[JoeLvo]

So I have a lifetime alignment from Firestone, and I have found a good one that does a great job aligning the R. I replaced my right rear wheel hub Saturday, and the track bar had to be loosened to reach one of the bolts, so an alignment was in order.

I was *stuck* at 20.7 mpg for weeks. I could thrash it a bit, and it would not move. By thrash it, I mean redline shifts through 2-3 gear.

Well, I get back in my car, and my average is now at 20.5! That's a big difference for a "test drive". I roll off, and it immediately drops to 20.4! Even worse. In the time it took him to test my alignment, the only way it could have knocked my average mpg down 3/10s is by beating the living daylights out of it

Would anybody here call Firestone corporate and complain about such a thing? My R felt downright rattled when I got back in it.

 

[kmagnuss]

Or they could have had it sitting at idle for a while. I really wouldn't worry about it.

 

[PhilUp]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (JoeLvo)

I bet if you had a camera in the car it would look something like this:
http://blog.cardomain.com/2009...s-car/
Yea don't leave your car with anyone you don't absolutely trust, especially a car with sporting intentions. I always stick around when I get work done or go along on the "test drives".

 

[Pete'S60R]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (PhilUp)

Quote, originally posted by PhilUp »

I bet if you had a camera in the car it would look something like this: http://blog.cardomain.com/2009...s-car/ Yea don't leave your car with anyone you don't absolutely trust, especially a car with sporting intentions. I always stick around when I get work done or go along on the "test drives".

+1.last time i let my dealer test drive my car they put 20 miles on it

 

[soupandspoons]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (peter_reece2003)

Quote, originally posted by peter_reece2003 »

+1.last time i let my dealer test drive my car they put 20 miles on it

Did they fix the problem?

 

[AthruC]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (soupandspoons)

...with my dealer visits, I'd rather seem some legitimate miles on the car. I'm tired of constantly having to bring it back (60 mile drive to my current dealer) to find out that the car was 'fixed' but never road tested in real-world conditions (kinda like how 4C developed

), or that it wasn't fixed because they couldn't reproduce the problem, because they didn't drive the car...

 

[dradernh]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (PhilUp)

Quote, originally posted by PhilUp »

I bet if you had a camera in the car...

Or, one of these:

The PerformanceBox will record exactly what someone was doing while driving your car; assuming they don't disconnect it, of course:

http://www.performancebox.co.uk/overview.html

Or, if you really want to see what they were doing and how fast they were going while doing it:

http://www.videovbox.co.uk/?show=

 

[T5 for Life]

I NEVER leave my car with a repair shop. The dealer had it for my angle gear repair, but they're so busy they barely got to working on it, let alone driving it. Same with valet parking. I doubt Firestone will admit to anything. They screwed up a wheel on my bro's M Coupe and they wouldn't admit it, despite before and after pics. And, as someone stated, the car may have just idled for a while.

But, if that's not an option and you're that concerned about it, get one of those monitoring devices.

 

[rotorwash]

I had something similar to me at the Volvo dealer but with a greater drop in mileage. They did put almost 20 miles on it as well. I got really pissed and complained to the service manager, but I guess I finally just let it go and swore to never let them drive it again without me at least in the pass. seat. But in retrospect, it certainly is/was possible that the car was sitting at idle for a long time too. (Which isn't the best idea either but...)

 

[JoeLvo]

Re: (rotorwash)

Best part: They didn't even get the alignment right.

Instead of the wheel being cocked to the left (because of the track bar being R&R'd), it is now pointing right.

I'm definitely going with every time they have to test drive it from now on (the free alignments are always test driven to make sure the car needs it, I think). Good advice. Thanks.

 

[Pete'S60R]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (soupandspoons)

Quote, originally posted by soupandspoons »

Did they fix the problem?

Yes. And no its not a huge deal to me but it kinda chaps my ass to know it took a 20 mile ride to check the AWD.

 

[jackb1]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (peter_reece2003)

Last time I had my bike inspected, the guy took it for a good 20 mile ride. I only know because he told me about it when I picked it up. He just said that he took it for an extra long ride because he was enjoying it so much. It didn't bother me at all. I took it as a compliment that he liked the bike that much. If it ever happened to another vehicle I owned, I'd feel the same. What is 20 miles on the life of your vehicle? As long as he wasn't burning off the tires or trying to hurt it, no big deal.

