Entitlement at the mechanic

[ADeMartino]

The only time I've ever disagreed with a mechanic...was when one wanted to sell me an "automatic transmission service..." and I drive a five-speed. Sorry, but you're not putting ATF in there, unless you want to spend a couple grand rebuilding my transmission! Picked up a few quarts of gear oil, and did it myself.

Just a note here, but as odd as it may seem, a lot of late-model manual transmissions DO use ATF. Nonetheless, an 'automatic transmission service' would be inappropriate, but a lube change in a manual transmission, even using ATF, would be simply a 'transmission service'. Gear oil in a manual transmission built to use ATF probably won't hurt anything, though shifts may be difficult when the trans is cold and fuel economy may suffer slightly.

[Catwoman2965]

My mechanic is awesome, but as I will take it in, and wait for my oil change, I’ve heard some doozies from his wife (who runs the office end of things) and heard her take calls! I’m a firm believer in “you get what you pay for” and have heard enough horror stories about the quickie change places that I don’t mind paying a bit more for my oil changes, and such.

I’m also amazed at people who won’t put $$ into regular, simple, maintenance, and then scream bloody murder when something major happens to their car, as a result of their slackness, and complain its “too much” I thankfully have a newer, much more reliable car, so my repairs, for now anywya, will be limited to oil changes and the like.

The best though, was my own good friend’s husband. BG: he’s cheaper than cheap, to the point of being irrational and unreasonable about spending money. She had a POS 14 or 15 year old Saturn, which had been through TWO major accidents, and had the tranny replaced. He decreed they would NOT be replacing it until they could pay CASH. For a new car, not used, as he has never, and no one in his family, has EVER EVER EVER had a car loan. They always pay CASH. End BG

So they’re close to being able to afford a low end Honda or Toyota, think Yaris or Fit, paying cash. Nothing wrong with them, but that was all he was willing to shell out for. In the meantime, POS car needed new tires, so they spent $400 on those (which I thought was stupid), and it was having issues starting. I had previously referred them to my mechanic, who is awesome. So car refused to start on 3 different occasions. Mechanic didn’t want to replace parts when the computer wasn’t saying that was the issue. Third time around, it’s the starter. So they spend the $$ and replace it. Next day, the tranny goes. Mind you, the car had close to 175K on it, and was old. While I would have been really irked I’d spent all that money on my POS car (been there, done that, never again), I don’t think I would have thought the two had any connection whatsoever. I would have chalked it up to the fact the car was old, and on its deathbead already.

Not him. He went to the mechanic, and screamed and yelled, and threw a tantrum worthy of a two year old, how they screwed up his car, and he was going to a. discredit him (no friends so not happening) b. sue (again, too cheap to pay the $$ to do so) and c. dispute the cc charge for the repair (no dice as it was HER card). I was so angry as I had referred them to the mechanic. Who thankfully DID NOT hold it against me, but told me they had never ever had a customer throw such an epic fit. Which is why in spite of him being so awesome, I will never send anyone to him again, for fear of this happening again.

[ADeMartino]

He decreed they would NOT be replacing it until they could pay CASH. For a new car, not used, as he has never, and no one in his family, has EVER EVER EVER had a car loan. They always pay CASH. End BG

He's going to be hating that instant depreciation then. Drive a new car off the lot, automatically deduct up to three grand from the car's value - even more in higher-end models. Just like that. Poof.

A two-or-three year old model with an intact factory warranty is usually a MUCH better buy - and easier to purchase with cash if you don't want a loan.

[protege]

He's going to be hating that instant depreciation then. Drive a new car off the lot, automatically deduct up to three grand from the car's value - even more in higher-end models. Just like that. Poof..

But, if you're going to keep the car a long time, like I do, it's simply another expense. By the time I get rid of my vehicles, they're usually in pretty bad shape...and I've got my money's worth out of them

Back to lack of maintenance. For years, my dad never spent any money on the family cars--he didn't believe in general maintenance, other than oil changes. If the cars did need repairs, instead of going to a dealer or specialist, he'd find the cheapest mechanic he could find--usually the one with cars sitting outside that had been there for years. Sure, he'd get the car fixed, but again, you get what you pay for.

Nearly all of his cars were heaps. Either they were bought cheaply, or he didn't bother maintaining them. I can understand money being tight. But, this went far beyond that. Some of them, like the '79 Volvo sedan, shouldn't have been on the road. That thing had a huge crack in the windshield, an exhaust held together with duct tape and wire, and a floor made from cardboard and stop signs. Plus, the emissions from that thing would have withered a rainforest at 20 paces.

What always bugged me, is that he'd go on about how a lot of things in the manuals were "a scam." So, he wouldn't bother with them. He'd spend *more* on them either by having it done multiple times, or because lack of spending caused more serious repairs...than doing it right the first time would have cost!

