Interesting Visit to the Mazda Parts Dept...
09-19-12, 04:06 AM
#1
Interesting Visit to the Mazda Parts Dept...
So. Walk in all prepped with OE part numbers for FB brake bits (rear), am told
"We can't check these part numbers, we need the VIN."
WhatTheWaaa??
Anyone else run into this?
And of course, this is for rear discs on my _SA_ so the VIN would be useless anyway. They said "any VIN" from an 81-83 FB will do.
Really?
egads.
So a few here might be getting a PM to "borrow" their VIN for an order...
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
"We can't check these part numbers, we need the VIN."
WhatTheWaaa??
Anyone else run into this?
And of course, this is for rear discs on my _SA_ so the VIN would be useless anyway. They said "any VIN" from an 81-83 FB will do.
Really?
egads.
So a few here might be getting a PM to "borrow" their VIN for an order...
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
09-19-12, 11:10 AM
#5
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all the Mazda parts guys have been taught to ask for the vin, because on the newer cars you almost do need it to get the right part.
that being said i would have given them the SA vin, because the parts catalog wont take it, and then they get to go look at the car to make sure its right, and i'd just let them spin. ask a stupid question get a stupid answer
usually at the dealership's i've worked at, if someone comes in with a part number, we ASSUME that its what you want. if you were shop, we'd check to make sure the part number you gave us fits the car you have. the downside of course is that if YOU look up the part wrong, you get to keep the part....
this very scenario is why the Miata cup racers in England buy their 3-4 shift forks in San Jose California. the UK dealership wanted a vin, we said how many do you want.... i think he bought 17 or something too
that being said i would have given them the SA vin, because the parts catalog wont take it, and then they get to go look at the car to make sure its right, and i'd just let them spin. ask a stupid question get a stupid answer
usually at the dealership's i've worked at, if someone comes in with a part number, we ASSUME that its what you want. if you were shop, we'd check to make sure the part number you gave us fits the car you have. the downside of course is that if YOU look up the part wrong, you get to keep the part....
this very scenario is why the Miata cup racers in England buy their 3-4 shift forks in San Jose California. the UK dealership wanted a vin, we said how many do you want.... i think he bought 17 or something too
09-19-12, 11:19 AM
#6
Better than me driving up to Mitsubishi in the old Starion and getting told "that car doesn't exist in our database. Are you sure it's a Mitsubishi? Wtf is a Starion?"
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09-19-12, 10:32 PM
#8
thats pretty much every dealer...
me : "hi, i need a tail light assembly for a 97 corolla"
them : "whats the last 8 of the VIN"
me : " theyre all the same regardless of model, i just want a tail light assembly "
them "sorry, cant help you with out a VIN...maybe if i actually do work ill be able to find something... ill call you back"
Ive also had another recent problem at Mazda
1st, visit dealership to price out my LSD clutches, we pull up some old parts fisches, get the part number, cross reference it to the new valid part number, get prices, availability (many still out there) and NEW appropriate part numbers
2nd, I call back a month later to order with the same exact part numbers they gave me, and now "those part numbers are archived numbers, those parts dont exist anywhere any more, sorry"
3rd, just for ***** and giggles, while back at the dealer buying some oil filters, i once again, ask for price and availability and go through the whole parts fische again, came up with the exact same part numbers i got the 1st time, and called back with the 2nd time, and now "hmmmm lets see... M020... 62 available $27, M020... 96 available $7, M020... 42 available $34...theyre in California, we can have them by the end of the week"
WTF!!!!!!!!?!??!!!?!?!?!!?!
