Did you really just say that?

jaybee · April 17, 2010, 05:13:31 PM

Just a thought here. I realize that our society isn't mechanical in as raw a fashion as it was at one time and it isn't strictly necessary for people to have as much mechanical literacy as was once required. That said, should 2 countermen at the auto parts store look my way from the hardware bins and say "what did you call this thing?"

It's a snap ring guys. Maybe you'd like me to come back there and show you the things they call "bolts."

wayne petty · April 17, 2010, 06:32:45 PM

most parts clucks.. yes... i misspelled it... are warm bodies to fill open positions for a while... till they learn...

i hate it when they tell me that i have something totally different wrong with the car i am working on..

or ...

when they tell me that they don't sell the parts i want .. and that i will have to go to a dealership...

Learpilot · April 17, 2010, 07:02:53 PM

I went to my local Advanced Auto and asked to go to the radiator hoses. I was looking for a lower pre bent hose from my Chevy water pump to my Walker radiator in my 36 Dodge.
The PRO kept asking me what was the year of the car and I said I need a hose that was bent just like the peace of coat hanger that I held up. I finally told him 1936 Dodge. He kept looking and finally said that there computers did not go back that far. Then the manager ask if he could help and I asked for the third time I just wanted to go back to the hose rack and find the hose I wanted. I found the hose I wanted and went back up front to pay and the PRO said that hose was a lot longer than my coat hanger and how was I going to make it work. I told him that I was going to cut it to fit. He said "You can cut them ?" YES !!!
Rick

Crosley.In.AZ · April 17, 2010, 07:21:01 PM

I told tomslik this story last week..

at Auto Zone last week... I set the used Autolite 45 spark plug on the counter. I asked for that plug if they carried it. I need 6 of them

He did the crossover thing ,offering me resistor plugs ( dont need them, i told him) ... he comes out with a plug that was all wrong cept it was a spark plug.

2nd trip ; another brand , same problems as round 1 , wrong length, wrong diameter, wrong sealing design

3rd trip he brings out ......... wait for it .......... Autolite 45 plugs. Gosh just THE part I asked for. Problem was the fellow brought out 5 plugs

4th trip , I had 6 spark plugs i wanted

Next I wanted brake pads for the Vee dub Jetta. I had looked up the number and gave that part number to him... "Better to go by application" I am told... I tell him , I already did" ; I'm ignored

We do the application process... same part number I had given him 2 minutes earlier

I went to autozonecares.com and filled out a questionnaire on my experience. Plenty of numbers 1 and 2 responses , with 5 being 'good' , 1 is ' dissatisfied '

phat46 · April 17, 2010, 08:17:46 PM

Quote from: "Crosley"I told tomslik this story last week..

at Auto Zone last week... I set the used Autolite 45 spark plug on the counter. I asked for that plug if they carried it. I need 6 of them

He did the crossover thing ,offering me resistor plugs ( dont need them, i told him) ... he comes out with a plug that was all wrong cept it was a spark plug.

2nd trip ; another brand , same problems as round 1 , wrong length, wrong diameter, wrong sealing design

3rd trip he brings out ......... wait for it .......... Autolite 45 plugs. Gosh just THE part I asked for. Problem was the fellow brought out 5 plugs

4th trip , I had 6 spark plugs i wanted

Next I wanted brake pads for the Vee dub Jetta. I had looked up the number and gave that part number to him... "Better to go by application" I am told... I tell him , I already did" ; I'm ignored

We do the application process... same part number I had given him 2 minutes earlier

I went to autozonecares.com and filled out a questionnaire on my experience. Plenty of numbers 1 and 2 responses , with 5 being 'good' , 1 is ' dissatisfied '

I thought that by going to the O'Reilley/Murrays or what ever they are this weeks website and getting the part number of what I wanted was a foolproof way to get what I want. I recently told the story here of getting a set of those cheapy aftermarket Mr. Gasket hood pins when I gave them the part number of an EdelBrock carb gasket set....The second time they ordered the gasket set they actually looked at the piece of paper I had the number written on; the first time the gal behind the counter actually rolled her eyes at me when I showed her the same paper..

UGLY OLDS · April 17, 2010, 09:18:31 PM

I find myself buying more & more from "Rock Auto" ...Fair pricing ..Fast shipping ...No arguements .....

Bob..........

tomslik · April 17, 2010, 09:39:30 PM

Quote from: "Learpilot"I went to my local Advanced Auto and asked to go to the radiator hoses. I was looking for a lower pre bent hose from my Chevy water pump to my Walker radiator in my 36 Dodge.
The PRO kept asking me what was the year of the car and I said I need a hose that was bent just like the peace of coat hanger that I held up. I finally told him 1936 Dodge. He kept looking and finally said that there computers did not go back that far. Then the manager ask if he could help and I asked for the third time I just wanted to go back to the hose rack and find the hose I wanted. I found the hose I wanted and went back up front to pay and the PRO said that hose was a lot longer than my coat hanger and how was I going to make it work. I told him that I was going to cut it to fit. He said "You can cut them ?" YES !!!
Rick

coat hanger!?!?!
i throw the car on the trailer and park it in the lot and start grabbing hoses (that don't sound right...)
helps when you're well knowm in there....

