Is it possible that Mike's van does not have the differential lock?  Makes a
world of difference changing the starter.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Gardner <CanineWolf@AOL.COM>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 1998 1:26 PM
Subject: Mechanics just dont listen!!!!!

>Hi all,
>
>Well today I went to Hendrix VW in Middletown CT and had a very bad
>experience.  I had told the guy that I had an 87 VW Vanagon Syncro...I
>specifically told him it was a syncro just like Mike Jones which he has
worked
>on.  He said he understood and when I asked him to do the starter he quoted
me
>a price of 50 bucks well I questioned that with are you sure your talking
>about the syncro?  You do realize some people say that you have to lower
the
>tranny to get the starter out.  He said yes and so I made an appointment
for
>today.  Well after driver an hour to get there and waiting around for an
hour
>and a half waiting for him to have time to put it on the lift he starts
>working on it and has the stupidity to say to me ...."I did not realize
this
>was a syncro"  I told him that I specifically said it was on the phone..and
>then said that he's worked on Mike Jones and mine is the same.  Then he
tried
>to tell me that Mikes Starter is set up differently.....I dont believe that
VW
>changed the placeing of the starter on the 89 syncro did they?
>
>It is just getting to me that mechanics can just quote you a price and then
>tell you they can do the job and then totally revoke everything they said
and
>tell you that you were wrong!!  If a mechanic does not know anything about
a
>syncro why dont they just tell you instead of lyeing to you and playing
guess
>work.....I could play guess work myself but I wanted a professional to do
it.
>
>Thank you for listening to me and I hope no one else has experiences like
this
>because I left there without my new starter because he didnt have enough
time
>today.  Anyone know any shops around the CT and Mass area that have done
>starters on Syncro's.  Thank you .
>
>Tim G
>87 gl syncro(166k)