Shop Reputation & Screwups.... wheel torque best practices

[joetech]

Just curious what your experience is with screw-ups and shop reputation?

We've had a couple screw ups in our shop and I was told today that normally people get fired over this kind of stuff.

One screw up was a Jeep that came back in with a missing rear brake pad a week or so after I put a rotor on it and the other one was a wheel fell off of a 3500 truck a few days after I fixed a flat tire.

The Jeep could have been a pad de-lamination, never did figure out what really happened there.

The 3500 was because it was in the parking lot and used a cordless impact to tighten the nuts down and it never got torqued properly. We have a torque wrench and we torque all 12mm to 110 and 14mm to 140.

I have heard of shops that have two people torque the wheels and sign off on the receipt, I've seen them at Wal-Mart where they take the car out into the parking lot and do a couple doughnuts before they torque the wheels.

What does your shop do to make sure certain things get done that have to get done?

And what is your experience with screw ups and shop reputation? How many screw ups does it take to get a "reputation"?

Thanks.

 

[ngk22r]

You need to slow down and double check your work, especially with safety items. An extra 5 minutes is way less than having to redo something or have something fail.

 

[blazemaster83]

Put yourself in the car owner's shoes. If I brought my truck in to get a flat fixed, then the wheel fell off I would raise hell. Probably the same thing about the brake pad/rotor. If a professional shop can't even get the lug nuts on correct, how could you trust them to replace a transmission or head gasket, etc.

For me if a shop screws up like that, they better make it right. I get it mistakes happen. Otherwise I would never go back, and would bad mouth them every chance I get. It seems most shops don't want to own up to their screw ups and try to cover them up as best they can.

This makes the good shop stand out, people will go back if treated right.

 

[joetech]

You need to slow down and double check your work, especially with safety items. An extra 5 minutes is way less than having to redo something or have something fail.

I agree. I've been paranoid about drain plugs, oil filter tightness and oil caps getting put back on. I know of one car that had to be cleaned up as an oil cap got forgotten. Now we are putting all oil caps on the hood latch so hood won't close if oil cap isn't put back on. Getting to be paranoid about torquing wheels but that one wheel was passed over.

Also getting paranoid about putting red lock-tite on all brake hardware bolts... was told about a guy who had an issue with a caliper coming loose and punched a hole into a rim.

I don't care for the liability exposure that a repair shop has, sometimes it seems like another career wouldn't be as bad in that aspect but I do enjoy doing mechanic work. Compared to being a handyman I would have to say that the liability is about the same.

 

[joetech]

Put yourself in the car owner's shoes. If I brought my truck in to get a flat fixed, then the wheel fell off I would raise hell. Probably the same thing about the brake pad/rotor. If a professional shop can't even get the lug nuts on correct, how could you trust them to replace a transmission or head gasket, etc.

For me if a shop screws up like that, they better make it right. I get it mistakes happen. Otherwise I would never go back, and would bad mouth them every chance I get. It seems most shops don't want to own up to their screw ups and try to cover them up as best they can.

This makes the good shop stand out, people will go back if treated right.

Thank you... that's what we did on both jobs... we made it right. The 3500 got a new rim, fender liner, and a free oil change, possibly an alignment. I hope "making it right" stands out more than the fact that something happened. The 3500 didn't need a fender liner imho but the shop owner wanted to put it in.

 

[mudflap]

The County is it'sown customer..Dosnt happen alot, but we can usually cover for each other. Depending on who is the Supervisor in the sub dept.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Just tighten them, and you're fine. I worked in a place with the retarded double-torque process. Wheels still fell off because idiots refused to clean crusty mounting surfaces. Just because the wrench clicks at 140 or whatever doesn't mean the wheel is on, and flush. The main issue behind this seems to be lazy guys, and OMG I'M WAITING customers who pressure shops into just pumping stuff out, quality be damned.


IDGAF how bad someone "needs" to have the job wrapped up. If a wheel falls off, or the pads glaze from not being bedded in, or the gasket leaks because it wasn't fully cleaned - whose problem is that? 100% of the time it's mine. When customers are happy saying "I'm okay with paying to redo this job at standard cost because I just had to get little jimmy from school and I couldn't imagine waiting 5 extra minutes to have my car fixed right", I'll start half assing it.