[MoonCat]

Wait, NY? I live in NYS. My sister had to junk her 20 year old car because it would not pass inspection and would have cost too much to fix.

Also, my brother once got a ticket because of an expired inspection sticker (cop only saw it because he was writing someone else a ticket and my brother's car was stopped at the red light, right behind the cop). Cars definitely have to pass inspection here.

[otakuneko]

How in blue blazes do you spend $400 on tires for a 15 year old Saturn? Especially when you're a tightwad?

Yeah, that's what I would've said to them alright. I used to have a 93 or 94 SL2. Most I ever spent per tire was something like 30-45 bucks. And this was back in 2005-2007. Even for the Impala I got little later, I still only spent like 55-60 bucks per tire at most, so a full set would've only been 300ish after shop fees. Not that I ever replaced all four at once. Ain't anyone heard of rotating? I did that fairly often, since the Impala had an alignment issue I never did fix... I recently replaced the Impala with a zippy little Impreza (ahem.. the uh... regular one... WRX costs over 10 grand more, and uh... I never learned to drive a stick... ). Love it. Sometimes though, I miss those 30 extra horses the Impala had...but I sure won't miss the gas bills, or the repair bills I knew were coming soon.

[Argabarga]

What always bugged me, is that he'd go on about how a lot of things in the manuals were "a scam." So, he wouldn't bother with them. He'd spend *more* on them either by having it done multiple times, or because lack of spending caused more serious repairs...than doing it right the first time would have cost!

Yeah, that's the kind of guy I was trying to describe. Mr. YOU'RE OUT TO GET ME FOR NO REASON! Every, single THING is a scam! The way these "mechanics" claim your car needs fluids, and tires, and brake pads, and belts and on and on and on! It's like they expect us to believe these things just magically WEAR OUT! So what if there's enough mileage on the odometer to circumnavigate the Earth 5 times.... I don't really DRIVE IT ANYWHERE! JUST TO WORK AND BACK! THERE'S NO REASON it needs stuff! And, He's so proud he saved the .50 cents turning down that unneeded repair on that bolt.... so what if the bolt fell out, followed by all the oil it was holding in, leaving him now in need of a new MOTOR at $5,000, it's the principle of the thing!

And that's about where he stands a good chance of mutating into mister instant-expert. Sure, they don't know anything about cars or mechanicals, but, they know it didn't have a blown motor yesterday! And it does today! The day after you guys replaced a burnt out taillight bulb.... isn't that a little bit CONVENIENT???? So, since you touched it last, YOU DID IT! I'll sue! SUE SUE SUE SUE.....


Ugh, I knew at least one person who went through life that way about EVERYTHING.

Spent the absolute minimum they conceivably could on EVERY consumer good from frozen pizzas to tennis shoes, and then bitched and moaned about the horrid low quality because he "shouldn't have to" pay MORE to get MORE.

[Catwoman2965]

He's going to be hating that instant depreciation then. Drive a new car off the lot, automatically deduct up to three grand from the car's value - even more in higher-end models. Just like that. Poof.

A two-or-three year old model with an intact factory warranty is usually a MUCH better buy - and easier to purchase with cash if you don't want a loan.

For him, it doens't matter since they drive them until death.

me, I bought a car at the same time. 3 year old Camry, coming off lease, 18,800 miles, 2K or so BELOW book value. It was a steal. and the leasing co is run by my friend's dad, so he knows that car inside and out. No warranty left, so i broke down and bought an extended, for the very first time. I got the "family rate" May never need it, but with my track record, I felt better doing so.

[Catwoman2965]

Yeah, that's the kind of guy I was trying to describe. Mr. YOU'RE OUT TO GET ME FOR NO REASON! Every, single THING is a scam! The way these "mechanics" claim your car needs fluids, and tires, and brake pads, and belts and on and on and on! It's like they expect us to believe these things just magically WEAR OUT! So what if there's enough mileage on the odometer to circumnavigate the Earth 5 times.... I don't really DRIVE IT ANYWHERE! JUST TO WORK AND BACK! THERE'S NO REASON it needs stuff! And, He's so proud he saved the .50 cents turning down that unneeded repair on that bolt.... so what if the bolt fell out, followed by all the oil it was holding in, leaving him now in need of a new MOTOR at $5,000, it's the principle of the thing!

And that's about where he stands a good chance of mutating into mister instant-expert. Sure, they don't know anything about cars or mechanicals, but, they know it didn't have a blown motor yesterday! And it does today! The day after you guys replaced a burnt out taillight bulb.... isn't that a little bit CONVENIENT???? So, since you touched it last, YOU DID IT! I'll sue! SUE SUE SUE SUE.....


Ugh, I knew at least one person who went through life that way about EVERYTHING.

Spent the absolute minimum they conceivably could on EVERY consumer good from frozen pizzas to tennis shoes, and then bitched and moaned about the horrid low quality because he "shouldn't have to" pay MORE to get MORE.

