Thread: They should all be strung up!

No, I am not talking about our elected representatives. I will reserve that for another thread. I am speaking of mechanics.
I am a mechanic. I learned on cars, bikes, equipment. If it had moving parts or was in any way electrical I would tear into it to learn a thing or two. I started teaching myself mechanics when I realized that I had been cheated by one at the tender age of twenty three. twenty one years later, I now own my own food service equipment repair business.
Back to the reason for this thread. My wife took a trip to her sisters house in Berkeley with all the kids in tow. she hears a squeal in her engine compartment. She calls me and I tell her it sounds like a slipping belt and that she should have a mechanic inspect the belts and take care of whatever the problem is. She calls me the next day and says all the belts need to be changed, the brake pads are bad. the water pump needs changing. At this point I am mildly suspicious so I call the mechanic and ask some questions. I tell him to change the belts and water pump but dont touch the brakes as I'll take care of those when she gets back ( I changed them last year. something is not kosher here ).
Next day the mechanic calls me and says, " It looks like the timing tensioner seal has some damage and while were at it maybe you should change the timing belt and install a new tensionor?" I say "do it!" After all the last thing I want is for my wife to break down in the middle of nowhere. I am forced to trust a man I have never met. I never like that.

she gets home a week ago. Today. I check out her brakes wondering to myself the whole time "why would he even need to remove the tires to change a water pump?" All the brakes show more than half their life left, and further more, there were cobwebs on the lugnuts which tells me he never even inspected the brakes. I now wonder if the water pump was even needed.

Wheres the gallows smilie when you need one damn it?

Bitching season is open guys!

Mark, Shakespeare said 'kill all the lawyers' not the mechanics. We can get along without the lawyers.

Several weeks ago I left the donut shop and the car wouldn't start. The tow operator gave it a jump and though it cranked, it wouldn't fire. I had it towed past one shop but they were busy so I went to the one door shop around the corner and asked the young mechanic if he felt sufficiently competent to get it running. He responded sure, no problem. I came back about six hours later and was informed it was throwing numerous codes including from the trans, wasn't running because of a faulty cam position sensor and it was going to run me at least $850. I was also told it needed a battery and since it was under warrenty I pulled it and got a replacement.
I spoke to my son that evening and he told me if his truck did not have a good charge, it would crank but not fire. So I went up to the shop where my car sat in front (unlocked), dropped in the battery, started it up, replaced the covers and drove it home.
In the morning I received a call asking where my car was so I told him the story. He said BS, there is no way. I have the best Snap-On tools etc. I suggested he needed to learn how to use them and I'd be up shortly to pick up my keys. He told me I should bring $75 to compensate him for his time. I told him sure, I'll bring you $75. But I also told him I can only reach two conclusions. Ether you're incompetent or you're trying to XXXX me and I'd be reporting him to Angies List, the BBB and maybe sue just for fun.
When I got there, there was no charge, But there was also admission he was wrong and I was promised that someday soon I would be stuck on the roadside due to a faulty cam position. I was actually trying to give him a second chance. About 15 years ago he had stolen my sons car and was caught when I spotted it at a local shop he had stopped by. It seems he hadn't changed his spots. My son was however pleased to find where he is working. I didn't realize he still owed my son about $900 for damages to his car which he agreed to pay for not pressing charges.
I love telling this story, especially to neighbors.

Ever read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?

I don't have any dishonest mechanic horror stories but I recall when I was a young guy and you could buy a car that ran for a hundred bucks. Back then that was a week's pay if you were lucky. I used to have six cylinder Ford Falcons, Chevy Novas and I also had a Dodge Dart with a slant six.

Tuned them up myself and did my own brakes. Even swapped a pumpkin out of the rear end on one and swapped trannys too. Take the old one to the shop and swap it for a rebuilt trans. Nowadays it takes damn near a rocket scientist to figure out how to change the oil.

my money says that everything other than the belt was damaged by them in the process of murdering a belt install

next time give the car a twice over before you let the wife take it outside of inspection range
if you had inspected the belt before she left you could have made a call on just driving it

Maybe but a water pump will squeal when it is getting ready to give up the ghost. That could have been legit. I don't know about the belt and no way the brakes if he didn't even check them.

what car Mark ?

91 Plymouth sundance