I Just Got Kicked Out of AutoZone and I'm Mad as Hell
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- čas přidán 14. 06. 2024
- Car parts. I Just Got Kicked Out of AutoZone and I'm Mad as Hell, DIY and car repair with Scotty Kilmer. Where to buy car parts. Never buy car parts from this place. The worst place to buy car parts. Is it best to buy car parts from a local auto store or online? Auto parts near me. Don't buy bad car parts from this store. Car parts explained and where to buy them. Car Advice. DIY car repair with Scotty Kilmer, an auto mechanic for the last 54 years.
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I'm madder as hell
You remind of an 80s and 90s mechanic I bet you worked on a lot chevy camaros in those days
It's ok I have been kicked out of better places...👈🤣
I usually get my parts at O'Reilly auto parts!!, they are a lot friendlier than the employees at auto zone !!, had to return an alternator to O'Reilly auto parts because of a bad bearing, no problem, they did the exchange and I've had no problems since !, it's been over 5-6 years now, alternator is still going strong !! Advance auto in my area is limited on stock, however!
Hi Scotty, I almost forgot, what would cause a 5-8 degree of temperature rise on my 2002 chevy Silverado, 4.8 Liter V-8 when a/c is on and in stop and go traffic?, can't find any coolant leaks, nothing in transmission, or oil, friends say maybe need a new radiator cap,( under the plastic cover), no heater core leaks, and a/c works great!, any ideas?, have to fill coolant reservoir about every 2 months, thanks for your videos!
Imagine working at a parts store and arguing with Scotty Kilmer 😂
😄😄
I would not have a job if my manager found out what had happened with Scotty, or with ANY customer.
THAT WOULD BE LIKE CHALANGING
CLINT EASTWOOD TO A GUNFIGHT 🤗🤗🍻🍻🍺🍺
@@stevemchale6363 Maybe if clint had down syndrome
CHINESE AUTO MAKERS AND YOU PALLLLL
This can't be good for Autozone. Save $120 but costs you hundreds of future customers who are Scotty's loyalists.... Autozone should have a picture of Scotty in the back and make sure they go above and beyond to make him happy (similar to restaurants where they have photos of food inspectors/food reviewers)....
Richard from what I've been seeing the American People are getting lazier & don't want to be bothered 😕. Take care, TMP from N.J.
You can run into that at any store at any location. Those guys only make like 12 dollars an hour. I had a bad experience at O'Reilly's once, doesn't mean every O'Reilly's on the planet is a problem. I've also received bad parts from Napa. It would be moronic to not shop Autozone because Scotty had 1 bad experience 1 time at 1 location.
@@thomasperina2990 22 hrs Autozone, 22.5 hrs oreillys, advance auto 21.5 hrs
@@NonprofitWrench I don't care what they pay their employees, because they accepted the job and knew what their hourly rate would be before they started. Some people don't have any pride.
@@ilc-nl3yy It's not pride. It's that low pay usually equals younger, lower ambition, lower experience, and lower knowledge employees. Because people with experience, knowledge, and ambition are likely working other places for higher pay, as they should be.
As a guy who used to work at an autoparts store it was the business model for the Chinese parts to break as close to the warranty as possible...planned obsolescence.
I love your passion Scotty.
I worked at Ford's transmission development center. I was on a hybrid v8 transmission project, all they had to make was 150k miles, that was the target written down on paper. It would pass validation and durability requitements if the trans goes out at 151k.
My outdated automatic on my 2000 corolla still works fine at 318500 miles..im second owner of car .as far as i know the transmission fluid may never bern changed .think i would go with cvt ? Hell no .car still runs great ..
American cars suck..then again hyundai and kias also.
I was in a Corp meeting and this was planned and discussed, hearing a guy say don't want it to last too long, then laugh made me feel disgusted, I'm no longer in that circus 🎪
All thanks to Edward Bernays. Rot in hell.
Being a current employee at AZ this has to be my favorite video Scotty has dropped and just seeing all the backlash we get 😅
Had bad luck at Advanced, went to AZ had better luck, I moved went to AZ had bad luck, went to Advanced. It doesn't matter which company, it all depends on how management treats their employees, trains them, retains them. You are 100 percent right about the auto manufacturers as well.
Yeah, in my area, the advanced is usually worthless, I've seen some guys in there that were okay, older, knew what they were doing at least, and some kids so stoned they were leading me to completely random crap while looking for something else. Meanwhile the autozone is pretty decent here, but the other two in the area, maybe a few miles apart each, are literally unusable, neither the people that work in the previously mentioned autozone, or the customers, can rely on these other two locations, for just about anything. Absolute last resorts. It's bad enough you might get a warning from the people at the good autozone about the bad autozone's if you're sent there hoping they have a part.
