying to everyone around them.
@@MrSloika that's what you think. To that customer it is probably worth whatever it will cost to maintain his favorite car for as long as it's possible.
I find it sort of odd. Not the customer, but Ray.
Whatever is motivating the customer, [PTGD (post traumatic garage disorder) or OCD or tight economic times, or maybe the guy is aging out of being able to care for his baby?] this job was an AUDITION. And we all know that if anyone has the chops to win a new customer it is Ray.
So I don't get the bitterness. Or did the customer just fall in the Florida Man category?
@@raulrse Have you worked on cars professionally? Let's say a customer brings in a car that's worth $1K in running condition, but the car requires $4K of repairs. That's a car that a shop will advise the customer to scrap. If the customer insists on having it repaired, the shop will not touch it unless they get the money up front. You think this senile coot will pay up front?
I can understand where this customer is coming from. The last time I let someone work on my car, they overfilled it by nearly 2qts and left the old filter in the canister.
I shopped mechanics for a while and decided to do my own maintenance.
There’s a lot of shitty mechanics out there. You are not one of them, but they are out there.
At my shop while doing a tune up fixing a miss it also had cat codes little did I know the last shop to service it filled it heavy by 4 quarts causing the cats to burn up I can't stand shops like that they make us honest techs look terrible
My concern is always the oil filter changed..why i watch the oil change ..
@@badazz2969 yeah. I feel bad for taking my business away from two shops I used to have good relationships with, but my car is literally my office: without it, I can’t work. Whatever goon had mine and overfilled it had the double whammy of being an idiot and doing one of the worst things you can do to a Prius. Overfilling it is a critical failure in the work (as is the 10k OCI).
Yes: I know it’s a Prius. At $5.60/gal it saves money. At $2.50/gal it’s a rolling tax shelter.
I know what my dick is, and I don’t need to flip it over my shoulder and into a pristine six foot bed to haul it around. lol.
I took the car back and they accused me of overfilling it. I’ve been going there for 8 years, at least once every six weeks (because of the mileage I put on).
To correct the damage I had to pull the intake manifold and clean it of oil, cleaned the head as well as I could, change the PCV valve, and I cleaned the EGR (not cooler) for good measure, and cleaned the throttle body because I was there.
I don’t pay because I don’t know what I’m doing. I pay for my time applied elsewhere so someone else can take my money and go live with it. That’s business.
If your shop is in Ohio, let me know.
Exactly. I had a shop tell me I needed to change my air filter and cabin air filter and even brought dirty filters with them to prove it. However, I changed them myself 2 weeks prior. Many shops and mechanics aren’t honest. My guess is this guy has gotten burned before.
@@khakiswag They love upselling on those damn air filters to the point it's comical. I understand after a certain point you want to replace any filter but often they're trying to just sell you a new one when a simple air hose could blow out the little amount of debris and it'd be good to go for a long time again. Of course a really old/dirty filter just needs replaced, but they're hoping the customer just assumes if they say it needs replaced, it needs replaced. The interior air filters hardly ever need replaced but they like to act like it's life changing and needs done every time lol
Thank you for these videos my dad just passed and these have been helping me it sounds dumb but i cant help it
My father had a customer like this. Dude owned a late 80s Porsche and he dictated my father on doing everything he wanted to be done specifically. When it came to the bill the guy refused to pay because he claimed it all didn’t add up yet the guy forgot about labor pay rate. My father ended up taking the loss and telling the dude to piss off and do his own work. Till this day, that same guy has gone through more than a dozen mechanics because of the same issue.
As someone who has had bad mechanics eff up my vehicles before, I can almost not blame them for micro managing.
🎯
🎯👍and with almost every buiss having trouble keeping knowledgeable reliable help...I don't blame the customer, and would probably do the same.
Not a morning without Ray.
Reminds me when I had a Engineer as a customer. It got so bad I would not let him in the shop. His wife & son understood. His soon had a Corvette collection that I got to work on, & drive. The best one for me was the 63 split window.
Ray you are the exception for mechanics. i ended up at a dealers repair after a year of chasing my constant belt and pulley failures. i went to all my local shops that ach one claimed the serpentine belts and pulleys were just badly fitted. when i finally got the dealership it was determined that rain shield was missing... the dealer said no charge due to all those other people are not taught to look for the reason it happened.
That's why I drag my car to the dealer. Stuff like that. They see my exact car model a dozen times a day, and any problem my car will have dozens of times. They've just got better eyes than local shops.
Hard to imagine someone so fastidious about the crush washer, but so lackadaisical about a CEL, SRS light, and the Exxon-Valdez of an oil leak. Maybe he thought the old crush washer was the cause of the leak? Just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here.
