₦airaland Forum

radautoworks:
Ah, I see what the problem is.

As with most places promotions are not stackable. In addition, you actually received a courtesy that is not company approved. Company policy is 7,500/hr if you bring your own parts. Normally I would be upset that they gave you 5,000/hr but I give my staff latitude in decision making and I'm sure they'll made that concession against company policy because of the size of your job.

2) Because you were being charged 5,000/hr instead of 7,500/hr for bringing your own parts as well as receiving a free diagnosis, you weren't eligible for the 10%. If you wanted the 10% it would have to be at the N7,500 rate. If you prefer, they can they to the N7,500 rate for the whole job and apply the 10% discount.

As far as 1), the coupons on the website constantly change and are handled by corporate in Chicago. They usually have expiration dates and I'm sure that one expired February 28th.

I'm a little unclear on something though... They didn't tell you the pros and cons of getting your own parts? Please confirm as this is huge.

I hope I was able to explain satisfactorily?

Good morning.

I trust you are well.

Well, I understand your comment and I can relate with "company policies" but I am not satisfied with your explanation.

Before I proceed, kindly note that I have gone past the discount thingy. I am okay with the bill. Like I mentioned earlier, I saw the bill and I willingly asked that they continue with the work. I take full responsibility for that.

However, my lack of satisfaction comes with your claim to transparency. I believe you are a decent person, and you try all you can to run a good and legit business but something went wrong. I want to believe it has to do with communication and not a lack of competency of your front desk staff.

I must say that they are courteous (most of the time) and they try their best to please customers but I was not informed of simple things I have a right to know. No one told me that I am required to purchase items from your establishment to gain a 10% discount. No one told me (until yesterday) that a combined rate of N5,000/hr and N7,500/hr was applied as a courtesy for two of the nine services rendered.

Anyways, I will let you know my thoughts when I give my feedback after the work is completed.

PS: See attached a comparison of your bill and my workings. It shows I save N508 if we revert to the proper bill I should have gotten from day 1. The amount I would save is nothing really but it would be the right thing to do.

Thank you and have a lovely day.

Modified: Please note that the items in green were appropriately billed at N5,000/hr because I bought the necessary supplies from your store.

radautoworks:
please tell me what happened while I inquire from them the status.

EDIT: from what I understand they were unable to offer you the additional discount you requested but they did charge you the N5,000 house rate not the N7,500 "bring your own part rate"?

Is this correct?

Good evening,

The rates applied were a combination of N5,000/hr and N7,500/hr. I am fine with this actually. Just hoping the promise to get my vehicle in top condition is kept.

However, my disappointment (a little I must add) cuts across different areas but to the point of transparency, your website had two incentive categories:

1) The first mentioned a free diagnosis (this has since been taken down).
2) The second mentioned a free diagnosis and 10% discount on all major repairs.

There was no mention of the caveat that accompanies both promises: you get the 'free diagnosis' only when you make an "effective demand" per the first case, while the second case is only fulfilled when one buys parts from your store.

I was set aback when I heard the caveat on the second because it is clear on your website that the only requirement to redeem the promise was to engage in a major repair...the question I asked: "What constitutes a major repair"? and the answer I got: "We gave you the house rate of N5,000" hence you do not qualify for the discount.

That response was funny because it did not answer my question.

I felt a job that requires at least 29.9 hours of work qualifies to be called something "major". At the very least to ensure transparency, I should have been informed that getting parts from your stores has its advantages. I was only told that I would lose the warranty on parts but have the warranty on labour.

Modified: Just thinking...if you had included the phrase "terms and conditions apply" on your website it would have solved it.

radautoworks:
Thank you so much for the feedback. I'm a big believer in transparency. The 7,500 will be removed when the repair is done. No worries.

Hi,

You may believe in transparency, but my experience in the past few days proved different.

I wouldn't want to complain much because I requested that your team go ahead with the repairs even when I felt a little disappointed.

Tpave:
Many of did this while in primary and secondary school. We even put on multiple shorts too because of those wicked teacher's cain .

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3625210170921767&id=100002984602131

Says a lot about the School.

JidennaJason:
Now, this is a cheering news for all Barcelona supporters all over the world.... The return of Joan Okonjo Laporta will definitely bring to an end the tyranny and backwardness the club suffered under the leadership of one Baba Josep Muhammadu Bartomeu.

This is good for our democracy as it will rejuvenate the club, especially the world famous La Masià academy and push them back to top in Europe.

I believe this news will bring a smile to the face of Olorugun Lionel Akpomiemie Messi and bring to the unceasing speculations about him leaving.

Let's Get down to business Sir Joan Okonjo Laporta.

Força Barça.

You crazy mehn

For Lagosians na traffic!!!

radautoworks:
We would love the feedback. Yes, the diagnosis is free with service. The only time we charge is if you just want us to tell you what's wrong so you can fix it elsewhere. If you paid, it will be deducted from the total cost of repair.

I appreciate your response.

I am actually a fee-paying customer and my current bill includes N7,500 for the diagnostic test. I would have preferred not to talk about this but since this promise was made on your website

PS: I am impressed with your technicians so far. They seem to know exactly what they are talking about. I hope it translates to action.

radautoworks:
what are the car's symptoms? These are most likely to do with wiring and could just be chewed wires. We cannot be diagnosised or quoted accurately remotely. Please email support@radautoworks.com or https://www.mrtransmissionmilexnigeria.com/appointments to request an appointment for free diagnosis with service.

I just left my car at your office. I noticed a few things (positive and negative) I may talk about later after I get the second bill.

PS: The diagnosis is not free.

radautoworks:
what are the car's symptoms? These are most likely to do with wiring and could just be chewed wires. We cannot be diagnosised or quoted accurately remotely. Please email support@radautoworks.com or https://www.mrtransmissionmilexnigeria.com/appointments to request an appointment for free diagnosis with service.

Okay, thanks.

Hi,

How much would it cost to repair an Acura MDX 2007/2008 model with the following codes: P0134, P2647 and P0325

TainyLite:
Last week Tuesday, my wife gave birth to a son which is my second born... She has been staying at her mom's place due to misunderstanding we had around September....

After I paid hospital bills and gave her money for baby items on that Tuesday morning, she told my parents she has buried the placenta... I could not go to see her immediately I was called and I had to send my parents there due to my work...

This is a lady I want to separate from due to her mum trying to take over the marriage and my wife is always carrying her along... Now the woman is demanding I come see the son and apologize to her and sincerely I am standing on my ground that since she buried the placenta I will never go there to go see the child except they come to my parent's place on the naming ceremony....

The truth is I can't afford to live a second with my wife and I really want ur advice before tomorrow....

I am trying hard to understand what the deal is. My MIL buried my son's placenta some two years ago and the heavens did not fall.

PS: If your wife slapped you while you were asleep, you may want to ask yourself what you did wrong. My guess is you know already.

Hi,

Do you say you need someone to talk to? Would you mind a pen-pal? If you don't then reach me here: crocicares@gmail.com

I might be able to provide you with some mentorship and probably give you some directions. Not promising anything though.

9icetoo:
Sorry about your issues with your mdx. Is the 07 mdx the first generation or the second generation?
The low oil light that comes up is usually as a result of the oil level sensor which fails prematurely on the second gen. There was a tsb to fix this. Sometimes just replacing the sensor fixes this issue.

Your engine sadly is on its last legs.
Like Gazzuzz said, switch to a thicker oil 10w40 or 20w50. You can buy any of the known brands such as castrol, total, Mobil, etc. Buy from a filling station or a reputable shop.

Check your oil level regularly and have spare oil.

Your kick starter is failing, however also check the wires to and from the kick starter. Look for oxidized or frayed wires and replace them.

Your vehicle may be failing to start when hot due to compression issues.

Toks engine on that car is not that expensive. Last I asked, I was told 280k.

When you rebuild engine, stick to 5w30 synthetic from a known brand (5w30 offer better engine protection but sacrifices fuel economy).

The engine is a high compression engine, mineral oils do work but better stay with the synthetic oils.

Good evening sir,

Please how do I resolve the "Low engine oil level" issue? I already changed the Oil switch but the problem persists. I would also like to know if you do not mind, how you managed your MDX for over 2 years without having any lights on the dashboard? Would truly love to have a similar experience to share. My dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree. There are some lights that are quick fixes e.g TPMS but others seem difficult particularly the check engine light and the SH-AWD light.

GAZZUZZ:
I might be wrong, but this looks like a classic example of switching between mineral and synthetic oils after prolonged use.


This is my advice, throw out the current engine oil you are using and use a good brand of mineral oil 20w50. Your engine has seen better days and is on its last legs. In order to manage it you need thicker oil. Going forward you will need to consider rebuilding or replacing the engine.

For the startup issue, you still have a bad starter motor (kick starter) .

When using 20w50 pls drain oil every 2000miles

Good evening sir,

Thanks again for the tips. I finally brought the vehicle back from the East this afternoon and, I am cautiously optimistic that the vehicle engine may not be far gone after all. Now to what happened.

