How on earth does Autozone hire someone like this to manage their store?

[novanutcase]

I was at my local autozone picking up some fluids for the 'stang and, since I go there fairly often, the manager started chatting with me and we started talking about the car.
I had told him that I was thinking about moving the battery to the passenger side rear seat so I could take advantage of the polar moment of inertia along with cleaning up the bay a little bit and that I was going to need some 2/0 cable. He looked around, then took me aside and whispered "Just go to an audio shop and use theirs. It'll be cheaper than buying it from here!". He informed me that he used to do custom stereo installations so he knew a lot about wiring cars. I asked him "I've been told that audio wire is not a good idea since it'll be in the engine compartment and oil and grease may get on the sheath. Is audio cable oil resistant?". He assured me that it would be no problem. He was a professional installer remember! OK! From what he had explained to me made sense, for the most part, so, at this point, his credibility was at an all time high with me. Then it came.........

He just had to open his mouth and say "Don't forget to get a really good ground wire. There's a braided one that, if you use it, will actually increase your horsepower!". I kind of looked at him but I didn't want to be too obvious about the fact that he had gone from fairly knowledgable to complete idiot! I casually asked him "Really? How much horsepower does it give you?". He said "Oh, around 20 - 30 horsepower!". At this point I was about to break out laughing so I made a quick excuse and almost ran out of the store. Hopefully the door closed before I busted out laughing, I mean, I still gotta go back and I sure don't want the store manager mad at me, especially if I need a favor!:lol:

John

[Flash68]

That's a great story.

[XcYZ]

lol, nice. Reminds of the time I was a Best Buy and the kid trying to sell me on why Monster Cable was better than anything else.

[elitecustombody]

if you must know, and I'm 100% serious, what the guy was telling you does hold some truth, you will increase horsepower,but not anywhere near 20-30hp, more like 2-5hp, some cars shown to increase power by nearly 5 hp at the wheels,I believe it was 350z, there was an article on that subject few years ago,I don't remember which magazine,but they dynoed the car before and after the install of the ground wire kit, not sure how well it would improve if any on carburated cars,but it does work on fuel injected cars

[Vegas69]

I learned a long time ago to beleive little to none of what most parts guys tell you. I'm talking about Autozones, Dealerships for the most part.

[silverz28]

My buddy owned a garage and he'd get his kicks by calling the parts stores in town and asking for driveshaft fluid.

It funny how many people he would get with that gag. Just goes to show how people are swayed by authority. Act like you know what you're talking about and people will follow.

Not to mention there are alot of dumb people out there.:yes:

[XcYZ]

if you must know, and I'm 100% serious, what the guy was telling you does hold some truth, you will increase horsepower,but not anywhere near 20-30hp, more like 2-5hp, some cars shown to increase power by nearly 5 hp at the wheels,I believe it was 350z, there was an article on that subject few years ago,I don't remember which magazine,but they dynoed the car before and after the install of the ground wire kit, not sure how well it would improve if any on carburated cars,but it does work on fuel injected cars

You can pick up 2-5hp by just letting the car cool down. I would be very interested in what was used for control and the scientific method used in that experiment.

[thedugan]

Thats okay

When I worked in a shop we sold performance stuff and VAN accessories.

Someone came in and needed a short exhaust pipe

The guy sold him an aluminum table leg for the VANs... :lol:

[elitecustombody]

You can pick up 2-5hp by just letting the car cool down. I would be very interested in what was used for control and the scientific method used in that experiment.

pretty simple method,they strapped a car on a dyno,did a pull to see what it puts down before the installation and after the install they did another pull,

there are more than few benefits of having one of theese kits installed,especially when you have alot of multi-media equipment installed in your car,reduced static noise from stereo,brighter lighting,better throttle response,fuel efficiency

http://www.racinglab.com/hygrsybysun.html

[XcYZ]

Sorry, I'm just not buying into increasing hp by adding ground conductor ampacity.

[elitecustombody]

Sorry, I'm just not buying into increasing hp by adding ground conductor ampacity.