 

[L.Cheapo]

I agree with ngk22r.

I'll add your timing is ironic. My truck is currently at the dealer. I do 98% of my own work and diagnostics, but sometimes I simply don't have the time, or, as in this case, it's just too darn cold out.

Smelled coolant a few months ago. Found water pump leaking. Was tight on time and temperature was in the teens. Took it to the dealer and said "fix it." I paid the bill, no complaints.

Month or so later, smelling coolant again. Now what? We had a very mild day so I popped the hood and found the leak. It took me a second to figure out why it was leaking and why it looked so odd. With an inspection mirror and flashlight, I determined the water pump was leaking...out of a bolt hole...because the bolt is missing. I later found the bolt...wedged between the air dam and the A/C condenser, all rusted to hell from the winter salt. There is no possible way for that 3"+ bolt to fall out, let alone find its way to where it was. The technician never put it back in.

I'd cut my losses and just do it my damn self, but since I paid their $135/hour labor charge, they're going to fix it. I even gave them the rusty bolt. Quite honestly, I cannot remember the last time I took a vehicle to a shop for service and got it back fixed correctly or without some other damage on it. (One tech crashed my truck)

I'm not shitting on techs. Stuff happens, I get it. Eric O says "Sometimes you have to slow down to go fast!" Right he is.

Edited to add:
Most people don't understand torque nor do they know how to use a torque wrench properly. While I prefer seeing someone use a torque wrench of the torque stick and 10 ugga-dugga method, at one local place they bang the lug nuts on with an impact...then someone else comes along with a torque wrench to "check". That second guy doesn't know if that lug nut is at 90 ft lbs or 400 ft lbs.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I agree. I've been paranoid about drain plugs, oil filter tightness and oil caps getting put back on. The shop has already had one car come back in because an oil cap got forgotten. Now we are putting all oil caps on the hood latch so hood won't close if oil cap isn't put back on. Getting to be paranoid about torquing wheels but that one wheel was passed over.

Also getting paranoid about putting red lock-tite on all brake hardware bolts... was told about a guy who had an issue with a caliper coming loose and punched a hole into a rim.

I don't much like the liability in this business.

If you do this, you deserve the deepest circle of hell. I've been the guy who sold the brakes, when the last guy slathered the bracket bolts with red locktight. An hour dripping sweat, with torch in one hand and a 4 pound sledge beating on a wrench turning those bolts an 1/16 of a turn at a time.



Just tighten the bolts guys, it's easy. Get some BLUE locktight if you want to be paranoid. Or just tighten stuff. M12 3/8 impact will never let an M8x1 caliper bolt fall out. When those fall out, it's because they were never fully tightened.

 

[joetech]

Just tighten them, and you're fine. I worked in a place with the retarded double-torque process. Wheels still fell off because idiots refused to clean crusty mounting surfaces. Just because the wrench clicks at 140 or whatever doesn't mean the wheel is on, and flush. The main issue behind this seems to be lazy guys, and OMG I'M WAITING customers who pressure shops into just pumping stuff out, quality be damned.


IDGAF how bad someone "needs" to have the job wrapped up. If a wheel falls off, or the pads glaze from not being bedded in, or the gasket leaks because it wasn't fully cleaned - whose problem is that? 100% of the time it's mine. When customers are happy saying "I'm okay with paying to redo this job at standard cost because I just had to get little jimmy from school and I couldn't imagine waiting 5 extra minutes to have my car fixed right", I'll start half assing it.

Thank you for the feedback. I've thought several times that I should start getting more paranoid about cleaning hubs and cruddy mounting surfaces. Have seen too much of that going through the shop. I've started greasing the hubs because one customer came in with a greased hub on a car that was normally a royal pain in the *** to remove, and it really helped. If it's my job I should just own the job and get it done right.

I'm not getting paid flat rate so it makes no difference to my pay.... and enough **** has happened that I can just say should we clean the hubs or what ever or should we risk this coming back as another f-up? IMHO it's worth the extra 10 minutes to take care of what ever the problem is instead of dealing with a pissed customer.

