Never Take Your Car To Ron's Automotive

so heres the story...

About 3 weeks ago i was driving the 85 around and noticed some chugging in the acceleration, parked it and came out in the morning to go to work and it wouldn't start, so they were the first people i thought of, got it towed and in there, they tuned it up so they said, replaced the plugs they could get to, now on a tune up aren't you supposed to replace all the plugs??? and being a shop shouldn't you be able to get to ALL of the plugs??? when i got it back later that week, They tell me i had the mass air flow sensor unplugged, after i told them it was already broken and to keep it unplugged, well they plugged it in anyways and it ran like s*** so what did i do unplugged it and it ran fine.
Now about 5 days later the same thing happens, runs weird at night park it go out to drive it and it wont start, so i call them up and tell them that they did infact not fix my car and they told me they would tow and test it again for free.

This is where it gets real stupid real fast.

So after it being in that shop for a day the second time they tell me my mass airflow sensor is broken and that they have already done tests on it and thats going to cost me 400 dollars, AFTER they said they would test it again for free, and i asked them why i was paying for this and they said it wasn't their fault, so they replaced the mass air flow sensor which put me at about 550 bucks, and then, they start it, itruns fine for about 2 seconds and just dies on them, like it had the first time i had it in there before. THey relize the mass air flow sensor isn't the problem, no remember how i told them that wasn't the problem??? well they charged me 560 bucks for fixing what wasn't broken. They relize my coil and distributor are bad, and want to charge me anothe 500 dollars to get that fixed.

I told them to f*** off, and that im comming down to get my car, because they dont know what the hell they are doing. So after two trips and 700 dollars later rons automotive failed to fix my car, they did fix something that didn't need to be fixed, and in the process pissed me off.

So to make a long story short don't ever take your car to rons automotive, becaue they will f*** you in the a**.

Right there and then I would have refused to pay the full tune up charge, and not have gone back to them... If they can't change spark plugs, then why would you trust them any further?



they tuned it up so they said, replaced the plugs they could get to, now on a tune up aren't you supposed to replace all the plugs??? and being a shop shouldn't you be able to get to ALL of the plugs???

I've heard many,,,, MANY horror stories about those rip-off artists.....

Mike

Not to take sides but why are you driving your car with your MAF broken and unplugged? Your going to have problem cause your in closed loop mode all the time

Acctually its not big deal to drive a stock car with no MAF, it'll run just fine except the ECM will go to Speed Density on that PCM.

BTW, Closed loop is when o2's work fine, open loop is when o2's fail & ecm ignores them going into open loop.

Matt.

BTW, Closed loop is when o2's work fine, open loop is when o2's fail & ecm ignores them going into open loop.

That's what I ment

Ever heard of.... small claims court, about $75 to file a claim against them :) Make a BBB report as well.

I've heard many,,,, MANY horror stories about those rip-off artists.....

Mike


Same here. :blah: There's a Honda place on 4th plain just east of 117th to avoid as well. Can't remember the name of it off hand though.

You know some of us around here do car work for food/drink and good conversation. :)

Same here. :blah: There's a Honda place on 4th plain just east of 117th to avoid as well. Can't remember the name of it off hand though.

You know some of us around here do car work for food/drink and good conversation. :)

Ill have to remember that, as far as driving with the MAFS unplugged, who cares, it ran like crap with it in, simple solution to a stupid problem, no i probablly should have taken care of it sooner, and that was stupid on my part.

How exactly hard is it to replace a coil and distributor on this thing???

Am i going to have to take it to someone that won't rip me off or could i do it?

Ill have to remember that, as far as driving with the MAFS unplugged, who cares, it ran like crap with it in, simple solution to a stupid problem, no i probablly should have taken care of it sooner, and that was stupid on my part.

How exactly hard is it to replace a coil and distributor on this thing???

Am i going to have to take it to someone that won't rip me off or could i do it?


2.8? Simple. You sure you need the entire distributor and not just the ignition module inside? The ignition module is usually what goes. 50 dollar part from GM...prolly less aftermarket.

Heck I may have one or two floating around here. In fact I've got a RWD 3.4L out of a 4th gen sitting on a stand if you're feeling frisky. :D

Hmmm i think ill try the less expensive method first, and how much you want for the 3.4???? tranny with that??? and how easy is wiring on that swap? any diffrence at all???

Ive been kind looking at 305's, but i need something to drive this winter, the 67 won't be cold weather ready...

My 3.4L is a shortblock. It is 100% bolt up compatible with your 2.8L. Same heads, intake, tranny etc etc. Bolt on all your stuff, throw in a cam(stock f-body one is WEAK) and go. I have a menagerie of related parts, 2 sets of heads (one with some rough port work) a Fiero intake set. etc etc etc.