Yup. my friend's Dh who I discussed above was like that. And I had a friend, who was amazed that even though HEr car had almost no miles, the face it was 6-7 years old didn't mean your tires are still good. they rot. And she couldn't get that even if you drive it very little or not at all, you still need to do regular maintenance.

My mechanic is great. he will tell you: this needs to be done asap, this needs to be done soon (2 more oil changes ,etc.) and this can wait a bit. I trust him to tell me what ne4eds to be done, and when, and he does it. he left workign for a dealer to open his own shop since the dealer told him he needed to find something wrong wth every car. and that's not how he is.

[protege]

Yup. my friend's Dh who I discussed above was like that. And I had a friend, who was amazed that even though HEr car had almost no miles, the face it was 6-7 years old didn't mean your tires are still good. they rot.

Yep, tires will eventually dry rot. The rubber compounds simply break down over time. I admit, that I had some truly ancient Michelins on the project car for a bit. They were fine for slow, around-town driving. Not so good for um, "spirited" driving. The only reason they were on the car, is that they had been carefully stored ( a bit grubby though) when it came off the road--it wasn't until much later...that after some scrubbing, I found out they dated from 1978 Anyway, they served their purpose, until one Sunday afternoon. After a drive, I noticed some serious bulges in the sidewalls Yep, I got *very* lucky that one didn't fail while cruising. So they all got replaced...including the 40-year-old original-equipment Dunlop on the spare! Getting that off the rim involved a large hammer and some very colorful vocabulary. Seems that the tire turned solid and wasn't a hurry to come off.

[EvilEmpryss]

I do have one tiny bit of proof that the dealerships are in fact scamming owners: the salesman for my Honda Odyssey talked up how the car was designed to only need oil changes every 7,000 miles and how that would save me on only having to get half the oil changes every year.

When did the oil change idiot light come on? Every 3,000 on the dot.

Most people see the idiot light and go "Oh, must be time for an oil change" and toddle into their dealer to get it done. Ignoring for a moment the fact that today's oils are designed to go a heck of a lot longer than 7,000 between changes, this is just scammy on the manufacturer's part. Either the vehicle needs oil changes ever 7,000 miles or it doesn't. Get your story straight.

[greensinestro]

I do have one tiny bit of proof that the dealerships are in fact scamming owners: the salesman for my Honda Odyssey talked up how the car was designed to only need oil changes every 7,000 miles and how that would save me on only having to get half the oil changes every year.

When did the oil change idiot light come on? Every 3,000 on the dot.

Most people see the idiot light and go "Oh, must be time for an oil change" and toddle into their dealer to get it done. Ignoring for a moment the fact that today's oils are designed to go a heck of a lot longer than 7,000 between changes, this is just scammy on the manufacturer's part. Either the vehicle needs oil changes ever 7,000 miles or it doesn't. Get your story straight.

I can go 6,000 miles, and my light comes on at that time. Some oil can go 10,000 I hear.

[Seshat]

My mechanic is great. he will tell you: this needs to be done asap, this needs to be done soon (2 more oil changes ,etc.) and this can wait a bit. I trust him to tell me what needs to be done, and when, and he does it.

Our mechanic does that for us, too.

He costs a little bit more in labour & overheads than 'the cheapest mechanic', but he or his receptionist will ring around and look for a perfectly fine secondhand whatsit or doodad for our car; and when they find them (which is usually), save us a bunch of money on that. More than the bit-extra for labour & overheads costs us.

They also will 'throw in' the 50c light bulb or the $1.50 fuse; have the apprentice clean the car, pump up the tires, check the tread wear; and so on.

A mechanic like that is a keeper. And we listen to what he says!

[wolfie]

I can go 6,000 miles, and my light comes on at that time. Some oil can go 10,000 I hear.

My oil change interval is every 25,000 miles - with ordinary 15W40 oil (no fancy synthetics).

[Catwoman2965]

Our mechanic does that for us, too.

He costs a little bit more in labour & overheads than 'the cheapest mechanic', but he or his receptionist will ring around and look for a perfectly fine secondhand whatsit or doodad for our car; and when they find them (which is usually), save us a bunch of money on that. More than the bit-extra for labour & overheads costs us.

They also will 'throw in' the 50c light bulb or the $1.50 fuse; have the apprentice clean the car, pump up the tires, check the tread wear; and so on.

A mechanic like that is a keeper. And we listen to what he says!

OMG yes. either last winter or the year before, I needed some stuff done, including my heat looked at. it wasn't THAT cold out, and it was putting some out, but not 100%. so i said ok, i need this and that, plus the heat, but that will have to wait as i can't afford it all now. they said, oh no, you need heat, we'll fix it, and you pay us whenever (within a week or two when i got paid again) turned out not to be that pricy so i was able to pay it all, but they are awesome. and i also don't think he charged me for any LABOR that time either.