Yep, the AutoZone, Napa and O'reilly stores where I live treat us well.
Oriely best
Napa best quality
@MrArby1 I've rebuilt most of the engines I've done with Napa reman parts and never had a problem, I have to agree.
There's no shortage of auto parts stores where I live, so I'll move Auto Zone to the bottom of my list. Poorly trained and rude employees can really ruin a business. They should have put out a red carpet for you, Scotty. You have a huge following which you have earned, and you know what you're talking about. You're the best!
You can run into that at any store at any location. Those guys only make like 12 dollars an hour. I had a bad experience at O'Reilly's once, doesn't mean every O'Reilly's on the planet is a problem.
Auto zone is run by salesman to sell parts period
I haven’t had many problems with oreilys
Lol. Ive had an autozone employee dig through the computers files to find the receipt for parts i bought 2 years earlier and he gave me back cash. Meanwhile, at o Reilly s, i couldnt even get my deposit back in cash bc i paid with a card
Yea this old man knows his stuff. Id be lucky if I remain half as observant and functional as he is at this age.
Being a car parts store employee is just as important today as a full blown mechanic/ technician
Say what? I worked at an an auto parts store back in the mid 1980's, behind the parts desk to be exact. We didn't have computers to look up parts. What we had were about one hundred different vendor part catalogs that were in a binder, and you had to familiarize yourself where to look in that huge binder for whatever part the customer was looking for, and be able to do it in a timely manner. It was a daunting task at first, I'll never forget my first few days, customers growing impatient as I fumbled around with the binder hoping to find the right catalog, with customers that were waiting, openly grumbling about how useless you were, "You want me to go back there and do it for you?", and my only response was, I'm sorry, I'm new here.
Every once in a while an experienced co-worker who was behind the counter and free could come over and help you.
But it was very stressful at first, plus as you were looking thru the books, the phone would ring with another customer on the line. Yes, today's computers make it so much easier to work in an auto parts store.
I agree, customers expect us know exactly what is wrong with THEIR cars it’s pretty crazy you’d be surprised what I gotta deal with
No it ain't, they hire high school drop outs for that job...smh
@@poshpageboy8417 Hate jobs that deal with people directly.
@@whitegoodman7465 why u say that?
I’ve been in the used parts business for 20 years at a salvage yard. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people I see that go to these auto parts stores and get crap. Lots of times the used alternator or starter is better than a remand one. 😂
as an autozone employee, i apologize on behalf of all of us for the way they treated you scotty!
Same here. Also an employee of AutoZone.
Report that location he went to
I agree. Not all autozones are the same. I've had shitty service at every auto parts store and I've had good service
Why should you apologize for other employees at your company? Oh because you know that's how all of them are. The Tacoma WA area autozone employees can all go sh*t in their hat's. 🤠
Embarrassed... Autozoner
Auto Zone needs to learn not to mess with Scotty Kilmer.
And Scotty needs to learn to not mess with Toyota
@@philipsommitz8672 ,
Scotty tells it like it is. Toyota or otherwise.
@@philipsommitz8672, you got that backwards Philip ;-)
They'll learn. Probably starting today.
What the little people don’t get to speak up about is how he acted in the store😩
I absolutely love Scotty's hand movements. I could watch these videos with the sound off and still enjoy them
It drives me crazy. It is like watching a orchestra conductor trying to out perform the orchestra. Me, Me, Me.
Him working on my car with all of those hand movements would make me nervous.
I worked for a short while at a national auto parts chain store. I tested every battery, alternator and starter before selling it to the customer. It took a few minutes of time, but never heard anyone complain about it.
You are a REAL parts guy.👍
Can we all just take a minute to appreciate how great Scotty is!?
Standing ovation...
legend
he's a cool dude
I'M GOING TO SCHOOL TO BE AN ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC LARGELY BECAUSE I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE OUT LIKE SCOTTY DOES. SCOTTY HAS VERY STRONG CHARACTER AS MYSELF & CAN'T BE BOUGHT.
He's so good he rewrote ohm's law.
This is funny because it's one of the first things I learned when I started repairing my own cars 45 years ago. You can buy an alternator from one parts store and it's crap, but then go a few miles down the road to a different parts store and buy the same alternator and it's better than the one that the manufacturer put in.
They probably come from the same manufacturer who hires far worse employees than Autozone. I work at a place that makes finished food products for different brands.
If its a dodge, it's not difficult to make a better alternator than the original.
