[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: June 3, 2015To: Whom it May Concern:The vehicle in question was taken in because it was not riding smoothly or properlyWe specifically asked for the coolant system to be tested because we had been filling it up on occasionIt is news to me that the mechanic didn’t know this, we asked for this to be tested for leaks and pressureWhy would we ask for this if it wasn’t a concern? We have been informed that a cylinder misfire, which the car had, is an indicator of a blown or leaking head gasketThe coolant was not leaking from the car, however, it was filling up cylinder threeI am not sure why the coil pack repair was done when that never fixed what it came in forIt seems to me that a repair was made up, didn’t fix the problem and I paid almost dollars for a repairWe were not informed of any head gasket issue until the third visit after we had already paid for something that wasn’t even necessaryMy first invoice says coolant pressure fineNo invoice for second visitThird visit, head gasket issues mentionedWell, if I knew that was the problem from the beginning, it wouldn’t have gotten this farMy husband and I had a choice to keep the car going for a while or get a new oneWe figured we would spend dollars on a repair to keep it on the roadThe repair completed wasn’t necessary and/or did not fix what we came in forAs far as the second visit, coil packs defectiveThey weren’t defective, the coil pack wasn’t going to fix the issueRick’s should have completed the research that they speak of in their rebuttal before we paid dollarsI should not be responsible for them guessing what the problem wasThat is the way business is supposed to workSincerely,
[redacted] ***'s car was brought to our shop on 4/14/with the complaint that the engine was running roughly and a request to test the coolantThere was a pronounced misfire in the engine, so we directed our technician to scan the vehicle for engine codes, which would report specific malfunctions through data collected from monitors within the engineThe initial engine code was ***-Cylinder Misfire Detected (attachment 1a)Further diagnostics indicated that Cylinder was also firing weaklyThe spark plug in cylinder #was measured at .050, while the manufacturer recommends a gap of no more than In addition, there was a significant amount of oil on the spark plugs, as rubber grommets within the valve cover gasket, deteriorated with age, were allowing oil to seep down to the spark plugIn the case of Cylinder #3, the spark plug was saturated with oilThe rubber grommets, valve cover and gaskets are available from the manufacturer only as a complete assembly.The coolant was tested as requested, was found to be full and tested to -degrees, an adequate strengthNo coolant was added or replaced(Attachment 1) A few days later, we were contacted by [redacted] telling us the engine light was back onWe suggested they bring the car back in and it was determined that the #coil pack was defective from the manufacturer (attachment 2b)It was replaced without charge.On April 22, we received an email from [redacted] (attachment 4) informing us that the engine light was on again and asked us to correct the situationAs evidenced in the attached emails, (attachment 5) I did not discover the email until the next afternoon and passed the email to Rick who called [redacted] immediately to get more facts on the vehicle, [redacted] confirmed that the engine was running smoothly, but the engine light had come on againIt was determined that the [redacted] would bring their vehicle in once more and we would run the diagnostics againOn this third visit, at the time the car was brought in, there was no engine light on, although the owners reported that it would go on and off intermittentlyThe technician drove the vehicle for miles, found the engine to be running smoothly and the engine light did not come onThe diagnostics revealed no codes through the monitor system (attachment 3b)Rick then called [redacted] to glean more information as to when the light would come on and under what conditions [redacted] confirmed that the engine had continued to run smoothly but the engine light had continued to come on and off intermittently, usually going off after the car had been driven for a whileDuring the course of this conversation, [redacted] revealed that he had been adding coolant to the cooling system, a fact which he had not mentioned before this conversationThis bit of information was key to determining why the engine light kept coming onOur technician spent a significant portion of time researching this particular vehicle and determining why the engine light would go off and on and how it might relate to the problems the [redacted] had experiencedThere were no engine codes and the light was not on at that timeHe inspected for any loose wires or connections, finding noneHe tested each ignition coil and found all to be OKA pressure test indicated no leaks within the cooling system, which includes the heater core, radiator, hoses and the reservoir.Further research through professional resources found that a head gasket leak in this make and model vehicle is Sometimes indicated when the engine misfires for a short time upon start up after the vehicle has been sitting for awhileAfter running for a short time it straightens out and runs fineIf coolant is leaking out through the head gasket and collects on the piston, the faulty gaskets gradually reseal as they heat up and any coolant collected on the pistons is burned off as the car is drivenTherefore, the leak isn't immediately obviousAfter reading this information, the technician pulled each spark plug and checked with a bore scope to see if any coolant was visible on top of the pistonsNo coolant was present, just as the resource had indicatedAfter learning of the head gasket history and how it sometimes presents in this particular vehicle, Rick telephoned [redacted] again and had a lengthy conversation to explain what may be the problemRick cautioned that a head gasket repair was very costly and with better than 200,miles on this 10-year old vehicle, the [redacted] may want to consider replacing the vehicle rather than investing in another expensive repair [redacted] expressed a desire to keep the vehicle another year or more and to that end, Rick advised him to continue to keep an eye on the coolant and not take the vehicle on long tripsAt no time was it suggested that the engine would only last another three monthsLater that same day, when [redacted] picked up the car, Rick explained to her as well what our research had revealedAn abbreviated explanation of the same information was provided on her receipt(Attachment 3b) As a courtesy, the [redacted] were not billed for any research or diagnostic time after their initial repairAll labor and supply costs were absorbed by our businessIt is our policy to address customer concerns in person or by telephoneThis allows for the greatest exchange of information and the best opportunity for all parties involved understanding one anotherFor this reason, [redacted] ***'s emails were answered by telephone, as evidenced by our response email dated 4/23/Their final telephone conversation was on April 24, after it was determined the most likely source of the coolant leak was a head gasket leak and [redacted] confirmed that the engine misfire, which was the initial complaint, was correctedYou will note in the emails dated 4/and 5/that other mechanics are advising the ***'s that it either is or isn't the head gasket (attachments and 9)Although it has no bearing on the situation, I would like to address the issue of our contacting [redacted] ***'s bossIn his emails, which were sent from [redacted] ***'s work account, he referred to “my agency and I" and in