BTW, I'd have used one of the empty oil bottles to measure out the 1/2 quart, rather than do all that math, and still guess how much of that partial bottle you poured in.
Thanks for sharing this unusual oil change.
Probably paranoid or had shit experience from the quick change places. I have had 2 in a year with my mothers car, impacted on the drain plug, and under filled the oil.
More than likely what happened is he took his place to sh!tty oil change, and they put the "wrong oil" in and didn't replace the crush washer. which may have caused the exxon valdez leak we saw. By wrong, I mean they charged him for the premium stuff but only put in the cheap stuff.
All northstar engines seep oil through the side of the block, due to poor casting and quality of aluminum. Voice of experience.
My Same Thoughts, especially about filling one of the empty bottles to a 1/2 full level...
He likely knows why the CEL and SRS lights are on and has chosen not to repair them which there is nothing wrong with that. SRS being on indicates the system has disabled the airbags due to a detected fault in the self check. CEL on a Northstar with that many miles is just flat out a given.
The massive leaks are from the Valve cover and Rear main seal which are notorious leak issues on the Northstar. Both are quite expensive to repair and honestly just reset the clock on them leaking again (I've done a lot of them back in the Northstar's heyday).
Basically he's just wanting proof of work, nothing wrong with that. And is trying to milk as many miles out of it he can with the additive and using such oil, early northstars such as this one were very prone to carbon buildup which is likely what's causing the CEL. He knows there are bound to be many other problems and just doesn't want other work tried to be sold to him. Couple his desire for proof of work and this last thing I would say he's had bad experiences at other places trying to upsell him.
Once you've had a car destroyed that only went for 'basic maintenance' , it never leaves you doubting. I don't poo-poo anyone's anxiety.
I started fixing my own semi when I can. Found a shop that I trust in the midwest. Ur a good man for helping this guy out.
Thats so me😄....i Spend 8 hours one time in a repair shop watching every step of the mechanic
I thought it would be an older person. Probably experienced bad service in the past. But Ray is on the job to do it right.
........I believe that Ray is one of the VERY few who I would be HAPPY to be able to bring MY vehicles to for whatever needed to be done. I have been a 'car guy' since the 1970's and became an A&P mechanic in 1983 and retreaded from that some time ago......and I do 99% of all my own work.....usually because I cannot trust taking my vehicle anywhere because of VERY VERY BAD WORK done many times......and being ridiculously, HORRENDOUSLY overcharged for work done WRONG.....I have seen the bad back side of automotive service first hand....i even had a BRAND NEW 1451 mile Z06 totally destroyed by the 'lot boi' who stole the car while at the dealer for a wheel balance and the stealership tried to BLAME ME for allowing this 'lot boi' to steal my car by 'making the keys available to him' when the service manager took my key from me and clipped it to the clipboard that had my ticket on it and hung it on the board behind the service desk....and THEN they tried to get MY insurance to PAY this 'lot boi's' hospital bills---he ALMOST erased himself from the gene pool in the accident....and on and on and on.....and....what a bloody NIGHTMARE that was....yeah.....oi
A&P is an aviation term short for airframe and power plant. Attention to detail is vital to say the least.
Gravity always wins.
Especially when Ray's tools are involved.
@@108gk A&P mechanic...;)
I see both sides of the service story here...
Customer clearly has been done wrong before and wants to ensure it actually gets done to their liking. At the end of the day a washer and empty bottles don't mean anything to the mechanic but to the customer is a peace of mind.....despite the litany of other issues the vehicle is experiencing. 😆 🤣
Plus he may have been searching for a shop he could trust to do the other stuff, so, in my opinion, just do exactly what was requested, realise he obviously has trust issues with garages, so bring him in and talk through everything being done to his instructions. This would have alleviated the trust issues and maybe, just maybe, resulted in future business, one way or the other, would have been worth the effort and really took very little, if any, extra time to do
To me the only silly part was "must show me old washer before pouring in new oil." What are you going to do, drive away to another shop with no oil now?
I don't consider "middle of range" to be full, but I know there are different schools of thought, some engines like that better, and, of course, I'm fighting drips more than other folks. (But less than this guy?)
@@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261 Proof you actually removed the old oil. Hard to have the old washer without removing the plug.
Same with wanting the old washer and empty bottles.
It scary what some places will do instead of the job you paid for.
@@Charlie_Crown Yes, the customer was just reacting to the scams other garages pull on people. A mechanic shouldn't get offended by these small things. Remember, we only see one side of the story. Don't you get to hear both sides of a court case?
Nice that you respected and served..consider yourself trusted
Did anyone else catch the sign on the wall at 4:32?
