[!!!] Do not bring our precious cars to Hudson Toyota, NJ for service.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Yardjass

I think I'm fighting a losing battle here. All I'm trying to say is most of these techs are complete morons and you should use every advantage you can get, even little advantages like taking it somewhere that repeats the procedure more often.


There is no way in hell I'd trust a dealership to rebuild one of my motors unless I personally knew a reputable master tech working there and knew they were going to be doing it. A performance shop with a good reputation that specializes in that type of motor would be a much better choice. Then again, I don't like letting them change my oil or do any other simple work either. Its easy and I've seen way too many fuck ups to trust nearly any dealership or shop. The fact is I wouldn't take my own advice because the Subaru techs are idiots too.

Please explain why a Subaru tech is going to be better at not stripping oil pan plugs than a Toyota tech?

[MurderousPandas]

Originally Posted by Cole

Please explain why a Subaru tech is going to be better at not stripping oil pan plugs than a Toyota tech?

Subaru motor, made with Subaru parts. I don't know about you guys, but i noticed that even the studs on these cars are a little softer than most. Maybe Subaru techs are more familiar with Subarus and their parts? Even a slight difference in material can change how it torques, wears, and breaks.
What i don't get is why we don't have a quick drain oil valve. Like, they throw the oil filter right in your face when you pop the hood, why not make it easier on the bottom side? I really love my Fumoto valve, i think they should be on every car.


"Chasing speed with patience"

[Cole]

Originally Posted by MurderousPandas

Subaru motor, made with Subaru parts. I don't know about you guys, but i noticed that even the studs on these cars are a little softer than most. Maybe Subaru techs are more familiar with Subarus and their parts? Even a slight difference in material can change how it torques, wears, and breaks.
What i don't get is why we don't have a quick drain oil valve. Like, they throw the oil filter right in your face when you pop the hood, why not make it easier on the bottom side? I really love my Fumoto valve, i think they should be on every car.


"Chasing speed with patience"

Seriously? Have you ever turned a wrench in your life?

[MurderousPandas]

Originally Posted by Cole

Seriously? Have you ever turned a wrench in your life?

Absolutely. Only a few exceptions require me bringing my car in to any shop.
That was just my thought processing. Some manufacturers handle things differently, and when you stick with a brand, you begin to familiarize yourself with it versus other brands. It can be a reason for small failures, such as stripping an oil pan drain bolt, some you can impact on(not recommended), some you need to baby and tak extra care of, some have sharper threads than others, some are magnetic, some are soft, some are hard.
I can't explain a mechanic's terrible job, i can only give an assumption, and failing at something small makes me want to believe it was something else besides the mechanic. Maybe i just have too much hope that people are smarter than i think they are.

"Chasing speed with patience"

[Lantana frs]

Fwiw, Toyota put essentially 2 warranty motors in my car. First was a shortblock which blew due to improper cam timing and the second one was/is brandy new and so far so good. Point is, Toyota paid for it. Very mild inconvenience. We are not driving exotics. For every twin on the lift there are 2 or 3 $60k sequoias. Automotive doesn't pay enough to attract brain surgeons and our babies aren't necessarily their babies. I try to manage my expectations.

[Tcoat]

I don't know about the US but here the techs (not the oil change guys) are licenced mechanics that spent years in school and apprenticeships. They must do periodic retraining and upgrading in order to maintain that license. They are working on expensive cars for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week in a fully equipped shop with all the best and most up to date tools and equipment.

But of course all that means nothing since any Joe that watched a video and put his car up on 2x4 ramps so he could get his Harbor Freight wrench on a bolt is far better at every single task and never ever makes a mistake. Shit, the number of guys that claim they know what they are doing that make stupid ass comments or ask basic dumb questions on here alone disproves that whole concept.
Get over yourselves.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by MurderousPandas

Subaru motor, made with Subaru parts. I don't know about you guys, but i noticed that even the studs on these cars are a little softer than most. Maybe Subaru techs are more familiar with Subarus and their parts? Even a slight difference in material can change how it torques, wears, and breaks.
What i don't get is why we don't have a quick drain oil valve. Like, they throw the oil filter right in your face when you pop the hood, why not make it easier on the bottom side? I really love my Fumoto valve, i think they should be on every car.


"Chasing speed with patience"

An oil plug is an oil plug. Period!

We need you at work since it takes a lab tech with a piece of $20K equipment about 1/2 an hour to determine the difference in hardness in different pieces of steel. We had no clue that somebody could just "notice" something like that in a hardened stud. My boss will be overjoyed we can save so much money and time.
All the studs for every make and model probably come out of the same bloody manufacturing plant anyway. You think Subaru (or anybody) custom makes every single part?
So an oil tech added a 1/2 quart too much oil to the guys car that does not make every tech a blithering idiot. Did an auto tech kick your dog or steal your wife or something or do you just feel superior in general?
There are loads of things that "should be on every car" but they are not free and if they added everything then you could not afford it. About 2% of the world changes their own oil or services their own car so why the hell would they put expensive valves on cars where a simple plug has worked fine for 100 years?

[jtaeric]

Originally Posted by Yardjass

I think I'm fighting a losing battle here. All I'm trying to say is most of these techs are complete morons and you should use every advantage you can get, even little advantages like taking it somewhere that repeats the procedure more often.


There is no way in hell I'd trust a dealership to rebuild one of my motors unless I personally knew a reputable master tech working there and knew they were going to be doing it. A performance shop with a good reputation that specializes in that type of motor would be a much better choice. Then again, I don't like letting them change my oil or do any other simple work either. Its easy and I've seen way too many fuck ups to trust nearly any dealership or shop. The fact is I wouldn't take my own advice because the Subaru techs are idiots too.

Thanks dude. I never thought that the dealership is so bad. Since I am not an American, in my country, there are not too many auto shops that capable of working on everything. Dealership can do a way better job than most of the auto shops and the dealership will not fool you by using low quality parts which can not be guaranteed by normal shops. The rest of those shops are working on tuning and modification. So it is a normal thought that taking cars to dealership is better, although it may cost a little bit more. And most people will do so. Looks like things are different here.

[Yardjass]

Originally Posted by Cole

Please explain why a Subaru tech is going to be better at not stripping oil pan plugs than a Toyota tech?

I never said that. Reading comprehension.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I don't know about the US but here the techs (not the oil change guys) are licenced mechanics that spent years in school and apprenticeships. They must do periodic retraining and upgrading in order to maintain that license. They are working on expensive cars for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week in a fully equipped shop with all the best and most up to date tools and equipment.

But of course all that means nothing since any Joe that watched a video and put his car up on 2x4 ramps so he could get his Harbor Freight wrench on a bolt is far better at every single task and never ever makes a mistake. Shit, the number of guys that claim they know what they are doing that make stupid ass comments or ask basic dumb questions on here alone disproves that whole concept.
Get over yourselves.

I really hope that's not directed at me. We are talking about basic maintenance here and I have personally had way too many problems with the work that dealerships and other shops that I have had to fix myself. Many of these things (i.e. bothering to reinstall a trans fill plug, managing to install a wheel without snapping a stud), are completely inexcusable, and are things I myself had managed not to mess up many times before, and I expect most of this forum could manage to not mess up. Very few things on a car are actually difficult to do, especially basic maintenance, and there is a lot to be said for thorough and proper research. I have seen firsthand that I am capable enough to accomplish most tasks and that my record of mistakes is both fewer in number and in severity than these so-called professional dealerships and shops with "certifications". So, having been affected by their incompetence so often, I will trash talk them and I will not "get over myself". Maybe things are different in Canada but here, most of them are a joke.

Originally Posted by jtaeric

Thanks dude. I never thought that the dealership is so bad. Since I am not an American, in my country, there are not too many auto shops that capable of working on everything. Dealership can do a way better job than most of the auto shops and the dealership will not fool you by using low quality parts which can not be guaranteed by normal shops. The rest of those shops are working on tuning and modification. So it is a normal thought that taking cars to dealership is better, although it may cost a little bit more. And most people will do so. Looks like things are different here.

Where I'm at, there are a lot of highly regarded shops for specific cars/engines. For example, one does mostly Miatas and Subarus, another does small block chevys. These are the only places I actually trust, and the sort of places I take my vehicles when I want to outsource work, unless of course, there is a warranty involved. I would call them "tuning and modification" but they aren't using cheap parts without asking you. They make money off the labor, not the part, and they will install the best of everything as long as you're willing to pay for it.

[zc06_kisstherain]

just close this thread...jeez

[Lantana frs]

As far as performance shops are concerned, good fucking luck. Tuners have been destroying these cars for 4 yrs without turning a wrench on them. Some are incredibly talented but the road to them has been paved with dollars and disillusionment.