With all the talk of LTB and Nitrogen tires, I'm wondering what you guys have for the all time worst automotive scams.

My favorite is has to be the kits that are avalible to make your work with HHO aka Browns gas to increase your MPG. You can't run your car off the stuff alone, yet somehow you can "supplement" your fuel source with it. Far as I can see, its just an another attempt by Southerners to try to make things out of Mason jars.

Midas
Meineke

^those two places are the poster children for opportunistic fucktards.

i second that midas with thier "inspection" using channel lock pliers, they could crush a brand new exhaust pipe with those things!

-Canadian Tire
-Tow Truck Drivers (well, a lot of them)
-Electronic rust prevention magical boxes
-Ziebart rust proofing. Every car I've ever had with a Ziebart sticker was always rusted beyond repair. And 90% of vehicles I've worked on with a Ziebart sticker have serious rust issues.
-Hybrid cars
-Premixed antifreeze
-Saturns
-Slick 50. It has Telfon in it. Teflon is a SOLID. I don't want that in my oil.
Actually, most aftermarket oil additives are a bad idea in my opinion. Just use good oil.

Posted by Agent Skelly Far as I can see, its just an another attempt by Southerners to try to make things out of Mason jars.

hehehehe


I've seen those things before. And yeah, I seriously doubt they help mileage.

Posted by Agent Skelly With all the talk of LTB and Nitrogen tires, I'm wondering what you guys have for the all time worst automotive scams. My favorite is has to be the kits that are avalible to make your work with HHO aka Browns gas to increase your MPG. You can't run your car off the stuff alone, yet somehow you can "supplement" your fuel source with it. Far as I can see, its just an another attempt by Southerners to try to make things out of Mason jars.

http://en.wikipedi...wiki/Gasoline_pill

This is my all time favorite scam, because it still exists in a form, even though the originator went to jail in the early 80's. No one has been prosecuted for the current incarnation of it, that I am aware of...yet.

http://www.strange...s-gas-mileage.html

Shael

Flat rate repair fees.

Probably debatable, but the 3000 mile oil change under everyday driving conditions. I've never had a car where the manufacturer recommended that I change the oil every 3000 miles, even under extreme conditions. I'm also sure they know more about my car than stupid Jiffy Lube.

Posted by TheVicariousVadder Flat rate repair fees.

I love flat rate repair fees. LOVE them.

Posted by DelbertGrady Probably debatable, but the 3000 mile oil change under everyday driving conditions. I've never had a car where the manufacturer recommended that I change the oil every 3000 miles, even under extreme conditions. I'm also sure they know more about my car than stupid Jiffy Lube.

The flip side which bothers me more.... my first oil change was called for at 15,800km according to the oil life monitor! WAAAAAAAAAy too long in my opinion.



scam: there's this product that I even think i might carry here (oops) the name escapes me. Anyways it's some kind of mini turbine looking unit that you put in the air box that is supposed to create turbulence in the air flow. It says that by creating a non-uniform air flow pattern into the combustion chamber, it will increase fuel mileage! Bullllllshit

Posted by oddspot The flip side which bothers me more.... my first oil change was called for at 15,800km according to the oil life monitor! WAAAAAAAAAy too long in my opinion.

Yeah, that's really long. Mine usually tells me I'm due around 7500 miles. That's mostly highway driving though.

Yeah, never go by your oil life monitor for your first oil change. I've seen a few full size truck engines get ruined because of this.

Posted by oddspot scam: there's this product that I even think i might carry here (oops) the name escapes me. Anyways it's some kind of mini turbine looking unit that you put in the air box that is supposed to create turbulence in the air flow. It says that by creating a non-uniform air flow pattern into the combustion chamber, it will increase fuel mileage! Bullllllshit

we engine dynoed one of those and actually found decreased horsepower

Run Flat Tires

Windshield washer fluid heater




and one not exactly a scam but was kinda shocked...had a new Caravan on the hoist yesterday.... spare tire mounted underside in the middle of the van? weird and inconvenient as far as i could tell. I assume to accomodate the stow away seats in the rear floor pan

The turbine thing is a Tornado.

I want to throw in every multi electrode spark plug. I understand precious metals in the case of long changer intervals, but I still stick with coppers.

Any sort of "paint protection" added at the dealer is a scam. What about the $200 vinyl pinstripes that cost maybe $3?

Personally, I like my Saturn, thanks much. Of course I really don't have a Saturn, I have an Opel.

Run-flats are good, too. Keeps me from having to carry a heavy spare tire around. That's a plus. The price sucks, though. Then again, any good performance tire is spendy. The stock Hankooks on my car are nearly $200 each.

Posted by DelbertGrady Probably debatable, but the 3000 mile oil change under everyday driving conditions. I've never had a car where the manufacturer recommended that I change the oil every 3000 miles, even under extreme conditions. I'm also sure they know more about my car than stupid Jiffy Lube.

I go to Jiffy Lube (I know the owner of this one and he runs a good shop...and yes he even admits not everyone does...and he gives me his 20% discount) and they recommend I think its 6000 miles.

Posted by wannabeotaku Personally, I like my Saturn, thanks much. Of course I really don't have a Saturn, I have an Opel.

I should have excluded the Astra from that, they're a nice little car.

At Wally once a woman scamed herself. She made me "change" the air in her tires. Apparently the guy who normally works on her car went out of business. She came there and had me do it. Stood there and watched me remove the valve core, drain the air out, and refill them. I asked her why and she said that "stale" air rots tires. Had to put it in the system as something so she got 4 flat repairs at $3.50 each.

Posted by bandi -Slick 50. It has Telfon in it. Teflon is a SOLID. I don't want that in my oil. Actually, most aftermarket oil additives are a bad idea in my opinion. Just use good oil.

Posted by oddspot The flip side which bothers me more.... my first oil change was called for at 15,800km according to the oil life monitor! WAAAAAAAAAy too long in my opinion.

both QFT

what oil life monitors and engine oil "additives" fail to account for are the additive packages already present in the engine oil. no engine can extend the service interval of engine oil beyond ~7000km because the oil additives are depleted and the elastomers that give oil its multiviscosity properties get physically sheared to the point that they no longer work. also, all the additives: the elastomers, the anticorrosion, antifoaming, antiwear, antifriction additives are all put into the oil at a balanced ratio so that you end up with a combination that does all these things well. if you displace these additives with a massive dump of friction modifiers like Slick 50 the other additives stop working as they should.

my vote for #1 snake oil automotive scam of all time, due to total sales revenue swindled from customers, is Lucasoil:

http://www.bobisth...es/lucas/lucas.htm

this is the kind of stuff you learn in trade schools and manufacturer training seminars, but someone put this demo on the web for everyone to see. proof positive that displacing the additives in engine oil with flash-in-the-pan gimmickry is stupid and has always been stupid. lucasoil is not the most insidious automotive scam i have ever seen, but it has certainly been one of the most profitable ones.

Posted by bandi I love flat rate repair fees. LOVE them.

Even warranty flat rates?