Buying it or not, I'm not selling,lol, but I know that, the shorter the ground wire on any equipment,the better

[jst8a5.0]

Just like an exhaust doesn't *give* you horsepower. It lets the engine breath and be more efficient. I agree you can't have too many grounds except cluttering stuff up if the installer is too obnoxious! Good grounds let the battery's voltage make it to the components. Ignitions seem power hungry so I would agree that if the ignition has no obstacles or weak or insufficient voltage, it can do it's job properly and you get the full potential.

On another note, my dad owns and runs a dyno. You should do more than one baseline pull. The first one kinda clears things out and the second one is closer to accurate. Generally within a couple of hp more, but not much. This is more so on carb engines. I just don't want that "phenomenon" to cause confusion.

Also, that tornado gimmick for intake tubes, it says in conjunction with a K&N filter, it has gains. Why does it need a K&N to do it's job? Why stop there? Why not continue with custom fabbed headers and state of the art exhaust system and then claim even more hp?

[XcYZ]

A 6" or 6' conductor makes no difference.

Look, I'm not trying to be an ass here, but I'm an Electronic Tech and I've been dealing with this stuff on a daily basis for nearly 20 years. I call complete BS on this unless someone can explain specific ground path ampacity deficiencies on the car/application in question. I'm not talking about adding amplifiers and HID headlights and such, I mean the engine performance side of it and how they "claim" they picked up 3-5hp on a chassis dyno. I'm not buying their story.

[ironworks]

if you must know, and I'm 100% serious, what the guy was telling you does hold some truth, you will increase horsepower,but not anywhere near 20-30hp, more like 2-5hp, some cars shown to increase power by nearly 5 hp at the wheels,I believe it was 350z, there was an article on that subject few years ago,I don't remember which magazine,but they dynoed the car before and after the install of the ground wire kit, not sure how well it would improve if any on carburated cars,but it does work on fuel injected cars

Oh well he read it is a magazine so it must be true.

[Vegas69]

Unless they were tested in identical conditions a 2-5 horsepower difference could be a number of things. Air temp, humidity, fluid temps, dyno variance, and the list goes on forever.

[MarkM66]

No offense, but why are you discussing anything with him?

Go in, get part, leave.

[SWAPMEETCRAZY]

A 6" or 6' conductor makes no difference.

Add another 31 years under my belt Scott--and I totally agree! Vegas69 is on top of the real difference--jim

[elitecustombody]

Oh well he read it is a magazine so it must be true.

So I take it all the Truckin,Hot Rodding,Classic Trucking and Hot Rod Ironworks Speed & Kustom has been featured in is all bunch of BS:unibrow:

[SWAPMEETCRAZY]

Rodger--I think u touched a nerve:unibrow:

[novanutcase]

No offense, but why are you discussing anything with him?

Go in, get part, leave.

I was checking out and he was at the register and started talking to me.

Should I be a complete ass and say "Sorry! Can't talk to you! You work at Autozone! You know absolutley ZILCh about cars! Have a nice day!

John

[jst8a5.0]

As bad as that sounds, it's prolly ok to say that for 2 reasons. 1, you are probably right, and 2, the next time you go in there he probably won't even work there. These places have high turn over rates due to people just wanting a paycheck and not wanting to make something of their life or be useful to who's paying them. So based on probability, condescend away!

Oh come on! Don't think for a minute that NAPA or some locally owned autopart stores hasn't called them looking for a flux capacitor for a DeLorean or driveshaft fluid or one of the other never-made auto parts! LOL!!!

[andrewmp6]

If a grounding strap gives you more power im putting them on everything lol.I had a kid at my work tell me his coffee can size muffler on his honda added 30h i laugh and told him no it hurts you,you lost back pressure so lower torque then you had.I have heard a lot of dumb ones like stripping your interior makes your car lighter but they put 300lbs of subs and amps in the trunk.Or the big apc wing makes there car handle better.My thing is to ask for a head gasket for any year rx7 or a water pump or radiator for a old vw bug they look these parts up.Or a timing chain for a rx7 i got a big list of things i mess with them on.

