How many years for throttling your car dealer

S

Samoth

New member
I posted a few days ago about my plans for detailing my RX-8 which arrives tommorow.

I went out of my way to make it clear to the dealer that I didn't want them to touch the outside, just leave it as it came off the transporter, so I could do it myself. This was all agreed.

Today, I speak to the dealer again, and he goes 'yes, as you asked, we've just done the inside of the car, cleaned the glass, oh and just washed the outside not anything else.'



Cue sounds of screaming from my end of the phone :scared



So I guess now I'll go and find out tommorow if I've got some free 'dealer installed swirls' and have a few choice words with them if I have. Wonder what the chances are they've done a good job of washing it, not just picked up a sponge off the floor and scrubbed it....



Guess I'll be looking into how to treat whatever they've done next eh, assuming it's not so bad that I reject the car. I'm hoping that if anything bad has happened it's light enough for me to deal with by hand, seeing as I don't have a PC or anything of the sort, which seems to be the main way to approach more serious trouble from my reading in here.



Anyhow, I'll go back to chewing my nails and waiting for tommorow, but I figured if anyone would sympathise, you guys would :)



Sam.
 
Samoth- Sorry to hear about the rocky start with your RX-8! You might luck out, Mazda clear is pretty hard. But for the same reason, if it's swirled/marred, I'd *REALLY* think twice about taking it. It would be a royal pain to fix by hand. I realize that it'll perhaps be hard to turn down your long-anticipated ride when it's sitting right there in front of you, but I'd sure be prepared to do so.



Good luck, let us know what happens.
 
Samoth, I know what you mean. I need to take my car into service soon, and I need to make sure they do not wash it "as a courtesy to me." The irony of it all. I'll be biting my nails and telling them numerous times, "do not wash the car."
 
ben54 said:
Samoth, I know what you mean. I need to take my car into service soon, and I need to make sure they do not wash it "as a courtesy to me." The irony of it all. I'll be biting my nails and telling them numerous times, "do not wash the car."
Click to expand...



I do the same thing. I first tell the service advisor who is writing me up not to wash it, which he writes on the paperwork. For extra measures I take a sticky pad with "PLEASE DO NOT WASH" and put it on the center console.
 
cte500 said:
For extra measures I take a sticky pad with "PLEASE DO NOT WASH" and put it on the center console.
Click to expand...



That's a good idea. A couple times already the service guy hand writes "do not wash" but the car is washed regardless. Kinda annoying.
 
I had the same thing happen with my first Acura TL. I gave them the same instructions and they cleaned it up anyway. I don't understand what they don't understand about DON'T POLISH MY CAR.



I learned that they run it through an automatic car wash with the plastic sheeting still on it. This, they say, cools the adhesive and makes it easier to remove the plastic without residue. I am in Florida.



Then, the get-ready guy washes the car with an acid-bath to remove rail dust and other contaminates. He washes this off with bulk car wash and a brush that looks like a push broom only softer with blue bristles.



Then, if rail dust remains, they will clay bar it but only if needed. Then, they use a bulk commercial polish to "wax" the car.



All of that is the reason I ordered them NOT TO CLEAN IT except for a hand wash. I then took them a lamb's wool mit to use.



I rejected the first car. It had fine marring on the hood from the wash brush (I think). I made them re-order the car and I waited another two weeks for a new one to come in the same color: black. The second time, they listened to me.



I detailed the car myself the day after I got it. I spent ten hours doing it right in my garage. It now has a flawless, swirl free, Zaino finish that you could fall into.
 
yeah...don't take delivery if it's not what you want.



I can't complain when I picked up my car...all they did was run it through a waterless car wash with a spray wax. There was some micro marring (no 'swirls' to speak of)...which I think came from drying it off (they used a chamois to get off the remaining water after the blow dry jets).



If you can try to pick it up early in the day when sun light is at the harshest angle.
 
reevis said:
yeah...don't take delivery if it's not what you want.
Click to expand...



I'm hoping for the best, there's a huge waiting list for the RX-8 here in the UK, I ordered this at the beginning of February, so the thought of rejecting it at this point makes me want to weep :(



Ah well, we'll see what happens tomorrow.



Thanks for the kind words everyone!



Sam.
 
Hope for the best... I just got my Mazda back from the service recently. Before I went to pick up the car I told them not to wash the car, and of course they did anyway. I was thinking major swirl marks but they just did a pressure wash without touching the car. For once my lazy dealer actually didn't do any more damage to my car!
 
I would be suspicious if the dealer washes it when you tell them not do. It makes me think that they washed it to wipe away some ungodly stains they put on it by placing god knows what on the hood while they were fixing your car.



I hope your car isn't silver because it might be hard to tell until you get home. If at all possible try to look at it indoors at the dealer.
 
The only time the dealer didn't wash my car after a service was when I cleaned it immediately before I took it in. Back then, I didn't see the harm with the dealer cleaning the car, but know I will most likely clean it, tell them not to clean it, then write the note in the car.
 
