Roadside assistance: ..and I pay $70/year for THIS crap???

[Febs]

(Name supressed in the interests of not having my thread deleted...but I'm sure you can guess who I'm talking about. :))

To be honest, I really wasn't expecting my experience with this particular roadside assistance mob to be any different...but I thought I'd post it up for a laugh anyway.

As I mentioned in this thread (http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=49172), my alternator's acting up and it looks like the regulator. Bad part is it's overcharging, not under...so instead of getting a flat battery, I could fry my PCM (and more). :(

On the VN-VS apparently the regulator is a $50 part that you can change with a screwdriver and 10 minutes. Not so with the Gen3's - it's internal and a bitch to change.

I rang a reputable auto-electrician who's not cheap, but does good work. $305 to fit a new regulator, and overhaul the alternator. After Ryzz's post about his GTS' alternator, I rang them up and got quoted $319 for a reco - 24 months warranty, fitted onsite within 2 hours. Beauty. I asked the girl about 3 times "That's for a 5.7L V8 right? 2001, VX model?" and she agreed every time.

So this arvo I rang up to book one.
Call centre girl: "Oh, we can't just send one out. We have to send a service guy to look at the car first."
Me: "Fine, but he'll be wasting his time. It's an intermittent problem, he won't see it occur, but I know a new alternator will fix it."
Her: "Regardless, he has to check out the car."

So half an hour later he comes out, I tell him the problem, says he'll order one for me, then he compliments me on the car and we have a long chat about V8s and his big block HZ from back in the day.

He checks the pricelist on his computer and it specifically says "Gen3 not available" for any electric parts (stater motor/alternator), but says he'll get them to call me to confirm. 10 minutes after he leaves I get a call saying "Yep, there's no problem with supplying an alternator to suit your car. One will be out within 2 hours."

An hour later...roadside assistance autoelectrician rocks up, looks at the engine - "What the hell's this? That's a Gen3. I can't do anything with that!"

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

We checked his pricelist - not a Gen3 part in sight. The $319 quote was for a VN-VS 5L, despite both me and the first service tech saying about 20 times "It's a 2001 5.7L V8".

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

So that's how I wasted my night. Going to ring around some other autoelecs tomorrow for quotes, and maybe see if I can find a reco somewhere...but to be honest I think I'm going to be best off going with a new one. $520 trade! :bawl: :bawl: :banghead:

Umm..so yeah, sorry for boring you all with what you already knew. Thanks for listening. :)

Cheers,
- Febs.

[pagey]

Unfortunately... like many companies now.. their loyalties lie with the shareholders..


Although you can get stupid recption/staff everywhere.. want some of mine anyone... blonde big rack... brain = very low milage.

Stiff drink will ease the memories Febs.

[macca33]

Febs, you can only lead a horse to water mate...........

What it does then is anyone's guess....... :whip:

Regards,

Macca

[Febs]

Unfortunately... like many companies now.. their loyalties lie with the shareholders..

I lay the blame squarely with one ex-PM's son, personally.
He ruined a damn good thing.

[Jimbo_AUS]

Well I gotta say that I have heard the horror stories for years and yesterday had a need to get them and one turned up in 5 MINUTES!

I shi7 you not. 5 freaking minutes at 7AM in Roseville.

I was impressed.

[Febs]

I was impressed.

Don't get me wrong, I was bloody impressed with both the service guys who came to my house (quick, friendly, knowledgable)...just not the arseclowns who sent them to my house! :lol:

Cheers,
- Febs.

[Jimbo_AUS]

Don't get me wrong, I was bloody impressed with both the service guys who came to my house (quick, friendly, knowledgable)...just not the arseclowns who sent them to my house! :lol:

Cheers,
- Febs.

I feel for you but honestly ....the receptionist/call centre/phone person would be lucky to know what day it is imho. But thats the system right....and it doesn't work does it...sad. They used to be "road lifesavers" years ago.

[VX2VESS]

pulled alternators to bits before other cars with internal regs not too hard. fitted new bearings, modified them for more amps too.

if you get a new one i'll strip it and check out what needed on these

[tlr1000]

When i had my 308 lj torana i went through a few reco alternators, got sick of it and brought a brand new and problem solved.

[XLR8 V8]

Although you can get stupid recption/staff everywhere.. want some of mine anyone... blonde big rack... brain = very low milage.


Is she single? :eyes: :lol:

[BadMac]

I thought that model were all the single brain cell ones. Although there were rumors a few years back of a few 8 cell mules, they weren't popular so G.O.D. didn't put them into production.

[brettarmst]

Had a similar problem with a Supercharged VX, told everyone "supercharged" 10 times, all said yes and then quoted me $170-$200 for a re-condioned alternator for a standard V6, turned up and "ops, this ones different". Limped home and ordered a new one overnight from Melb and did the job myself.

[Haze_V8]

My recent 'roadside assistance' call got off to a fine start when I had to spend 10 minutes explaining a Monaro CV8 was only avaliable in 2 door.

"Oh, no sir, I have it listed that that model is a 4 door. Are you sure you have given me the right details"

:banghead:

[HBDCalais]

Is she single? :eyes: :lol:

Exactly what i was thinking!!!:beer:

[clubbyr8vx]

hey there
had to call them out over a problem i was haveing with the old hx panel van and while on the phone i was asked if any of my details had changed or if i had done anymore modifications to the car. now i had just recently put on a statesman front on to it so i told them that.
after an hour and half waiting i had not seen the lad they had sent out so rang again she checked my details again and sent him out again. another hour had passed still nothing so got out the car and lifted the bonet and started having a poke around myself. when he rocked up about half an hour later i was p**sed off and had a good go at him only to find out that he had been driving around for about 2 hours looking for a red statesman that had broken down

i appologised and we both had abit of a laugh about the idiots in the call center

:argue:

[SCOTTR8]

Is she single? :eyes: :lol:

single or married bring them on :banana: :banana: :banana: