tr8todd wrote: Try ordering a fully dressed out boiler at a plumbing supply store with a new counter guy. You ought to see their head spin when you start ordering air scoops, air float eliminators, purge stations, draw offs, black nipples, gas cocks, smoke pipe 90s, and a 9-11. Had the pleasure this morning so it's fresh in my mind.
I used to sell flex connectors and expansion joints to these guys. (Ferguson is the worst)
It didn't happen at a big box store, but this is my favorite "parts guy" story ever. Keep in mind this happened around 2003...
I went into my FLAPS, which specializes in foreign car parts. There was a new guy behind the counter, a young kid.
Me: "I need a condensor for a 1973 Volvo 142."
Kid: "I can get one for you tomorrow. It's $134.73, and you'll probably want a new receiver/dryer, too."
Me: "Try again, and this time look for a condensor in the Ignition Parts book."
Kid: "Huh??"
donalson wrote:mtn wrote: I'm currently annoyed with all of them for a policy that they seem to have implemented recently: They won't clear codes for you. My girlfriends Toyota will, every year, without fail, throw a Oxygen/Heat sensor fail the first time it dips below... 40*. And it always just takes a reset, and it is fine. But they will no longer reset it for me.cheapo bluetooth odb2 reader from amazon and a free app on the android marketplace is how my mother-in-laws truck passed "emissions" testing... clear the code shortly before she drove to the "shop"... they plug in their scanner and find nothing.
If they're really paying attention, they'll also notice that none of the readiness codes are set. I wouldn't rely on this one.
Ashyukun wrote: Have occasionally gotten a good laugh from some of the new/younger hires when I had the RX-7 and dealing with the usual doesn't-know-a-rotary-isn't-just-a-kind-of-phone nonsense.
So they don't know what a rotary engine is, but they know what a rotary dial phone is? 
Keith Tanner wrote:donalson wrote:If they're really paying attention, they'll also notice that none of the readiness codes are set. I wouldn't rely on this one.mtn wrote: I'm currently annoyed with all of them for a policy that they seem to have implemented recently: They won't clear codes for you. My girlfriends Toyota will, every year, without fail, throw a Oxygen/Heat sensor fail the first time it dips below... 40*. And it always just takes a reset, and it is fine. But they will no longer reset it for me.cheapo bluetooth odb2 reader from amazon and a free app on the android marketplace is how my mother-in-laws truck passed "emissions" testing... clear the code shortly before she drove to the "shop"... they plug in their scanner and find nothing.
^This. In NJ the computer wont pass you if the ready codes aren't set. They caught on to that one pretty quick.
Same in MA. Resetting the codes rite befor the test will trip a fail. Because of this I get to drive some really nice cars 50 -100 miles on Saturdays some times just so we can then run them through inspection.
Last weekend it was a really nice 3 series (01 or 02) convertible with a 5 speed. I had forgotten what great cars these are.
EvanR wrote: It didn't happen at a big box store, but this is my favorite "parts guy" story ever. Keep in mind this happened around 2003... I went into my FLAPS, which specializes in foreign car parts. There was a new guy behind the counter, a young kid. Me: "I need a condensor for a 1973 Volvo 142." Kid: "I can get one for you tomorrow. It's $134.73, and you'll probably want a new receiver/dryer, too." Me: "Try again, and this time look for a condensor in the Ignition Parts book." Kid: "Huh??"
I'd have done the same thing, except for going huh?. In the 20 yrs I've been slinging parts, I don't recall ever being asked for an ignition condenser. Points, yes but not a condenser. At least he didn't argue with you saying WTF are you talking about. He just didn't know any better.
""
Keith Tanner wrote: If they're really paying attention, they'll also notice that none of the readiness codes are set. I wouldn't rely on this one.
Then they do a roller test and the car fails and now it needs some very expensive repairs when the check engine light problem could have been fixed with something a lot cheaper.
Happens all the time, see it every day.
Back in the day there used to be smart people at the parts counter..
My old man used to work at a parts dealer (40 years ago or more).
Customer came to him, wanted to buy a Porsche part. He would look in the Porsche book. Then quote them the price for the Porsche part.. Then he would tell them. " I might be able to find the same part for less money!!"
He would then look in the Volkswagen book (for the same part number)!!!..
In the store he worked at both parts were stocked on the same shelf, same place...
Surprisingly, some customers (not many) wanted the genuine Porsche part!!!
drsmooth wrote: Back in the day there used to be smart people..
Wally wrote:drsmooth wrote: Back in the day there used to be smart people..
If you go back far enough they thought the earth was flat.
At my advanced autoparts, they occasionally ask me what I'm doing, but they are long past trying to tell me what parts belong on what. (They know about my project car)
Wally wrote:drsmooth wrote: Back in the day there used to be smart people..
Only because we look at the highlight reel and ignore the rest.
mtn wrote: I'm currently annoyed with all of them for a policy that they seem to have implemented recently: They won't clear codes for you. My girlfriends Toyota will, every year, without fail, throw a Oxygen/Heat sensor fail the first time it dips below... 40*. And it always just takes a reset, and it is fine. But they will no longer reset it for me.
OBD II scanners are less than $20 on Amazon shipped, and you have it whenever you need it. I understand trying to be cheap and all, but damn.
drsmooth wrote: Back in the day there used to be smart people at the parts counter.. My old man used to work at a parts dealer (40 years ago or more). Customer came to him, wanted to buy a Porsche part. He would look in the Porsche book. Then quote them the price for the Porsche part.. Then he would tell them. " I might be able to find the same part for less money!!" He would then look in the Volkswagen book (for the same part number)!!!.. In the store he worked at both parts were stocked on the same shelf, same place... Surprisingly, some customers (not many) wanted the genuine Porsche part!!!
Some friends of mine that owned a parts store told be about this in the 70s. Apparently Porche caught on and changed the part numbers?
spitfirebill wrote:drsmooth wrote: Back in the day there used to be smart people at the parts counter.. My old man used to work at a parts dealer (40 years ago or more). Customer came to him, wanted to buy a Porsche part. He would look in the Porsche book. Then quote them the price for the Porsche part.. Then he would tell them. " I might be able to find the same part for less money!!" He would then look in the Volkswagen book (for the same part number)!!!.. In the store he worked at both parts were stocked on the same shelf, same place... Surprisingly, some customers (not many) wanted the genuine Porsche part!!!Some friends of mine that owned a parts store told be about this in the 70s. Apparently Porche caught on and changed the part numbers?
Nope. Still happens. They just made all the stores seperate so they didn't have them on the same shelf. I can still call VW with the Audi part number and pay half the cost. Thank god Honda/Acura doesn't pull that crap.
my second car was a beat up XKE (the first was a Sunbeam Alpine) … when doing a minor tune-up on the E-type, I noticed that the parts # for the points were the same … but the price WASN'T .. jag tax … that was the last time I ever bought Jag points
Bobzilla wrote:mtn wrote: I'm currently annoyed with all of them for a policy that they seem to have implemented recently: They won't clear codes for you. My girlfriends Toyota will, every year, without fail, throw a Oxygen/Heat sensor fail the first time it dips below... 40*. And it always just takes a reset, and it is fine. But they will no longer reset it for me.OBD II scanners are less than $20 on Amazon shipped, and you have it whenever you need it. I understand trying to be cheap and all, but damn.
I have one for my phone.. uses bluetooth.. I think I paid $14 for it on ebay.. and with the app "torque" I can see almost everything the engine/computer sees from it's sensors
spitfirebill wrote:drsmooth wrote: Back in the day there used to be smart people at the parts counter.. My old man used to work at a parts dealer (40 years ago or more). Customer came to him, wanted to buy a Porsche part. He would look in the Porsche book. Then quote them the price for the Porsche part.. Then he would tell them. " I might be able to find the same part for less money!!" He would then look in the Volkswagen book (for the same part number)!!!.. In the store he worked at both parts were stocked on the same shelf, same place... Surprisingly, some customers (not many) wanted the genuine Porsche part!!!Some friends of mine that owned a parts store told be about this in the 70s. Apparently Porche caught on and changed the part numbers?
When working on my boss's early 911, I was surprised at the number of VW parts and they even had the VW emblem on them.
Local Honda dealership. Went to buy a thermostat for the wife's '84 Civic. They said they need the engine number to order one. I told the parts guy that all '84 - '87 Civics use the same thermostat. He still demanded the engine code. At the time the engine had been replaced with a JDM. So I gave him the engine code. He said that engine code is for an '89. They did not import those in '89. Took 3 weeks to get the thermostat.
We can't even look up with an engine code. You give me an engine code and you might as well tell me it has 4 tires. That's how useless an engine code is to a honda/acura dealer. We have some ricer fanbois that work with me that know what they are, but in the catalogs? Useless.
spitfirebill wrote:drsmooth wrote: Back in the day there used to be smart people at the parts counter.. My old man used to work at a parts dealer (40 years ago or more). Customer came to him, wanted to buy a Porsche part. He would look in the Porsche book. Then quote them the price for the Porsche part.. Then he would tell them. " I might be able to find the same part for less money!!" He would then look in the Volkswagen book (for the same part number)!!!.. In the store he worked at both parts were stocked on the same shelf, same place... Surprisingly, some customers (not many) wanted the genuine Porsche part!!!Some friends of mine that owned a parts store told be about this in the 70s. Apparently Porche caught on and changed the part numbers?
Nope. On hundreds of parts, Porsche still sells part numbers that are identical to parts from VAG, Mercedes, and even BMW. If they buy the part from another OE, they'll usually use the original manufacturer's part number.
Keith Tanner wrote:donalson wrote:If they're really paying attention, they'll also notice that none of the readiness codes are set. I wouldn't rely on this one.mtn wrote: I'm currently annoyed with all of them for a policy that they seem to have implemented recently: They won't clear codes for you. My girlfriends Toyota will, every year, without fail, throw a Oxygen/Heat sensor fail the first time it dips below... 40*. And it always just takes a reset, and it is fine. But they will no longer reset it for me.cheapo bluetooth odb2 reader from amazon and a free app on the android marketplace is how my mother-in-laws truck passed "emissions" testing... clear the code shortly before she drove to the "shop"... they plug in their scanner and find nothing.
interesting... granted this is Houston... I'm not even certain if they popped the hood or did more than look for a CEL (in-laws car so they took care of it) so many small places that do state inspections/emissions test and I know most don't care as long as they get the $$$
You guys are really gunna hate it when they start the hard code thing. Cant clear them till its fixed!
mtn wrote: I'm currently annoyed with all of them for a policy that they seem to have implemented recently: They won't clear codes for you. My girlfriends Toyota will, every year, without fail, throw a Oxygen/Heat sensor fail the first time it dips below... 40*. And it always just takes a reset, and it is fine. But they will no longer reset it for me.
At AutoZone it was unofficial company policy... something about a lawsuit that involved a customer having their codes cleared and then going to an inspection station or something like that. I have worked in a couple different parts stores and I still wont clear them no matter who the customer is.
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