Joy ride worries

[skillz4587]

Made a rookie mistake yesterday when I took my car to get the tires changed.
Mistake # 1) I did not wait and watch my car
Mistake # 2) I did not know exactly how many miles my car was at when I left it.

The reason I feel like my car was taken for a joy ride is because the trip odometer was reset and unless I am missing something, the trip odometer does not need to be reset for just tire changes. Plus I do not know how it can accidently be reset. I don't want to assume things but now that I start reflecting on the events from yesterday I get the idea my car was taken for a joy ride. First red flag should have been a 3 hour wait for tire change. I told the guy I would wait for the car but he said it would be about 3 hours because there was so many other people ahead of me. Second red flag should have been how he kept on raving about my car. 3rd red flag was that the car was ready in about an 1 hour and a half when he originally told me 3 hours.

I know there is nothing I can do at this point, I just need to be a bit more careful in the future. I know, I should definitely know better . I just never really wanted to be so overprotective with my car that I am worried about every little thing. Curious as to what other members do, do you guys sit and wait even if its going to be a few hours or do you just write down the miles?

 

[payam972]

Made a rookie mistake yesterday when I took my car to get the tires changed.
Mistake # 1) I did not wait and watch my car
Mistake # 2) I did not know exactly how many miles my car was at when I left it.

The reason I feel like my car was taken for a joy ride is because the trip odometer was reset and unless I am missing something, the trip odometer does not need to be reset for just tire changes. Plus I do not know how it can accidently be reset. I don't want to assume things but now that I start reflecting on the events from yesterday I get the idea my car was taken for a joy ride. First red flag should have been a 3 hour wait for tire change. I told the guy I would wait for the car but he said it would be about 3 hours because there was so many other people ahead of me. Second red flag should have been how he kept on raving about my car. 3rd red flag was that the car was ready in about an 1 hour and a half when he originally told me 3 hours.

I know there is nothing I can do at this point, I just need to be a bit more careful in the future. I know, I should definitely know better . I just never really wanted to be so overprotective with my car that I am worried about every little thing. Curious as to what other members do, do you guys sit and wait even if its going to be a few hours or do you just write down the miles?

maybe your trip miles were on 999 and it reset

 

[skillz4587]

maybe your trip miles were on 999 and it reset

No, it was between 260-280 miles. I only reset it after I fill up my tank to get an idea of the gas milage I am getting.

 

[hhoang3]

what i do. take your tires off the nsx.... bring the wheel/tire itself to the shop with your mini van. or what I've done in the past if I had to absolutely leave the car was to take the license plates with me.

 

[Doraemon]

It happen to me just last week at the car wash. I went to a car wash that I had always gone around my work for a exterior hand wash and wax. I left the car for about 45 minutes and when I came back, the car was ready but there were yellow (like mud) on my tires and fender walls. I ask about it and all I get was "it was the stuff from one point of the car wash to the other. I got pissed and just drove the car away. Went home later that night and was too tired to check the car. The next day, upon closer inspections, I found water marks all over the top of the trunk and top of my car (It was Saturday). I used some wax and the spot wont come off, it is like caked on because it was very very sunny the day before. I took it to my local car wash, they said the only way to remove them were to do a water spot removal. Was going to cost me $80 but I was able to get some discount because I had taken my other cars to them all of the time. End up costing me $65. I have learn my lesson the hard way. Two things I wont do now...First, never leave my car for anyone. Secondly, I will never go back to that car wash ever. If anyone wants to know, it is that car wash place on Nogales and it is one block south of Grand.

 

[davidf]

I never leave my car................................ever.............................ever.

 

[sca037]

what i do. take your tires off the nsx.... bring the wheel/tire itself to the shop with your mini van.

This is what I always do.........

Brian

 

[jlsnyderNSX]

If at all possible, I would not take my car and leave it anywhere. Personally, I remove my wheels and take them to the tire shop. This will also save your studs and lug nuts from impact abuse... :wink:

 

[chudson1549]

If at all possible, I would not take my car and leave it anywhere. Personally, I remove my wheels and take them to the tire shop. This will also save your studs and lug nuts from impact abuse... :wink:

+1
Even for an alignment. "no let me drive it up please. You guide me." After that most of the shops are pretty cool to even let me help them on how I want it setup. I take them for a test drive and it's a good day.