Funny enough many years ago I worked at a factory that rebuilt alternators and starters. It's pretty much dependent on who's working the shift that day on that part. Some of us would be very meticulous, test each part, make sure everything was as good as possible. Others would just sand it down, clean it and move on.
On my 60s-90s GM vehicles, I just rebuilt the alternators myself. A good DVM can test the diode trio and power diodes and you can check and replace the brushes. The regulator IC gets replaced from other junk alternators that I got at the swap meets.
I feel your pain Scotty...But I also feel like its not just Autozone...Advance and O'Reilys are duds as well. I guess it just depends on the roll of the dice on any particular day at any particular store. So sad.
It's crazy how many auto part stores have employees that are not qualified or trained properly. Most of the time I would rather just walk behind the counter and look up my own parts...😆
I feel the same way. I hate it when they talk down to me. My degree is in automotive technology.
The managers are awful
That's why I just go online and order my parts
@@TheKlamminator you can order factory parts online for less than the Chinese crap they sell at any of these "auto parts" stores.
They keep prices low by hiring at minimum wage. If you’re fine with paying more then everywhere else then tell them to hire experts and pay an expert salary for them.
This is how you know Scotty is authentic: he gets treated as badly as everyone else at a crappy store. Companies with a high turnover of staff are badly managed and, if they have a high turnover of managers, they are dodging responsibility for bad company behaviour. Here in the UK for example water companies pumping sewage into rivers will pump their managers from site to site so it's hard to tell who is in charge.
Your honest comments about your poor experience at AutoZone should get a reply from their corporate president with a hart felt apology. You are my hero as I try to keep all my cars fixed by myself with the help of your great videos. Greetings from Spokane, Washington.
*heart *
Could I take a bet on that? All of the readers here could get rich off of that wager.
Hey Scotty! I worked for AutoZone in the Treasure Coast of Florida for 10 years as a PSM (Gray Shirt)! I've always kept my Charging/Starting Systems Checking Machine in good working order besides researching all training modules and Test every Electronic Component BEFORE closing the sale to the Customer! I agree with you from experience that Remanufactured Parts are only worth the savings 50% of the time, thus the lifetime warranty! The quick turnover of, (Red Shirts) reflects the low wages and short shifts available to younger recruites! I personally always bought the OEM Parts for every various vehicle I own, "there's no price for peace of mind!"
Thanks for the video. Buying something new is no guarantee anymore. It is not exclusive to car parts as I put in a water heater last week that was junk from the factory! Love your videos.
Same holds true for starters. Took a defective Honda starter to AutoZone, and what do you know it tested perfectly fine. Battery tested ok as well as the alternator. Ended up towing the vehicle to the mechanic, who diagnosed it as the starter. Ended up spending twice as much as I should have. Always better off going to Advanced Auto, they will price match AutoZone and have more competent counter help.
Can't trust the ppl at the register. They might as well work at Walmart
@LactoseTheIntolerant I do euro stuff and I know better than to not use OEM supplier parts.
I'll stick with Bosch and Ate and you should stick with denso and ngk 😄
Actually I like ngk"s so I'll keep using em.
Don't you guys have any good suppliers online?
I gotta get a water pump for the wife's car ,2014 Jetta.
Dealers like 600$.
FCP Euro is like 480 for the vw dealer part ,but an oem supplier one is 360.
FCP is great,lifetime warranty on EVERY part ,even send em back your used oil if you want!
I usually get stuff next day if it's in stock, but I'd be a 3hr drive from em.
I'd have to think there would be some decent suppliers online for the Asian imports.
@@MrTheHillfolk Try Car geeks they might have parts for your VW. I have bought parts from them in the past, no issues.
@LactoseTheIntolerant
I agree.
NAPA cost a little more, but you get what you pay for.
Knowing who Scotty is should be a prerequisite to apply at autozone
Here's a tip for alternators being bought anywhere: verify correct part, ask them to test it, then buy it if it passes.
Many a time early on I learned the replacement alternators were bad only after installing them; both rebuilt and NEW.
Since I started this process, I've had a hand full of rebuilt alternators and starters fail the test BEFORE I walked out the store AND one NEW IN THE BOX alternator fail the test BEFORE I walked out the store.
When it passes I thank them so much for the effort and reassurance. When it fails I thank them for the catch and we try again...
Great advice.👍
There are excellent commercial rebuilders for main components like water pumps, alternators and master cylinders---and they operate in the USA. Remy is the company that made the oem in my Silverado. Excellent quality and durable. The 145-amp alternator that came new in my 2009 silverado is still rolling up the miles all these years later. They build great remanufactured generators too.
