Stories from the Sales Frontlines

roadburner

I would ask why synthetic oil was put in when it wasn't asked for.

It's possible that the OLM is calibrated on the assumption that synthetic oil is being used- although in that case I can't see why the oil couldn't be run an additional 3-4 thousand miles.

explorerx4

I would love to have a late 80's Mark VII LSC.
Was hoping to get my Lincoln when I hit 50, but I am about to reach the double nickel and have not reached that goal, yet.
Still hopeful.

roadburner

I would love to have a late 80's Mark VII LSC.

It was a great car. About that same time the guy who serviced my BMW had another customer with an LSC that boasted a Roush built 351 and and a Mustang 5.0 five speed manual.

jmonroe

Since it is now the number 1 color, I guess they figure they might as well charge for it.

That sounds a lot like post 63588, huh?

jmonroe

imidazol97

>I would ask why synthetic oil was put in when it wasn't asked for.

I was reading his owner manual and it specifies GM 7814M oil, which essentially means synthetic. And it requires an oil change at least once a year, otherwise it says to follow the DIC (oil life indicator). The oil life indicator will have been calibrated based on oil of that quality.

explorerx4

Did you know they made a few with with a BMW 2.4 Turbo Diesel engine?

sterlingdog

To you, Bolivar, Driver, and Jmonroe: Thanks for all of the information on synthetic oils and oil changes. Arriving home from Key West, the sticker said that it was time to change the oil (4,000 miles). The computer said 65% oil life remaining. My new service advisor said that 5,000 miles was the preference. I'll ask him about the time to just see what he says. I didn't pay extra for a lube. The work order was written "Oil change/lube and filter" for $72.50 plus $12 labor plus environmental disposal and taxes for a total of $92.50.

I put on the clear mats today over the carpeted mats. They fit perfectly. The front mats came with big clips to attach to the carpeted mats under the seats. They seem to stay in place very well. The clear mats are made by EXACTmats, Inc. and are produced in the United States. That was nice to hear.

Richard

tjc78

Did you know they made a few with with a BMW 2.4 Turbo Diesel engine?

What a turd that must have been!

Here is a sweet example of a 92 LSC just the way I would want it

tjc78

FWIW, my car is Cabernet Red Pearl (like yours) and I KNOW there was no upcharge for it in 2009

Nope, just a little hard to find (at least in my case).

Picked mine up tonight from the dealer. Full service, rotation, and they patched a nail in one of my tires for $88.00. With every service they also top off the gas and wash and vacuum. I guess I could do worse.

As luck would have it, the dealer just got in three Equus models. The one in the showroom was Black/Cashmere. It's a very impressive car! Its huge inside and very Lexus LS like. The sticker was a touch under 60K. I wonder what a screaming deal these are going to be at two/three years old.

driver100

rriving home from Key West, the sticker said that it was time to change the oil (4,000 miles). The computer said 65% oil life remaining. My new service advisor said that 5,000 miles was the preference.

You have to watch those guys when they put the sticker in the door. When I had my Jeeps and went to the Fast Lube places they would put a sticker on for 3000 miles. I did them at 5000 miles and the manufacturer said 7500 miles. They pick the optimum time for their pocket books. They always recommend doing things way before the manufacturer and I am sure most people fall for it.

The service guy should have gone by what the computer said, they should have checked that first. I don't think you can trust those guys...they didn't really aggressively cheat you, but they didn't really help you either.

At least you are off to a fresh start and you have the right oil in your new car, and nice new floor mats so you should be good to go for awhile now.

roadburner

Did you know they made a few with with a BMW 2.4 Turbo Diesel engine?

Great engine(in the 524td)+ great car= a miserable combination.
Ever seen a Vixen 21 RV? If they weren't so pricey I'd love to have one just for tailgating and such...

roadburner

The computer said 65% oil life remaining. My new service advisor said that 5,000 miles was the preference. I'll ask him about the time to just see what he says. I didn't pay extra for a lube.

A typical trick that shady dealers employ; oil changes are a profit center so they tell you to ignore the OLM.

sterlingdog

Thanks. I just checked. They set it back at 100%.

Richard

oldfarmer50

This can't be the new improvements someone was talking about. Impossible to load pages, everything all screwed up?

What's going on?

I bet this won't post either.

tjc78

I had problems since last night, however, it appears OK now.

robr2

I put on the clear mats today over the carpeted mats. They fit perfectly. The front mats came with big clips to attach to the carpeted mats under the seats.

IMHO, I'd remove the carpeted mats. Hasn't anyone learned anything from the Toyota floor mat fiasco??

tjc78

I ran with clear floor mats over the factory carpet ones for years (on 4 different cars) with no trouble at all. Actually I did it on my 06 Avalon which IIRC was included in the recall.

The mats Toyota was having problems with were 1"+ thick rubber mats that people were putting over the factory mats. The clear mats are usually very thin and stay in place.

Kirstie_H

I did it. It was punishment for the complaints about the new color scheme & posting issues. :P "Stop yer whinin', or I'll shoot you straight back to 1999."

tallman1

There is no question about who is in charge around here. When I saw the problems last night, I quickly turned off my computer so that I might wake up in 2011 again.

tallman1

The computer said 65% oil life remaining. My new service advisor said that 5,000 miles was the preference.

That is way too early for synthetic oil. If you are interested in doing some research, google something like "3000 mile oil change myth."

Kind of makes you wonder why GM would make a tool that suggests when to change the oil and then have service people at their dealerships recommend changing it before even half the time has expired. :sick:

jipster

and they patched a nail in one of my tires for $88.00.

They patched your tire, or replaced it, for $88 Maybe it's a runflat:confuse:

edited: emotorcons are on vacation again. (cry)

jipster

I did it. It was punishment for the complaints about the new color scheme & posting issues. "Stop yer whinin', or I'll shoot you straight back to 1999."

YEAH! BLAST EM, BLAST EM! I miss your references, and use, of the old Delete-O-Matic 4500 twin carbines you use to carry in the good ole days. Maybe just one more time... for old times sake.

murphydog

:shades: Always loved seeing one of these back in my valet days - firm ride and quick response to the throttle - always a hoot to drive. The goal was to see how big a jump you could get on the digital speedo, e.g. from 5 MPH to 25 MPH by stabbing the gas!

tjc78

They patched your tire, or replaced it, for $88 Maybe it's a runflat

No the whole bill was $88 including the patch. If they told me 88 to patch a tire I would tell them where to shove it.

fezo

I bet this won't post either.

Nah. Nah! You're wrong!.... :P

jmonroe

No the whole bill was $88 including the patch. If they told me 88 to patch a tire I would tell them where to shove it.

We’re talking tires here, right? It would be nicer to tell them where to “roll it”. A little decorum, please.

jmonroe

Kirstie_H

Oh, I still carry. I'm always packing heat, and the Delete-o-matic is a top-notch firearm, and still in my arsenal. I just spew most of my ammo in Sedans these days. One would think you folks in here are getting older and tamer.

imidazol97

>to tell them where to “roll it”.

Or just let them know where the rubber meets the road.

driver100

Thanks. I just checked. They set it back at 100%.

It would be interesting to know why they changed the oil with 65% still remaining. I would want a very good explanation, because they built that sensor for a reason.

To me the trust between you and the dealership has been broken. I think mistakes can be made right, and trust can be restored. You should get a free at least a free oil change the next time around (you might want to watch them do it though - it's like in the restaurant when your food falls on the floor and the waiter says he will bring you back a new one, but he really goes into the kitchen and puts it back on the plate).

graphicguy

One would think you folks in here are getting older and tamer.

WHOA there "Sistah". Who you callin' old and tame?

isellhondas

Don't laugh.

I've heard enough "restaurant" stories from people who worked in the trade that I will NEVER send anything back to be redone.

Stories that can't be repeated in these forums.

As far as oil changes, I once had the oil changes in our Accord when the maintenance minder said it was at 70%. It had been close to a year so I just did it.

It has to be remembered that cars are rated by Cost of Ownership.

If a manufacturer reccommends too frequent oil changes, those costs go up.

So they reccommend the bare minimum. The guys in our shop all changed their fluids more often than Honda suggested/

Kirstie_H

only to be disappointed that it doesn't happen?

So earlier today, when the site was "way-backed", I missed a call on my cell phone. Picked up the message, and it was from the other party's insurance company calling about the accident. Very business-like message, no details in the message, just a voicemail telling me that they'd received the police report and I needed to call them back - some insurance company I never heard of.

I start thinking about it, and I'm figuring they want to get me to go over details on the phone with them, hoping I'd say something that might allow them to pin partial blame on me. Or, that they're somehow attempting to get out of paying the full whack by some other method. I start to fume a bit, and I'm thinking that if they even start down that road, I'm going to refuse to make a statement and I'm going to tell them I'm getting a lawyer, etc. I get it all planned out, and I call back, with spirited determination. "You're not screwing ME today, buddy."

Get the guy on the line, and turns out he'd been on vacation and just got around to this particular claim. Just wanted to check that everything's going OK, and would it be OK for them to also send reimbursement for my deductible to my insurance company, to be given to me with the payout... said they'd already accepted fault and apologized for the delay in contacting me. That was it.

So anticlimactic! However, now that it's done with, I guess I really don't need that kind of aggravation.

houdini1

Richard, with two sets of mats installed, make sure you have plenty of clearance for the gas pedal. That is what started the big Toyota unintended acceleration debacle. Supposedly, somehow the bottom of the pedal was getting hung up on top of the mats.

Yours are probably fine but it won't hurt to check them out.

driver100

Has any one been to Car and Dreams in Florida?
He has the real Batmobile which was really a Ford Futura and had a top speed of 40 mph.
It is only open 3 times a year for the public.
Cars & Dreams

stickguy

If it is the factory clear covers, they are designed to fit over the carpet mats. I think he mentioned clipping on too, but better safer than sorry.

fezo

Yeah, that and older drivers!..... :P

I only have until Monday to complain about drivers over 60. I guess I'll have to switch to drivers over 70.