After getting the advice from this thread, I resolved to follow it to the letter. Get a good mineral oil: 20w50 or 10w40 as the case may be. Drain the current oil and make the switch; but before I could go ahead with the plan a friend of the family, who came for a visit, requested to inspect the vehicle for any obvious leaks after he got wind of my 'oil-shortage' story. The dude is not an auto mechanic but a regular DIY kinda guy who knows quite a bit about cars and their engines.

He first checked under the vehicle for any obvious leaks, found none, but noticed that the 'sump' seemed to have been worked on before. I quickly informed him that my mechanic opened it in Lagos to clean it up when we noticed the "check low engine oil level" light problem I mentioned in my earlier post. He then checked the exhaust and noted that there are tell-tail signs that the engine was burning oil because of some black residue from the exhaust fume he found.

He then opened the engine cover to check for any oil leaks and noticed that the PCV valve (blackened with oil residue), maybe the culprit. He took it out, inspected it and confirmed his suspicion. He tried without much success to explain how the PCV valve works and why a clogged valve could lead to engine oil shortage and a smokey exhaust.

Though confused, I went ahead to buy 2 carburettor cleaners as he instructed which he used meticulously to clean up the PCV valve. I was surprised to see that the cap of the PCV valve was not black but blue. The oil residue had so built up that I thought the colour was black. Anyways, he advised that I change it but in the interim, the cleanup he did would give temporary relief to some of the issues noted.

After reinstalling the PCV valve he started the vehicle, and like magic, the exhaust smoke went away. I was cautious not to celebrate just yet. I would need to test and see if this was the remedy I sought. I went to a local mechanic (in the East) and requested that he drain the current oil and refill with a full synthetic oil (5w30). I asked that he also change the oil filter in the process.

To test if the PCV valve solution worked, I felt it was necessary to put the vehicle in a similar condition it was in when I travelled from Lagos. If the test results in an oil shortage like before, then it may be a pointer that the engine needs to be changed or rebuilt ASAP. Yeah, I did not use Mobil 1 (5w20) like before for obvious reasons (I needed a pocket-friendly alternative for the test and a 5w30 is better for my vehicle since it has approximately 115k miles on it already). The mechanic recommended Hardex 5w30.

I got 6 litres of the product. Bought the extra litre in case the test failed and I needed an oil top-up on my way back to Lagos. After the 'servicing' yesterday, I realised that the vehicle was still not emitting smoke from the exhaust. I felt this was a good sign and set-off today for what felt like the journey of my life. Got to Ore and stopped to do a quick inspection of the vehicle. Saw that one of the exhaust was emitting some smoke (hardly noticeable though) and I thought it was because of the PCV valve I am yet to change. I could find the courage to turn off the vehicle and do a proper check because of the starter motor issue I mentioned in my earlier post. Though I had it changed before travelling, I was not confident in the product I bought.

After approximately 8 hours of driving, I finally got home, allowed the vehicle to cool for an hour or two and went to inspect the oil dipstick. Got it out, cleaned it and stuck it back in again. I got it out a second time and was pleased to see that the engine oil was almost at the exact level I started with when I left the East, though it was marginally lower. I thought this could go away when I get a new PCV valve as advised. So that was it.

For the starter motor, I got one that I know I am going to change. It is functional for now. I tried it when the vehicle was hot, though it started but, for a second it felt as if it was going to fail before it picked up again.

Ikpumbe1:
Hmmm. So I shouldn't forgive them?

It's very good to forgive. Shows that you are a better man but that will not stop the behaviour. You can forgive and also ensure that someone else does not go through the hellish experience you passed through. The next person may not be so lucky to come out with his/her life.

9icetoo:
Okay. Same car here. 2 years and 4 months ownership. Solid ride so far.
Gazzuzz may be able to rebuild (if he has joined team rebuild). He can definitely source a good replacement for you if you chose to replace.
All the best.

Thanks.

Much appreciated.

9icetoo:
Sorry about your issues with your mdx. Is the 07 mdx the first generation or the second generation?
The low oil light that comes up is usually as a result of the oil level sensor which fails prematurely on the second gen. There was a tsb to fix this. Sometimes just replacing the sensor fixes this issue.

Your engine sadly is on its last legs.
Like Gazzuzz said, switch to a thicker oil 10w40 or 20w50. You can buy any of the known brands such as castrol, total, Mobil, etc. Buy from a filling station or a reputable shop.

Check your oil level regularly and have spare oil.

Your kick starter is failing, however also check the wires to and from the kick starter. Look for oxidized or frayed wires and replace them.