From a few earlier posts on the same subject:



"I have a 'poster' for my personal vehicles (and a few clients) that is in a sleeve protector, and clearly reads:



Please Do Not Wash This Car, Thank You



Por Favor No Limpie, Gracias"



Jim
 
I walked into Mazda dealer today and they just got a nice new black rx-8 as well, and what were they doing? While in the show room, a bottle of meguiars detailer, some cheap towels, and just scrubbing it.... Oh the misery!



Mazda clears aren't that hard. Check it over really good. Both in light, and in shadow. Mazda paints have a habit of hiding scratches in certain light.



Hope it works out 4 u. That is an awesome car.
 
Yosemite Dan said:
I would be suspicious if the dealer washes it when you tell them not do. It makes me think that they washed it to wipe away some ungodly stains they put on it by placing god knows what on the hood while they were fixing your car.



I hope your car isn't silver because it might be hard to tell until you get home. If at all possible try to look at it indoors at the dealer.
Click to expand...



Agreed, my dealer tried "armor"alling the door panels in my car to hide scratches they put into it when removed the panel.



Needless to say, they replaced it after I complained.:nono



My dealer is great about not washing or detaling when in service or purchasing a new vehicle, but once put 88 miles on our truck when "testing" the transmission. :angry
 
gotta love the optional complementary swirl apperance package

(washed, not polished or waxed at stealer)

9111newcar_0582-med.jpg


after "fixing" it w/ some polish and wax

9111tropiccare4-16_0912-med.jpg


don't mind those streaks on the right, did not remove the wax as well as I should have
 
LouisanaJeeper said:
gotta love the optional complementary swirl apperance package

(washed, not polished or waxed at stealer)

9111newcar_0582-med.jpg


after "fixing" it w/ some polish and wax

9111tropiccare4-16_0912-med.jpg


don't mind those streaks on the right, did not remove the wax as well as I should have
Click to expand...



That is brutal.....heads woudl certainly roll.
 
This seems to be an overall dealer problem- not just Mazda.

When I had my car ('01 Sentra SE) in for service last month, they wrote a note on my file in the computer saying not to wash it, and attached a 3"x3" tag to my keys saying 'DO NOT WASH'.

Guess what some stupid stealership monkey did right before I picked it up?

And they even tried to deny it, while the car was still dripping wet.

Unbeleivable.

:mad:



I suppose if you don't have a PC already, you now have a valid excuse to buy one.

Take care!
 
audio1der said:
This seems to be an overall dealer problem- not just Mazda.



I suppose if you don't have a PC already, you now have a valid excuse to buy one.

Take care!
Click to expand...



Well, there's possibly a happy ending to my tale. I rang the dealer this morning and inquired as to whether they'd actually washed it, or were just expressing an intention to when I spoke to them yesterday afternoon, and lo and behold they said they hadn't got round to it yet :D



Having been to collect the car, it certainly seems covered in dirt and the occasional sticky mark. There are signs that it's been wet at some point as it has water spots on it, but I'm assuming that's just from the transport.



The paintwork doesn't *seem* to be swirled to my (uneducated) eye, so I think I may have dodged a bullet. I'll have a better idea when my new cleaning products arrive tommorow and I can give it a proper, careful wash and clay and look at it carefully.



Damn was it fun to drive home in though :bounce



(and being the kind of obsessive geek I am, I'm sure I'll find some excuse to buy a PC, or being in the UK possibly one of the Makita BO6040s at some point :) )



Sam.
 
Yosemite Dan said:
I would be suspicious if the dealer washes it when you tell them not do. It makes me think that they washed it to wipe away some ungodly stains they put on it by placing god knows what on the hood while they were fixing your car.



I hope your car isn't silver because it might be hard to tell until you get home. If at all possible try to look at it indoors at the dealer.
Click to expand...





The reason they washed it because my car was left outside for 8 days and got totally dusty. I mind more when the technicians put their greasy handprints on the headliner.
 
My primary vehicle is an 03 Jeep Wrangler and like most of you I take great pride in how it looks (my friends say that it is the cleanest, shiniest vehilce they ahve ever seen and mock me for it).



As it is still under warranty I do take it to the dealer for LOF's and warranty squawks and the dealer has a zinky new automatic car wash, complete with brushes...Now mind you, if you read the Jeep owners manausl it says "do not run throught cars washes" and anyone with half a brain knows this is bad for the top so silly me, I ASSume the dealer knows better.....well, imagine my surprse when i get there to pick it up and it is dripping wet with all sorts of scarths in the soft plastic windows.....It was not pretty and I made it 150% clear that if that ever happened again they would be replacing every window on the softop as well as getting a bill from my detailer (me) to repair any damages...I went on to point out to the GM who overheard me haivng a fit, that if I took the jeep thru a var wash and jacked up the top they would not honor my warranty on it because the mnaul says no no no.



I hate dealers!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top