How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

[Tillmanator]

Hi Folks,

If you're a mechanic, or have a good friend who is one, please don't get upset. I realize that mechanics work on cars and that their hands are going be dirty and probably a little greasy etc. I am fully prepared to clean my steering wheel and gear shift and pedals (dirty greasy shoes)... but why do they have to touch SO MUCH stuff inside my car when I take it in for an oil change?

I'm a small female. Before I get out of the car I move the seat back so they won't have to touch the seat adjuster thing. I know they're going to bigger than me. Even so, whenever I get my car back the seat is ALWAYS screwed up. They have even adjusted the height of it! And the angle of the seat back. They're onlyl driving it around to the bay for an oil change. It's not like they're out on the road for a test drive!!!!!!! My rear view mirror is always messed up. And this past weekend, they adjusted my SIDE VIEW MIRROR! Why do they have to adjust that? I thought perhaps it just got banged or something but I also noticed that the little switch that you move either to the right of left to choose a mirror to adjust was still pointed at the right side. So I know for a fact that they messed with it. I also know that they dug through my glove box to find my wheel locking wrench thing for getting off my wheels for my rotation. Don't they have these tools of their own? And then they threw the now greasy bag with the little wrench in it into my pristine cup holder. I had to clean everything in my glove box too! It was a night mare.

WHY WHY WHY?????????

This aggravates me so much. It usually takes me about an hour to clean my interior after a mechanic has been in there but this last weekend I spent over two hours in there. Am I just too fanatic about my interior? You guys probably have kids and stuff (I don't). My interior NEVER has fingerprints or dust or even particles on the floorboards. I'm a bity crazy about the inside.

Does anyone else have a problem with their interiors being touched or messed with too much during routine servicing?

[brickyardz]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

Your not fanatic about your interior, your just CAR CRAZY like the rest of us!

From what you described it does sound a little excessive for an oil change but consider this: If they moved your car to bring it into the bay for an oil change and didn't adjust all the mirrors so they could make sure not to hit a car coming in or going out and did hit something, would you call them an idiot because they didn't do those things? It could be a liability issue from their point of view in case something like that does happen.

As for you wheel lock question, no, they don't typically have their own wheel lock wrenches. Many of these have many, many different patterns and they need to use the one that came with the wheels so they don't damage anything. If they were trying to get one off you lost the lock for, that they can do but would damage the current one in the process. Why do they need to take the wheels off to change the oil? Were they rotating the tires too?

Basically, thats why I do as much of my own work as possible. I have always changed my own oil and still do. Any other work I can do myself is done by me on all my vehicles. My Z in the avatar I stood by the service bay at a Nissan dealership for 6 hours while they did a recall on it to make sure nothing was screwed up. It's always clean, just like yours and hasn't even been washed with soap and water in 3+ years.

So, I feel your pain and what your going through. If it's a place you go for other repairs besides just changing the oil, have you tried letting them know in a nice way how you feel and ask that they take a little bit better car of your car?

I have done that also and given specific instructions and made them write things on the work order (that was the recall, DO NOT WASH MY CAR!). When my z was in the body shop for a scratch repair I stressed the importance of my car and keeping it clean, even in the engine bay since I have a lot of work done there and they did pay extra attention and while I still had some things to clean myself it was minimal.

Hope somehow the information has helps and welcome to the car crazy world!

[benhui86]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

your oil filter is probably on the side of the engine towards the bottom so it is quite hard to get from the top...so that is why they have to take the wheel off to get better access to the oil filter...

and they probably do take your car for a spin around the block since you have a nice car hahhaha

wrap your interior with those food wrapping stuff and secure it with masking tape.... put the wrench thing somewhere they dont have to go through your car to get it....

hopefully these measures will keep your interior clean when it goes into the shop

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

I agree there sure leave a mess behind. I would place everything they need in a ziploc bag. Leave the bag on the dash. This should help in minimizing what you have to clean up when you get home.