 

[joetech]

If you do this, you deserve the deepest circle of hell. I've been the guy who sold the brakes, when the last guy slathered the bracket bolts with red locktight. An hour dripping sweat, with torch in one hand and a 4 pound sledge beating on a wrench turning those bolts an 1/16 of a turn at a time.



Just tighten the bolts guys, it's easy. Get some BLUE locktight if you want to be paranoid. Or just tighten stuff. M12 3/8 impact will never let an M8x1 caliper bolt fall out. When those fall out, it's because they were never fully tightened.

That is actually helpful. I've just used one drop of red loctite. Never thought it needed any more than that. Will have to get a bottle of the blue stuff.

Oh ****. Just looked the stuff up and it's only removable by heating the part to 500 degrees. I guess they didn't say it was permanent for no reason. I didn't realize it was THAT permanent.

 

[redwrench60]

Here’s some good graybeard advice I got when I was wet behind the ears:

Never ever spin on any nut, bolt, screw, plug, fitting, line, filter ect. until you are ready to final tighten/torque to spec. Ever. If you aren’t ready to tighten it right now, then take it back off.

Example: throwing in a drain plug after draining oil then heading to the parts department for a filter with the intention of tightening it when you put the filter on. Tighten it now or take it back out. It’s too easy for a pro tech to get distracted or roped into doing something else and then forget.

 

[joetech]

Edited to add:
Most people don't understand torque nor do they know how to use a torque wrench properly. While I prefer seeing someone use a torque wrench of the torque stick and 10 ugga-dugga method, at one local place they bang the lug nuts on with an impact...then someone else comes along with a torque wrench to "check". That second guy doesn't know if that lug nut is at 90 ft lbs or 400 ft lbs.

That's one of my pet peeves with using an impact wrench and torque wrench.

I don't have a clue as to how tight those lug nuts really are. I just know that they're higher than what ever the torque wrench torque is! I do have a couple trusted impact guns at work that I normally use because I can reliably get real close on the torque with them. There's one impact that is way too powerful and will actually snap off a wheel stud if I'm not careful. Haven't done it but I do know it's powerful enough to do it.

 

[joetech]

Here’s some good graybeard advice I got when I was wet behind the ears:

Never ever spin on any nut, bolt, screw, plug, fitting, line, filter ect. until you are ready to final tighten/torque to spec. Ever. If you aren’t ready to tighten it right now, then take it back off.

Example: throwing in a drain plug after draining oil then heading to the parts department for a filter with the intention of tightening it when you put the filter on. Tighten it now or take it back out. It’s too easy for a pro tech to get distracted or roped into doing something else and then forget.

That's a very good piece of advice Red! Pretty much what I have been doing under the hood but hadn't thought of putting that into words.

Now, if I was carrying the torque wrench along with the cordless impact out to that 3500 that probably would have saved my ***.

 

[eschoendorff]

If you do this, you deserve the deepest circle of hell. I've been the guy who sold the brakes, when the last guy slathered the bracket bolts with red locktight. An hour dripping sweat, with torch in one hand and a 4 pound sledge beating on a wrench turning those bolts an 1/16 of a turn at time.

This! Use the blue stuff. And read the label first please.

 

[xlowxyotax88x]

Here’s some good graybeard advice I got when I was wet behind the ears:

Never ever spin on any nut, bolt, screw, plug, fitting, line, filter ect. until you are ready to final tighten/torque to spec. Ever. If you aren’t ready to tighten it right now, then take it back off.

Example: throwing in a drain plug after draining oil then heading to the parts department for a filter with the intention of tightening it when you put the filter on. Tighten it now or take it back out. It’s too easy for a pro tech to get distracted or roped into doing something else and then forget.

