FUBAR Pontiac-Buick
04-10-2010, 01:20 AM
#1
Staging Lane
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FUBAR Pontiac-Buick This all started with a high-tech am-fm-6cd-nav that couldn't hear AM radio.
BUT...let me skip ahead. A couple of days ago a funny thrumming noise started from the rear. Sounded sort of like a soft or flat tire, but the tires were fine.
I mentioned this thrumming to the dealer while bringing it back for the radio--again--and when I picked the car up this afternoon, the svc manager 'splained to me how they solved the problem.
Les Schwab, an idiot tire dealer they sent the car to, told them them wheels is offset and the skinny tires go in front, whoever had this car before you screwed it up and put the fat tires on the front and that caused the rubbing.
Well that's funny, I told them the rubbing started five miles ago. Guess that doesn't matter. This dealer is not in the business of listening.
The current tires have been on for about 2,000 miles, I got them at Discount Tire locally.
Not Les Schwab, and FWIW I will never darken their door after seeing how stupid and ignorant they are.
The dealer WOULD NOT HEAR ME when I told them "This is the way Pontiac designed this car. The 255.45.18 go on the front, the rears are supposed to be 225.50.18 (one size up on my car due to nonavailability). That's the way Pontiac designed the car."
Never mind. Despite that this is a Pontiac-Buick-GM dealer and, hopefully, they have specs available, the sm and another tech kept saying we fixed it, rubbing's gone, big tires go on back.
They looked at me as if I was some sort of irritating troublemaker, tryin to tell them their bidness.
I said no, fix it. SM shrugged and told mech to take it in and flip the tires. THAT's when he discovered the tire rubbing the Left Rear strut.
He surmised it had collapsed, said "I don't see no fluid."
I said it's a gas strut, WTF do I have to tell you every damn thing about this goddam car you're supposed to be the experts on, maybe gas struts don't bleed fluid when they die?
So the MF has ordered one LR Bilstein.
One of the geniuses pulled up the build sheet for the car, and they discovered what tires go where. The SM kindly gave that to me as I was departing. Like I need it.
I will detail the radio screw-ups in another thread.
BUT...let me skip ahead. A couple of days ago a funny thrumming noise started from the rear. Sounded sort of like a soft or flat tire, but the tires were fine.
I mentioned this thrumming to the dealer while bringing it back for the radio--again--and when I picked the car up this afternoon, the svc manager 'splained to me how they solved the problem.
Les Schwab, an idiot tire dealer they sent the car to, told them them wheels is offset and the skinny tires go in front, whoever had this car before you screwed it up and put the fat tires on the front and that caused the rubbing.
Well that's funny, I told them the rubbing started five miles ago. Guess that doesn't matter. This dealer is not in the business of listening.
The current tires have been on for about 2,000 miles, I got them at Discount Tire locally.
Not Les Schwab, and FWIW I will never darken their door after seeing how stupid and ignorant they are.
The dealer WOULD NOT HEAR ME when I told them "This is the way Pontiac designed this car. The 255.45.18 go on the front, the rears are supposed to be 225.50.18 (one size up on my car due to nonavailability). That's the way Pontiac designed the car."
Never mind. Despite that this is a Pontiac-Buick-GM dealer and, hopefully, they have specs available, the sm and another tech kept saying we fixed it, rubbing's gone, big tires go on back.
They looked at me as if I was some sort of irritating troublemaker, tryin to tell them their bidness.
I said no, fix it. SM shrugged and told mech to take it in and flip the tires. THAT's when he discovered the tire rubbing the Left Rear strut.
He surmised it had collapsed, said "I don't see no fluid."
I said it's a gas strut, WTF do I have to tell you every damn thing about this goddam car you're supposed to be the experts on, maybe gas struts don't bleed fluid when they die?
So the MF has ordered one LR Bilstein.
One of the geniuses pulled up the build sheet for the car, and they discovered what tires go where. The SM kindly gave that to me as I was departing. Like I need it.
I will detail the radio screw-ups in another thread.
04-10-2010, 08:31 AM
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well they are GMC Buick mechanincs..There is no more Pontiac..they got rid of all those guys a while ago.. 
jk I know its frustrating..
But think of it this way. you have a very limited production car. SHould they know about it? Yes. Will they? Probably not.
When my wife went to have an alignment on the car at the local Firestone. They did the same thing..they said the fronts are supposed to be in the back..being a car girl she knows..and told them. Also he commented on the shocks and asked if it came that way..she said yup..and the red calipers he thought they were just painted stock ones. Nope PBR
and last was..this is a V8? and she said yes it is. He said is it fast. She said..fast enough
jk I know its frustrating..But think of it this way. you have a very limited production car. SHould they know about it? Yes. Will they? Probably not.
When my wife went to have an alignment on the car at the local Firestone. They did the same thing..they said the fronts are supposed to be in the back..being a car girl she knows..and told them. Also he commented on the shocks and asked if it came that way..she said yup..and the red calipers he thought they were just painted stock ones. Nope PBR
and last was..this is a V8? and she said yes it is. He said is it fast. She said..fast enough
04-10-2010, 09:10 AM
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Staging Lane
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Hahaha. Support your local dealer. These boys have been a B-P-GMC dealer forever.
I know I shouldn't expect much from these numbskulls, but this just pissed me off.
I told my wife I won't darken these MF's doors again once we finish with this radio issue. Which they finally did, incredibly.
