What is the dumbest thing a Parts store employee has ever said to you?

[95blkprobe]

I worked at pepboys for a few months while I had some downtime with Publix. When I was bored, I would call across the street to AAP and ask for piston rings for my 1990 rx7. The AAP guy tells me that they aren't showing up on the computer for some weird reason and asks another guy thats next to him. The other guy couldn't figure it out either and ask for the manager. I hang up from not being able to breathe before the manager gets on the phone.

 

[BlackCherry06]

Wow...that's bad. Kinda like asking for brake pads to fit a 1992 Honda CRX.

 

[oaklandopen]

As obvious as some of these stories are, not everyone knows every little intricacy about every car or engine ever made. Like this last crx and brake pads one, I can only assume the fronts and backs were both drums because its in this thread. Otherwise, I might have looked it up and found that out myself if I was the parts guy

And also, not every program on the computer is right about everything. I used to use alldata and that wasn't right about everything. I think the last time I used it alldata said use 5w20 in the ms3

However...I did just recently install a backup camera on my truck. When I got the parts for it I asked what lengths there were for rca cables since the kit wasn't going to be long enough. The guy assured me the (total length of about 6') cables provided were more than enough.

After much argument about how going from a monitor on the dash to the latch release on the beck of a crew cab ram was longer than the cables provided for, I asked the guy if he wanted any more money from me or not. Got the extra cables (can't remember the length) and just barely had enough to connect, per the routing I decided to use

Not really related to car parts but I think basic elementary school knowledge involves lengths and whatnot

 

[43975]

I got one I always post because it bugs me to no end. When I first got the MSP I had to call the nearest Mazda Dealer about a part I needed. This particular Dealer happens to be a "MAZDASPEED" Specialty dealership. So when giving the info about my car over the phone the parts guy proceeds to tell me that my car doesn't exist!!! In fact he gets aggressive with me telling me that no protege ever came with a Turbo ect. Then he proceeds to tell me that according to my VIN it's a Blue P5 wagon. At this point I start laughing because my VIN is obviously listed with Mazda since I know exactly number she rolled off assembly line. And I'm pretty sure that every time I pop the trunk I know that it's not a Wagon....
He refused to believe me and told me that my car had to be built aftermarket.
The best part is that eventually I had to go into to this dealership to pick up a part, and low and behold Just behind the parts counter desk is a huge poster of an Orange Spicy MSP!!!! You know the same one that every "MAZDASPEED" dealer has up in their show room. How can you work for a MazdaSpeed Specialty Service Dealer and not know what car actually gave MazdaSpeed it's reputation. There would be no MSM, MS6, or MS3 had it not been for the success of the MSP!!!!!!

 

[719prottege]

i walk up to the counter to purchase some vaccum hose... and here it goes..

Checker guy " Is that your protege?"
me "Yea"
Checker "those cars are sick, arent they all wheel drive turbo"
Me "no just fwd turbo, alot of people think its awd for some reason though"
Checker guy "cool, im fixin to turbo my tiburon out there" (the old ugly tiburon that looks like a retarded shark)
Me "thats cool, what turbo are you going to use?"
checkers guy "This really hudge one i got off of a disel semi truck"
Me "... hmm, that will be pretty big for your little fourbanger, lots of lag and you might blow it up, how much boost are you gonna run with that?"
Checker "About 60pounds."
Me "What? that motor is gonna blow up instantly"
Checker "no, im getting the entire motor dipped in liquid titanium, itll hold it"
Me "i dunno about that, sounds like a bad idea, what about the trans?"
Checker guy "The trans should be good, im only gonna push like 1200hp i think"
me " alright, well, goodluck man.... Later..."

this guy got fired recently, he was just way to smart all the time

 

[rally2003]

^I love people like that. They make me feel not so dumb and actually pretty smart.

 

[infamouszoltan]

i handed him the money and said, "............this dollar dont feel right" hahaah

 

[HighSpeed]

Once when I worked at AAP in Dahlonega GA (nascar, white lightning, etc.) I parked my sr20 240sx with the front facing the store, showing the front mount. One of the long time customers came in and the conversation went something like this.

