Paid a visit to a tire dealer for a repair...

RobMD · Jul 13, 2009

Basically, I had a 3/4 inch screw penetrate my truck tire. Tire had a slow leak after removing, could see air bubbles from my spit, and the tire went almost FLAT.....

So, I take the tire to have the guys I bought them from a few years ago install a vulcanized patch on the inside. The guy comes out and tells me that there is no leak coming from the tire. Sure enough, his soap test revealed no leak from that hole. Obviously, something must have stopped the air from coming out.

So, Mr. Dipshit then thinks i'm someone that doesn't know what they're talking about and proceeds to tell me that maybe I have another leak somewhere. I said, no, it's leaking right there.

So then after 10 minutes of bickering with Mr. Dipshit, I finally told him to break the damn thing down and patch it regardless what he thinks.

Now, my tire hasn't gone flat in two days, and i'm perfectly happy.

Why can't people do as they're being told to do? He was trying to get me to save my money on the repair... BUT, How is having a damn flat tire on the road saving money?

John S-B · Jul 13, 2009

It may not have leaked during his test, but I bet it leaked every time it rotated and hit the pavement! Some people don't realize tires flex.

oj · Jul 13, 2009

glad it happens to someone else to, had a tractor tire get a puncture driving down the highway one day, tire is full of calcium and its spurting out all over the tractor, i was taking the fertilizer spreader back to the local dealer when it happened, sure enough by the time i"d got to the fert plant no more calcium is spraying out, phone my local tire guy, out he comes and then spends the next 20 minutes trying to tell me there is no puncture... i eventually told him to take the tire off and fix it anyway and sure enough he found the hole in the tube... all"s well that ends well i guess...

RobMD · Jul 13, 2009

Yeah, exactly. I was being nice and all - for a while.

It didn't take 25 minutes of highway driving to get it down to 20 pounds. And he said there was absolutely no hole all the way through. I've never seen a bigger dipshit.

RobMD · Jul 13, 2009

I'm glad i'm not the only one!

RusselAZ · Jul 13, 2009

Yeap. Had a vehicle owner come in this morning saying he needed a fuel pump in his RV. Sorta demanded just a fuel pump and wouldn't pay for any testing.

Did the fuel pump. Wasn't the fuel pump. Oh well, they had a cute dog.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 13, 2009

I can understand tires leaking as they flex, but I never understood why the flat side of a flat tire is always at the bottom.. 8^)

Tim in OR · Jul 13, 2009

The company I drive for uses a west coast tire chain for all their tire work. I have had about 6-8 flats in the last couple of years, and there has only been one that actually had anything stuck in it. The others were loose valve stems. It seems they find it an easy way to sell Tire repairs, and valve stems. All they needed was to have the nut tightened. Used to be a decent chain too, but now I am having to look elswhere to get my own tire work done.
Tim in OR

Roy in Ga · Jul 14, 2009

I used to work at a tire store and when we had the customer tell us it had a hole we did all we could to find the hole (we only get paid if we fix it) I had some come in with a tire that took weeks to go down those were hard to find!! I had one that had a thin wire in it no way to tell from the outside but when broken down it had a needle point that was found with a rag SURE GLAD I WAS TAUGHT TO USE ONE AND NOT MY HAND!!!

Moonlite37 · Jul 14, 2009

????? I guess the hole was in the bottom of the tire if it lost air faster.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 14, 2009

I was working in a Ford garage in the mid 50s.A 49 Ford was pushed into the garage.The owner took a used master cylinder out of the trunk.Service manager says put on the lift.I got it raised up and a look showed fluid running out of a front left wheel.I started taking off the wheel while the owner keeps telling me its the master cylinder.Hes getting real nasty so the service manager has to calm him down..The wheel cylinder has one stuck piston and a bad leak on the other.There is very little lining left on the shoes.A new wheel cylinder and shoes for the front wheels finished the job.Customer aint always right.

ericlb · Jul 14, 2009

im not to fond of tire stores right now i stopped in at big O last week first impression was that the boss was not there, [ i know him personally] i had tires with nails inthem on one of the company peterbilts,the manager told me to go call somebody to fix it, i told him they were his tires on the truck as well as reminded the idiot of the fact that his store had put complete sets of tires on 3 big trucks in the last 8 months, people thats some serious money shelled out, about 350 each X 30! he then told me he was too busy to work on big trucks, i just fixed the tires myself

ericlb · Jul 14, 2009

should have made it plainer 2 of the trucks were company rigs the 3rd was mine!

