Beware of unscrupulous repair shops

BobRip · Aug 28, 2005

Hot button topic for me too. A friend had a car that kept blowing fuses. He took it to a specialist automotive repair shop. One hundred dollars later (1980 dollars) it was still blowing fuses. I listened to him and his wife and got the details of when and where this happened. Twenty minutes later I found the problem and fixed it. At most shops the customer never talks to the diagnostics man. The guy who taught me some of what I know, told me always talk to the prime user.

Other than that you comments are right on. I just see the diagnostic computer as the first level. Why not let Joe shade tree mechanic do the first level, and let the professional shops do the second level.

All that said, I do have 50 years of fixing electronics, and I still learn new stuff every day.

Covering a warning light is bad advice. Would you cover you oil light.

End of rant.

Bob Rip

NJBill · Aug 28, 2005

One opf the earliest " Check Engine Light " counters which I encountered during my career, could be found on Toyota models under the right rear corner of the hood. It was a simple odometer unit complete with push button for the mechanic/technician, or even your local DIY operator to push the button for it to return to zero. Th elast type I worked on was situated inside the speedometer case, which of course was a little more complicated than the first one I mentioned. After studying the workshop manual ( purchased when new ) and a great amount of dexterity it was possible with the right length of scewdriver to turn a slotted shaft , to the left or right depending on it's present position. That would again put out the light, and start counting again, I forget when it is due again !!
Bill

KentT · Aug 28, 2005

I've owned VWs with those. They went off at a designated mileage interval, and were designed to alert you to have the oxygen sensor changed. It was easy to reset them...

dturnmire · Aug 28, 2005

"I've owned VWs with those. They went off at a designated mileage interval, and were designed to alert you to have the oxygen sensor changed. It was easy to reset them..."

That was what my wife was pretty much told by the mechanic we had used for years. We went on and put 220,000 miles on the little Justy before it finally gave out.

The point was, the dealership was going to charge my wife $800 dollars for a car only a couple of months old under full warranty (except for that one part). There probably isn't anyone here on this forum that couldn't tell some horror story of someone being greatly cheated by some auto "technician." I have seen stories on shows like nightline and such that would make your blood boil. I still think it is best to stick with a trusted shop if possible and forget the dealerships.
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Gravy · Aug 28, 2005

Bob,

You've got that right - at most shops, the person working on the car is several levels of separation from the person who drives the car. Layers of service writers and managers seem to exist mostly to prevent the technicians from knowing just what the customer actually brought the car in for.

I hate to think of how many times I found I was chasing the wrong problem because of something like: the customer said "it's losing power", and the service writer wrote "Tune up", when the real problem was a slipping clutch. Somehow, it's never the service writer that loses out. Either the customer pays for unneeded work, or the tech doesn't get paid for work the service writer told him to do...

Unfortunately, I've seen plenty of what you described, too. I blame a lot of it on high school counselors concluding "Well, Johnny's too dumb to go to college, so let's send him to the Auto Shop program". That doesn't work anymore. Add to that the usual percentage of crooks and creeps, and sometimes I'm amazed that so many cars actually run.

Of course, I could tell endless boring stories of the creeps and crooks on the other side of the counter, too...

Anyway, I'm delighted by the availability of reasonably priced scan tools. Those who are capable of using them appropriately can save a bunch of money. I just hate for people to believe the popular illusion that to own one is to be an instant driveability diagnostic expert, any more than buying a tractor makes you a farmer.

And back to the original subject of the thread - ordering parts without the customer's approval is the shop's problem. The customer is properly liable for a pre-approved initial diagnostic charge at most. In this case, I'd even find that arguable.

And here I thought I was done ranting (sigh)...

Dave

Gravy · Aug 28, 2005

That was one of the more idiotic designs of the time. Using the same light to indicate recommended maintenance intervals AND real problems. I hate to think how many people did thousands of dollars damage to their cars because they'd learned to ignore the light. There was also the stupidity of having to spend more time resetting the reminder light than it took to do the actual service.

This discussion reminds me why I'm REALLY glad I'm out of that business now.

Dave

BobRip · Aug 29, 2005

I am a fair shade tree auto mechanic, and a really terrible farmer. I think you really have to grow up being a framer and then get a degree in agriculture to really make a go of it.

At least car are pretty well document, farming and tractor use are not.

Sorry for changing the subject.

Bob Rip

FOURTEEN · Sep 2, 2005

( Sorry for changing the subject. )

 Don't be!! It's as relevant as most of the preceeding Posts!!

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gifAfter several minutes of reading, I'm still not sure just how most of this applies to a Power Trac!! I don't think my PT-425 has a '"check engine" light', or somewhere to plug in an 'engine analyzer'!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Meanwhile, back to the subject of Power Tracs! I found a huge white mushroom in the woods today while riding around my trails on my PT-425!! I didn't taste it, but after reading this Thread, I am certainly considering it!!!!

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif