...and this is why LIC rocks!!
09-30-2009, 08:19 PM
#1
Forester Specialist
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Sonoma County
Posts: 3,985
Car Info: '98/'04 Foresters (S & XT)
...and this is why LIC rocks!!
The Forester XT has an issue. Driving to San Jose this morning, and it started bucking at speed, and continued trying to compensate while driving down the road. Ryan at Stevens Creek Subaru (who rocks!) gave me the CEL code diagnosis, and found the cam position sensor at a neighboring dealer. We made it to the neighboring dealer okay, picked up the part, then started on our way home.
We had to get the Forester serviced soon, since we wound up stalling the car twice at intersections, and knew it wouldn't make it to LIC in Novato. **Edit to avoid issues**
We resumed our trip up the 280-bahn, headed home. The Forester violently protested driving at speed (75'ish), so we babied him into San Francisco, where he promptly stalled at the 19th Avenue intersection. We eventually got him running again, and it was a nail biting experience driving from there on.
We made it to LIC Motorsports (on our way home), where we currently sit, while Adam and Noah are working overtime to get Subed Up back to normal running condition. So far, we've checked the timing, which is okay, and Adam suspects an oil supply issue with the ACVS system on the left side to be the culprit. They're working overtime, staying late for us, just so we can be comfortable and confident driving our car home.
They ROXORS!!
Turns out the issue WAS the cam position sensor - because the Bank 1 sensor which the CEL told us to replace was inadvertently left in place while the perfectly good one was replaced.
We had to get the Forester serviced soon, since we wound up stalling the car twice at intersections, and knew it wouldn't make it to LIC in Novato. **Edit to avoid issues**
We resumed our trip up the 280-bahn, headed home. The Forester violently protested driving at speed (75'ish), so we babied him into San Francisco, where he promptly stalled at the 19th Avenue intersection. We eventually got him running again, and it was a nail biting experience driving from there on.
We made it to LIC Motorsports (on our way home), where we currently sit, while Adam and Noah are working overtime to get Subed Up back to normal running condition. So far, we've checked the timing, which is okay, and Adam suspects an oil supply issue with the ACVS system on the left side to be the culprit. They're working overtime, staying late for us, just so we can be comfortable and confident driving our car home.
They ROXORS!!
Turns out the issue WAS the cam position sensor - because the Bank 1 sensor which the CEL told us to replace was inadvertently left in place while the perfectly good one was replaced.
Last edited by Roo; 09-30-2009 at 09:50 PM.
09-30-2009, 09:22 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: San Leandro, CA
Posts: 3,856
Car Info: Forester XTi
Dude after they saved my forester XT from death, I am SOLD on their service. I took my car up on a trailer, and drove it home 
Next step, save money, lots of money, and let LIC build a new motor
Next step, save money, lots of money, and let LIC build a new motor
09-30-2009, 09:47 PM
#5
Forester Specialist
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Sonoma County
Posts: 3,985
Car Info: '98/'04 Foresters (S & XT)
They fixed the issue. Suffice it to say, next time I'll have AAA+ tow it there from wherever I am, unless I'm in Southern California. They are one of only two shops in the entire United States that I can hand them the keys, leave, and know the job will be done, done right, and without any errors.
09-30-2009, 10:16 PM
#6
LIC is the best! The only place I go! I am glad they were able to get you back on the road Greg!!
+100000000 for LIC!
I have to make a trip back up there VERY soon. It would have been sooner if not for my wreck, but 'stuff' happens!
+100000000 for LIC! I have to make a trip back up there VERY soon. It would have been sooner if not for my wreck, but 'stuff' happens!
09-30-2009, 10:41 PM
#8
Friendly Neighborhood Ogre
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: www.gunatics.com
Posts: 19,930
Car Info: GUNATICS.COM
You know why else they rock? Here's my experience: (I'll try to keep it short)
I took my 2007 STi there a couple months ago to get some springs installed, and as you all know when you get springs or any suspension components installed you also need an alignment.
I drove up to LIC that morning which as some of you South bay folks know is a bit of a trek, but nothing to crazy. I arrived with them waiting for me and took my car and started work right when I got there. The whole experience was good and it was fun talking and joking around with Adam and Noah. If you've never been there before, they run a tight shift in a VERY tidy shop. Everything is clean and organized, it's almost like it's a corporate office with a car bay!
