Thread: Mechanics - A Rant

I know what you mean... Fortunately I happen to be one of those people that a) have old trust-worthy cars (a 1992 Peugeot 205 Diesel) that are cheap and easy to keep running and b) have a mechanic that you can trust... I have two, by the way! But I wish I could take care of my beloved little srcappy-doo! Change its oil, the spark plugs, the filters, the brakes, you name it. But, for the moment, I can check the water and the oil level, change the air filter and add some oil if needed. No more than that... My thought on the matter is: if you can do it well, why spend money to have someone else do it for you? And sometimes these people are professionals that happen to be far less competent than yourself.
You should make your wife watch you fix the car... that should teach her!
Good luck...

A lot of things I'll do myself. I've done brakes and quite a few repairs. It's often a lot of fun, and I've been happy to save the money. But changing the oil has always been a waste of my time. I'd rather pay the $30 and have the guys at Jiffy-Lube do it in 15 minutes. Then I don't have to clean up the mess myself.

But as far as having the spouse on board with the home auto clinic, you could always get her involved in the repair. Have her sit out in the driveway with you. Have her hold the Chiltons manual and read along as you perform the repair. She'll learn something about the car as you fix it, and get some understanding of how and why things are done.

I haven't the time to work on my car any more - plus it's more modern than really allows for good tinkering (my old car was....old....). But there is a lot to be said for DIY. Failing that, I have a very good mechanic. He also races cars, so I know he knows what the hey he's doing.

The nickeling and dime-ing to death is a big bad sign.

Editing to add - I say you should show your wife what it is you're doing to the car - explain in clear terms - she sounds like she would appreciate knowing. It's easier to speak up when the mechanic starts in on hooey of you have a good idea of what's really going on. I know reading a fair number of repair manuals has helped me. A GOOD mechanic will appreciate talking to someone who has taken an interest in the machines.

I don't trust mechanics

over the years I've become one hell of a good mechanic
it isn't for everyone though (like some of those idiots in the shops)

I just changed brake fluid !!!!

no really !

I also rebuild everything

I don't know what's wrong with your radio, but the alternator can produce a high pitched whine that will be present if it's not filtered when the diodes go out. The alternator will still work fine, though. I am sorry to hear that you are having electrical problems. Especially so soon with a 2003 model.

Sometimes when my truck needs something fixed and I'm feeling kinda lazy, I will stop by a random mechanic and ask how much they charge to fix whatever it is. Usually by the time I leave I have a reason to laugh and I am provided with the financial motivation to do it myself as I always have.

Originally Posted by fpessanha

I know what you mean... Fortunately I happen to be one of those people that a) have old trust-worthy cars (a 1992 Peugeot 205 Diesel) that are cheap and easy to keep running
But I wish I could take care of my beloved little srcappy-doo! Change its oil, the spark plugs, the filters, the brakes, you name it.

Stand away from that Pug! Best take it to a mechanic to change the spark plugs on a diesel! No offence meant. Just amused me!

You can't go wrong with the old Peugeot/Citroen diesel engines. Been driving them myself for 20 years and they are bomb proof.

I'm on the opposite end of the scale. I was a salesman for 25 years and I never wanted to miss a sale because of car problems. For this reason, I lease new cars and keep them until the warranty expires. I have a reliable car, service is performed by the dealer under the warranty and my costs are fixed, i.e., no expensive surprises. The monthly payment is usually less than financing the purchase of a car. The only downside is that I never own a car and always have a car payment.

My mechanic drives a new Porsche, lives in a million pound house with no mortgage & works 60 hours a week for it.
He's become a mate over the years. Has never carried out any work without my ok first & gives honest advice. He gives me great rates & always get's our cars in at short notice.
Before i used him it was a bloody nightmare. There's a lot of idiots out there, many who can only fix what the diagnostics tell them to.
Find a better one!

Things like this make me happy that I drive a company car. I let the lease company fight it out with the mechanics. All i do it drop the thing off for an inspection every now and then, pick up the loaner, and pick up my own car after a day or two.

It's a known problem though when mechanics turn into salesmen.

They need to stick to their jobs and only fix things that need fixing and not tell lies about stuff, that's what salesmen are for.....and politicians.....and lawyers.

Far too many fitters and not enough mechanics these days. Keep changing bits until the problem stops. Costly!

I am very lucky in having a good, honest garage just around the corner. Having had some nasty experiences with main dealers and their apprentices in the past I would never take my car to a main dealer unless it was under warranty. Not a problem as none of my cars have ever been that new!

The final straw was several years ago when the main dealer had fitted new brake pads to my car as part of a standard service. Three months later the car went in for it's annual MoT test. For non Brits, that's a compulsory road worthiness test we have in Britain.

Anyway, the car failed because the brakes were uneven and were pulling to the left.

Took it to a friendly mechanic for a quick look and he discovered THREE different makes of second hand pads fitted to the front brakes! Only two of the four were of the same make and they were on different wheels!

Bear in mind I'd been charged new prices for these pads. The main dealer insisted someone else had messed about since they'd done the job. I knew different but they wouldn't budge. Last time I went to a main dealer!

Gareth