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the other day i went to a tyre company to have the tracking and balanceing done. they did the job but about 4 mile up the road i had a bad knocking coming from the front. after about 30 a went back to the firm and said a had a bad knocking and they put it on the ramps but nothing was find. the manager then checked the wheel nuts all the nuts were lose only hand tight. the lad who put wheels back on is only 17 and new at the job. no body from the company said sorry. i could have been killed with my kids in the car. the manager dont want me to ring or inform there hq as the job was a back hander. it was only a backhander cus i didnt get a receipt as i wanted to get my kids so the manager pocketed the cash... what should i do about this. i had the manager round my place offering me tyres and all sorts not to inform there hq...... please help me
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Unless he's the threatening type, inform HQ now.
What he's done is illegal and from what you've said highly dangerous.
If you don't feel comfortable infoming, take all the sweeteners being offered and then never use the place again.
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Forget the sweeteners and inform his bosses - people's lives are far, far more important and he's obviously very aware of the trouble he's in.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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PS
Even more so when he's apparently attempting to compound the situation.
If you accept any sweteners you will be as guilty as him.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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get onto HQ before he does kill someone...should be worth more than a set of tyres from HQ
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I agree, tell his boss, and never go there again. There are plenty of decent firms to go to. Some years ago I had my tracking done, and heard a noise. It was a pair of mole grips still attached to the threaded rod. They were a new pair so I kept them, and never went back.
Whenever anybody has serviced my tyres or brakes, I always check everthing is tight and correct. It is my life, and maybe yours, if I run into you with three wheels on my car.
( They could make a song out of this, perhaps " Three wheels on my wagon" ) then again perhaps not.
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No-one may have said sorry but surely a new set of tyres is surely an implicit apology?
As apoplexy, intolerance and consumers rights are the order of the day I suppose I shouldn't say this, but you could just accept that someone had an off day, requires som re-training etc, and move on...
And yes, I realise this was potentially lethal etc etc...
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The most rediculou thing, is if you had wanted this 17 year old lad to trim your hair and he was working at a barbers, he would need to be qualified and hold a license. If it's lives at risk and an expensive car, anyone can have the job.
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Manager was in the wrong.Full stop.If he could not do the job.Using qualified tech.it is his fault.I would get in touch with his company.Explain situation and see what they say..After all if the same thing happens to someone else? .How long before serious accident..Would suspect an investigation at least.By his firm
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Steve
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How qualified do you need to be to tighten some wheel nuts?
I'm sure the manager has now improved the training of the 17 year old so that he's unlikely to do it again.
We've all made mistakes and I'm sure this 17 year old won't make that mistake again.
Take the sweetners.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Lets get this clear, so far as I can tell the only reason the boss is trying so hard is because it was a backhand job. Likelyhood is he is creaming off cash from the business and doesnt want HQ to investigate because of the chances of getting caught and he would be out of a job. I dont quite understand how this works since hq must know how many tyres he gets and he must sell the same number, I cant see wastage coming to much in thast industry. I could understad it on service work where they can hide the fact that work is done. Maybe he puts the tyres through the books at a lower price than he charged you.
The 17 yo not tightening the nuts is just one of those things, oversight or carelessness ? Who knows. It didnt cause an accident and having had the same thing done to me at a dealer, I would say that anyone who drives any distance at all with loose nuts (oooeeerr missus) should be able to tell and should know to stop at once. It is then pretty obvious what has happened, especially given that you know the wheels have just been off. Even if wheels are tightened it is possible for them to work loose - thats why they alwasy tell you to check after 50 miles or so.
So are you indignant about the loose nuts ? If so then a compalint to hq only on that is unlikely to get you anything much, maybe a discount on your next purchase and a letter of appology.
Are you upset about the backhander ? Complain to hq and get (maybe) a letter of thanks.
Are you just indignant for the sake of being indignant and wanting to get as much as possible out of it ? Take the sweetners.
Otherwise, Get over it.
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First, as I always say, you have to decide what you want out of the situation. It could be grovelling apologies, money, tyres, causing the manager issues, causing the 17 yr old issues, assurance of future avoidance/training, whatever. It doesn't much matter what everybody else thinks they'd want, it is what will settle the matter for you which is important.
Having decided on that, then the course of action should be fairly clear. If you don't know the answer to that, then you pretty much can't do anything until you do decide.
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can`t agree more with the reply from mark99. If this guy is so desperate has it happened many times before. Is he on a final warning, and how is he fiddling sets of tyres????? he can only be stealing from his employer. Therefore at sometime everyone pays for theft. Absolutely vital that studs/nuts are checked after 30 and 100 miles whenever any wheel removal has been done,whether service work or fast fit. Some fleets now insist that when work is done on their cars the drivers have to do 5 miles and then return for a recheck. This particularly so with alloys, 4x4 , and wheel studs. most 4x4 wheels have a high Nm torque setting and extra special care is needed here.
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"How qualified do you need to be to tighten some wheel nuts?"
Well, How do you tighten yours?
Do you use a torque wrench?
How exactly do you go about it?
There are correct ways of achieving the right settings but do we all know how to do it correctly?
Clive.
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My point was.As a trainee.He/she. Should have been watched over by qualified tech.. To make sure job was being done correctly.Not left to his/her own divices as to whether job was done correctly..But then training isnt done as it was years ago.Risky to say the least!!
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Steve
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I recently visited a tyre co for a punture to be repaired.
While waiting I commented that I was impressed that they were now using a torque wrench when replacing the wheel nuts.
Ah! thats because the management reacted after an earlier incident. No details were supplied.
Sadly, when I watched a young unsupervised fitter using the torque wrench with whatever the previous un-checked setting was my hopes were short lived. The torque wrench clicked and he just carried on tightening the nut.
Watch them like a hawk but check your wheel nuts afterwards.
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as a saddo who does use a torque wrench, I think the typical process in a tyre fitment centre is laughable. The last couple of times Ive had tyres done they used a windy gun to fasten, then applied the torque wrench to check - surprise, surprise the wrench clicks immediatly. Job done then.
I usually redo them when I get home.
For the record (my tyre thread) I bought goodyear hydragrips, only 2 so far I need to go back for the other 2 (the computer had the stock wrong) Far better than p6000.
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hydragrips came out top in the 2004 Autocar test. Family tyre catergory
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tyrexpert.Is that the modern name for variable torque airgun?.Just wondered
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Steve
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tyrexpert.Is that the modern name for variable torque airgun?.Just wondered
only in my competitors. we got rid of ours when I stopped fitting years ago.
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