The problem with side post batteries is that if you try to get them on super tight you'll strip out the threaded inserts. It has always been a horrible design.
Actually more contact than top post
My mechanic referred to Autozone as the Twilight Zone and that was back in the 1990s and he still says it.
Don't know why? 90% of what Autozone sells you'll find the same brands at all the other auto part stores, and Autozone, in most instances, will sell it cheaper.
Bought brake pads from Autozone several years ago, this year needed to replace them, went back to Autozone, looked up my info on their computer, saw that I had the Lifetime Warranty on the old ones, handed me new ones, FREE.
Now, say that I went to your mechanic several years ago to do that same brake job and he got the brake pads from Autozone, now I'm returning to him several years later for the new brake job. Your mechanic would do the job all right, charge me for labor, plus charge me for brake pads that he went to Autozone and got for free because of the Lifetime Warranty of the originals that are registered to his account.
Plus whatever the retail price Autozone sold those pads for, your mechanic would mark them up by about 50% on your itemized bill.😅🤣😂
As a shop owner, you should know by now that parts stores only pay labor for commercial accounts. Easy to set up at most stores, especially at Advance. Not only are you covered by their labor policy, but you can request a visit by a Commercial Account Manager and set up a discount program for you. If you set up a charge account, they'll deliver the part to you. Even at your home, if that's your business address. TONS of discounts for commercial accounts. And labor coverage too.
Hey Scotty your so correct, I have even had the new brand from these auto parts fail just installed, alternators and starters it frustrating as a technician to always have to modify these parts to fit then only to failed, i have decided to use the bosch parts if the jobs take an hour or more and have seen great success, but love your vids, keep.them coming!!
I worked at Autozone for one day. I quite after they were telling me to put stuff on peoples bills without saying anything. I watched them do that three times in a two hour period. Haven’t been back since.
TY
Yep, I am ashamed to have done that when i worked there but I was in a tough spot myself. Now I actively boycott Autozone.
@@AngryCarMechanic what kind of stuff would you put on someone’s bill? They didn’t notice it?
@@tigergreg8 Battery protectant, slide pin grease, water pump sealant. Small stuff of that nature.
We called it WITTDJR. So if you're at AutoZone and you see them try to sneak that onto the receipt or convince you; don't.
Oh that's illegal. U use to work there and was told not to do that, but recommend the brake, battery, spark plug grease etc. Had 2 or 3 costumers come back to return those packets that a assistant manager put on.
They really must’ve been rude to scotty for him to blow a gasket like this
When the part sold to him does not work, and being told 'and don't come back', from some kid, I think that is right up there in rudeness.
Great advice as usual, thanks for posting
Howdy Scotty, Always a great video from you! A few arm chair comments, as far as battery terminal corrosion I find a dab of petroleum jelly on the connector eliminates this problem.
I learned my lesson on rebuilt alternators and starter motors. Always buy new.
Or low mileage factory used.
TY
You're right about the turn over rate. If autozone don't get their sh*t right, the workers will rebel just like most places now seem to be. Not enough pay to get workers in.
yup, can confirm piss-poor pay and sky-high turnover for most stores. every 1-in-5 is decent though, as far as the workers go
My last trip in an Autozone was over 6 years ago. I got lectured by the "manager" about trying to buy parts for "such an old car". I needed valve cover gaskets for a 3.8 Ford. When he told me it was so old they didnt carry them, I simply commented that Ford only built about 19 million of them and had stuck them in everything from mini vans, mustangs, rangers, tauruses, t-birds, etc. That was when he got mad and lectured me about how old it was. He was still running his mouth when I walked out. I havent been back since.
im glad i did my homework before i took the job at advance auto parts .. and you help me so much ...
From experience buy an OEM alternator, starter, water pump etc.
Replace the belt and the tensioner as well. The reason the retail auto parts store have "lifetime warranty" on lots of their parts is that you will spend lifetime changing the same part!! 😎
😂🤣😂😂 👍
Great videos like always
Used to work for autozone constantly had customers throwing fits because of the staffs poor attitude. I was a driver so I didn't really care all that much, but would have customers throwing parts dumping washer fluid and flat out trying to fight employees. But I went to advanced to get parts one time and the dude at the register couldn't even spell rack and pinion so I mean I think the stores are solely determined if they are good or not by the staff that occupies them.
who cares if they can spell if they know what they are doing.