Priceless, Ray.
It’s the bad mechanics, rip off artists, and crooks (plenty of them out there) of the automotive world who make guys like this car owner into control freaks. The good mechanics have to deal with them. It pays to turn in your crooked co-workers when you see it.
100% he's desperate not to get ripped off, kinda sad :/
Unfortunately, the crooked companies and "management" generally supports the crooked, because they bring in revenue and are staffing a spot that would require effort to then fill.
Like most service industries, crookedness is the rule, not the exception.
By the condition of his car he needs to listen to somebody. He got ripped off by Cadillac just by buying that heap. The best thing he could do is scrap the car and lease something. The motor needs re-gasgeted and the transmission going to need rebuilt not to mention the SRS issue. Repairs will far exceed value of car. Wherever he parks that thing is going to turn into a superfund cleanup site.
@@daveschilling1575 If he's as old as I suspect, he's owned caddies for a long time and still clings to when they are quality built in the 60's. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks. But I agree, and if I were able to advise him, I'd say get a Lexus, even a used one that was well cared for, and you'll be happy. But he might still hate the Japanese because of the war.
@@dewfall56 My father in law had a VW rabbit back in the day. WWII Navy veteran. When I showed him it had a Mitsubishi motor in it, he parked it under a barn shed, & never drove it again. Mitsubishi made Zeros, & made Allied POWS slave laborers.
I didn't know the diameter of the pointy end of your red oil funnel, but a shiver of terror went down my spine when it looked like some dried-up old Scotch tape was all that prevented the used crush washer from coming unstuck from the slick new oil bottle and gravitying itself into inside the valve cover. Oil change videos are addictive because of thrills like this...
My thoughts exactly.
Me too. Why tape the crush washer to the oil bottle BEFORE you pour the oil into the crankcase? It's a recipe for disaster. If you didn't like the customer before, how do you think you'd like him while disassembling his 4.6 Northstar to recover his crush washer? I suspect the customer has been around long enough to see it all, to include techs like "Rainman Ray", lol.
You can see the neck of the funnel pretty clearly in the video,it looks like a rather narrow taper. If the washer fell into the funnel I doubt it'd get into the engine.
Bought my car new and had always gotten it serviced at the dealership because i had an extended warranty. First time i dove into the hood real good , there were brackets broken, stripped fasteners, etc. Some mechanics give no fs
Interesting that the customer asks to use a metal crush washer, even though the OEM installs a rubber gasket on the drain plug instead.
I guess it makes sense the 7.5 quarts number. When the filter is full, and the dipstick reads "FULL", that's 8 quarts in total capacity in the sump on a Northstar. For whatever reason, the PCV system on the Northstar V8s are particularly sensitive to this extra 0.5 quart of oil, and will burn off the extra oil in 400 miles. Mine seems to be doing this, even after an engine rebuild with head studs. 7.5 quarts is right in the middle on a Northstar V8 dipstick.
At WOT on a Northstar V8, the person behind will also notice oil burning through the exhaust, if you are above the middle level on the oil dipstick.
I hear where this guy is coming from.
After personal experience and talking to tech folks, I am convinced most shop are there to squeeze the most out of each customer visit.
Shops overall have earned the mistrust. It is great to find a mechanic you can trust.
The good ones are hard to find and quickly aging out around here. I've just learned to take care of my own stuff.
Only problem with that is if you mistrust every mechanic, you'll never find a good one. If you get a job like this that is done right is it the mechanic that's good or do they just follow instructions to the letter and doesn't inform you of potential future problems because it isn't in the manual you left them with? By all means double check work when possible, i think Ray would tell you the same, but this is the wrong way to find a good shop.
I don't know jack about cars (don't ask why I'm here.) and brought my Cherokee XJ in for something unrelated and they told me I needed a rack and pinion. I declined service because the XJ wasn't worth what they were quoting but when I told my uncle about it later on, he laughed and said "this thing doesn't even have a rack and pinion, it has a gear box!"
there's a difference between taking your car to a quick lube place and having a teenager do the oil versus a master mechanic. I'll pay more for the master mechanic when not doing it myself and will know that they put the crush washer or o ring on the filter canister and will do the right thing for a few more bucks
Hmmm……. very interesting video Ray. I’ve had similar scenarios go both ways. Lady brought her car to me for a second opinion as she’d been told the brake servo neeeded replacing. The servo was fine, problem was seized rear adjusters. Fixed that and gained a very loyal and easy to deal with customer.
