A Tale of Two Oil Services
Princeton Porsche
Oil service, brake fluid flush, annual inspection. When making the appointment, which is my first service with the car, we went over the service history on the car, what was done, what would need to be done in 2022. They offered to pickup and drop off the car. Not a chance, of course. I said I could wait for the car but they advised I would have a loaner car to use if I wanted to go get breakfast or run errands.
Arrive and check in. Hand them a Blackstone UOA container. Have an espresso. Given keys to a 2021 Macan. Service manager comes out and introduces himself. We talk about about Porsches, GT cars, Monticello, the crazy car market. Have an espresso. I check in with the used car manager. We have a mutual friend in common, we talk about his lack of inventory, lack of allocations moving forward, how most 911 base and S allocations are going to be converted to GTS allocations. He just took delivery of a 2022 base 911 for himself, so we look at that briefly. He offers to let me take something out of the used car inventory (of which there was only about 8 cars), but I tell him I'm interested in driving the Macan. I ask his opinion on if I should even bother staying on the GT3 list as I'm not going to pay 50 over. He suggests I stay on as who knows what may happen for the 2023 model year, the crazy economy and chip shortages. He recommends a good breakfast spot and off I go.
Head to breakfast, which was great (Turning Point in Mercer Mall). Run up to Halter's to look for a helmet. Hit a few backroads then back to the dealer. Base Macan in sport mode was pretty peppy! Have an espresso. Play on laptop for 45 minutes in waiting area. Tech comes out, hands me the oil sample and tells me the car is fine, no issues, and he didn't want to leave the oil in the car. He daily drives a 74 Carrera and told me about rebuilding the engine last year during COVID shutdown. He tells me the inspection video of my car will be sent to my phone shortly.
Get video, shows car on lift. Video of brakes, suspension, tires, engine, and transmission. All looks good. Maybe 45 seconds in length.
$870. Next years service will be about $2200. I took a Porsche branded water bottle and a granola bar and off I went.
Other than removing the plastic cover they had placed over the seat, I couldn't tell anyone had been inside my car.
Fullerton Chrysler
I check their website and find a coupon for full synthetic oil service. $45. The oil and filter would cost nearly that much. I also have two new/used winter tires to mount up. I stop by dealer to make appointment.
Service writer says I don't need an appointment. I ask to make appointment. No appointment needed. Back and forth, she finally writes my name and cell on a sticky note and puts it on her monitor.
I come in for Post-It note appointment. She doesn't recognize me. I reminder her of sticky note and that triggers her memory. Here's where it gets good.
I explain that the two right side tires, RF and RR, are 3/32 and the left side tires, LF and LR, are 7/32. The two tires to be mounted are in the trunk and are 8/32 each. Place the 8/32 tires on the front axle. Since the tires are unidirectional, dismount the LF tire and remount that on the RR. I should end up with 3 tires mounted and balanced with two tires on front at 8/32 and two on the rear at 7/32. I draw a picture and write this down and ask her to give to the tech. She thanks me for making it so clear.
Hour later car is "done". I haven't cleaned the wheels in, well, ever. So they are covered in brake dust. From 40 feet away I can tell the front tires were at least removed from the car and I see shiny new wheel weights. But the two rear tires were not. And no new wheel weights on the RR. RR is still 3/32. I show the service writer, she checks with the tech. Tech says he did mount up the LF on the RR. Now, I am annoyed. Tell service writer that the tech is either confused, lazy, or lying, none of which are acceptable. Additionally, now I break balls and tell service writer the tech dripped oil on the right fender and didn't clean it up. So, go get him. She says she will clean up the oil. I tell her no, that's the tech's job, go get him. He's going to accountable for his actions and inactions.
Manager comes out. I explain, he gets it. He sees the RR is nearly bald and doesn't have new wheel weights. He wipes off oil. Goes into shop. Comes back white-faced. While we were arguing about whether the tech actually did his job, the tire recycler showed up and took my dismounted tires already. Manager calls recycler, can't get in touch with driver. Plus, it's probably covered by other tires by now.
Manager says he will order a new tire for me, on the dealership. I tell him they are Michelin X-Ice and over $200 each, which is why I bought two used tires for $135 shipped. And, if he buys a new tire for me, I'll have one at 7/32 and one at 10/32 on the same axle and I won't be able to sleep knowing that. And I don't expect him to buy two new tires.
I tell him I'll look to see if I can find another used tire and he can pay for that. He can't he says. Can't buy a used eBay for a customer. So, I say I'll buy the tire if he does the oil service and tire mounting for free. He agrees. I find one 8/32 tire for $74 shipped. Ordered. They will install when it gets delivered. Overall they resolved the issue but JFC we should have never been there in the first place.
Coffee machine sort of worked. Chips and cookies for $1 each in the vending machine.
$114 for oil service and 2 tires mounted and balanced. Subtract $114 for incompetence. Add $74 for replacement tire. Total of $74.
Leave service and drive around back of building. Two techs are out back vaping. I stop and roll down window and tell them maybe if they spent more time reading the service orders than vaping they'd have happier customers. Off I went.
Princeton Porsche
Oil service, brake fluid flush, annual inspection. When making the appointment, which is my first service with the car, we went over the service history on the car, what was done, what would need to be done in 2022. They offered to pickup and drop off the car. Not a chance, of course. I said I could wait for the car but they advised I would have a loaner car to use if I wanted to go get breakfast or run errands.
Arrive and check in. Hand them a Blackstone UOA container. Have an espresso. Given keys to a 2021 Macan. Service manager comes out and introduces himself. We talk about about Porsches, GT cars, Monticello, the crazy car market. Have an espresso. I check in with the used car manager. We have a mutual friend in common, we talk about his lack of inventory, lack of allocations moving forward, how most 911 base and S allocations are going to be converted to GTS allocations. He just took delivery of a 2022 base 911 for himself, so we look at that briefly. He offers to let me take something out of the used car inventory (of which there was only about 8 cars), but I tell him I'm interested in driving the Macan. I ask his opinion on if I should even bother staying on the GT3 list as I'm not going to pay 50 over. He suggests I stay on as who knows what may happen for the 2023 model year, the crazy economy and chip shortages. He recommends a good breakfast spot and off I go.
Head to breakfast, which was great (Turning Point in Mercer Mall). Run up to Halter's to look for a helmet. Hit a few backroads then back to the dealer. Base Macan in sport mode was pretty peppy! Have an espresso. Play on laptop for 45 minutes in waiting area. Tech comes out, hands me the oil sample and tells me the car is fine, no issues, and he didn't want to leave the oil in the car. He daily drives a 74 Carrera and told me about rebuilding the engine last year during COVID shutdown. He tells me the inspection video of my car will be sent to my phone shortly.
Get video, shows car on lift. Video of brakes, suspension, tires, engine, and transmission. All looks good. Maybe 45 seconds in length.
$870. Next years service will be about $2200. I took a Porsche branded water bottle and a granola bar and off I went.
Other than removing the plastic cover they had placed over the seat, I couldn't tell anyone had been inside my car.
Fullerton Chrysler
I check their website and find a coupon for full synthetic oil service. $45. The oil and filter would cost nearly that much. I also have two new/used winter tires to mount up. I stop by dealer to make appointment.
Service writer says I don't need an appointment. I ask to make appointment. No appointment needed. Back and forth, she finally writes my name and cell on a sticky note and puts it on her monitor.
I come in for Post-It note appointment. She doesn't recognize me. I reminder her of sticky note and that triggers her memory. Here's where it gets good.
I explain that the two right side tires, RF and RR, are 3/32 and the left side tires, LF and LR, are 7/32. The two tires to be mounted are in the trunk and are 8/32 each. Place the 8/32 tires on the front axle. Since the tires are unidirectional, dismount the LF tire and remount that on the RR. I should end up with 3 tires mounted and balanced with two tires on front at 8/32 and two on the rear at 7/32. I draw a picture and write this down and ask her to give to the tech. She thanks me for making it so clear.
Hour later car is "done". I haven't cleaned the wheels in, well, ever. So they are covered in brake dust. From 40 feet away I can tell the front tires were at least removed from the car and I see shiny new wheel weights. But the two rear tires were not. And no new wheel weights on the RR. RR is still 3/32. I show the service writer, she checks with the tech. Tech says he did mount up the LF on the RR. Now, I am annoyed. Tell service writer that the tech is either confused, lazy, or lying, none of which are acceptable. Additionally, now I break balls and tell service writer the tech dripped oil on the right fender and didn't clean it up. So, go get him. She says she will clean up the oil. I tell her no, that's the tech's job, go get him. He's going to accountable for his actions and inactions.
Manager comes out. I explain, he gets it. He sees the RR is nearly bald and doesn't have new wheel weights. He wipes off oil. Goes into shop. Comes back white-faced. While we were arguing about whether the tech actually did his job, the tire recycler showed up and took my dismounted tires already. Manager calls recycler, can't get in touch with driver. Plus, it's probably covered by other tires by now.
Manager says he will order a new tire for me, on the dealership. I tell him they are Michelin X-Ice and over $200 each, which is why I bought two used tires for $135 shipped. And, if he buys a new tire for me, I'll have one at 7/32 and one at 10/32 on the same axle and I won't be able to sleep knowing that. And I don't expect him to buy two new tires.
I tell him I'll look to see if I can find another used tire and he can pay for that. He can't he says. Can't buy a used eBay for a customer. So, I say I'll buy the tire if he does the oil service and tire mounting for free. He agrees. I find one 8/32 tire for $74 shipped. Ordered. They will install when it gets delivered. Overall they resolved the issue but JFC we should have never been there in the first place.
Coffee machine sort of worked. Chips and cookies for $1 each in the vending machine.
$114 for oil service and 2 tires mounted and balanced. Subtract $114 for incompetence. Add $74 for replacement tire. Total of $74.
Leave service and drive around back of building. Two techs are out back vaping. I stop and roll down window and tell them maybe if they spent more time reading the service orders than vaping they'd have happier customers. Off I went.