Redneck- " Brandon......how much turba you got on the RX"
me- "what do you mean"
Redneck- " you know......how much turba?"
me- " uhhh well I run 14 psi" ( knowing he had no idea what that means)
Redneck- " I don't care about the tire pressure, that seems kinda low anyways, you must drag race alot "
me- " you got it......I drive everywhere with 14 psi", im starting to play with him at this point
Redneck- " well you gonna wear your tires driving on 14psi like that"
me- "yeah I know but its worth it......."

I didn't have the patience to actually explain how a turbocharger works, and just let him assume that I drove a Nissan RX and only ran 14 psi of tire pressure.

 

[Spiced MSP]

^^^priceless

 

[2-8-1]

LOL.....2 cams total = DOHC. True enough on a 4-cylinder engine.

Ford salesmen call the Mustang GT 4.6 SOHC a DOHC, I've had several salesmen say that I have the DOHC 4.6 when I pop the hood because it has two cams. They don't understand that the number of cams are measured per head. Every single one of them as proceeded to say that the Cobras come with the Quad-Cam (which is correct, kinda) DOHC, while mine is the Dual Cam DOHC engine. I think they just don't know the correct vernacular.

 

[CulRidr]

Ford salesmen call the Mustang GT 4.6 SOHC a DOHC, I've had several salesmen say that I have the DOHC 4.6 when I pop the hood because it has two cams. They don't understand that the number of cams are measured per head. Every single one of them as proceeded to say that the Cobras come with the Quad-Cam (which is correct, kinda) DOHC, while mine is the Dual Cam DOHC engine. I think they just don't know the correct vernacular.

Ironic statement of the day; the word you are looking for is vocabulary... vernacular refers to language (I only know because I'd never seen the word before yesterday, and have now seen it twice in less then 24 hours; I had to search it after that ).

//English lesson...

 

[HighSpeed]

Ironic statement of the day; the word you are looking for is vocabulary... vernacular refers to language (I only know because I'd never seen the word before yesterday, and have now seen it twice in less then 24 hours; I had to search it after that ).

//English lesson...

Well, to play devil's advocate.........he could have been referring to the language of Auto enthusiasts, because some of the things we talk about and the words we use don't usually make since in regular "english". I think of it like talking to the Brits........they speak English, but there vernacular differs from that of American English, so he was well within his write to use vernacular to explain his post about DOHC.

 

[ScratchNSniff]

Had the guy come out and asked me if I ever planned on doing anything to the car other than painting the roof...

 

[CulRidr]

^LOL

Well, to play devil's advocate.........he could have been referring to the language of Auto enthusiasts, because some of the things we talk about and the words we use don't usually make since in regular "english". I think of it like talking to the Brits........they speak English, but there vernacular differs from that of American English, so he was well within his write to use vernacular to explain his post about DOHC.

I'd disagree; replace "vernacular" in his sentence by the world "language" and it doesn't make sense; they know the correct "language" - ie: automobile lingo - but they don't know the correct terminology for the application, aka vocabulary.
I really don't want to start a drawn out discussion on grammar/vocabulary/language/etc. though...those get annoying to read. I'll move on.

 

[HighSpeed]

^LOL

I'd disagree; replace "vernacular" in his sentence by the world "language" and it doesn't make sense; they know the correct "language" - ie: automobile lingo - but they don't know the correct terminology for the application, aka vocabulary.
I really don't want to start a drawn out discussion on grammar/vocabulary/language/etc. though...those get annoying to read. I'll move on.

Uhh, you started it man............vernacular doesn't mean language specifically....because language means....."language". Here is the definition from webster.

Definition of VERNACULAR(adj.)
1a : using a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language b : of, relating to, or being a nonstandard language or dialect of a place, region, or country c : of, relating to, or being the normal spoken form of a language
2: applied to a plant or animal in the common native speech as distinguished from the Latin nomenclature of scientific classification <the vernacular name>
3: of, relating to, or characteristic of a period, place, or group; especially : of, relating to, or being the common building style of a period or place <vernacular architecture>
— vernacularly adverb
Examples of VERNACULAR

Definition of VERNACULAR(noun)
1: a vernacular language, expression, or mode of expression
2: the mode of expression of a group or class
3: a vernacular name of a plant or animal
Examples of VERNACULAR
He spoke in the vernacular of an urban teenager.
phrases that occur in the common vernacular


He can use vernacular if he wants


Definition of VOCABULARY
1: a list or collection of words or of words and phrases usually alphabetically arranged and explained or defined : lexicon
2a : a sum or stock of words employed by a language, group, individual, or work or in a field of knowledge b : a list or collection of terms or codes available for use (as in an indexing system)
3: a supply of expressive techniques or devices (as of an art form)

And you are equally right to say vocabulary.

If its not broke don't fix it. He was fine and everyone knew what he meant, but you wanted to correct him when it wasn't warranted, hence the only reason I went out of my way at 1:00 in Afghanistan to show you that you are not right....or wrong for that matter, but really didn't have to say anything.

That sir.....is an english lesson

 

[The ManLaw]

so uhh... back to the stories?

me: hey i need some seafoam, gotta clean out the innards of my little mazda
guy: you know i heard its bad to run seafoam in rotary's, it'll mess up the seals
me: err, i have a protege5, 4cyl
guy: not a 4cyl, you have a rotary, all mazda's do, that's what they are famous for
me: .......*facepalm* just show me where you keep the damn seafoam

 

[HighSpeed]

^.....LOL

I use seafoam for everything

 

[daonly1around]

i was fortunate that the AAP I worked at had some seasoned parts people who really knew there s***. One time a customer came in and i think he wanted a rear main seal for a chevy 350.
parts guy. whats it out of
redneck- doesn't matter they're all the same
parts guy- no, they are not all the same what year and make vehicle is it out of
redneck- its a chevy 350 they are all the same
(this went on for about 5 mins)
parts guy- OK. goes and gets him a rear main seal for a random chevy 350
Next day
Redneck- this seal doesn't fit
Parts guy- thought they were all the same?

Next one has to do with a friend of a coworker who came in ALL the time, drove a stock 4.6 2000ish mustang
I forgot they exact series of statements but it got to one point where he was talking about the 2000 cobraR and it proceeded something like this
Him: Yeah that car has the same motor as mine with a different exhaust and intake manifold.
Me: The motor is a 5.4, yours is a 4.6
Him: OH well it is a 5.4 but they had it written down officially as a 4.6, because a 5.4 is too big and would break laws for how big a motor can be in a car like a mustang.
Me: OK
(love it when people don't even know the history of cars they drive

 

[HighSpeed]

i was fortunate that the AAP I worked at had some seasoned parts people who really knew there s***. One time a customer came in and i think he wanted a rear main seal for a chevy 350.
parts guy. whats it out of
redneck- doesn't matter they're all the same
parts guy- no, they are not all the same what year and make vehicle is it out of
redneck- its a chevy 350 they are all the same
(this went on for about 5 mins)
parts guy- OK. goes and gets him a rear main seal for a random chevy 350
Next day
Redneck- this seal doesn't fit
Parts guy- thought they were all the same?

Next one has to do with a friend of a coworker who came in ALL the time, drove a stock 4.6 2000ish mustang
I forgot they exact series of statements but it got to one point where he was talking about the 2000 cobraR and it proceeded something like this
Him: Yeah that car has the same motor as mine with a different exhaust and intake manifold.
Me: The motor is a 5.4, yours is a 4.6
Him: OH well it is a 5.4 but they had it written down officially as a 4.6, because a 5.4 is too big and would break laws for how big a motor can be in a car like a mustang.
Me: OK
(love it when people don't even know the history of cars they drive

LOL that reminds me of yet another story from the inbred mountain city of Dahlonega GA.

Keep in mind that this guy came in without a shirt on, a Civil War Confederate Hat, wrangler jeans that were too big and falling off of him, revealing the fact that he did not have underwear on because you could see the top of his nasty man patch......I wish I had a picture. He was a poster child for "Don't drink hooch while your pregnant with your brothers child"

Dumbass- hey mayne, I need a motor mount for a 87 Jeep Cherokee
me- ok Im sure I have one
Dumbass- yeah I just got it for $400 and the damn thing is fast with the v6
me- I think it has a straight 6
Dumbass- Like an old dodge slant 6
me- kinda
Dumbass- well this thing is fast as hell
me- yeah(acting interested)?
Dumbass- yeah its so fast that I floored it and it spun the Odometer all the way around to 8
me- The odometer huh? To 8?.......wow yeah it must be fast to have spun the odometer

He then continued to complain about the mount being $35 dollars. The whole time I am thinking about how I can do the world a favor and take this guy out.

 

[323]

yeah dude, all autozone employees will tell you that you need 4 coil packs no matter what you tell them lol.