I also killed some time in their cool waiting room where they have a lot of Subaru mags, books, and TV stuff...
They finish the spring install pretty quickly and send it down to the alignment shop so that I could get out of there before traffic started. While my car was there we talked some more, and I kept myself occupied in their lobby reading a really cool Impreza history book (I really want to buy it, best Subaru book ever). After about an hour I got my car back, paid, and was sent on my way.
Everything seemed fine until I got onto the freeway and started noticing that my steering wheel was off and tilted to the right (like I was turning right) by a couple of degrees. At first I wasn't sure if it was the wheel or if the pavement on that section of the freeway was slightly banked for drainage like they sometimes do. After a few mins of monitoring it I realized that it was in fact that alignment and that something was wrong. I immediately called Noah and told him what was up, he told me to come right back so that they could fix it for me, but there were a couple problems... I was on a tight schedule and had to be home to pack so that I could leave on my trip the next day and there was a lot I had to do that night, and I was also already past the Richmond bridge so I told him that I'd have to come back another time because I just couldn't make it that day.
When I got home I realized that I used almost exactly a half a tank of gas from going there and back, so I called Noah and asked him if he could call the alignment shop to see if they could refund me so I could take it somewhere local, that way I didn't have to waste $30 in gas to get there and waste a whole day since I'd have to take the day off work, etc. He later informed me that the shop would offer such a refund even though it was 100% their mistake, but wanted to make it right by me coming back and having them fix it. There's no way that Noah was going to let that fly and understood the situation and instead of going back and forth with the alignment shop he asked me for my credit card number so that HE, as in LIC could refund me the money even though they had nothing to do with it. I told him that I didn't feel right doing that and didn't give him my CC number because I figured I'd just have to go back one day when I had time to make a day of it, and Noah knew that it was a problem since my wife and I are trying to buy a house and have a lot on our pallet...
Fast forward around a week or so and I go to check the mail and have a letter from LIC. I was like
and opened it only to find a check with the amount of the alignment! I didn't ask him for this and even told him that I wouldn't feel right taking their money since they had no part to play in any of it, but they still took it among themselves to make their customer happy.
He said something to me after, he said that it was simple, black and white. I came to LIC to have something done and expected a spring install and an alignment that they contract a company for since they don't have an alignment rack. He said that since he contracted the company that he was 100% responsible for making me happy. This was above and beyond anything he had to do and I felt really special to have a vendor looking out for my best interest like that.
THAT is what makes LIC great! If something goes wrong, and even if it's of absolutely NO fault of their own, they will do everything they can to make it better.
Having been in the car tuning world for a good 18 years (I know I'm still a n00b compared to some of you guys, but its my point that matters) I've seen some REALLY, REALLY shady business tactics where all the vendor cars about is your money and after they have it you're no longer important and they wont give you the time of day unless you're buying something else, and the cycle goes on and on. It's sad and at one point we didn't have much choice.... Lucky for us Subaru guys, we have some GREAT vendors to support and take care of us now. BAIC is especially blessed to have some of the greatest vendors in the USA, and LIC is DEF one of them.
I totally agree with you, Roo... These guys are great and will go above and beyond their duties to make their customers happy. It's the complete opposite of what I was used to before the conception of i-club 10 years ago. i-club, especially BAIC changed EVERYTHING! So thanks everyone for kicking ***!
I took my 2007 STi there a couple months ago to get some springs installed, and as you all know when you get springs or any suspension components installed you also need an alignment.
I drove up to LIC that morning which as some of you South bay folks know is a bit of a trek, but nothing to crazy. I arrived with them waiting for me and took my car and started work right when I got there. The whole experience was good and it was fun talking and joking around with Adam and Noah. If you've never been there before, they run a tight shift in a VERY tidy shop. Everything is clean and organized, it's almost like it's a corporate office with a car bay!
I also killed some time in their cool waiting room where they have a lot of Subaru mags, books, and TV stuff... They finish the spring install pretty quickly and send it down to the alignment shop so that I could get out of there before traffic started. While my car was there we talked some more, and I kept myself occupied in their lobby reading a really cool Impreza history book (I really want to buy it, best Subaru book ever). After about an hour I got my car back, paid, and was sent on my way.
Everything seemed fine until I got onto the freeway and started noticing that my steering wheel was off and tilted to the right (like I was turning right) by a couple of degrees. At first I wasn't sure if it was the wheel or if the pavement on that section of the freeway was slightly banked for drainage like they sometimes do. After a few mins of monitoring it I realized that it was in fact that alignment and that something was wrong. I immediately called Noah and told him what was up, he told me to come right back so that they could fix it for me, but there were a couple problems... I was on a tight schedule and had to be home to pack so that I could leave on my trip the next day and there was a lot I had to do that night, and I was also already past the Richmond bridge so I told him that I'd have to come back another time because I just couldn't make it that day.
When I got home I realized that I used almost exactly a half a tank of gas from going there and back, so I called Noah and asked him if he could call the alignment shop to see if they could refund me so I could take it somewhere local, that way I didn't have to waste $30 in gas to get there and waste a whole day since I'd have to take the day off work, etc. He later informed me that the shop would offer such a refund even though it was 100% their mistake, but wanted to make it right by me coming back and having them fix it. There's no way that Noah was going to let that fly and understood the situation and instead of going back and forth with the alignment shop he asked me for my credit card number so that HE, as in LIC could refund me the money even though they had nothing to do with it. I told him that I didn't feel right doing that and didn't give him my CC number because I figured I'd just have to go back one day when I had time to make a day of it, and Noah knew that it was a problem since my wife and I are trying to buy a house and have a lot on our pallet...
Fast forward around a week or so and I go to check the mail and have a letter from LIC. I was like
and opened it only to find a check with the amount of the alignment! I didn't ask him for this and even told him that I wouldn't feel right taking their money since they had no part to play in any of it, but they still took it among themselves to make their customer happy. He said something to me after, he said that it was simple, black and white. I came to LIC to have something done and expected a spring install and an alignment that they contract a company for since they don't have an alignment rack. He said that since he contracted the company that he was 100% responsible for making me happy. This was above and beyond anything he had to do and I felt really special to have a vendor looking out for my best interest like that.
THAT is what makes LIC great! If something goes wrong, and even if it's of absolutely NO fault of their own, they will do everything they can to make it better.
Having been in the car tuning world for a good 18 years (I know I'm still a n00b compared to some of you guys, but its my point that matters) I've seen some REALLY, REALLY shady business tactics where all the vendor cars about is your money and after they have it you're no longer important and they wont give you the time of day unless you're buying something else, and the cycle goes on and on. It's sad and at one point we didn't have much choice.... Lucky for us Subaru guys, we have some GREAT vendors to support and take care of us now. BAIC is especially blessed to have some of the greatest vendors in the USA, and LIC is DEF one of them.
I totally agree with you, Roo... These guys are great and will go above and beyond their duties to make their customers happy. It's the complete opposite of what I was used to before the conception of i-club 10 years ago. i-club, especially BAIC changed EVERYTHING! So thanks everyone for kicking ***!
09-30-2009, 10:42 PM
#10
Friendly Neighborhood Ogre
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: www.gunatics.com
Posts: 19,930
Car Info: GUNATICS.COM
PS: It's great to know that anywhere I am in the Bay Area, there's a reputable Subaru shop near by, be it in San Jose, Redwood City, Fremont, Hayward, Novato, F airfield and even Santa Rosa... (sorry if I forgot a city) We're covered and there's no reason to go anywhere else!
Last edited by brucelee; 09-30-2009 at 11:00 PM.
09-30-2009, 10:43 PM
#11
Registered User
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: san francisco, ca
Posts: 1,588
Car Info: 06 wrx wagon
They fixed the issue. Suffice it to say, next time I'll have AAA+ tow it there from wherever I am, unless I'm in Southern California. They are one of only two shops in the entire United States that I can hand them the keys, leave, and know the job will be done, done right, and without any errors.
09-30-2009, 10:46 PM
#13
VIP Member
iTrader: (17)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 22,776
Car Info: '13 BRZ Limited / '02 WRX
They fixed the issue. Suffice it to say, next time I'll have AAA+ tow it there from wherever I am, unless I'm in Southern California. They are one of only two shops in the entire United States that I can hand them the keys, leave, and know the job will be done, done right, and without any errors.
