Adrian and his trusty sidekick crossing the Americas - Summer-Fall 2015

[Blind_Io]

NinjaCoco is here now doing 24 Hours of Lemons. She's out at the Utah Motorsports Park (formerly Miller Motorsports Park).

 

[Redliner]

NinjaCoco is here now doing 24 Hours of Lemons. She's out at the Utah Motorsports Park (formerly Miller Motorsports Park).

Nice!

 

[Adrian]

Typed this up yesterday but didn't post:
Meanwhile, we're sitting in Jackson awaiting overnight parts from Japan California. Both fuel pumps seem to have taken a shit and literally at the pump in Fairladys picture the car refused to fire back up. What i've been explained before is the E31 runs two pumps through a single line at both ends (from the tank and to the engine, it's just a Y before and after,) and it can run fine on one pump while having no way of telling the ECU the other is broken. According to where it's at now in my pre-facelift facelift car the pumps pull from each side of the (pictured: not my) fuel tank:

They claimed 5 day delivery from BMW for OEM pumps to fit the drop-in unit, i sourced replacements shipped overnight from Cali for $200. Should be here tomorrow morning and i'll have the car back sometime after mid-day.

Today however... Here's my immediate notes and writeup for myself incase i forget, but i'll put it here because i know there's capable people here and i need the help i can get:
Upon seeing a $1666 bill i started questioning how it was done. I was told they'd dropped the rear end, exhaust, driveline, tank and everything to access two fuel pumps that are easily accessible from the back seat. At first the reasoning to not just take the fuel pump unit out was there was fuel in the tank, it'd spill. He then later explained how he dropped the tank, explanation included draining the tank. Contradicting. He then later starts quoting and showing me R&R labor hours and explains the R&R handbook says to drop the tank. Five hours plus one hour to drain the tank in labor. BMW manuals state three hours including draining the tank. I give up on trying to reason with a bag of bricks and offer to pay. My card has a $1200 daily limit, i offer $1000 so i can find a place to stay and be back on monday with the rest. They agree, card swipes and not two secons later the boss calls back and says to reverse the transaction - he wants full payment in cash. During this phonecall he keeps berating me stating how i'm being difficult to deal with while they're being reasonble and kind. His reasoning is they sent out a mobile unit to investigate the car where it broke down, swallowing a $300 "cost." The backstory here is the station clerk called for me, to my knowledge a friend, said he'd show up in ~30 minutes. Said guy that appeared looked it over, checked the fuel pumps and called a towtruck for me - said everything would be handled through AAA, as that's what had been called. Turns out AAA was never called and they're also charging me $375 for a tow, which AAA will reimburse. But i'm not a US citizen, NAF Norway (AAA sister comapny) can't reimburse this. They then make me sign a workorder pre-dated to yesterday morning before leaving. I was not informed of any of these costs except the tow prior to that moment. I've been lied to from beginning to end and have no idea what to do.

 

[Blind_Io]

Adrian,

I know we were talking over text, but here is the information I sent you in case you need to access it again:

The Wyoming Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection: 1-800-438-5799

Be sure to mention everything you told me in the text conversation, including when they refused to let you access your medical supplies in the car. I'm not a lawyer, but this sounds super illegal and may constitute signing the work order under duress. It may also be considered Physical Abuse/Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult because they were preventing you from addressing your medical needs - however, I don't know Wyoming's laws on that subject. I do know that if I heard of that here in Utah I would be required to report the son-of-a-bitch to the state for abuse.

I will send you the shop information from here in Salt Lake via PM. Since he isn't technically involved I don't want to post his information publicly.

Please keep me posted and let me know if there is anything I can do from here.

 

[mjk]

Sounds like this hasn't been the greatest trip. I'm surprised that you were so disappointed with the Northeast (and also a bit sad that I didn't see you when you came to Boston). It's also shitty that the garage is trying to take advantage of your situation. Hopefully you at least get to finish your trip.

 

[Nabster]

Spectre clued me in to this, I've given him a recommendation which he'll pass along. In the mean time I have some feelers out with some friends back in Wyoming for further assistance, so if I get anything from that I'll be sure to pass it along as well, but I can't make any promises as Jackson is in the opposite corner of the state than I grew up in.

Sorry to hear of the troubles. Anywhere else in the state I'd be surprised to see this happen, but in Jackson it doesn't surprise me much as that area more or less survives on leeching tourist dollars and from the upper class and celebrities with second homes there. The majority of Wyomingites are quite helpful people, especially when it comes to car troubles as it can literally be life and death during the winter. In the mean time do try and take in the sights and enjoy yourself, the scenery really is world class there.