Goose · Jul 14, 2009

Right now, the RF tire on my wife's mini-van will lose about 10 pounds per month. I've tanked it twice and don't get one single bubble. Frustrating!

About customers, when I was in the boat and outboard motor repair business, people would bring an outboard in and almost ALWAYS say it acted like the timing was off. Outboards of the era virtually all had the timing built in and there was no way it could get out of adjustment. Usually the problem was just wore out spark plugs or condensation in the gas.

I finally decided people just thought they had to say something that sounded intelligent and timing came to mind.

steveormary · Jul 14, 2009

Had my car serviced before vacation. It is due for new plugs next service(after vacation). Tried to get them to install new plugs before we left for vacation. Nope,didnt need them. 5000 mi. later probably will. Still got 32-34mpg.

steveormary

MN Bob · Jul 14, 2009

One other thing-- Tubless air stem, had to of them leaking past the rubber. One other could not fix. finally sanded the rim and put in a new one, no problem. Did not leak if it sat, road flex pushed the leak I guess.

RAB · Jul 14, 2009

I read this with interest. I was wondering how many times posters have replied 'change the coil' without any thought of diagnosis when there is a plea for help when a tractor stops intermittently?

In this case you had already diagnosed the problem, not guessed. What you should have done is left the screw (replace it partially) in the tyre, so they could see the problem you had.

Sometimes people don't listen to the evidence; sometimes they just jump to the wrong conclusions. Logic is what is needed.

Regards, RAB

37 chief · Jul 14, 2009

I have noticed if I go in with a problem where ever it is I am dignosed as being stupid right away because I am getting old. I had a rear tire tube patched a while back. the tire banger pinched the tube inbetween the rim when he put it back together. and there was a tube bubble sticking out I didn,t notice until the next day. Not wanting to waste time taking the tire off and back to them again, I just let the air out and poked the tube back in. Next time I was in I told them about the problem, and right away they said that couldn't happen. I finally convinced them it did happen, even though I doubt they believed me. I just I wish I would have taken a picture. Stan

Don-Wi · Jul 14, 2009

I had the same thing last year- I brought my 95 Acheiva in right before our honeymoon for a tune up because it was running a little rough. My brother owned the car before me and he had no idea when the plugs were changed last. I brought it in and told them to change the plugs and give it a once over.

I picked it up the next day, and they said "Well, we pulled the plugs and they looked fine so we put them back in...."

I'm sorry, but the labor sure didn't reflect that they pulled all 6 plugs because to do it with the V-6, the engine has to be taken off it's mounts to do the back 3. That's why I didn't do it and I brought it in.

Fast forward to this winter, it blew a head gasket and I'm glad to be rid of the car. I'll never go back to that shop ever again either. They never did what I wanted, even if it would be an extra couple bucks for them. If the plugs were out, why couldn't they just stick in a couple new ones that would only run me a coupla bucks instead of saying "oh, they're fine"

Donovan from Wisconsin

Don-Wi · Jul 14, 2009

I ran over a 2x4 with the front tire on my 1600 once, it had a nail in it and I saw it stick to the tire a little bit when I drove over it. I drove back to the shop and took the tire off, which was already down 1/2 way to the rim. I brought it to the tire shop and told them what I did.

The next day when I picked it up, they said they just couldn't find the leak. They took the tube out and it was fine, even after blowing up there was no leak. They still replaced the tube, but they gave me the old one back because it showed to be in good shape yet. I tried it, and sure enough no leak.

Only thing I can imagine happened, is that the tubes valve stem sealed against the rim before all the air was out between the tire & tube, so it was holding the air. When I poked it with the nail, it let that air out but didn't get the tube.

Go Figure.

Donovan from Wisconsin

RobMD · Jul 14, 2009

that's probably true. yeah, it would have been evident to them then.

RobMD · Jul 14, 2009

that happens too!

Billy Shafer · Jul 14, 2009

I always listen to the customer on what they want. Sometimes the repair was not needed but it was what they wanted done. Plus they are the ones operating the equipment.

Bus Driver · Jul 14, 2009

I have found a few mysterious slow leaks that were caused by a valve core that was not completely tightened when installed.

IndianaRed · Jul 15, 2009

I don't disagree that he sounded a little dippy and should've just done as you asked, but maybe in his mind he was trying to do you right and not charge you for something you didn't need, which would be a good thing as we all bellyache about people charging us for stuff we don't need.

He was probably thinking you were dippy.

Such is life.

Paid a visit to a tire dealer for a repair...

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