So I just had a reputable audio/video store put in keyless/alarm system in my FD. I left there car there at 9am, was called to pick it up at 3:40pm, and made it to the shop at 4pm. When I got into the car I noticed my shift **** was tightened, not a big deal maybe the saw it was lose and tightened it...don't ask me why I like to keep it loose its just a habit. So I close the door and put the keys in the ignition, and I glance at the PFC Commander.....water temperature is @ 78C (Operating temperature on the goofy stock gauge)

If I have someone else work on my car, I normally write down the odometer, but I didn't bother this time since these guys are known for good work...but it seemed to have just a tad less gas than when I left it there. I normally do all the work on my car but this was a little too involved for me. Anyone else ever have this problem? Am I crazy?

 

Next time, note the mileage and set the rev limiter on the PFC to 3000 rpm. Always expect the worst, no matter the reputation of the shop.

 

What would be a good method of preventing any such shenanigans with a stock-style (i.e., Pettit or M2) ECU? Limiting boost sounds like the only course of action, but is there a way to limit rpm as well?

I'm going to need to get my car painted sometime in the future, and I have nightmares of some shop bonehead wrecking my car after becoming overwhelmed by the boost mid-corner.

 

You could always pull out the ECU and tell them to push it. I've heard some shops have push charges, but I can't imagine it being too much.

 

Most likely joyriders.

I have numerous friends in the auto field. Some radio installers, some actual mechanics and i know i shouldnt say this but they do joyride their customers cars. I know its bad for business and they shoulda get shut down but they dont go crazy.

I remember my friend, he used to work for best buy had a dvd headunit job for an M3. he was out in the parking lot revving it quite a bit. Not to redline but at least 6 grand. Then he did a couple of short 5-6k rpm pulls in 1st gear. I was laughing yet at the same time thinking damn these idiots, i would hate people doing this to my car

So yeah, gotta watch out.

 

+1
whenever i dropped my old fd anywhere i set the rev limiter to 2700rpm... its priceless to see the look on there faces after i pick my car back up, and burn thru the first 2gears on the way out

-dj

 

wow now i cant wait to get a pfc.. i never knew u could set a rev limiter that would help me so i dont have to worrie about the car being home alone with my lil brother

 

I always limit the revs to 3-4k on the PFC if I'm leaving it somewhere

 

How do you do that? I have never seen that option on my comander.

 

Disconnect an IC coupler. In addition to making it easier to pass a smog test, an FD with the turbos disabled is downright boring to drive. (this won't limit RPM's , however)


-s-

 

this would also be good to stop any generic car thief. sure, you'd more likely have your car broken into than actually stolen, but can you imagine a getaway at 1500rpm max?

 

You couldn't have just memorized simple digits? Not even the odo but trip. Reset it.

 

one time i was getting my clutch switch replaced and i was in the waiting room and after it took about 2 and a half hours i see them go for a test drive, i was mad but it was no biggie then when they enter the parking lot the stupid idot revs my engine proly to about 6k i get out there and talk to one of the managers about it and they took the labor costs off of my bill but still the f***ing idiots really pissed me off, now that i have a pfc its good to know that i can limit the rpms...

 

I dont know if this helps but not long ago I dropped my FD into a reputable audio specialist to get a stereo headunit and whole Sony Xplod system installed ( subs an all) .
I left it there for about a day and the whole time I was paranoid as f**k about it , the thought of some other smelly *** sittin in my prized baby scared the hell out of me.

So after work at about 4.30pm I get dropped off by a work mate and go walking in the front door to see the guy behind the counter who I'd left the key with looking up an smiling at me , " all done?" I remarked, " yeah all done" he says. So I pay the bill and he throws the keys to my beloved FD and points to the carpark through the window to where my car sits waiting, "cheers " I say and off I go. So on the way out the door I notice this sexy hot babe comin out the shop next door ( its a gaming store) and crossing the carpark in front of me and I'm like 'hell yeah she's hot as!!" as we crossed paths she turns and looks at me and gives me a wee smile out the corner of her mouth, man I just melted right then and there and got all these fantasys of planting here, yeah right!! . So anyway I get to the car open the the door ( its unlocked !!! idiots!!) and jump in. As soon as I sit down a can smell a burning smell, like burning rubber mixed witha smell of gearbox fluid or worse yet THE CLUTCH!!! so its right about now I start to feel the anger begin to well up in my guts and my face startinh to turn red as I imagine just what these f**k heads have been doing with my pride and Joy while I've been slaving all day to pay for it. So right about now I see the guy who gave me my keys coming out the door and walking across the carpark towards me, he's got a real f**ked off look on his face and he's yelling a whole heap of **** out AT ME??? so I jumped out the car SLAMMING the door behind me and he yells at me even more, its right about now I decide to roll my sleves up and walk across the carpark to smack this ******* across the chin for what he's been doing to my car and to find out what his problem is .As I get closer to him he yells at me " What the **** you think youre doing!!?" I'm totally gobsmacked , " what am I doing ? what the **** have YOU been doing to MY car" he looks as me with a strange but pissed-off look on his face and points behind me " your car?" he says
.I get a sudden horrible feeling, I turn around and look at the car I have just been sitting in, it was his car, I'd sat in the wrong one


The morale of this story?
Dont fantasize about gorgeous women you will never f**k when jumping in your car.

 

I took my FD in for an alignment once and the dude pulling it into the garage started high revving it at his buddies! I was just kinda shocked as I was standing in view of the car. Maybe they didn;t know I was the owner?

I would'nt be surprised if they did drive your car around.

 

I had the same happen at a local tire store once. The best part was I heard the car reving so I walked outside and behind the car. I then stood at the driver's window, tapped on the glass and ordered the dipshit to get the **** out of my car. I then told him to fetch the manager so the three of us could have a conversation

 

Left mine at the Mazda dealer for NY State inspection (no roadtest required and this was over 10 years ago before I knew that Mazda was the last place to take these cars). Did my standard speal with the Service Manager, told him the mileage and expressed my "concern" that there be no additional miles. Pick it up that afternoon and there are 6 extra miles on it. The Service Manager insisted I had written down the odometer AND tripometer wrong. It basically degenerates into a huge screaming match that just about comes to blows. Finally the mechanic has the decency to come from the back, hearing all the noise, and admits to taking the car out. Service Manager tells me I'm the ******* for getting so worked up about a joy ride in my car. Reported it to Mazda Corporate and they could not have cared less. AH Mazda, you gotta love these guys.

There was a lawsuit in New England a few years back where I Mazda Dealership was sued over a joyride in a customer FD. They somehow had pictures of the car quite a distace away, speed camera or something like that.

When my car is left, which is rare, I talk to the front desk and the person doing the work and we agree on the mileage and whether the car will go on the road. They absolutely will take cars for joyrides, do not give a **** and there is very little you can do about it.

 

I had my windows tinted and only after i got back to the shop did i think about someone taking my car for a joy ride. I didn't remember the milage off the top of my head, but i'm pretty sure they put 5 or 10 miles on it.

Next time i get any work done i'm going to set my rev limit in my PFC down to 3k as a few of you have suggested.

 

bump. I'm taking my car in for alignment tomorrow and am really worried. I have a Pettit ECU. Is there any way I can force the car into limp mode or is putting a leaky IC coupler all I have to work with?

 

Just put down the odometer mileage and make it clear to them that you have. They don't need to test drive the car for an alignment so the mileage change should be less than a tenth of a mile (in other words the mileage should read the same once you get it back).

 

Yeah if you let them know you took the mileage they most likely won't drive it around. The best bet is setting your rev limiter. I did it at a body shop once and they all wondered why it wouldn't rev up. One guy told me to my face he couldn't drive it down the street because of the limiter.

 

A reputable shop will write down your mileage before you hand over the keys and the information is being filled out. I believe theres setting you can make on your PFC to limit boost and possibly RPM ?? Not sure on this. I know I can set my boost limit with my AVC-R

 

wow, I never knew that this was such a problem. At least the shops in Japan where I get my car worked on dont do this. When I got my clutch replaced on my old evo a few years back, the mechanic waited until I got there to take it for a test drive, and I was the driver at that.

 

i have a second gen .. but thought i might as well pop in here

when i take my acura tl into service (heavy heavy mods .. supercharges and nitrous etc etc) im **** as hell too.
I can understand 1-2 miles for typical stuff .. i.e. tire allignment, balance, heck even if im just getting the radio fixed. As long as nothing if fuxored when I get it back then I'm fine with them "road-testing the vehicle" ... That way they can't say, "oh well you wouldn't let us take it out and test/properlly access the problem so we aren't covering any additional damages caused by our lack of work/not double checking".

2-5 miles .. depends on the neighborhood and whats getting done. I.e. putting bolt ons, getting a tune up, etc.

Anything above 5 miles is very unreasonable

I remember when i took my 2002 jetta 1.8t in to the dealership (400hp) and the dealer decided to ruin my paint job and put 22 miles on my car ..... VWOA did jack **** about that one.



Anyway long rant short, there's a certain level that we shuold all expect, but past that level is absurd.

 

I always write down the mileage. I caught a shop who had test driven my car after going in for something very small and didn't need any sort of test drive at all. Found a receipt for a Dunkin' Donuts that was 6miles away, with the guys name on it.