I have worked for the zone for two years now. I have worked at various stores and can confirm the turnover rate is terrible in certain locations. You will get those kinds of workers sometimes and it is a pain. Some are just parts salesmen that wana just get people out the door, so they don't have to deal with them. Some will be actual guys who work on their own stuff or former mechanics that know what they are doing. Never take anything at face value. Sorry you had to deal with that Scotty.
P.S. to everyone that goes to our stores that reads this: We are not free mechanics. We cannot just pull out a set of tools and try to fix your jalopy that just rolled out of the junkyard. Do not expect us to be able to diagnose every problem the car has. Take it to a real mechanic instead of expecting us to know how to fix it or have the time to do so.
True, but the verbal advice I get is usually correct and well appreciated. It at least gets me to thinking some more, and sometimes I do not buy the part and go home and rethink everything. I have never asked a store clerk to fix something for me. People do that? Wow!
To "Legendary" : Wait ! So, you're saying do not go to your store ("the zone") for repairs? And you're also saying, "Take it to a real mechanic instead . . ."
OK, from now on I will not go to "the zone" but will take my car to a REAL mechanic. Thanks for your advice, bro.🙂
Never went to any parts store and ask them to help me fix anything but once in awhile its nice to get some advice from older guys that work on cars and get me thinking about outher ways to solve a issue. Part stores don't have anyone like that anymore.
@Lengendary That's reasonable. I started working on cars in the carb era and diagnosing them was not nearly as complicated as the cars of today. So, to expect the person behind the counter to diagnose a problem more than just burnt out light is not fair. But if your employee has more than a simplistic understanding of car systems that can lead to an advantage over other part stores. On the alternator, the employee that runs the test machine should be fully trained to understand what the machine's results is telling them. A power supply, an alternator in this case, can produce the acceptable voltage but not enough amperage. And that was Scotty's problem. The tester, I would hope, would give a voltage and amperage result. That would have given AZ the technical edge and Scotty's problem would have, ultimately, been solved and he would have been happy.
Yeah n bet we all know why there is a high staff turnover with Auto Zone.
It’s not only don’t buy anything from there;don’t work their either.
I stoped shopping at autozone over 4 years ago. When the manager yelled at ne to stand in line, and wate my turned, to ask a question, if they had something I needed. So I walked out. There is an O'Reilly across the street. They are always polite and helpful. I asked my question, he said yes and got in line to waited my turned 😊 and got what I needed and O'REILLY got a new customer.
I have worked for Advance Auto for five years now and a couple of years ago I had a commercial customer come in with the same problem. His alternator that he got from us wasn’t working properly but our machine said it was good. I asked the customer if wanted to go ahead and warranty it out and see if that solved the problem. He said yes and it did. Sometimes you cant trust the machines.
I’m at a point in my life where I only buy OEM brand name parts now. I never seem to have issues with them. For many many years I’ve bought aftermarket parts and while it is much cheaper, these parts don’t hold up. You seem to get what you pay for with about everything anymore. I’d rather spend the extra money for a good quality part then have to end up replacing that same part several times over
Agree and I usually buy from NAPA for OEM certified parts; especially electronics.
Depends. OEM are made by the same companies as many aftermarket. Have to look and see where it's made.
I replaced a clutch assembly once, and asked the store to order the best quality parts they could get. I went together easily and worked very smooth. I was very happy and I wanted it to last a long time.
@@hotpuppy1 Could be more now than years past with all the China sub contracting, but not necessarily from the same manufacturing lot sold for production. The OEM has to have a reasonable level of quality from every subbed out part, or no cars would make it off the assembly line and the manufacturer would not buy from them again. These overseas companies are not known for great QC, and once they start producing the parts for sale as replacement it can be an entirely different story.
@@hotpuppy1 The OEM ignition coils for the '02 Ford Thunderbird are terrible . . . the T-Bird forum recommends a (much better made) asian aftermarket part as replacement. Both sturdier AND cheaper!
Having managed (babysit) a couple chain stores, there is usually only one or two employees at the store that are professionals. Scotty certainly would had gotten his labor claimed paid for installing a bad part from my store. As for parts quality, it really is a crap shoot. The label on the box doesn't mean much anymore. Just a heads up, the local car dealers are stocking fewer parts then they used too. They purchased a large percentage of their stuff from AutoZone etc. The dealerships almost always buy the cheapest oil filter, water pumps etc. the parts houses offer. They prefer we deliver the parts in unmarked delivery trucks. I wonder why?
Ya I've seen thoes
Nice use of sarcasm
@@TheSleepingonit they are actually parked outside of autozone in my area
Having worked at an AutoZone for a brief period of time, I have to agree with everything you said. People there just for a job because they would hire a cold body.