348tripower · April 18, 2010, 04:57:21 AM

Quote from: "UGLY OLDS"I find myself buying more & more from "Rock Auto" ...Fair pricing ..Fast shipping ...No arguements .....

Bob..........

Too bad all parts stores don't have access to Rock Autos data base. Pictures and information. Our small parts store here in town, Auto Value franchise, loves the fact that I show up with part numbers.

They are also into street rods and that helps.

Crosley.In.AZ · April 18, 2010, 09:19:54 AM

Quote from: "tomslik"

coat hanger!?!?!

i throw the car on the trailer and park it in the lot and start grabbing hoses (that don't sound right...)
helps when you're well known in there....

Yeh... most court orders are published , some with photos

when I need to get hosed , I visit a CarQuest in Mesa AZ.. those guys there know I do not work on late model stuff (usuallly)

BFS57 · April 19, 2010, 08:36:51 AM

Hello;
Most parts houses near me don't even speak-a-da-english! If you want parts, (to the parts counter help) If it don't say Honda first, they don't know what the heck it is!

Bruce

GPster · April 19, 2010, 09:07:38 AM

Quote from: "UGLY OLDS"I find myself buying more & more from "Rock Auto" ...Fair pricing ..Fast shipping ...No arguements .....
Bob..........

This may not be the same every time but! I went to Advance and had them do their computor check on my Jeep's "Check Engine Light". Their check said the cause was the Throttle Position Sensor (drive by wire?). I went home and started checking the computor for price and how difficult it would be for me to change. Rock Auto said they had the cheapest price at $45.00 and they stated that Advance's price would be $49.00 and Auto Zone's price would be higher than that. I got overwhelmed with gratitude for Advance's checking the problem and I figured that the shipping from Rock Auto would be in excess of the $4.00 difference so I went back to Advance to order the part. They had it in stock for $25.00. So I saved money on the part and I saved money on thetrouble shooting and the labo only cost me the loss of a #20 star bit that's sitting somewhere on top of the intake manifold. GPster

phat46 · April 19, 2010, 02:59:43 PM

Quote from: "GPster"
Quote from: "UGLY OLDS"I find myself buying more & more from "Rock Auto" ...Fair pricing ..Fast shipping ...No arguements .....
Bob..........
This may not be the same every time but! I went to Advance and had them do their computor check on my Jeep's "Check Engine Light". Their check said the cause was the Throttle Position Sensor (drive by wire?). I went home and started checking the computor for price and how difficult it would be for me to change. Rock Auto said they had the cheapest price at $45.00 and they stated that Advance's price would be $49.00 and Auto Zone's price would be higher than that. I got overwhelmed with gratitude for Advance's checking the problem and I figured that the shipping from Rock Auto would be in excess of the $4.00 difference so I went back to Advance to order the part. They had it in stock for $25.00. So I saved money on the part and I saved money on thetrouble shooting and the labo only cost me the loss of a #20 star bit that's sitting somewhere on top of the intake manifold. GPster

Hey Joe, you got one of those flexable deals with a magnet on the end? As cheap as I am I go to great lengths to retrieve "lost" stuff. Probably easier to replace it, but it bothers he when you know where something is but it's juuuust out of reach....

tomslik · April 19, 2010, 07:19:47 PM

Quote from: "GPster"
Quote from: "UGLY OLDS"I find myself buying more & more from "Rock Auto" ...Fair pricing ..Fast shipping ...No arguements .....
Bob..........
This may not be the same every time but! I went to Advance and had them do their computor check on my Jeep's "Check Engine Light". Their check said the cause was the Throttle Position Sensor (drive by wire?). I went home and started checking the computor for price and how difficult it would be for me to change. Rock Auto said they had the cheapest price at $45.00 and they stated that Advance's price would be $49.00 and Auto Zone's price would be higher than that. I got overwhelmed with gratitude for Advance's checking the problem and I figured that the shipping from Rock Auto would be in excess of the $4.00 difference so I went back to Advance to order the part. They had it in stock for $25.00. So I saved money on the part and I saved money on thetrouble shooting and the labo only cost me the loss of a #20 star bit that's sitting somewhere on top of the intake manifold. GPster

just so ya know, a throttle position sensor is NOT the same as drive by wire....
we've had tps's since '80...nuthin' new there

unklian · April 20, 2010, 12:17:10 PM

Buying parts on a weekend around here is a hassle. The "decent" places are closed or staffed with part timers. I go to the local big chain, ask for a distributor cap for a '95 Caprice.

The kid behind the counter says:
"Are you sure your car HAS a distributor cap

"

manyolkars · April 27, 2010, 12:19:47 AM

I recently went into advance auto and asked for a 40 inch fan belt.
They were unable to help me since its not for a make and model.
They couldnt look it up.
They DID let me go in the back and get one.
I showed them where the 40 in the part number equals the size.

Another time I asked the store manager for a heater hose shut off valve.
she asked me. "What is that?"

ummm, I just told you!

Another time I sent my young son to that store and he asked the same manager for a ballast resistor.
She asked, "Whats it for?"
59 Ford
"We dont carry those."
My kid knows a little and asked for one for a 73 Ford pickup.
"We dont carry those either."

They PROMOTED her!