This 100% this. I've seen to many simple screw ups due to rushing and pure laziness. Oil cap take it off put it somewhere where it's easily seen. When u drain the oil and put the drain plug back in TIGHTEN IT THEN smae with filter it goes on it gets tightened. Pull the funnel out after you dump oil in put the cap on then. If you have a routine that you make it becomes second nature don't away from that routine. Take pride in your work do the best and even if your flat rate at some point fix it like your wife's driving it with your kids inside wouldn't want to half *** anything they would be in would you? Slow down and take your time rushing makes mistakes not worth it. When my boss starts pushing me on time I remind him that it creates mistakes and he backs off. Also no red loctite you'll regret it later when you do that work again down the road. Buy a 1/2 and 3/8 torque wrench torque to specs no more worries if stuff isn't tight unless crusty.

 

[Danglerb]

Blue painters tape is the common shop practice at places I use. The types of work they do often have long delays on parts, so 3" wide blue tape goes on as a reminder that oil needs to go in or something needs a final torque.

I fought a vibration issue on my old Lincoln since it was almost new. What we suspected was some minor issue with one of the factory wheels, but those were about $300 each and the vibration got blamed on tires by the wheel guys (dealer) and not tires by the tire guys. Eventually I pulled off the wheels one at a time and took them to a wheel repair specialist, and they all checked out as fine. Turns out somebody early on put the wheels on with a rattle gun and over many heat cycles the rotors warp. New rotors with lug nuts tightened with a torque wrench and smooth as glass.

Places I use now all either spin on the nuts by hand, or use a low value torque stick, then a torque wrench for the final torque.

 

[plinker]

What we do at work is use a torque stick* on lug nuts then once the vehicle is on the ground, torque wrench is used. No issues and it only takes a minute to check. They also stamp "re-torque wheel nuts after 50 mi" on the receipt and most stop back to have it done/checked.

*The torque stick is used on a lower setting so as not to over torque the wheel nut, a torque wrench is used for final torque.


If the wheel has corrosion or other scale on the mating surface, we got a tool to clean it, https://www.tooltopia.com/mueller-kueps-433507.aspx Gets used if we're doing a rotate, balancing tires, ete... The disk is replaceable, they last a long time though, the one at work is about four months old and still in good shape. It's very quick to use. Some times the hub/rotor surface need cleaning too. We typically use a needle scaler for that.

+1 for Blue loctite on brake hardware.

We use CRC disc brake quiet in a 4oz bottle on drain/fill/check plugs after they are tightened for a couple reasons, to act as a check to ensure they were tightened and a sort of tamper seal. Doesnt take much either.
https://www.amazon.com/CRC-05016-Disc-Brake-Quiet/dp/B000CINV88/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=disc+brake+quiet&qid=1551409369&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Getting distracted is easy, so taking an extra few second or minutes to check or recheck is worthwhile. Best thing to do is establish a habit of doing things in a particular order and stick with it.

 

[ngk22r]

I agree. I've been paranoid about drain plugs, oil filter tightness and oil caps getting put back on. I know of one car that had to be cleaned up as an oil cap got forgotten. Now we are putting all oil caps on the hood latch so hood won't close if oil cap isn't put back on. Getting to be paranoid about torquing wheels but that one wheel was passed over.

Also getting paranoid about putting red lock-tite on all brake hardware bolts... was told about a guy who had an issue with a caliper coming loose and punched a hole into a rim.

I don't care for the liability exposure that a repair shop has, sometimes it seems like another career wouldn't be as bad in that aspect but I do enjoy doing mechanic work. Compared to being a handyman I would have to say that the liability is about the same.

There is NEVER a need to put locktite, let alone red locktite on bolts UNLESS the manufacture calls for it. The next person to work on that component will be cursing your name for putting that on.

 

[joetech]

There is NEVER a need to put locktite, let alone red locktite on bolts UNLESS the manufacture calls for it. The next person to work on that component will be cursing your name for putting that on.

I certainly got the message about the loc-tite. Fortunately I just have a little $5 tube of the red stuff so it'll get put aside and I'll go get some of the blue stuff. I'm glad I found out before I got too far along that the red stuff is so bad.

 

[joetech]

What we do at work is use a torque stick* on lug nuts then once the vehicle is on the ground, torque wrench is used. No issues and it only takes a minute to check. They also stamp "re-torque wheel nuts after 50 mi" on the receipt and most stop back to have it done/checked.

