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-   -   2 weeks of frustration ends, I hope... (http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/25106-2-weeks-frustration-ends-i-hope.html)

Yoadrian 06-10-2010 08:21 PM

2 weeks of frustration ends, I hope...
 
Hi All,


I bought my 99 boxster 4 months ago. I'm new to Porsche's and I have no regrets about buying this car. That being said, it broke down 2 weeks ago for the first time and here goes-

The car started lunging in second gear after clearing an intersection. Seconds later, all lights are on in the dash panel and the engine stops. I make it over to the curb, try to start the car numerous times and the engine would not turn over.
All lights were functioning, but I couldn't get it to start.

Now, I did not line up a good mechanic when I bought the car- big mistake and I should have known better, but you live you learn.

So I googled tow truck services in Dunwoody- just outside Atlanta. I couldn't even understand what the first guy said when I called and ended up hanging up on him. Second shot I got a hold of a guy who said he had a shop 5 miles from my house and he specialized on high end cars, Porsches, Ferrari's, Lambo's and what not. He said he would send a flat bed and have the car towed to his shop for a diagnostic- $50 all said and done. I went with it.

Two days later I make it up to the shop and it looked real shady. The owner proceeds to tell me that I "need a new fuel pump and that a big electrical short fried the 'electrics'." $950 and I would be on my way. Now I have a good paying job, but no savings right now because I just moved into a house and put 2K into it last month on top of my rent at the other condo that I was leaving. I was down to $120 when the car broke down. I told the guy that I would come up with the money within a week and he was ok with that.

I ended up having to borrow the money to pay the guy a week ago. I asked to review the invoice and it had listed as follows:

New Fuel Pump
New Fuel Pump Relay
Labor
Fix Electrics

I asked the guy to explain what exactly "fixed electrics" means. I could barely understand him- it was almost like he was trying to be that way. Very stern and almost forceful in what he was saying. I pressed, but could not get details. At that point, I just wanted to get the car and be on my way. I paid him the $950 and went out to the car. It would not start- no power. I ran and got him as he was back on his way out of the shop. I had him meet me there when I got off of work at 8pm and he was eating dinner at the restaurant across the street.

He said that someone must have left a light on and he would charge the battery. Battery charged, I left the shop and I'm driving about 80mph on 285 and the same thing happens again, only this time I am doing 80 in the fast lane of a 6 lane highway- fun times. I barely make it past traffic and over to the shoulder. Right after I stop, the sky lets loose and lightning strikes all around... When it rains it pours, right.

I called the tow truck driver again and he said he "wasn't suprised" and came back out to get me. I got to know the driver the frist time he picked me up and he started to tell me stories of how bad this shop was and how shady the place is. I was pissed, but in a bind because I didn't have the money to take the car elsewhere, so it went back to the shop again. I called the owner the next morning and let him know that I wanted the car repaired and I was not spending another dime. He said he would repair it at no extra charge.

Day by day goes by and every time I call I get another story on what's going on and that it shold be ready tomorrow. Finally, I call yesterday and he says that he is bringng "specialists" in to "re-build the computer" because there was another "big short" and it damaged the computer. So he says I need to pay him another $150 for the work. I agreed- at this point I just wanted to get the car. Had to get rides to work for the past two weeks and it had been a struggle daily to make it in. I work 30 miles from my new home.

I went to the shop today. The guy keeps telling me that he "put $1,600 into the car in parts and he anywhere else would charge me $6,000 to do the same work!"

I asked him to draw up another invoice and he starts mumbling again about how much he put in to the car and l couldn't get another invoice out of him. I was really at the mercy of this fu*#er and was nervous that he was going to just start adding more charges on if I kept pressing him so I just paid the additional $150 and left.

The car seems to run as it did before now and it drove fine for the 40 mile trip home.

At this point, I want to get the car looked over to see if this guy did what he said he did. I am worried that he might have screwed somthing up because he was real shady. I doubt he even replaced the fuel pump with an OEM part as he promised he did.

I'm looking for recommendations for shops/mechanics in the Atlanta/North GA area. I need someone I can trust and who charges a reasonable rate. I just moved and am trying to still pay the mortgage on my condo so I can sell it and not lose it to foreclosure, so I don't have a lot of money to spend. I also am having to repay my loan within a month, so I am very limited as far as what I can do in the next month.


Any suggestions/referrals are welcome.


If you took the time to read this post- thanks!


