04-08 Grand Prix - Basic Control Arm Check

[@brandikirby5238]

What's that bolt called ?

[@NexusAuto]

@@brandikirby5238 it would just be a control arm bolt.

[@OldSchoolNoe]

when you replaced them, did you torque the control arm nuts on the floor with the weight of the vehicle, or "in the air." I looked up the service procedure and on one step it says to torque the control arm nuts to 92 ft. lbs, install tire and wheel, and finish by lowering the vehicle. in the official procedure it doesn't specify to torque with the weight of the vehicle like most control arm replacements.

[@NexusAuto]

You don't need the weight of the vehicle on the control arms as you would in some other vehicles. it all depends on if the weight of the vehicle is supported by the ball joint or not. In the Grand Prixs case, the struts support the weight, so they ball joints (and therefore the control arms) don't need to be tightened up with the weight of the vehicle on them.

[@OldSchoolNoe]

@@NexusAuto This is what I was figuring, glad you responded and confirmed it!

[@NexusAuto]

@OldSchoolNoe no problem at all!

[@chuycruz8506]

I have a clanking noise coming from underneath my car , I found this video and it gave me the right help, thank ypu!

[@NexusAuto]

No problem Chuy. Glad to hear from you again, and that the video helped out. Thanks for all the support!

[@michaelratliff905]

Good job, thank you brother..helps out a LOT!..

[@NexusAuto]

Thanks, appreciate it. Glad it helped out.

[@XxMalabooo]

I don’t have front sway bar links on my front suspension sway bar. Do the v6 models not have them?

[@NexusAuto]

Wait...really? There should definitely be sway bar links...they have them for sure. So what does the ends of your sway bar hook up to? Are they just sitting there?

[@XxMalabooo]

@@NexusAuto I figured it out. For some reason my car has a different type of sway bar than the other 04-07 prix has. My front sway bar uses the mini links to attach to the control arm. On other GPrix videos; the sway bar is skinnier and has the longer sway 10 inch length bar end links. Confused the hell out of me. Might be that the gxp is dofferent or the 08 is different than the v6. Which unfortunately the v6 is the one I have. Im looking forward to your gprix upgrades when you get around to them because I want to make my v6 faster lol

[@NexusAuto]

@@XxMalabooo oh that makes sense. I can let you know why too. Pre-2004, on the 2nd last gen, that was the set up of all Grand Prixs, from base to GTP. From 2004 onwards, they had the thinner sway bar that attached to the strut. But on the GXPs or if you ordered the FE4 handling package, you would get a thicker sway bar that attached to the control arm, like the pre-04s. That is actually an upgrade I did. I went to an even thicker sway bar, and changed the control arms from the factory v6 style to the GXP style. I did it at the same time that I installed that strut tower bar

[@MrBilld75]

The best video I have seen so far of how to easily and quickly disgnose my style of control arm on my car. It is the exact same style as your's. This is what I needed. I am doing a ball joint replacement and while it's apart, I need to know if it's just the ball joint, or if I need a new control arm or bushings for the control arm. Thank's!

[@NexusAuto]

No problem at all. I do appreciate the great feedback as well. Thanks for watching!

[@MrBilld75]

@@NexusAuto Well, just did the check and the bushings, although they have a bit of dry rot, are o.k. So I shot them with some Armour All on both top and bottom side, to help revitalize the rubber and help it last longer. That was not fun in 32 Celcius (90F) weather. Just a light job like that and I am pouring sweat. Lol.

[@NexusAuto]

@@MrBilld75 I can only imagine. These last few days have been insanely hot (not complaining though!) Good idea on spraying down the rubber, it will definitely help increase longevity. Glad to hear the bushings are still in good working order

[@MrBilld75]

