Last night on the way home in the loaner Tribute, about 5 miles out, the low fuel light came on. I had just jumped in and didn’t think to look at the gas gage, it still read about an 1/8 of a tank, but nNot knowing which one of these indicators were more correct, I decided to put $5 worth of gas in it. The 3 gallons approximate, sent the needle to just below a 1/4 tank and ought to be enough to get to work and then to Rader the next day. The car/truck is filthy too, I think the last person to borrow it was testing it’s off road capabilities. Not only do they not check to see if there is gas in it, they don’t even take enough pride to wash it off or vacuum it out before some else gets in it.
About 8:15 AM this morning Kelly, my service “advisor”, called to say the car was done. Seems as if the technician finished up just before going home yesterday. I told her I’d be over as soon as I got off work and mentioned she should get five bucks from petty cash to reimburse me for the petrol. I made it over to Rader a little after 5 to get my car. Kelly went off to get someone to bring it around. While we waited I popped upstairs to run the Master’s Miata Club newsletters through the postage meter. When I came back down the car was there, but she didn’t have neither the $5 nor the paperwork. She couldn’t find the paperwork because the tech who did my work was not in today (no wonder he finished up yesterday, he knew he wasn’t coming in.) She also said she would have to talk to the service manager on Monday about getting the money to me. We ran through this routine when I wanted to get reimbursed for the tow charges on the 95 when the timing belt broke. I wonder if it will take nearly two weeks again? Walked over and chatted with Scott, my salesman, for a bit, he’s planning a membership drive for the Club to be held at the dealership in November. He is writing a letter to mail to the 30 or so Miata buyers in the last year and a half at Rader and invite them over to meet the crew.
It was finally time to go, so I got in the Miata, dropped the top and crept out of the dealership lot, the clutch felt real smooth. Hung a right onto busy Washington Road and sped off the 1/2 mile before turning off. A short stretch and then right on Riverwatch Parkway to head home. As I got up to speed and shifted into 5th I looked down to check my speed and discovered I was going ZERO MPH! The speedometer cable is hooked to the transmission, I bet my just finishing up in time to go home technician had forgotten to hook up the cable correctly (or not at all.) Hang a right and then another and pull back into the service area. It is 5:35, they go home at 6, so I figure we can get this done and I’ll be on my way. Wrong. The advisors stay until 6, the techs go home at 5:30, so there is no one there to fix my speedometer. Luckily, they work on Saturday morning, so it should be solved tomorrow. I put the top back up on the Miata and Kelly gives me the keys to the Dark Teal Metallic Tribute, again.
I get 5 miles from home and the low fuel light comes on, again…
Comet Incubation Period: 7 days
Sounds like you have had a rough time of it. I have heard car dealerships make more on the service department than they do on selling the cars. You would think they would try harder.
Get your bumper painted and then swing by my garage and I will install it for you. (no charge) Just for fun we could put the bent bumper off the old truck on just to see what it would look like. Might require a little welding though.
“Might require a little welding though.”
HA! I’ve got a hotdog sized tube of adhesive with German writing on the side that’ll hold that sucker on there. 🙂