Our company policy...we don't give part numbers

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PT1

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My nephew came in town for the holidays in his 2005 GMC 2500 pickup. He had asked if I would help him change the tcase fluid while at my house because he is a college student and doesn't have many tools and knows I know how to do it. While changing out the fluid I noticed the output shaft seal was wet and discovered that only about 1.5 quarts came out and the fluid capacity is 2 quarts. So I called the local GMC dealer where I have had my last 2 GM trucks serviced to see if they had the seal in stock. I had the exploded view of the assembly and vin number and was able to give the parts guy an accurate description and he said they had the seal in stock and it was $75.00
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. So I asked him what the part number was and he told me: " We don't give out part numbers as it is against company policy"
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I explained I wanted the number to be sure I got the correct part when I picked it up in case he wasn't there at the counter. He said: "Too bad". I said: "yeah, too bad you won't be selling me a $75 part today".

I thought this strange because I have always been able to get part numbers over the phone and price shop or buy parts for my Lexus at the Toyota dealer where they are cheaper. None of the dealers I have gone to have ever refused to give part numbers.

Is this a normal GM thing?
 
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Some dealers get tired of people using their resources to get part numbers and then order the parts from some place else.


bingo, thats my dealers policy for that exact reason.
 
It's not a GM thing at all. It's a dealer by dealer thing, some they do and some they dont....some it's just as well.

FWIW, both my local Ford and GM dealers have no problem going over the schematics with me and giving me parts numbers, either in person or over the phone. As always it helps to have a relationship with the dealer. In fact, if I have a price from another source and they can meet or beat it they usually do.
 
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I just got a output rear shaft seal from the chevy dealer here for my sierra and the dude was really cool over the phone. gave me number, tips on how to install it, part #, I was like sure hold it for me.

I was impressed by thier service.

Must vary by dealer.
 
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Some dealers get tired of people using their resources to get part numbers and then order the parts from some place else.


Unless manufacturers make part numbers freely available online, then dealers should be willing to spend their time assisting you in obtaining part numbers. If they aren't willing to do so, they obviously don't want/deserve your business in any future vehicle/service/parts purchases, and should be blackballed.
 
I would think there would be a GM parts number database online. www.parts4chevys.com has a space to enter part numbers so I guess that a database might exist.

I know there is one for toyota, just enter your VIN and every single part on your car can be found with the part number. http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/ is the toyota site if anyone cares. It is free and you dont have to sign up. I use that site quite often when I order parts online much cheaper than the stealership.
 
And if anyone cares for BMWs

www.realoem.com or www.bmwfans.info. Same info, different formatting.

Type in the last seven of your VIN or search by make/build month. You can look at the offical BMW part diagrams with part numbers for your entire car. Exact same thing the dealer gets I believe. Invaluable either way!
 
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ok here is a parts dept side of the argument. we pay very high price per month for our look-up software. i know just on the Ford side its about a grand a month since each computer needs its own license. if i spend the time to look the part up for someone and give them the number only for them to say "thanks ill buy it from an online dealer" it wasn't worth my time, my company lost money, and i lost money (paid on commission). also if for some reason i make a mistake and give the customer the wrong number, it is now my fault. if the part they get is misboxed, it is also my fault.

now if i have a shop calling in and asks "is this the part number?" i can confirm what Alldata says. if you know how Ford's part numbering system works, if a customer really insists, i will give the basic part number without the prefix or suffix.
 
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Some dealers get tired of people using their resources to get part numbers and then order the parts from some place else.


Manufacturers should be forced to have exploded views of their gear, complete with part numbers available on the Internet, so you can look up and order correctly.

Would save everyone time.

And if they want to charge $100 for a bearing or seal that you can buy at a bearing shop for $20, they deserve not to have their sales people's time wasted.
 
Every time I have called a dealership they have given me part numbers, but first wanted the car's VIN # just to make sure I did not give the wrong year or engine.

Companies live or die by customer service. I too would have walked out and told all my friends and relatives about that friendly GM dealership. Even as a simple courtesy he should have taken 2 minutes out of his day and looked up the part #.
 
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Originally Posted By: Shannow
And if they want to charge $100 for a bearing or seal that you can buy at a bearing shop for $20, they deserve not to have their sales people's time wasted.

I wouldn't have said it quite as pointedly, but I have to agree with this.

That said, I do understand the other side of it. You don't want to be paying people to send business elsewhere.

No easy solution IMO...
 
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Some dealers get tired of people using their resources to get part numbers and then order the parts from some place else.


I can understand that..but the GMC dealer I used to go to (they closed it) was staffed by guys all with 20+ years experience. If you called in the first thing they would do is ask your name and look you up in the computer...then find your vehicle vin and find the part number and tell you if you could get a suitable aftermarket part. If they thought the factory part was better they would explain why. I always just bought my parts from them because I would tell them what I needed and when I arrived it would all be boxed up with my name and the completed sales ticket inside. So all I had to do was swipe the MC and I was on my way in 3-5 minutes. Then they would run my truck through the free car wash on top of it and check all the lights and wipers etc. I really miss that dealer.
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
if you know how Ford's part numbering system works, if a customer really insists, i will give the basic part number without the prefix or suffix.


Oh yeah, I've done that a time or two.
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The looks on their faces is priceless for the small basic numbers..."Here's the part # for your grille, it's '8200' ". They looked at me as if to say "only 4 digits?". LOL
 
It's becoming more and more common not to hand out the P/N just so people can go on line and buy the part elsewhere. Started seeing it in the motorcycle world some time ago. They hand out the knowledge and customers buy the part from someone else.
 
Originally Posted By: PT1
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Some dealers get tired of people using their resources to get part numbers and then order the parts from some place else.


I can understand that..but the GMC dealer I used to go to (they closed it) was staffed by guys all with 20+ years experience. If you called in the first thing they would do is ask your name and look you up in the computer...then find your vehicle vin and find the part number and tell you if you could get a suitable aftermarket part. If they thought the factory part was better they would explain why. I always just bought my parts from them because I would tell them what I needed and when I arrived it would all be boxed up with my name and the completed sales ticket inside. So all I had to do was swipe the MC and I was on my way in 3-5 minutes. Then they would run my truck through the free car wash on top of it and check all the lights and wipers etc. I really miss that dealer.

Someone, somewhere, will read this and decide that is not only the reason that dealer is closed, but also why GM had all those pesky financial problems in the first place. Customer satisfaction is not, and has not been on GM's (and many other companies) mind for some time now. As far as MC dealers and part numbers, several large dealers have the OEM fiche and P/N's on their website and ordering is a click away. My receipt of the wrong part is zero percent now, in comparison to about 50% when the pimple faced idiot behind the counter looked it up for me at the stealership.
 
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