Transmission Rip Off (04' LR Disco 2)

[jdioguardi]

I wouldn't say it's normal to avoid telling someone that there will be a fluid charge, but I'll say it's common when dealing with many cars to forget an expense here and there. It's also reasonable to expect a few growing pains when dealing with the replacement of a major system.

Some have ended up skipping certain things such as seals that don't really need to be replaced because they are tired of people complaining about it and accusing them of trying to gouge people.

You should always return for a checkup and any required adjustments after running a replaced major system for a while. That's just the way it goes. Mechanics aren't magic. It's a rare occasion that a replaced part solves an issue entirely and immediately. Sometimes the part needs running in, or sometimes the mechanic forgets something.

Give them a chance.

Also, find a specialist mechanic. Find someone who deals exclusively with vehicles people find odd or exotic, regardless of whether or not that impression is warranted. Be sure you aren't dealing with someone who thinks you are a pompous ass, and don't come off as a cheap fuck, especially on your first visit.

Mechanics deal with cheap fucks all the time, and also deal with judgmental types. They don't like them. It's an industry that burns people out. Many of them genuinely want to fix a vehicle, but they've just given up. It's easy to restore their faith if you are sure to give them as good an impression as you expect them to give you.

One more thing: Yelpers are fucking annoying as hell. Use your mind and senses to get an impression of people at a shop. Ask other shops how they feel about each other; you can learn a lot about people that way. It's okay to be ignorant, but don't be an ignorant person that expects at people. I know they should just help anyway, but they are constantly bogged with people who wear them out.

It's not a job that makes millionaires. It's a job people do because, at one point in their life, they loved it. Now they are stuck with the investment whether or not daily dealings have worn their enthusiasm out.

Now, there are downright bastards in the world of automotive repair, sure enough, but most people do indeed want to help, and they love customers that are willing to roll with the punches a bit. Give them a chance, expect a few issues here and there, and you'll find you might develop a great relationship.

Remember: Odds are they trust you less than you trust them. They've been stuck countless times, and they don't want a repeat performance.

...And we'll criticize your language all we want. Words like "vaycay" are just embarrassingly stupid.

Cheers,

Kennith

All great points.....even the vacay one. haha. Noted.

 

[Blue]

Jesus man, you want to sue the shop over $90 after getting a rock-bottom quote to swap your trans? You sound like every Ugly American nowadays. "I know a lawyer, I'm gonna sue." Live and learn.

 

[adriatic04]

go on vacay for awhile.

 

[antichrist]

IMO it's sort of silly for a shop to worry about being accused of gouging by suggesting seals be replaced.

"It's $500 to swap the transmission.
I want to mention there are two seals. There's no way to tell if they are ok just by looking at them.
If you want me to change them it will be an additional $50
If you decide against changing them, but it turns out they leak and you decide then you want them changed, it will be another $550 because I'll have to do the complete transmission R&R again
Let me know which way you want to go"

Presented like that only a fool would accuse the mechanic of gouging or attempted price inflation and I wouldn't want such a fool as a customer.

 

[jdioguardi]

Jesus man, you want to sue the shop over $90 after getting a rock-bottom quote to swap your trans? You sound like every Ugly American nowadays. "I know a lawyer, I'm gonna sue." Live and learn.

Haha I wasn't suggesting suing over the $90....or even more money if he'd told me the rear main seal was shot and it would be another $100 or whatever. But a transmission needing to be pulled again in a month because it was incorrectly installed and needing seals replaced, etc. would cost more like another $500 (NOT $90).

Lawsuits are made to protect consumers as much as businesses.

While I agree that people all over the US seem to be sue-happy these days (for the record, we're entertainment lawyers so don't typically sue anyone), I'm only interested in people not being taken advantage of, being well informed, and treated fairly.

Because it was a "good deal" so-to-speak should I expect my transmission to not work properly or have been installed improperly? If that was the case, then the "good deal" aspect of this turns out to be not so much of a good deal after all.

 

[jdioguardi]

IMO it's sort of silly for a shop to worry about being accused of gouging by suggesting seals be replaced.