Oh yeah. I have a FWD 2.8L sitting on a dolly next to it as well. And don't forget the pretty Fiero cast aluminum valve covers that fit your car. :)

I'd like it all gone. Make me an offer. :)

ok new question, how hard is it going to be to replace that igniton module inside that thing???its it basically a screw???

And im gonna have to pass on the 3.4, i think once i get it running im going to sell it and put that money into the 67.

You think replacing that part could take a half an hour???

hey, seriously contact the BBB, some AAA tranny place in richmond tried to screw me over saying they did certain repairs that they didnt do, and that i didnt authorize, all i did was contact BBB, then kinda forgot bout it, bout 2 weeks after i contacted BBB i got a check in the mail for double the amount that they owed me.

i just filed a complaint to the bbb, thanks man. hopefully something good come out of this.

Ignition module wasn't the problem, the roter was all rusty so im going to try a new roter and cap see if that helps.

I doubt its the same issue but ill post it anyways.

I had a 1986 2.8 V6 camaro that wouldnt idle , had to three pedal it all the time at the lights. It would only run well on very cool, crisp days. The ses light was on all the time also and everyone I took it too either had no clue or wanted me to replace the maf. I coughed up the money bought a new maf and it didnt do jack **** to fix the problem. Afyer a while I gave up replacing the little sensors and ****.

Anyways I ran across this german guy that hardley spoke english at a mechanic shop in poco, he over heard me bitching about the car. He told me to pull the tbody and "soak it in da gunk" . Im like wtf but he seemed sure it would help so I went to crappy tire and found this "gunk" **** , pulled the TB and soaked it/ scrubbed it. Fixed the problem just like that . 2 years I lived with that pos stalling lol.

Turns out theres a tps sensor or idle air control sensor in there cant remember but it was too dirty to tell wtf was going on .

Maybe it will help

thanks for the info but it was actually just the coil, not the MAFS, jackasses at rons automotive dont know what they are talking about, oh and it only cost me a total of 60 bucks. Coil, roter,cap, and ignition module.

Lets hope the BBB, get em for me. that 700 dollars could buy me new tires, or a guitar amp.

They used to be a decent shop. But he has gotton so big now with the third or fourth shop in Vancouver. I guess he can't find competent help. I can't imagine not being able to get all the plugs out!! That is the part that is real stupid. I can understand the guy saying that about a LT1 with stock manifolds, but even those plugs are eventually removable! I will be the first to say that removing plugs from a LT1 is a royal PITA. If the BBB doesn't do much for you, go to the small claims court. With what has happened they would tear his A** up, he won't have a chance. From experience myself working in the automotive fields, shops are usually presumed guilty anyways, and even when they are right they loose in court!

There are some very good reputable shops in Vancouver. One is Gaynors Automotive on HWY 99. And if you are into hot rod stuff come and see me, I just got my new Chassis dyno installed last night :) And I am next door to Gaynors if you need a oil change!

Sorry, I was gone for a week in Kennewick. Glad to hear you got the car running again.

There are some very good reputable shops in Vancouver. One is Gaynors Automotive on HWY 99. And if you are into hot rod stuff come and see me, I just got my new Chassis dyno installed last night :) And I am next door to Gaynors if you need a oil change!

OH man im totally going to come use your dyno, ive been wondering about how much juice i can get out of the 67, yeah as far as shops are concerned, ill deffinatly come see you, and theres ricks garage on st. johns they are fairly reputable.

GreenZ, yeah i got the car running, but you know how they replaced the MAFS? well im still haveing the same problem with it, runs like crap with it plugged in and runs absolutly fine with it out....

so im wondering if i could just go down there and demand my money back or if i should just let the BBB take care of it and wait.

Mike I would demand your money back, tell him to take his new MAF sensor out and give you your old one back. Seeing how it didn't make a darn bit of difference anyway. And if he was any kind of business man he would know right from wrong. Gaynors would never treat a customer that way let alone admitting they couldn't replace all the spark plugs which is totally rediculous, I still have a hard time believing that one!

If you still can't figure it out get a hold of me late next week. Maybe I can figure out why your car can't run off the MAF sensor. I am very well versed in GM EFI systems from the old TBI stuff to all the late model stuff. Even after being away from it all for several years working as a controls system engineer in pulp and paper mills all over the world, things haven't changed much, other than complexity and communications protocols, the basic strategies are still the same. Even most DTC codes from yesteryear remain constant.

ok, im going down there tuesday then, and if i can't get it to run off the MAFS ill stop by you shop too, ill bring the 67 around sometime to get it dynoed as well. thanks for the help too, its EXTREMELY appreciated.