Conversely, an older gentleman was continuously suspicious of not only everything he was told his car needed but whether the the work was carried out, despite my best efforts to be totally transparent. Situation came to a head when he wanted the pads on the front right only replaced. I refused, saying pads are replaced in axle sets. Did the work, showed him the old pads whereby he said “how do I know those pads came from my car?”
I’d had enough, and politely but firmly told him there was no charge for the pad change but never to bring his car back to me in the future as I was no longer willing to work on it and suffer the constant veiled accusations.
im glad I have the knowledge to work on my own vehicle, prior to working in the automotive industry from 2017-now I knew quiet a bit but after leaving I have the knowledge to do anything to my truck I just don't have any of the equipment, mainly the vehicle lift & fluid exchange machines because im super picky about what fluids go in my truck
I never used to lube the gasket on my oil filters until I started watching Ray on TH-cam
when i was doing oil changes for a local chain of supermarkets that rhyme with squal mort in the tire and lube dept, i had a customer one time that had our greeter come down into the pit, and take pictures of everything, when we pulled the filter, he wanted a picture of us removing the filter, he wanted a picture of us inspecting for a double gasket, he wanted a picture of us checking the old filter to make sure it had a gasket still attached, he wanted a picture of us draining the pan, and a picture of us using a torque wrench to torque the drain plug to exactly 22 FtLbs, and a picture of us putting oil in, and a record of precisely how much oil we put back in, i talked to the guy, and he held no qualms with telling me that he used another oil place that used to have a decent reputation in our town, and they basicly burnt him by being lazy and not doing the whole service, i even had our greeter take pictures for the customer of me hitting each and evry greese zert on the car/drivetrain, the customer was happy that i took the time to do that for him, and thanked us for actually doing our due diligence and helping him out as he had no idea the suspension was greaseable, i told him exactly how many zerts there were he made a note and said he would keep track of that from then on, so i understand where this customer was coming from
Ray could have made a customer for life if he’d approached this one this way. All the man wants is a warm fuzzy feeling that he’s getting what he is paying for and it’s done right.
Customers have no idea WTH goes on behind the wall.
Obviously customer had probably had some serious issues with previous mechanics and/or dealership(s). Or has a serious case of OCD. Either way, what the customer wants, is what the customer gets and you did exactly what he wanted. Good job, as always enjoy your videos.
I Took my Mums car too the Ford Dealer Once Cos I thought I will let the Professionals do it for Once , When it Came Back They never Ever Changed the Oil filter or the Oil
steep Learning Curve that one LOL
I can understand supplying your own oil and crush washer, I do that both for my V6 Merc and my 1.3 Classic Mini. If you love a car you want to make sure someone fits the right oil not just the cheapo bulk oil from the huge tank. I also like to replace drain plugs with neodinium magnet ones for extra metal extraction from the oil.
Enjoyed the video, This is my job now so its nice to see the great attitude!
Sometimes it is hard to trust 'professional' people. One of my friends is a doctor and a few years back was organising heart surgerery for her young nephew with a congenital defect. She wanted to get it done before Mr X in the paediatric surgery dept retired. Background was that she had been a house officer in the surgery dept but then became a general physician. Surely, I said it does not matter which surgeon you have do the procedeure. Her reply was that Mr X is a craftsman but there are surgeons there who I would not let service my car! Quality of work issues happen in all walks of life!!
Yes Jiffy Lube will make you paranoid
i build houses, you have no idea what sht goes on..
@@harrywalker5836 I owned a brand new "developer house" in the past. I know what kind of sht goes on exactly. Some of it was borderline criminal. I found a high-resistance short in the kitchen lights circuit. The light switch was getting hot with just 70 Watts of load when the lights were on. The geniuses somehow stripped/damaged Romex in the wall and didn't even bother to tape it up! Bare copper line almost touching another line of bare copper!
It looks like taking pride in the job well done is a thing of the past.
Do you know what they call someone who just barely completed med school?
Doctor.
@S N E E D Yes, it was quite evident. Bare minimum effort, if even that.
I was a service advisor for a spell. I had one customer who no one else in town would do work for. We were the last shop. They said we could only use vegetable lubricants on their car because they were allergic. I said were could not do that, but what they wanted troubleshot was not going to require any lubrication. The tech was going to have to spend only a few minutes in the driver's seat. Our shop not only used the paper mats, but plastic bags that go over the seat. I put 4 paper mats on the floor in the driver's seat, I put two in the passenger seat even though the tech was not going to be in the passenger side. I double bagged the driver's seat, I single bagged the passenger seat and drove the car into the shop myself with my non grease laden service adviser clothes. I had the tech wash their hands, then they troubleshot the rear air leveling system. I gave them the estimate. They refused service, I drove the vehicle out of the shop and to the pickup area. I removed, bags, and floor liners.
