What have you done to your 5th Gen 4Runner today?

A service writer is not a mechanic. Their job is to translate your "complaint" into something the mechanic understands and then keep you in the loop as the repair progresses.

If you want to understand why getting the process right is so important, you can read this little ditty from the California Bureau of Auto Repair. More shops should probably read it.

So a service writer would have written something like "customer states he hears squeaking coming from the area around the suspension. Also states exhaust repairs were recently completed" and that would have been your "complaint" (it would be better if the service writer asked if you noticed the squeak before or after the exhaust visit). Their job is to make sure they've captured your complaint accurately--if you read the complaint and do not agree with it, do not sign your repair order.

 

Good explantion, thanks. That would be exactly what Inexpect a writer to be doing. When I wrote my post, I was thinking back to an interaction with a service writer who was a manager. The way he spoke to me about what they found seemed to suggest that he was part of the decision making process. It just could have been a manner of how he was speaking, or that he wanted to look involved to the customer, or because he was the manager. It certainly sounded like he made some calls on how to resolve and bill the problem.

 

Dang that’s a good number.

So… (sorry, i just have to do this lol )… When you say “actual” mileage, what do you mean by that?

 

Can I ask were you purchased these? Thanks!

 

They are the factory ones - at least one of them is. I bought a second one and had them refinished. Note - I believe the right side will work only if you have the side exit exhaust.

 

That makes sense. Thank you!

 

How do you like the Rago? I gave it some thought but installed the Victory 4x4 dash mount.

 

It's great so far, solid and low profile.

 

Similar story for the annoying squeak. I said, Uh, NO! Look again. Same, they came back and it was the hood. When the squeak came back a year later, I adjusted the hood and gone. Must be a common squeak cause but they're always looking to make money. Sad, the pathetic type.

Forgot to mention, another time the steering was shaking and the first answer was, You have dirt on the inside of the rims. Me: What!?! These vehicles are crazy off-road capable and you're telling me dirt will throw off the steering. Is that your final answer? Look again. It was the wheels were not balanced when they rotated them the day before. Sheesh!

 

I installed the Rav4 blind spot mirrors today. I just got back in from driving around. The left side seems like it's working great. I'm not sure yet about the right side. I might have to do some more adjusting.

 

Oddly enough, I’ve been having a weird sound I was sure was coming from my front swaybar bushings. I had accidentally sprayed onto them with woolwax grease a while back and figured that was the cause. i tried flushing the rubber with brake clean (I know, bad…but the lazy is strong), and I thought it helped. But it kept coming back.

i read this post and decided to check the latch. The striker plate and pivots were dry (like i like it, reduced greasy messes and gummed up works 5 years from now). But I looked at all the shiny spots where metal on metal was happening and saw some things that looked like rubbing. So I applied grease using a toothpick to all shiny metal, and so far, all is quiet!!!

 

That is ok,don’t be sorry, the word, “actual” is misused too often.

 

The dealership I won't deal with anymore would rotate tires but then charged an additional $40 for balance. Total BS. Glad to be done with them. I like the term Stealerships because it is way too deserved.

 

What do you mean by adjusting? Maybe didn’t stab one of the tabs all the way in? I love them and got it in the first try, uncommon for me. Lol.

 

Actual miles per gallon is 19.6 average. Freeway commuting.

 

I mean positioning the whole thing. With the L/R switch to the R side and the worst d-pad since a bad 90s third party video game controller. I'm fairly confident everything's snapped in properly.

 

I guess it depends on what the mfg expects. Some dealerships have writers and advisors. Writers check you and and record customer complaints. Advisors call to tell you what needs to be done to complete the repair and to get approval for the repairs.

I use the word "complaint". It's part of the three C's. Complaint, cause, and correction. Getting the complaint correct really matters when it comes to cause and correction. It's also the biggest reason not to jump to conclusions and not get caught in that trap. Going back to your squeak complaint, upon completion, it would look like this:

1. COMPLAINT -- "customer states he hears squeaking coming from the area around the suspension. Also states exhaust repairs were recently completed."
2. CAUSE -- The tech would start "test drive vehicle and verify squeak from right rear of vehicle. Upon inspection noticed exhaust pipe not fully secure to hanger".
3. CORRECTION -- "Re-hang exhaust pipe using existing parts. Verify fix on test drive."

Your correction might include more extensive suggestions in the cause section as well as estimated costs and your verbal approval.

I would hope your service writer or manager would speak to every customer in a way that helps convey what the problem is and how it will be resolved and in a manner that is not condescending.

 

I got tires at discount. However since I went to 34” tires they would not fit under the rear of the 4Runner anymore. So I didn’t get one of the wheels tire pressure sensor registered. So after enough of seeing the tire pressure light I got them all corrected.

 

Very nice. That is sufficient information regarding your data collection parameters.

Carry on.

 

Tint all around

 

Yesterday must have been tint day. I got the front doors tinted to match the rest of the tinting.

 

classic sliver at its finest

here’s the twin to yours the day I had the windows tinted

 

Just got the black out emblem overlays in the mail. Quick clean off with alcohol and voila, chrome gone.

 

looks great, where did you purchase the overlays from?

 

Changed front and rear diff fluids. Changed the Transfer case oil. Lastly, adjusted the parking brake. I can now say I have a working parking brake.

Next on the list

Transmission fluid change
Brake fluid change and bleed
Injector cleaning

 

I got them off ebay. Some people had suggested using only the OEM overlays and I found these at a really good price. Don't know whether they are actually better than the non OEM but they did fit perfectly.

 

What % tint is this?

 

ok cool ,thanks for the quick reply. was it this one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293221754218?epid=654992227

 

This was the vendor I ordered mine from.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265718218322

 

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