OT: Barstward patronising car mechanics!

NGale

<rant>
I had the misfortune of having to take my car into the mechanics (a the local dealership as they were the only ones who could book in straight away) because I've been having a few issues with the fan belt slipping. A simple issue of a new fan belt needing fitting.

When did 'How to be patronising to women 101' become a compulsory module in the car mechanics course!!??

The mechanic tried it on by saying the fan belt was slipping because of the larger of the two pulleys and that it would need replacing, so instead of costing no more than £30 it would cost in excess of £200!!

Now Jake checked the car before hand, diagnosed the problem but wasn't able to rectify it himself due to lack of time.

I might only be a student engineer, but in the course of my studies I have learned many things, first and most importantly that you cannot argue with the laws of physics. It seems this mechanic hasn't picked up on that fact!

<rant over>

EKE_38BPM

If the mechanic patronised you whilst looking you in the eye, I may well complain to his boss on your behalf.


















He's supposed to be looking at your tits.

walkingbootweather

Couldn't you have replaced the fan belt with one of your stockings and ran it like that until the next sevice was due.

NGale

walkingbootweather wrote:

Couldn't you have replaced the fan belt with one of your stockings and ran it like that until the next sevice was due.

seeing as I don't wear stocking it would have been tough. somehow DPM trousers just don't work the same.

kelsen

I wouldn't say that was being patronising.

Lying scum more like!

NGale

kelsen wrote:

I wouldn't say that was being patronising.

Lying scum more like!

It was the tone of his voice when saying it and when I told him that it couldn't be possible that and that I just wanted him to fit a new fan belt.

rhext

Clever girl!

veronese68

I hate it when mechanics do that. Been in the motor trade all my life and hate the way some herberts drag the reputation of the trade sown to their level.
The result of this is that when my sister was over from Italy and she had car trouble I sent her to a good friend of mine she made a comment to my Mum that all mechanics were robbers and she thought he was ripping her off.

rick_chasey

I have the same with push bike mechanics.

I found I need to be pretty firm/boarderline rude before they understand that I get it, and I won't be ripped off.

NGale

Veronese68 wrote:

I hate it when mechanics do that. Been in the motor trade all my life and hate the way some herberts drag the reputation of the trade sown to their level.
The result of this is that when my sister was over from Italy and she had car trouble I sent her to a good friend of mine she made a comment to my Mum that all mechanics were robbers and she thought he was ripping her off.

It didn't end well for him and the dealership won't be getting my trade again.

nicklouse

Oh garages.

Did not have the time or tools or place or inclination to some work on the Van which needed doing before doing a 2500KM round trip next at the weekend. Work that needed doing. rear wheel bearing. (did the other one a few years back so i know what is needed) and some other stuff...... well. I also needed to fit the new winter wheels so that would be done after the work.

fit the wheels and have bad vibrations. Balancing...... of to the place that did the wheels. they say nope not the wheels but the rear wheel had the brake on. (the one that had the bearing changed) grumble grumble. sod it will be somthing to do on Sunday. Sorted. but guess what the wheels are actually out of balance.
So one dealer cant set the brakes up right. and a big wheel/tyre dealer cant balance wheels.

both are not things that would be good on such a big trip....

EKE_38BPM

nicklouse wrote:

Oh garages.

Did not have the time or tools or place or inclination to some work on the Van which needed doing before doing a 2500KM round trip next at the weekend. Work that needed doing. rear wheel bearing. (did the other one a few years back so i know what is needed) and some other stuff...... well. I also needed to fit the new winter wheels so that would be done after the work.

fit the wheels and have bad vibrations. Balancing...... of to the place that did the wheels. they say nope not the wheels but the rear wheel had the brake on. (the one that had the bearing changed) grumble grumble. sod it will be somthing to do on Sunday. Sorted. but guess what the wheels are actually out of balance.
So one dealer cant set the brakes up right. and a big wheel/tyre dealer cant balance wheels.

both are not things that would be good on such a big trip....

Wear a lower cut top, a shorter skirt and flirt a bit?

veronese68

EKE_38BPM wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

I'm a hairy arsed yorkshireman....

Wear a lower cut top, a shorter skirt and flirt a bit?

I don't wish to know.

merkin

£30 fitted for a fan belt sounds amazingly cheap.

redvee

walkingbootweather wrote:

Couldn't you have replaced the fan belt with one of your stockings and ran it like that until the next sevice was due.

Whilst the thought of NGale lifting her skirt and slipping a stocking down her thighs might do it for some, that will fail these days as:
A) She doesn't wear them
Modern cars have a lot more running off the fanbelt these days.

NGale

redvee wrote:

walkingbootweather wrote:

Couldn't you have replaced the fan belt with one of your stockings and ran it like that until the next sevice was due.

Whilst the thought of NGale lifting her skirt and slipping a stocking down her thighs might do it for some, that will fail these days as:
A) She doesn't wear them
Modern cars have a lot more running off the fanbelt these days.

Most cars these days have Vee belts, hence why the old stocking trick won't work as they are essentially a flat belt.

