Pensieri di un lunatico minore

Infinite annoyances

Overall, I’ve been very happy with my G35 coupe. Overall, I’ve been very happy with the dealer I use to service it (Passport Infiniti). Unfortunately, I’ve been having issues with my A/C system in my car the past week or so.

It started last week, Wednesday, when the A/C just pooped out and started blowing hot air into the car. I checked all the fuses, and called the dealer. They got me in, though without a loaner car, the next day, and “fixed it.” They said the car had blown an O-ring seal in the system, which caused all the pressure to leak out. Reasonable, it happens, not a major issue.

So, I drove down to Chapel Hill for my sister’s graduation. While driving to the graduation itself, with my father in the car, the A/C failed exactly the same way, and I called the dealer immediately. This was Saturday, so they weren’t open for service. I left a message.

I went in Monday, when I could, and they were good enough (thanks to Jeff, the service manager), to get me in immediately and they diagnosed it as a compressor issue. Apparently the compressor was “over pressurizing” the system, which can happen. They would have to order a new one, since they had none in stock, and the other local dealer was out as well. This is an annoyance, as it’s not something they should be “out of” easily. Begin supply chain stupidity part 1.

Since I had to go down to the tidewater area of VA to work with a customer, my friend Kristen generously loaned me her SAAB 9-5 Aero, which I just returned. That went great, but I got a call yesterday from Jeff saying the part still wasn’t in, and that it hadn’t even been released from Infiniti’s parts depot in California. Frustrating supply chain stupidity part 2.

Today, I get another call from Jeff saying that while the part has been released and shipped, he has no way to track it, and that he doesn’t know when it will arrive. Apply to that silliness (who in this day and age can’t track a freaking box?) that the part has to go to Baltimore before it can come down to Alexandria, and they think it might be in tomorrow sometime, but maybe not till Monday.

Monday makes a week without A/C in my pretty little red car, something that is not impressing me with Infiniti’s service level. Sure, they’re nice, sure they’re apologetic, but in the end, they’re not getting the job done.

Update: The car is finally done. The compressor showed up Wednesday morning, and I dropped the car off before heading to Austin for the weekend. Will pick it up when I return.