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| - I had a negative experience at Kelly Automotive. After 14 days my vehicle ran worse than before I took it there. Techs continued to say it was fine. They claimed to have adjusted a part my truck doesn't have. Finally after 18 days I got it back the way it should have been.
I took my all original, restored, 1989 Chevrolet Suburban (3/4 ton, 7.4 L) into Kelly Automotive for a trip check. At the end of the second day, Friday, I was presented with a list of repairs that they wanted to do but they didn't have prices for any of it. Take a vehicle to a mechanic to find problems and he will find problems. One of the items was head gaskets that were leaking coolant. I had to worry all weekend how much the repairs were going to cost me. Finally late in the morning on Tuesday I was given prices. All I could afford was $1900 to have my head gaskets replaced. The other items were not critical. I needed my truck in 4 days and Dale said the repair would be completed in that time. I had them start the work. Their chosen machine shop couldn't return parts taken to them until the Friday I needed my car. Kelly couldn't complete the repair that day. I missed my trip. I didn't get my truck until 6 days later. The cost crept up to almost $2500. I did request a new serpentine belt. But they replaced a working distributor.
My truck ran worse after Kelly Automotive worked on it than before. I was told it was driven "10 miles" after the repair was completed and that it "ran good". When I first tried to start it, it stalled. It never did that before. It ran poorly on my second try and the belt squealed. I circled back around but it seemed to clear up so I decided to take it home to try it again cold. Later that night I went for a drive. The belt squealed and it didn't run right. The truck ran rough at times, surged at times and the "Service Engine Soon" light lit twice all within 5 miles. After shutting it off to pump some gas in it, it didn't start like usual. The starter did not struggle to turn it over but the engine was slow to ignite. It had always started very easily warm. I was less comfortable taking it on a road trip after Kelly Automotive worked on it. On the way to take it back that night the "Service Engine Soon" light lit a third time.
The next day, Friday, Dale said two of their techs test drove it and it ran fine. The technicians couldn't find anything wrong with it. I asked them to read the error codes (OBD1) generated when "Service Engine Soon" light lit but Dale told me that it wasn't possible. I replied that I had done it myself but he argued with me insisting that my truck is too old. At one point Dale said my carburetor was adjusted. My truck is TBI fuel injected, no carburetor. I am not as ignorant about my vehicle as he wanted me to be. I continued to reiterate that there was a problem so Dale offered to drive it himself. After 15 minutes he called me back and admitted that it didn't run right. So he put his "best guy" on it. Eventually Dale reported that the ignition timing was incorrectly set and error codes WERE read out of it for a lean condition. They kept my Suburban for another weekend getting it back to me, again, Monday afternoon finally running well.
Dale also stated that older vehicles are more difficult to work on. I do not believe that. But if it is true, is it because older vehicles require technicians to think? I wonder if somebody learned how to properly use a timing light after working on my truck.
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