the email dated Tuesday April 28, [redacted] again referred to "his agency” and employees within the agency being dissatisfied with our serviceAt this point we felt it prudent to sit down with our contact person at the [redacted] to determine if there was a level of dissatisfaction within the agency that was yet unexpressedAt no time did we discuss the ***'s vehicle or compromise their privacy in any wayOur conversation solely concerned our relationship with and service to the ***We certainly understand the ***'s frustration; however our shop did not perform any unnecessary workOur shop addressed what we had been asked to diagnose: why the engine was misfiringThere was a clear need for the work we recommended and performed.Had [redacted] revealed to us that he had been adding coolant to the system, we would have included this problem while initially diagnosing the vehicle rather than diagnosing the engine misfire aloneThe coil pack and waive cover gasket were still necessary, Mrand [redacted] were not deceived and were not cheatedIn good faith, we continued to diagnose the vehicle and work to determine the problem at our cost once we had complete informationFor this reason, we do not believe the ***'s are due a refund, Sincerely,Winona HPresident,
*** ***'s car was brought to our shop on 4/14/with the complaint that the engine was running roughly and a request to test the coolantThere was a pronounced misfire in the engine, so we directed our technician to scan the vehicle for engine codes, which would report specific malfunctions
through data collected from monitors within the engineThe initial engine code was ***-Cylinder Misfire Detected (attachment 1a)Further diagnostics indicated that Cylinder was also firing weaklyThe spark plug in cylinder #was measured at .050, while the manufacturer recommends a gap of no more than In addition, there was a significant amount of oil on the spark plugs, as rubber grommets within the valve cover gasket, deteriorated with age, were allowing oil to seep down to the spark plugIn the case of Cylinder #3, the spark plug was saturated with oilThe rubber grommets, valve cover and gaskets are available from the manufacturer only as a complete assembly.The coolant was tested as requested, was found to be full and tested to -degrees, an adequate strengthNo coolant was added or replaced(Attachment 1)A few days later, we were contacted by *** *** telling us the engine light was back onWe suggested they bring the car back in and it was determined that the #coil pack was defective from the manufacturer (attachment 2b)It was replaced without charge.On April 22, we received an email from *** *** (attachment 4) informing us that the engine light was on again and asked us to correct the situationAs evidenced in the attached emails, (attachment 5) I did not discover the email until the next afternoon and passed the email to Rick who called *** *** immediately to get more facts on the vehicle, *** *** confirmed that the engine was running smoothly, but the engine light had come on againIt was determined that the *** would bring their vehicle in once more and we would run the diagnostics again.On this third visit, at the time the car was brought in, there was no engine light on, although the owners reported that it would go on and off intermittentlyThe technician drove the vehicle for miles, found the engine to be running smoothly and the engine light did not come onThe diagnostics revealed no codes through the monitor system (attachment 3b)Rick then called *** *** to glean more information as to when the light would come on and under what conditions*** *** confirmed that the engine had continued to run smoothly but the engine light had continued to come on and off intermittently, usually going off after the car had been driven for a whileDuring the course of this conversation, *** *** revealed that he had been adding coolant to the cooling system, a fact which he had not mentioned before this conversationThis bit of information was key to determining why the engine light kept coming on.Our technician spent a significant portion of time researching this particular vehicle and determining why the engine light would go off and on and how it might relate to the problems the *** had experiencedThere were no engine codes and the light was not on at that timeHe inspected for any loose wires or connections, finding noneHe tested each ignition coil and found all to be OK.A pressure test indicated no leaks within the cooling system, which includes the heater core, radiator, hoses and the reservoir.Further research through professional resources found that a head gasket leak in this make and model vehicle is Sometimes indicated when the engine misfires for a short time upon start up after the vehicle has been sitting for awhileAfter running for a short time it straightens out and runs fineIf coolant is leaking out through the head gasket and collects on the piston, the faulty gaskets gradually reseal as they heat up and any coolant collected on the pistons is burned off as the car is drivenTherefore, the leak isn't immediately obvious.After reading this information, the technician pulled each spark plug and checked with a bore scope to see if any coolant was visible on top of the pistonsNo coolant was present, just as the resource had indicated.After learning of the head gasket history and how it sometimes presents in this particular vehicle, Rick telephoned *** *** again and had a lengthy conversation to explain what may be the problemRick cautioned that a head gasket repair was very costly and with better than 200,miles on this 10-year old vehicle, the *** may want to consider replacing the vehicle rather than investing in another expensive repair*** *** expressed a desire to keep the vehicle another year or more and to that end, Rick advised him to continue to keep an eye on the coolant and not take the vehicle on long tripsAt no time was it suggested that the engine would only last another three months.Later that same day, when *** *** picked up the car, Rick explained to her as well what our research had revealedAn abbreviated explanation of the same information was provided on her receipt(Attachment 3b)As a courtesy, the *** were not billed for any research or diagnostic time after their initial repairAll labor and supply costs were absorbed by our business.It is our policy to address customer concerns in person or by telephoneThis allows for the greatest exchange of information and the best opportunity for all parties involved understanding one anotherFor this reason, *** ***'s emails were answered by telephone, as evidenced by our response email dated 4/23/Their final telephone conversation was on April 24, after it was determined the most likely source of the coolant leak was a head gasket leak and *** *** confirmed that the engine misfire, which was the initial complaint, was correctedYou will note in the emails dated 4/and 5/that other mechanics are advising the ***'s that it either is or isn't the head gasket (attachments and 9).Although it has no bearing on the situation, I would like to address the issue of our contacting *** ***'s bossIn his emails, which were sent from *** ***'s work account, he referred to “my agency and I" and in the email dated Tuesday April 28, *** *** again referred to "his agency” and employees within the agency being dissatisfied with our serviceAt this point we felt it prudent to sit down with our contact person at the *** *** *** ** *** to determine if there was a level of dissatisfaction within the agency that was yet unexpressedAt no time did we discuss the ***'s vehicle or compromise their privacy in any wayOur conversation solely concerned our relationship with and service to the ***.We certainly understand the ***'s frustration; however our shop did not perform any unnecessary workOur shop addressed what we had been asked to diagnose: why the engine was misfiringThere was a clear need for the work we recommended and performed.Had *** *** revealed to us that he had been adding coolant to the system, we would have included this problem while initially diagnosing the vehicle rather than diagnosing the engine misfire aloneThe coil pack and waive cover gasket were still necessary, Mrand *** *** were not deceived and were not cheatedIn good faith, we continued to diagnose the vehicle and work to determine the problem at our cost once we had complete informationFor this reason, we do not believe the ***'s are due a refund,Sincerely,Winona H.President,
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
June 3, 2015To: Whom it May Concern:The vehicle in question was taken in because it was not riding smoothly or properlyWe specifically asked for the coolant system to be tested because we had been filling it up on occasionIt is news to me that the mechanic didn’t know this, we asked for this to be tested for leaks and pressureWhy would we ask for this if it wasn’t a concern? We have been informed that a cylinder misfire, which the car had, is an indicator of a blown or leaking head gasketThe coolant was not leaking from the car, however, it was filling up cylinder threeI am not sure why the coil pack repair was done when that never fixed what it came in forIt seems to me that a repair was made up, didn’t fix the problem and I paid almost dollars for a repairWe were not informed of any head gasket issue until the third visit after we had already paid for something that wasn’t even necessaryMy first invoice says coolant pressure fineNo invoice for second visitThird visit, head gasket issues mentionedWell, if I knew that was the problem from the beginning, it wouldn’t have gotten this farMy husband and I had a choice to keep the car going for a while or get a new oneWe figured we would spend dollars on a repair to keep it on the roadThe repair completed wasn’t necessary and/or did not fix what we came in forAs far as the second visit, coil packs defectiveThey weren’t defective, the coil pack wasn’t going to fix the issueRick’s should have completed the research that they speak of in their rebuttal before we paid dollarsI should not be responsible for them guessing what the problem wasThat is the way business is supposed to workSincerely,
June, 2015We deeply regret that we have been unable to effectively communicate with *** *** the reasons we do not feel they are due a refundHowever, in our initial response, as in our second response, we took a great deal of time to explain as fully as possible the steps we took to diagnose their vehicle and the specific reasons we recommended these repairsWe recognize that understanding the mechanical complexities of modern vehicles can be daunting, but we feel our explanation fully spelled out how the recommended repair was identified, and why it was causing the engine to misfireWhen the vehicle was first presented for service, the engine misfire was so severe the car could barely be test drivenWe diagnosed and repaired the source of the misfire and the vehicle was running smoothly afterwardAs explained in our previous responses, we addressed the obvious issue with the information we had been given and invested a good amount of time afterward, at no charge to the ***'s, to identify the additional problem once we had complete information.This will be our final communication on this matterSincerely,
Winona HPresident
June, 2015We deeply regret that we have been unable to effectively communicate with *** *** the reasons we do not feel they are due a refundHowever, in our initial response, as in our second response, we took a great deal of time to explain as fully as possible the steps we took to diagnose their vehicle and the specific reasons we recommended these repairsWe recognize that understanding the mechanical complexities of modern vehicles can be daunting, but we feel our explanation fully spelled out how the recommended repair was identified, and why it was causing the engine to misfire.When the vehicle was first presented for service, the engine misfire was so severe the car could barely be test drivenWe diagnosed and repaired the source of the misfire and the vehicle was running smoothly afterwardAs explained in our previous responses, we addressed the obvious issue with the information we had been given and invested a good amount of time afterward, at no charge to the ***'s, to identify the additional problem once we had complete information.This will be our final communication on this matter.Sincerely,Winona H.President
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
From: *** *** Date: Thu, Jun 11, at 7:PMSubject: Fw: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #***.To: *** *** *** ***, I am not a mechanic The problem was explained to you in detail You chose to fix what you wanted to in order to get money The engine light and misfire was a sign of a problem You fixed coil pack which did not fix the problem You should refund our money just merely because you did not fix our problem and changed the problem on the third invoice This is poor business It did take up your time But if you fixed the problem the first time or stated the "real" problem, we all could have moved on But you are dollars richer, now I know you have done this to others I won't let this go I will let everyone know my experience with you You took seven hundred dollars and did not cure the problem because you guessed I will continue to write letters and voice my opinion. Sincerely,*** ***
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:June 3, 2015To: Whom it May Concern:The vehicle in question was taken in because it was not riding smoothly or properlyWe specifically asked for the coolant system to be tested because we had been filling it up on occasionIt is news to me that the mechanic didn’t know this, we asked for this to be tested for leaks and pressureWhy would we ask for this if it wasn’t a concern? We have been informed that a cylinder misfire, which the car had, is an indicator of a blown or leaking head gasketThe coolant was not leaking from the car, however, it was filling up cylinder threeI am not sure why the coil pack repair was done when that never fixed what it came in forIt seems to me that a repair was made up, didn’t fix the problem and I paid almost dollars for a repairWe were not informed of any head gasket issue until the third visit after we had already paid for something that wasn’t even necessaryMy first invoice says coolant pressure fineNo invoice for second visitThird visit, head gasket issues mentionedWell, if I knew that was the problem from the beginning, it wouldn’t have gotten this farMy husband and I had a choice to keep the car going for a while or get a new oneWe figured we would spend dollars on a repair to keep it on the roadThe repair completed wasn’t necessary and/or did not fix what we came in forAs far as the second visit, coil packs defectiveThey weren’t defective, the coil pack wasn’t going to fix the issueRick’s should have completed the research that they speak of in their rebuttal before we paid dollarsI should not be responsible for them guessing what the problem wasThat is the way business is supposed to work.Sincerely,