[jpdeuce]

Try a synthetic muffler bearing.:lol: :lol: :lol:

[jst8a5.0]

Autozone doesn't carry those, but you can find them here

kalecoauto.com

[MarkM66]

I was checking out and he was at the register and started talking to me.

Should I be a complete ass and say "Sorry! Can't talk to you! You work at Autozone! You know absolutley ZILCh about cars! Have a nice day!

John

Whoa...

I run into these people all the time, I usually just yeah nood my head and go about my business.

[ItDoRun]

This is hilarious!

...A synthetic muffler bearing, huh? I've got to try that one!

[fxstdale]

I would rather run a 6 inch one simply due to the fact that im broke now and I cant afford 5.5 more feet. the less weight will help with the horsepower to weight ratio too, so it will make your car faster :rolleyes:

[jbutlr]

funny, but I can one up you. Went into my local Pepboys to grap a new battery for my wifes Audi and the guy behind the counter asked me, " what kind of car was that again? Audi??.....Oh, what's an Audi??" I couldnt help but start laughing. Needless to say, I ended up with the wrong sized battery. Got to love Pepboys!

[sick65]

Whoa...

I run into these people all the time, I usually just yeah nood my head and go about my business.

Yeah, but your an ass...that works for you. LOL :rofl:

I'm kidding. :_paranoid

[deuce_454]

2-5 Hp....this scientific test, was that a mean number?.. how many tests? was it a blind test?? and what was the SD on the tests???... just posting a gain without posting a standard deviation on the number is nonsense..

besides: you will gain that on a chassis dyno just from opening the shop door... one degree higher temp on the dynos temp gauge, just from a person sitting next to it.. will lead to a higher corrected Hp number... the hotter grease in the bearings on the dynorollers will give lower drag, as will hotter tranny and rear end fluid...

but i guess its the same scientific tests that show that a plastic propeller "ebay -supercharger crap" in the intake tube gains 10 Hp and adds 2 mpg or whatever outrageous claim they make these days... what about the clamp on magnet for the fuel line that was supposed to "energize" the fueldroplets and add mileage and cut pollution....

i guess prople want to be ripped off... as for teens selling autoparts, i guess its just as good as flipping burgers... just dont ask any of them about your car... just as you wouldnt want the 17 year old guy who is rolling people out of the hospital in a wheelchair to analyze your ECG.... but as a chair-roller he is as good as the next person

i love these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__e-RAM-Electric-Supercharger-ORIGINAL-dyno-turbo-tested_W0QQitemZ300285623614QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20Ac cessoriesQQadiZ2865QQddiZ2811QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q20Tru ckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQptZM otors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item3002856 23614&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A727%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
sorry for the rant at the end of teh post btw

[Diognes56]

A lady at one of the local Autozones told my Dad that "new cars don't require lug nuts, they don't make them anymore". When he pointed to some she replied "those are only for classic cars, anything newer than '93 doesn't need them". He promptly left.

Another person, same store, sold my brother a serpentine belt. My brother went out, pulled his off and compared it to the new one. It was an inch too long. Yet the clerk could not understand why it would be a problem "your tensioner will take up the slack". After showing him the old belt and that the new belt was too long he said "belts shrink over time that is why they get cracks in them, it will be fine". He got his money back and went someplace else.

At the store I frequent, I had a particular clerk that I finally told that he should just run the cash register and to never "help" me again. This after a few times of him refusing to even attempt to look something up because he did not believe what I was asking him to look up. Like my Camaro having a 2-piece intake manifold, that there is such a thing as tire pressure monitors, that there is such a thing as lug bolts, and plenty of others. Any time I go in there he still asks if he can help me and I just tell him I will wait for somebody else to be available.

David

[sick65]

My recent favorite incident from the local parts store...Went in a few weeks ago to get a serpentine belt for my 91 Jeep Wrangler...

