Hello! As you probably can see, I am not a regular member of this board nor would I be since I own a 350Z, not a Mustang. However, I felt it was important to share an experience I recently had with a local tuner with as many people as possible. This tuning shop “specializes” in working of Mustangs... so, that is why I’m here. I’m only posting the account of events as originally posted on the my350Z.com website where I am a longstanding and respected member. You can see the original thread in its entirety, including the tuning shop’s responses by going to this link.
Ultimately, I am only here to inform you how I was treated by this shop so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not you would do business with them yourself. I'm sorry that this had to be the way to introduce myself to your website, but this information had to be shared. If you have questions, you should be able to PM through the my350z.com website.
Following is the majority of a letter I have written to Vortech Engineering regarding the matter…
I am writing today to inform you of recent experiences related to one of Vortech’s products. I am the owner of a 2003 Nissan 350Z and recently purchased your polished supercharger kit for the same.
Because I have a long standing relationship with a local garage, Cosentino Hi-Lines, I wanted to have their mechanics work on this project even though this shop is not an authorized Vortech installer. After some planning, I decided to buy the supercharger kit from Carolina Performance Racing (a Vortech authorized retailer), have the kit installed by Cosentino Hi-Lines, and finally have the car tuned by Underground Racing (a Vortech authorized installer, if what I’ve been told is true).
The items I bring to your attention today regard the tuning shop, Underground Racing and how that shop, and specifically the owner Kevin Howeth, poorly handled my concerns. I apologize in advance because what follows will be lengthy, but I feel it is necessary to relay to you my exact experience as a customer.
Item #1 – Oil Leak
The first problem I encountered with my new Vortech kit was an oil leak. Of course, it was investigated immediately and, ultimately, rectified with no real harm done. One reason I have maintained a relationship with Cosentino Hi-Lines is that they, based on my experiences, are very methodical and professional about their work. Basically, when I take my car to this shop for anything, I know the job is going to be done right. Also, having done a cam install several months ago, they are intimately familiar with my motor. This continued to be the case with the Vortech supercharger install. Upon completion, I picked up my car on Tuesday, March 23, 2004. Mark Cosentino, the shop owner and mechanic that performed the install, shared with me a photograph log of their work as well as taking time to show me the entire finished product in his garage. We inspected the car in detail on the ground as well as on the lift and he pointed out things to watch as traditional problem areas for superchargers. The car was also cranked and driven in the area of the shop. After much idle and drive time, Mark showed me the oil transfer points, key items about the belts, and how the entire install was leak-free and ready for the road. What he showed me first hand, matched the photograph log he had created as the install was performed.
Since Cosentino Hi-Lines has neither Vortech tuning software nor a dyno to perform tuning, I worked out an arrangement with Underground Racing to perform the engine tuning following the supercharger install. When these arrangements were made, Underground Racing informed me they are an authorized Vortech installer.
With confidence the install had been performed properly following our thorough inspection, I immediately drove the car just over 6 miles to Underground Racing for tuning, taking great care not to rev the motor too high since I was driving on the Vortech default settings . My car was left in the care of Underground Racing for approximately 4½ hours. At the time of drop off, there were no signs of leaks anywhere. I took special note of this because I had a problem where my custom strut bar had rubbed one of the Vortech gears under body flex. While removing the strut bar, I looked over the install area closely and saw no signs of fluid anywhere.
After 4½ hours, I returned to Underground Racing. They showed me the final dyno run figures and took me for a quick (2-3 mile ride) in the car to “check things out”. With all this done, I was ready to leave. In hindsight, I remember there being no fluids on the dyno when we pulled the car off of the dyno for the quick drive. I remember this because one of the spacers for the aforementioned custom strut bar had fallen onto a cross brace and could not be removed from above the car. During dyno tuning it appeared to have fallen out onto the floor in the dyno area. When we backed the car out, this piece was picked up and there were no signs of leaks or fluid anywhere. I was fairly excited about the dyno numbers so I failed to inspect the engine bay of my car before leaving Underground Racing.
At this time, I drove the 6 miles back to Cosentino Hi-Lines to share the dyno numbers with Mark Cosentino, the owner, and it was a good thing I did. When I arrived, we discovered a large amount of oil had leaked into the pans that close off the engine bay from the road. When we checked the oil level, the reading was between one and two quarts low! The car had not leaked following the install, on the way to the tuner, or on the dyno, but seemed to begin leaking after I left the tuner to return to the install shop.
Once the car was on the lift, we found a fitting that was loose. During install this piece was tightened securely and Teflon tape was used on the threads of the fitting to further ensure there would be no leak. Since we had the pictures of the install to reference, it was easy to see the fitting was not in the same position it had been in when I left the install shop earlier that day. The only place the car was out of my presence was at the tuner.
When I spoke to Kevin Howeth concerning this, he became angry which I admit is an understandable initial reaction. However, my only known facts when I spoke to him were when the leak began and that the fitting was securely tightened at install as this was shown to me during the original inspection at Cosentino Hi-Lines and verified by the photograph of the fitting. However, instead of helping me discern what may have actually happened to cause the part to become loose, Kevin proceeded to yell at me, address me with derogatory name-calling, and attack both my character and the work of the install shop without provocation. I was simply attempting to investigate a problem I, the customer, had encountered and Kevin immediately became defensive and belligerent. When I tried to provide additional background information regarding my experience, he would simply yell over my voice and ignore my comments. Considering this, it is unlikely I will ever fully determine what caused this issue.