Adrian

:cheers:

extanker 06-11-2010 12:16 AM

quite a story. if the car is running okay save up [alot] money then have a porsche dealer check the repairs or just keep driving it. if it breaks down again go to a dealer. i know you are low on money so maybe a porsche isnt the car for you right now

eightsandaces 06-11-2010 03:23 AM

Normally, I would not recommend a trip to the dealer, especially to anyone cash strapped. However, electrical problems can be daunting, you would have to find a very good independent mechanic for that. Maybe these guys, check them out, I came across them a long time ago maybe someone here has experiences, good luck:


http://ortonusa.com/performance/testimonials.html

good luck..

landrovered 06-11-2010 03:40 AM

I would start by steering clear of any shop that claims to work on "Ferrari and Lambos" that you have never heard of.

For one thing there are not that many italian cars running around and the owners will go to the dealer or a select handful of indy shops.

I have a friend who really does operate an indy shop for Ferrari and Lamborghini (he would never call it a Lambo, that word applies to crap scissor doors that racer boys put on purple ricers).

He is Italian and was at the Lamborghini factory for several decades. He has more hours in the Diablo than any other human being. He is the real deal, he has actually worked on a Veyron that was sent to him by a Russian Oligarch. He used to live in the garage of the Sultan of Brunei for two years.

The point is...you could not get him to wipe your windshield for $950, it does not work that way. He deals with professional athletes, politicians, rock stars, wall street traders, wannabe players and underworld characters every day. You would not even get a Boxster in the door. Not that he is a snob, he just does not have time to mess with them.

Boxtaboy 06-11-2010 03:46 AM

Next time, only take your car to a Porsche specialty shop. If you don't want to take it to a dealer, you can always find a decent local independent shop by looking up your local PCA (Porsche club of America) region website. I assume this site covers Atlanta: http://www.peachstatepca.org/links.asp

Just look at their sponsors, and many tend to be the local independent specialty shops in the area that your local club works with.

Since you're strapped for cash, just park the car, and take public transport or something, so that you can save up to take the car to a proper repair shop.

Frodo 06-11-2010 03:46 AM

Here's a post from an Atlanta area member (Insite)who's been around for years and seems to know P-cars well. This was a post from 2007, maybe a good thing (If the shops are still around that may be evidence they're doing good work)...
here's my atlanta area list; these guys are all highly recommended:

Pro-Formance Place
1155 South Cobb Drive
Marietta, GA 30060
770.514.1488

This is my new favorite place. GREAT looking shop & the owner, Reggie Cumming, is a top notch guy. Factory trained.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Kinetic Speed Shop
6000 Holiday Road
Buford, GA 30518
770.271.1577
www.kssmotorsports.com

Ryland's Specialized Import
2002 Airport Industrial Park Drive
Marietta, GA
770.951.9305

German Car Repair
1240-A Alpharetta Street
Roswell, GA
770.649.8700
www.germancarrepair.com


*******************
Performance Imports
EDIT: DO NOT USE THESE GUYS. they were sued for fraud and lost. they were ripping customers off left and right.
*******************


Jack Lewis Enterprises
60 Rakestraw Street
Norcross, GA 30071
770.849.0302

DamageINC123 06-11-2010 03:51 AM

Protech Motorsports
 
I know it might be a short haul from Atlanta but Protech Motorsports in Greenville SC would be ideal. They have been in business for a quite a while and all they deal with is Porsche, Audi and VW. Great group of guys who have always taken care of me. Highly recommend next time you are in the area!!

Downtown G-Ville is and awesome place to visit!

idheaton 06-11-2010 06:04 AM

With not being able to get any detailed information from him you should have at least asked for your old parts since they are yours and I'm sure neither one of them required a core so he couldn't use that excuse. If he had hesitated there then you would know he didn't replace them.

Somethings that might tell you that he didn't replace your fuel pump.

Do you recall if your car had the same amount of gasoline as when you had it towed there. One of the steps in replacing a fuel pump is to remove as much gas from the tank as possible.

He would have had to remove your battery. Did you have to put in your radio code to get it working again?

I'm sure there are plenty of other tell-tale signs or things you could check but I think these two would be certain give-aways.

Here is a link to replacement of a Boxster fuel pump so maybe you can look and see if there appears to be any signs of work around this area.

After I lost my usual place I would take my car I looked around and found this shop. It was a bit of a drive but I was impressed with their service and the owners time and ability to clearly explain to me what was wrong with my car and what they did.

Quickurt 06-11-2010 01:48 PM

Autoworks in Macon.
Randy Eversole is as straight a shooter as has ever lived.
Depending on what part of Atlanta you're in, it may be a haul, but a good percentage of Randy's Porsche customers are from Atlanta.
He was the chief Porsche wrench at the Macon dealer, while they were still open and that's where we met, about a hundred years ago!

478-474-9301

Tranlm 06-11-2010 02:58 PM

Did you get a PPI before buying it?


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