Dealer Corvette Mechanic

[smackYYZ]

Quick question for my fellow forum members.

Does your dealer have a dedicated Corvette specialist? And would you use a dealer for service if they didn't have one.

I'm asking this, since when I got my Z51 from Gateway I made sure they had one. They had one full time and one part time specialist. Turns out today when I took my car in for the new OnStar antennae I asked if the Corvette specialist did my oil change which was screwed up. I was told that they no longer have a specialist on staff and do not plan on searching one out or certifying one of their senior mechanics.

So I'm now considering searching out a new dealership service department to deal with.

Am I being over protective of my car?

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Mike, I think not. These cars, while they are a "just" a GM product, do seem to be somewhat specialized. I think I would want someone who was certified on Corvette's to work on mine.

Odd that the "dealership" guys on the site have disappeared. Even the one who was a fountain of knowledge and encouragement to those buy a new C7.

 

[Nik]

Quick question for my fellow forum members.

Does your dealer have a dedicated Corvette specialist? And would you use a dealer for service if they didn't have one.

I'm asking this, since when I got my Z51 from Gateway I made sure they had one. They had one full time and one part time specialist. Turns out today when I took my car in for the new OnStar antennae I asked if the Corvette specialist did my oil change which was screwed up. I was told that they no longer have a specialist on staff and do not plan on searching one out or certifying one of their senior mechanics.

So I'm now considering searching out a new dealership service department to deal with.

Am I being over protective of my car?

Personally I'd be more worried about how a dealer could screw up an oil change, specialist or not. My own opinions, a dealership with competent mechanics who respect your car i.e. don't leave stains on the wheel, don't leave their coffee on your hood etc would trump the emphasis on the specialist.

 

[CCO]

Quick question for my fellow forum members.

Does your dealer have a dedicated Corvette specialist? And would you use a dealer for service if they didn't have one.

I'm asking this, since when I got my Z51 from Gateway I made sure they had one. They had one full time and one part time specialist. Turns out today when I took my car in for the new OnStar antennae I asked if the Corvette specialist did my oil change which was screwed up. I was told that they no longer have a specialist on staff and do not plan on searching one out or certifying one of their senior mechanics.

So I'm now considering searching out a new dealership service department to deal with.

Am I being over protective of my car?

Take it to Manny's (DaSilva Motorsports) in Breslau. He and his crew are the only ones I trust to wrench my 'vettes when I come across something I can't handle.

You'll be so glad you did.

C.

 

[Rruuff Day]

I'm afraid I agree with Nik on this one... hmmmmm.... that didn't sound right.... ok... not afraid... just agree with Nik. I'm far from a mechanic, and short of changing the battery and flushing and changing the clutch fluid on my C6, have never worked on a corvette. But how much of a specialist does it take to change the oil. Ok... so the dealer should NOT be letting the "off the street, doesn't know oil from anti freeze lube rack kid" run rampant with our babies but I don't need a Corvette Specialist .. especially for the pretty standard maintenance items. If, like Smack, they did screw up the oil change or other menial task, I would be more likely to blame the dealership as a whole for their lack of training, supervision and employee evaluation, as opposed to blaming the guy that did the job. If he's never going to be capable of a simple job like changing oil, he may still be a good employee but maybe he should be on the wash rack instead.

As for the poll.... which I only noticed after I first posted this... (TG for the edit tab), I will vote "no" with reservations.... doesn't need to be a specialist but I need to know that my mechanic is qualified, competent, and takes pride in what he/she does. I deal too often with people who's only interest lies in Friday night at 5 and when payday is.....

my opinion only,
Eric

 

[smackYYZ]

The oil change was one thing, and I didn't like the answer I got. The service adviser said, well he did what he should have, since the oil filler said DEXOS not Mobil 1. My response well then change the damn cap if your that incompetent, it's not my fault that GM put the wrong cap on it. Well that fell on deaf ears.

The oil change is one thing, but my bigger fear is when I get the Rear Axle service or anything else like this which is specialized this where I really what a specialist I think. Now I know a lot of components are becoming more common as they make their way into the Camaro's and Cadillac's but this dealership doesn't sell Cadillac's so that too narrows the exposure down.