 

[-Pascal]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (jackb1)

Quote, originally posted by jackb1 »

It didn't bother me at all.

http://********************/smile/emthup.gif

It's like relationships. Guys who are over-protective with their car are also usually uncomfortable about talking/knowing about their wifes/girlfriends previous relationships. It's like knowing who's "been there" somehow taints the experience; all the while it's usually the opposite, it made her better! Guys are appaled that someone takes their car on a joy ride but they drive it even harder themselves.

.. of course, the owner always drives his own car "better", for sure, right? That's why it's "okay"... But when it's someone else somehow they're "hurting it", right? I have to fight that feeling myself too, my therapist thinks it's important.

 

[LloydDobler]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (jackb1)

Quote, originally posted by jackb1 »

As long as he wasn't burning off the tires or trying to hurt it, no big deal.

That's the key right there. There are enough horror stories about techs driving it like they stole it, that it's really not unreasonable to assume that's exactly what they're doing when they test drive it.

A year ago or so I read a story about some kid jacking up a guy's M3 or other nice fast car on the test drive, he only got busted because he wrecked the car while racing someone on the street.

 

[o2k]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (JoeLvo)

back in 03 I went in for a simple wheel balance and rotation in my 03 maxima with only a few thousand miles. I saw the tech go into my car when I got a phone call. After I got done with my phone call I look over and I see the tech pull in with my car. He comes in and tells me that he took it all the way up to 100mph and it didn't have any vibration. I was so pissed.. I babied that car since it was still new and the schmuck probably floored the hell out of it. I will never take my car in to Good Year again.

 

[-Pascal]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (o2k)

Quote, originally posted by o2k »

the schmuck probably floored the hell out of it. I will never take my car in to Good Year again.

You need to setup a plastic block under your gas pedal.

I know my car doesn't know the difference, whether I'm the one standing on the gas, my wife, my buddy or a tech. Hell I stand on it more than all those people combined so...

 

[o2k]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (-Pascal)

Quote, originally posted by -Pascal »

You need to setup a plastic block under your gas pedal. I know my car doesn't know the difference, whether I'm the one standing on the gas, my wife, my buddy or a tech. Hell I stand on it more than all those people combined so...

That is not a bad idea.. http://********************/smile/emthup.gif

 

[nobbe3728]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (-Pascal)

Quote, originally posted by -Pascal »

http://********************/smile/emthup.gif It's like relationships. Guys who are over-protective with their car are also usually uncomfortable about talking/knowing about their wifes/girlfriends previous relationships. It's like knowing who's "been there" somehow taints the experience; all the while it's usually the opposite, it made her better! Guys are appaled that someone takes their car on a joy ride but they drive it even harder themselves.

You've successfully summed up every 3 series owner in WI...

 

[JoeLvo]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (-Pascal)

Quote, originally posted by -Pascal »

http://********************/smile/emthup.gif It's like relationships. Guys who are over-protective with their car are also usually uncomfortable about talking/knowing about their wifes/girlfriends previous relationships....

Sorry, no. My ex/current gf(s) do not have angle-gears just waiting to pop with the first neutral drop. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with making sure your car (and actually, you) is treated with respect when you pay a mechanic for work. The notion that somehow the customer is wrong or gun-shy when service people abuse their car is preposterous.

 

[AthruC]

Re: Firestone drives the wheels off my R during an alignment (JoeLvo)

Quote, originally posted by JoeLvo »

... My ex/current gf(s) do not have _________s (PART OF THE BODY) just waiting to pop with the first ___________ing (ACTION). There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with making sure your __________ (PART OF THE BODY) ... is treated with respect when you pay a __________ (PROFESSION) for ___________ ing (SERVICE). The notion that somehow the __________ (PROFESSION) is ___________ (ACTION) or gun-shy when service people abuse their __________ (THING) is preposterous.

Mad Libs style!

Modified by AthruC at 1:01 PM 3-3-2009