OK...so I got 350z H-techs installed about two weeks ago and I think they have settled for the most part. So I call my local Firestone to set up an appt. The guy tells me it'll be $70 which I say is fine and then he asks me what kind of car I have. I tell him it's an '07 Infiniti G35 coupe and before I can finish getting the words out of my mouth, he cuts me off and tells me he can't do it. I then clarify.."You can't do it?...or you just can't do it today? He then tells me that he can't do it at all because my car has laser-guided cruise control and that they've rejected several cars before. I then proceed to tell him that my car is the coupe, not the sedan and is not equipped with the intelligent cruise control. After a few more seconds of assuring him my car has the regular old cruise control, he still insists that my car and cars like mine (BMW, MB, etc...) all have this new technology and that I wouldn't necessarily know that I had it. I tell him that I'm 100% sure that my car is not equipped with said feature and that it wasn't even an option for our cars, but that I will double-check and make sure. I get off the phone and do a web search and sure enough...the new generation cars have the option for intelligent cruise control. I call back and tell him that I've checked it out and that I would like to make an appt. He said that's fine, but I can still tell that he is hesitant and thinks I don't know what I'm talking about.

So here is my conundrum...

Do I take it to this same shop? If they are unable to distringuish the key differences between model lineups, are they going to be able to get all of my suspension settings correct. I can totally see them setting me up with the same specs as a '07+ sedan.

or...

Do I take it to them just so I can have the satisfaction of them admitting that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to my car and that they really should listen to the customer before writing me off?

 

1st - bad title, cuz u never know, someone might preach a thing or 2

2nd - its kinda your fault for getting hot headed to quick... should have just explained it in a simply way that your car is custom and not factory (this shuts up most people and gets them thinking that they now want to see your car)

3rd- after that 1/2 hour speel, if they still seem un-knowledgeable AND unprofessional, then look for another shop...


...GL

 

1st thing...I'll give you the title. Of course there are people that know more about the specs and settings and all that...but I'm pretty sure what came equipped on my car.

2nd thing...Where exactly did I say I got hot-headed? Or are you just inferring that because that's how you would handle it? In fact, I didn't cop an attitude and neither did the guy on the phone. It was actually a quite civil conversation.

3rd thing...Again, where did I say that it took a 1/2 hour? Both phone calls ended up only being 5 min. total.

 

id think, from what i read, to say you were "pissed" in order to have spent your time venting this online...

 

why dont you just take your car somewhere else and get over it.

 

I say find another shop

 

I really wasn't venting at all. Just sharing an experience with the rest of the board about an experience I had with a local shop.

With that being said, I think I'm going to look around for another shop. I just called that Firestone first, because other people have OK experiences with them. Maybe I'll just call a different Firestone and see what they say about my make and model. It's just convenient 'cause they are one of the rare auto shops that are open on Sundays here in PHX.

 

I've taken my various cars to Firestone before, and for anything other than changing tires, they aren't very good. They've messed up on a check engine light on one of my cars, misdiagnosed noise from my brakes, messed up a brake replacement on my Maxima... And this was at 3 different Firestones. I'd find a suspension shop or some other place....

 

AS Jay Leno found out, If you want perfection, fund your own shop and hire the best $200k per year engineers and technicans you can find. Build a special facility. Dedicate a million plus just to your car.

Most get good enough by spending $3,000 per year a the BEST Local Shops. Pay them extra to study the FSM specific to your vehicle.

 

I feel your pain bro. It's like it's you car and you know a little more about it from experience and trial and tribulations. For someone to try and tell you something you already know about and are 100% sure about will kind of get you a little steamed under the collar. For instance I remember the guy at the carwash trying to tell me to drive my car through the automatic instead of the bay. I told him my rims where to wide and wouldn't fit even if I wanted to. Several minutes later a bone stock coupe tried going through and cracked the guides

 

Yeah...it's like telling me that my 6MT came with a 5-speed.

It was really no big deal...I just went to another shop and they ended up not doing it correctly, so I went to another Firestone down the street after work and they got everything within specs.

 

Depends on the tech, one of the guys at my local firestone knows his stuff. Meet the tech, not the service writer/advisor.

 

No alignment shop I've spoken with has agreed to do my G. I got it done at the stealership instead during my last oil change. It was something like $100 with a special they had going.

 

Did they tell you it was because of your laser-guided radar cruise control?

 

^^^
Haha no - just "Oh, we don't do those cars"