The WRONG way to run a shop! A/C Repair - Funny!(long)
05-16-2003, 06:13 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
The WRONG way to run a shop! A/C Repair - Funny!(long)
Another tale from the bowels of P repair in Miami. It was time last summer to R&R the old AC compressor that was leaking and convert to r134. So I priced out Sanden replacement kits from one of the local parts places that has good prices on quality new parts as well as a decent national reputation. I'll call them Playtex. As it turns out they also have a shop in the back run by a few Cubans that "know Porches". I've had some work done by them over the years -less and less as I learned how to do my own stuff and realized how poor the quality of their repairs were. A few years before after they put some poorly rebuilt parts in and actually tried to steal my lower front air dam <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> (which I spotted in the corner of the shop after they claimed there wasn't one on the car originally) I finally had to say adios. <img border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" title="" src="graemlins/cussing.gif" />
So I go to the shop just to buy the kit which had the best price I could find and planned to put it on myself. The garage manager notices me and comes over to ask why I havent brought my car around in awhile. I tell "Fidel" that it's been running great since I've been doing my own maintenance now just needs the A/C fixed. Well I knew better but since I would have had to take the car in for a system vacuum and then 134 pressurization I couldnt resist his offer to mount and fill it for peanuts. The only caveat I asked was that I could be present to observe the process. He agreed.
So I'm watching every move the mechanic does and when it comes time to ready the new Sanden compressor it is apparent that several tabs must be cut off of the compressor to accomodate the space limitations of the oil pan. Since these are universal units built to function on many different types of cars they must be specifically fit to the 944. That means get out a hacksaw and cut some 1" tabs after a trial fit. When the guy gets back I immediately noticed that he cut the main tab that the AC tensioning rod bolts to. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />
Without saying anything I watched as he tried to figure a way to mount the thing. After a good 10 minutes or so he figured he had to go ask "Fidel" what the problem was. They look it over and then dissappear for a moment and return with a new unit. Fidel politely explained what I already knew and then opens the box with the new unit. Problem was the new box was in Chinese! Nowhere did it say anything related to Sanden although the unit looked similar. Well, Fidel sure tried to convince me it was a Sanden and asked me to point out the difference. After another few minutes of bickering I looked over to their parts shelf and noticed another Sanden unit so I made them put it on. I asked what they were gonna do with the destroyed $350 unit. Without missing a beat Fidel said no problemo- we'll just weld the tab back on and use it on another car! <img border="0" alt="[nono]" title="" src="graemlins/nono.gif" /> Great.
A call to the Sanden Tech support later after the ordeal revealed that indeed there are cheap Chinese ripoffs of the high quality Sanden units... and I almost got stuck with one!
Well, now my A/C works great, I don't live in Miami anymore and I've experienced another of lifes memorable moments! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />
So I go to the shop just to buy the kit which had the best price I could find and planned to put it on myself. The garage manager notices me and comes over to ask why I havent brought my car around in awhile. I tell "Fidel" that it's been running great since I've been doing my own maintenance now just needs the A/C fixed. Well I knew better but since I would have had to take the car in for a system vacuum and then 134 pressurization I couldnt resist his offer to mount and fill it for peanuts. The only caveat I asked was that I could be present to observe the process. He agreed.
So I'm watching every move the mechanic does and when it comes time to ready the new Sanden compressor it is apparent that several tabs must be cut off of the compressor to accomodate the space limitations of the oil pan. Since these are universal units built to function on many different types of cars they must be specifically fit to the 944. That means get out a hacksaw and cut some 1" tabs after a trial fit. When the guy gets back I immediately noticed that he cut the main tab that the AC tensioning rod bolts to. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />
Without saying anything I watched as he tried to figure a way to mount the thing. After a good 10 minutes or so he figured he had to go ask "Fidel" what the problem was. They look it over and then dissappear for a moment and return with a new unit. Fidel politely explained what I already knew and then opens the box with the new unit. Problem was the new box was in Chinese! Nowhere did it say anything related to Sanden although the unit looked similar. Well, Fidel sure tried to convince me it was a Sanden and asked me to point out the difference. After another few minutes of bickering I looked over to their parts shelf and noticed another Sanden unit so I made them put it on. I asked what they were gonna do with the destroyed $350 unit. Without missing a beat Fidel said no problemo- we'll just weld the tab back on and use it on another car! <img border="0" alt="[nono]" title="" src="graemlins/nono.gif" /> Great.
A call to the Sanden Tech support later after the ordeal revealed that indeed there are cheap Chinese ripoffs of the high quality Sanden units... and I almost got stuck with one!
Well, now my A/C works great, I don't live in Miami anymore and I've experienced another of lifes memorable moments! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />
05-16-2003, 06:27 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Baton Rouge/New Orleans, LA
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Exactly why I do almost all work myself. I have only ever found one shop that I trusted completely. They worked on my 4-Runner, but they do not touch Porches. No problem I enjoy doing it myself.
05-17-2003, 01:44 AM
#4
Three Wheelin'
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by MichelleJD:
<strong>God I hate Miami. You're lucky to be out.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">yeah i agree, theres only so many string bikini bottoms(what tops?? <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" /> ) you can look at!
<strong>God I hate Miami. You're lucky to be out.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">yeah i agree, theres only so many string bikini bottoms(what tops?? <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" /> ) you can look at!
