So two days after I come back from college my Fiero greets me with a Service Engine Soon light. So I pull the cigarette lighter and get code 22, throttle position sensor. So I thought I would just stop by the NAPA to see what those would run me and if they had any in stock. No sooner than I say "88 Pontiac Fiero" the guy yells to someone in the back "Hey Joe, ya hear that? An 88 Firetrap!" At this point Joe comes out and goes on about how his mom worked at a Pontiac dealer and said that those cars the hoods came off, doors fell off, and the engine started on fire. I asked if he could just look up the part for me. They continued rambling, and told me it would be about $70, plus it would have to be shipped from Denver for $12. I told them that that sounded reasonable, but would have to take my business elsewhere.

I can't justify paying people who insult my car, how do they expect to get business if they just start bashing on a customer's car?

I used to go to NAPA myself, till I discovered parts were about 1/2 price and usually in stock at Advance.

I used to live by a parts place and would get parts fairly frequently from them. Every single time I went there, someone would have to bash the Fiero. I started going half way across town to get parts because I didn't want to give my money to people who insult their customers.

yea, i joke around w/ customers that i know about their cars(we see alot of the same people daily or weekly around here), but not first time customers or people who dont seem like the joking kind....

if you still need the sensor, let me know, we got it for $55 instock... (i assume you have the v6 for that price, as the 2.5l should be bout $20)

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: I can't justify paying people who insult my car, how do they expect to get business if they just start bashing on a customer's car?

Its stories such as yours that has made me a big fan of ordering online. Rock Auto doesn't make fun of customers cars.

I have it made. The O'Reilly Auto Parts near me rocks! Most employees are knowledgeable, and the ones that are not quite as knowing, ask for help from those that do. Everyone there is polite, and don't bother me when I am looking around. Definate first name basis with this crew. I pretty much just walk behind the counter when looking for fittings, and such. The parts that need to be ordered are there quickly, and with a call upon their arrival. Just an all around good parts store to go to.

This is what Rock Auto carries under throttle position sensor, any opinions on which one to get? Anyone have experience with these brand names?

KEMPARTS Part # 141417
Throttle Position Sensor MPFI - HO [Wholesaler Closeout -- 30 Day Warranty] (Only 3 Remaining)

$25.79 $0.00 $25.79

AIRTEX Part # 5S5035 {#10031271, 10106063, TPS124}
10031441

$51.79 $0.00 $51.79

STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS Part # TH30

$62.79 $0.00 $62.79

kem is well.. they are slowly loosing suppliers for a reason. they used to be good, my company used to lease their Baltimore warehouse to them, but we stopped selling their product and kicked them out... now we sell standard, they make a pretty decent product, we also have airtex fuel pumps, their pumps seem to be pretty good, idk how their other products are tho....

I had somthing like this happen at my local napa a couple weeks. but they called mine an 87 fire hazzard until they saw it and immeditley shut up about it. Needless to say i took my business right down the street to advance auto parts. I get this a pepboys to but i know 90% of the store staff personaly so it dosent bother me.

You think NAPA was high, go price 88 Fiero Rotors at AAP. I priced some last week. Discontinued item, $184.00 each IIRC. I just about fell over.

Ron

You did the right thing. Good for you.

As Ron White says....."You can't fix stupid."

you guys need to stand up for yourselves. There is only 1 auto parts store in colfax (were i live) and its a napa. most the guys are cool but there is one shift that hates fiero. He would always bash it bla bla bla. Well that got old quick and i told him "talk crap one more time and im gonna beat you over the head with the breaker bar you have on sale for 9.99). Now he likes the fiero

quote Originally posted by 87antuzzi: you guys need to stand up for yourselves. There is only 1 auto parts store in colfax (were i live) and its a napa. most the guys are cool but there is one shift that hates fiero. He would always bash it bla bla bla. Well that got old quick and i told him "talk crap one more time and im gonna beat you over the head with the breaker bar you have on sale for 9.99). Now he likes the fiero

Lol some of us dont want to get arrested for terroristic threats.

Only way someone calls the cops on someone here is if your make loud noises, do over 60 down placer hills road or spin doughnuts at the school. Other than that its fair game. And it being the ONLY auto parts store thats local, The guy thinks he is god himself.

Every time I've come across somebody who said something like that, I either was able to turn it around back at them or (if I didn't feel like it) I told them to do a number of things involving self-fornication or "abuse of animals" ... It shuts them up with a quickness.

I don't go into napa any more, the first time i went in there looking for an adapter for my power steering lines (Talon), my usual parts store was out, i described the part to the employee he didn't even look and told me that there was no such thing, needing the part i asked if he could look for something that would work, he goes in back and comes back with the exact part that i wanted and then said that he had no clue what i was talking about but he had this and then proceeded to describe the part word for word what i originally asked for.
the second time i needed stick on wheel weights for my 17's, so i called them and they said that they had them in stock, so i skipped lunch at school to go pick them up because i had to work right after school. I went in and they told me that they don't stock them, pissed i left in a fit and shifted so hard i broke my select cable (thank god for zip ties).
When i get parts from my usual store, they ask me which car and it will be in tomorrow, no BS or nothing.

quote Originally posted by Mike Murphy: As Ron White says....."You can't fix stupid."

X2, and who wants too ... LOL

J

quote Originally posted by Fierosmith: X2, and who wants too ... LOL J

I agree, and stupid keeps me employed. I do hate dealing with asshats in parts stores. I use car quest, Advance / Auto Zone, or a few of the local mom and pop shops around here. Napa is a last resort their the highest priced for the same parts and generally seem to have the worst attitude.

guy i used to work with called my fiero a poor mans ferrari.

The Checker store near me told me that Wagner brake parts are made in the US. I ordered four rotors for my '84 Notchie and they were clearly marked. "Made in China." My wife picked them up , otherwise I would have gotten a refund immediately. I brought them back and the manager copped an attitude toward me. I told him that $275 was a bit pricely for Chinese made rotors and I can get Chinese made rotors elsewhere for about half that.

NAPA ordered them for me and the woman who ordered them didn't ask me if my car caught fire and she really knows her car parts. She is a little flirty with most men(me included)but knows where to draw the line. When she flirted with me, I knew she needed glasses or she was being nice.

NAPA, like many other parts stores, have both corporate and locally owned stores. The corporate stores seem to be better run but our little locally owned NAPA is very good. I look up part numbers on the web and they call when they arrive and don't require me to prepay and don't charge freight.

quote Originally posted by starlightcoupe: The Checker store near me told me that Wagner brake parts are made in the US. I ordered four rotors for my '84 Notchie and they were clearly marked. "Made in China." My wife picked them up , otherwise I would have gotten a refund immediately. I brought them back and the manager copped an attitude toward me. I told him that $275 was a bit pricely for Chinese made rotors and I can get Chinese made rotors elsewhere for about half that.

wagner is a US company, most of their pads are made here, their rotors are not... china im shocked at, most the boxes are marked mexico or canada... there are no (o.e. replacement) brake rotor manufactures currently in the US. found this out bout 3months ago trying to find a customer US made rotors for his vette.... called bendix, wagner(federal moguel), delcoline, raybestos, and several others... all of them said they dont offer US made rotors anymore.

I guess I'm getting cranky in my old age. I would have told the guy behind the counter..."I asked for a part, not a critique on what I drive. You think it's within your limited intellect to accomplish that.....or do you need to consult your buddy's mom at the Pontiac dealer?" This isn't an issue of being thin-skinned about Fieros....I joke about them myself......it's an issue of customer service.

Yes, there are vendors that I've known forever and we joke back and forth. The operative phrase here is "known forever". 15 seconds doesn't qualify. I also have customers of my own that I have built a relationship with over the years with and can joke around with.....they will come in and say "Dan what piece of junk am I driving today?" and I will respond "Toyota Corolla.....here's a bungee cord for the throttle"....and we share a good laugh. But I've known these guys years, and in some cases, decades.

I wouldn't do that with a customer I didn't know VERY well.

I would write a stern letter either to the owner if it's a franchise, or to headquarters if it's a corporate store. The guy was out of line.

You should test it before blindly replacing it. You should see ~.5 volts at closed throttle and ~4.5 volts at WOT with smooth transistion between and no gaps \ drops.

If it tests clear, just wipe the codes and forget about it, its not unheard of for them to trip a light without being bad. There are a lot of diffrent things that can trip a lot of diffrent codes, without actually being the part indicated in the code.

quote Originally posted by 86GT3.4DOHC: You should test it before blindly replacing it. You should see ~.5 volts at closed throttle and ~4.5 volts at WOT with smooth transistion between and no gaps \ drops. If it tests clear, just wipe the codes and forget about it, its not unheard of for them to trip a light without being bad. There are a lot of diffrent things that can trip a lot of diffrent codes, without actually being the part indicated in the code.

I was thinking about that too, my idle hunts between 900-1100 rpms, and I figured that was acceptable, but if a new sensor would fix that, all the better.

I don't think I have a voltmeter around the house, and I'm not exactly sure how to run that test, any more in depth instructions?