MoogieBoogie

Went to Speedlube to recharge my A/C (that's another long story), the guy opened my door, and I noticed that he tried to open it further. I didn't think anything of it, but on the drive back home, everytime I hit a bump, the door would rattle. When I opened the door to get out, it would creak. I noticed that the front side of the door (front being closest to the engine bay side) would protrude out a little bit, and the rear side of the door is a little tucked in.

Going to Speedlube to complain will accomplish nothing since they could just deny it. But what do I need to do to fix this? Is it just a matter of rebuilding the door hinge?

The passenger side door is absolutely fine with no creaks and no rattling.
-Brian.

aliga

iTrader: (147)

probably simpler to replace the hinge. they are a weak point on the car already!

mrshabo

if he replaced his hinges with new ones, aren't those hinges weak too?

aliga

iTrader: (147)

the hinges are a common failure on the car. i suggest getting a new hinge, or a hinge from a later model with low miles.

for the sc guys that have weak hinges and do not want to replace them yet, do the following ASAP. loosen up the fender bolts and move the fender an 1/8 of an inch to get greater clearance between the door and the fender. this will protect the paint on the fender/door in the event that the door clips the fender.

indypwr

hmmm, good thinking. mybe i shud consider doing that this wknd.

SupraCoup3

MoogieBoogie, even if speed lube does nothing, you should say something to them. They damaged your car, you saw them damage your car. Don't give up without even putting up a fight.


Just because you may lose doesn't mean you shouldn't play.

PERRYinLA

It might be too late, but I'd try complaining to speedlube. You witnessed the incident and you know the guy who manhandled the door. You never know- he might actually admit forcing the door too wide, especially if you confront him personally, stating details of what you saw, as the manager stands behind you, glowering at him.

I'm no hinge/door expert, but it is also possible that what got bent was the area of the door that bolts to the hinge. In such a case, replacing the hinge would not be enough.

mikeloc24

I can't tell you how many horror stories I've heard concerning places like Jiffy Lube (used the wrong tranny fluid in a friend's SC and ruined the tranny), Oil Stop, Lube Experts, etc. Those places hire sub-par mechanics who don't give a crap about their work, all they care about is getting you out of there within 45 minutes or less. I will never take my car to one of those places again, especially since they ruined a friend's tranny with pure incompetance. I'd complain if I were you, stating extreme specifics (date, time, person who committed the damage, etc.) and I'd remain calm and professional but I'd demand that something be done. Good luck.

MoogieBoogie

Thanks guys.

The guy who worked on my car was the manager. I'm going to confront them when I return to school, but by that time, it's about one month after the incident.

Can anyone recommend a good bodyshop that knows our cars and can determine if I need a new hinge or the door fixed? When I think about it, it would seem that the area that bolts to the hinge would be the weakest and most susceptible to being bent.

Crap.

Thanks again guys,
-Brian.

mikeloc24

Brian, call and make a verbal complaint and state that you'll return to show the damage whenever you can. Don't just show up a month later out of the blue to complain as your claim will have less validity...And actually, before you go straight to this manager/gorilla you may want to find out who their district manager is in case the moron tries to supress your claim. I've seen it before.

MoogieBoogie

Thanks Mike. I'll give them a call, but I'm not even sure if they're privately owned or if they're a corporation / franchise.

Actually, I got a oil change done at Jiffy Lube two days ago. Today as I was driving, I heard a splashing sort of noise - kind of when you drive on wet roads. It was wet, so I didn't think anything of it. As it dried up, I was driving away from a shopping mall, and noticed a little kid checking out my car. I thought it was the wheels, but I heard the noise again when I was driving next to the median (center divider). So I pulled over and looked underneath my car thinking I had a plastic bag dragging underneath. Turns out the Jiffy Lube people didn't secure the engine undercover, so it was dragging. Argh - I called Jiffy Lube immediately, but apparently they were dealing with me "under the table" since I paid in cash. The customer service guy told me I had to take it to a ASE certified garage to get an estimate and fax it over to them. From there, the regional manager would give me a call and I would get reimbursed ONLY if the guy who did the job confessed to giving my car an oil change AND doing the work under the table.

May was such an unlucky month for my car. I'm going to treat it to new rear tires and the Supra TT brake upgrade for the front as a "I'm sorry I took you to some morons for service" apology to my car.

-Brian.

SupraCoup3

bro, with all your bad luck in oil changes, have you thought about doing them yourself?

I always do mine on my own... asking for Mobil 1 doesn't mean they'll put it in... they'll just charge you for it.


John