1989 XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- California
Hey guys - Ok, I just have to let this all out to people who will understand. I just went to get the jeep smoked and got denied by this guy based on a bunch of horsesh!t.
So first of all jeep was made by American Motors - he had never heard of that. So right off the bat he thought I was trying to pull something over on him. I explained but he was looking at me like I was lying and trying to trick him into something. I was like 'you know like how general motors is made up of chevy & pontiac...?' Nothing.
So he spends at least 10-15min shining his flashlight all over the engine bay, door jambs (rear ones too! why? I don't know!) After that excruciating bit of time he looks all disheveled holding my paperwork and I walk over and ask if he needs something. He's like 'I don't know anything about this car! it's not right." So he starts telling me what the problems are:
1) my PCV breather has a crack in it, and needs to be ‘completely sealed! ... these other hoses could have cracks too, I can't tell’
2) he couldn’t read the one worn out underhood VIN-related firewall sticker so he could see if it was a CA model - he said I had to go to the dealer to get a new one made! what?? yeah I'm sure the dealer would totally understand and handle that properly.
3) he didn’t know where the check engine light was supposed to be, so he couldn’t tell if it had one lit up (?). He was perplexed by this stupid thermometer that is velcroed to the dash, saying that it could be hiding something like a warning light.
4) It has an aftermarket temperature gauge and he said I could have disconnected the stock one to 'fool the computer' (even though the stocker is connected and actually works)
5) I have an aftermarket intake with a CARB sticker, and he was saying that it might be fake, since people make fake ones. When I said you just put those in the smog computer system to verify, he said he could get in trouble for that if it's fake. WHAT??
Anytime I would try to talk to him about any of these concerns he wouldn't really listen or try to understand. He was convinced that there was no way to smog it, and that it never could have been smogged.
I think he was suffering from paranoia or something. He kept obsessively trying to see behind the thermometer to find out what was behind it. I was like ‘well with all that other stuff, no need to worry about that now, right?' and he'd say 'oh yeah, uh huh, ok' and then he'd keep talking and eventually turn around and try to pull it to the side etc. I finally was like 'ok I get it, no need to mess with anything anymore...'
He tried to charge me $30 to diagnose and I laughed and said ‘nah, I don’t think so, I'm going to leave’ and got in and left. I went to a place a few blocks away and passed no questions asked.
just had to share
So first of all jeep was made by American Motors - he had never heard of that. So right off the bat he thought I was trying to pull something over on him. I explained but he was looking at me like I was lying and trying to trick him into something. I was like 'you know like how general motors is made up of chevy & pontiac...?' Nothing.
So he spends at least 10-15min shining his flashlight all over the engine bay, door jambs (rear ones too! why? I don't know!) After that excruciating bit of time he looks all disheveled holding my paperwork and I walk over and ask if he needs something. He's like 'I don't know anything about this car! it's not right." So he starts telling me what the problems are:
1) my PCV breather has a crack in it, and needs to be ‘completely sealed! ... these other hoses could have cracks too, I can't tell’
2) he couldn’t read the one worn out underhood VIN-related firewall sticker so he could see if it was a CA model - he said I had to go to the dealer to get a new one made! what?? yeah I'm sure the dealer would totally understand and handle that properly.
3) he didn’t know where the check engine light was supposed to be, so he couldn’t tell if it had one lit up (?). He was perplexed by this stupid thermometer that is velcroed to the dash, saying that it could be hiding something like a warning light.
4) It has an aftermarket temperature gauge and he said I could have disconnected the stock one to 'fool the computer' (even though the stocker is connected and actually works)
5) I have an aftermarket intake with a CARB sticker, and he was saying that it might be fake, since people make fake ones. When I said you just put those in the smog computer system to verify, he said he could get in trouble for that if it's fake. WHAT??
Anytime I would try to talk to him about any of these concerns he wouldn't really listen or try to understand. He was convinced that there was no way to smog it, and that it never could have been smogged.
I think he was suffering from paranoia or something. He kept obsessively trying to see behind the thermometer to find out what was behind it. I was like ‘well with all that other stuff, no need to worry about that now, right?' and he'd say 'oh yeah, uh huh, ok' and then he'd keep talking and eventually turn around and try to pull it to the side etc. I finally was like 'ok I get it, no need to mess with anything anymore...'
He tried to charge me $30 to diagnose and I laughed and said ‘nah, I don’t think so, I'm going to leave’ and got in and left. I went to a place a few blocks away and passed no questions asked.
just had to share