30 minutes after the customer left, they called the shop manager screaming that we must have used artificial lubricants on their car because their "lips were burning" and they were going to sue the shop.
I went through my procedure with the shop manager, and they handled it.
😝
I recommend they get a bicycle and have someone lubricate the chain with parafin wax.
I had a Lada Niva come in once, when I still did that for a living, customer wanted a new heater core because coolant was leaking on his front floor. I had a quick look and found that it was just a leaking heater tap, so I changed it, thinking how happy the customer would be that he didn't have to pay for a heater job. My reward when he came in to pick up his car, was to have to crawl through the skip bin out the back to find him his old heater tap. Couldn't help but thinking, why didn't I just do what he originally asked for ;)
I had a customer exactly like this, very specific on every thing, had notes under the hood with packing tape on them. He also had a motor home and would bring it in for a tire rotation. He had a laminated, hand drawn picture of exactly the position each tire went to including the spare getting rotated in.
Customers with motorhomes are the worst
Hopefully you’ll be able to build a level of trust w/ this customer so that the next visit will go smoother.
I used a new shop once to flush my brakes. When my truck was returned, I noticed the bleeders hadn’t been touched. They owned up to the error, but I never went back.
That's not an error! That's just a rip off!
@@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261 my thoughts exactly
But yet, lots of commentators on here will say you were wrong because you shouldn't have even looked at the bleeders.
Yeah, it really is that bad out here Ray. Thanks to you and your videos and diagnostics, I do not have fear like that anymore...but once upon a time, I could totally understand where this guy is coming from.
Thank you for not being one of the jerks 👍🥰
Ray is the exception not the rule tho
Putting that crush washer on the oil makes you stellar. I’ve always wondered if i should mark my crush washer but i do my own oil changes anyhow
Love your videos. I used to work my cars all the time, got the whole families car to work on, finally changed all cars to new. Now I don’t even do my oil change.
I may have been a dictator. Before I bought my 2005 Prius I had joined one of the forums and was scouring for every tip I could find. One issue was that shops were adding 4 quarts of engine oil. Toyota actually created a TSB to let owners know that 4 quarts was too much. People on the forum had a suggestion which I took to heart. I bought quart-sized bottles of my preferred "premium" synthetic oil. When I brought my car for an oil/filter service, I would give them 3 full quarts and one half-filled quart, along with a premium filter, stating that they should use my oil and my filter. That way there would be no way that the oil could be overfilled. I requested the empty bottles back so I could use them to store all of the extra "half-quarts" for future oil changes. I would add a tiny bit more oil once I got home, bringing the dip stick just shy of full. But no, I never requested that the crush washer be returned to me. Now that I think of it ... ... ...
A shop that I used for twenty-five years messed up my car three separate times (a/c, brakes, and idler pulley). These were simple maintenance jobs, and it's not a complicated car. Each time they corrected the screw ups, but I lost confidence in the shop. I'm an old guy, retired, hate doing auto maintenance, but now I'm pulling the services myself.
So do I. One advantage of being retired is that you can wait a couple of days for quality parts from RockAuto instead of settling for whatever the parts store has in stock {at a higher price}. Did the timing belt on the Odyssey a couple of weeks ago - ended up doing valve cover gaskets too, as I found the spark plug tubes full of oil from leaking seals. Plenty of people do this stuff on TH-cam {thanks, ETCG) and film it so that we can learn. Just take it slow, do one step at a time and walk away for a bit if you get stuck.
Same here on being a old guy but I am a retired technician if you want to call it I personally prefer mechanic. I do all the services on my 2 vehicles except on my 2018 Chevrolet if it is warranty. I then enter the date oil and filters on my spreadsheet on the computer. I get a lot of guys of giving me a hard time about the frequent oil changes but I know my type of driving is what I classify as severe duty and do my 2004 Dodge Ram 3/4 ton diesel every 3K as I do tow and do short trips with it. With my Chevrolet it is 5K or around 50% oil life on the dash.
@@mikeske9777 Living I'm the city I do a lot of short trips, so changing the oil frequently pays off. And like yourself I keep meticulous records because there aren't many guarantees my memory is going to serve me.
@@gregfielder Watching Ray deal with faulty replacement parts I've learned to patiently wait for quality brands or oem.
Ive been turning wrenches professionally for the better part of 30 years and in my time doing so, I've met 2 people that I would trust to work on my car. I know we've never met, but you'd be the 3rd Ray. Keep up the good work.
lol
I love this channel it is informational and interesting. On the negative, it spoils the whole thing when for every two minutes of viewing, you are forced to watch at least that much time in commercials. Sounds like someone is getting a wee bit too hungry.
You must be on a android. I block those when watching on a regular PC with Firefox I use adblocker ultimate and adblocker youtube. The take out most of the ads. I hate using my tablet or phone as they are not blocked so easy.
Actually sounds quite reasonable. He has dealt with some shady places and has lost his trust in the industry. I usually do all of my own work but there have been a few times that a shop tried to get over on me.
I disagree!!!
@@anthonyslazas2898 the other side of the situation but we just don't live in the high trust society that existed 40 or 50 years ago. There seems to be ever increasing issues with work ethics and places cutting corners for profit. When you go to a mechanic, or even doctor for that matter, they have a built in conflict of interest. You have to look towards them to diagnose the issue but they are also the salesmen trying to turn a profit. There is a serious conflict of interest there and, especially if it is the first time dealing with each other, there is a lack of trust.
Just as I wouldn't leave my wallet unattended at a table in a restaurant while going to the restroom, I wouldn't want to leave my vehicle unattended with a mechanic I know nothing about. I know it isn't exactly the same thing but there is just a certain level of trust required. There are reports of mechanics rigging things to break, lying about services preformed, and other fraud.
I have dealt with some that tried it on me, in the 90s, my wife had a dead battery in the car. We didn't have a cell phone at the time and she wound up getting towed in for $125. The battery was 6 months old and I would guarantee she only needed a jump but she got towed. They sold her a new battery for nearly $200, remember, this was in the 90s, and charged $400 to install it.This was a Chevy Lumina, nothing special about the battery and it was an easy to get to, right under the hood setup. In the end, it was almost $800 for a car that just needed to be jumped. I have had brand new air filters and wiper blades and the guys at the oil change shop would try to sell me new ones telling me the old ones were worn out.
It really only takes one bad experience to make a person cautious and paranoid with an entire industry.
Looking at the condition of that vehicle, I would say that guy usually does his own maintenance and knows how he wants it done. I get the feeling he was mostly there to get that transmission additive put in after he couldn't find a way to do it himself. Probably one of those anal-retentive types who have a set method for everything he does.
That being said, he may well also be a jerk. It is part of the customer service industry and there are plenty of those to go around.
If he was being hateful or rude, well that's obviously not good. I just feel its reasonable to ask for your container and old washer back as reassurance that no mistakes happened and no corners were cut.
@@murrayshekelberg9754 there a reason why!!!
Good thing you had them open the box. Imagine if that oil was another brand and you gave them the empty bottle back and it was not what they expected. Not only unlawful but could have caused a huge headache for you.
What if it was the wrong box that the guy brought? Then you would never hear the end of, "Why did you open that box? You should not have opened it." Good call Ray.
What if it was adult 'toys' LUL
It is a federal offense to open mail and mailboxes
@@maxslifer1391 THIS. I wouldn't have opened it, either. Especially as the customer so clearly didn't trust the person. I'd have immediately gone into malicious compliance mode, but would have probably chilled out when I saw the walker, figuring he was getting his karma balanced already. I still wouldn't have opened the box, though.
Ya and done on youtube is kinda hard to deny
Looked like a standard washer.
Lol, I remember a guy that wanted an oil sample and tire rotation every time he came in for an oil change. No big deal right? Well! To take the oil sample you had to wait exactly 10 seconds before you put the little bottle he supplied. Little enough where oil got all over your hands and bottle. For the tire rotation?! He wanted the exact lug nut to go back onto each stud that it came off with, and to set the vowel stems all at the top. He had a Ford Taurus SHO. You can't make this stuff up lol.
My granddad was like this with notes everywhere more for his memory than anything else
This Cadillac owner is special I mean last I checked no Cadillac of that body style or year range uses a crush washer Not only that but anyone that has experience with working with a Northstar knows that they are known for leaking and cost several thousands of dollars to fix so if the oil is not in the engine it’s on the engine
Ray - you are a rockstar of showing patience. Obviously you dealt with an old crazy person that had something happen to themselves in the late 60s.
You did the work well (as usual) and the commentary makes it all the better.