I tend to buy hard parts at NAPA stores. There is a very good local chain that has one of the few full service machine shops in the greater area. Shops from 30-40 miles send their repairs here. There are also a lot of NAPA affiliated repair shops here. The local Auto Zone is the worst one I have ever seen. Tiny store with little knowledge. We also have an OK O'Reilly's. I also like Advanced Auto Parts, but none around for 40-50 miles.
One rule everybody, never ever get rid of your OEM alternator, take it to an alternator/starter shop or a mechanic and have them rebuild it
Hi Scotty, 'm 71 and vow to be more hands on with my new 2024 Camry Hybrid. I just sold my Scion xB 1st gen with 65k miles for a GREAT RETURN! I took very good care of her, but now on a mission to be even more hands on, changing filters, learning what's what under my hood, just got Meguiars for spraying the headlights, etc. Thanks for your great instruction! ;-)
I never have any issues with parts I buy at Advance and the service is always good. AutoZone has always been sketchy in Nashville as far back as I can remember. It must come from the top down because they're pretty consistently bad no matter what location, I found years ago.
I genuinely want to see Scotty mad as hell.
Lol!
Reckon he'd go as Red as that Chevy!
"Rev up your emotions!"
i bet his arms would go a mile a minute... the guy is great
Scotty gonna pull out the .45 if he mad😈
I stopped shopping at autozone for reasons just like these. They were always selling me parts that didn't work or just the wrong part even though I strictly pick out my own parts online to ensure I don't get the wrong one. They've even sold me a used wheel hub once in a new box so I didn't notice till I got home and had the old hub off. Different locations didn't work either and i put up with it for years. The last straw was they gave me the wrong part and the guy had the nerve to argue with me that it was the right part. I now strictly shop at advanced auto parts. Nice quality parts and I have yet to make multiple trips for one job.
You are the best hippi deadhead mechanic i know! I love the videos
I used to rebuild alternators. There really isn't that much inside one. The key to a rebuilt one is are they replacing all the bearings and brushes along with using OEM parts. Most of these rebuilders cut too many corners including the one I worked for back in the 70s. They would buy a bunch of cheap diode plates that wouldn't make it off the test stand without blowing out. Half the ones that did make it out of the shop came back in a couple of months. The parts that had OEM stuff in them never came back
I bet your alternator is nice and thick
Agree with you 100%, I used to rebuild mostly American alternators, starters, etc. We used to replace individual diodes before diode assemblies became reasonably priced, and OEM parts such as Delco-Remy, Autolite, Chrysler, etc. are worth the small extra cost.
Can you even get quality rebuild parts/kits for starters and alternators, and what about pumps?
@@connor3288 I’d like to know of any links too for buying oem parts for alt, starters etc
Singapore Special diodes
My local AutoZone told me yesterday that the alternator doesn't charge the battery!
That's worse than the experience I had with them. Want to confuse an autozone manager? Ask them about a 351 Modified factory Ford engine
Love the videos
Scotty, I agree with you about the lousy side mounts on the batteries on GM cars and trucks.
I've changed out the crappy battery on my S10 years ago, converted the cables to top mount and dropped in the largest battery that would fit in the hole.
Even did cut aways on the battery tray to accept a bigger battery and cut away the battery plastic carry handles to get it in. Works great.
Take notes everyone. It's all about the "big male parts" when buying a new, high quality battery.
LOL Size does matter
Yep, switch the side screw terminals to a normal top post, just dont short out to the hood like I did once.
@@chuckmiller5763 The problem I've run into with a LOT of GM cars is that they don't make the cables long enough to cut the end off and put a new end on it, and still reach over the top of the battery to make the connection. I've hated side terminals since they first came out in the latter part of 79'.
I had the same problem with 3 starters from autozone had to remove and install on a Pontiac Sunfire pain in the butt to do for them to all be bad. After the 3rd time I told the manager pull one off the shelf and test it. It tested bad as well so I got my money back and went to o'reilly's never had a problem again
I stopped using autozone as my go to years ago, except as a last resort. Before they actually had knowledgeable sales staff, but they apparently changed their hiring model. And lord forbid if you have something that isn't factory, they will argue with you about it. Now it's a bunch of people who don't know anything besides how to look up parts on a computer. Advance is my go to now.
About 7 years ago now I had to replace my alternator on my Acura TL. Bought a rebuilt from Auto Zone. Immediately after replacement had squeaking. Replaced the serpentine belt. Still squeaking. Come to find out it was the "new" AZ alternator that came with bad bearings. Returned it for replacement. Bad bearings a second time. Returned it for replacement again. Bad squeaking bearing a third time. Returned for replacement. Bought a used OEM alternator with 90k miles on it that had good no squeaking bearings. I learned my lesson and have not bought parts from AZ since. OEM from now on. Thanks for the video.
