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RE[2]: brake fluid changing (long story-delete now)
I laughed so hard at Don's brake bleeding instructions that I couldn't
resist responding (some will wish I had). I went through exactly
this same process in my dangerous Datsun 510 while I was still dating
the woman that became my wife. Little did she realize what she was
getting into when I stole her mother's baster in their garage to bleed
the brakes. Ah, darling... just sit in the car for a minute -- no, no,
don't let the pedal up until I say so! The instructions brought the
memories back so clearly that tears are rolling down from laughter and
everyone here is looking at me kinda funny.
I did have a point here. This same car had a similar brake line
failure one rainy day on the way to work. I pulled into a Union 76
station that I frequented for gas (my wife and I are >$500/month
customers), pulled out a spare bottle and the duct tape and decided to
bleed it myself (10 years of British Sports Car ownership has trained
me well, huh?!). Problem was I needed a second person to push the
pedal down. It was 7:30AM and the mechanic was not in yet, but a
couple of attendants were. I asked the manager if I could have one of
them help me -- his answer was no. What?! All I want is for him to
push the pedal down and I'll get under, dressed in business attire,
and bleed the fluid (remember, it was raining). Still "no". As a 76
gas customer at this shop for over 6 years w/o ever meeting this
particular mgr., I was white hot angry below the surface (it never
pays to yell). Consequently, I pushed the pedal down, used the tool
box to hold it, and repeatted this process for all four corners,
taking about an hour. In the meantime, the attendants sat on a wall
next the car, drank coffee, and watched the entire time since no full
service customers arrived during that hour. The mgr. tried to get me
to move the car out from under his awning, but I refused to move it
while I was working on it. Finally done, I walked into his office and
asked him for two things: I needed to borrow a pair of scissors and I
wanted his full name. I had him run a dummy credit card receipt so I
could get the store number and address along with his name and wrote
Customer Service a gentle, but pointed, letter that this store was the
last in a long line of incidents and that I was discontinuing my
account. Enclosed in the envelope were the remains of my card that I
cut up in front of the manager with the scissors he loaned me. At the
time, he asked why I was so mad -- can you imagine? End of this long
story: For the last 7 years, Union 76 has tried to entice me back, and
for awhile, made some offers for free gas etc. They also sent me a
copy of the reprimand letter they sent the owner of the station. I
haven't returned yet, service is *everything* and I now use stations I
appreciate. Moral: you can bleed the brakes by yourself if you have
to. Brian.
PS. Sorry for the long post to those that neither care or have to pay
for the privilege.