My car's about done with extensive collision repair, and the dealer had one last item on his list before transporting back to body shop for final assembly and detailing - a 4-wheel alignment.

Service advisor just called and said his tech won't do the alignment unless the nose is on first. No frame or structural work remains to be done, body shop just didn't put on the nose before having to put it on and off a roll-back to transport to/from the dealer, purportedly to avoid scratching newly painted nose.

Anyhow, I can't imagine that a proper alignment depends on using bodywork as any kind of reference point, but he just said it now needs to go back for final assembly before they'll do the alignment.

Anyone able to help me understand this? I'm , more than a little and so damned sick of delays and rental car expense I could scream. (accident was August 27!!!)

 

I've never heard of such a thing.

Sounds like to me. I've watched my car get aligned before and dont remember ever seeing anything that involved the body itself. Seems like you would be able to just align the frame/chasis itself even if it didnt have any body parts on it at all.

They may be telling you the truth, but I've never heard that one before.

 

that's a new one for me too. that's one special fascia.

 

A good alignment shop always aligns the rear first and then the front. I have no idea why anyone who is competent would need the front fascia attached to align the frame.

 

First, I wonder if he's just trying to hold off your work to work on another car, making up an excuse.

Second, he may ignorantly thinking the weight of the nose might change the canter/camber of the wheels once it's on, causing your alignment to be off again. How much does the nose weigh?

Lastly, did you ask him why specifically? I'd like to know what kind of BS he's gonna concoct for you. Keep us posted and Good luck.

Dealing with these trolls is so much fun ... not.

 

Went to a local eatery for lunch, and wouldn't ya know, a technician from the dealership was sitting next to me.

I apologized for interrupting his lunch and asked this question. He said although he doesn't do alignments, it was something he understood as being particular to vettes, and after a few more minutes he came up with what I consider a plausible answer.

He said it had to do with unsprung weight, and although I didn't explain the diff between sprung and unsprung weight (to somebody who oughta know), I now can understand why a vette, being much more precise and sensitive to camber and such, could only be precisely aligned with all sprung weight attached, so as to avoid camber going out of spec when the nose is attached.

Then he said, "Is yours the blue one with the front clip missing? Man, I keep walking past it while it's been sitting on our service lot for weeks." It was about all I could do to avoid some really smartazzed comment in expression of my rage. Just told myself it's not his fault, and thanked him for the help.

 

Go figure Jim. I like the way you handled yourself, but you're a lot nicer than I am. I hope it works out for you.

Dave Q.










<--------Another example of why this is here.

 

Most likely this alignment guy is just putting you off for some reason.

Now in very very technical standards, a race car would want it's alignment to be done in full race trim, but I would bet anything that this is NOT the case here. Your alignment will change actually as soon as you sit in the car, but that's being very technical.

You just have a guy stalling for some reason.

 

If the front end had a huge steel bumper and weighed 500 pounds then I could buy this explaination. On a C5, no way. I dont have the exact weight of the front fascia but I hardly believe that it weighs enough to effect the camber. Thats like saying that they cant align the front end if your washer fluid is only half full because of the weight differential. Like mentioned before, if this were a race vehicle where every fraction of a degree of camber made a huge difference, then that might be one thing. On a daily driver, I wouldnt think so.

I'm still calling BS on this one. Sounds like typical dealer run-a-round to me.

 

So if you had an aftermarket front end such as a Tigershark or a kit that make your vette look like a 53 or a late C1 they would not be able to do an alignment.

 

Car went to dealer for clutch slave, airbags, and alignment, with all parts on 12/23. They found a wire in the steering wheel for the driver's airbag that needed replacement, and when they went to do the clutch slave after d#$cking around for 3-4 days, they found out the bell housing was broken in a few pieces. Even so, it took them 8 working days to do about 2 days work, and now it's not done!!

Wouldn't be so bad if the body shop hadn't already been lying their azzes off and blowing me off for MONTHS!!

I've been getting waaaay too much practice at controlling my rage over this, because bottom line is, I'm at their mercy and we both seem to know it, and they have a hostage I'm not willing to put at risk by letting loose on them.

Despite all BS promises, looks like a few more days of paying for a rental car and

Waiting sucks really bad, but not as much as knowing you're being lied to.

 

All dealership service departments suck for one reason or another. My daughters BMW Z3 had the airbag warning light on, so we took it in. they had it for the day that evening they call and tell me that the warranty repair is in question because the car had been/was in a accident. (excuse number one). They did not want to work on it while they waited for my return call. Welp, got that resolved. (the car has never been in an accident, Driver door repainted after dealership scratched the hell out of it on a lift post) Day two they call and do not have the seat belt parts to repair and must order. due to holidays they say three days to get the parts (excuse number two). Car still setting in the lot untouched. They had the car for 7 days total. Got the car back. Lasted one day and the airbag warning light is on again!

I can't wait to talk the the service manager. This is the last BMW I will ever buy. I was looking at one for the wife this year. I can tell you one thing, I will send them a photo of her new Mercedes and let them know this could have been a new BMW and why it is not.

I have been to three BMW dealerships for service and they all suck. Like I should be honored to walk through their doors. Bull****!

Believe it or not I have had the best service from GM dealerships! But only after I slapped the snot out of them first.

 

After they finally have it aligned, make sure that they had the fuel tank full or a compensated weight added; that is the spec from GM.

 

No proper alignment shop would align a car with body parts missing. They want to make sure there is no added weight, no matter how much it is. That guy is responsible enough to advise to do the job right!

 

I agree

Its hard to believe you are carping about a guy wanting to do the job the right way. No wonder dealer shops hate to see Vette people. They are never satisfied. If he had done the alignment without the front fascia and it was wrong then there would have been complaints about how dealers don't care.

By the way the front fascia isn't that light that it will not affect the alignment when it is hanging two feet in front of the wheels. Whas it just the fascia missing or was the pad behind the fascia missing also?

Bill

 

Just a thought......

Find a new SHOP

 

I had another conversation with the service advisor, and he said he was just relaying what his tech told him. I think it's a combination of covering his (tech's) butt and both of them wanting it right when all is said and done, which I can certainly appreciate and respect.

My frustration with this is so huge by now that any further jerking around, even for plausible reasons, elicits a severe reaction. Bear in mind the dealer's had the car since 12/23 and all they've done is airbags, black box module, a clutch slave and a bell housing. IMO that's 2-4 days work, tops, and they blame it on 2 half days for the holidays.

At the end of the day, I do want it aligned right, and so far they still say it'll be Wednesday (until the next gotcha arrives, probably tomorrow ).

Mostly I wonder why this has never come up before, and why the body shop would send it over incomplete if they understood this. The whole process has felt to me like the first time these guys have done this. What happens to folks who don't take an interest or dare to ask the tough questions?