Or maybe it happened to him more recently, and how'd you know he's 'an old dude', that's a hell of a lot of assumptions there. For what it's worth, here's what I'm assuming, in the past he's been burned at some other garage, in the sixties or six months ago, both with shitty oil AND a crush washer that wasn't replaced, causing a big leak, might even have cost him an engine in another car in the past. Now, all he wants is the correct oil, of his choosing, his responsibility, put in, at the correct level and a new crush washer, and wanted to make sure this simple request was done, so provided both. There should have been no fuss here at all, just charged for the labour, then, bare with me, asked to come out onto the shop floor, encouraged to ask questions by Ray as he was going about the task, and nip all the distrust right there, just make the customer gain genuine confidence in the mechanic and the shop, realise he's been mucked about, the trust is on the floor, but still take a little time to prove this is not that kind of garage or that kind of mechanic. A little bit of time and extra effort emphasizing this, not a difficult thing to do, you most likely gain a customer, business for the future, for other more necessary work, wouldn't have taken much time at all to do that. I understand Ray's frustrations, I absolutely do, but he could save that anger and attitude for the shit shops out there, start up a movement to expose them at every turn, as it obviously reflects badly on the good guys out there, with his platform he'd get great support, from those that matter, for that.
Again, this job could have been done a lot more positively than this, and that customer may well have picked up on Ray's sarcasm as he was going about the job, he appeared to be close by, but another way this could have gone was that the shop just says no to the customer, also pretty simple, it didn't have to go down like this, but then I am only assuming here, like you 👍
Or. The guy bought the worst engine put into a Cadillac and takes it out on the people around him.
This guy has been hurt by past mechanics, on one hand I understand and would like him to watch me work and spend time with him on his car and put him at ease. He may become a repeat customer or he could be just as bad every time. I suppose it would depend on how he spoke to me as to whether or not I would try to help or just carry out his orders. Some customers you really can do without.
Shop manager’s sister would bring her truck in for LOFDs every 4-5 months. We were instructed to grease all ball joints, u-joints, check rear diff oil, top off washer fluid, check brake pads, rotate tires, check pressures/adjust, and check EVERYTHING. Plus we(out of general kindness for everyone) would also spot vacuum the front seats/floor of customers’ vehicles. However, with her truck( 4 door) we’d have to vacuum the entire cab. This is in southern Idaho mind you, where she farms/ranches, so if you can imagine it’s nowhere near a clean cab. There’d be 1/2 inch to an inch of dirt, peppered with alfalfa, straw hay, shell casings, dog hair, and spent sunflower seeds. She would bring in her own oil and filter. We were also instructed to remove the air filter, do not check it, or blow it out. We were to take it to her(she’d always wait, even fishbowl us at times, depending on how ornery she seemed that day) where she was to determine whether or not she wanted a new air filter or have it blown out. When we were finally all said and done, parked the truck in the parking lot, and ready to deliver. she’d crawl under her truck in the parking lot scrutinizing our work, checking for the oil filter and checking the zerks for fresh grease. New techs were scared to death to even step around the bay it was in. She was about the worst of the “hurt” customers. If you messed up anything, hell hath no fury like that woman’s scorn.
Also, I’ve done hundreds if not thousands of LOFs and I ALWAYS use the residual dripping oil to lube the gasket/O-ring. Unless, like you said in another video, there is enough oil on the housing. Then I’d just slap it on too. Let ‘em hate.
Great job Ray. I would find it difficult at best to be as untrustful as this customer. However, knowing the tricks that have been played on customers, the uncaring for the customer and the deviousness of many shops, this customer is at the point where he trusts no one, not even the stealership. I can't commend him for feeling that way but clearly understand why he does.
I am a member of a DIY car repair shop. I am expanding my skills in doing repairs. Still it is worthwhile to have an professional mechanic give me advice on which maintenance thing need to have the highest priority, I am glad I found a mechanic who I have a trusting relationship with. And he doesn't mind I ask him for very specific things.
I think it is a good idea to have the customer in this video to meet Ray shake his hand and open up on his motivation why he wants this in particular and Ray can share his perspective on this.
He must have been burned before, He doesn't know Ray is honest like we do!!
I understand EXACTLY where the customer is coming from. I've had my oil overfilled and had to let some out myself. I've seen crush washers never changed and become so deformed it was difficult to remove from the oil plug. I've seen oil filters not changed when you paid for an oil and filter change. That's why I do my own oil changes at 63 years old. I wish I could find a mechanic like you Ray but it's nearly impossible. So, I still do it myself and will continue to do so for as long as I am able. Hopefully, that will be a long time!
this, i even had to drive back to my dealer and *SLOP* old used oil filter from my land rover on their counter and asked them to give me the damn fresh filter back, and i dropped it into the canister in the engine
Doing your own work will certainly keep u n shape.
Had oil overfilled by the dealer. Took it back and they corrected it.
You’re a good honest mechanic thank you for what you do I have learned a lot view you on YouTu
I've always done my own oil changes. This last go around I decided to let a shop do it. I decided it was worth the slight up charge to have oil, inspection, tire rotation, filter changes done. I don't have to deal with any of the clean up or the used oil, etc. I've dealt with crappy shops before though, just gotta know where to go.