 

[_dexter_]

Those pictures! Nice!

+1
Colorado really looks stunning

 

[Hemily]

So what i've learned, never take your car to the US, the roads will break the car, and then they'll scam ya outta money.

 

[Adrian]

Just.. Avoid touring the US. Find exactly where you want to go, avoid major tourist cities and you're fine. I've had a blast meeting folks around the country, it's been the greatest highlights of this thing. I have to especially thank Spectre and Blind_IO in resolving the latest issues. It's late sunday now, and after a discussion with a very helpful police officer i was informed that when i've offered an acceptable way of payment that they can accept, but refuse to take, the item in question is legally mine. They can't hold it, just like they can't hold my personal items - which they did[SUP]1[/SUP]. I made a mistake of signing the predated workorder, so there's little i can do about that. But at least i can get my car back, hopefully. If they still deny me that the police officer told me to call and they'd come to assist.

[SUP]1[/SUP]We tried getting some personal items out of the car, but were told medical items only. They had definitely gone through our stuff. While getting our equipment out we were told items like camera was not medical equipment and had to stay. We tried to reason but was explictly told that items like an expensive camera etc. was to stay in the car. However our stuffed tortoise Otto was fine, indicating they wanted items of value to remain in the car. We did however manage to smuggle the camera out.

EDIT: I cannot express enough how much i'm looking forward to a ten hour flight home, to sit down in my comfy T5 and drive two hours home at this point...

 

[Redliner]

Geez, that situation with the shop is just a shitfest.
I sure hope the upsides outweight the downsides of this trip.

 

[Blind_Io]

Shit, I'm sorry it turned into this Adrian. I really hope it hasn't put you off returning to the US. Most people here are honest and really like meeting people from around the world, even helping with local knowledge or even just a nice conversation about their or your home.

I'm glad the police were able to help. If you are comfortable, let people know the name of the shop so it can be avoided. Trip Adviser and Google Maps would be good places to post a review so others can be warned.

I hope you feel up to returning and that this experience doesn't leave you sour on our country.

 

[CrzRsn]

So what i've learned, never take your car to the US, the roads will break the car, and then they'll scam ya outta money.

While I'm not defending this shop, I think its just shitty human nature to prey on the vulnerable tourist, because most will just pay to be on their way. Something tells me that if I ship my Mustang to Norway for a trip to Italy and break down along the way, a Euro Ford dealer will try to take me to the cleaners because they'd [correctly] guess that if I've already gone through the trouble to get my car there, I'm not leaving without it. They would bet on me not knowing local laws or people innthe area that could help so they'd try to milk me for everything I've got. Not trying to bad mouth anyone, as I said, its human nature. Unfortunate, but true.

I do hope everything is resolved for you. Might also give Steve Lehto a call. He often writes about stuff like this.

 

[D-Fence]

EDIT: I cannot express enough how much i'm looking forward to a ten hour flight home, to sit down in my comfy T5 and drive two hours home at this point...

How much longer are you staying in the US?

 

[MWF]

Sorry you've had such a poor experience. It was always an ambitious undertaking but that last bit sucks. Hope you can take just the good memories home and leave the shitty ones at Check-In.

 

[Dr_Grip]

I also want to point out that not all US mechanics are shady. Curtis from Davis Auto Service in Memphis, TN did a great job on Lucille. Good work, good price, honest bloke. Likes the Georgia Sattelites.

 

[Spectre]

This particular kind of tourist abusing asshole sadly seems to exist in every country from what I've read and what I've personally experienced. Rather bad luck to run into one of this grade and at this juncture.

 

[Eye-Q]

[SUP]1[/SUP]We tried getting some personal items out of the car, but were told medical items only. They had definitely gone through our stuff. While getting our equipment out we were told items like camera was not medical equipment and had to stay. We tried to reason but was explictly told that items like an expensive camera etc. was to stay in the car.

WTF? :? It's the US - sue them, should be easy enough...

 

[MWF]

Eye-Q has a valid. Mental anguish is cited in a hell of a lot of suits over there.

 

[Spectre]

Adrian and his trusty sidekick crossing the Americas - Summer-Fall 2015

WTF? :? It's the US - sue them, should be easy enough...

It can be but the logistics could be challenging. Let's just say that the litigation angle is being worked on/looked at already and to say more at this point could be a bad idea in many ways. The first priority is to get Adrian and L?ga back in their car with all their stuff and for them to get far, far away from that tourist trap. Until that happens, they're at the mercy of the locals.

 

[MWF]

Suddenly I have banjos playing in my head.....