Brake Specialty

Do I send my mechanic mouse ears or is there a better method to deal with substandard work?

Yes.

That All Depends On How “Substandard Work” Is Defined And Verified, Specifically In This Situation.

Give details, please.
CSA

Don’t walk away angry. Just walk away.

Seriously, how should we know without knowing what type of repair it is and the history behind it?

What do you mean by “substandard” work??? Who determined that it was substandard??

What we need to know is, what you are talking about…

Um…wha?

Hopefully you communicated better with your mechanic than you have with us. I have absolutely no idea what to make of this post. Can you give us some clue what you’re talking about?

Hi
Sorry about not being clear. I had a brake line repaired and it was repaired in two pieces presumable because they did not have any lengths longer than 6ft. Where the coupling was they could not bend it to follow the frame so they extended it out where it would be subjected to damage than if it followed the frame. I guess what makes me angry is that they supposedly specialize in brakes and didn’t have brake line to make it 1 piece. then they add a coupling and charge me separately for all 3 pieces. They cut corners and want me to pick up their slack. I went back there this afternoon and the owner would not budge until I told him I would bring it to the Jeep dealership and have it done right and then try to recover my money in small claims court. He tried to tell me that brake line did not come in lengths longer than 6 ft. So now he is supposed to put it right. Sorry about the rant but I had been kicking it around whether to let it go or not

Does the name of the shop start with M?

It may have actually been less expensive than ordering an OEM replacement line. Although no couplings are always better than a coupling, if the coupling is properly done it’ll likely be fine.

How much did they charge you and what all was included in the price?

$162.69 for the brake line and to bleed the brakes. The line probably wouldn’t get hung up on anything but it would have a better chance if it was routed along the frame like the other lines. I paid for for a service wiich is thier specialty and they used whatever they had. Here is a pic. Knowing what I know now I would have got a dealership part for 40.00 and attemped to do it myself. And if I messed it bring it to a mechanic then.

Metal brake line is not sold in lengths longer than 6’.

I am not sure I understand. Is the coupling leaking? Does it work?

What is the model year of this vehicle? How many miles are on the odometer? If this is a newish vehicle, I would want it done properly, but if it is an old vehicle you don’t plan to own for much longer (2-3 years), I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

Is it substandard? Obviously, it doesn’t meet your personal standards. I might not make an issue of it if I were in your shoes. I could be wrong though. It has happened before.

Honestly it looks ok to me… I suppose it could be routed better, but it seems like it works.

I really don’t think the age of the car is the matter. I went to a Auto “Repair” shop that specializes in brakes. I paid for thier expertize and they jury rigged the brake line. That’s all. They saved themselves a few bucks and nickled and dimed me while cutting corners. It’s not rocket science. I think that is the nature of the automotive “service” industry. It’s whatever the market will bear.

There is a place called the Internet where it is. Also the dealers solid doubled walled ISO flared 1 piece bla bla bla is $40.00. I guess it is too much to expect that a auto repair shop would sacrifice a bit of thier profit for doing a job well.
Live and learn.

There is a place called the Internet where it is.

Holy Toledo…I know you are upset but I am I detecting a little hostility with my comment? I hope not.
Repair shops will not normally buy from the internet, Only a local supplier they have an account with. It makes good business sense. I would agree that 1 piece of tubing would be nice but repair shops are run by humans and humans cannot do a perfect job every single time. The picture appears as if they did a good job but maybe they could have run the tube closer to the floor pan.

Frankly, I am torn. On one hand, maybe they should have asked you if using the coupling was okay. On the other hand, I don’t think it will cause a problem.

Just to be clear, I still want to know, is the coupling leaking? Does it work? How long is the warranty on the work?

I am curious, did you start this thread to validate your opinion that the work is substandard, or did you come here for our actual opinions? Are you open minded enough to consider dissenting opinions? If not, you might have come to the wrong place.

It looks okay to me too. If it was my car, I would be fine with it.

If they ordered a brake line in lengths longer than 6’ on the internet, the shipping cost would be more than the cost of the coupling…much more.

The shipping costs of most packages are based on weight. However, when you have a package that is exceptionally long, or oddly shaped, they charge you based on dimensional weight, which is based on the largest dimensions of the package. They measure the actual weight and they calculate the dimensional weight, and they charge you whichever is higher. Have you ever calculated the shipping charges for a package that is 10-12 feet long? If you did, you would realize the coupling is a better solution.

Sorry I guess I was a bit sarcastic. I will admit the rest of the job was okay. I felt that they sacraficed the integrity of the line by making it a little more vunerable than it was. Simply because it was easier for them. It’s a 4x4 and when you run over things they tend to go in all directions not to mention debris on paved roads. If they had put the coupling more towards the engin compartment or the back along the frame I wouldn’t really have much to complain about. Are you really fixing something when you are comprising it’s integrity? Anyway thanks to you and all who responded. It kind of gave me the oportunity to air my greaviences and get them in perspective.

If that coupler is a flare type then no problem. If it’s a compression fitting then that’s a no-no.

JMHO, but I don’t think the repair looks very professional by having the line hanging out there in the open. While the odds of something ripping the line loose may be very small, it’s also true those odds are increased by the line being located like that.

(About 6 or 7 years ago I told a guy that he was asking for trouble by routing his transmission cooler fluid lines in a similar manner. Some months later he hit a critter at night on a lonely highway and wound up stranded for quite a while when the transmission lost enough fluid that it did not want to shift.)

While I might have tucked it up closer to the floor pan, it should be fine. It’s really protected from impact and well away from the driveline. I hojnestly wouldn’t worry.