Favorite Monkey Lad Tales?

[Al Powell]

This is a sad and stupid story, but at least I didn't get cheated...

I was driving to work in my '83 280ZXT one day in TX. It could have been an
Audi just as easily.

I stopped at a stoplight, and when I raised my left foot to go the clutch
pedal stayed on the floor.  I stuck my toe under it and pried it up, but
when I stepped on it again it stopped halfway down - it had maxed out the
travel in the master cylinder.

The clutch would not engage.  I got out with the gearshift lever sitting in
first gear and could push the car forward and back.  I realized the clutch
was either blown or the slave cylinder was stuck, but either way the clutch
wasn't going to engage. Fortunately I was next to a left-turn lane so I
pushed the car in there with the 4-way flashers on....and set the brake.
Good reason to have a working parking brake at all times!

I called the local Nissan dealer (Douglas Nissan, Bryan, TX) and told him to
send a tow truck, take it to the shop and check it out.  I TOLD HIM CLEARLY:
if it's a stuck slave cylinder (which is what I thought it was) then replace
it this afternoon and I'll be there at 5 to get it.  If the clutch disc
blew, then park it and I'll tow it home. I'll replace the clutch myself.

An hour later I got a call from the service Monkey-Lad (ML) saying the
clutch disc was shot. I told him to park it so I could tow it home. ML,
obviously disbelieving, asks if I'm serious.  YES, I told him again, I will
fix it myself. This was not going well. Obviously they weren't paying
attention.

So - my wife and I show up at 5:0.  My car is parked nose in, where I can't
get at it to tow it.  Great. she and I push it out (no offer of help from
the ML's) so we can get a tow strap on it, we pay the bill, and we tow it
home.

Next day I get it on jackstands all around - slide under it - took one look
at the slave cylinder and saw the rod was fully extended. Asked my wife for
a hammer, gave it ONE tap and it slid back into place. This diagnosis
literally took less than 10 seconds once I was under the car!! Then I tried
the clutch and it worked fine. I replaced the slave cylinder for $18 (good
old NAPA) and had the car running in an hour.

HOW STUPID do you have to be to try to cheat someone out of $1000 for a
clutch job when they've already TOLD you they will replace the clutch
themselves????????? These ML's were absolute MORONS!!!!

These idiot Monkey-Lads could have made a few bucks and a friend by
replacing the slave cylinder and having the car ready. I would have spent
probably $75-$100 and been happy.  Instead, they tried to cheat me and
earned an enemy for LIFE.  That's why I used their name: Douglas Nissan,
Bryan, TX.  And I have bad-mouthed them every time I've had the chance for
the past 10 years. I don't care if all those people have been fired.
They're on my black list FOREVER.

And you can just imagine the letters I sent to Nissan and to the owner of
the dealership. Of course, they never offered to do anything for me in
response. They ignored me.

************************
Al Powell
Fort Collins, CO
apowell at gocougs.wsu.edu
************************