Okay so heres the background...

I am installing a n2o system in my focus, mainly for show and occasional street use. So i have been doing it in bits and pieces when i have free time...

Yesterday I was up to the part where i hook up the fuel line. So i drive to the local hardware store and go up to the salesman and say, "I need some fuel injection fuel line for my car." guy goes ok, takes me to it and cuts the section I need...

I go home, get it all installed and working w/ no leaks...

So idk how many of you heard about the door ding on my car when it went to the dealer for service. Well they said no problem they would fix it.... well the next day, tuesday morning i go out to my car and notice oil on the front of it and think oh musta dripped out when they were filling it, so i open the hood to get working on the n2o stuff and the ENTIRE engine bay was coated in oil... apparently the mechanic forgot to put the cap back on after filling it...

Call the dealer... No problem... we will detail it for free...

Great..

So yesterday evening i drove to work and when i got there noticed some smoke and oily smell coming from under my hood... i figured oh it just must be some oil residue burning off the header... opened the hood and let it cool and thought nothing of it...

Well apparently the dealer goes to detail and fix my car today and it turns out that the IDIOT AT THE HARDWARE STORE GAVE ME FUEL LINE FOR A CARBURATED CAR!!!!!! The line was rated for like 15 psi and fuel was leaking in my engine bay and that is what the smoke was from!!!!!! Apparently after driving for a bit the pressure degraded the line and it was leaking.... NOW WHY THE [:)][:)][:)][:)] CANT THE DUDE AT THE STORE JUST HAVE TOLD ME HE DOESNT KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT!!! INSTEAD I GET THE WRONG STUFF AND ALMOST DESTROY MY CAR AND POSSIBLY KILL MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!! [mad][?|] [spank] [rant] [bash] [spank] [boxface] [smackbum] [gunfire] [scream]

I hate to tell you this, but I have several friends that work for places like autozone and pep boys and they know nothing about what they are doing when working on a car. I'm always the one they call.... Sorry to hear that you got the bad end of the deal. Was there any real damage to the car?

Mouse

I hate to tell you this, but I have several friends that work for places like autozone and pep boys and they know nothing about what they are doing when working on a car. I'm always the one they call.... Sorry to hear that you got the bad end of the deal. Was there any real damage to the car?

Mouse

NO thank god... the dealer replaced the busted section of the tube with one to get it back to my house without a problem, but i picked up the CORRECT line from a different store today while I was on lunch... So I will be fixing this tonight... I just cant help feel lucky, I mean if i had been going somewhere other then work my car probably coulda caught on fire...

Not sticking up for the person at the hardware store, but maybe he did not know the difference.

But one question I would have to ask you sir, why go to a hardware store to buy fuel line?

Not ragging on you either Derek, that is the first question that came to mind.[:D]

Not sticking up for the person at the hardware store, but maybe he did not know the difference.

But one question I would have to ask you sir, why go to a hardware store to buy fuel line?

Not ragging on you either Derek, that is the first question that came to mind.[:D]

The auto parts store is like 30 mins from my house, so i figured why not try since the hardware store carries many different typed of fuel lines and some other car stuff... I figured if they didnt have it I would run to the auto parts store... Since getting it at the hardware store would save me 25 mins of driving

EDIT: Lesson learned

Good reason! I always look for ways to shorten a trip or to save time and gas.

Not to blame the retailer but, most every line I have seen is labeled and I have yet to see fuel/vac/trans line at a hardware store that is behind a counter or in a place inaccessible to the customer.
My rule of thumb, double check their work, always.

It really comes down to people don't want other people to know they are ignorant on a subject.

In this case it I belive the person didn't know they didn't know the difference.

Not to blame the retailer but, most every line I have seen is labeled and I have yet to see fuel/vac/trans line at a hardware store that is behind a counter or in a place inaccessible to the customer.
My rule of thumb, double check their work, always.

Yeah I shoulda double checked... I was grabbin the rest of the stuff i needed while they got me the hose....

