What a mess!

Joined
Jun 5, 2003
Messages
27,888
Location
Apple Valley, California
Another shop took in an AC job on a early 90's chevy pickup. They made a mess of things. First they wanted to upgrade the condenser to one for R134a.

They ordered one for a newer truck. FYI R12 ac lines on this truck are sae. When GM went to R134a they also went to metric threads. The other shop tried to ram the lines home.

Had a leak there since the line did not seal. Then they got the correct condenser but managed to cross thread that one. I spent the morning with a thread file,. Torch to clean the aluminum chips out of the metal threads and got it together.

They beat the snot out of the new compressor trying to install it instead of figuring out why it was such a tight fit.

Then fat o-rings where skinny ones go,this cuts the o-ring.. Incorrect sealing washers on the rear of the compressor resulted in yet another leak.


Pics for your enjoyment.

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Originally Posted by Miller88
Was the customer able to get anything back from the other shop?

The other shop brought it to me. Guess they never heard of pressure testing stuff.
 
What I don't get is the repeated error making. They consciously and knowingly continued to do things they knew weren't correct. So many times they could've stopped but plowed ahead anyways. Don't get it.
 
Originally Posted by Throt
What I don't get is the repeated error making. They consciously and knowingly continued to do things they knew weren't correct. So many times they could've stopped but plowed ahead anyways. Don't get it.

It's really quite simple to understand.
This is the result of underpaid, and inexperienced/untrained staff attempting to do repairs that only those with experience/time can do.
 
Originally Posted by Throt
What I don't get is the repeated error making. They consciously and knowingly continued to do things they knew weren't correct. So many times they could've stopped but plowed ahead anyways. Don't get it.


Olden days auto mechanic shops were better at researching & diagnosing. Chris142 is one of the few that remain.

The rest..... load up the parts shotgun and blast away with Chinese parts.....
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by Throt
What I don't get is the repeated error making. They consciously and knowingly continued to do things they knew weren't correct. So many times they could've stopped but plowed ahead anyways. Don't get it.

It's really quite simple to understand.
This is the result of underpaid, and inexperienced/untrained staff attempting to do repairs that only those with experience/time can do.


My money is on pigheadedness...the former mechanic(s) saw the vehicle's unwillingness to submit as an affront to their manhood and took a "I'll show you!" approach to the rest of the job.
 
Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by Throt
What I don't get is the repeated error making. They consciously and knowingly continued to do things they knew weren't correct. So many times they could've stopped but plowed ahead anyways. Don't get it.


Olden days auto mechanic shops were better at researching & diagnosing. Chris142 is one of the few that remain.

The rest..... load up the parts shotgun and blast away with Chinese parts.....

Thanks. I am not perfect though. But I have never beat a compressor into submission lol
 
I'm still at a loss as to why shops don't use R12 in an R12 system (or even MP39 or R409A), it would be a LOT easier than attempting to change literally everything to try to run R134A (which is on it's way out anyway for R1234YF)!
 
Like many other businesses today, everyone wants the lowest price. And that is what many shops provide along with the work quality commensurate with the lowest price.
 
Originally Posted by Throt
What I don't get is the repeated error making. They consciously and knowingly continued to do things they knew weren't correct. So many times they could've stopped but plowed ahead anyways. Don't get it.


Mix inexperience with stubornness. Add a heaping helping of stupid and garnish with incompetence.
 
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
I'm still at a loss as to why shops don't use R12 in an R12 system (or even MP39 or R409A), it would be a LOT easier than attempting to change literally everything to try to run R134A (which is on it's way out anyway for R1234YF)!


Mostly...because R-12 is essentially unobtanium. (And a lot of the available "R-12" is actually propane.) R-134a is available at Walmart. My Caddy and my wife's Blazer and Grand National have R-12 systems converted to R-134a.
 
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