Following discovery of the source of the leak that afternoon at Cosentino Hi-Lines, the fitting was reseated and I have had no problems whatsoever with oil since.
Ultimately, I am only here to inform you how I was treated by this shop so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not you would do business with them yourself. I'm sorry that this had to be the way to introduce myself to your website, but this information had to be shared. If you have questions, you should be able to PM through the my350z.com website.
Following is the majority of a letter I have written to Vortech Engineering regarding the matter…
I am writing today to inform you of recent experiences related to one of Vortech’s products. I am the owner of a 2003 Nissan 350Z and recently purchased your polished supercharger kit for the same.
Because I have a long standing relationship with a local garage, Cosentino Hi-Lines, I wanted to have their mechanics work on this project even though this shop is not an authorized Vortech installer. After some planning, I decided to buy the supercharger kit from Carolina Performance Racing (a Vortech authorized retailer), have the kit installed by Cosentino Hi-Lines, and finally have the car tuned by Underground Racing (a Vortech authorized installer, if what I’ve been told is true).
The items I bring to your attention today regard the tuning shop, Underground Racing and how that shop, and specifically the owner Kevin Howeth, poorly handled my concerns. I apologize in advance because what follows will be lengthy, but I feel it is necessary to relay to you my exact experience as a customer.
Item #1 – Oil Leak
The first problem I encountered with my new Vortech kit was an oil leak. Of course, it was investigated immediately and, ultimately, rectified with no real harm done. One reason I have maintained a relationship with Cosentino Hi-Lines is that they, based on my experiences, are very methodical and professional about their work. Basically, when I take my car to this shop for anything, I know the job is going to be done right. Also, having done a cam install several months ago, they are intimately familiar with my motor. This continued to be the case with the Vortech supercharger install. Upon completion, I picked up my car on Tuesday, March 23, 2004. Mark Cosentino, the shop owner and mechanic that performed the install, shared with me a photograph log of their work as well as taking time to show me the entire finished product in his garage. We inspected the car in detail on the ground as well as on the lift and he pointed out things to watch as traditional problem areas for superchargers. The car was also cranked and driven in the area of the shop. After much idle and drive time, Mark showed me the oil transfer points, key items about the belts, and how the entire install was leak-free and ready for the road. What he showed me first hand, matched the photograph log he had created as the install was performed.
Since Cosentino Hi-Lines has neither Vortech tuning software nor a dyno to perform tuning, I worked out an arrangement with Underground Racing to perform the engine tuning following the supercharger install. When these arrangements were made, Underground Racing informed me they are an authorized Vortech installer.
With confidence the install had been performed properly following our thorough inspection, I immediately drove the car just over 6 miles to Underground Racing for tuning, taking great care not to rev the motor too high since I was driving on the Vortech default settings . My car was left in the care of Underground Racing for approximately 4½ hours. At the time of drop off, there were no signs of leaks anywhere. I took special note of this because I had a problem where my custom strut bar had rubbed one of the Vortech gears under body flex. While removing the strut bar, I looked over the install area closely and saw no signs of fluid anywhere.
After 4½ hours, I returned to Underground Racing. They showed me the final dyno run figures and took me for a quick (2-3 mile ride) in the car to “check things out”. With all this done, I was ready to leave. In hindsight, I remember there being no fluids on the dyno when we pulled the car off of the dyno for the quick drive. I remember this because one of the spacers for the aforementioned custom strut bar had fallen onto a cross brace and could not be removed from above the car. During dyno tuning it appeared to have fallen out onto the floor in the dyno area. When we backed the car out, this piece was picked up and there were no signs of leaks or fluid anywhere. I was fairly excited about the dyno numbers so I failed to inspect the engine bay of my car before leaving Underground Racing.
At this time, I drove the 6 miles back to Cosentino Hi-Lines to share the dyno numbers with Mark Cosentino, the owner, and it was a good thing I did. When I arrived, we discovered a large amount of oil had leaked into the pans that close off the engine bay from the road. When we checked the oil level, the reading was between one and two quarts low! The car had not leaked following the install, on the way to the tuner, or on the dyno, but seemed to begin leaking after I left the tuner to return to the install shop.
Once the car was on the lift, we found a fitting that was loose. During install this piece was tightened securely and Teflon tape was used on the threads of the fitting to further ensure there would be no leak. Since we had the pictures of the install to reference, it was easy to see the fitting was not in the same position it had been in when I left the install shop earlier that day. The only place the car was out of my presence was at the tuner.
When I spoke to Kevin Howeth concerning this, he became angry which I admit is an understandable initial reaction. However, my only known facts when I spoke to him were when the leak began and that the fitting was securely tightened at install as this was shown to me during the original inspection at Cosentino Hi-Lines and verified by the photograph of the fitting. However, instead of helping me discern what may have actually happened to cause the part to become loose, Kevin proceeded to yell at me, address me with derogatory name-calling, and attack both my character and the work of the install shop without provocation. I was simply attempting to investigate a problem I, the customer, had encountered and Kevin immediately became defensive and belligerent. When I tried to provide additional background information regarding my experience, he would simply yell over my voice and ignore my comments. Considering this, it is unlikely I will ever fully determine what caused this issue.
Following discovery of the source of the leak that afternoon at Cosentino Hi-Lines, the fitting was reseated and I have had no problems whatsoever with oil since.
