Met an MX-3 owner at Advance Auto today

[Dark_Rider2k3]

Don't know if he'll read this but yeah.. he said he has lurked the forums.. not sure if he still does now.

Owns a Black GS with minty GS lips. Sunroof is showing it's age, but had some nice rims (not sure of the make). Also had the K8 and said it was getting old and he had plans of swapping.. though wasn't sure if he wanted the DE or ZE

Pretty sure it was also MT... but not sure on that.

Sorry we didn't get to talk much but Advance was being horrible.

Which, btw, makes for a good story for the rest of you guys here.. my Alternator/WP belt snapped and so I went to the quickest place I could which was Advance Auto.. got a belt but it is clearly too small.. 1 size too small to be exact.. and I told them about it but they said it was the only part number... so ok.. I decide to try and install it and see if maybe i'm wrong... but I got the power steering/AC belt off.. and go to put it on.. no go.. it's not going on unless I force it on which I don't want to... but as soon as I turn my back around I noticed in that 15 minutes of me getting tools out/taking the belt off/playing with their belt they had just up and left... didn't even care to make sure I was ok... which I wasn't..

now during this time I had also stopped to talk to an MX-3 member I met (who I'm referring to above) but that was during my problems.. me running into the store saying that it CLEARLY wasn't the right belt.. and them telling me it is... but the thing is that they just up and left...

so I was actually able to get the belt on (had to actually use a flat blade screwdriver to pull it up over the pulley and get it on, but definitely not a permanent fix.. just something to get me home (my battery would have died without it).. though I can tell you this... now that it's home that belt went off fast.. I am just hoping I didn't destroy my alternator.. there was no squealing from the belts or noise but some smoke upon initial start-up that could have just been debris.. the smoke lasted for I'd say a matter of a minute.. maybe a little less.. but I did notice the strain this very tight belt put on the car.. the alternator wouldn't charge right so yeah... I'm not going back to Advance if this is how they'd treat me.. I know I'd never treat a customer like that in their time of need...


and I also can't believe they wouldn't give me a belt 1 size larger? Why does it "have" to be for that specific car... can't they get me a belt based on size?

[mitmaks]

sorry to hear about your inconvenience with them. There's always that employee that will tell you that it's the right part for your car when it's clearly not. I've had my "experiences" with schucks and napa and I don't hold grudges against them, I'm just more careful and double check part before leaving the store.

[Sleeper6]

So out of curiousity which store were you at? Anyways while I was there they had very few people that even knew how to use the belt gauge let alone understand the part numbers enough to be able to get you the next closest size. Which by the way if you need to ask for one and I think they still use dayco heres some advice. The 4k355 for example (4k = 4 rib and 355 = 35.5"/mm) is a break down of the part system so you can ask for the next best size. So back to point, most the clerks there dont actually know much about the cars they sell parts for, so wanting to be helpful he probably followed you out, realized it was wrong and he couldnt help so he left before being put on the spot. They dont offer anything in the way of real training and the main office cares less for its employees. Before I left advance I was helping out at 3 stores b/c I wasnt able to get a full time spot in ours however 2 local stores were short so they asked me to fill in. I did faithfully for about 3 months until I saw a email for the managers on accident that was to limit my hours to 10hrs max between all the stores for the rest of the year so they werent liable to offer me benifits after I helped them. Long story short, I was working at Hyundai within a week, and yes, advance auto sucks!

[Dark_Rider2k3]

So out of curiousity which store were you at? Anyways while I was there they had very few people that even knew how to use the belt gauge let alone understand the part numbers enough to be able to get you the next closest size. Which by the way if you need to ask for one and I think they still use dayco heres some advice. The 4k355 for example (4k = 4 rib and 355 = 35.5"/mm) is a break down of the part system so you can ask for the next best size. So back to point, most the clerks there dont actually know much about the cars they sell parts for, so wanting to be helpful he probably followed you out, realized it was wrong and he couldnt help so he left before being put on the spot. They dont offer anything in the way of real training and the main office cares less for its employees. Before I left advance I was helping out at 3 stores b/c I wasnt able to get a full time spot in ours however 2 local stores were short so they asked me to fill in. I did faithfully for about 3 months until I saw a email for the managers on accident that was to limit my hours to 10hrs max between all the stores for the rest of the year so they werent liable to offer me benifits after I helped them. Long story short, I was working at Hyundai within a week, and yes, advance auto sucks!

I remember you working at Adance when you were down here, and it was the exact one I saw you at (W. Liberty Ave.). It's the closest one to my house (and unfortunately the closest auto store to me as well).

I don't hate anyone in there, but it's quite frustrating when you try and act like I'm wrong.. as if your database is so "perfect".

and speaking of that, Advance Auto's database is definitely going downhill... more and more I'm seeing incorrect parts come up for the MX/Protege's... (too large of an AC belt, this time too small of an alternator belt, wrong water temp. sensor, wrong rear brakes...), so I've been using them only for fluids/cleaners, and emergency situations...

[Inodoro Pereyra]

and I also can't believe they wouldn't give me a belt 1 size larger? Why does it "have" to be for that specific car... can't they get me a belt based on size?

Actually, that's a good thing.
You may remember I worked at AAP for almost 2 years. The guy should've replaced your belt immediately, no questions asked.
Do you still have the receipt? If you do, call customer service, and give them an earful. You need to be VERY UPSET.
Tell them how you asked for a longer belt, and how the belt they pushed on you broke on you again, in the middle of the expressway, and you almost got killed because of it...get it?
Don't forget the part on how you will NEVER, EVER, EVER buy at AAP again.
To make a long story short, the last guy I knew who did that, got a new part for free, and a $250 gift card.

[Dark_Rider2k3]

and I also can't believe they wouldn't give me a belt 1 size larger? Why does it "have" to be for that specific car... can't they get me a belt based on size?

Actually, that's a good thing.
You may remember I worked at AAP for almost 2 years. The guy should've replaced your belt immediately, no questions asked.
Do you still have the receipt? If you do, call customer service, and give them an earful. You need to be VERY UPSET.
Tell them how you asked for a longer belt, and how the belt they pushed on you broke on you again, in the middle of the expressway, and you almost got killed because of it...get it?
Don't forget the part on how you will NEVER, EVER, EVER buy at AAP again.
To make a long story short, the last guy I knew who did that, got a new part for free, and a $250 gift card.

Will do