No More Air Filter Replacement Scam.

[George7941]

We have to have our trucks emissions tested every year. This January the shop that did the testing and certification for us replaced the perfectly good and high quality Donaldson Power Core filter (the filter restriction gauge was showing zero restriction) with a cheap no name filter element. They probably buy them for twenty bucks and sell them for eighty bucks and install them, whether the trucks need them or not. Easy way to make sixty bucks. That filter element is widely used on Medium Duty trucks.

Well, they will not be able to pull that scam any more on us. I took off the M6 screws and drilled and tapped for 1/4 in C tamper resistant screws (snake eyes type). I even wrote "do not replace filter" on the filter housing, not that it is going to stop them from replacing the element. The tamper resistant screws will stop them.

As an aside, someone tried to steal the three batteries from this truck. Replacement cost for the three batteries would have been close to six hundred dollars. They disconnected the battery cables and that is when they noticed the tamper resistant nuts (TuffNuts) I had used on the battery holddowns and they gave up.

Subject truck is a 2004 Freightliner M2 Business Class with a Mercedes 906 engine. Superb engine, BTW.

 

[KrisZ]

Nice!!!!
Very smart solution.

 

[George7941]

Thanks, Kris.

 

[mrsilv04]

Sometimes, you just have to find another way to get your point across to other people.

These do it well.

 

[NYEngineer]

Great solution.

Years ago, we rented a 200kW to these dirtbags in Brooklyn. They kept loosening the allen bolts that held the hour meter on the end of the fuel pump. In my entire life wrenching I had never seen this just happen so I knew it was them. I replaced the bolts with tamper proof Torx and the hour meter managed to stay on the engine for a while.

 

[E150GT]

Nice. I have yet to take it that far. I have marked under the hood not to top off any fluids of my vehicles. I am thinking about adding k&n do not change filter stickers too even though I do not have those filters. It hasn’t been a big deal yet because I rarely have my car in the shop but it does need to get inspected every year and I don’t want people messing with my car.

 

[Trav]

Well done!

 

[mk378]

Need to write on the work order: DO NOT ADD, CHANGE, REPAIR, OR REPLACE ANY PARTS OR FLUIDS ON THE VEHICLE. INSPECT ONLY.

 

[bdcardinal]

In California if they replace a part without you authorizing, you don't have to pay and can make them put it back for no charge.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: George7941
... We have to have our trucks emissions tested every year. This January the shop that did the testing and certification for us replaced the perfectly good and high quality Donaldson Power Core filter (the filter restriction gauge was showing zero restriction) with a cheap no name filter element. ...
Why do you have to take the truck to a crooked shop?

 

[George7941]

Originally Posted By: CR94
Why do you have to take the truck to a crooked shop?


Good question. I am not the owner of these trucks, I just maintain them. The ultimate decisions are made by the company owner. All I can do is point out rip offs and shoddy workmanship.

I did not mention the worst part of that emissions test. In addition to the standard fee of $120 for the emissions test, there were two other charges. One was $80 for the no name filter element and the other was a $250 fee for removing and cleaning out the EGR cooler. I am guessing these are the two standard services they use to pad every emissions inspection bill. The truck does NOT have EGR!

Yes, I made the fleet owner aware of these rip offs.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: CR94
Why do you have to take the truck to a crooked shop?
We like two things above all else in Toronto: 1. Depth at center 2. Crooked mechanics.

 

[bluestream]

Why not tell them to leave the filter alone? Seems easy enough

 

[George7941]

Depth at center?

 

[George7941]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Why not tell them to leave the filter alone? Seems easy enough


Not that easy in a fleet situation. The company owner sends the trucks in for emissions testing and he is busy enough running a moving company and is not thinking about possible filter replacements. The person dropping a truck off will be one of the company drivers.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: George7941
Depth at center?


I'm guessing it's a hockey reference

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: George7941
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Why not tell them to leave the filter alone? Seems easy enough


Not that easy in a fleet situation. The company owner sends the trucks in for emissions testing and he is busy enough running a moving company and is not thinking about possible filter replacements. The person dropping a truck off will be one of the company drivers.


It's strange how servicing a vehicle that makes money is less scrutinized that a personal one! If I had a commercial vehicle I would want it tip top so I could depend on it, but almost everyone I see is poorly maintained. I guess it is ROI, but as a BITOGer that confuses me.

*My boss's work van has a burnt out front left turn signal bulb. He doesn't seem to care that much whereas I would have bought a bulb immediately just to avoid getting a ticket. I would also like to signal my left turns from time to time lol.

 

[George7941]

I do most of the work myself and, as a result, the trucks are in pretty good shape. It is a small fleet and all the trucks go out every day. A broken down, out of commission truck is very costly when you factor in disrupted schedules, customer dissatisfaction and driver and helper dissatisfaction.

The Ontario government is cracking down on commercial vehicles because there are some poorly maintained trucks, mainly dump trucks. They have stepped up roadside inspections and go over very thoroughly the trucks they pull over. Our trucks pass the inspections.

 

[Hootbro]

I do not understand, why was the service not refused on the air filters and asked for the old ones to be reinstalled? That is a lot work for something that could be solved by just not accepting the charge in the first place.

 

[George7941]

I wasn't the one making the decisions. I suppose the fleet owner wants to maintain his good relationship with the shop.

It was a bit of work installing the tamper proof screws but it is a lifetime solution. No one else will ever unnecessarily replace the filters on the trucks.