In order to be properly prepared for my upcoming change in demographic I'm making sure i always have a hat in the car. I probably should go talk to the Buick dealer...

driver100

- some insurance company I never heard of.

Good point to remember though. I was once in an accident, when a guy went through a stop sign and hit me into a house.

Not too many injuries, just a lot of pain. But, that guys insurance company rep came around and wanted to know how we are recovering and if there were any permanent injuries.

I said my insurance company will give him that information (if they want to I thought to myself).

That was the end of it but it is best not to say too much, they sure aren't there to help me.

driver100

I only have until Monday to complain about drivers over 60. I guess I'll have to switch to drivers over 70.

Don't worry, old age is always 10 years more than what you are now.

imidazol97

> I probably should go talk to the Buick dealer...

That should be the toyota dealer. They took over for Buick in servicing the need for cars for older drivers. Buick is different these days.

jmonroe

Nope, just a little hard to find (at least in my case).

Same here, at least the way I wanted it. I had seen the Cabernet Red Pearl a couple of times at my local dealer when I went on a few Sundays just kicking tires. I’d say I saw all the available colors in person so I knew if I was going to get one it had to be that color. They had it in the V6 but Son #1 convinced me that I wanted the V8 but they didn’t have one like that. When I finally decided to buy, I emailed them with what I wanted, specifically saying ONLY Cabernet Red Pearl. I get a canned email saying they have EXACTLY what I wanted. WOW, they got one in, I must have missed it. Nope, that was a come on down thingy I found out when I called but I was willing to let him find a V8 for me in the only color I’d accept. He tells me that there isn’t one like that for 3000 miles. Honest, that’s what he said. I’m not a geography major but I knew that couldn’t be right even if my son hadn’t found two out there that weren’t wearing bathing suits.

Son #1, who really gets into this stuff, found one in Maryland (Fitzmall) and the another in Ohio (Great Lakes Hyundai). My son has a BIL in Akron and he said, “I know exactly where that dealership is. It’s almost right at an exit off the interstate. I can get you there with no problem. Just let me know when you’re ready”. So, since the one in Ohio is in Streetsboro, which is an easy 120 mile drive down the pike from the Burgh, that’s where I went to get my Genny. It will be 3 years old in March.

As luck would have it, the dealer just got in three Equus models. The one in the showroom was Black/Cashmere. It's a very impressive car! Its huge inside and very Lexus LS like. The sticker was a touch under 60K.

I have never seen an Equss in person but from everthing I’ve seen and read in the rags it’s a pretty nice car. Maybe I should dump the Genny right after its birthday party and look into getting one. I get a kick out of one of Edmunds “Cons” comments about the Equss, “…constantly having to explain why you bought a $60,000 Hyundai". That is kinda nutty to do but I’m sure Son #1 would be more than willing to find one for me. It’s not his money or reputation. :surprise:

jmonroe

tifighter

Don't worry, old age is always 10 years more than what you are now.

Darn old farts over 40, always getting in my way...

tjc78

Maybe I should dump the Genny right after its birthday party and look into getting one

Well.. if you don't mind a trip to Jersey, I know where there are 3!

constantly having to explain why you bought a $60,000 Hyundai"

Yeah I get the "you spent how much on a Hyundai" line quite a bit until they sit in it. I just wish it rode more like my Avalon.

jmonroe

...it's like in the restaurant when your food falls on the floor and the waiter says he will bring you back a new one, but he really goes into the kitchen and puts it back on the plate).

One time when we were out many years ago, as the server was taking the plates from the tray that was set up near our table, another sever knocked the plate out of our servers hand with MY steak on it, onto the floor. Yeah, I had visions of that kitchen magic taking place but I was put at ease immediately after they apologized. My sever said, “I want you to see this” as he cuts my steak into 3 pieces and said, “I just wanted you to know that we aren’t going to wash it off and bring it out again”. Yes, we have returned to that restaurant many times since then.

jmonroe

sterlingdog

"At least you are off to a fresh start..."

I agree. Now I can monitor my own service and keep my own records. It's in tip top shape and I intend to keep it that way.

Richard

sterlingdog

It's really sad. Now I have a Chrysler dealer and a Cadillac dealer that I can't trust. Still, they have to do my warranty work when required---or maybe not. :sick:

Richard

sterlingdog

I certainly thought about the Toyota situation when I purchased the clear mats. They fit so well and the clips hold them in place. They were designed for the SRX. Still, I could remove the carpeted mat on the driver's side. What do you guys think?

Richard

sterlingdog

You did one thing right. I can now use the "delete" button to make corrections. Bless you my child. You did well.

Richard

sterlingdog

I totally agree. GM needs to get their story straight.

Richard

sterlingdog

Now I know why I don't trust valet parking. :P :shades:

Richard

sterlingdog

Old? Maybe. Tame? Not this crowd!

Richard