*The torque stick is used on a lower setting so as not to over torque the wheel nut, a torque wrench is used for final torque.


If the wheel has corrosion or other scale on the mating surface, we got a tool to clean it, https://www.tooltopia.com/mueller-kueps-433507.aspx Gets used if we're doing a rotate, balancing tires, ete... The disk is replaceable, they last a long time though, the one at work is about four months old and still in good shape. It's very quick to use. Some times the hub/rotor surface need cleaning too. We typically use a needle scaler for that.

+1 for Blue loctite on brake hardware.

We use CRC disc brake quiet in a 4oz bottle on drain/fill/check plugs after they are tightened for a couple reasons, to act as a check to ensure they were tightened and a sort of tamper seal. Doesnt take much either.
https://www.amazon.com/CRC-05016-Disc-Brake-Quiet/dp/B000CINV88/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=disc+brake+quiet&qid=1551409369&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Getting distracted is easy, so taking an extra few second or minutes to check or recheck is worthwhile. Best thing to do is establish a habit of doing things in a particular order and stick with it.

I have been trying to get into a routine. Especially with oil changes and tire rotations. We used to do drain/filter, tire rotation, then fill/check under the hood... not anymore. I might take the hubcaps off while the oil is draining but that's it. The oil change gets done before the tire rotation gets touched... then the torque gets done as soon as the impact is done. Otherwise it's way too easy to forget about torquing while doing the fill/check under the hood or vice versa. Only thing I'm losing time-wise is an extra lift to do the rotation... but it's cheap insurance.

That is an awesome tip on the torque stick plus the torque wrench afterwards. I'll have to tell the boss about that because that is an ongoing issue for us.

The aluminum wheel corossion cleaner is a great suggestion, thank you for posting.

Can you detail more about the disk brake quiet? We have the security seal markers at work as well but we haven't been using them much.

I try to double check things... especially drain plugs/filters/caps.

 

[ngk22r]

I certainly got the message about the loc-tite. Fortunately I just have a little $5 tube of the red stuff so it'll get put aside and I'll go get some of the blue stuff. I'm glad I found out before I got too far along that the red stuff is so bad.

If the manufacture did not put it on there OR doesn’t say to put it on there then DON’T. You are going to be better off not buying the stuff as it can lead to bad habits. You paranoia should be spent learning how different torque values feel or use a torque wrench on everything instead of using locktite. Locktite has a time and place and only when it’s called for. The last thing you need is to use the stuff as a crutch and further leading to bad habits. Learn the right way from the begining and drill it into you’r mind. I learned early on from the guy who taught me before I even started working on the first car some basic rules that will never fail you as long as you use them.

 

[ngk22r]

Also don’t take what we are saying as beating you down, since reading text doesn’t carry the emotion across, take all of this as pointers.

 

[plinker]

The disc brake quiet dries somewhat quickly, about 10 min. or so. Basically once the plug is tight you dopper a small amount on the drain plug hex/flange & pan to act as a "seal" of sorts, it dries to a rubbery/silicone consistency. Looks sort of like this when done but usually has a bit more goop the the pic shows. https://www4.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=0AA2940FFC363B7B80BE1FDDD6A0BB1A090834D5&thid=OIP.7IBEK-mIWfmAVFMbG-pnvAHaEK&exph=576&expw=1024&q=drain+plug+tamper+proof+seal&selectedindex=89&vt=0&eim=1,2,6



A method the boss uses for an oil change/rotate is raise the vehicle, get the oil draining & filter off, lower the vehicle enough to get to the tires with out much trouble, then rotate the tires.
Then raise the vehicle, put the drain plug & filter on, lower vehicle, add oil & check under hood stuff. Once that's done, torque the wheels & lower the vehicle down the rest of the way & move the lift arms away.

This method works well on most stuff except 3/4 tons & bigger.

 

[joetech]

Also don’t take what we are saying as beating you down, since reading text doesn’t carry the emotion across, take all of this as pointers.

Oh I'm not taking it that way at all. I REALLY appreciate the knowledge that I am gaining through Garage Journal.

I hate "airing dirty laundry" this way, which is why I'm intentionally obscure about certain things, but my shop only has 3 guys in it. The owner, with several decades of experience, a kid with a month of experience, and myself with a few months plus a couple years of college along with a lifetime of mechanical repairs. The three of us don't know everything and reading Garage Journal and asking questions has been VERY valuable to me. It's like working in a shop with 20 techs instead of just the 2 guys I work with.

I just count on this website staying obscure enough and people in my area not finding out that I'm looking for help here. I don't think this is much of a layman's site anyway, mostly enthusiasts and professionals.

I have read a lot more on here than I post... spend 3-4 hours here a time 3-4 nights a week reading.

Thank you to all!

 

[M6erfan]

Blue painters tape is the common shop practice at places I use. The types of work they do often have long delays on parts, so 3" wide blue tape goes on as a reminder that oil needs to go in or something needs a final torque.

This is exactly what I do in my home shop.

 

[plinker]

^ Wouldnt lock out tags work better? Just curious as that's what I've used before.

 

[Skin]

Caliper bracket bolts should always get cranked down pretty good. Either long ratchet or a solid blast with a 1/2" impact. Get some torque sticks for wheels if you routinely do stuff in the parking lot.

 

[M6erfan]

^ Wouldnt lock out tags work better? Just curious as that's what I've used before.

Sometimes I'll use a tag, depends on the part/assembly. Sometimes I'll mark fasteners with a paint pen to show they have been torqued.

I also keep a checklist of final assembly steps that I check before I do an initial start up.

 

[Yarpo]

When I started we where just using an impact and getting them certainly over tight, but my boss figured over tight was better than loose, as he'd rather replace warped rotors instead of whatever ensuing carnage would/could happen as a wheel falls off. The other tech used a torque stick usually and he transitioned to a torque wrench. I've been using both a torque stick while the cars on the lift and then torque wrench once the cars on the ground for about a month now. Feel pretty good about it

 

[Dieselhammer]

You guys are preaching the dangers of using red loctite, how many have had to remove something put in with green loctite.... that stuff is for when something is going together forever lol....

 

[eschoendorff]

Oh I'm not taking it that way at all. I REALLY appreciate the knowledge that I am gaining through Garage Journal.

I hate "airing dirty laundry" this way, which is why I'm intentionally obscure about certain things, but my shop only has 3 guys in it. The owner, with several decades of experience, a kid with a month of experience, and myself with a few months plus a couple years of college along with a lifetime of mechanical repairs. The three of us don't know everything and reading Garage Journal and asking questions has been VERY valuable to me. It's like working in a shop with 20 techs instead of just the 2 guys I work with.

I just count on this website staying obscure enough and people in my area not finding out that I'm looking for help here. I don't think this is much of a layman's site anyway, mostly enthusiasts and professionals.

I have read a lot more on here than I post... spend 3-4 hours here a time 3-4 nights a week reading.

Thank you to all![/QUOTE

Just the fact that you’re doing some homework and seeking out answers tells me you’re on the right track. You’re going to be a fine tech IMHO.

 

[Stooge]

You guys are preaching the dangers of using red loctite, how many have had to remove something put in with green loctite.... that stuff is for when something is going together forever lol....

For when permanent isn't enough! we use it pretty regularly here at work, a tensile strength testing manufacturer

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Many of the things done here (by multiple people) is why my cars never get worked on my anyone but me.

Different vehicles have different lug torque values, know them before working on the vehicle and torque properly AFTER cleaning all mating surfaces, it's part of the job. Over torquing with an impact is a very, very poor practice, lazy in fact to the point of potentially damaging rims, rotors, hubs, lugs & studs.

Red loctite, green loctite & blue loctite all have there place, if you don't know when and where to use it (per the manufacturer) don't work on the vehicle. You have to educate yourself before performing the repair, not after the failure occurs.

 

[Jtels85]

Had that happen to me at a place called Aurora Tire. Took my 2002 Durango in for ball joints and a couple days after getting it back, it wobbled real bad on the highway. I pulled over and discovered the lug nuts were loose on the 2 front wheels. Luckily, I had the 4-Way in the back and was able to tighten them down so I could make it to work and home.

Needless to say, that wasn’t the first problem I had with that particular shop, but it was my last.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Many of the things done here (by multiple people) is why my cars never get worked on my anyone but me.

Different vehicles have different lug torque values, know them before working on the vehicle and torque properly AFTER cleaning all mating surfaces, it's part of the job. Over torquing with an impact is a very, very poor practice, lazy in fact to the point of potentially damaging rims, rotors, hubs, lugs & studs.

Red loctite, green loctite & blue loctite all have there place, if you don't know when and where to use it (per the manufacturer) don't work on the vehicle. You have to educate yourself before performing the repair, not after the failure occurs.

The understatement of the year

 

[vavet]

For when permanent isn't enough! we use it pretty regularly here at work, a tensile strength testing manufacturer

I might be your customer!

To the OP: Good on you for looking for advice. I had some screw-ups an an inexperienced tech and I had some close calls. I think the key is to do things in a certain way to make sure it's obvious you've forgotten something.

I worked on BMWs. Almost all the BMWs had 17mm hex lug bolts. The exception was the X5 which used 19mm. I had a 17mm torque stick. The 19mm stick was on my wish list...you can't buy everything up front. I did brakes on an X5 one day, test drove, left it outside, and turned in the RO. When reinstalling the wheels, my typical routine was get the wheel in place, start a lug bolt using the torque stick in my hand. Then get the other 4 started. Then turn one all the way in with the torque stick by hand. Then install the torque stick on the impact gun and go to town. Well, this all goes out the window when you don't have the right torque stick. So I put it all the bolts as far as I could, thinking I would use the torque wrench once I got the car on the ground...well, you know I forgot that. Luckily, I remember before the customer came to get the car. I was out in the parking lot with my torque wrench tightening lugs on this X5. This was a happy ending story. I ordered the 19mm torque stick that night.

Another, not so happy story - inspection service on E46 M3, included drain and refill of the rear diff. I knew enough to remove the fill plug before removing the drain plug....but then I reinstalled both without filling it. I think I was just in a oil change mentality - drain from the bottom, fill from the top. The car came back the next day on a rollback. So embarassing and I'm sure infuriating for the owner. After that, my first step was to go get the diff oil drum and park it under the car before draining the diff. That was enough to remind me because I couldn't lower the car until I moved that drum of oil.

Good luck!

 

[M6erfan]

MY BIL had his front left wheel come off going down the highway a few years ago. He had his clutch replaced about a week before, they didn't mount the wheel correctly after the job. He's lucky he or someone else didn't get seriously injured or worse. No one but me has touched that truck since.

I started a thread a while back about why I invest in tools and work on our own vehicles, and it's basically because of instances this.

 

[dacan23]

Like many here, usually no one touches my cars except if they are under warranty. I have a good tire shop too and they have only touched any of my cars once and thats because I brought in 8 wheels and tires, didnt have time for multiple runs so told them they can put one set on the car I dropped off.

My father ingrained in my mind from very young, take your time and double check things. I now preach this to my kids. The extra time you take to do it right the first time will pay off in the end because mistakes are very costly or dangerous.

Just today I had the hood up on our leased diesel SUV, it was just in the shop earlier in the week for covered maintenance and a airbag error. Of course they always top all the fluids when its in the shop. What do I see? DEF was spilled/splattered when they filled it. Its a lease and will always be under warranty if anything gets corroded/breaks from the spillage, but I am still a little upset. Gonna report to my SA on this, because if I owned it and saw the DEF residue everywhere I would be pissed. Every tech at the dealer should know to be more careful when filling DEF.

 

[joetech]

MY BIL had his front left wheel come off going down the highway a few years ago. He had his clutch replaced about a week before, they didn't mount the wheel correctly after the job. He's lucky he or someone else didn't get seriously injured or worse. No one but me has touched that truck since.

I started a thread a while back about why I invest in tools and work on our own vehicles, and it's basically because of instances this.

I don't have anyone else work on my personal vehicles either so I understand! Only thing I have anyone else do is a/c evac/charge and other certain things I can't obviously do.