[Guest]

Upon a recommendation of another forum member, I took it to this installer last week for a new Eaton and 3.73s. After 3 days I got the car back last Friday. I reprogrammed the PCM Saturday to update for the gearing. This morning, going to work, was the first time I've had it out for any extended road test since the install and reprogram. The ABS light came on at around 50-60. Of course, it goes off when the car's turned off but comes on again when it's on the road. I suspected L&L didn't change the reluctor so I went back to them this afternoon. Here's the conversation...

ME: Hi, I was wonder which reluctor your installed when you did my Eaton and gears last week.

Andy: Huh? What's that?

ME: Uh, it's the....

Andy: Oh, I think I know what you mean. No, we didn't change any of that stuff out. We never had to before. No one else ever complained about their ABS light coming on. We've done a few your type cars and never had a problem before. We've done Fords and SUVs without a problem either.

ME: Well, I can't have the ABS light on all the time. We have to get that corrected. Had I known that you've never replaced a reluctor before I never would have brought it here or ordered all the parts myself and had you install them.

Andy: What part is it? Do you have to special order it? Well, if you get it then we can put it on but we'll have to pull the rear end again.

I turned and walked out. I just filed a BBB complaint against the shop.

After dealing with 3 shops for various things for the SS this past month, I've come to conclusion I am unable to find any competent shops in the Richmond, VA area.

 

[Guest]

Sounds like a dumb RN. Reluctors for 3.73's are under $10.00. Sorry about your problem.

 

[Guest]

- How do the gears sound? That's the hard part to get right. Before you spend approx. $300.00 somewhere else, you might give these guys a shot at getting the entire job right.

-Jay

 

[Guest]

No noise. Quiet. These guys aren't bad with trucks and older cars. They do good work on gears. They are just clueless with the new cars and their reluctors.

Ordered the reluctor tonight. I'll take it back when it arrives. I'm going to push for them to put it in for as little as possible.

 

[Guest]

Well, after they received my BBB complaint, they called and finally worked me into their schedule to install the reluctor today. I just picked it up and here's how it went when the owner Lloyd (fat, old ******* in his best Ward Burton southern VA drawl imitation) called me into his office:

Lloyd: "How much did you pay for the reluctor?"

ME: "I don't remember. Maybe $10." He proceeded to hand me two $5.

Lloyd: "First thing I want to tell you is this BBB complaint means nothing to me. I throw them away. You wasted your time. Also, we've done Impala SS's before and they didn't have ABS so we didn't need to change the reluctor."

ME: "Oh? What year were they?"

Lloyd: "I'm not sure. Maybe a '92. One was a white one..."

ME (interrupting him at that point): "That's impossible then. There wasn't any SS models built then. They were only made in '94-96, not in white, and all were standard with ABS."

Lloyd: "If you knew it had to be replaced then why didn't you tell us. You only asked for the gears and posi; not the reluctor."

ME: "You're the rear end experts. This is your business. Should I have to tell an engine builder to make sure he installs the cam? Replacing the correct ABS reluctor with a gear change is standard practice. If you weren't able or didn't want to do this work, then why didn't you just say so?

At this point Lloyd has figured out he wasn't going to intimidate me or win his argument. He started to say something else and I just asked for my keys.

Lloyd to one of his cousins: "Where's his keys. Get him his damn keys."

As I walked out of his shop and was near my car he shouted from his bay, with his 2 cousins next to him, "Don't you come back here no more." I turned back, looked and laughed, and said "And you think I would? There's no way I'd ever bring a car here again." His reply was "Good, I don't want to see you on my property again. If I see you here again, I'll kick your azz". I just looked back again, laughed and left. I could've lit up the tires thrown around a bunch of gravel where they parked my car but chose to drive slowly away. I was determined I would not bring myself down to his 8th grade, RN mentality.

I then drove to the Ashland, VA police department and filed a complaint against Mr Lloyd and filed another BBB complaint so he'll have 2 he can throw away. Tomorrow I'll contact the Chamber of Commerce.

I learned a valuable lesson with this business and the recommendation I was given. Just because someone recommends a vendor or business doesn't mean they're good or even have a clue.

 

[Guest]

That is some funny $h!t...Not about your problem but Lloyd.

What a dip$h!t....

I know what your going through...I'm having one of those days too. My lender f*&ked up on my loan doc's on my refi so I can't close this month and my other (POS SS is broke and sitting in the driveway)

running vehicle is back at the lincoln dealership for the 4th time for the same d*mn problem all.

-Brian

 

[Guest]

welcome to ashland

 

[Guest]

What an ignorant d!ck....so is it right now??

 

[Guest]

Yes.

 

[Guest]

I went through a similar situation with a shop that "repaired" a busted shock mount. It broke again about a year after they fixed it, and when I took it back to them I was told there was nothing they could or would do. Supposedly it was sooooo bad it "would be best to junk it or get a new frame, must be a factory defect" So when I checked it out myself later that day I found they did a VERY half-ass job for a lot of money. Went back the next day and had a "conversation" with the owner that could have resulted in a fight. I was going to try the BBB thing and/or court but I found a shop that does this stuff all the time and did a much better job for a better price. So very true, recommendations don't always mean sh!t, sometimes you have to learn the hard way.