Car people, I need your wisdom

[CurvyKatie]

Took my car to get the timing belt changed, as I was supposed to for regularly scheduled maintenance. Nothing wrong with the car. I get the car back and it's bouncing like crazy. I call the shop and the guy tells me that the suspension just has to adjust after the car being on the lift and it will go away in a few days. I think they damaged my car. Has anyone heard of such a thing? Can I keep driving it? When I go over a speed bump the rear end crashes down like whatever springs/suspension are back there are gone.

[MarcellusWalluz]

WoW, welcome back pretty lady.
No, there is something wrong with it.
Take it to a suspension/alignment shop and get it looked at.
Rear of the vehicle has nothing to do with timing belt replacement.
Unless they had to remove the cab but unlikely.
They may have had to disassemble the front passenger side suspension if it's FWD. They may have left something loose (strut, control arm, etc).
Good luck.

[CurvyKatie]

But shouldn't the same shop fix it if they broke it?

[MarcellusWalluz]

Originally Posted by CurvyKatie

But shouldn't the same shop fix it if they broke it?

Yes, I am under the impression they just blew you off & didn't check it when you mentioned it ?
You want to get a second opinion from someone else. If they find something wrong ask for an estimate but tell them you don't get paid until next week plus your credit sucks so you'll come back to get it fixed. Most places won't charge just to look at it if they think they're going to do the repairs, it will help if you wear revealing clothes (low cut blouse, short skirt, heels; not a fan of the ass splitting yoga pants myself...sorry I'm getting sidetracked).
If it's AWD the suspension may need a drive to readjust from being fully extended but definitely not a few days. If you have some chubby friends load them up and take them for a ride over a few speed bumps.

[Unique_Carpenter]

Yes same shop should fix it.
But, if they lied .....
Go to another shop fir a professional opinion.

So yes, I agree with Marcellus.

[CurvyKatie]

Lol, it's 2WD...I will drive around and see if it evens out but I will definitely take it somewhere else and see what they say.

[notanewbie]

Old shocks and struts can go bad from being on a lift for an extended time.

[MarcellusWalluz]

^+1
Rubber bushings will deteriorate after a few years, especially on Korean vehicles & you'll get metal hitting metal (clanking) sounds. Blown seals will cause excessive bouncing.

[Michael8219]

Putting a car on a lift does not make the suspension suddenly bounce or crash afterward. Suspension components are designed to fully droop all the time (every time you hit a bump or jack the car up). There is no “adjustment period.”

What could have happened:
Based on your symptoms — especially: “When I go over a speed bump the rear end crashes down like the springs/suspension are gone” Possible issues include: a shock/strut was damaged or disconnected; a shock bolt wasn’t tightened; a spring is out of place or broken; a rear sway bar end link was damaged; or something was left loose after the repair.

Timing belt jobs often require: Supporting the engine; removing engine mounts, putting unusual stress on the car while it’s on the lift. So if something was already weak, they could’ve finished it off — or they could’ve straight-up made a mistake.

Can old shocks/struts “go bad” from being on a lift? No. Old shocks can be worn, sure — but being on a lift does not suddenly destroy them.

Is it safe to keep driving it? I wouldn’t. If the rear is crashing down like that: Your tires can lose contact with the road; Braking and handling are compromised. You could damage other suspension parts or the body.

Short, slow drive to another shop? Maybe. Daily driving or highway speeds? Bad idea.

What you should do next:
Do not accept “it’ll go away” Take it to a different shop, or the same shop but demand they inspect the rear suspension immediately. Ask for: a lift inspection and confirmation that all shocks, springs, and mounts are intact and torqued.

If they push back, say: “The car was fine before the timing belt service. This started immediately afterward.”

[MarcellusWalluz]

Originally Posted by Michael8219

There is no “adjustment period.”

Back when I did my phone book delivery routes I would load up my Tercel to the point it looked squatted. When done the back would level out but the front would stay fully lifted/extended. I would have my Ex sit on the front bumper in order to get the suspension to compress down to the normal ride height.

[Michael8219]

Originally Posted by MarcellusWalluz

Back when I did my phone book delivery routes I would load up my Tercel to the point it looked squatted. When done the back would level out but the front would stay fully lifted/extended. I would have my Ex sit on the front bumper in order to get the suspension to compress down to the normal ride height.

So you had your ex sit on the front bumper as you drove around town? Did you at least rig a seat and belt to keep her strapped in? Or is this why she’s an ex?

After the phone books were delivered you could stripe the roadways. Or even do both at the same time.

[CurvyKatie]

Originally Posted by Michael8219

So you had your ex sit on the front bumper as you drove around town? Did you at least rig a seat and belt to keep her strapped in? Or is this why she’s an ex?

After the phone books were delivered you could stripe the roadways. Or even do both at the same time.

Hilarious

You guys know how to cheer me up

[CurvyKatie]

Ok so the original inspection on December 29th, when I dropped off the car, did not list anything about seized struts. There was no issue with the car and it did not bounce. I saved and printed the inspection as a PDF, because now that the timing belt has been replaced, the link to access the inspection has been removed.

But yesterday afternoon, January 2nd, I dropped the car off to them to see what it is wrong with it and they will look to see"IF" they did anything they are responsible for. But after I came home, I found an email in my spam box from 9am that morning (before I dropped the car off again) that links to a vehicle page on their website. On that vehicle page they list "seized struts" as a declined repair on Dec. 31st. I never declined the repair, I was never told there was a repair needed (the car did not bounce before the timing belt replacement), it was not a part of the inspection report when I dropped the car off, but now it magically appears as a declined repair that was declined before the timing belt was replaced.

So if they already know they are seized struts and knew that on Dec.31st before I picked the car up, why didn't they tell me? And why are they holding my car over the weekend to see what is wrong with it when they already listed it as a "declined repair" before I dropped it off again to be to looked at?

Before I jump to conclusions, am I missing something here?

[Dorian Gray]

Is this a dealership or a franchise repair facility?

On another note, FWD car. I'm sure if you offer a case of Michelob Ultra & a reach around, one of the good lads on here can replace those struts for you
But not nan
He's too pretty for manual labor

[CurvyKatie]

Originally Posted by Dorian Gray

Is this a dealership or a franchise repair facility?

On another note, FWD car. I'm sure if you offer a case of Michelob Ultra & a reach around, one of the good lads on here can replace those struts for you
But not nan
He's too pretty for manual labor

It's a 2WD. Since I don't know squat about cars, I don't know if it makes a difference, but I am all for pampering a helpful lad because I would really rather just get my car back from these people. I totally do not trust them and what else they could be up to.

It's a franchise.

Is there a difference between using a franchise and a dealership?