@@NexusAuto Well, the bushing on the driver's side is perfect, the other one is showing some separation at the top, although no lateral movement or tearing like you said to watch for or a torn bushing. Seems like it can go for a bit yet. Just checked out a video of a guy changing a bushing on that same style of control arm and it was cool and simpler than the traditional way (taking the knuckle off). All you need to do, on many vehicles, is remove the axle nut (and bolts holding the control arm in) to give it some outward movement. Then pull on the arm enough to loosen it from it's position and drop it down and get the tool on there and press the bushing out. Then press a new one in. All without removing the whole knuckle and control arm. Nice little shortcut there. Yeah, I have learned the hard way, use some silicone lube or Armour All on rubber components, cause dry rot can cost you premature wear and more work, so I hit a lot of things with something to rejuvenate the rubber (just like protecting the metal with oily things). I have this German stuff too, gummy something (can't pronounce the rest, lol), I got a liquidation place for cheap, which does the same for door seals, trunk seals etc. Supposed to stop them from sticking/freezing in winter and rejuvenate them, although in my moist car, here in Canada, that doesn't seem to help all that much in winter, lol. Keeps the seals nice and supple though and who knows, maybe it has saved me a few lockouts due to ice on the seals? Hehehehe. She's an old girl, 20 year old car now. Only just passed 100,000 miles (165,000km in metric, here in Canada.) Winters are just brutal on cars, although I hear ocean/sea air is much worse. Just rots vehicles and things made of non-rustproof metals.

[@NexusAuto]

@@MrBilld75 I'm from Canada too, so I know all about the winters! I don't get it as bad as some other provinces/territories for sure, but still, I have seen my share. That road salt is brutal, does so much damage and seizes so much up! And you would be correct, the areas facing saltwater bodies-of-water suffer the same issue. I have been under some cars in states where there is no road salt and no saltwater and it is so clean underneath. Made me jealous lol. At 20 years old, I think your car is holding up well. The mileage is excellent! My Grand Prix is 15 years old and has just over 200000 kms. What kind of car do you have, if you dont mind me asking? I have never used the German stuff, but I heard amazing things about it. I had forgotten the name, so I had to look it up, Gummi Pflege Stift. I have been to Germany a few times and spoke to a few mechanics and they recommended it, along with hearing it from a couple of mechanics here. Doesnt seem to be as well known here, but I think it is good to have, and is probably better than armour all, from the impression I got.

[@mariotrejo420]

Hello, I just came across your video. I have a 2006 Pontiac grand prix and after taking off my wheel and looking I'm thinking it's my control arm. But it dosen't neccesarily sound like a clunking but more like a rubbing sounds when going over bumps and it's not always there. Would this be the control arm or something else? Thank you for any comments

[@NexusAuto]

That could be a variety of things and that is unfortunately something hard to truly call without being there to test. The control arm is a possibility, but so is an issue with the struts or springs, along with the upper mounts. Do you have larger aftermarket rims/tires? As suspension wears, the wheel can contact the wheel well. Measure the gap from the top of the wheel to the edge of the wheel well (whether you have aftermarket rims or not)...one side can be sagging. CAREFULLY....have someone turn the steering wheel with the car on the road while you listen and search for where the noise is coming from. Also, since it seems to happen with up and down, after doing the above, you can raise up the car at the wheel where the noise is, support the car on a jack stand, take off the wheel, then use the jack to lift and drop the entire assembly (lifting at the bottom of the whole assembly, at the knuckle) and as you lift and drop, see if any noise can be heard. I would start with these few things. All in all, about an hour work, but you may find the issue right there. Hope that helps as a starting point.

[@B-S1999]

Was wondering if ur gonna do a video on changing the control arm

[@NexusAuto]

Good news. I do plan on making a video on the control arm. Bad news. It is no where on my immediate radar at this time. Sorry for the bad news. But I can certainly answer any questions that you may have. I have changed them on my car (and never got to film, long story).

[@B-S1999]

@@NexusAuto I know ur busy with automotive school but when u change the control arms do u need an alignment afterwards

[@NexusAuto]

@@B-S1999 No worries at all, and thanks for understanding! The control arm is a fixed part of the suspension and no alignment should be needed when changing the control arm.

[@B-S1999]

@@NexusAuto sorry for asking alot of questions but when u put the new control arm in do u have to load up the arm before tightening down the bolts

[@NexusAuto]

@@B-S1999 oh no problem at all. I may not answer right away, but I'll always answer. Always feel free to ask. The control arms are installed and tightened while unloaded.

[@miomine3527]

Has any body ever had problems with the ignition control module.. I did I bought 2 after market ignition control module both failed only when I bought the original oem... Did my car come back to life I struggled with this problem for 3 months..

[@NexusAuto]

I personally have not had this issue. I have seem some fail, but just like yourself, a new one fixed the issue. Sounds like the aftermarket ones were lemons? As soon as you put an OEM one in, it worked. Has the issue come back?

[@miomine3527]

No the issue has not came back as soon as I put an original oem..I realized with this car it's nothing but the best or nothing at all..!

[@NexusAuto]

@@miomine3527 glad to hear the issue is resolved..hopefully it stays that way. And you are right there. Very easy to work on, and you can get away with some things on the cheap, but these cars do like the good stuff. Also, parts for these cars are not as common place as they once were, as they are slowly dying off. And I find many aftermarket suppliers are either leaving parts sitting for way too long (which can cause a part to go bad, depending on their shop conditions) or they are starting to cheap out on manufacturing the parts for this car. Parts that were once well made have become very poor and unreliable. So the best or risk or bad parts. Fun times!

[@darrenduggal3729]

@mio mine My Ignition Control Module had failed a couple months back. It had gotten some random misfire codes and the car wasn't running really - it would be close to overheating very soon. It took me 2 days to find the issue. I had to check spark plugs, cables, coil plugs, etc. I just got 2 IGMs from the junkyard and replaced them. I've read that excessive heat in the engine bay might cause them to overheat. It has also been suggested that the person use thermal gel underneath the plate when installing it so that the gel absorbs the heat. I wouldn't suggest new ones. The cars are old enough that it's hard to justify the part when a junkyard one for $35 is good.

[@jefffuehr366]

my question is "when you replace the control arm, you need to remove all those clips that hold the wire harness in place. and when you pull em out, most of em will break. so how do you attach the broken clips to the new control arm. because i had to use superglue to attach em to mine".

[@NexusAuto]

The first thing I did was use a trim tool. I broke only one or two clips, due to them being very brittle. I took my time with it though. I didnt want to break them. But they do dry out and break easily. You can either obtain new clips online (for example, www.ebay.com/itm/54-x-Wiring-Harness-Wire-Loom-Routing-Clips-Assortment-Convoluted-Conduit-For-GM-/142148419894 ) (hopefully that link is active by time you see it), or you can try and get creative with something like tie-downs. Problem with superglue, is that with the constant movement of the control arm and suspension, the glue may release. Keep an eye on it, and go from there.

[@missychevious3137]

@@NexusAuto I was sitting here chuckling. Never thought of using super glue before. LMAO I used zip ties for the one I broke. I used side cutters to remove mine....just didn't squeeze them. LOL

[@zackscruggs4543]

I understand you replaced your control arms on your Grand Prix but, didn't make a video. I need to change mine because the bushings are in terrible shape, I'm just going to replace the whole thing including the bushings, control arm, and ball joint. So I have some questions about the process if you don't mind. 1. What's the hardest part of the process? 2. How long did the process take? 3. What are the bolt sizes for each piece? (If you remember) 4. Will my alignment be effected by this? 5. Do I need to support the struts with a jack so they don't pop off when I remove the ball joint? 6. Any safety tips while changing? 7. What tools did you use on each part? Anything else? P.S. I don't have ABS on my 07' base grand prix.

[@NexusAuto]

