# Two crazy things I heard last week **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825 "2026-06-07T16:08:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 11:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/22 "2026-06-08T11:59:52Z")
> [@pleasedodgevan2](#): > > Regenerative braking wears out the electrons. They go through a lot because there are primary electrons and general electrons and midterm electrons. And, if someone loses electrons, they can always claim that it was because the electrical system was rigged, and that there was cheating. šŸ˜ ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/23 "2026-06-08T12:04:15Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > > [@MikeInNH](#): > > > > I asked the service manager how much he would charge to replace the timing belt since he had to pull the belt of to get to the seal. His idiotic response was - $500 (same price without the recall) because they donā€™t have to remove the belt. > > He was correct and the campaign repair only payed 0.8 hours. Yep, you can also R&R (some anyway) a cylinder head (at least on an inline engine and pre VVT??) without removing the timing beltā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 12:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/24 "2026-06-08T12:14:43Z")
I have worked with some great female service writers and managers (even a store manager once), as well as some of the best commercial parts managers over the yearsā€¦ And yes most women trust another female service advisors over a male any day of the weekā€¦ Heck even some men trust women advisors more then other menā€¦ lol ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 1:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/25 "2026-06-08T13:10:03Z")
> [@davesmopar](#): > > Yep, you can also R&R (some anyway) a cylinder head (at least on an inline engine and pre VVT??) without removing the timing belt Iā€™ll accept thatā€¦HOWEVER there are still many common steps that they would be charging me for. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/26 "2026-06-08T14:34:03Z")
Unfortunately not many provisions in the labor guides for overlapping laborsā€¦ Like replacing plugs wires cap and rotor button on an old Honda Civic for an example, not much left to replacing the ignition wires when both ends are already removed for the cap and plugsā€¦ In those cases I would discus it with the tech to see if he is ok with 1/2 labor or whatever on that one item just to get the job, most would because they new they would still beat the labor time and or it was just the right thing to doā€¦ Me personally, I would not charge any labor for doing the ignition wires on most I4ā€™s and only 1/2 labor on most V engines when doing plugs, wires, cap & rotor buttonā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/27 "2026-06-08T14:44:47Z")
> [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](#): > > Sorry to hear you feel that way. Sorry to hear I feel what way? That more women work in government than auto repair? Or that women are underrepresented in auto service? I think both of my sentiments are true. > [@VDCdriver](#): > > it was because the electrical system was rigged We were talking about the RAV-4 hybrid powertrain, with an electric motor that drives the rear differential to create AWD. One guy asked ā€œWhy donā€™t we run the car on the front motor and use the rear to regen to recharge the battery while we drive?ā€ He was kidding, and he understood that the system is ā€œriggedā€ to make that not workā€¦šŸ˜€ > [@davesmopar](#): > > you can also R&R (some anyway) a cylinder head (at least on an inline engine and pre VVT??) without removing the timing beltā€¦ Sounds like the ā€œslip and slideā€ head gaskets on the early Neon engines. Also pulled many Toyota 22R heads without taking the chain off the sprocket. Nissans too. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/28 "2026-06-08T18:13:00Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > there are still many common steps that they would be charging me for. Timing belt replacement for 1990 Honda Accord; the labor guide shows 4.2 hours plus 0.4 to replace the camshaft seal. 4.6 hours, minus 0.8 paid by the manufacture is 3.8 hours. Whether the repair quote was for 4.6, 4.2 or 3.8 hours, I suspect the response would have been the same. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/29 "2026-06-08T19:16:20Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > He was kidding, and he understood that the system is ā€œriggedā€ to make that not work I have been asked why EVs donā€™t do thatā€¦ And these people were seriously asking that question. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 8:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/30 "2026-06-08T20:58:24Z")
> [@davesmopar](#): > > Unfortunately not many provisions in the labor guides for overlapping laborsā€¦ Like replacing plugs wires cap and rotor button on an old Honda Civic for an example, not much left to replacing the ignition wires when both ends are already removed for the cap and plugs You probably remember when we got started in this business things like this were just ā€œmenuā€ pricing. Tune-up labor was $34.99 for a 4 cyl, $39.95 for 6 cyl, $44.95 for 8 cyl, plus parts. I loved doing tune-up with cap and rotor on a Honda, not so much on a Chevy Citation. > [@Mustangman](#): > > I have been asked why EVs donā€™t do thatā€¦ And these people were seriously asking that question. I was writing up a battery replacement and the customer asked ā€œDonā€™t they make a battery that doesnā€™t ever have to be replaced?ā€ ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2026, 12:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/31 "2026-06-09T12:38:06Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > I was writing up a battery replacement and the customer asked ā€œDonā€™t they make a battery that doesnā€™t ever have to be replaced?ā€ We had a couple of Cobalts and never had to replace the battery, even with 9 or more years of use. It was in the trunk, and it seems like the benign environment stretched battery life. My normal battery life in other cars with the battery under the hood has been about 3 years. I understand that the batteries in the Cobalts would have needed replacement eventually, but getting a decade of use was amazing to me. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2026, 12:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/32 "2026-06-09T12:59:35Z")
The 2009 Vibe/Matrix (interstate) battery just died after 10 years of useā€¦ Sometimes it is just either you have a good battery or notā€¦ šŸ˜ƒ Iā€™ve replaced a few interstates of my own under warranty, but in the same vehicle, had the same part number last 9-10 yearsā€¦ Iā€™ve also replaced a lot of (newer) BMW trunk mounted (same location as the Cobalt) batteryā€™s over the yearsā€¦ šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2026, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825/33 "2026-06-09T14:58:52Z")
Our Audiā€™s trunk mounted battery apparently lasted 7 years even though the car has always been in Florida. The under hood batteries are subjected to much more heat and die much earlier. There are virtually no batteries with more than a 36 month warranty sold in SW Florida. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/two-crazy-things-i-heard-last-week/205825.md?page=1)