*** ***'s car was brought to our shop on 4/14/with the complaint that the engine was running roughly and a request to test the coolantThere was a pronounced misfire in the engine, so we directed our technician to scan the vehicle for engine codes, which would report specific malfunctions
through data collected from monitors within the engineThe initial engine code was ***-Cylinder Misfire Detected (attachment 1a)Further diagnostics indicated that Cylinder was also firing weaklyThe spark plug in cylinder #was measured at .050, while the manufacturer recommends a gap of no more than In addition, there was a significant amount of oil on the spark plugs, as rubber grommets within the valve cover gasket, deteriorated with age, were allowing oil to seep down to the spark plugIn the case of Cylinder #3, the spark plug was saturated with oilThe rubber grommets, valve cover and gaskets are available from the manufacturer only as a complete assembly.The coolant was tested as requested, was found to be full and tested to -degrees, an adequate strengthNo coolant was added or replaced(Attachment 1)
A few days later, we were contacted by *** *** telling us the engine light was back onWe suggested they bring the car back in and it was determined that the #coil pack was defective from the manufacturer (attachment 2b)It was replaced without charge.On April 22, we received an email from *** *** (attachment 4) informing us that the engine light was on again and asked us to correct the situationAs evidenced in the attached emails, (attachment 5) I did not discover the email until the next afternoon and passed the email to Rick who called *** *** immediately to get more facts on the vehicle, *** *** confirmed that the engine was running smoothly, but the engine light had come on againIt was determined that the *** would bring their vehicle in once more and we would run the diagnostics againOn this third visit, at the time the car was brought in, there was no engine light on, although the owners reported that it would go on and off intermittentlyThe technician drove the vehicle for miles, found the engine to be running smoothly and the engine light did not come onThe diagnostics revealed no codes through the monitor system (attachment 3b)Rick then called *** *** to glean more information as to when the light would come on and under what conditions*** *** confirmed that the engine had continued to run smoothly but the engine light had continued to come on and off intermittently, usually going off after the car had been driven for a whileDuring the course of this conversation, *** *** revealed that he had been adding coolant to the cooling system, a fact which he had not mentioned before this conversationThis bit of information was key to determining why the engine light kept coming onOur technician spent a significant portion of time researching this particular vehicle and determining why the engine light would go off and on and how it might relate to the problems the *** had experiencedThere were no engine codes and the light was not on at that timeHe inspected for any loose wires or connections, finding noneHe tested each ignition coil and found all to be OKA pressure test indicated no leaks within the cooling system, which includes the heater core, radiator, hoses and the reservoir.Further research through professional resources found that a head gasket leak in this make and model vehicle is Sometimes indicated when the engine misfires for a short time upon start up after the vehicle has been sitting for awhileAfter running for a short time it straightens out and runs fineIf coolant is leaking out through the head gasket and collects on the piston, the faulty gaskets gradually reseal as they heat up and any coolant collected on the pistons is burned off as the car is drivenTherefore, the leak isn't immediately obviousAfter reading this information, the technician pulled each spark plug and checked with a bore scope to see if any coolant was visible on top of the pistonsNo coolant was present, just as the resource had indicatedAfter learning of the head gasket history and how it sometimes presents in this particular vehicle, Rick telephoned *** *** again and had a lengthy conversation to explain what may be the problemRick cautioned that a head gasket repair was very costly and with better than 200,miles on this 10-year old vehicle, the *** may want to consider replacing the vehicle rather than investing in another expensive repair*** *** expressed a desire to keep the vehicle another year or more and to that end, Rick advised him to continue to keep an eye on the coolant and not take the vehicle on long tripsAt no time was it suggested that the engine would only last another three monthsLater that same day, when *** *** picked up the car, Rick explained to her as well what our research had revealedAn abbreviated explanation of the same information was provided on her receipt(Attachment 3b)
As a courtesy, the *** were not billed for any research or diagnostic time after their initial repairAll labor and supply costs were absorbed by our businessIt is our policy to address customer concerns in person or by telephoneThis allows for the greatest exchange of information and the best opportunity for all parties involved understanding one anotherFor this reason, *** ***'s emails were answered by telephone, as evidenced by our response email dated 4/23/Their final telephone conversation was on April 24, after it was determined the most likely source of the coolant leak was a head gasket leak and *** *** confirmed that the engine misfire, which was the initial complaint, was correctedYou will note in the emails dated 4/and 5/that other mechanics are advising the ***'s that it either is or isn't the head gasket (attachments and 9)Although it has no bearing on the situation, I would like to address the issue of our contacting *** ***'s bossIn his emails, which were sent from *** ***'s work account, he referred to “my agency and I" and in the email dated Tuesday April 28, *** *** again referred to "his agency” and employees within the agency being dissatisfied with our serviceAt this point we felt it prudent to sit down with our contact person at the *** *** *** ** *** to determine if there was a level of dissatisfaction within the agency that was yet unexpressedAt no time did we discuss the ***'s vehicle or compromise their privacy in any wayOur conversation solely concerned our relationship with and service to the ***We certainly understand the ***'s frustration; however our shop did not perform any unnecessary workOur shop addressed what we had been asked to diagnose: why the engine was misfiringThere was a clear need for the work we recommended and performed.Had *** *** revealed to us that he had been adding coolant to the system, we would have included this problem while initially diagnosing the vehicle rather than diagnosing the engine misfire aloneThe coil pack and waive cover gasket were still necessary, Mrand *** *** were not deceived and were not cheatedIn good faith, we continued to diagnose the vehicle and work to determine the problem at our cost once we had complete informationFor this reason, we do not believe the ***'s are due a refund,
Sincerely,Winona HPresident,
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:From: *** *** Date: Thu, Jun 11, at 7:PMSubject: Fw: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #***.To: *** *** *** ***, I am not a mechanic The problem was explained to you in detail You chose to fix what you wanted to in order to get money The engine light and misfire was a sign of a problem You fixed coil pack which did not fix the problem You should refund our money just merely because you did not fix our problem and changed the problem on the third invoice This is poor business It did take up your time But if you fixed the problem the first time or stated the "real" problem, we all could have moved on But you are dollars richer, now I know you have done this to others I won't let this go I will let everyone know my experience with you You took seven hundred dollars and did not cure the problem because you guessed I will continue to write letters and voice my opinion. Sincerely,*** ***