Autozone alternators are notoriously bad out of box
Well, I didn't go to Autozone before. Now I'm gonna tell all my coworkers what they did to our man Scotty.
@@lesoram6236 word of mouth is effective
@@elc2k385 Not if it's coming from a known big mouth.🤣😂😅
Scotty was preaching the good word at customers to buy Toyota and they tossed him out
Yep Scotty, always meeting somebody new at my local autozone as well. Lol. Love your videos.
Watch your videos all the time and side note I’m from Knoxville Tenn glad you moved to Tenn again great videos
I used to work at jiffy, I was the only one there who knew what he was doing… these corporations hire no experience people to pay them minimum wage smh
I’ve had bad experiences with auto parts shops
Hey Scotty, Im an Advance Auto GM... I dont usually talk about the competition but like you said they suck. I hear it everyday from customers, how they went there and had some type of terrible experience. We literally have a Zone across the street from my store. We have probably scooped up 50-60% of their customers just because we can keep employees and we also train our employees. Nothing is worse than trying to get an auto part that youre not 100% sure of and talking to a salesman that you can tell is just as if not more unsure than you. Hope you keep coming back to Advance, shoulda went with the Carquest Premium tho, driveworks is kinda sketchy imo. But whatever works right? Have a good one bud
I am 100% satisfied with my local advance auto! The employees have been the same since moving to the town 2 years ago. They are nice and friendly. The auto zone down the road isn’t friendly and never have the parts I need. Happy to hear advance is like my store across the board!
Same scenario here, both close by. Always preferred Advance. A while ago AutoZone tried to tell me my third clear container had anti-freeze in the oil. You could see there was none there. Guy tried to say he could smell it. They were just playing games to try to not take much used oil, where taking used oil from customers (I bought stuff too then) is part of the customer agreement.
Over the passed 4/5 years Autozone & Pep boys both are slipping on service & skilled labor plus being flat out rude to customers. I just wish all the rest sold a 84 month battery like Autozone does. I use to only buy Die hard batterys with life time replacement , but nobody does that anymore. Best anybody has is Autozones 84 month
I’ve had no problems with your business but O’Reillys is the best in my town!
auto zero , highest prices, with lowest quality parts. best to avoid
them, n stick with all the others.
Hi Scotty .... it's a small world after all ! I used to be your mom's Courier Express paperboy on Champlain Ave. during the mid seventies ....I lived down the street from her/you(not sure if u still lived with her at that time) at 9132 Champlain..... absolutely l-o-v-e your podcast....
Old scotty repair love this content
Thanks Mr. Scotty for all the info you give us ! very useful !
I hate the battery screw in side GM design. It has given me nothing but problems.
I had one blow the top off because someone put in too long of a bolt.
Scary.
There has definitely been a lot of bad rebuilt parts out there lately. I went through three brake calipers to get a good one. The first one had no insides. It was disassembled, and cleaned up and put in the box without new piston, etc. The next one didn't get that far. It looked like someone took it off an old car, and stuck it in the box. The third one was good. And rebuilt carburetors are never a good idea at this point. For those of you who have an old car that still uses one.
Had a friend of mine that went through 3 alternators from AZ before he got a good one. He called me after he put on the first one thinking he done something wrong. He finally took it back to the store and they tested it to find out it was indeed bad. This went on 3 times until he got one that worked.
If I have time when replacing an alternator or starter, I take it to an alternator/starter shop in the next town over. It takes longer but they do amazing work at the same price as a "rebuilt" one from the big box stores.
As someone who works at AutoZone I will get into a physical altercation with who ever kicked Scotty out.
@BLKCFII i know AutoZone is not a great career I’m not making a career out of it at all I’m in college and need part time work
😂
@@pr01fessional become an electrician I promise you won’t regret it
Every store depends on its management and employees. If there’s a lot of turnover, avoid that location for sure.
When I had to do this job on my silverado I specifically wanted the AC Delco alternator to hopefully avoid faulty junk. Still going good
Rule number 1 working on cars don't use autozone unless last resort. Although in my younger years I did run across a gentleman that did know his stuff and was being under paid tremendously for his knowledge. I hope he found a better job. Same goes for a guy who I used to see at orileys and I don't anymore I always felt like I was going to get the right part from him. As I could explain and he knew what I was talking about. Now days it's a crap shot. I find it easier to have a part number ready to go instead of trying to figure out on the computer while there.
I guess Scotty changed his mind because a while back he said a rebuilt alternator was much better than a new Chinese one.
Thanks, yes , some discrepancies,etc.
Scotty has also consistently warned about most anything done in Mexico.
So he admitted screwing up by not NOT sticking to his own advice!
Live & Learn.
Advanced autoparts have always had better quality part's than AutoZone.
Love it! I just bought a remanufactured hydroboost because I couldn't source a Mopar part. I home I'm not going to kick myself in the butt. Don't want to change the power steering fluid more than I have to.
I have a nice little scan tool that tests battery and alternators I love it.
That's my life, I've learned to NEVER get any major parts from AutoZone
We can’t stand Auto Zone! Orders a case of Brake Cleaner they send 3 cans order a case of shop towels they send 4 rolls! When you call em on it they swear up and down they did it right! Same with other parts! Hell with em!
Yeah can’t keep good employees unless you pay them what they’re worth, autozone is an awful company
@@freelancedentist9480 good companies, if they exist, get eaten.
I've been shopping at AutoZone because it's super convenient for me and I like their loyalty program credits. Last week I went to buy front brake pads for my 2015 BMW X1. They don't stock any, but they could get a very expensive set if I wanted to order. I stopped at the local O'Reilly's - they had three different options *in stock!* Enjoy your videos!
I've had this same experience, but I bought them at Advance. Was told when I returned it that it was good, but I assured them it wasn't. Maybe their testing machines really don't work. Gave me a different one and good to go.
Thanks for making a mistake, correcting it and showing us what to do!!
I bought my last alternator at a junkyard. Its held up about 3 years so far. Cost me like $15.
Haha, good for u
Our junk yards now have a $50 minimum on anything!!!! Rip off
4:41 love this SO much!
I ran an AutoZone stores in Greensboro NC years ago. I paid my employees more than any of our other stores in the region. I had zero turn over, happy employees and happier customers. I had a good chunk of customers follow me from store to store. At that time (1995 - 2003), the same company rebuilt AZs and Advance alternators and starters. I gave it up due to 80 hour work weeks. Customer service should be job 1. I could tell a lot of stories about customers!
Boycott that auto zone.
Always wondered why you almost never mentioned Advance Auto Parts thinking they’re not around your area. As a previous happy customer & current team member, I would suggest to make AAP your first stop for auto parts.
Big fan, lots of respect
I was a Carquest fan
Both Advanced stores near me are terrible. One will sell you a bad part and act like you did something wrong and the other is run by employees who have no idea what they are doing
Replaced the Alternator on my Sonoma 20 years ago. Tried a new one first. The mounting holes didn't quite line up. After jerry rigging a mounting, drove it to work the next day only to have the flywheel/fan come off letting the belt slip off and melt. Try number two was a rebuild. It dropped right into place and has worked flawlessly for two decades.
Auto manufacturers are taking "Planned Obsolescence" to a whole new level!!!
Your right Scotty, I purchased an AutoZone alternator and failed in a year. I ended up buying a brand new Denso alternator and never failed.
When is Scotty NOT mad as hell?
Ha! Tuesdays! Lol!
"I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore"!
When he's sleeping! Lol
Scotty is so knowledgeable and fun
I recently purchased an alternator for my daughters '11 Jetta from Auto-Zone, and it put out zero volts as well. Got my money back and bought one from NAPA and was back on the road.
Funny you bring it up Scotty. I have an Autozone and Advanced less than a mile apart. I drive the extra mile to go to Advanced as their customer service seems much better. Most of the time at Autozone I feel like I'm bothering someone just to ring me out.
That is exactly my experience at my local Autozone.
Love your show Scotty, you know when GM came out with those side terminals they were supposed to eliminate corrosion from battery acid that would sometimes seep from the vents in the top of the battery. you should try jumpstarting one of those oh I forgot I’m sure you have many times.
Which is why after the original battery replacement, I went with dual terminals for my next battery, dual terminal batteries cost the same as single terminals, so it's beyond me why people don't go that route?
Just wanna chime in here: Never buy any "rebuilt" anything from one of these stores. Always just buy the new. I can't tell you how many times I have had a "rebuild" fail and I literally only work on my own vehicles. In fact, I've had them sell me "new" stuff like solenoids that don't even work out of the box as well.
It seems like there’s only one employee at these auto stores that know a little something, and the rest are clueless. I always hold my breath I get that ONE person.
I can imagine Scotty arguing and throwing hand gestures inside autozone and the matter he gets the crazier the hands go