And who said I don't wear stockings....I just don't wear them on a daily basis

Nik Cube

isn't it funny i find most of day filled with idiot sunday mechanics thinking they know everything about their cars and telling us how to do our job.

Today by chance I was carrying out an mot and was told by the half wit that owned it that it didn't matter that there was no screen wash - Der fail !! (and the washer pump had gone)

now play guess the gender of the said I know better than you merchant

EKE_38BPM

NGale wrote:

...And who said I don't wear stockings....I just don't wear them on a daily basis

NGale

Nik Cube wrote:

isn't it funny i find most of day filled with idiot sunday mechanics thinking they know everything about their cars and telling us how to do our job.

Today by chance I was carrying out an mot and was told by the half wit that owned it that it didn't matter that there was no screen wash - Der fail !! (and the washer pump had gone)

now play guess the gender of the said I know better than you merchant

Generally I have no problem with mechanics, I have been going to the same mechanic for nearly 15 years now and he is top notch. It just happened that on this occasion I had to take my car to the only place which could fit me in today.

What I don't like it being patronised and ripped off by someone who things that just because I'm female I will believe everything his says and that I won't check my facts and that I will willingly hand over £200 quid.

The fact that I had already had the car checked (firstly by Jake and secondly by a navy mechanic colleague of his) and it was a simple case of the fan belt slipping, annoys me even more that the guy was trying to rip me off. I suspect my own mechanic will back up the original diagnosis.

As a side note on belt drives, slippage cannot happen on a larger of the two pulleys, it will occur on the smaller of the two due to angle of lap and coefficient of friction

NGale

EKE_38BPM wrote:

NGale wrote:

...And who said I don't wear stockings....I just don't wear them on a daily basis

somehow I can't see those being allowed on battle camps and field assessments

EKE_38BPM

NGale wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

NGale wrote:

...And who said I don't wear stockings....I just don't wear them on a daily basis

somehow I can't see those being allowed on battle camps and field assessments

If those are out, how about these?

Or is it just woodland camo thats out in these days of desert warfare?
If thats the case, how about:

lost_in_thought

Well, the question is more was he just a chancer, or did he genuinely think that was the problem? Also, assuming it's option 1, how d'you know he was doing it because you're a woman? Maybe he's just a crook?

And if the larger pulley is out of alignment surely it could still be that?

shouldbeinbed

NGale wrote:

It didn't end well for him and the dealership won't be getting my trade again.

Oh well done you
;-)

davis

NGale wrote:

As a side note on belt drives, slippage cannot happen on a larger of the two pulleys, it will occur on the smaller of the two due to angle of lap and coefficient of friction

Interesting. Are the pulleys always made out of the same material, and therefore will have the same CoF?

NGale

lost_in_thought wrote:

Well, the question is more was he just a chancer, or did he genuinely think that was the problem? Also, assuming it's option 1, how d'you know he was doing it because you're a woman? Maybe he's just a crook?

And if the larger pulley is out of alignment surely it could still be that?

I think he was being a chancer, he saw a young female and thought he could get a few hundred quid out of her.

I believe alignment would cause other issues from experience with an old car of mine which was always in the garage with varying mechanical problems

NGale

davis wrote:

NGale wrote:

As a side note on belt drives, slippage cannot happen on a larger of the two pulleys, it will occur on the smaller of the two due to angle of lap and coefficient of friction

Interesting. Are the pulleys always made out of the same material, and therefore will have the same CoF?

Coefficent of friction will be dependent on the density of the material used on the belt, not the pulley itself.

davis

NGale wrote:

Coefficent of friction will be dependent on the density of the material used on the belt, not the pulley itself.

Shirley not... If you where to have one pulley made of teflon-coated greased butter, and one made of sandpaper-wrapped granite (you get the idea), the friction would be much less on the teflon pulley?

NGale

davis wrote:

NGale wrote:

Coefficent of friction will be dependent on the density of the material used on the belt, not the pulley itself.

Shirley not... If you where to have one pulley made of teflon-coated greased butter, and one made of sandpaper-wrapped granite (you get the idea), the friction would be much less on the teflon pulley?

In the case of belt drives, friction is your friend. You actually want a higher coefficient of friction in order to prevent slippage. So yes friction would be less on the teflon pulley, but you would want to use the granite pulley in order to the belt to 'stick'

merkin

Aah bless you trying to figure out technical stuff. It sounds to me like the large pulley is up the creak love. You need to get a man to fix it for you so you so you can get to the shops or hairdressers or wherever it is you need to get to.
But well done for trying darling.

davis

NGale wrote:

In the case of belt drives, friction is your friend. You actually want a higher coefficient of friction in order to prevent slippage. So yes friction would be less on the teflon pulley, but you would want to use the granite pulley in order to the belt to 'stick'

Yup, so... back to my original question (sort of): Are the two pulleys made of the same stuff?

NGale

davis wrote:

NGale wrote:

In the case of belt drives, friction is your friend. You actually want a higher coefficient of friction in order to prevent slippage. So yes friction would be less on the teflon pulley, but you would want to use the granite pulley in order to the belt to 'stick'

Yup, so... back to my original question (sort of): Are the two pulleys made of the same stuff?

Knowing Fiat they are probably made of chocolate