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: June 3, 2015To: Whom it May Concern:The vehicle in question was taken in because it was not riding smoothly or properlyWe specifically asked for the coolant system to be tested because we had been filling it up on occasionIt is news to me that the mechanic didn’t know this, we asked for this to be tested for leaks and pressureWhy would we ask for this if it wasn’t a concern? We have been informed that a cylinder misfire, which the car had, is an indicator of a blown or leaking head gasketThe coolant was not leaking from the car, however, it was filling up cylinder threeI am not sure why the coil pack repair was done when that never fixed what it came in forIt seems to me that a repair was made up, didn’t fix the problem and I paid almost dollars for a repairWe were not informed of any head gasket issue until the third visit after we had already paid for something that wasn’t even necessaryMy first invoice says coolant pressure fineNo invoice for second visitThird visit, head gasket issues mentionedWell, if I knew that was the problem from the beginning, it wouldn’t have gotten this farMy husband and I had a choice to keep the car going for a while or get a new oneWe figured we would spend dollars on a repair to keep it on the roadThe repair completed wasn’t necessary and/or did not fix what we came in forAs far as the second visit, coil packs defectiveThey weren’t defective, the coil pack wasn’t going to fix the issueRick’s should have completed the research that they speak of in their rebuttal before we paid dollarsI should not be responsible for them guessing what the problem wasThat is the way business is supposed to workSincerely,
[redacted] ***'s car was brought to our shop on 4/14/with the complaint that the engine was running roughly and a request to test the coolantThere was a pronounced misfire in the engine, so we directed our technician to scan the vehicle for engine codes, which would report specific malfunctions through data collected from monitors within the engineThe initial engine code was ***-Cylinder Misfire Detected (attachment 1a)Further diagnostics indicated that Cylinder was also firing weaklyThe spark plug in cylinder #was measured at .050, while the manufacturer recommends a gap of no more than In addition, there was a significant amount of oil on the spark plugs, as rubber grommets within the valve cover gasket, deteriorated with age, were allowing oil to seep down to the spark plugIn the case of Cylinder #3, the spark plug was saturated with oilThe rubber grommets, valve cover and gaskets are available from the manufacturer only as a complete assembly.The coolant was tested as requested, was found to be full and tested to -degrees, an adequate strengthNo coolant was added or replaced(Attachment 1) A few days later, we were contacted by [redacted] telling us the engine light was back onWe suggested they bring the car back in and it was determined that the #coil pack was defective from the manufacturer (attachment 2b)It was replaced without charge.On April 22, we received an email from [redacted] (attachment 4) informing us that the engine light was on again and asked us to correct the situationAs evidenced in the attached emails, (attachment 5) I did not discover the email until the next afternoon and passed the email to Rick who called [redacted] immediately to get more facts on the vehicle, [redacted] confirmed that the engine was running smoothly, but the engine light had come on againIt was determined that the [redacted] would bring their vehicle in once more and we would run the diagnostics againOn this third visit, at the time the car was brought in, there was no engine light on, although the owners reported that it would go on and off intermittentlyThe technician drove the vehicle for miles, found the engine to be running smoothly and the engine light did not come onThe diagnostics revealed no codes through the monitor system (attachment 3b)Rick then called [redacted] to glean more information as to when the light would come on and under what conditions [redacted] confirmed that the engine had continued to run smoothly but the engine light had continued to come on and off intermittently, usually going off after the car had been driven for a whileDuring the course of this conversation, [redacted] revealed that he had been adding coolant to the cooling system, a fact which he had not mentioned before this conversationThis bit of information was key to determining why the engine light kept coming onOur technician spent a significant portion of time researching this particular vehicle and determining why the engine light would go off and on and how it might relate to the problems the [redacted] had experiencedThere were no engine codes and the light was not on at that timeHe inspected for any loose wires or connections, finding noneHe tested each ignition coil and found all to be OKA pressure test indicated no leaks within the cooling system, which includes the heater core, radiator, hoses and the reservoir.Further research through professional resources found that a head gasket leak in this make and model vehicle is Sometimes indicated when the engine misfires for a short time upon start up after the vehicle has been sitting for awhileAfter running for a short time it straightens out and runs fineIf coolant is leaking out through the head gasket and collects on the piston, the faulty gaskets gradually reseal as they heat up and any coolant collected on the pistons is burned off as the car is drivenTherefore, the leak isn't immediately obviousAfter reading this information, the technician pulled each spark plug and checked with a bore scope to see if any coolant was visible on top of the pistonsNo coolant was present, just as the resource had indicatedAfter learning of the head gasket history and how it sometimes presents in this particular vehicle, Rick telephoned [redacted] again and had a lengthy conversation to explain what may be the problemRick cautioned that a head gasket repair was very costly and with better than 200,miles on this 10-year old vehicle, the [redacted] may want to consider replacing the vehicle rather than investing in another expensive repair [redacted] expressed a desire to keep the vehicle another year or more and to that end, Rick advised him to continue to keep an eye on the coolant and not take the vehicle on long tripsAt no time was it suggested that the engine would only last another three monthsLater that same day, when [redacted] picked up the car, Rick explained to her as well what our research had revealedAn abbreviated explanation of the same information was provided on her receipt(Attachment 3b) As a courtesy, the [redacted] were not billed for any research or diagnostic time after their initial repairAll labor and supply costs were absorbed by our businessIt is our policy to address customer concerns in person or by telephoneThis allows for the greatest exchange of information and the best opportunity for all parties involved understanding one anotherFor this reason, [redacted] ***'s emails were answered by telephone, as evidenced by our response email dated 4/23/Their final telephone conversation was on April 24, after it was determined the most likely source of the coolant leak was a head gasket leak and [redacted] confirmed that the engine misfire, which was the initial complaint, was correctedYou will note in the emails dated 4/and 5/that other mechanics are advising the ***'s that it either is or isn't the head gasket (attachments and 9)Although it has no bearing on the situation, I would like to address the issue of our contacting [redacted] ***'s bossIn his emails, which were sent from [redacted] ***'s work account, he referred to “my agency and I" and in the email dated Tuesday April 28, [redacted] again referred to "his agency” and employees within the agency being dissatisfied with our serviceAt this point we felt it prudent to sit down with our contact person at the [redacted] to determine if there was a level of dissatisfaction within the agency that was yet unexpressedAt no time did we discuss the ***'s vehicle or compromise their privacy in any wayOur conversation solely concerned our relationship with and service to the ***We certainly understand the ***'s frustration; however our shop did not perform any unnecessary workOur shop addressed what we had been asked to diagnose: why the engine was misfiringThere was a clear need for the work we recommended and performed.Had [redacted] revealed to us that he had been adding coolant to the system, we would have included this problem while initially diagnosing the vehicle rather than diagnosing the engine misfire aloneThe coil pack and waive cover gasket were still necessary, Mrand [redacted] were not deceived and were not cheatedIn good faith, we continued to diagnose the vehicle and work to determine the problem at our cost once we had complete informationFor this reason, we do not believe the ***'s are due a refund, Sincerely,Winona HPresident,
*** ***'s car was brought to our shop on 4/14/with the complaint that the engine was running roughly and a request to test the coolantThere was a pronounced misfire in the engine, so we directed our technician to scan the vehicle for engine codes, which would report specific malfunctions
through data collected from monitors within the engineThe initial engine code was ***-Cylinder Misfire Detected (attachment 1a)Further diagnostics indicated that Cylinder was also firing weaklyThe spark plug in cylinder #was measured at .050, while the manufacturer recommends a gap of no more than In addition, there was a significant amount of oil on the spark plugs, as rubber grommets within the valve cover gasket, deteriorated with age, were allowing oil to seep down to the spark plugIn the case of Cylinder #3, the spark plug was saturated with oilThe rubber grommets, valve cover and gaskets are available from the manufacturer only as a complete assembly.The coolant was tested as requested, was found to be full and tested to -degrees, an adequate strengthNo coolant was added or replaced(Attachment 1)A few days later, we were contacted by *** *** telling us the engine light was back onWe suggested they bring the car back in and it was determined that the #coil pack was defective from the manufacturer (attachment 2b)It was replaced without charge.On April 22, we received an email from *** *** (attachment 4) informing us that the engine light was on again and asked us to correct the situationAs evidenced in the attached emails, (attachment 5) I did not discover the email until the next afternoon and passed the email to Rick who called *** *** immediately to get more facts on the vehicle, *** *** confirmed that the engine was running smoothly, but the engine light had come on againIt was determined that the *** would bring their vehicle in once more and we would run the diagnostics again.On this third visit, at the time the car was brought in, there was no engine light on, although the owners reported that it would go on and off intermittentlyThe technician drove the vehicle for miles, found the engine to be running smoothly and the engine light did not come onThe diagnostics revealed no codes through the monitor system (attachment 3b)Rick then called *** *** to glean more information as to when the light would come on and under what conditions*** *** confirmed that the engine had continued to run smoothly but the engine light had continued to come on and off intermittently, usually going off after the car had been driven for a whileDuring the course of this conversation, *** *** revealed that he had been adding coolant to the cooling system, a fact which he had not mentioned before this conversationThis bit of information was key to determining why the engine light kept coming on.Our technician spent a significant portion of time researching this particular vehicle and determining why the engine light would go off and on and how it might relate to the problems the *** had experiencedThere were no engine codes and the light was not on at that timeHe inspected for any loose wires or connections, finding noneHe tested each ignition coil and found all to be OK.A pressure test indicated no leaks within the cooling system, which includes the heater core, radiator, hoses and the reservoir.Further research through professional resources found that a head gasket leak in this make and model vehicle is Sometimes indicated when the engine misfires for a short time upon start up after the vehicle has been sitting for awhileAfter running for a short time it straightens out and runs fineIf coolant is leaking out through the head gasket and collects on the piston, the faulty gaskets gradually reseal as they heat up and any coolant collected on the pistons is burned off as the car is drivenTherefore, the leak isn't immediately obvious.After reading this information, the technician pulled each spark plug and checked with a bore scope to see if any coolant was visible on top of the pistonsNo coolant was present, just as the resource had indicated.After learning of the head gasket history and how it sometimes presents in this particular vehicle, Rick telephoned *** *** again and had a lengthy conversation to explain what may be the problemRick cautioned that a head gasket repair was very costly and with better than 200,miles on this 10-year old vehicle, the *** may want to consider replacing the vehicle rather than investing in another expensive repair*** *** expressed a desire to keep the vehicle another year or more and to that end, Rick advised him to continue to keep an eye on the coolant and not take the vehicle on long tripsAt no time was it suggested that the engine would only last another three months.Later that same day, when *** *** picked up the car, Rick explained to her as well what our research had revealedAn abbreviated explanation of the same information was provided on her receipt(Attachment 3b)As a courtesy, the *** were not billed for any research or diagnostic time after their initial repairAll labor and supply costs were absorbed by our business.It is our policy to address customer concerns in person or by telephoneThis allows for the greatest exchange of information and the best opportunity for all parties involved understanding one anotherFor this reason, *** ***'s emails were answered by telephone, as evidenced by our response email dated 4/23/Their final telephone conversation was on April 24, after it was determined the most likely source of the coolant leak was a head gasket leak and *** *** confirmed that the engine misfire, which was the initial complaint, was correctedYou will note in the emails dated 4/and 5/that other mechanics are advising the ***'s that it either is or isn't the head gasket (attachments and 9).Although it has no bearing on the situation, I would like to address the issue of our contacting *** ***'s bossIn his emails, which were sent from *** ***'s work account, he referred to “my agency and I" and in the email dated Tuesday April 28, *** *** again referred to "his agency” and employees within the agency being dissatisfied with our serviceAt this point we felt it prudent to sit down with our contact person at the *** *** *** ** *** to determine if there was a level of dissatisfaction within the agency that was yet unexpressedAt no time did we discuss the ***'s vehicle or compromise their privacy in any wayOur conversation solely concerned our relationship with and service to the ***.We certainly understand the ***'s frustration; however our shop did not perform any unnecessary workOur shop addressed what we had been asked to diagnose: why the engine was misfiringThere was a clear need for the work we recommended and performed.Had *** *** revealed to us that he had been adding coolant to the system, we would have included this problem while initially diagnosing the vehicle rather than diagnosing the engine misfire aloneThe coil pack and waive cover gasket were still necessary, Mrand *** *** were not deceived and were not cheatedIn good faith, we continued to diagnose the vehicle and work to determine the problem at our cost once we had complete informationFor this reason, we do not believe the ***'s are due a refund,Sincerely,Winona H.President,