First question...what size motor? (I answer 4.0)

Second question...auto or 5 spd (I laugh...then say auto)

Third question...2wd or 4wd (again, I laugh...and tell them they only make a 4wd in a wrangler)

Fourth question...Does it have air (this is a legitimate question...I reply yes it has air)

I then also tell them it is white with a hardtop and 2 1/2 inch lift kit if that makes a difference and the guy told me I was being a smart-ass.

I swear, if they cannot look it up and answer the questions on the computer...they are lost.

[skatinjay27]

little late to the party... but the problem with something claiming gains of 2-3hp is alway diffucult to really prove... im mean when you dyno a car and dont even change a thing the number fluxuate 1-3 # anyways...

[fathomgreen69ss]

I love it when people log a few posts on a forum using "big" words of which they know nothing about or plagiarize word for word something they read in Truckin' magazine so that they can appear to be an expert.

You can pretty much single out a wannabe expert when they don't even possess the literary skills to spell 4 and 5 letter words let alone calculate resistance. Hookt; On, Fonix Wurkt' Fer Me :willy:

[wookham]

SO.....IF HE'S CORRECT 1 GROUND IS WORTH 10-20HP... IF I RUN 5 OR 6 OF THEM I DON'T NEED TO UPGRADE TO THE PROCHARGER....DAMN THANKS FOR THE INFO YOU JUST SAVED ME A TON OF CASH:thumbsup:

[Over Actor]

I tune subarus among other cars but they do pick up power from having good grounds. Def not 30 whp I think read the article wrong haha.

[Jim Nilsen]

It's a religious experience when it happens. I read the ad and saw that it is all from IMMACULATE CONDUCTION. I am not sure if it goes with the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION I have always read about but I don't think your 1st born child will have to be sacrificed ,just a few $$$$$ and the cost of all of the stupid looks you might get.

Always look for the braided ground strap when searching out well grounded people for car advice,being well grounded is required for a good start,just disconnect your grounds and see if you have any power:
rofl:

[terryr]

Magazines will say anything as long as you buy advertising space. Their 'tests' are ads for companies. Every hokey device ever made had plenty of positive results in magazines.

Right after high school we worked in a Sears garage. We would get the blank slips made for the pickup driver, make up stupid things for him to get, and mix them into the real ones. He'd drive to some business and ask for 'racing air' or 'muffler bearings', and then come back and flip out BIG TIME!! What fun.

[mazspeed]

pretty simple method,they strapped a car on a dyno,did a pull to see what it puts down before the installation and after the install they did another pull,

there are more than few benefits of having one of theese kits installed,especially when you have alot of multi-media equipment installed in your car,reduced static noise from stereo,brighter lighting,better throttle response,fuel efficiency

http://www.racinglab.com/hygrsybysun.html

The only time the ground would make a difference, is if there was a bad ground to begin with. I'm talking very poor ground. A car or anything else that has a proper ground is not going to get better spark out of the positive arc out of the + side by having a different-better ground wire attached. It doesn't work that way. A poor ground is going to give you the problems you said, like radio interference better lighting and what not. If the ground is good, then a better wire will not make a difference. In fact car grounds and equipment grounds are not even sized the same, meaning it's not as important as the positive side of the wire. As long as it's properly attached, it doesn't make a difference how it's wound, or if it's made from solid gold. Sorry, but whoever is feeding you these facts rides the short bus.

[ProTouring442]

I used to own a tool $ equipment franchise, and thus drove one of those cool tool trucks. Now, my truck came from a company called Precision Display Vehicles, and was rather unusual. Oddly, it had a Chrysler motor home chassis, and a Chevy 454/Turbo 400. It was not a Chrysler nor a Chevrolet product, and thus getting the correct parts took a bit of trial and error. To make things as easy as possible, I kept a notebook of all known part numbers. When going to the local Autozone, or some other consumer auto parts place, it always turned into a rather annoying conversation.

Me: I need an equivalent to a Gates XXXX belt

Zoner: What year is the vehicle?

