Return-Path: Received: from FAS.RI.CMU.EDU by A.CS.CMU.EDU; 12 Sep 85 11:55:23 EDT Date: 12 Sep 1985 11:46:56-EDT From: Michael.Peshkin@FAS.RI.CMU.EDU To: bovik@a Subject: Lifetime Tuneup: 10 recs I received the following 10 replies to my inquiry about Lifetime Tuneup. Most of these are about the one on Negley at Baum. Most are negative recommendations, some quite strong. -Michael Date: Thu 12 Sep 85 00:33:39-EDT From: Robert.Berger@C.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Lifetime Tuneup A friend of mine took her car to Liftime tuneup. Not only did they not fix the problem she took the car in for, they performed hundreds of dollars worth of uneeded repairs. One of their favorite scams is to replace your spark plug wires and charge you $80. Not only is that price ridiculous, I've never seen a car that needed new spark plug wires. Of course, she refused to pay. The case is still in the courts. I strongly reccommend you take your car elsewhere. ------- Date: 12 Sep 1985 08:04:44-EDT From: Dario.Giuse@SPICE.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Lifetime Tuneup I used the one on Negley and Center a couple of years ago for some minor stuff, and I wasn't overly impressed. The guy who ran the place seemed to have an IQ of about 3.0. - Dario - Date: 12 Sep 85 10:32:09 EDT From: David.Steier@CMU-CS-A Subject: Lifetime Tuneup I had my '84 Thunderbird tuned up there. They seemed to do a reasonable job, but I would not recommend trying to wait there while they do it. They seem to take a long time. Also, they are not very familiar with the electrical systems of new cars. But they are cheap. Date: 12 Sep 1985 10:54-EDT From: Luiz.Leao@CMU-CS-H.ARPA Subject: Lifetime Tuneup I was not really happy with them. Around two weeks ago I took my car there, for state inspection, emission inspection and tune-up. I was impressed by the low prices of a coupon that arrived in the mail and by the fact that appointments where not necessary. My car did not really need a tune-up ( A DATSUN 200 SX, by the way). Its only problem was old spark plugs and a very subttle coughing at low sppeds, downhill. Seven hours later I was $170 poorer. All of that was my fault. The guy, after connecting the machine, found around 9 items that he highly recommended to be replaced. I did not have enoough character or mechanical knowledge to cut all of them, so I kind of interactivelly reduced that number but they still changed spark cables, distributor rotor, distributor cover, filters, etc. When I came back to get my car they where beginning to work on it, and, in my opinion, the guy was a lot less than carefull. I checked some prices after that (I was not really happy about the incident) and they charged me $39.95 for spark cables that are sold for $12.65 in a nearby foreign-parts store. My personal sugestion would be to stay in their discount items and wait there for you car. I almost forgot: they refused to put the car back in the osciloscope to check the new ignition components they just had put there (I asked and insisted with as much energy as our difference in stature allowed). I found that ridiculous. By the way, my car is still coughing at low speeds, downhill. Leao Date: 12 Sep 1985 07:44-EDT From: Nathaniel.Borenstein@CMU-SEI.ARPA Subject: Lifetime Tuneup Went to them at Negley & Baum for a year or two, shortly after coming to Pittsburgh. I'm convinced they were ripping me off terribly; when we finally left, they had told us we needed all new ball joints, about $600; Hess Exxon, on Forbes near CMU, told us that all we really needed was a new control arm, and fixed it for $60. Worked perfectly. I recommend Hess Exxon wholeheartedly. -- NB Date: Wed Sep 11 17:03:00 1985 From: Harry.Printz@CMU-CS-IUS2.ARPA Subject: Lifetime Tuneup Michael, I've had my car inspected and tuned up at Lifetime. I do NOT recommend them. The tuneup did not include such basic steps as checking oil and transmission fluid levels. I found this out the hard way. Also, I believe I was swindled out of a distributor cap and a new set of ignition wires, although this would be hard to prove. Let me know what else you hear, or if you get positive recommendations of other mechanics. My current favorite is Dynamics Service Center, on Penn Ave. I went to the one on Negley and Baum. Harry Date: Wed Sep 11 17:45:09 1985 From: Sara Kiesler Subject: Lifetime Tuneup I have had good work done and fair prices, and they have guaranteed their work. Tell them I (Sara Kiesler) said so. I went to Lifetime at Centre and Negley. Is this the same one the others thought was bad? ------- Date: Wed Sep 11 18:17:36 1985 From: James.Anderson@K.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Lifetime Tuneup I tried them one, they are fast but poor, I noticed no difference in the cars performance and the thing they wrote down as possible causes were not true either. Everyone I know that has gone there says about the same thing. I recently found a place on baum near morewood that is very good so far, it is baum blvd. Exxon. If you go to them ask for Chuck and tell them I sent you. Their number is 682-1111, for auto work you have to call before 5. jwa I went to the one at negley and baum, but the people I have talked to, mostly other mechanics including my father, say that as a rule they are the pits. Date: Wed Sep 11 18:20:00 1985 From: Mel.Siegel@CMU-RI-SENSOR.ARPA Subject: Lifetime Tuneup Michael -- In their early days, I had good experiences. My last two have been very disappointing (they push doing easy, expensive work, deny the need for less expensive grubby work, and use substandard parts) -- I do not intend to go back. -- Mel Date: Wed Sep 11 22:34:53 1985 From: Larry.Rudolph@CMU-CS-A Subject: Lifetime Tuneup Three years ago they did a lousy job tuning up my car. On the other hand, I have an old Triumph Spitfire that is not so easy to fix. Larry