I feel like it would have been a lot simpler just to pour from the under-full bottle into one of the empties until the empty was at half a quart, but you do you.
That was killing me lol
Or use a beaker. Amazon sells beakers now. Yay, science!
Ask/watch a lazy man to learn the easy ways!
@@rickn8or A man who works smarter. (more common sense) Not smack talking Ray. His videos are great
@@brettleewilliams, that they are. I was just quoting my first shop supervisor from my Navy days.
Second because Ray has to be first. Customer has Self lubricating chassis.
Always last because I prefer to be last
Good job dealing with that kind of micro management. Hopefully your video will satisfy the customer.
I understand his perspective. My parents took their Rav4 once for a transmission service. Two weeks later I checked.the fluid and it had never been changed. This was at a Toyota dealer
A fellow mechanic had a customer insist that he be allowed to observe everything he did on the car. Since it was a lube-oil-filter he also had to lube ball joints through the zerk fittings. Extremely annoyed at being interrogated about everything he was doing he faked having trouble getting the grease gun working and splattered the customers clean white dress shirt with chassis lube. Needless to say that customer never insisted on being in the shop again. Thanks Ray!
I got out of being a GM master mechanic at a dealer in 1998 and went to the railroad. I absolutely do not miss repairing cars other than my own. Customers suck.
The three biggest things that make this industry terrible are the customers, the feds, and engineers.
@@immikeurnot ...and crap technicians, who are everywhere....making the good ones look bad. Maybe reconsider why this customer had those specific demands.
@@henseleric Those demands were way over the top. It proved only that the old crush washer was removed and the oil left the bottles. Nothing else.
@@brettleewilliams He wanted his synthetic oil used, not some dino oil from a dollar store put in.
@@007connecticut then he should change his own oil. Do you bring your own steak to Del Frisco's?
You are right about the mail. If you have a goofball stickler like this you have to put things back into their lap when they forget. 😁😁😁
"He didn't come correct, I'm not gonna respond to that..." Epic priceless!😆
Not that weird. I've been collecting old crush washers for 20 years. Hope to have enough to build me a new car someday soon.
I am more than surprised your company agreed to those terms.
Possibly if they refused those terms the customer would suspect them untrustworthy. Not a big deal and keep the customer happy.
Must admit I make the extra effort with the old customers, at least for the first visit, and then they then often leave me to it on next visit. Last guy that came in had an ABS light on so it was no trouble for him to sit in the car on road test while I watched the live data to pinpoint which was faulty. By the time I got him booked in for replacement the whole process had only taken 15 minutes.
Honestly ill give it to him, he probably used to enjoy changing his oil and it hurts him that he cant do it anymore. He just wants a good job bro, yes its annoying sometimes but personally it makes me feel good knowing i did a good job for someone who actually appreciates the work im doing. And by the look of the engine bay I'd say that car is the only thing that he can enjoy nowadays. He wants that car to live as long as he does.
Unfortunately, he bought a Northstar Cadillac so it probably won't see 200K miles. I'm impressed it's made it as far as it has.
If the car was important to him he wouldn't have oil leaks and a slipping Transmission.
Some people just don't need to be customers. That's at least 10% of the reason I started my own company: so I can tell people like that to pound sand
Respect. I long for the day I can tell a customer to bite it. I'm not a mechanic yet but it'll probably be my endgame. I've got 3 generations of mechanic in my blood
Customonsters
And some mechanics who talk like you don't change out crush washers.
And some people don't need to be in the service industry...'cause they are born assholes. Telling customers to 'pound sand' is a sure way to have 'em lining up for service, eh? 😒
Like I said earlier, walker in the back of the car likely means an elderly dude who perhaps used to do all of this service himself. By all means, go tell that guy to 'pound sand'.
@@warrenzevonsangryghost6055 ahh wooooooo werewolves of London ahhwooooooo !!!
This person thinks they are clever and have a system to prevent a shop from cheating them with unnecessary repairs, but this has also allowed his car to slowly fall apart because nobody is allowed to recommend services. Big oof.
At 150k+ miles, the Northstar is going to leak like a sieve anyways. It has a split case and by 100k, the case gasket starts leaking and starts the Cadillac automatic undercoating system.
Are we sure that this car didn't belong to uncle Paulie?
No they know the engine about to grenade itself and there looking to try find someone to hold liable!
@@anthonyslazas2898 you have a valid point
Agreed...
He knows how quick he can get got. Props pops.
Ray you just saw your future 85 year old self. I can see myself requesting this too. Been doing my own maintenance all my life and will do it until I cant crawl under the car any more. And then I wont trust the guy, like this guy.