At home, over the years, I've built up a pretty good workshop for an "amateur DIY" mechanic. Even have a vehicle hoist, which is the best bit of gear I've ever owned. Do all my own servicing, for the simple reason that when I do it, I know it's done properly. Unlike the many, many screwed up jobs "professional mechanics" seem to think satsfying.
Sure, I'm stereotyping on that. However, not by much. I seem to attract poor workmanship like a candle attracts moths. I get burnt that often too.
However, there are some things I just can't do myself. Rplacing tyres is one of them. Friend has a tyre changing machine, but it doesn't do balances, so I have to rely on the "experts" to do that sort of thing.
So I made the choice to go to Jax Quickfit tyre and auto. Not once, but on 2 occasions.
The first time was a few years ago, when I needed some new tyres on my Hilux. At the time, I had a wheel alignment done, as I normally do when they're new, and reigiously every 10,000km. 8,000km later, the tyres were completely stuffed...shredded from the sides. Initially, I rang the store, and was told it was obviously MY fault, as I must have done something to them. So, knowing exactly what they'd try and say, I went back to them anonymously and in person this time, had the manager inspect the vehicle, and asked what was wrong with the tyres, making out I bought them elsewhere. The store manager made a big song and dance about how the wheel alignment I'd had done elsewhere was clearly garbage, resulting in the tyres prematurely wearing. When then I told him I'd bought them at HIS store, he was dumbfounded, and attempted to backtrack, until realising he'd been caught out, grudgingly and sheepishly admitted his wheel alignment guy was an idiot, and had done this to multitudes of his customers. He then, again begrudgingly, replaced the tyres at no carge.
In hindsight, I should have realised this was a bad omen, and not gone back to one of their stores. That was my mistake.
About 8 months ago, when I bought my new tyres from another Jax store, I obtained a fixed quote over the phone that turned out to be anything but fixed. Once I got the job done, they tried hitting me up for another $20 in "disposal and other fees", PER TYRE...which I refused to pay. I asked for a quote to replace the tyres, and as far as I was concerned, that included all fees associated with it (as I'd always experienced elsewhere)! I had to settle on an extra $40, which was still above the original price I was quoted, or I was told I wasn't getting my car back until he'd put the old tryes back on. Nice one, that. I've now done around 10,000km on them, and they work fine. Least the tyre manufacturer has a clue. Nexen brand...cheapies, but they've actually lasted better than the Coopers I had on previously, at half the cost! For mainly on road use for work, they've been excellent.
However....that's not the end of it.
Today, I needed to remove one of my
wheels to access the alternator, which died over the weekend. In doing so, I found that 2 sets of the special washers holding on the central trim plate were missing.
Now, I'd only checked all 4
wheels for missing washers the week before, and had especially ordered 2 complete wheel nut packs (Including one single nut, and the 2 trim wasers) to make sure I had a complete set across the vehicle. Cheap wheel nuts, you might think...so what? Not likely!! Try $38 per set (that's just one wheel nut, and washers), on special order from Holden!! The "professionals" at the store had then tried to fudged the fact by putting 2 large washers on one nut, none on others, and made a total dogs breakfast of the entire job. Clearly, in removing the rims, they lost some of the washers, and rather than tell me, just attempted to hide the result.
This is quality workmanship as supplied by "professionals". Is every Jax store like this? No idea. But I've had 3 strikes at 2 of them, and that's my limit. Never go back there again.
But it's not just Jax. Recently, I took my other vehicle, an old 1993 hilux 4x4 ute with solid axle, to a Bridgestone store for a balance and wheel alignment, as the vehicle was badly pulling to the left when I got it. Paid $70 for the experience, and got it back...badly pulling to the left.
So, up on the hoist it went, to check what they'd done (and what I'd paid for) to "align" the
wheels.
Well, given the thing has a live axle, and you can really only make one adjustment to the front, and given that the bar had rusted to the point it had siezed solid, taking me an hour with a blow torch and plumbers wrench to free up, it was pretty clear my "alignment" was nothing more than a cash grab for work not performed. So, again, I adjusted the thing myself after freeing it up, and voila...no more pulling to the left, and a straight steering wheel. I grilled the manager on this, who checked and found they hadn't actually done a wheel alignment, as I paid for, because they were "busy". They offered to redo the work but, given I'd taken 1/2 a day off the first time, I wasn't going to waste more money going back again, when I'd fixed the issue myself.
These are just a couple of the experiences I've had, personally. Again, perhaps I'm just an idiot magnet, but I sure do attract them. Perhaps I look gullible. Gullible or not, I always bite back when bitten. Basically, I'm tired of being screwed over by dirtbags.
It's sad, but I have no faith in any mechanic anymore. I'll stick to DIY which, while it may take longer and be much messier, at least I know the work will be done properly and competently first time, and the only time.
Cheers, and happy Xmas
Scotty