Re: What would you do regarding this servicing oversight?
 

bristle wrote in news:ms5ol5tfi2kboo9cl29vi2668d1e1b546g@4ax.com:

> On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:38:48 -0600, Jim Yanik <jyanik@abuse.gov>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>There seems to be some question as to -how long a period elapsed-
>>between the "last service" and the loose and missing lug nuts.
>
> as per my original post: "recently".

Still doesn't tell us HOW LONG. "recently" could be six months.
>>
>>as another person posted, the owner/operator should have noticed
>>missing lug nuts while doing tire pressure checks.
>
> No, the owner of the car would not have checked pressure in the brief
> interim.

probably not at all.

>>
>>Or when washing their car.
>
> Maybe you've recently enjoyed fresh spring breezes? Here, slush rain
> and snow discouraged 'car washing'.

I live in Florida,but beefore that,grew up in BuffaloNY,and people still
washed their cars in the winder,to remove some of the salt and dirt that
accumulates on vehicles. The coin-op washes are very busy in the winter.
>
>>
>>Now,I once forgot to tighten lug nuts on a front wheel,and it was not
>>long before I noticed they had loosened and the wheel was wobbling.
>>Less than a day,in fact. I was lucky,I didn't lose any of the nuts,or
>>damage the studs.
>
> Yes, I imagine if she'd done the job herself (the tyre replacement)
> then she might have linked her own questionable competence to a rapid
> diagnosis.

ooh,I must have touched a nerve.... hmm,"bristle" does seems appropo.
>

Actually,I just got out and looked.

As for "questionable competence",all it takes is a distraction in the midst
of a job.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

Re: What would you do regarding this servicing oversight?
 

In article <Xns9D0A58BDF6D40jyaniklocalnetcom@216.168.3.44> ,
Jim Yanik <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote:

> I live in Florida,but beefore that,grew up in BuffaloNY,and people still
> washed their cars in the winder

I never wash my car in the winder. My winders are fer seein' through,
not fer car-washing'.

Re: What would you do regarding this servicing oversight?
 

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote in
news:elmop-A481B9.09073824012010@news.eternal-september.org:

> In article <Xns9D0A58BDF6D40jyaniklocalnetcom@216.168.3.44> ,
> Jim Yanik <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote:
>
>> I live in Florida,but beefore that,grew up in BuffaloNY,and people
>> still washed their cars in the winder
>
> I never wash my car in the winder. My winders are fer seein' through,
> not fer car-washing'.
>

yeah,I know I can't type....

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

Re: What would you do regarding this servicing oversight?
 

On 01/24/2010 01:49 AM, bristle wrote:
> On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:00:12 -0600, "E. Meyer"<e.p.meyer@verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
>> On 1/23/10 5:18 AM, in article ullll55pfb6n5b38fg5fghoqarp55u0jjh@4ax.com,
>> "bristle"<bristle> wrote:
>>
>>> My partner has recently had a Honda car serviced under a 2-year free
>>> service deal on an ex-demo (3,500m) car she bought 18 months ago.
>>>
>>> A couple of days ago we heard a knocking sound seeming to come from
>>> the rear of the car but with no other symptoms affecting the driving.
>>> We are both as good as clueless with cars so other than making sure
>>> there wasn't a stone lodged in any of the tyres it was decided to take
>>> the car into a main agent this morning to get the problem dealt with.
>>>
>>> As it turns out, we have moved since the car purchase and preferred to
>>> take the car into a local Honda dealer rather than the more distant
>>> dealer who carried out the last service. As part of that service, 2
>>> new front tyres were advised and fitted.
>>>
>>> Now just returned from the local Honda with the problem (knocking)
>>> speedily sorted. They informed my partner that the agent carrying out
>>> the service had obviously been careless since the offside front wheel
>>> had only one nut in place, itself loose - 3 missing - and that she
>>> was probably lucky to be alive having used the car over the last few
>>> weeks to cover 500 miles or so.
>>>
>>> Obviously we are relieved to be alive (as are all her passengers!) but
>>> feel that we should seek some sort of recourse while being unsure
>>> exactly what.
>>>
>>> Would anyone have any ideas or insight to share on this?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> This happened to me once with an Oldsmobile. The service guy loosely
>> installed the lug nuts, then got distracted with something else and never
>> came back with the torque wrench to finish the job. It didn't handle any
>> differently from normal until about two miles down the road when the
>> handling got loose and the knocking started pretty much at the same time. I
>> didn't lose any but in that short distance several of them were nearly all
>> the way off.
>>
>> If there is any damage to the lugs you should be able to make the offending
>> shop replace them& of course, they owe you the lost nuts. Other than that,
>> you don't really have any recourse.
>
>
> Beyond our initial excitement this is how we're seeing it too. There's
> no reported lug damage according to the 2nd garage. We've been
> advised by them to soundly upbraid

right, they're really going to take a verbal accusation seriously.
because that's all you have at this point.