"It's $500 to swap the transmission.
I want to mention there are two seals. There's no way to tell if they are ok just by looking at them.
If you want me to change them it will be an additional $50
If you decide against changing them, but it turns out they leak and you decide then you want them changed, it will be another $550 because I'll have to do the complete transmission R&R again
Let me know which way you want to go"

Presented like that only a fool would accuse the mechanic of gouging or attempted price inflation and I wouldn't want such a fool as a customer.

AGREED

 

[RoverDon]

I thought what happens is Vegas stays in Vegas.

IMHO

If you have a beef with the mechanic - suing ov

 

[RoverDon]

Ok I messed that post up.

Suing is a pain in the ass.

Just take it like a man and from my experience if you don't go down a checklist (your own) and do their job for them, many times something gets lost in translation.

I just had a tranny replaced on my excursion. A month later the new one puked.

Thought it was solenoid pack. Didn't know they didn't change solenoid pack during the re-build (now I know)

The next time this happens I will have a list for the shop just so we have our facts straight and everybody is happy.

 

[p m]

Presented like that only a fool would accuse the mechanic of gouging or attempted price inflation and I wouldn't want such a fool as a customer.

Exactly my point.

 

[p m]

Haha I wasn't suggesting suing

Yes you were.

Because it was a "good deal" so-to-speak should I expect my transmission to not work properly or have been installed improperly? If that was the case, then the "good deal" aspect of this turns out to be not so much of a good deal after all.

Yes to both the question and assertion.

 

[jdioguardi]

Yes you were.

Out of context you miss the point.

Haha I wasn't suggesting suing over the $90....or even more money if he'd told me the rear main seal was shot and it would be another $100 or whatever. But a transmission needing to be pulled again in a month because it was incorrectly installed and needing seals replaced, etc. would cost more like another $500 (NOT $90).

 

[LRflip]

If you ever have any issues with anything pertaining to your truck, you need to call Mike at Deutch-American.

He will happily answer any and every question you might have about your truck.

He also loves having strangers in his truck on trail rides and keeping me up until 6am to solve some personal vendetta.

 

[seventyfive]

mathew,

 

[seventyfive]

fuck

 

[seventyfive]

you

 

[helievacpilot]

What's black and brown and looks good on a lawyer?

 

[helievacpilot]

A Doberman.

 

[jafir]

iirc 14ish?
@$135 it adds up

I guess if you've got dealer overhead and stuff. I think most places around here still charge closer to $75 an hour, if they are independent. I just looked in on-demand on a friend's work computer, and it was less than 8 hours for a D2. With some add-ons for seals and stuff, you could get to about 9-10 hours.... so he still got a smokin' deal.

I've never replaced a transmission in a D2, so I'm probably wrong, but it doesn't even look as hard as doing one in a front wheel drive car, and I've done a few of those on Acura Legends, 8 or 10 years ago.

 

[seventyfive]

parts, labor, and tax is $1118 here. includes fluid, pump seal, filter kit.
dealer will always be higher, but they have a lot of overhead to cover.
original poster got a hell of a deal. im sure he understands that now.

can we move on to something more important? unless you havent heard


THEYRE TAKING OUR GUNS AWAY!!!!!JESUS GOD THEYRE DISARMING INNOCENT CHILDREN!!!! OBAMA'S CHILDREN HAVE MORE PROTECTION!!!!!!!!THEYRE COMING TO MY HOUSE TO TAKE MY GUN!!!!!!!!

WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT MY 15 ROUND MAGAZINE???????

 

[jafir]

THEYRE TAKING OUR GUNS AWAY!!!!!JESUS GOD THEYRE DISARMING INNOCENT CHILDREN!!!! OBAMA'S CHILDREN HAVE MORE PROTECTION!!!!!!!!THEYRE COMING TO MY HOUSE TO TAKE MY GUN!!!!!!!!

WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT MY 15 ROUND MAGAZINE???????

Lol. I must have mis-read it. I thought all this bad weather blew over today.