me : "hi, i need a tail light assembly for a 97 corolla"
them : "whats the last 8 of the VIN"
me : " theyre all the same regardless of model, i just want a tail light assembly "
them "sorry, cant help you with out a VIN...maybe if i actually do work ill be able to find something... ill call you back"
Ive also had another recent problem at Mazda
1st, visit dealership to price out my LSD clutches, we pull up some old parts fisches, get the part number, cross reference it to the new valid part number, get prices, availability (many still out there) and NEW appropriate part numbers
2nd, I call back a month later to order with the same exact part numbers they gave me, and now "those part numbers are archived numbers, those parts dont exist anywhere any more, sorry"
3rd, just for ***** and giggles, while back at the dealer buying some oil filters, i once again, ask for price and availability and go through the whole parts fische again, came up with the exact same part numbers i got the 1st time, and called back with the 2nd time, and now "hmmmm lets see... M020... 62 available $27, M020... 96 available $7, M020... 42 available $34...theyre in California, we can have them by the end of the week"
WTF!!!!!!!!?!??!!!?!?!?!!?!
09-19-12, 10:40 PM
#9
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Run into that all the time... Mazda, GM, Ford, Toyota...etc... everyone wants the VIN. It can be very frustrating. The Mazda dealership where I live is about worthless. They will however look up a part by the part number I give them. I always try to research the part number before I go to the dealership. I've run into a few really oddball parts... and the guy is always amazed when I give him the part number.... its rather amusing... he's nice about it... so am I... dealerships do not train parts guys like they did back in the old days.. lol.
09-19-12, 11:03 PM
#10
Well - I presented the guy with the PNs, he goes to the back room (plays a video game? schmoozes with the secretary? trys to look up the PN?) then comes back and says these numbers (I got out of admittedly 30-ish yr old OE parts book) are invalid.
So - really? Mazda is going to go to the trouble or RE-numbering old PNs? (I am not saying HE is lying, I am just puzzled/stunned that Mazda would change numbers that were likely valid for...decades?)
Or they are now irrelevant because the parts are no longer inventoried. At which point in the past I was told that the Parts are NLA - no "we need a VIN", then come back, and THEN they'll tell you "they are NLA".
oy!
AND - Mazdatrix still lists FB parts by their PN (in their typical reverse-order layout) - so presumably they get these from Mazda with the PNs intact? meh - that's a stretch I guess...
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
So - really? Mazda is going to go to the trouble or RE-numbering old PNs? (I am not saying HE is lying, I am just puzzled/stunned that Mazda would change numbers that were likely valid for...decades?)
Or they are now irrelevant because the parts are no longer inventoried. At which point in the past I was told that the Parts are NLA - no "we need a VIN", then come back, and THEN they'll tell you "they are NLA".
oy!
AND - Mazdatrix still lists FB parts by their PN (in their typical reverse-order layout) - so presumably they get these from Mazda with the PNs intact? meh - that's a stretch I guess...
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
09-19-12, 11:11 PM
#11
Old [Sch|F]ool
"It's a 1993 S4."
"Audi didn't make an S4 in 1993."
"Um... (WTF???) Here, I have the original window sticker. (you freakin' button-pushing soup-brained Taco Bell reject)"
"That's faked, Audi didn't make an S4 in 1993. You have a 100, someone put S4 badges on it and made a fake window sticker."
It went on a lot longer than that. Found the thread!
When I order parts for my car from the dealer, I tell them that I know the part number and take responsibility if it's the wrong part. Once they hear that I'm taking ownership of the issue of the part being what I want, they tend to mellow out. Especially when I say things like "Well, it's an '84 RX-7, the engine is mostly '88, I think. But the RX-8 front cover gasket that I'm ordering completely solves an issue the older engines had with an O-ring blowing out..."
Annoyance: Mazda Motorsports' online catalog only goes back to 1986.
09-20-12, 08:52 AM
#13
i just call my Mazda parts guy with the part numbers. he adds them to my account once he verifies that the numbers are correct. Mazda like to renumber a lot of the part numbers, but they always cross reference.. and then Jeff orders my parts and i pick them up a few days later. its as simple as that. Stu, if the guys is still being a lame brain about the parts, pm me the part numbers and i can order them and mail them your way once they come in.
09-20-12, 09:11 AM
#14
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its just as bad at parts retailers too. I rememer the hassle it was to find a dust cap for my FC spindles on my SA. I went everywhere including napa. every one of their computers said the FC was FWD and never came with front hub assemblies. Even when I tried to find a gslse strut housing their computer said the FB never had front struts. Currently, I am trying to find fittings and they are even harder to find then I estimated.
09-20-12, 10:40 AM
#15
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Well - I presented the guy with the PNs, he goes to the back room (plays a video game? schmoozes with the secretary? trys to look up the PN?) then comes back and says these numbers (I got out of admittedly 30-ish yr old OE parts book) are invalid.
So - really? Mazda is going to go to the trouble or RE-numbering old PNs? (I am not saying HE is lying, I am just puzzled/stunned that Mazda would change numbers that were likely valid for...decades?)
Or they are now irrelevant because the parts are no longer inventoried. At which point in the past I was told that the Parts are NLA - no "we need a VIN", then come back, and THEN they'll tell you "they are NLA".
oy!
AND - Mazdatrix still lists FB parts by their PN (in their typical reverse-order layout) - so presumably they get these from Mazda with the PNs intact? meh - that's a stretch I guess...
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
So - really? Mazda is going to go to the trouble or RE-numbering old PNs? (I am not saying HE is lying, I am just puzzled/stunned that Mazda would change numbers that were likely valid for...decades?)
Or they are now irrelevant because the parts are no longer inventoried. At which point in the past I was told that the Parts are NLA - no "we need a VIN", then come back, and THEN they'll tell you "they are NLA".
oy!
AND - Mazdatrix still lists FB parts by their PN (in their typical reverse-order layout) - so presumably they get these from Mazda with the PNs intact? meh - that's a stretch I guess...
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
09-20-12, 10:41 AM
#16
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09-21-12, 04:01 PM
#18
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I had a dealer problem as well. I was ordering a new Driver's door weather striping for the '83.
Dealer One: They looked up the part, I took the numbers, said I'll call when I have the $$. A couple weeks later I call, guy says the part is NLA. I said, 4 weeks ago, you showed 86 available, are you telling me it went NLA in the last 3 weeks? "Guess so!"
Dealer Two: Turns out has an excellent Parts Manager and therefore good guys working for him, said, "Yep, 86 in the warehouse -- I can have here by the end of the week." Thanks!
I don't know wtf the 2nd guy at the 1st dealer was looking at, but it clearly wasn't my weather striping.
Dealer One: They looked up the part, I took the numbers, said I'll call when I have the $$. A couple weeks later I call, guy says the part is NLA. I said, 4 weeks ago, you showed 86 available, are you telling me it went NLA in the last 3 weeks? "Guess so!"
Dealer Two: Turns out has an excellent Parts Manager and therefore good guys working for him, said, "Yep, 86 in the warehouse -- I can have here by the end of the week." Thanks!
I don't know wtf the 2nd guy at the 1st dealer was looking at, but it clearly wasn't my weather striping.
09-22-12, 11:46 AM
#20
I noticed a serious drop in parts counterman knowledge when Ford took over the Mazda dealers around here. The old Mazda guys really knew their stuff, the Ford guys seem to be way too computer-dependent. Like they are taught the system, but not the vehicles.
09-24-12, 01:28 PM
#21
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although if you've ever tried to look up a Ford part, it might be easier to learn ancient Greek...
09-26-12, 05:09 AM
#24
i just call my Mazda parts guy with the part numbers. he adds them to my account once he verifies that the numbers are correct. Mazda like to renumber a lot of the part numbers, but they always cross reference.. and then Jeff orders my parts and i pick them up a few days later. its as simple as that. Stu, if the guys is still being a lame brain about the parts, pm me the part numbers and i can order them and mail them your way once they come in.
Once I can get thru the Deadwood I get a 20% discount - moot of course if they can't find the Part.
!@#$%%^!
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
09-26-12, 12:36 PM
#25
Originally Posted by j9fd3s
the chain we used to work for owns a couple of ford dealers out your way, and um they have (present tense) a tendency to hire morons.
although if you've ever tried to look up a Ford part, it might be easier to learn ancient Greek...
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