On the dealership, when our favourite salesman left, there was a huge management turn over at the dealership. I'm not sure what caused this, but this also when the corvette specialist left.

There is a second dealership in town that also sells Corvette's and they sell Cadillac's so I may go by the dealership and talk to the service manager there to get a feel for them and see if I feel comfortable changing.

Mike

 

[tyho]

The oil change was one thing, and I didn't like the answer I got. The service adviser said, well he did what he should have, since the oil filler said DEXOS not Mobil 1. My response well then change the damn cap if your that incompetent, it's not my fault that GM put the wrong cap on it. Well that fell on deaf ears.

The oil change is one thing, but my bigger fear is when I get the Rear Axle service or anything else like this which is specialized this where I really what a specialist I think. Now I know a lot of components are becoming more common as they make their way into the Camaro's and Cadillac's but this dealership doesn't sell Cadillac's so that too narrows the exposure down.

On the dealership, when our favourite salesman left, there was a huge management turn over at the dealership. I'm not sure what caused this, but this also when the corvette specialist left.

There is a second dealership in town that also sells Corvette's and they sell Cadillac's so I may go by the dealership and talk to the service manager there to get a feel for them and see if I feel comfortable changing.

Mike

I am somewhat very selective when it comes to my C7. I've worked too long and too hard to put it into incompetent hands. If any serious mechanical work needs to be done I would take it to Manny unless the dealership has a trained C7 mechanic. I would phone around to see who has one. New Roads in Newmarket may have one, that's where I got my car from. They have done several oil changes and changed the interior blower fan motor and all is good so far.

The problem is if the car needs warranty work. Then you do need to take it to a dealership. Phone around is the best advice I can think of.

 

[Nik]

I'm afraid I agree with Nik on this one... hmmmmm.... that didn't sound right.... ok... not afraid... just agree with Nik. I'm far from a mechanic, and short of changing the battery and flushing and changing the clutch fluid on my C6, have never worked on a corvette. But how much of a specialist does it take to change the oil. Ok... so the dealer should NOT be letting the "off the street, doesn't know oil from anti freeze lube rack kid" run rampant with our babies but I don't need a Corvette Specialist .. especially for the pretty standard maintenance items. If, like Smack, they did screw up the oil change or other menial task, I would be more likely to blame the dealership as a whole for their lack of training, supervision and employee evaluation, as opposed to blaming the guy that did the job. If he's never going to be capable of a simple job like changing oil, he may still be a good employee but maybe he should be on the wash rack instead.

As for the poll.... which I only noticed after I first posted this... (TG for the edit tab), I will vote "no" with reservations.... doesn't need to be a specialist but I need to know that my mechanic is qualified, competent, and takes pride in what he/she does. I deal too often with people who's only interest lies in Friday night at 5 and when payday is.....

my opinion only,
Eric

Don't be afraid, happens to the best of us...

I definitely echo the sentiments in this thread. Tough to make a call on a dealer of choice when you haven't met the techs or seen them work.

 

[12cents]

So far I am lucky. Our dealership had two Corvette specialists the last time I was there and these are the only ones, outside of the guys who move the cars around, who touch Corvettes. Plus the owner drives a very nice C7 Corvette
I can sit in the waiting room and watch my car getting worked on while I have a pretty good breakfast (free too!)

 

[Simpleman]

Not terribly far from Brampton is Applewood Chev.... ... it's in Erin Mills. I've only had the first oil change done ('15 Z51) Marco Banducci was the Service Consultant on duty that Saturday. About 20 minutes after we arrived, he came into the waiting area to apologize because he said that the Corvette Specialist was going to do the oil change, but he was backed up. Then he confirmed that Mobil 1 was the only product they used for Z51's. My first impression of this dealership was excellent.

 

[Keith Tedford]

I do my own oil changes. Bring an impact gun near our car and we will be gone in a heart beat. They do make torque wrenches and I use one for pretty well everything. I think I have four in all. Anything serious and the car will be going to Dasilva Motorsports.