> the garage where the service was
> carried out. In their words, it would be a "serious disciplinary
> matter".

yeah, personal responsibility be damned!


>
> We'll be going out of our way to embarrass them.

so you experience no embarrassment for abdicating your personal
responsibility? you know, the one you legally signed for on the service
order?

>
>
> Thanks for your civil and helpful response.

yet another idiot that won't take personal responsibility - we /really/
need more people like you in our society...

Re: What would you do regarding this servicing oversight?
 

On Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:49:49 +0000, bristle wrote:

>My thanks to all (save a couple of posts from the usual and expected
>usenet dysfunctionals) for their consensus view.
>
>
>Adieu


To be honest, somewhere between the posts you consider good and bad
probably lies the truth. My take on this is, why go outa your way to
get back at them or whatever? I think you should be grateful that you
are still alive and perhaps got a positive experience(s) out of this
thanks to them. The positives are 1- you (and passengers) are alive
and unharmed, 2- now you know where to service your car, 3- now you
know you (and partner) have a duty to learn a little about your car
and check it periodically for simple things like low tire pressure,
etc.. .

Another poster(s) was correct that typically when they install tires,
they will tell you to recheck the stud nuts after X number of miles.
By the way, I once had my stud nuts loose too and as I recall the only
symptom was the knocking noise. Luckily I only drove for 20 miles or
so on local roads and discovered it perhaps like 1 or 2 hours later.
Boy was I upset with myself knowing the danger I put myself (others)
into. No excuse for that (whether directed at myself or you). The
way I see it, if we drive a car, we have a responsibility to maintain
our cars so that we don't endanger the lives around us or our
passengers. I cannot defend ignorance for you or me. Just consider
yourself lucky to be alive and unharmed.

Re: What would you do regarding this servicing oversight?
 

On 01/25/2010 04:51 AM, Observer wrote:
> On Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:49:49 +0000, bristle wrote:
>
>> My thanks to all (save a couple of posts from the usual and expected
>> usenet dysfunctionals)
>>

<snip>

> if we drive a car, we have a responsibility to maintain
> our cars so that we don't endanger the lives around us or our
> passengers.

indeed. but i think that's the bit our bristly friend didn't want to
hear - why take personal responsibility when you can play the blame
game? simply label people that tell you what you don't want to hear
"dysfunctional" and walk away with nothing!

Re: What would you do regarding this servicing oversight?
 

jim beam wrote:
> On 01/25/2010 04:51 AM, Observer wrote:
>> On Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:49:49 +0000, bristle wrote:
>>
>>> My thanks to all (save a couple of posts from the usual and expected
>>> usenet dysfunctionals)
>>>
>
> <snip>
>
>> if we drive a car, we have a responsibility to maintain
>> our cars so that we don't endanger the lives around us or our
>> passengers.
>
> indeed. but i think that's the bit our bristly friend didn't want to
> hear - why take personal responsibility when you can play the blame
> game? simply label people that tell you what you don't want to hear
> "dysfunctional" and walk away with nothing!
>
>


Bingo. And walk away, unfortunately as a perpetual risk to others, too.

Re: What would you do regarding this servicing oversight?
 

Thus spake bristle :

>My thanks to all (save a couple of posts from the usual and expected
>usenet dysfunctionals) for their consensus view.
>
>
>Adieu

Okay, here's my take.

I check and retorque (as needed) about 500 miles after the tires have
been off the car. Realistically you don't need to do that and, as you
say, you don't have the skill set, nor, likely, the tools.

I do check my pressure once a week, as well as my oil. You should be
competent enough to check the oil as it's written in the owner's
manual and all of the rods are well (VERY WELL) marked. Air pressure?
I've always hated the pop up gauges, but my in-laws gave me a digital
instant read that's great. Accurate (it reads to the tenth, I'm only
worried about halves) and repeatable.

When ever you walk up to your car in the open during the day, just
walk around the car. You may not know what you're looking for right
now, but in 3 or 4 months you'll know what's different, even if you
don't know why.

You're whining that "that's something I can't do" is just that, a
little whine. It's your responsibility to take care of your car.
Unless you believe in the nanny state.
--

- dillon I am not invalid

I love my country, It's my government I fear.

Hey, turnabout's fair play.