Opening the hood of our Q7 yesterday, we found a prize!
Sitting next to the impossible-to-open coolant tank and on top of the weather stripping was a channel lock. A channel lock that did not match our tools, but would probably match those of our local dealership.
Maybe we'll put it back in the engine compartment when we go for our next service...
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 23,799 miles.
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SubyTrojan says:
03:52 PM, 01/11/08
LOL! Nice find, Mike! Having worked at a service department or two in my lifetime, let's just say I'm not surprised! =Þ
benson2175 says:
04:00 PM, 01/11/08
That's such a useful tool to have around the house. I do so much with mine I would never leave it under a hood.
dalaw says:
04:05 PM, 01/11/08
Wow that can be kinda dangerous, what if it falls into the cooling fans, belts, etc.... Actually one time my dad left a screw driver in the engine bay and caused a small dent in the hood as he was dropping it shut.
bimmerjay says:
04:09 PM, 01/11/08
Haha, about a year ago I opened the trunk of my BMW to find that same tool plus a pair of pliers left behind! I still have them.
altimadude00 says:
04:48 PM, 01/11/08
Luckily it was caught in the weather striping, as anywhere else it would rattle loose and cause some serious damage.
Talk about a Christmas Bonus!
jr1m90 says:
05:32 PM, 01/11/08
Maybe that's how the service department at Audi gets new tools.
Mechanic- "Dangit, we lost another wrench. Guess it's time for a whole new set."
tmanz says:
09:31 PM, 01/11/08
Now that is a good engine bay design. Leave room so that you can slam a hood on tools left behind without the shape of the tool showing through the hood sheetmetal :)
stovt001 says:
11:27 PM, 01/11/08
Yay free tools!
Glad it didn't damage anything.
prndlol says:
03:07 PM, 01/12/08
What would really be humourous is if the mechanic realized where he left them soon afterward and is anxiously awaiting your next service.
banhugh says:
10:58 PM, 01/13/08
what worries me is not that they forgot the wrench under the hood. What worries me is why the @#$@ they would use a wrench of that size for a regular service. What did they try to do with that wrench in the engine?
kurtamaxxxguy says:
08:33 AM, 01/14/08
what worries me even more is when an Audi owner has one Audi dealership within 200 miles of your home, and they have "mechanics" like these.
boxermike says:
11:08 AM, 01/14/08
Banhugh: That's for taking off the cover of the coolant filler/tank. Having tried to take it off previously, I'm surprised they didn't need something bigger.
-mike
tryan says:
04:48 AM, 01/15/08
I had my previous Passat in for service one day and when I was told it was ready, I went to the dealer to find that not only had they removed my weathertech rubber mats from the rear passenger floor, but they placed - and left for my consumption - a plethora of dirty tools on my carpet. They hadn't even completed the requested repair fully! I had a mind to drive away witht he tools and finish the work myself, but my conscience got the better of me. I haggled the service manager a bit and ended up getting a W8 loaner for a day - pretty nice back in 2002. That was one fun day with the W8...=)
It does alarm me that they would leave tools like a Channel-lock in the engine bay. It's a fairly obvious tool to miss, no? Any action planned against the dealer? Maybe you can get your service contract extended and get a few vice-grips or even a VAG-COM left in your engine bay! =)
boxermike says:
10:45 AM, 01/15/08
"Any action planned against the dealer?" -- Keeping the channel lock.
cruiserhead1 says:
02:31 AM, 01/16/08
I had a knocking noise every time i turned in a Lexus GS I had. Turns out the dealer mechanic left a Snap-On socket in the area under the wipers... I still have that socket. I put it by the wash sink as a nice reminder why I wrench my own cars now.
jdub53084 says:
11:11 AM, 01/16/08
As an automotive service professional and someone who has invested a lot of money in tools, please try and return the tool. The gentleman that found the Snap-On socket in his car should realize that they are about 9-30 dollars a piece depending on the size. Technicians are not supplied tools at a dealership other than the essential tool package that the manufacturer requires to repair new cars.
Hand tools are extremely expensive, especially the Snap-On, Mac and Matco tools.
I know leaving tools in cars might be sloppy work to some, but readers have to appreciate the number of cars technicians work on every day. It's bound to happen and I have done it as well.If you know the dealer where the Q7 was serviced, take the tool back on the next visit. Also check if its marked and match the initials to the work order. There will be a happy if slightly embarrassed mechanic.
Plus, the Channel-lock is not a "wrench" of any type.
SubyTrojan says:
11:31 AM, 01/16/08
jdub53084 is correct in that technicians/mechanics have to supply their own tools except for manufacturer-specific tools. Every time a technician left or started at the service department I was working at, he (I would say "or she" but there weren't ever any female techs at the places I worked) would have to transport his tool box in/out. As jdub also mentioned, the tools aren't cheap. Snap-On, MAC, and Matco tools are much more expensive than those people can buy at Harbor Freight or even the Craftsman tools available at SEARS.
boxermike says:
11:48 AM, 01/16/08
jdub and Suby: I was kidding about keeping the tool. It was poor form to leave it there, and would be just as bad to keep it.
daytona_500 says:
01:22 PM, 01/16/08
I say keep it, it's the least Audi can do for you after producing a defective vehicle.
SubyTrojan says:
01:45 PM, 01/16/08
I know you were kidding, Mike. :o) Some of the other readers here on the other hand, may not be so quick to "do the right thing." I kid.²
jdub53084 says:
08:24 PM, 01/16/08
I lost a 13MM socket down a frame rail hole on my sisters old tahoe after doing a water pump. I thought it was gone for good but found it on the driveway a day later..