Your vehicle may be failing to start when hot due to compression issues.

Toks engine on that car is not that expensive. Last I asked, I was told 280k.

When you rebuild engine, stick to 5w30 synthetic from a known brand (5w30 offer better engine protection but sacrifices fuel economy).

The engine is a high compression engine, mineral oils do work but better stay with the synthetic oils.

Thank you so much.

It is actually the second generation.

GAZZUZZ:
I might be wrong, but this looks like a classic example of switching between mineral and synthetic oils after prolonged use.


This is my advice, throw out the current engine oil you are using and use a good brand of mineral oil 20w50. Your engine has seen better days and is on its last legs. In order to manage it you need thicker oil. Going forward you will need to consider rebuilding or replacing the engine.

For the startup issue, you still have a bad starter motor (kick starter) .

When using 20w50 pls drain oil every 2000miles

Thanks a lot.

I had hoped I wouldn't need to rebuild or replace the engine though, but in any case I will bring it over to you when I get back so you can inspect it physically.

Please, for my information, how much would it cost to replace the engine to a grade 1 tokunboh engine (complete with gearbox and without)?

I guess you would have to advise the best cause when I get it to you in Lagos.

Thanks a lot.

Modified: Could you recommend a mineral oil to use?

Thanks again.

Good evening,

I just registered to try and get a solution to some challenges I am having with my 2007 Acura MDX.

Since I purchased it about a year ago, it has been very reliable until recently when it started giving some issues my mechanic is yet to diagnose satisfactorily. It started when I serviced the vehicle in preparation for my Christmas travel. After the work was done I noticed the following:

1) Smoke from the exhaust at start-up.
2) The check low engine oil light pings intermittently whenever the engine is hot and I am in traffic.

At first I thought the problem was two-fold: the vehicle was burning oil through the engine due to a worn out valve seal and that the low level oil warning I got was because I used a semi synthetic oil (Mobil 2000) instead of the full synthetic oil (Mobil 1).

I went to my mechanic and asked him to check why the vehicle smokes at start-up and also to drain the current oil and refill with Mobil 1 5w20. He checked and confirmed that the valve seal is a bit worn out and had to change it while he also took the time to change the oil as I requested. For the avoidance of doubt he advised that I also change the oil filter to one that is superior to that which I used initially.

The pinging stopped for a while but came back later whenever I am stuck in traffic though it became a bit more bearable. However, in the midst of this problem I encountered another issue with the Kickstarter. I am not sure if this is related to the previous problems but the vehicle just refused to start on one Sunday morning when I went out to buy fuel. I got the fuel, tried to start it but it wouldn't start. It acted as if it was going to start but never got there.

At each attempt, I noticed that there was a smell of burning wires coming from the engine. I stopped trying and called an electrician to take look. He checked and told me that the issue is the Kickstarter. That the burning smell I perceived was from the battery wires. I decided to get another Kickstarter and changed the battery terminals but this did not solve the issue with the Kickstarter. I had to change the kick 3 more times until I ended up with the one I have now.

To cut the very long story short I took the vehicle back to my mechanic a day before I traveled so that they could affirm if the vehicle was fit for travel. He and his electrician checked, cleansed the oil circulatory system and assured me that all was well. I set off the next day with my family got to Onitsha without incident, stopped to refuel the vehicle and got to my destination in Imo state, seemingly without incident.

The next day, I was set to make a two hour journey to see a family friend but before I set out, I decided to check the oil level because the day before, I noticed that the oil level warning light became a constant feature in the dashboard as against the previous erratic pinging during traffic. Since it went away when the road was free I thought I had nothing to worry about, boy was I wrong.

When I checked the oil level, the next day, I was totally out of oil. The engine was completely dry. I am still amazed how we were able to make it to our destination without causing damage to the engine. I hurriedly bought Mobil 5000 5w30, started the engine and the vehicle ran as if nothing had happened. The tell tail sign I saw was that the blue smoke from the exhaust has increased and comes up sometimes when I accelerate. I called a mechanic in Anambra to take a look. He said the Mobil 1 5w20 was too light hence it burnt out while I travelled.

The issues I am having now are the following:

1) The vehicle does not start when the engine is hot. Whenever it does not come on after the first start, I would need to wait for about 10 minutes before I can start it again.

2) The exhaust brings out light blue smoke intermittently.

3) The low oil level light always comes up whenever the engine is hot and I step on the brakes, especially when there is traffic though there is oil in the vehicle.

Sorry for the lengthy story but is it an issue you can help with?

Thanks.