I had 2 of my tire replaced today (damaged but covered by insurance) at a local tire/oil change chain, and as I figured they would not get things tightned correctly.

I had to have the left front and right rear replaced. I asked to put both the new on the rear and bring the still good left rear to the front. (That way I have the most tread on the rears for the upcoming snowy season. The clerk asked first if I wanted both new on the fronts after mistaking it for a Bonneville. I knew they had no clue the GTO was RWD. Dingbats.)

Beforehand I took off all the lug covers because I figured they would try to impact wrench them off. At least they couldn't ruin them. Well they got done fairly fast and upon first inspection all looked well. I decided to stop in a parking lot down the street to check out the tire pressures as they NEVER get them right. Yep 36 lbs in both of the new tires (6 lbs over. All they have to do is look at the tag on the doors, the dipsticks) Or they could have checked any of my tires and seen it was 30 lbs. as I keep them inflated properly religiously. OK so I let out the air and made the trip home.

I should have checked the lugs as 2 of the three were good and tight, but low and behold the left fronts (all 5) are loose. :angry:

Let this be a lesson to ALL, always recheck your pressures and lugs after you let some of these quickie tire stores work on your ride. It's amazing some of these people know which end of the wrench to use. :drevil:

Good thing you checked before hand. I usually get my tire work done at the local discount as they only do tires. Never had a problem with them, they even helped fit my Slicks on the ol TA despite them being illegal.

Originally posted by Orbit Orange@Dec 21 2004, 08:08 AM
It's amazing some of these people know which end of the wrench to use. :drevil:
:lol: True!

Originally posted by Orbit Orange@Dec 21 2004, 08:08 AM
Beforehand I took off all the lug covers because I figured they would try to impact wrench them off. At least they couldn't ruin them.
Another VERY good tip! Thanks :D

I did my first rotation on my goat @5200 miles and I balanced the tires too.( i manage a tire store)...after having my car almost 5 months and this being the first time I actually checked the air in them, I found them to all be @ 44 psi.(it is maximun air pressure on the kdws)...I am dissappointed, but not surprised. It seems in my experience that most shops that don't specialize in tires (i.e. oil change places and such) will simply(yet incorrectly) look at the sidewall of the tire and fill or lower the pressure to what it says. They will even do this when the vehicle has been driven aggressively or for a long period(when tire temperature will naturally force air pressure higher) which will skew the accuracy of the pressure when it should be checked(when the tire is cold(morning)). I know that most of us are very careful with our cars and I'ts a shame that we have to double check the job of those who we trust to work on it.... that being said,buy a good air guage and find a reputable shop to have your car worked on...bye the way all except one of my tires was out of balance( the worst 1.00 oz out) after moderate driving... seems like it was early monday morning or at the end of the shift on friday at Holden when they were installed. :rolleyes:

I have a quick question (Ok, maybe a couple). I recently had a tire go flat on me. I brought it back to the dealer. All they did was put a plug in it. However, before I brought it in, I checked the psi of my other tires as I was refilling the flat....they were at 50! OK.... thats not even close to being 30! I had never checked before because I was silly and "assumed" the dealer would have everything checked out when I bought the thing. Quickly, I am learning not to trust my dealer! DO you not think that the psi could have something to do w/ my flat? And honestly, could the psi change by 20 (or more) on its own (eg. w/ the weather)? I know it can change, but by that much??? I think I should be getting a new tire out of the deal.

T. :blink:

And honestly, could the psi change by 20 (or more) on its own (eg. w/ the weather)?

Not unless you are driving on Mercury or Venus. ;)

I could see 5 psi tops. They forgot to check the pressures. Label inside the door also recommends 35 psi unless you are running heavy loads over long distances and you could drop them down to 30 psi.

You could give it a shot with the dealer, but if you've already let the pressure out, there is nothing you have to prove they left them at 50 psi. :(

Actually, I was going to the dealer in the morning - and didnt let the air out. I figured it would be better for me to have them do it. I know it's difficult to prove anything, but on my work order I had requested for them to do so. If I had a good dealer - this wouldnt have been a problem. Now I've got a plugged tire. :( Guess they figure just 'cause I'm a female....

Thanks Orbit

T.

In the past, I have gotten the best tires and tire life from Goodyear. I know the service manager and I've gotten some good prices on tires, so I take my rides there for rotation/balance. The first thing out of my mouth when dropping the car off is tire pressure, making sure it gets written on the work order.

The always check when you get home, 'cause the turnover at those tire stores is usually very high and they don't pay much above minimum wages to the newbies who start on the tire bays.

fyi....do not use a "plug" in a tire for anything other than a very temporary repair. When I say "plug", I mean the sticky rope-type plugs than service stations jam in a tire to slow the leak---it is not designed to stop a leak in a radial tire --it ends up absorbing moisture(like a sponge) and rusting your steel belts causing the tire to eventually fail!... put the spare on if at all possible...discount will repair a tire properly(with a patch inside) for no charge if it is a safe repair..call them or stop by.. :D

My motto is: “Trust no one”, “Check everything”!
Live by these words and there is no one to blame but yourself.

Thanks guys! I ended up having my tires rotated and the tire which was originally "plugged," volcanized. I just laughed when the sales guy said "I'm impressed she knew what that meant..." Anyhow, now I'm looking at getting rid of my stock rims, and putting something hot on my baby...

T. :D

Hello all, first post on this forum.

I took my previous car, a '93 Mark VIII, to Wal Mart for a quick tire replacement prior to selling the car. They were cheaper by far than any other dealer for the Michelin I needed but had to order it. I figured I could do the weekly shopping while my tire was being put on.

That took 18 days to get from the warehouse which is about 100 miles away. When I went to finally have the tire put on, they were less than apologetic about the delay even though I had called numerous times to check on its whereabouts. I did my shopping then went back to the service center.

The slack-jawed blank-eyed tire changer shuffled over to me and mumbled something about them not putting on the right tire stem. I looked out at my car and saw they had installed a stem similar to what is put on the inside rim of dualie pickup tires. It stuck out past the fender at least 3", and I couldn't imagine the tire rotating fully without the stem hitting the fender. When I asked him what was to be done about it he said "I guess we'll have to find the right stem". Duh.

I had to wait another 30 minutes for this to be done, and when I told the manager how displeased I was over the whole process he ignored my comments and aked if I wanted to PURCHASE the road-hazard warranty on the tire. I almost fell down.
This was the best example of how to treat the customer as poorly as possible that I'd seen in a while.

See ya on the other threads!

Originally posted by TM1179@May 13 2005, 05:28 PM
I have a quick question (Ok, maybe a couple). I recently had a tire go flat on me. I brought it back to the dealer. All they did was put a plug in it. However, before I brought it in, I checked the psi of my other tires as I was refilling the flat....they were at 50!
You certainly don't want to run these tires at 50 PSI. Keep in mind that the cars usually have that much air in them when they are transported. If this was the first time you checked the air since you have had the car then it is "normal" so to speak. It is always a good idea to ask the dealer to check the pressure of the tires when they are getting it ready to transfer to you when you are making the purchase. Or take it to a local tire dealer straight away to have the air checked.

As for plugs, those are only for a temporary fix until you can get to a tire dealer who can do a proper RMA tire repair. You always want to make sure that a tire is taken off the rim to inspect for secondary damage. Damage such as a nail hitting the side wall is not detectable unless the tire is taken off of the rim. A tire should not be repaired if the puncture is on the sidewall or if it is in the tread area and is more than a quarter of in inch. A proper repairs could last for the life of the tire if done right.