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
June 3, 2015To: Whom it May Concern:The vehicle in question was taken in because it was not riding smoothly or properlyWe specifically asked for the coolant system to be tested because we had been filling it up on occasionIt is news to me that the mechanic didn’t know this, we asked for this to be tested for leaks and pressureWhy would we ask for this if it wasn’t a concern? We have been informed that a cylinder misfire, which the car had, is an indicator of a blown or leaking head gasketThe coolant was not leaking from the car, however, it was filling up cylinder threeI am not sure why the coil pack repair was done when that never fixed what it came in forIt seems to me that a repair was made up, didn’t fix the problem and I paid almost dollars for a repairWe were not informed of any head gasket issue until the third visit after we had already paid for something that wasn’t even necessaryMy first invoice says coolant pressure fineNo invoice for second visitThird visit, head gasket issues mentionedWell, if I knew that was the problem from the beginning, it wouldn’t have gotten this farMy husband and I had a choice to keep the car going for a while or get a new oneWe figured we would spend dollars on a repair to keep it on the roadThe repair completed wasn’t necessary and/or did not fix what we came in forAs far as the second visit, coil packs defectiveThey weren’t defective, the coil pack wasn’t going to fix the issueRick’s should have completed the research that they speak of in their rebuttal before we paid dollarsI should not be responsible for them guessing what the problem wasThat is the way business is supposed to workSincerely,
June, 2015We deeply regret that we have been unable to effectively communicate with *** *** the reasons we do not feel they are due a refundHowever, in our initial response, as in our second response, we took a great deal of time to explain as fully as possible the steps we took to diagnose their vehicle and the specific reasons we recommended these repairsWe recognize that understanding the mechanical complexities of modern vehicles can be daunting, but we feel our explanation fully spelled out how the recommended repair was identified, and why it was causing the engine to misfireWhen the vehicle was first presented for service, the engine misfire was so severe the car could barely be test drivenWe diagnosed and repaired the source of the misfire and the vehicle was running smoothly afterwardAs explained in our previous responses, we addressed the obvious issue with the information we had been given and invested a good amount of time afterward, at no charge to the ***'s, to identify the additional problem once we had complete information.This will be our final communication on this matterSincerely,
Winona HPresident
June, 2015We deeply regret that we have been unable to effectively communicate with *** *** the reasons we do not feel they are due a refundHowever, in our initial response, as in our second response, we took a great deal of time to explain as fully as possible the steps we took to diagnose their vehicle and the specific reasons we recommended these repairsWe recognize that understanding the mechanical complexities of modern vehicles can be daunting, but we feel our explanation fully spelled out how the recommended repair was identified, and why it was causing the engine to misfire.When the vehicle was first presented for service, the engine misfire was so severe the car could barely be test drivenWe diagnosed and repaired the source of the misfire and the vehicle was running smoothly afterwardAs explained in our previous responses, we addressed the obvious issue with the information we had been given and invested a good amount of time afterward, at no charge to the ***'s, to identify the additional problem once we had complete information.This will be our final communication on this matter.Sincerely,Winona H.President
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
From: *** *** Date: Thu, Jun 11, at 7:PMSubject: Fw: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #***.To: *** *** *** ***, I am not a mechanic The problem was explained to you in detail You chose to fix what you wanted to in order to get money The engine light and misfire was a sign of a problem You fixed coil pack which did not fix the problem You should refund our money just merely because you did not fix our problem and changed the problem on the third invoice This is poor business It did take up your time But if you fixed the problem the first time or stated the "real" problem, we all could have moved on But you are dollars richer, now I know you have done this to others I won't let this go I will let everyone know my experience with you You took seven hundred dollars and did not cure the problem because you guessed I will continue to write letters and voice my opinion. Sincerely,*** ***
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:June 3, 2015To: Whom it May Concern:The vehicle in question was taken in because it was not riding smoothly or properlyWe specifically asked for the coolant system to be tested because we had been filling it up on occasionIt is news to me that the mechanic didn’t know this, we asked for this to be tested for leaks and pressureWhy would we ask for this if it wasn’t a concern? We have been informed that a cylinder misfire, which the car had, is an indicator of a blown or leaking head gasketThe coolant was not leaking from the car, however, it was filling up cylinder threeI am not sure why the coil pack repair was done when that never fixed what it came in forIt seems to me that a repair was made up, didn’t fix the problem and I paid almost dollars for a repairWe were not informed of any head gasket issue until the third visit after we had already paid for something that wasn’t even necessaryMy first invoice says coolant pressure fineNo invoice for second visitThird visit, head gasket issues mentionedWell, if I knew that was the problem from the beginning, it wouldn’t have gotten this farMy husband and I had a choice to keep the car going for a while or get a new oneWe figured we would spend dollars on a repair to keep it on the roadThe repair completed wasn’t necessary and/or did not fix what we came in forAs far as the second visit, coil packs defectiveThey weren’t defective, the coil pack wasn’t going to fix the issueRick’s should have completed the research that they speak of in their rebuttal before we paid dollarsI should not be responsible for them guessing what the problem wasThat is the way business is supposed to work.Sincerely,
