well, well, well...
/me pauses for a minute to contemplate the consequences for people that
try to rip him off...
here is the short version:
1. Adam tries to find a colder plug.
2. Adam is unsuccessful, OEM plug is a platinum (AC Delco, btw) and Pep
Boys/Autozone/etc cannot seem to help him identify a colder plug.
3. Adam is frustrated and decides he'll just look at the fairly new
(<10,000 miles) Bosch platinum plugs he had the mechanic install while
repairing timing chain mishap. Adam figures maybe the gap isnt right or
whatever and pops the hood.
4. Adam pulls out an old AC Delco plug that appears to have been in the
engine since the dawn of time.
you can figure out the rest...
soooo...not only did this guy charge me $1300+, then he said the
subsequent knocking was because of my fuel (never happened before, had
an almost new engine, when it shoulda been purring), and to hammer in
the last nail, neglects to tell me that he pocketed 4 spark plugs and
left in the ones that orignally came with the car (it's a 1995). i mean,
cmon!!!
now i know that some people will never be anything but crooked, but
after you've been screwed that hard and had to wait 2 1/2 weeks to get
something out of the shop, you'd at least think he'd offer up some butt
salve for ya before you find out he ripped off 4 measly $4 plugs...ugh
so, all of that to say this - i guess i'll be going with the stock AC
plugs and see what happens, but it looks like the old cavalier will be
heading to the dealer for a good once-over...maybe this time i'll at
least get a reach around...ugh
sorry for the long post, just needed to cool down a bit. if you've made
it this far, you should be sainted :)
-adam
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
[mailto:owner-dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net] On Behalf Of crm
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 3:43 PM
To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
Subject: DML: Re: RE: Re: RE: Autolite's for non-Dodge
Yeah, the temp is always in the normal range, and if I get it right out
on the highway it doesnt seem to happen. The guys at the mechanic said
the check engine light was for the knock sensor, but I havent taken it
to a "good" shop or the dealer to find out for sure.
So...I'll take a crack at the plugs and if that doesnt work into the
dealer it will go. Maybe some of the truck mods will need to get pushed
back a bit but at least she wont have any reason to complain once her
car is running right again.
thanks Rick,
-adam
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Barnes" <barnesrv@attbi.com>
To: <dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 2:48 PM
Subject: DML: RE: Re: RE: Autolite's for non-Dodge
>
> Try replacing the plugs first, that is the cheapest thing. If it is
> doing it at only higher rpms or when its hotter, that is a good sign
> that plugs could make the difference and especially since you say
> running premium makes a big difference. Does the car's temp stay
> normal? If it overheats, that will also add to the pinging. If you
> get a check engine light, then you likely have a code stored in there
> which could tell you something as well.
>
> Rascal
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
> [mailto:owner-dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net] On Behalf Of crm
> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 3:17 PM
> To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
> Subject: DML: Re: RE: Autolite's for non-Dodge
>
>
> Rick,
>
> I hadnt thought about the EGR valve. Is there an easy way I could
> check that out besides hauling it into a shop and them replacing it
> whether it needed
> or not?
>
> And, I prolly shoulda mentioned this all before, but was in a rush.
> Here is some background:
>
> We had to get some engine work done on it when the
> timing chain broke...ugh. This was just before I had planned to
> replace the plugs, wires, filter, etc... Right before they finally got
> it out of the shop (and after the initial shock at the bill) I told
> them to put in the new
> Bosch platinum split-tip plugs that were sitting in the trunk.
>
> So basically I figure there are 2 (3 counting EGR) possibilities. Now,
> it could be those plugs are too
> hot (causing detonation), or that I really got screwed by the mechanic
> (very
> likely,
> he was our last choice anyway). The one thing that makes me think of
the
> plugs is
> that it only pings at a certain speed, not at a certain RPM. If the
> valves
> were that
> badly installed, wouldnt the pinging be happening all the time? BTW,
if
> I
> run
> premium thru it seems to get rid of it.
>
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