 

[Rruuff Day]

This is a great thread if nothing else, to get us thinking about quality service. The more I hear from everyone, the more I'm beginning to think. The Manny route is great for the non warranty work and for those so lucky to be in relatively close proximity. I'm really hoping my C7 isn't going to need more than oil changes for a long time and there will be a plethora of qualified Corvette specialists at my local dealerships by then. But that being said, I am also a realist and know that surgery may be necessary before that time comes. Therefore I'm going to heed some of the advice offered here by tyho and smack and do some phoning around to central Alberta dealerships. I'm really hoping I can at least find a service manager that can spell specialist.

hmmmmm...Keith.....Living through Alberta winters, I have several toques as well but have never heard them called wrenches....must be a Toronto thing....

Gawwwwd.... ok that was a bit lame.... it's been a long day and my humour is tired as well....

Eric

 

[JB08]

The oil change was one thing, and I didn't like the answer I got. The service adviser said, well he did what he should have, since the oil filler said DEXOS not Mobil 1. My response well then change the damn cap if your that incompetent, it's not my fault that GM put the wrong cap on it. Well that fell on deaf ears.

The oil change is one thing, but my bigger fear is when I get the Rear Axle service or anything else like this which is specialized this where I really what a specialist I think. Now I know a lot of components are becoming more common as they make their way into the Camaro's and Cadillac's but this dealership doesn't sell Cadillac's so that too narrows the exposure down.

On the dealership, when our favourite salesman left, there was a huge management turn over at the dealership. I'm not sure what caused this, but this also when the corvette specialist left.

There is a second dealership in town that also sells Corvette's and they sell Cadillac's so I may go by the dealership and talk to the service manager there to get a feel for them and see if I feel comfortable changing.

Mike

After Owais' departure I was reluctant to go to Gateway, but so far I've had good service, which included a no charge visit to check a minor issue with one of the tires. I specifically confirmed with them that the only oil they were to use on my Z51 was the Mobil 1 and they did not have any issues with that, so I'm surprised the issue came up for you. Honestly, this is very disappointing because I had planned on going to them for my oil consumption issue which they were going to track for me. Now I'm wondering if I should just accept that it would be better to go to Budd's here in Oakville and start the tracking with them, so that when they actually do a compression test, it will be done by a qualified tech who know the LT1. Bummer...!

Regarding the poll, if Corvette is not going to set up a dealer specific network, with Cadillac for example, I think the least they can do is have a tech specific to the brand in the Chevy dealerships. This is GM's halo car after all, and the service needs to reflect that brand if they want the respect that it deserves.

 

[smackYYZ]

After Owais' departure I was reluctant to go to Gateway, but so far I've had good service, which included a no charge visit to check a minor issue with one of the tires. I specifically confirmed with them that the only oil they were to use on my Z51 was the Mobil 1 and they did not have any issues with that, so I'm surprised the issue came up for you. Honestly, this is very disappointing because I had planned on going to them for my oil consumption issue which they were going to track for me. Now I'm wondering if I should just accept that it would be better to go to Budd's here in Oakville and start the tracking with them, so that when they actually do a compression test, it will be done by a qualified tech who know the LT1. Bummer...!

Regarding the poll, if Corvette is not going to set up a dealer specific network, with Cadillac for example, I think the least they can do is have a tech specific to the brand in the Chevy dealerships. This is GM's halo car after all, and the service needs to reflect that brand if they want the respect that it deserves.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. I too have them watching the oil ingestion, since in 5,000km I went through a litre of oil.

Part of me can understand the reduced need for a specific Corvette specialist now that the 2016 Camaro is also getting the same LT1 engine and the Silverado, Yukon & Escalade are using the L86 version of the engine. The A8 transmission is now in those same trucks plus the Cad ATS/CTS/CT6 and will probably also be in the Camaro.

But I have the manual 7 speed and it is only in the C7 Corvette. Then there is all the other specialized components that are unique to the car.

And since Gateway is not a Cadillac dealer they are going to see a lot less of the common components. Just something else to consider.

 

[14sevenheaven]

Quick question for my fellow forum members.

Does your dealer have a dedicated Corvette specialist? And would you use a dealer for service if they didn't have one.

I'm asking this, since when I got my Z51 from Gateway I made sure they had one. They had one full time and one part time specialist. Turns out today when I took my car in for the new OnStar antennae I asked if the Corvette specialist did my oil change which was screwed up. I was told that they no longer have a specialist on staff and do not plan on searching one out or certifying one of their senior mechanics.

