Alignment?

dude, SET regional is in their own world :blink:

acceptable range is the range shown on your alignment report. the numbers you see on each individual reading give you the acceptable range, and the arrow points to where in that range the vehicle's measurement lies. if it's in range the box is green. out of range, the box is red.

the thht is the official name that is used more on priuschat than in the actual shop... more commonly this is known as the scantool. it's the diagnostic interface with the car's computers and other electronics, which in the case of an alignment is used to reset the zero point calibration. this is what the traction control uses to tell how far the steering wheel is turned. when the zero-point calibration is off, the car can be going straight forward but the traction control thinks you're turning. if the TC thinks you're turning as hard as you can, it won't let you accelerate. you want the zero point cal to be correct.

the dsp machines are made by hunter. with those machines, it would take a complete idiot to screw up- it's almost impossible to do it wrong unless it was intentional.

unfortunately it sounds like your dealer isn't committed to customer service. a good tech would be happy to accomodate a customer request, not only to keep the customer coming back but to build their confidence. a small adjustment in alignment isn't too much to ask. (something major might be another issue.) while most techs don't know the tolerances for every vehicle offhand, they are programmed into the alignment machine. they could find out that way. so it's not the company, it's the individuals at the dealership. out of curiosity, how far is myrtle beach from the NC triangle? it's a long haul, isn't it? we could recommend a good service dept here with tons of prius experience...

there are a couple reasons why legitimate techs hate the internet. one is vehicular hypochondria. someone else on the internet had this problem, therefore my car must be susceptible. oh no, there's a symptom! you must replace my rack and pinion steering because someone else had it done to their car or i will rip you, the dealership, the region and the manufacturer to shreds for incompetence.
the other is because people do get bogus info on the net and trying to convince them that anonymous armchair mechanic persona on the internet isn't always right is not an easy task. we've seen some ridiculous things said on some of the prius groups, and correcting all that is a full time job!

the lazy techs could be a different story.

and last but not least, DH has had no arrogance training in SET regional classes :mellow: that's an individual thing.

 

well there's this dealer in Durham where my husband just happens to fix cars... if you really do end up driving 3 hours to get your car maintained (and god that's shameful to your local dealer and a real pain for you) we can make sure you're taken care of. my prius always comes back in great shape