Joined: Aug 02, 2006
Posts: 705
Location: McLean, VA, USA
Posted:
Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:58 pm
When I lived in the Soviet Uni0n (I mean geographically AND chronologically), there was almost no such thing as car service. So, I did not bother and performed all my car service myself – yes, including painting and engine overhaul.
People here (in US) and now (in 21st century) can hardly imagine this. I remember changing the flat tire in US in the middle of the night, and a bunch of spectators (including police officer) watching such a rare event.
However, any time I entrust my car to any car service here and now, be it independent mechanic or dealership, I get it back with missing fasteners and damaged threads, at a minimum. I hate this. Any time I do any work on my car, I find yet another missing fastener/damaged thread, and recall which particular mechanic this could be, and pray hard for his well being… May be you have a better luck here, but I just don’t want to take my chances anymore.
So, I stopped going to service altogether for the things I can do at home. Unfortunately, my abilities are somewhat limited by the place where I live, so for dirty jobs, or jobs requiring some really special equipment, I have to go to service, still. And then, I look for missing parts and try to minimize the damage.
And I never did, never do, and I think I never will trust any mechanic my brake job. This is the thing I always do myself, it just seem too risky for me to entrust my life and lives of my relatives and friends to those crappy "professionals".
Last edited by Misha on Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
I first started learning about cars because I was getting ripped off by mechanics that could tell I didn't know my way around a car. My advice to EVERYONE is to buy the big repair manual for your car, even if you aren't going to do the work yourself, at least you will know what the mechanic is talking about.
I'm just now about to get my civic to throw me the check engine code it just start flashing at my wife
Well, guess what guys? I do work as a mechanic.
I think this really depends on a shop, and the mechanic himself. I always put all the fasteners back, and the only thing I stripped was an oxygen sensor (which rarely come out right), which we fixed anyways. Now I am not saying that none of my co-workers have never left a striped bolt in there, if it is something important, we do retap the threads and get a new bolt.
As for brakes, I do know of people putting in pads with the metal facing the rotor, instead of the material that wears out, but that I think is a rare sight, and I've also seen people come to our shop with the caliper braket unbolted. Crap like this does happen, also it is unlikely. I would give my word on repairs, I fix other cars pretending it is my own, and I have never had a cutomer return regarding my work. The shops that do this are usually the ones that specialize in one specific field (mostly wheel and tire shop, or oil change places), as they often higher people judging only by what they say they can do, not what they actually can do. In other words people who become mechanics by not telling the truth, are the ones that do half assed jobs.
Joined: Aug 02, 2006
Posts: 705
Location: McLean, VA, USA
Posted:
Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:57 am
Bad for you man, we'll bash you here
If seriously, I'm old enough to realize that not all mechanics are bad I’m even admitting here that I exaggerated this story a bit. I had one shop that was good. But management changed, and people changed, and they no longer have my business.
I wish you lived somewhere around here, so I could give you some business
I'm glad that there is an honest mechanic out there. I can't afford to look for one around here but I've reached a zen state about dirt and grease stained hands anyways, so I'll just keep fixing things until my wife gets her law degree.
I haven't had a car to break down and quit on me, on the highway. If I had, I probably would have called the Triple A (AAA - American Automobile Association) and got the car towed, and repaired, whereever. Over the years, I have had work done on cars by auto shops. Before I went to a new auto shop, I first turned to people whose opinions I trust, family members, co-workers, a neighbor, and asked them: What shop did their work? And which mechanic? Was the work done right? Did the bill kill them? I like to read up on things, whether it is a major home repair or an auto repair job, so that when I am going to get work done, I don't look completely stupid, and I know something about the work that needs to be done, so that I can ask intelligent questions, and not get ripped off. I have found that some repair shops treat customers differently. The more a repairman thinks you know the less likely he is going to try to put one over on you. Yes, I check for licenses. I don't use bootleg repairmen. I learned long ago that the dollars the bootlegger claims he's saving his customer, more times than not cost lots, a whole lot more dollars down the road.
We cannot estimate a mechanic based on the look of the shed he owns....there are talented mechanic in small sheds...
True. Can you trust fate that you will stumble upon him? How do you find him without a guide? I have found the best guides are references from people I know and trust, and a check of the dude's licenses.
I take my car directly into the dealership my own personal recommendation is to contact your local Better Business Bureau and see what company has not had any issues when a vehicle is being taken in for repair or ask neighbors and friends who they highly recommend it amy lead to a more positive experience.
I take my car directly into the dealership my own personal recommendation is to contact your local Better Business Bureau and see what company has not had any issues when a vehicle is being taken in for repair or ask neighbors and friends who they highly recommend it amy lead to a more positive experience.
If everyone did that there would be fewer bad mechanics.
I take my car directly into the dealership my own personal recommendation is to contact your local Better Business Bureau and see what company has not had any issues when a vehicle is being taken in for repair or ask neighbors and friends who they highly recommend it amy lead to a more positive experience.
If everyone did that there would be fewer bad mechanics.
When could only dream, we have them here to my husband's transmission went bad and I kept telling him to go to the one located closer to home, of course he did not do that and he took it to a place close to my now deceased mother-in-laws needless to say he has had problems with it ever since. I told him he should not have taken it there but did he listen? No way I guess next time he will heed the recommendation instead of being such a hard head!
We learn over time. I know it took me time to learn. I've made my share of mistakes, looking for the cheapest repairmen, going for short-term convenience, not listening to my wife, because I thought I knew more about getting things fix than she could possibly ever know.
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I’m even admitting here that I exaggerated this story a bit. I had one shop that was good. But management changed, and people changed, and they no longer have my business.