So I'm now considering searching out a new dealership service department to deal with.

Am I being over protective of my car?

Last three times I've been to Budd's in Oakville. Keith is their Corvette guy and Shane their Service Manager. Very professional, helpful attitude. Last week they had four new C7s in their showroom.

The current issue of Car and Driver has a long term test on their 2014 C7 that is worth reading. Is your OnStar working now? Did they have to take the dash out? I decided to wait until spring when the car comes out of storage.

 

[smackYYZ]

Last three times I've been to Budd's in Oakville. Keith is their Corvette guy and Shane their Service Manager. Very professional, helpful attitude. Last week they had four new C7s in their showroom.

The current issue of Car and Driver has a long term test on their 2014 C7 that is worth reading. Is your OnStar working now? Did they have to take the dash out? I decided to wait until spring when the car comes out of storage.

Yes the OnStar is now operational, they had to replace the antenna, where ever it is hidden in the vehicle. For the inconvenience OnStar is giving me 6 months of free service and an extra 3GB of data. They are also letting me suspend this for the winter and can restore in the spring.

The only outstanding issue is the BlueTooth, I can receive calls from my cell just fine, but when originating a call it starts the call then disconnects from the phone, but it appears as if the call is still in progress on the screen, and screen is frozen. Went in yesterday, and they updated the software in 2 different modules. This update didn't fix the problem so the Tech from York Electronics took all the details of my phone and firmware and said he'd report it. He speculated that they would recreate the issue in the lab at HP and probably push out another update to resolve the issue in a few weeks.

 

[mr_butthead]

Since we are talking about Corvette dealers here, I was visiting a dealer here in Markham to get my Camaro winter ready last week when i saw a brand new C7 arrive on the trailer. One of the sales person approached me and informed me that its its not a sold unit and available for sale. I told him my factory order is in already at another dealer and im expecting it sometime next spring. But this ride was definately well equipped!

It appears one of their managers is also a Corvette guy as he showed up in his personal C6 soon after and saw that i was interested in Corvette too. I told him that i am awaiting for factory order for next spring and he said if i know anyone else who would like to get one right now to send them over. he sent me some pics in email the following day. It looked like he was pretty open to storing it for the buyer at his showroom through the winter.

In case anyone here who would like to get it give him a call and see if its still available. He mentioned that he expects a price correction to come down in the winter/spring.

Contact him directly if youre interested. George Redak, Markville Chev, 647-889-3505. and the pics he sent me last are also attached.

Goodluck!

 

[smackYYZ]

Since we are talking about Corvette dealers here, I was visiting a dealer here in Markham to get my Camaro winter ready last week when i saw a brand new C7 arrive on the trailer. One of the sales person approached me and informed me that its its not a sold unit and available for sale. I told him my factory order is in already at another dealer and im expecting it sometime next spring. But this ride was definately well equipped!

It appears one of their managers is also a Corvette guy as he showed up in his personal C6 soon after and saw that i was interested in Corvette too. I told him that i am awaiting for factory order for next spring and he said if i know anyone else who would like to get one right now to send them over. he sent me some pics in email the following day. It looked like he was pretty open to storing it for the buyer at his showroom through the winter.

In case anyone here who would like to get it give him a call and see if its still available. He mentioned that he expects a price correction to come down in the winter/spring.

Contact him directly if youre interested. George Redak, Markville Chev, 647-889-3505. and the pics he sent me last are also attached.

George used to be the sales manager at BramGate, Owais worked for him. When George left BramGate and went to Markville, there was a lot of management changes at BramGate.

George is a good guy plus he's a Vette owner. He gave up his allocation to me for my order since I was a paying customer.

Wallace Chev out of Milton owns 50% of BramGate and all of Markville

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Mike do you have any idea of what has happened to Owais? I knew he left, disappeared for some time then came back with a different dealer. I have not seen him on the Forum for some time. He was a wealth of knowledge and encouragement. He was a real asset to those buying a C7 anywhere in the country.

 

[smackYYZ]

Last I heard he was at Leggat Chev. But he's not posted since back in July so not sure, maybe will have to drop by and see if he's still there. He is a great asset and wealth of information.