First time I pulled it into the local Chevy dealer for some routine service, one of the writers immediately got down and checked the F & R tire sizes. Methinks he knew what it was about...
I know I shouldn't expect much from these numbskulls, but this just pissed me off.
I told my wife I won't darken these MF's doors again once we finish with this radio issue. Which they finally did, incredibly.
First time I pulled it into the local Chevy dealer for some routine service, one of the writers immediately got down and checked the F & R tire sizes. Methinks he knew what it was about...
04-10-2010, 11:31 AM
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It's amazing how so many dealers are so stupid.
I went to one this morning to pick up a downpipe gasket, and the guy at the desk told me, he didn't understand my terminology "downpipe", so I said the pipe that connects the exhaust manifold to the cat/rest of the exhaust. He's like I still can't help you, I need a VIN....
Needless to say, I went somewhere else to get the part...
I went to one this morning to pick up a downpipe gasket, and the guy at the desk told me, he didn't understand my terminology "downpipe", so I said the pipe that connects the exhaust manifold to the cat/rest of the exhaust. He's like I still can't help you, I need a VIN....
Needless to say, I went somewhere else to get the part...
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04-10-2010, 11:57 AM
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You need to get acquainted with a tech and only let him touch your car the guy that works on mine is in the same car club with me and we work on it on Saturdays together.
04-10-2010, 01:21 PM
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Staging Lane
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It's amazing how so many dealers are so stupid.
I went to one this morning to pick up a downpipe gasket, and the guy at the desk told me, he didn't understand my terminology "downpipe", so I said the pipe that connects the exhaust manifold to the cat/rest of the exhaust. He's like I still can't help you, I need a VIN....
Needless to say, I went somewhere else to get the part...
I went to one this morning to pick up a downpipe gasket, and the guy at the desk told me, he didn't understand my terminology "downpipe", so I said the pipe that connects the exhaust manifold to the cat/rest of the exhaust. He's like I still can't help you, I need a VIN....
Needless to say, I went somewhere else to get the part...
You are damned lucky.
I'm going to check the Chevy dealer after I'm done with this knucklehead. These guys are clueless. At least they finally blundered onto a fix for the AM radio.
04-10-2010, 09:12 PM
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In case you didn't know, the second number set is the ratio of the sidewall to the tire width. Therefore, the rear sidewall height of 112.5 mm is 50% of the tire's width of 225 mm. And the front sidewall height of 114.75 mm is 45% of the tire's width of 255 mm. This is the reason why our rears look slightly "thinner" than our fronts (112.5 vs. 114.75).
Car manufacturers with cars with staggered wheels always try to keep the sidewalls around the same height, regardless of tire/wheel widths.
04-11-2010, 12:01 AM
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Staging Lane
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P225/50R18 is the size of our rear tires. It's not "one size up."
In case you didn't know, the second number set is the ratio of the sidewall to the tire width. Therefore, the rear sidewall height of 112.5 mm is 50% of the tire's width of 225 mm. And the front sidewall height of 114.75 mm is 45% of the tire's width of 255 mm. This is the reason why our rears look slightly "thinner" than our fronts (112.5 vs. 114.75).
Car manufacturers with cars with staggered wheels always try to keep the sidewalls around the same height, regardless of tire/wheel widths.
In case you didn't know, the second number set is the ratio of the sidewall to the tire width. Therefore, the rear sidewall height of 112.5 mm is 50% of the tire's width of 225 mm. And the front sidewall height of 114.75 mm is 45% of the tire's width of 255 mm. This is the reason why our rears look slightly "thinner" than our fronts (112.5 vs. 114.75).
Car manufacturers with cars with staggered wheels always try to keep the sidewalls around the same height, regardless of tire/wheel widths.
The DWS do not come in 225.50.18, closest is 235.50.18 which is what I have fitted. Hence the "one size up."
See sig for details.
Regards.
04-12-2010, 01:18 PM
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I can't believe the level of ignorance displayed at some dealerships. This is one of the things GM needs to fix if they expect to keep some of the conquest business they've earned through their improved products.
My Impala is currently at the local "new" Chevy dealer (transmission died!), which is actually a Cadillac/former Hummer dealer. The level of service so far has been good, but I'm concerned about a lack of knowledge on the V8 W-body, as there's no Cadillac platform-mate of our cars.
I'm just hoping for the best!
My Impala is currently at the local "new" Chevy dealer (transmission died!), which is actually a Cadillac/former Hummer dealer. The level of service so far has been good, but I'm concerned about a lack of knowledge on the V8 W-body, as there's no Cadillac platform-mate of our cars.
I'm just hoping for the best!
04-12-2010, 03:35 PM
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Staging Lane
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I can't believe the level of ignorance displayed at some dealerships. This is one of the things GM needs to fix if they expect to keep some of the conquest business they've earned through their improved products.
My Impala is currently at the local "new" Chevy dealer (transmission died!), which is actually a Cadillac/former Hummer dealer. The level of service so far has been good, but I'm concerned about a lack of knowledge on the V8 W-body, as there's no Cadillac platform-mate of our cars.
I'm just hoping for the best!
My Impala is currently at the local "new" Chevy dealer (transmission died!), which is actually a Cadillac/former Hummer dealer. The level of service so far has been good, but I'm concerned about a lack of knowledge on the V8 W-body, as there's no Cadillac platform-mate of our cars.
I'm just hoping for the best!
Oh wait, maybe The Mickey Mouse Show was on...