 

[Jin1976]

After watching an F348 being driven by each mechanics at my local alignment shop I will never leave my car during alignment.

 

[AR]

If at all possible, I would not take my car and leave it anywhere. Personally, I remove my wheels and take them to the tire shop. This will also save your studs and lug nuts from impact abuse... :wink:

That is the way to go and do take before and after pictures of the rims!!!

 

[NSXclear]

Did they do an alignment also on your car after installing tires?

My tire place do take test drives to make sure it is driving straight and to make sure your new tire don't have radial pull.

But, I'm not sure why they would reset the trip.

 

[DocL]

But, I'm not sure why they would reset the trip.

Have you ever seen Ferris Bueller? :biggrin:

 

[GreyHoundSteve]

This has happened to me at least twice in the past 2 years. I never reset the trip before dropping it off and then i pick it up and its at all zeros.

 

[DocL]

Doesn't anyone here write down the mileage when they drop their car off. Usually the store manager will put it on the invoice or I go out and write the mileage on the estimate page where I sign it. I've never had a problem and I will leave my car anywhere to get the work done.

 

[theman1990]

Just text message yourself the mileage at dropoff. Problem- SOLVED

 

[NSX-2004/074]

The only place I will leave mine is at an Acura Dealer and they always write the mileage on the ticket. Also with instructions to *not* test drive it without me in it. Or wash it. I figure if anything terrible happens, I can bark all the way up the corporate ladder to get it set right.

Though the first time I had it back to the selling dealership for service one of the lot boys looked and said, "Man, you bought that! It is a sweeeet ride, I took it for gas while it was here..."

Tire place - all I asked was they let me watch them pull it into the bay, ended up they just had me do it. But, I didn't leave. Actually, spent most of the 2x tire change talking cars and showing the NSX to the mechanics anyways.

 

[freeon]

This is what I always do.........

Brian

Same here

 

[VampNSXX]

what i do. take your tires off the nsx.... bring the wheel/tire itself to the shop with your mini van. .

this is what i do all the time. But I use my civic. I NEVER take the car unless its to Autowave.

 

[evof575gtc]

if you contact Brian at Prospeed, he can build and program in a "valet mode" into your ECU. for obd1 cars - 91-94 nsx's only.

i had mine done. if i had to leave my car with the valet, they'll never be able to get the rev high enough to drive the car faster than 15 mph. only to park.

 

[Cozmo]

Actually, spent most of the 2x tire change talking cars and showing the NSX to the mechanics anyways.

That's exactly what happened to me when I took mine for tires last time. There was not a chance in hell I was going to just leave and come back later.

 

[omega2]

If I get tires and have to take the NSX, I will stand outside and watch my car, which basically turns into me supervising them while they work. I find this is necessary, since most techs will try to drive the car onto the lift where the car clearly won't clear or they don't even bother looking for the jacking points. If you don't keep an eye on them, they will damage something and try to charge you for repairing it.

 

[TOOLTIME]

what i do. Take your tires off the nsx.... Bring the wheel/tire itself to the shop with your company truck!!!

+ 1

 

[skillz4587]

Did they do an alignment also on your car after installing tires?

My tire place do take test drives to make sure it is driving straight and to make sure your new tire don't have radial pull.

But, I'm not sure why they would reset the trip.

No, I don't really like any one but my regular mechanic doing anything to the car other then an oil change, battery change, or tire change. But I do appreciate all the ideas. I really like the valet mode idea for the ECU. Until I get a chance to look into that, I will probably just bring my computer and get some work done while I am waiting.

 

[goldNSX]

That is the way to go and do take before and after pictures of the rims!!!

I choose my tire tech where I can stand next to him drinking a free coffee while watching how my tires are mounted. Tire 'techs' are the least qualified people out there in automotive and the Lenin principle is necessary here. Of course, I only bring them my wheels, not the whole car. Did I mention that my car is only being touched by my own hands for all the work done on it?