You're absolutely right. I fully intended to make the video, but never did. I plan to make one, but it likely wont be until next year (I want to do a whole tear-down series on the front and rear suspension...that will take some time and planning). In lieu of that, hopefully I will be able to provide some insights on my experience with it. 1. The hardest part of the job was working with the ball joints, in getting the it all tightened up and the cotter pin in. It was normally not that hard to do, but for whatever reason, the driver side was giving me more frustations than it should. Just getting in there, getting the cotter pin in, and bending it. But even before that, just getting the ball joint in to the steering knuckle with a jack is a bit of a pain. Once in, though, it isnt so bad. Also, the control arm bolt that is closest to the front of the car (as seen at around 2:57 of this video) uses a torx bit that is not easy to find, and the it does corrode out, so getting that bolt loosened/retightened was annoying. And last, separating the ball joint was a pain as well on one side of the car (a lot of road salt and corrosion) 2. All in all, if there is no seized parts, it should take a couple of hours if your seasoned, maybe 3-4 hours if you are new to suspension service. 3. Ohhh...that is a tricky on. If I remember correctly. I had to use a T55 Torx bit on the front bolt I mentioned above ( I think it is a T57, but that is harder to find). The rear bolt (seen at 3:51) is 19 mm. The nuts holding the bolts on are 21mm, I believe. The ball joint was 19mm. 4. As long as nothing else is changed other than the control arm, it will not affect alignment at all. 5. You wont need to. The struts hook up to the knuckle, and when you disconnect the ball joint, the knuckle, driveshaft, and 3 bolts at the top will support the struts no problem. However, you will need to use a jack to lift the control arm to remove the ball joint castle nut (to relieve the pressure on the nut) and you will need to jack it up again to get the ball joint bolt back in to the knuckle. 6. Sure, definitely use jack stands first and foremost. Jack up both wheels. If you only have one wheel up at a time, when you are working the bolts, it can possible cause some momentum from the front wheel, especially if they are seized on. Watch your fingers around any parts, especially when jacking up the ball joints back to the knuckle. Chock the rear wheels. And other than that, general safety with tools and such. 7. Let's see....I used 21mm wrenches for each nut, 19 mm wrench for the ball joint castle nut, needle nose pliers for the cotter pin, pry bar to separate the ball joint(ball joint puller would work much better here, though), and pry bar was used to separate the control arm from the subframe after the bolts were pulled, 19 mm socket for the rear bolt, T55 torx socket with ratchet for the front bolt, jack, jack stands, Off memory, I think thats it. I also believe, if memory serves me correctly, that the stabilizer links attach to your control arm. this was the case for 97-03 grand prixs, and in 04-05, they were actually attached to the strut, not the control arm (which you can see at 4:03). some time afterwards, GM changed it back. But I am not sure if this was the case in 07. So you may have to disconnect the front stabilizer links as well, if this is the case. Hope this all helps. Thanks again for watching.

[@zackscruggs4543]

@Nexusauto Thanks man! I know that was a bit long winded but, I appreciate the information. I think a tear-down series of the suspension would be a great addition to your channel, I love your GP vids dude! I've learned a lot from watching.

[@NexusAuto]

No problem at all. Hope it helps out with the project. And thanks for the great feedback too. Happy to hear the videos help out. The channel is still small (but growing), but knowing it is helping people out, I will keep putting out content for sure. I have a lot of teardown stuff for the Grand Prixs in the works. Hopefully there will be more GP content coming soon.

[@missychevious3137]

@@NexusAuto I gotta say, my 05 in 2019 was very easy to replace the control arms. I cut the cotter pins from the ball joints, took off the nuts with a box end wrench dropped the jack 1 or 2 inches and hit the flat part of the knuckle with a ball-peen hammer and it fell out after 3 or 4 hard hits. Just don't let the jack down to far or you may have a problem with trouser mice when it snaps down. Putting it back in I faced the hole in the ball joint bolt where I wanted it using a vice and 2 - 6" pieces of 1 X 3 and jacked the ball joint into place with upward pressure on the ball joint. I hit the knuckle again with hammer and jacked it up a little more and hit it again. I did this 3 or 4 times then put the nut on and tightened it (without turning the ball joint bolt) and put the cotter pin in and bent it. That's the way I was taught way back when. If I remember correctly it took me about 2 or 2 1/2 hours to do both arms (I've done this kind of work for many many years) and I used a 1/2" drive electric impact and a 20 volt 3/8 drive ratchet whenever I could. Couldn't be bothered to use the air tools, to much bother to pull the hose up from the basement and then have to re-spool it to put it away. Sure makes the job go faster As for the alignment, it did change a little but for the better. The front tires didn't squeal going around corners any more but I did take it in for an alignment a few days later and the front were pretty close but the rears were out quite a bit. The control arms were bent so that may be why the alignment changed. Haven't had any alignment problems since. Also, when using jacks and stands, if you're working on concrete there is no problem. However, if you're jacking the car up and using stands on asphalt or gravel, use some 2 X 10 or 2 X 12 under the jack and stands to keep them from pushing into the asphalt or gravel. If they push down into the ground it can become very dangerous whether you're under the car or not. The rest, as they say in Disneyland, was a piece of cheese. I will say that the drivers side was a tad harder but since I was starting on the passenger side, I sprayed the driver side with good old WD-40 and then did the passenger side. Then I started pulling the passenger side apart. I think you're right. The major build up of salt is on the driver side was rusting and corroding everything. My advice would be to jack the car up the day before and put the stands under it. Spray every fastener (nuts and bolts and such and don't forget the cotter pins) that has to be removed. Let it sit over night before you start. Makes the job go so much easier. I wouldn't use WD-40 under normal circumstances but it was all I had. WD stands for water displacement. Not the best for rust. LOL

[@missychevious3137]

Forgot to mention, I did this at the end of November. It was colder than an old.......I'll just leave that there and say...it was dang cold so I was working as fast as I could for an old man. Being old does have it's advantages. You can use excuses a lot more and get away with it. LOL

[@ageofawakening88]

Do you have a recommend web site I can buy some control arms from.? Thanks buddy

[@NexusAuto]

No problem. While I do shop around frequently, my consistent go to is Rockauto.com. Here is a link for the control arms, for example. This is not a direct endorsement, just a recommendation www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/pontiac,2005,grand+prix,3.8l+v6,1431256,suspension,control+arm,10401

[@NexusAuto]

Also, the link is for a 2005 Grand Prix, using my car as a reference. If you have a different year or model, make sure to change the search criterias

[@ageofawakening88]

Thanks man. I got the 06 prix so this video will help LOTS. thanks for the info

[@NexusAuto]

@@ageofawakening88 no problem at all. Glad it all helps!

[@ramerefauntleroy4881]

Autoshack.com

[@wilsonwichman4847]

I'm having a popping noise right under the pedals what would that be

[@NexusAuto]

That could be a variety of things, unfortunately. First, I want to confirm, when you say under the pedals, are you talking about inside the car, or outside the car?

[@wilsonwichman4847]

@@NexusAuto the popping is outside the car and I think it might be interior tie rods but not for sure

[@NexusAuto]

@@wilsonwichman4847 It could be the inner rods for sure...they are right in that area But there could be other things too. Do you notice the popping while driving, while turning, or both?

[@wilsonwichman4847]

@@NexusAuto it is mostly while turning. Car can be not moving but wheel being turned and it pops

[@NexusAuto]

@@wilsonwichman4847 well, definitely sounds like a tie rod issue...the only question is if it's the inner or outer. Could be the rack too, but that would be rare. Same with the inner rod, very possible, but it is rarer than the outer. If at all possible, and if can be done safely, have someone turn the wheel with the car still on the ground while you try and inspect on the outside and see if you can identify the popping. If not, you'll have to lift the car up and check the inner and outer and see if there is any play in them

[@TheBigGreentv]

How do you replace them their is no video of it

[@NexusAuto]

That's true...I never got around to making the video, but I did replace them. I will try and make one later this year, when the weather warms up a bit

[@TheBigGreentv]

Nexus Auto thank you very much

[@TheBigGreentv]

Nexus Auto I have a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix

[@NexusAuto]

What trim do you have? I have a 2005 base model

[@TheBigGreentv]

Nexus Auto it’s the same with the monsoon radio

[@Krazyk007x2]

Well done & thank you

[@NexusAuto]

No problem. Thanks for commenting and for watching.

[@missychevious3137]

HA HA. Funny I should end up here. I found a set of bushings earlier while going through a box of parts for the Grand Prix. These are ACDelco Professional bushings (says so right here on the box. See LMAO) and I knew they were control arm bushings but couldn't remember which ones. I did a google search and found this here youtube video so I clicked on it and well well. It was that Nexus Auto dude. While watching his video I found I was right. Front control arm bushings. Then it all came back to me. Around the $100 mark each + $120 each for installation. Figured I'd buy them and install them myself. BIG mistake. I didn't have the equipment to install them. So, I was looking at over $450 installed. I went online and found both front control arms with bushings and ball joints from a place called Suspension Dudes for around $130 shipped to my door. Perfect fit. Identical to the old ones less the bend in the old ones. As expected, GM wouldn't accept the bushings back so here I sit with 2 brand new bushings , still in the boxes and plastic bags and no one to party with. LMAO Summer before last I had to replace the resonator so I took it to a local shop and had them replace it. They cut the front flange off the pipe from the cat converter and went pipe to pipe. Wellllll, Just over a week ago the exhaust started to get noisy so I jacked it up and had me a look see. The resonator was badly rusted along the entire length of the seam but the hole was 8 or 10 inches long and roughly 1/2 inch wide. I took it back and they informed me that since I cut the flange off the resonator, it invalidated the warranty. Needless to say, after arguing with him for a bit, I had a major freak fit right there in the crowded waiting room that I'll never forget ( not a temper tantrum but a freak fit. There is a difference LMAO ). I made him look it up. He sure had that bird crap in the face look when he discovered that I had them install the resonator. He said the front flange had to be bad for them to cut it off. I asked why they didn't just replace the front flange with a kit? He couldn't answer. I went a little ballistic again because I was right there under the car with the tech when he inspected it. There was nothing wrong with the front flange and pictures don't lie. The tech said the replacement resonator was a little longer so it was necessary to remove the flanges in order to get the thing to fit. Again, pictures (or should I say videos) don't lie and when they have audio it's even better. I was told that it was going to be 3 to 4 weeks to get the resonator in. Bunch of bull crap. I called another franchise shop about 30 miles away and they said they could have it here the next day. I asked them to send it. Guess what was delivered yesterday. Then I was told it could be 2 to 4 weeks before they can get it installed. Guess who was sitting in the parking lot at 6:45 this morning. They have a first come first serve and they open at 7 AM. I was first come and they had no excuse not to install a front flange kit, the resonator with a new hanger and a new clamp at the back. I stood right there and made sure they did the job right. In fact, I took a video with my action cam of the job as it was being done. I also realized that the resonator they took off was different than the one they put on. The old one was longer than the new one. What does that tell you. Tells me they're ordering cheap parts (probably from ebay) and selling them for prime price. I took pics of both resonators side by side from different angles, up close and a little farther away just in case. Then I went and demanded a receipt for the parts and the labor for warranty. As I was walking out I told them where to stick the place and let them know in no uncertain terms that I wouldn't step foot in the place again. As I was getting in the car the manager came out to the car with the usual line of malarkey so I rolled the window up and drove away. Oh, forgot, I also told him I was going to contact a couple of the local newspapers and give them the videos and a copy of both receipts. I think he dang near crapped himself. He knew he had no defense. It was an attempted rip off gone wrong. I'm not going to call the papers. I think I did enough damage when I unloaded X 2 in the busy waiting room. and validated the facts with their own computer and my videos. I am seriously considering calling their corporate. Who else have they ripped off and how many more will they rip off in future. The pictures are proof that they didn't use a proper resonator the first time. All I could say to them now is "Be careful who you try to rip off. You never know when some crusty old mechanic who spent the majority of his life (30+ years) working in garages is going to walk through the door." LMAO Well, that's what's been going on in my neck of the woods recently. How's things out in your neck of the woods?? We got a smattering of snow today and temps in the mid 30's (F). I heard you got hit with a snow storm. Looking forward to hearing from you. Sooo, until Nexus time, take care and stay safe. Excellent video by the way but then I have never seen one of your videos that wasn't excellent. Straight to the point, excellent description and not a lot of confusing crap like I've seen on other channels. Keep up the excellent work.

[@NexusAuto]

LOL, well well well, that is a funny story! *stares at box* yep, I see profession written on that box! LOL Whoa...what an ordeal at Muffler man. And then places like this wonder why they get such a bad reputation! That's awesome that you stood your ground, had the proof, and threw the proverbial pie into their face! That's unreal! The wrong, cheap part, the misinformation on getting the part, the proposed delay in installing it...absolutely ridiculous! But awesome to hear you got it sorted, headaches aside! Those years of experience really paid off. Hopefully the offer of going to the local newspaper will straighten them up gong forward! Things on my end are going well. I've had some snow here and there, but nothing like surrounding areas. The temp did dip a fair bit though, I was at around 15F this weekend! Other than that, just busy with work and stuff, which has kept me away from making videos this year. But that should hopefully change soon too! Thanks as always for the great feedback and updates. I always love reading it! Stay safe too, and hope all is well otherwise. See you Nexus time! LMAO

[@missychevious3137]

@@NexusAuto You are not going to friggin believe this. I had a little running around to do tonight before the big storm hits. I was driving up the street and there was a loud clunk under the car and the exhaust got noisy. I pulled into a parking lot and threw down a tarp and had a little look see. The "new" front flange on the converter pipe fell off and damaged the flange and the new resonator when it bounced off the road. I shot home, grabbed my camera and voice recorder ( sent the last post to you I had forgot to send) and back to Mufflerman and got there about 15 minutes before they closed. They pulled the car in and put it up on the hoist. Then the idiot told me the flange and resonator couldn't have come from their shop. The parts weren't the type they sold. Surprise surprise. After market again or what. The last resonator came from a Mufflerman store about 30 miles away so I guess it wasn't the aftermarket crap they sold here. No wonder he didn't recognize it. I said thank you and informed him I was going to contact corporate with a complaint as well as follow this up with news media and contact my lawyer in the morning. He said he couldn't understand why I was so upset so I explained that they did the work about a month ago to replace a resonator they put on previously that rotted out in I believe was under a year. I also let him know that I had video and picture evidence of what they pulled. He went and checked their system and found out that I knew that he had just out and out lied to me. It was the same manager I dealt with last time so he remembered me. Of that there is absolutely no doubt. I do have to take some of the blame as well. I didn't notice that the flange kit wasn't clamped or welded. I should have noticed that. That is something that gets welded not clamped but again they had done neither. He offered to stay late and replace the flange and the resonator. I thanked him very much but told him I had a lot to do in the morning with contacting corporate, the media and my lawyer so I needed to make it an early evening. Can you believe it, the idiot wouldn't let the hoist down so I could get my car out. I had to call the police to get my car out and stood there till the police arrived so he couldn't do anything with the exhaust system or possibly to the car and videoed and voice recorded every second up to and including my conversation with the Sgt (I restarted both recorders when I was talking to the Sgt. I'll ask him if he wants it included when he gets here). The Sgt that showed up wasn't to happy. The local PD have their exhaust and brake work done at Mufflerman. He's going to take this to the chief in the morning, He said it could wind up costing Mufflerman big time. He's stopping by in about an hour or so with a flash drive. He wants me to copy all the info from tonight as well as any previous info I have over to the drive for him. He wants to have the proof when he goes to the chief in the morning. Do I sound pi$$ed or what?? I do think the sh*t is going to hit the fan over this. First with corporate and then the lawyer and hopefully the local PD. What if they've been using inferior parts on the cruisers. That could cost somebody their life if anything were to go wrong with the aftermarket parts they seem to like using. I could care less about the media. I don't trust them but hopefully they put a nice bit in the local paper. I just got off the phone with a friend of mine. When I get the parts he's going to let me use his hoist to fix this damn thing right. He's going to weld the flange on but the rest I can do. I only know how to stick weld or braze. Neither are a viable option on this. Now I've switched into devious mode. I won't be happy till this place is either shut down or the manager is fired and dealt with through the legal system. I've had all my exhaust work (that I was to lazy to do myself LOL) done at Mufflerman for years. I've sent them a lot of work as well. The previous manager retired and this imbecile was hired to replace him. The previous manager was as honest as the day is long. I trusted him totally. This idiot obviously can't be trusted to clean the toilets. He'd use aftermarket water. OK. I'm nit picking now. I'm just so angry right now I'm spitting nails but I stand by my comment about this idiot. LOL Anyway, there's a good rant for the day. I'll get off of here and stop pestering you....for now. LMAO You take care and be cautious of the roads. It went from snow to freezing rain here. Got the socks on the wiper blades and the food storage bags on the outside mirrors (didn't think the interior mirror really needed the bag....yet). According to the weather radar if you're not already getting it, you're about to be hit with a lot of rain and some freezing rain. Around 3 in the morning going to change to light snow changing to heavy snow later in the day. I'm not laughing because we're going to get it before you and ours is supposed to be worse. Around 2:30 AM we're going to get hit with some serious freezing rain (which we're already getting but not a heavy rain) changing to snow and then late Friday or early Saturday it's all going to hit the fan here. LMAO You have a good evening. The girl that isn't a girl (lets see what comments that one gets) LMAO

[@NexusAuto]

@@missychevious3137 Whoa whoa whoa....I just read over your experience with the exhaust and Mufflerman! That is crazy, and a huge disappointment. I can't believe they tried that with you! There is so much wrong with this story. Crazy, because I just talked about shops and just doing work with no care in one of my previous comments! I can't believe they tried to deny the work that they did. That is beyond deplorable. They threw themselves under the bus right there by admitting the parts aren't their normal parts and they would never install it. Hopefully that should be a lesson learned for them. I love that you're on top of these things...getting the recorder and camera. You can never be too careful these days and you need to make sure that you can capture everything. And it pays off here. Look how never the manager got when you mentioned the lawyer, media and corporate. They really tried to write you off. Luckily you have all your info and details in order, but begs the question...how many times have they tried this and got away with it? Like you said, it could cost someone more money, injury, or even death! And now it looks like it may have cost them the law enforcement contract, which is huge! This isn't about being vindictive, this the principle of the situation. It's situations like this that give hard working techs a bad name and cost customers valuable time, money or health. I don't blame you on being pissed and wanting some consequences for the shop...they can't get away with that. I am pissed just reading it! And there could have been dire consequences for you, the law enforcement, or other clients. Great news that you'll get it fixed properly soon. Sucks that now you have to do it, but at least you know it'll be done right. Take care and be cautious out there too. As I finish writing up this last comment, the snow is getting heavier now, and the wind is picking up even more. I went out briefly and the roads are getting slick. Luckily, my SUV is more than capable, but I've seen cars sliding already. And we know how people drive in this weather! So should I call you 'Sir Miss Chevious' now? HAHAHA. Take care, my friend, and Merry Christmas!

[@missychevious3137]

@@NexusAuto The Sgt stopped by last night, He was here for well over an hour. He watched each video and listened to each audio recording. You could see the steam coming out of his ears. He was that mad. I copied everything over for him. He called me just after lunch today. He took it to the chief and he was extremely pissed as well. He's taking it to the council in January and asking that they have the cruisers checked for safety reasons. He's at least going to stop all work with this shop until there can be a proper investigation. This thing is really starting to snowball. There could be some serious consequences in the very near future. I know I'm going to get dragged into this but I really don't care this time. They need to be stopped before someone is seriously hurt or worse...killed. You know as well as I do that if the brakes ever fail on a cruiser the consequences could be devastating. More so than with the average joe on the streets because of the speed factor. These cruisers travel some serious speeds at times. I honestly believe that at the extreme very least, someone is going to lose their job over this. I hate to see it happen but you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be there waving goodbye with a smile on my face because, like you said, it does make mechanics all look bad and they don't deserve that because of some incompetent jack ass. I have to admit, I had absolutely no idea what the repercussions were going to be when I called the police. I just wanted my car off the hoist I had no idea that they worked on the city cars. I sure don't feel guilty now. Feeling vindicated doesn't even enter in to this. It's more like relief. The Sgt has promised to keep in touch with me and let me know what is happening and the final results. My lawyer said if all this happens, it will solidify my case against the shop. He says there is absolutely no way they can win this fight with all the videos and audios but if the police investigation finds anything...that's it for them. My lawyer also recommends that I remove the name of the shop until this is dealt with in the courts or regardless of the final outcome, I could be nailed with slander so if you notice editing on my comments you'll know what's up Just hope I can find them all. LOL There's the jist of what's happening so far. Take care and Merry Ho Ho Sir Miss Chevious. That's hilarious. LMFAO

[@NexusAuto]

@@missychevious3137 It's interesting to see how this is escalating, and it's a good thing. There isn't enough accountability in this business, and this will be a wake up call, at least for some. I agree with you, no one wants to see someone's reputation ruined or someone fired. But that's why you just do the right thing,the first time around. That manager sounds like he's in the wrong profession and needs the boot anyways, but that's besides the point. That exhaust break could have gone so much worse for you, and same for issues that can arise for the Police Cruisers and other customers. Makes sense with the naming of said company. I'll do my best to not mention them either, so as to not create any sort of case against you. I will admit I am curious to how this plays out, in the short or long term. Keep me updated for sure (unless court proceedings bar updates, which is also understandable for sure). I have to say, if anyone has to take on a case like this, good thing it's you. You are on top of everything, document everything, and are not malicious. Hopefully, if you do get dragged in, it won't take up a significant portion of your life, Sir Miss Chevious!

[@johnreznickcheck4688]

That’s my next project

[@NexusAuto]

Sounds good. Good luck, hopefully all goes well

[@donivandiaz6380]

my control arm broke away from the frame entirely

[@missychevious3137]

Not a nice thing to have happen but the good side is that they're a lot easier to remove. LOL

[@brandikirby5238]

I'm having same issue

[@donivandiaz6380]

help

[@NexusAuto]

damn, sorry to hear Donivan. I am not sure how I can help in this scenario though...sounds like you need it repaired. Did you have any particular questions for me?