I'm soooo frustrated!!!

[Marilyn]

Back in the fall, my air conditioning in the company truck that I drive started blowing HOT air. I turned dials, pushed buttons and finally got it to switch back to cold air. In January, it acted up again on my way home from Corpus one day. While it was doing this, I pulled unto the local Chevy dealership and they checked it out. An actuator down in the dash had shorted out. They repaired it an all was well.

About 3 weeks ago, right before our cruise, it did it again. I went to the Chevy dealer and they said it was the same actuator again, to schedule the truck back in, and they would change it out. We were able to fiddle with the controls and get it to blow cold again, so I told them I would be get back to them. Due to the cruise and other things, I hadn't gotten the truck into the shop.

This weekend, the HOT air started blowing again, and when it does, it's like super heated air. We fiddled with the controls and it would switch back to cold for a few minutes then here comes the HOT again. This morning all the way to work it was blowing hot air and I could not get it to switch. I had some things to drop off at the office so I called the dealership to get them to make sure they had the parts so we could schedule it in. They said I had to come back and have them check it out to make certain that it was the same problem. I told them about the visit 3 weeks ago, but they wanted me to come in. It would just take a few minutes.

I drove the truck over, and of course it was blowing cold air. I got there and explained the problem, showed them the receipt from January where they had documented the problem and their repair. They had a technician check it out. The few minutes was an hour an a half.

Here's what I'm upset about..... the technician could find nothing wrong and they tried to tell me how to correctly operate the air conditioning controls in my truck. I got so angry I had to leave or I would have reamed someone out. How dare they treat me like some kind of bimbo. I called my husband and vented to him. They said if it acts up again to come by. The problem is I have to travel this week and I may be a hour or more away when it starts blowing hot air. When you put the windows down the wind noise is horrible.

I should have put this in the vent section. I'm still about ready to spit nails.

[Janet]

I don't blame you for being frustrated. No one cares anymore about the customer or their time. I don't like being treated that way either.

That's the way it goes with most things it seems. Even going to a Dr....I usually feel great when I go to the Dr. and somehow my symptoms go away until I get back home...lol.

Hope you've had time to cool down a bit.

[Blueyes]

They told you how to operate the AC? How stupid!! I wonder if they would have done the same thing to a man?

[gja1000]

I'm thinking the same thing Betsi, I wonder what they would have said to a man. I'm afraid I would not have been able to keep my composure. I don't work with men, or in a "man" environment, so I have very little tolerance for their behavior.

I hope you get it resolved soon, I know it is maddening!!!!!

[Marilyn]

I cooled down a bit and called them and told them that what is happening now is the same thing they repaired in January. This is a very real, but intermittent problem. It's not due to me not knowing how to operate the system. It was verified by the parts manager three weeks ago who told me I needed to schedule it in for repairs. So order the parts and I will bring the truck in on Thursday at 8 a.m. and I expect it repaired by 5 p.m. on Thursday. The answer I got was ,"Yes, Mam" (sp?).

When I take it in on Thursday, they better have the parts and be prepared to perform the repair, or I'm asking for the manager.

I know it would have been different if I'd been a man. I thought we were beyond this. In my work I deal with men all the time who ask me technical questions and for recommendations because they respect me for my knowledge and expertice. What sex I am is irrellavent. That makes this even more frustrating. I forget what it's like to deal with the world outside my industry. Uhhhhhh!! So frustrating!!

[HALEY]

Marilyn i feel you pain, my fridge was making a noise for months and i called the repair man and of coarse, when he came it wasn't making that noise, and i had to pay for a call out for this man, around 100.00 just to come to my house, I made him wait there and turn up up the controls colder on the fridge until it made that noise, and he waited for a good hour and a half, but i wasn't letting him leave my house until he fixed it, i wasn't paying for another call out!!! he he.... LOL...

[DianaB]

I know that fustration!! I've had my husband do that to me when something's been wrong with the car. I'll tell him about it and he'll poo-poo me but when he finally hears it he'll finally take a look at it. He did that to me once and I had just gotten back from a trip to Arkansas and he announced that we couldn't drive out of town because it was so bad. I had been complaining about the noise for weeks. I was really upset to think that I had driven that far with it that bad!!

Also, going in to get tractor parts is horrible. The guys always make me feel so stupid. They'll ask me questions about the piece of equipment. I usually don't know much except that I'm suppose to pick up parts and what they go on. This was before cell phones too. Glen would say "I don't know why they needed to know that." Now, he calls ahead of time and they're suppose to have the parts sitting on the counter waiting for me, otherwise I won't go.

I ran into a couple of women last week while in line at Wal-mart and some how this came up in a conversation and we all agreed that we had the same problem with tractor parts stores!!! I think that we were all sent to the same places!!!!

Marilyn, I'm glad that you put your foot down and got the appointment to have your truck worked on. Good going!!!

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by DianaB

Also, going in to get tractor parts is horrible. The guys always make me feel so stupid. They'll ask me questions about the piece of equipment. I usually don't know much except that I'm suppose to pick up parts and what they go on. This was before cell phones too. Glen would say "I don't know why they needed to know that." Now, he calls ahead of time and they're suppose to have the parts sitting on the counter waiting for me, otherwise I won't go.

I can just imagine going for tractor parts is awful!! The same thing happens to me - it seems like no matter what I go for (for Gary). Usually it's something for the car or boat and when I get the "20 questions" routine from the guy salesman - I feel so stupid. I'm like you Diana - except that we can't call ahead - so I tell Gary he'd better tell me or write down EVERYTHING that I could possibly need to know or I'm never going for him again. We both know that isn't true, but I use it for emphasis. I just HATE it when I get the "20 question" routine. Now I always make sure Gary is available by phone, cuz nine times out of ten, I'm gonna have to call him!!!

[Shada]

Ya know.. this brings to mind myself buying my first house when I was single. I was at one local bank in town. Got a application for a loan. Was treated like a child. Really upset me. So I took that application. Filled it out at home. Made an appointment at another local bank. Took that same application. Explained what happened at other bank. Told them if they elected to show me same treatment, I would not waste their time, or them mine.

Well, I got that loan. They cut off the letterhead of the other bank and I was able to use original application!

It is BS that we are treated differently from men in so many settings.
We have to stand strong and say 'nope' this is how it is..

[Marilyn]

Ya know, it's terrible, but I'm still steamed about this whole thing. And ladies, I feel your pain. I don't know how many times I've had to go get automotive parts for hubby while he continued to work on the car. Note: This was in years past. Cars have gotten so complicated he doesn't even work on them anymore. But anyway, I understand the 20 questions routine.

What I should have done the other day was tell the guy, that look, I'm a mechanical engineer, and I know how a few things work and when something is really wrong, and with regard to my air conditioning, this part needs to be changed again. But I hate to always throw this up to them. Next time, however, I'm not holding back. I was just so angry I was afraid of saying things that I shouldn't, so the best thing at the time seemed to be to leave and cool down then address the issue with them.

Tomorrow morning if they haven't ordered the part and have it on hand, I will get their attention!!

[HALEY]

Originally Posted by Shada

Ya know.. this brings to mind myself buying my first house when I was single. I was at one local bank in town. Got a application for a loan. Was treated like a child. Really upset me. So I took that application. Filled it out at home. Made an appointment at another local bank. Took that same application. Explained what happened at other bank. Told them if they elected to show me same treatment, I would not waste their time, or them mine.

Well, I got that loan. They cut off the letterhead of the other bank and I was able to use original application!

It is BS that we are treated differently from men in so many settings.
We have to stand strong and say 'nope' this is how it is..

Shana, the same thing happened to me!! I was a single young woman, God they want my life story before i got my loan. Pissed me off, they would have never did that to a man... How many years was i working at my job, how long i have my savings accounts, iras, etc... I had to show them everything! All the money i had in my bank accounts. I really don't think that was none of there business, i was employed and i was at my job for a good 6 years, hell i been working since i was 13 years old... i told the lady... i always had a job always..

[Marilyn]

I spoke with the dealership today to make sure they would have the parts in the morning. They called me back and said that the manager of the dealership would not let them order the parts until they had verified exactly what was wrong this time. Seems that there are 4 solenoids in the dash and more than one of them could cause this problem. Last time they changed out one of them. So tomorrow morning they want me to bring it in so they can run diagnostics again and try to pinpoint a problem. They said that Monday when I brought it in, they hooked it to the computer and ran the diagnostics, and it showed that nothing was wrong. If the computer doesn't tell them there is a problem they have nothing to fix.

The dealership is very convenient to my work so I'll take it to them tomorrow and see what happens. If they can't find anything wrong, I'm going to another dealership that is actually in my home town and we know them better, but leaving the truck there is not as convenient. The one where I work will drop me off at work. It's just down the street.

Like I said in another earlier post, these vehicles are getting too complicated to be able to work on. Even the techs at the dealerships can't do anything the computer doesn't tell them to do.

IN the mean time, on my way to Corpus this morning with the AC on and working fine, suddenly the thing started blowing super hot air in my face!!! AGAIN!!! It was blowing cold air this afternoon when I was near a Chevy dealer though, so couldn't get it verified. Still frustrated!!! I hate these intermittent problems. They never flair up when they need to!!

[Marilyn]

I took the truck in this morning, and they ran their diagnostics. They found a problem with the control module, so they ordered a new one and it will be in tomorrow. I'll drop the truck off again in the morning, and they say they will have it ready by noon.

Finally!!!! I sooo hope this solves the problem!!

I thought it was strange, they said they use a hand held device to scan the truck, they don't even touch it. The device picks up any problems. If it doen't pickup a problem, there is nothing that they can do.

We may be getting a little too high tech here. I can't imagine what my father would think of this if he was still alive. Wish I could tell him about it. He missed out on the internet and direct TV. What a shame.

[DianaB]

I'm so glad that the problem was finally found and will be repaired. I know that Glen used to do all the repairs on our vehicles but any more we have to take them in. They're just too computerized to do even simple repairs on. I'm sure that you'll be glad that you won't have hot air blowing on you any more!!!

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

I thought it was strange, they said they use a hand held device to scan the truck, they don't even touch it. The device picks up any problems. If it doen't pickup a problem, there is nothing that they can do.

We may be getting a little too high tech here.

I don't doubt that one bit! I have OnStar in my car and every month I get a diagnostic report via email that tells me if I have any problems with any of the systems (brakes, transmission, cooling, etc) in my car. It tells me how much oil life I have left and how many miles were on the car when the diagnostics were run - sooooooo, there has to be a monitoring system in place to allow OnStar to run those diagnostics from a satelite!!!