There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches

[OR VietVet]

 

[mountie]

Oh, my.... That's a lot of work.......

 

[OR VietVet]

Got it all done in 4.5 hours.

 

[89Suburban]

Good job, thanks for sharing.

 

[Tonyv__]

Perfect for me would be a mom and pop shop with 9 to 5 hours that does good work and does not push unneeded work all the time. I have no problem recommending maintenance work at the scheduled intervals and selling needed repairs and warning that we may find more during disassembly or the recommendation of replacing something while in there or because it came off to reach the problem part. I like the pics convenience for the customer too. I hate high pressure sales and I have a feeling this shop may do that.

I, 1.5 years ago, had an 80 year old female member from my American Legion, take her Lexus car to a shop owned by an American Legion member's son and she had a surging problem at highway speed and the shop diagnosed as needing the transmission replaced. The word got back to me about it. The woman is a widow of American Legion long time member and a saint. Great cook too. I looked at it and looked at the shop paperwork. It did not show they added any transmission fluid and when I checked the fluid level, it was 2 quarts low. I added 2 quarts and took her for a test drive. The transmission performed normally. She was amazed. I dropped her at her house and took it to my house and found a very steady drip leak at the pan. I went and got a filter kit and did the repair and refilled and delivered back. 1.5 years later, is still driving fine.

This scenario really pissed me off. I confronted the American Legion father of shop owner and he made excuses for the son. I then went to shop and confronted the tech and the son. I was pissed for 2 reasons. The sales tactic and sending her out of the shop 2 quarts low on transmission fluid. They had excuse after excuse. I told them that I would spread the word at the American Legion. I did. I also said that because of driving the vehicle 2 quarts low, there could eventually be transmission problems, as I told the father and son and tech, but I told them the fluid is getting her by and that warning should have been told to her instead of the $8k estimate for a new transmission.

The other part of the story that I have not told yet, is this, The father owned the shop when I moved here in 1995 and he was the first shop I worked at as a service advisor. I left the shop after 9 months because of pressure selling tactics. The shop owner now son, I watched that kid grow up. His father turned him that way.

Transmissions are one thing I hate. I feel like gm trucks are lenient with being a qt high or low and will perform fine. Other brands get real picky.

I serviced my wife’s Mercedes last year with a filter change and fluid.


Ended up being a 1/2 qt low. I didn’t understand how to read the dipstick. There’s no factory dipstick, just a service dip stick that you have to buy and make sure you buy the right one for that vehicle. It’s numbered 2-10 on the dipstick Iirc. You need to know exactly what number your car requires.

She told me that the trans felt weird and just not normal after I did the fluid. ( not much to go off of). I did some more research on how to fill it. Added about 1/2 qt to the proper fill line and she’s been fine ever since.

I just couldn’t believe 1/2 qt made such a difference.

 

[OR VietVet]

Gonna be a thorough inspection for water leak source, on the 2005 Tahoe LS, above the blower/resistor area. When the wiper arms and cowling cover is removed that exposes a cover that is over a rectangular screened area that feeds ventilation down in to the area above the blower and resistor area. Where that vent mounts, the seal around there deteriorates over time and the cover also breaks down and there is a soft foam seal where it sets on top of the vent hole. There is also another soft foam seal that is exposed, more to the center area, when the cowling is lifted off. At each end of the tunnel under there, where the wiper motor is located, there is a rubber flap that also gets clogged up on the inside and backs up water that should drain out of there. You do not have to remove cowling to access these. It is literally just a rubber flap. Look deep and you can see and reach to them. Pull them back and reach in with a finger and check for debris.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Gonna be a thorough inspection for water leak source, on the 2005 Tahoe LS, above the blower/resistor area. When the wiper arms and cowling cover is removed that exposes a cover that is over a rectangular screened area that feeds ventilation down in to the area above the blower and resistor area. Where that vent mounts, the seal around there deteriorates over time and the cover also breaks down and there is a soft foam seal where it sets on top of the vent hole. There is also another soft foam seal that is exposed, more to the center area, when the cowling is lifted off. At each end of the tunnel under there, where the wiper motor is located, there is a rubber flap that also gets clogged up on the inside and backs up water that should drain out of there. You do not have to remove cowling to access these. It is literally just a rubber flap. Look deep and you can see and reach to them. Pull them back and reach in with a finger and check for debris.

If you do that can you take some pics? I'm trying to visualize your description, but I've never been in there. I don't have any leaks--but just in case.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yea, was gonna take pics.