Is VIP trying to fuck me? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

MooseMan3000 · 08-20-2007, 08:50 AM

VIP is a New England parts and service chain, for anyone who doesn't know.

Here's the story:

I was driving on the interstate on my way to work, and I blew a tire. I pulled over quickly and put on the spare and continued on my way. I work near a VIP, so I decided to drop it off on the way and have them replace the tire. I looked at the others while I was there, decided I didn't want to go through this again, so I had them do all 4 at once.

I also needed some brake work, so I asked them about that as well. They quoted me a fair price (essentially the price of the parts plus minimal labor costs), so I said go ahead and do that as well. This all went fine, and I picked the car up at 5:45, 15 minutes before they closed.

As soon as I drove off, however, I noticed a subtle clicking noise coming from my passenger-side rear wheel. As soon as I could pull over, I got out and visibly inspected it. I didn't see anything immediately wrong, but I wanted to have it checked out. Unfortunately, by this time they were closed. I decided to bring it back first thing in the morning.

I got it in the next day before work, explained the problem, and they agreed that the noise shouldn't have been there. They brought it in, inspected it quickly, and didn't see anything wrong. I was told by the mechanic that it was "probably a piece of rust stuck in the brakes." Plausible, since the old rotors were pretty rusty before they were replaced. He told me to drive it a few more days, and if it got worse to bring it it. So I drove it for a few more days. It got worse. Now the clicking is more audible during regular driving, and extremely loud during heavy braking. I hear it during normal braking at times, too.

I brought it in this morning to have them look at it again and left it with them before coming to work. The mechanic just called me back and told me that the strut was worn out and needed to be replaced. He quoted me $575 for that. He also doesn't know why I'm hearing the clicking noise. (Huh. So if that's not causing the clicking, and it was there before, why didn't they tell me when they were inspecting the car before?)

My question, therefore, is this. What did they do to my car? While mounting the wheels, could they have put too much stress on the strut and broken it? Or while trying to clean the rust to service the brakes, could they have damaged it then?

Is it, as the mechanic tells me, a coincidence? Keep in mind, the clicking NEVER happened before I brought it to them, and it started immediately after I picked it up. There was no other driving time between then.

And if it did "just happen," why didn't they tell me anything about it before, when they were working on the brakes? Or when I brought it in the following day to ask about the clicking?

The manager is off today, and the mechanic that I talked to seems like an idiot, so I'm going to talk to them again tomorrow. What do I need to know before I go in again?

Thanks

Jinn · 08-20-2007, 09:01 AM

You don't turn hear it when you turn sharply do you? Especially at low speeds / from a stop?

"Clicking" could be the CV joints. If the boot has a tear, enough grease could've leaked to create a clicking sound in the joint.

The problem if this were the case would be knowing whether the CV boot was cracked from age or cracked/cut by someone removing/replacing the tires.

MooseMan3000 · 08-20-2007, 09:07 AM

Yeah, actually, I do hear it at low speeds in particular, and when I'm turning.

reconmike · 08-21-2007, 06:20 PM

If you have disc brakes in the rear it is possible that when they did the brake job one of the clips where the pads ride in fell out and what your hearing is the pad moving back and forth in the bracket. I cant remember when I ever heard a strut make a clicking noise, have them give you a written estimate as to what your problem is and how much it will cost to fix.
Then take your car to another shop have them diagnose the noise, dont tell the new shop what they told you, if it is not the strut I would then go back to the shop that did the work and tell them to fix their fuck-up and reimburse you the money that you might have had to pay to have it correctly diagnosed.
You might save yourself alot of cash doing it this way.

08-20-2007, 08:50 AM	#1 (permalink)
MooseMan3000 wouldn't mind being a ninja. Location: Maine, the Other White State.	Is VIP trying to fuck me? VIP is a New England parts and service chain, for anyone who doesn't know. Here's the story: I was driving on the interstate on my way to work, and I blew a tire. I pulled over quickly and put on the spare and continued on my way. I work near a VIP, so I decided to drop it off on the way and have them replace the tire. I looked at the others while I was there, decided I didn't want to go through this again, so I had them do all 4 at once. I also needed some brake work, so I asked them about that as well. They quoted me a fair price (essentially the price of the parts plus minimal labor costs), so I said go ahead and do that as well. This all went fine, and I picked the car up at 5:45, 15 minutes before they closed. As soon as I drove off, however, I noticed a subtle clicking noise coming from my passenger-side rear wheel. As soon as I could pull over, I got out and visibly inspected it. I didn't see anything immediately wrong, but I wanted to have it checked out. Unfortunately, by this time they were closed. I decided to bring it back first thing in the morning. I got it in the next day before work, explained the problem, and they agreed that the noise shouldn't have been there. They brought it in, inspected it quickly, and didn't see anything wrong. I was told by the mechanic that it was "probably a piece of rust stuck in the brakes." Plausible, since the old rotors were pretty rusty before they were replaced. He told me to drive it a few more days, and if it got worse to bring it it. So I drove it for a few more days. It got worse. Now the clicking is more audible during regular driving, and extremely loud during heavy braking. I hear it during normal braking at times, too. I brought it in this morning to have them look at it again and left it with them before coming to work. The mechanic just called me back and told me that the strut was worn out and needed to be replaced. He quoted me $575 for that. He also doesn't know why I'm hearing the clicking noise. (Huh. So if that's not causing the clicking, and it was there before, why didn't they tell me when they were inspecting the car before?) My question, therefore, is this. What did they do to my car? While mounting the wheels, could they have put too much stress on the strut and broken it? Or while trying to clean the rust to service the brakes, could they have damaged it then? Is it, as the mechanic tells me, a coincidence? Keep in mind, the clicking NEVER happened before I brought it to them, and it started immediately after I picked it up. There was no other driving time between then. And if it did "just happen," why didn't they tell me anything about it before, when they were working on the brakes? Or when I brought it in the following day to ask about the clicking? The manager is off today, and the mechanic that I talked to seems like an idiot, so I'm going to talk to them again tomorrow. What do I need to know before I go in again? Thanks

08-20-2007, 09:01 AM	#2 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	You don't turn hear it when you turn sharply do you? Especially at low speeds / from a stop? "Clicking" could be the CV joints. If the boot has a tear, enough grease could've leaked to create a clicking sound in the joint. The problem if this were the case would be knowing whether the CV boot was cracked from age or cracked/cut by someone removing/replacing the tires. __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

08-21-2007, 06:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
reconmike Thank You Jesus Location: Twilight Zone	If you have disc brakes in the rear it is possible that when they did the brake job one of the clips where the pads ride in fell out and what your hearing is the pad moving back and forth in the bracket. I cant remember when I ever heard a strut make a clicking noise, have them give you a written estimate as to what your problem is and how much it will cost to fix. Then take your car to another shop have them diagnose the noise, dont tell the new shop what they told you, if it is not the strut I would then go back to the shop that did the work and tell them to fix their fuck-up and reimburse you the money that you might have had to pay to have it correctly diagnosed. You might save yourself alot of cash doing it this way. __________________ Where is Darwin when ya need him?

08-20-2007, 09:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
MooseMan3000 wouldn't mind being a ninja. Location: Maine, the Other White State.	Yeah, actually, I do hear it at low speeds in particular, and when I'm turning.