It really comes down to people don't want other people to know they are ignorant on a subject.

In this case it I belive the person didn't know they didn't know the difference.

Yeah it was just a big mistake that coulda ended up being disastrous

Being a parts guy, I deal with similar things all the time, albeit for heavy equipment, cranes etc. not for cars. What I have learned, from my own experience on both sides of the parts counter is to be EXPLICIT when asking for something. As has been stated above, some parts people have no clue. You say fuel line to a guy at the HARDWARE store, he may think it's for a lawnmower for all he knows, not a high pressure EFI system. I've had guys phone in, give me a part number, I send it to them, it's wrong, nobody to blame but themselves. If they call in and say they need something, I bleed the information out of them so I know exactly what they need. A guy called in and told me he needed 3/8 suction hose, it wasn't until I asked about question # 3 that I clued in that it was actually a hydraulic hose that he needed. Huge difference there...

Being a parts guy, I deal with similar things all the time, albeit for heavy equipment, cranes etc. not for cars. What I have learned, from my own experience on both sides of the parts counter is to be EXPLICIT when asking for something. As has been stated above, some parts people have no clue. You say fuel line to a guy at the HARDWARE store, he may think it's for a lawnmower for all he knows, not a high pressure EFI system. I've had guys phone in, give me a part number, I send it to them, it's wrong, nobody to blame but themselves. If they call in and say they need something, I bleed the information out of them so I know exactly what they need. A guy called in and told me he needed 3/8 suction hose, it wasn't until I asked about question # 3 that I clued in that it was actually a hydraulic hose that he needed. Huge difference there...

yeah, i thought i was specific enough when i told him it was for a fi car... but oh well, like it was said above, i just dont think he knew the difference...

i agree, if someone comes into my store and they ask for sandpaper i ask what are they sanding to make sure i give them the right one for the job.

this issuse is a customer service issuse, the guy saw a quick easy sale and thought nothing about it, some sales people dont ask questions because they feel its is bothering the customer, i ask as many as i can to make sure that they dont come back and are even madder because the job went sour.

lawsuit = american way

^^^unfortunantly....

Why are some people so afraid to say "I dont know..."?

I don't know.....

^^^^ dang you brindfan, you beat me to it!!! [headbang]

I don't know.....

i am surprised it took unitl page 2 for someone to post this

I got home late, otherwise I would have posted it sooner.[grinking]

Just did a brake job on my focus. Everything went sweet!

I don't know...why?

lawsuit = american way

ignorance is the american way. theres more lawsuits in the UK per capita then there is here...

dude...that sucks. i hope you get it fixed. nothing bad happened. just a minor inconvience really. dont get too worked up. its not worth it.

another reason why i hate going to autozone!!

yeah... so i got the correct type tubing last night... but now all my fittings are the wrong size... so ugh time to get back to work

yeah... so i got the correct type tubing last night... but now all my fittings are the wrong size... so ugh time to get back to work

i read your thread in FI chat. honestly i wish i was close cuz im sure i could figure that stuff out. i am just visual so its hard for me.

snap some pics and post them in that thread.

yeah, i thought i was specific enough when i told him it was for a fi car... but oh well, like it was said above, i just dont think he knew the difference...

Dude, it was a freaking hardware store. He didn't say "I don't know" because it didn't dawn on him that there could be a difference. And since anything gasoline powered they sell is going to be carborated, that is what they are going to stock.

When you are going to improvise, its up to you to know all the variables. Do I use parts on my car that aren't Ford OEM? Yea. But if I want a bolt for a shock absorber, I know to look for an SAE grade 8.8 or 10.9 and their appropiate shear strength ratings, and not the common grade bolts that they sell in bins. I would not expect the person working there to know all the variables in your project, unless I happen to stumble upon someone with expertice in that area.

i missed segment 2 !! buy a repair manuel!






that way if any thing goes wrong on your car you can fix it up
yourself ,