*** ***'s car was brought to our shop on 4/14/with the complaint that the engine was running roughly and a request to test the coolantThere was a pronounced misfire in the engine, so we directed our technician to scan the vehicle for engine codes, which would report specific malfunctions
through data collected from monitors within the engineThe initial engine code was ***-Cylinder Misfire Detected (attachment 1a)Further diagnostics indicated that Cylinder was also firing weaklyThe spark plug in cylinder #was measured at .050, while the manufacturer recommends a gap of no more than In addition, there was a significant amount of oil on the spark plugs, as rubber grommets within the valve cover gasket, deteriorated with age, were allowing oil to seep down to the spark plugIn the case of Cylinder #3, the spark plug was saturated with oilThe rubber grommets, valve cover and gaskets are available from the manufacturer only as a complete assembly.The coolant was tested as requested, was found to be full and tested to -degrees, an adequate strengthNo coolant was added or replaced(Attachment 1)
A few days later, we were contacted by *** *** telling us the engine light was back onWe suggested they bring the car back in and it was determined that the #coil pack was defective from the manufacturer (attachment 2b)It was replaced without charge.On April 22, we received an email from *** *** (attachment 4) informing us that the engine light was on again and asked us to correct the situationAs evidenced in the attached emails, (attachment 5) I did not discover the email until the next afternoon and passed the email to Rick who called *** *** immediately to get more facts on the vehicle, *** *** confirmed that the engine was running smoothly, but the engine light had come on againIt was determined that the *** would bring their vehicle in once more and we would run the diagnostics againOn this third visit, at the time the car was brought in, there was no engine light on, although the owners reported that it would go on and off intermittentlyThe technician drove the vehicle for miles, found the engine to be running smoothly and the engine light did not come onThe diagnostics revealed no codes through the monitor system (attachment 3b)Rick then called *** *** to glean more information as to when the light would come on and under what conditions*** *** confirmed that the engine had continued to run smoothly but the engine light had continued to come on and off intermittently, usually going off after the car had been driven for a whileDuring the course of this conversation, *** *** revealed that he had been adding coolant to the cooling system, a fact which he had not mentioned before this conversationThis bit of information was key to determining why the engine light kept coming onOur technician spent a significant portion of time researching this particular vehicle and determining why the engine light would go off and on and how it might relate to the problems the *** had experiencedThere were no engine codes and the light was not on at that timeHe inspected for any loose wires or connections, finding noneHe tested each ignition coil and found all to be OKA pressure test indicated no leaks within the cooling system, which includes the heater core, radiator, hoses and the reservoir.Further research through professional resources found that a head gasket leak in this make and model vehicle is Sometimes indicated when the engine misfires for a short time upon start up after the vehicle has been sitting for awhileAfter running for a short time it straightens out and runs fineIf coolant is leaking out through the head gasket and collects on the piston, the faulty gaskets gradually reseal as they heat up and any coolant collected on the pistons is burned off as the car is drivenTherefore, the leak isn't immediately obviousAfter reading this information, the technician pulled each spark plug and checked with a bore scope to see if any coolant was visible on top of the pistonsNo coolant was present, just as the resource had indicatedAfter learning of the head gasket history and how it sometimes presents in this particular vehicle, Rick telephoned *** *** again and had a lengthy conversation to explain what may be the problemRick cautioned that a head gasket repair was very costly and with better than 200,miles on this 10-year old vehicle, the *** may want to consider replacing the vehicle rather than investing in another expensive repair*** *** expressed a desire to keep the vehicle another year or more and to that end, Rick advised him to continue to keep an eye on the coolant and not take the vehicle on long tripsAt no time was it suggested that the engine would only last another three monthsLater that same day, when *** *** picked up the car, Rick explained to her as well what our research had revealedAn abbreviated explanation of the same information was provided on her receipt(Attachment 3b)
As a courtesy, the *** were not billed for any research or diagnostic time after their initial repairAll labor and supply costs were absorbed by our businessIt is our policy to address customer concerns in person or by telephoneThis allows for the greatest exchange of information and the best opportunity for all parties involved understanding one anotherFor this reason, *** ***'s emails were answered by telephone, as evidenced by our response email dated 4/23/Their final telephone conversation was on April 24, after it was determined the most likely source of the coolant leak was a head gasket leak and *** *** confirmed that the engine misfire, which was the initial complaint, was correctedYou will note in the emails dated 4/and 5/that other mechanics are advising the ***'s that it either is or isn't the head gasket (attachments and 9)Although it has no bearing on the situation, I would like to address the issue of our contacting *** ***'s bossIn his emails, which were sent from *** ***'s work account, he referred to “my agency and I" and in the email dated Tuesday April 28, *** *** again referred to "his agency” and employees within the agency being dissatisfied with our serviceAt this point we felt it prudent to sit down with our contact person at the *** *** *** ** *** to determine if there was a level of dissatisfaction within the agency that was yet unexpressedAt no time did we discuss the ***'s vehicle or compromise their privacy in any wayOur conversation solely concerned our relationship with and service to the ***We certainly understand the ***'s frustration; however our shop did not perform any unnecessary workOur shop addressed what we had been asked to diagnose: why the engine was misfiringThere was a clear need for the work we recommended and performed.Had *** *** revealed to us that he had been adding coolant to the system, we would have included this problem while initially diagnosing the vehicle rather than diagnosing the engine misfire aloneThe coil pack and waive cover gasket were still necessary, Mrand *** *** were not deceived and were not cheatedIn good faith, we continued to diagnose the vehicle and work to determine the problem at our cost once we had complete informationFor this reason, we do not believe the ***'s are due a refund,
Sincerely,Winona HPresident,
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:From: *** *** Date: Thu, Jun 11, at 7:PMSubject: Fw: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #***.To: *** *** *** ***, I am not a mechanic The problem was explained to you in detail You chose to fix what you wanted to in order to get money The engine light and misfire was a sign of a problem You fixed coil pack which did not fix the problem You should refund our money just merely because you did not fix our problem and changed the problem on the third invoice This is poor business It did take up your time But if you fixed the problem the first time or stated the "real" problem, we all could have moved on But you are dollars richer, now I know you have done this to others I won't let this go I will let everyone know my experience with you You took seven hundred dollars and did not cure the problem because you guessed I will continue to write letters and voice my opinion. Sincerely,*** ***