Me: You can't look it up that way, just cross reference it.

Zoner: What year? I need a year.

Me: OK, its a 1986

Zoner: Make?

Me: Precision

Zoner: no such thing, what is it?

Me: A step van, and you'll need to cross it.

Zoner: Is it a Chevy step van?

Me: No, it's a Precision... it was a custom company

Zoner: I need a year and a make to look it up...

Me: Do you sell ammo?? :rolleyes:

In the end, I nearly always ended up cross referencing the part myself as the guy behind the counter didn't even know you could do that!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

[Mikael A]

SO.....IF HE'S CORRECT 1 GROUND IS WORTH 10-20HP... IF I RUN 5 OR 6 OF THEM I DON'T NEED TO UPGRADE TO THE PROCHARGER....DAMN THANKS FOR THE INFO YOU JUST SAVED ME A TON OF CASH:thumbsup:

Dont forget about the tornado......no twin tornados good for atleast 100hp:lol:

[Jbone]

I hate going and trying to get a certain legnth belt for a custom pulley system
I've measured and know what legnth i need.
me-i need a 42.5 inch belt
him-car?
m-it's for a mustang blah
h-it's the wrong size
m-no it's not. i'm not running such and such and i've moved this
h-??????????
m-Can I just go back and find what i need? :willy:

[parsonsj]

Here's my story. I ordered a new pinion seal from Moser, since mine had begun leaking. 4 days later, and it's the wrong one. I could tell because I was comparing it the one that came out of the car. Rather than wait another 4 days for the right part from Moser, I went over to Advance Auto, and a young girl was behind the counter. She looked about 12, but was probably a bit older.

I started in with "I need a new pinion seal for a 9" Ford, so let's start with a 70 Ford F-150...." She cuts me off, and says "Let me cross-reference the old one in your hand". She inspects it carefully, excuses herself, goes to the back of the store, and comes back up to the counter with a new seal. The right one too.

I was shocked. :cheers:

jp

[awr68]

jp, I bet you were shocked! That's awesome!!

[carkrazy1987]

very rarely do u go in and find what u need or someone who actually takes their job seriously. i cant think of the top of my head of any such moments, but i know its happened.

[novanutcase]

Here's my story. I ordered a new pinion seal from Moser, since mine had begun leaking. 4 days later, and it's the wrong one. I could tell because I was comparing it the one that came out of the car. Rather than wait another 4 days for the right part from Moser, I went over to Advance Auto, and a young girl was behind the counter. She looked about 12, but was probably a bit older.

I started in with "I need a new pinion seal for a 9" Ford, so let's start with a 70 Ford F-150...." She cuts me off, and says "Let me cross-reference the old one in your hand". She inspects it carefully, excuses herself, goes to the back of the store, and comes back up to the counter with a new seal. The right one too.

I was shocked. :cheers:

jp

JP,

I've only met you a handful of times but when I have you've seemed a very forthright and honest person. I guess I was wrong!

That CAN'T be true! :lol:

J/K

I guess there's always an anomaly to every situation!:yes:

John

[Vegas69]

Here's my story. I ordered a new pinion seal from Moser, since mine had begun leaking. 4 days later, and it's the wrong one. I could tell because I was comparing it the one that came out of the car. Rather than wait another 4 days for the right part from Moser, I went over to Advance Auto, and a young girl was behind the counter. She looked about 12, but was probably a bit older.

I started in with "I need a new pinion seal for a 9" Ford, so let's start with a 70 Ford F-150...." She cuts me off, and says "Let me cross-reference the old one in your hand". She inspects it carefully, excuses herself, goes to the back of the store, and comes back up to the counter with a new seal. The right one too.

I was shocked. :cheers:

jp
Those underwear are done!:D

[jst8a5.0]

WOW!! You just never hear that. That is worth a leg off of the power tour or something to go to that store for refreshments!

[Dayton]

This thread reminds me of my days in the lumber mill in the early 70's. We always sent the new kids across the yard to get the "saw dust pump", or, the "sky hook":lol: