So I was told that I needed a new wheel bearing for my front wheel because it was moving. I was told by everyone I knew and went to saying that it was the wheel bearing. So go to the cheapest quoted place I went to (would have done it myself, but didn't have the right tools or time.) and found out the wheel still moved, So they put it back on the lift and found out it was the strut. So I couldn't do nothing about it because I paid for the part already and it was already put on the vehicle. I tried to tell them that even there mechanic told me it was the wheel bearing, but it seemed like they didnt care since the job was already done.

So yeah I'm kinda pissed and it always goes by my morals that I should always do my own work to my car.

 

you can easily fight that one, just let the sack drop and stand up to them

 

Well what can I do, I dont have anything saying that they said it was the wheel bearing.

 

The front wheel bearing is CAKE to take off and put back on.
The So called Mechanic should have tested the torque of the Nut that holds the Bearing on first.
..anyways,They should Have your OLD bearing,so they can either put it back on,Or you Pay and take then to Small claims court..or contact the BBB.
Mechanics go to school so they can work on Cars,that is why they Get Paid so Freakin Much!
I don't think this guy past grade 11..

 

but would I be at fault tho that I told them to change the wheel bearing?

like what I mean is that, when I went there I told them that I wanted the wheel bearing fixed.

 

You diagnosed it yourself instead of making it their responsibility find the problem and fix it.

You are at fault, not the shop.

Many shops don't care what the "right" thing to do is, if a customer says to put a clutch in a car and they discover the transmission is trashed...they will still put the clutch in the car and charge you for it, as well as telling you your transmission is trashed :P

 

Thats what I thought when I found out, and the main reason why i am pissed

 

Live and learn!

 

if it makes you feel better...my friends ls1 datsun fell off a lift today

 

well, you should of know. job its already done so you can't just like "oh take it back out"

wheel bearing is a wear item anyway.

just buy some new strut later and change it.

oh one more thing, make sure its not your outer tie rod.

 

Just look at it like this, it's something you would have needed to do at some point. Now it's done and you won't have to worry about it for a very long time.

 

Thats what I was told by my brother, and it is true, and it is a live and learn experience.

 

on the semi-bright side, you now have a reason to shop for better shocks, or even coilovers!

 

Instead of listening to everyone "who knows what theyre talking about" check it out yourself. Its not hard to diagnose and u coulda prob bought the right tools to do it for less than 200.00

 

I was thinking about getting a decent set, my current struts and springs are getting old and idk how long they have been on that car.

Well I was always taught that if the wheel moves it was the wheel bearing. And I probably could have done it myself, but since I do autocross in it, I wanted it done the right way.

 

^ yes but a basic inspection woulda proved otherwise right?

 

If you went in telling them "it needs new wheel bearings everyone told me that" they will service you with it. If you went in telling them "something in the front isnt right , fix it" THen im sure you would be covered for the mistake.

One thing i feared about if i became a mechanic is if someone told me to do something, and it doesnt solve their problem, will they come back to me and complain that I didnt fix it.

Im sure if you posted a thread about "hey guys is my wheel bearings out? " im sure some here could have gave you some advice.

On the bright side, you got new wheel bearings.

 

my friend was doing a 911 engine this one time, so we went to the local porsche guy to help set it up (rotaries don't have timing chains and updated tensioners, and all that other BS thank god! timing chains and tensioners are like $1500!)

so while we were setting up the timing chains this guy drives up in a 911, gets out and says "well bob its not the battery, lets put an alternator in it"

bob (the porsche guy) says ok, i'll put an alternator in it.

notice bob DIDN'T say, ok i'll check to make sure its the alternator, and then put it in.

the customer said put an alternator in it, so that's what was going to happen, WEATHER IT NEEDED ONE OR NOT.

wouldn't the customer have been better off to ask, hey bob the battery keeps dying, wanna look at it? especially since this was probably visit #2?

 

Exactly, i'm an ASE certifed mechanic, and i've been guilty of doing that. Most of the time, people are cheap and don't want to pay a diagnostic charge to find out whats wrong. Alot of them come to my shop thinking they know whats wrong and how to fix it. so the tell me what to do, and i do. i've even been nice and tried to tell a person they didn't need this/that.. what they did need, you know what... THAT customer took his car to the dealership after he left our shop and got *** raped. He deserved it.

 

Bar will back u up. Im a mechanic as well and our shop gets reamed by stupid complaints. Sorry this is a short reply. Im on my phone

 

I don't think you passed the 10th.

 

totally understand your position.

my friend bring their cars to the shop, tell them to fix this and that, of course the shop say sure thing not a problem. but he didn't have enough cash & the car still runs (its a 99 Lexus), so he stop by at my place and he was talking about.

I told him are you nuts?

I looked at his car, and bought an Alternator and some other crap at AAP and fixed it for him in a couple of hours, without getting raped like 1 or 2 grand.

he thank me like I saved his life or something.

 

200 bucks is a cheap mistake.

 

Cygnus is right. Now, a kid... A kid is no cheap mistake...

My rule is if I have the means to do it myself, or can break even buying tools and taking extra time to learn it versus taking it to a shop, then I do it myself. I built my own motor on this principle and haven't regretted it for a second. I did make a few mistakes, but none of them cost me much (so far...). If someday I'm not a broke bastard maybe it won't be worth my time any more and I'll pay some other broke bastard to do it for me. But until then, DIY FTW. It can help down the road, too, so when that broke bastard is trying to sell me a new differential I can say with confidence "get fucked, it just needs a sub-frame bushing".