I need d skilled & honest mechanic in east mesa please (Chandler: coupon, disposal)

[Bench Warmer]

I just brought my civic to fletchers for an oil change. They call me back saying they can't do the change due to the oil pan nut being stripped. The last oil change I got was from a Honda dealer.. They made no mention of the nut being stripped.

I dug out the print out HONDA handed me after my 60,000 mile service.. And at the very bottom... Sure enough.. It says "nut replaced with after market nut due to nut being stripped".. The crappy thing about it is, they made no mention of it during check out. It's my fault for not reading that print out from start to finish... But they told me everything went great..

There's no doubt in my mind Honda is responsible for this... No mention of this problem during check out at all and placing it at the very bottom of the progress report after check out..



If anyone knows a good mechanic that isn't a con artist in the East Mesa area... Please let me know. I'm tired of this crap. I went to the dealer thinking I was doing the right thing, now I'm out hundreds of dollars because I need to replace this oil pan!!


I'm so aggravated.. I want to hold Honda accountable.. But I don't think I'd be able to pull it off.. It's been 3 months and it was on the print out.. I bet the ship has sailed on that one!

[Wyoming Darrell]

I can't help you with your problem but I would suggest that it was the place before the Honda dealer that stripped the threads. That problem is usually caused by over-tightening the drain plug. It sounds like Honda tried to fix the problem with the accepted method. Unless you can find a larger plug, the only solution is to replace the pan. Before you replace the pan, though, check to see if there is a plug that would work in SAE thread as well as metric. The plugs are self tapping, so the next size larger in SAE might work if you can't find a larger metric. I have even seen an instance where the hole was re-tapped to pipe thread and it worked.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by Bench Warmer

I just brought my civic to fletchers for an oil change. They call me back saying they can't do the change due to the oil pan nut being stripped. The last oil change I got was from a Honda dealer.. They made no mention of the nut being stripped.

I dug out the print out HONDA handed me after my 60,000 mile service.. And at the very bottom... Sure enough.. It says "nut replaced with after market nut due to nut being stripped".. The crappy thing about it is, they made no mention of it during check out. It's my fault for not reading that print out from start to finish... But they told me everything went great..

There's no doubt in my mind Honda is responsible for this... No mention of this problem during check out at all and placing it at the very bottom of the progress report after check out..



If anyone knows a good mechanic that isn't a con artist in the East Mesa area... Please let me know. I'm tired of this crap. I went to the dealer thinking I was doing the right thing, now I'm out hundreds of dollars because I need to replace this oil pan!!


I'm so aggravated.. I want to hold Honda accountable.. But I don't think I'd be able to pull it off.. It's been 3 months and it was on the print out.. I bet the ship has sailed on that one!

You really need to change your own oil. I got a $10 coupon to get my oil changed so I figured I mine as well get it done by them. Sure enough, they overfilled it by a quart and the car started leaking oil all over the place. I decided to drain out the oil and fill it to the proper level. Sure enough, I could not get the drain plug off. I had to take it to a shop again, and the drain plug got stripped and had to be replaced. They tightened it so much they had to use a breaker bar to remove it!! Luckily, it was just the plug that got stripped, not the pan. I have changed the oil myself on this car for over 2 years and never had a problem before.

[Wyoming Darrell]

Most of the problems I have seen relating to a stripped plug were caused by one of the oil change places over-tightening the plug. Even more interesting is when they over-tighten the filter. I have had it take well over an hour just to remove the filter, and that is with every tool you can imagine at my disposal. I won't take my vehicle to anything but a dealer if I can't change it myself.

[Bench Warmer]

Originally Posted by Wyoming Darrell

I can't help you with your problem but I would suggest that it was the place before the Honda dealer that stripped the threads. That problem is usually caused by over-tightening the drain plug. It sounds like Honda tried to fix the problem with the accepted method. Unless you can find a larger plug, the only solution is to replace the pan. Before you replace the pan, though, check to see if there is a plug that would work in SAE thread as well as metric. The plugs are self tapping, so the next size larger in SAE might work if you can't find a larger metric. I have even seen an instance where the hole was re-tapped to pipe thread and it worked.

I want to believe that is true, but you think honda would have mentioned it to me. Also, I noticed they said they replaced the cabin air filter when they did not. The dealership charges top dollar, but in reality, sucks just as bad as the next guy. It's a damn shame

[Wyoming Darrell]

You may just need to go to Pay-Attention class. When you picked up your car, if you had looked at the bill, you could have asked them about the plug. They could have not only explained the plug, but shown you the old plug to show you what the problem was. When you noticed that they hadn't changed the cab filter, you could have called them. They would probably have looked at your bill, checked the filter, replaced it, and apologized. Then the whole problem would have been solved.
Now, what you need to do is find a shop that for some reason you think may be good. Have some work done after getting a written estimate. Check the bill, the repair, and the rest of the car for grease on the carpet, dents or other damage when you pick it up. Check the repair again in three days. If you have a problem, call them. Most shops want your business and know the only way to keep it is to satisfy you. Remember this though, even the best mechanic or shop can make a mistake.
Going back to your original post, I would bet LARGE amounts of money that the Honda shop had nothing to do with causing the oil plug problem

[KarmaPhx]

Why do you need a mechanic? You can remove the stripped bolt easily with a pair of plyers or vice grips, plus they make a variety of tools specifically for stripped bolts.

[Bench Warmer]

Originally Posted by KarmaPhx

Why do you need a mechanic? You can remove the stripped bolt easily with a pair of plyers or vice grips, plus they make a variety of tools specifically for stripped bolts.

for future repairs.. I haven't found a mechanic that I like since moving here

[ukusagirl39]

My hubby is a great mechanic from the Uk1 hopefully by next year we will be in AZ - good luck

[asufan]

If you really want a good, honest mechanic, I recommend Salem Boys Auto. Only problem is, they are located in South Tempe, around Warner and Hardy. I moved to Chandler, and I still drive the 10-12 miles to take my SUV there when in need of repairs. They don't haggle with pricing like most places, so you know the initial number is the number, not an inflated number to rip you off. They also used to host an auto repair show on KTAR a while ago.

I have taken my 4 Runner there twice for oil changes, since it's high mileage, and they always include a check of all belts, hoses, etc. They noticed my battery terminals were starting to corrode, and took care of that. They have yet to recommend any belts or hoses be replaced, yet other places always recommend a couple things, trying to up charge you. I don't trust anyone else, so give them a shot if you don't mind a little bit of a drive...

Salem Boys Auto