Date:         Sun, 13 Jul 1997 17:23:01 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Alexander Vitakis <avitakis@pipeline.com>
Subject:      Re: who knows?

At 10:15 PM 7/12/97 -0500, you wrote:
>This is one of those questions that I could as easily put to my therapist,
>if I had one, the car guys, if I could ever get an open line, or you lucky
>stalwarts of the Vanagon list!
>
>here goes, it's auto-psycho-sociological: opinons please!?
>
>       I have a reasonably good relationship with the dealership service
>department where I purchased my Vanagon new, six years ago.  I know, that's
>mostly because I mostly, quietly allow them to fleece me about once every
>six months.
>
>        Lately, every time I have some little thing done, they leave some
>part of the job undone!  This last trip was worse! I had the front brakes
>done and drove the 100+ miles home only to discover that my chrome lugs had
>been switched for black ones! chrome on the back, dingy black on the front.
>There were no other Vanagons in the shop that day so I thinking the swap
>was intentional, and I'm really steamed.  Never the less I call the service
>manager whom I think of as a friend, and suggest that a mistake has been
>made.  He gets a little huffy and sez it could not happen, no other vans in
>the shop that day and Vanagon lugs are unique to Vanagons, must have been
>that way when I brought it in. I know that's not the case.  I washed the
>van two days before: chrome all around.  Now I'm not only angry I'm
>worried!  What if these are not the correct lugs and they were just forced
>in?  I might be in danger of them breaking or coming out because they are
>stripped.  Will I have to buy new hubs?  in the face of the service
>manager's denial do I force the issue over eight lug bolts or just order
>new ones for one of the suppliers on the list and then find a new
>mechanic??
>
>thanks for any advise any of you can offer.
>
>
>
if these are the chrome lugs for factory alloys, wait till you see what the
dealer's price is to replace them. something like 11 or 12 bucks each.

alex