We all like a clean interior or exterior. Thats why we are here. We are "Car crazy"

[roushstage2]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

For one, they touch only the steering wheel on my car when I take it in. If it is someone shorter driving the car, the seat is usually moved, but almost never. Something about my car tells them DON"T TOUCH ANYTHING. I am never offered a wash or a detail. As for getting the key out of the glove box, as far as I am aware, they are not allowed to go in there without your permission, or they have to have you go get it.

[yalerd]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

When I take my car for maintenance they usually cover the steering wheel and the seat with a disposable plastic cover.

Look for another place you can go to see if they do things differently.

[AeroCleanse]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

If they are doing that to your car, go somewhere else.

[Jeepster04]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

Yea, I agree its amazing how dirty they can get the interior. Ive only had my Jeep to a mechanic once(warranty) and they covered everything.

I even had to clean the interior to remove grease prints on a brand new WK. Pretty insane when you need to clean the interior on a brand new Jeep.

And no, the reason you have a key for you wheels is to have a key. Kinda like a key for your house.

[TXShine]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

I feel your pain.... I can not stand to take my vehicles anywhere for any kind of service.... drives me nuts!
Luckily, I can do most everything myself. One thing I have to **** it up and go have done is tire rotation and balance. I go to Discount Tire where I get my tires and they are usually so busy that those guys are just flying around.... which is just nerve racking.
I always pull the car/truck in myself and hand them the wheel lock key and stand just outside the bay until they are done and pull out myself. I'm sure they think I'm nuts but I don't care.

Onetime a guy that was running the balancing machine, didn't even have the tire and wheel secure to the machine (the large wing-nut wasn't tight). He just barely spun it and didn't even remove the old weights first nor did he add any new weights. To say the least the lead guy got a good chewing......

[WrightDetail]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

If they are doing that to your car, go somewhere else.

Take to drive in oil chg where u stay in the car....no real reason for them to get into it.

[roushstage2]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

Take to drive in oil chg where u stay in the car....no real reason for them to get into it.

I have to say no to that, those places are horrible. Somehow, extra charges find their way on the bill later. Explain to them the next time you go in if your car is returned to you in that condition, you will be charging them for an interior detail to get it all cleaned up.

[Jeepster04]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

Luckily, I can do most everything myself. One thing I have to **** it up and go have done is tire rotation and balance.

So Im the only one that puts my Jeep on jackstands or puts another set of rims on so I can take the others to the tire place?

Im telling you, I REALLLLLLY dont like for people to touch my stuff. I hardly trust them to touch my rims but Ive got a friend of mine that does it for me. He does all my alignments and anything that I dont feel like doing on my Jeep. He's really the only one I trust.

[MaximusZTS]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

Take to drive in oil chg where u stay in the car....no real reason for them to get into it.

Thats what I do.

[davey g-force]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

I feel ya pain Tillmanator - I've had all those things happen to me and I believe it's unacceptable. I just kept trying different mechanics until I found one that actually respected my car. Now I get my car back just as immaculate as when I dropped it off. I think the key is you need to find a mechanic who's as car crazy as you. This also makes them a better mechanic IMO.

I have done that also and given specific instructions and made them write things on the work order (that was the recall, DO NOT WASH MY CAR!). When my z was in the body shop for a scratch repair I stressed the importance of my car and keeping it clean, even in the engine bay since I have a lot of work done there and they did pay extra attention and while I still had some things to clean myself it was minimal.

^^ Funny, I've done exactly the same thing when dropping my car at a body shop and it actually works!

[Andy M.]

Re: How much stuff does your mechanic touch on your interior?

I think this threads name should be changed to "How much stuff doesn't your mechanic touch in your car" One thing I can't stand is boot marks. It seems no matter what, even if they put those little paper mats in the car I always end up with a boot mark. I even went as far as buying a cheapo set of plastic ones that I only use when my cars have to go to the shop. I try do do most of the work myself but sometimes it is inevitable.

Andy