SHIEF Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Normally I don't make comments like this but I can't help it on this. Just trying to warn people. We get this lady that comes into the shop to check her car out 93 T-bird 3.8. The car would run good for a few minutes then run like crap the next, then run good again. She show us reciepts from Firestone in Reynoldsburg. They charged her $100 to hook up a scanner to her car. Then charge her another $100 to put on a fuel filter! Yes for a fuel filter on the frame. That didn't fix the problem, so they said it ran like that because of carbon on the pistons She got a bill of like $388 for basically hooking up a scanner, a new fuel filter, and poor info. Ended up the harmonic balancer was broke, but inside the timing case cover on the crank. The balancer has a gear which is used to see timing on the engine and it would read correct when the broke parts would come together then read incorrect when it spun around again. To sum it up, Firestone in Reynoldsburg has no clue what they are doing and charge people like they do have a clue graemlins/thumbsdown.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jpurdy2003 Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 That's some shady shit. You did a good thing by giving the board a heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMeanGreen Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Moving to Consumer Reports, that's what the forum is there for smile.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboRust Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Let me just say that as an employee of Firestone Eastland, our service manager has left this week to become the new store manager over there on main street. However this does not change the talent or knowledge of the diagnostic techs. I would have to think in a situation as you described with the balancer being broke, either a crank sensor code would have been kicked or something would have led to it. As for the fuel filter, we base our times off of Mitchel, as any other shop does, and for the price if you knew much about how businesses are ran you dont make a profit selling the parts for what you buy them for. I'm not saying this is ethical, just how business is conducted in 95% of all places. Every firestone cannot be the same quality, but I can promise at our store, Eastland, you cars wil be diagnosed correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 For what it is worth the Firestone on Morse also has pulled this "we use Mitchells" crap with me. They tried to say that to replace tie rod ends it was an hour for each side, to which I replied "is the mechanic a moron?" Last time I checked it should take about ten minutes a side, so just because you are not making money on the parts, you cannot justify the extreme overcharge on the labor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboRust Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Well truthfuly I've never seen tie rods that pay an hour each, unless its two inners, not outers. Usually you will see r&r tie rod(1) .6/hr each additional .3/hr once again I cant help what other firestone due but I can promise you wont be screwed over at ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHIEF Posted January 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Originally posted by 88TurboTbird: Let me just say that as an employee of Firestone Eastland, our service manager has left this week to become the new store manager over there on main street. However this does not change the talent or knowledge of the diagnostic techs. I would have to think in a situation as you described with the balancer being broke, either a crank sensor code would have been kicked or something would have led to it. As for the fuel filter, we base our times off of Mitchel, as any other shop does, and for the price if you knew much about how businesses are ran you dont make a profit selling the parts for what you buy them for. I'm not saying this is ethical, just how business is conducted in 95% of all places. Every firestone cannot be the same quality, but I can promise at our store, Eastland, you cars wil be diagnosed correctly. That's just it. It didn't throw a code for a crank sensor, which would make you look elsewhere usually, unless the car didn't start. Her fuel filter is about $17-20 retail, and ALL-DATA shows 20mins labor, and that's on the lazy side. We know you can get it in 10min or so, depending on the lines and such. I hope the new manager going in over there (if he's not already) does a better job. I admit the ladies car was a tricky situation, but that's no excuse to charge her almost $400 for basically lying to her and changing her fuel filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboRust Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 and I'm not agreeing with over charging at all. As a tech some jobs pay more some pay less, I may put on a fuel filter in 10 mins that payes the same amount as a set of tires that take 2-3 times the time, it all balances out in the end. At our store if you car is misdiagnosed your diag $$ would be refunded by us or the corporate office. I'd tell the lady to get on the phone and make some calls. As for the crank sensor part I'm not a daig man myself but one would think you'd not ony check the sensor to be working but also the values its putting out. Once again I'm not defending all firestones I understand some may be run badly I was simply posting to make sure bad light isnt cast upon all firestones for the way that some act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHIEF Posted January 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Yeah I don't want everyone to think all Firestones are bad, especially if it effects a CR member. Just wanted to warn people about this particular one smile.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 That is interesting since I did it myself, it corrected the alignment after I looked at it, and I did not take it back there. In total it took me about an hour with just hand tools. The fact is I only was going to have them do it because they had the car and I thought it would only be about $100 with parts rather than the $335 I was quoted. It's too bad that places cannot have quality employees that could be paid based on actual time spent on the car. Using someones idea of how long something should take another person is why people get screwed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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