Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

So I took my Bird in for warranty work Friday........the rear end was howling, grinding and making so much noise that at 60 MPH, with the windows up and THE CLUTCH PRESSED IN, you could not hold a normal conversation. One thing I had prided my true duals on was that at normal freeway speeds there was so much less noise then my previous LoudMouth exhaust.............so, Friday afternoon I get a call from the Service Manager (SM) and he tells me that not only is my differential toast, but they "may" have to charge me 1 hour labor as they had to spend extra time fooling around with my Summit Brand T/A Girdle (diff cover) blah blah blah blah. Ok, fine, whatever, just fix the damn thing. Oh yeah, and there is no way it will be ready until at least Monday as they had to order parts.

So Monday morning SM calls and asks me if, since I have removed the factory bumpstops, did I want to have them shave off all the mounting area hardware so my rims wouldn't catch on that spot when being lifted (apparently the problem they had - see below) and as my friend Jonathan knows, it makes an UGGGGGGLY noise when you don't jack my car up correctly. I say, no thanks, "I may want to put it back to stock some day soon".......as if. He says ok, (insert more SM noise/words) I will call when it is done.

4:15 PM arrives and the SM calls........car is done, BUT, given the fact that they had to manually jack my car up due to the non-factory oversized rims & tires, they had to charge me 1 hours labor ( ) same tune, different lyrics........so I get myself there to pick her up (their complimentary shuttle ends at 4PM of course). The SM tells me that he had "never seen anything like it in all his years." Apparently the pinion bearings were completely pitted, "as if you beat them with a flat-head screwdriver and a hammer" and the bearing covers were "scorched". BUT, it was full of fluid, go figure. Kiddingly, I said, "not guilty" about damaging the car and he laughed and said that without disassembling the entire differential, there was no way I could have done that kind of damage to it, and even then, he couldn't see how........perhaps he had forgotten his hammer & screwdriver theory already?

So, for the grand total of $70.08 I got a 100% new differential, good for another few months/years of abuse. I HOPE.

BTW, that $70 was $45 for labor, $17.28 for "cleaner", $2.25 in "miscellaneous charges" and $5.55 in tax. Theiving bastards can't even do a simple warranty repair without trying to gouge ya for SOMETHING.

However, as my friend Jonathan kindly pointed out to me, I basically got a new rear end (except for axles) for 70 bucks..........and he is right. Boy is she quiet and smoooooooth now. So basically for the price of 2 tanks of gas, I got a new (10 bolt) rear end. I am not bitching, so much as I am just venting cuz I shouldn't have to pay squat for warranty work. Oh well, it is over and my girl is back on the road (quietly).



[/end rant]

HitmanLSX

damn only $45 for labor? lol that's a steal glad you're back on the road

Off to work I go.

Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

It was only for half an hour............I wish I made (or could charge) $90 an hour.

LS1 Sounds

iTrader: (11)

I'm surprised they covered it under warranty if it was modded. Especially if they replaced the rear-end that had a girdle on it. Congratulations!

Bubba_Goat

Half hour? I thought he said twice it'd be an hour of labor? 2 hours for $45 is awesome... half hour for $45 sounds about par for the bastages. lol

Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

They are required by Federal law to cover it unless the modded parts can be shown to have caused or contributed to the damage. The Magnason-Moss Warranty Act is your friend.

Now that doesn't stop the vast majority of dealers from denying claims left & right.....but if you find the right place and say the right things, anything is possible.
Well they couldn't make up their minds...first it was gonna be an hour of labor for messing with the TA girdle, then it became an hour for labor for messing with the 11" rims and 315 tires. He said the warranty company wouldn't cover their "time" spent on non factory parts. And let us not forget 2 cans of "cleaner" for a total of about $20........apparently they had to clean something that wasn't under warranty???? Like I said, I am just venting that I had to pay anything under a warranty cvlaim, but it beats the hell outta being forced prematurely into buying a 12 bolt.

Todd2001SS

That is pretty awesome, good deal.

Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

Thanks, I am just glad to be done with that whole nightmare...........they didn't SAY I needed to break it in, but I wonder if I should go easy on it for the first few hundred miles????

Tranzor

Maybe you should call the SM and ask him if there's a break-in period... then you can say, "Oh... so you mean its ok for me to go do 6k clutch dumps on slicks like before?"

Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

I think he would **** himself..........

GEARHED

iTrader: (5)

I few passes at the track should break it in...

At least you didn't take it to Seaview - who knows what they would have said *wasn't* wrong with the car and shoved you back out the door with your rear end dissasembled. At least you got decent service which is a rarity for dealerships

Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

It was quite thorough and they actually listened to what I said was wrong...which is EXTREMELY rare...........they put a stethascope <sp?> up to the diff when it was on the rack and blew some poor kids ear drums out

And Seaview can bite my ***. I will NEVER EVER go there for anything except to

Tranzor

You may not want to do that either... they'd probably stop you on the way to the can and tell you "Well sir, you don't actually need to take a ****... that gurgling in your stomach is normal and completely within spec."

Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

Wonder what they would do when I dropped my pants and crapped on their showroom floor then?

Tranzor

Tell you the crap stain on your pants is not covered under warranty because you are wearing aftermarket undies... what do you think?

Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

Ok, you are just WAAAAY too twisted for me.

GEARHED

iTrader: (5)

Yeah, a thong is pretty much considered "aftermarket"

Todd2001SS

That was pretty in depth, lol...

Tranzor

I don't think we should be mentioning "Rott", "thong" and "in depth" all in the same thread.

Bubba_Goat

Nah, it's ok... as long as you also through in "donkey".