OT: Someone here always has the answer

--------------------------------------------- So what does the dealer suggest?

Lew

They'd probably like to have me bring it in, and sell me a brand new piece to go under the piece of trim--wheels and all! I count my blessings I didn't loose the trim piece or it would probably be a $150 repair! They charged me more than that to "fix" an electric window so that it would never open again. And I had to pay that twice in a month.

Calling the dealer is an interesting thought though. If you go to visit them, they charge $80 as soon as they pull out a piece of paper and write your name on it. They made the car though (Buick), maybe they will help in the name of goodwill.

Cheers, Bill

Aluminum trim piece that fits around side auto window came unattached. There is relatively firm, hard black *rubber* to completely support it.

What adhesive will provide suitable method of reattachment? Recall that I live in Indiana, a cold winter state that gets hot in the summer.

Thank you! Bill

P.S. My carpal-tunnel symptoms are getting better (my "attitude" seems to run in sinc with it).

Check with a good body repairman. I would just use contact cement like I use putting Formica on wood. Coat each surface with the cement Then let it dry. This makes a good surface contact. Then recoat again and let it dry and position in place. Must get it right on the first contact as you will not be able to remove it again. WW

- using a "cardex"ystem.

It pissed of the dealer principal, but if a job wasn't worth $25 I usually didn't bother making a work order or charging the customer.Made for some very happy customers, who ALWAYS came back!!!

Trim adhesive.(3m trim and weatherstrip is one that works pretty well

- but be carefull - it is yellow and sticks like snot!!! It is flexible. Epoxy doesn't work worth crap for fastening shiny trim to rubber, from many years of past experience

What year and model? exactly which trim peice? would help.

--------------------------------------------- Sounds like this would be a good application for 3M5200 marine sealant. (HomeDepot has it)

Once it cures, a heat gun is the only way to break it loose.

Lew

Several turned up by 3M when I searched last night. I anticipate that the auto parts store ought to have the right one (though I didn't find what I was looking for when I sent to the retailer's web site).

Thanks, Bill

Contact 3m and they will tell you which of their products is recommended for the job. I always found their application support to be very good to excellent.

And shockingly that yellow 3M trim and weatherstrip adhesive was "EXTENSIVELY: used as a gasket sealant. There is and has been a black version available for quite some time now.

And what would it have cost the dealer had something happened to the vehicle while doing the freebee work?

In Texas we did not dare not write a repair order for a customer. The customers vehicle was not covered by our insurance unless there was a repair order written for the vehicle. Writing up an average of 15,000 vehicles per year there was always some accident that happened in the shop a few times a year.

So did you give away oil changes? We did them for $19.95.

I remember the yellow 3M from 1956. I always thought of it as 'That sticky stuff' from hell'. I don't suppose they ever changed the formula

I used to work for a 3M distributor in the late 80's and mid 90's, Old Yeller was starting to give way to the Black version for it's intended use and engines were becoming much more complicated in respect to what type of gasket sealer was used for what on an engine. Anaerobic and Aerobic sealers were being spec'ed as engines became more complicated.

I doubt that 3M ever changed the formula as it was only designed to do what the label mentioned.

And just one more point. While you determined that the dealership average cost to write a repair order was $25 you not writing a repair order and giving the work away added to that average $25 cost. Employees still got paid, electric bills in the shop still got paid, rent was still paid, whether you charged the customer or not. All of those operating expenses are what contribute to the average cost of the RO.

Not so much as a gasket "sealer" but to hold the gasket in place long enough to assemble the engine around it!!! used to use it to hold valve cover gaskets in place on SBCs and the Mopar "leaning tower of power" and oil pan gaskets on automatic transmissions on "Mercury Mystakes" (the pan was vertical instead of horizontal) among other applications. IIRC it was referred to as "elephant snot" in several of the shops where I worked.

No, oil changes and such were charged for. Any parts involved, it was billed. Things like installing wiper blades, freeing up the ever-present sticky door handle, replacing a tail light bulb (customer buys it at the parts counter - I put it in)

We had the best retention and the best absorption in the local area, and not just for our brand. Twenty six years ago the litigation situation was a lot different in Canada too.

And what proof would anyone have in court that anything had been done without a work order?

And to be fair - not EVERY job that was less than $25 didn't get a work order. The shop was always busy with paying jobs, and the clerical workers were always occupied even without handling the non-existant work orders.

Just saying not every garage/dealership is a rip-off. Many dealers DO look after simple things like that as "good will" because in the long run it makes them more money, not less.

Typically a work order always has a customers signature. You screw up a customer's car he or his insurance company is going to take you to court if you don't make things right. Your insurance company is not going to protect you if you damage a persons car and during this visit if he is not legitimately a paying customer and with out proper documentation. With out his signature authorizing to diagnose or repair the vehicle you have no proof that the work was authorized. And to go a bit further with that, the insurance company company will validate the amount of coverage you are buying by the number or work orders that you are writing. They do review your volume when setting your rates.

Understood but you said that you "usually" did not bother making a work order if the repair was not worth $25. I understood that to be the norm and it would be unusual for you to write a work order for work not worth $25.

I absolutely would agree but just because you charge for all of your services does not constitute a repair facility as being a rip off. And I certainly understand customer good will and my dealer encouraged the same. Even if we did as you did and not charge for say picking the vehicle up on a lift to inspect it with no intention of charging, we wrote a work order up for our protection. We still had total control over whether or not we charged the customer or not. The cost to us to write that work order, 15 cents. Every one involved that was paid by the clock or was on the salary still got paid whether the work order was written or not. So writing the work order for the dealers protection did not cost him any more than the 15 cent work order.

And, in the event of the necessity, it makes for an an unquestionably valid Mechanic's/Materialmen's lien.

I agree - if you are doing work and charging for it, you need an ACCURATE SIGNED work order.

But if I free up a customer's sticky door handle and don'r write a work order and don't charge for it, what liability do I have? The guy has to be a jerk to try to claim any damages and he has no proof I did anything, authorized or not, and he hasn't paid me anything.

Wouldn't go far in court.

As for Mechanic's lien, what lien do you put on a car for something no-one can prove you did and you didn't charge for????? The red herrings are starting to look like Asian Carp in the mississipi!!!