13 Things Your Car Mechanic Won't Tell You OR Things Car Owners Should Want to Know

13 Things Your Car Mechanic Won't Tell You

I came across this from Readers Digest article recently. I found it a good read, but I want to add a little clarity regarding some of the things brought up by them.


"I Wouldn't Drive This Another Mile"
I want to advise you that "I have said that," and when I said it, "I meant it!"  I have had people with water pouring out as fast as you pour it in, and I've told them, "Your crazy to drive it"; I have seen some Timing Belt vehicles WAY beyond their required service intervals with Engines that self destruct if the Timing Belts break, and I have told their owners; "Your crazy to drive it!"

First off, there is no substitute for a shop you can trust. If you like to shop around for lowest cost, you will probably meet some 'sales' related shops that will use this to sell repairs. If your new in an area, or questioning whether the costs are necessary, it is best to seek the recommendation of someone you know.

I had a customer who had a rear wheel cylinder leaking on her passenger side rear brake assembly diagnosed by another shop. When she declined the service, she was questioned if she knew how to use her emergency brake properly. When I inspected it, I determined the leak to be minor but needing service, and certainly not requiring Emergency Brake Training; but I did find a really bad wheel bearing in the same assembly that they had missed! After telling her about wheel bearing and that repair costs would be even higher, I too lost the repair! Ironically, I recommended she get it fixed immediately as wheel bearing failure was imminent!

So take Readers Digests advise with a HUGE grain of salt, please carefully consider what is recommended, but PLEASE don't be intimidated with a declaration saying failure could be imminent; and do not delay in getting a second opinion. Often a simple phone call will do it. If you question repair, be willing to view the damaged part before service is performed.

At TASC, you will not hear that line unless it is TRUE.


Estimates and Authorization
Know what your estimated costs are going to be. We offer a estimate before we begin and will call if we find something that will affect the estimate significantly. By significant we consider a 10% increase in cost or more worth a phone call. More importantly is we like to dialogue with you, to help you know EXACTLY what your repairs will accomplish. Today many are trying to prevent unnecessary costs, and I want to support your efforts to provide the best value for your repair dollar. Consequently we use a broad base of vendors and source parts during the repairs thus requiring at times we adjust the part prices; labor may need to be increased if additional problems are discovered after beginning repairs.

Quality repairs are not inexpensive, and neither are quality parts. At TASC we strive to be accurate in our estimates, use quality parts, and estimate all related items before we begin repairs.

Sometimes our customers ask that we use a cost saving part. Low cost parts can help keep costs down. But if you require that we use a Low Cost part, you will get a warranty that matches their quality. At TASC we always write our estimates using High Quality Parts that meet Original Equipment specifications, and we offer a 1yr. Part Labor warranty when we use them.


Synthetic Oil vs. Conventional Oil 
I personally have strong opinions. Synthetic oil is far superior to conventional, and some brands are WAY better than others. BUT, I recommend a high quality brand and 3k oil changes. You are probably wondering WHY?

Short version is that synthetic oil is too good! If you opt for extended service interval over 3k, I would recommend blends or synthetic. But maybe the best thing to consider is the SYSTEM approach. If you use synthetics, make sure you use either a filter designed for it like AMSOIL EA, or change your filter before you change your oil again. The problem is dirt. ICE motors are dirty and frequent changes get rid of the carbon suspended in the oil which is a natural byproduct of combustion.

My opinion is the single best thing you can do is change frequently. Some manufacturers would say conserve oil by extending service intervals, but used oil is RECYCLED. And what you don't know is that recycled oil is BETTER, than new. Yep, it is better, because it is easier to re refine used oil, and there is a lot of synthetic oil in used oil. Try to buy quality recycled sometime and you will see it commands a higher price. Used oil is not thrown away, so do not worry about the waste. [But you might think of the Nations Security when buying foreign oil!]
As far as extended changes, you big savings is the time to you spend at the lube shop, not in the dollars spent.


Coolant Flushes, Injector Cleanings, Power Steering Fluids 
These are items that are over recommended and often unnecessary. Overlooked fluids are Brake fluid and Power Steering. They should be serviced somewhat regularly as the manufacturer recommends, but it is often NOT necessary to flush or change.

I often drain and fill a reservoir of Brake or Power Steering, it helps keep the fluid in good condition. In a brake system, new fluid in the master will drop the moisture content in the whole system, and a little fresh fluid in the power steering or transmission will do the same, it will help keep the quality of the fluid in the good range. When something is serviced like pads, calipers or cylinders, that's when I recommend a brake fluid change. Same for Power Steering, most will already have 'changed' their fluid if they have a leak! But sometimes a condition like a pump failure may mandate a flush, and even then, material may be hard to remove, and a filter may be required for warranty.

Injector cleanings should only be done when you have a problem. The fuel from Top Tier suppliers [Name Brand] contain additives that will keep your injectors clean. The cost per tank for Top Tier fuels is usually $1 or a little more to use good fuel. You can't buy a can of injector cleaner at the store for that! So I recommend use good quality fuel and skip the injector flush.

Most automatic transmissions do require periodic fluid services. Follow manufacture recommendations and you will be fine. We recommend fluid drains and fills around 15k older vehicles. Flushing a transmission is rarely required. Also many of the new vehicles have 100k fluid in them now, and it is usually synthetic, and it is expensive. I will discuss transmission later...


Brakes and Mufflers
Are there ANY OE equivalent pads in the Aftermarket? If there is, will someone please tell me who makes them? Same with mufflers. The markets today are FLOODED with cheap parts. You get what you pay for. Some OE parts are VERY expensive, like close to $200 for one set of pads! And surprisingly there are many OE pads that are VERY competitive. But, the big issue is will the AM perform to OE specifications?

Many AM pads are engineered for 25K miles, and many will make noise. I recently compared some shoes, and only one AM premium line had the OE level of lining, and the jury is still out on the performance and durability.

At TASC, we recommend OE if cost isn't a primary factor, and we will be constantly looking for a good value for the customer. One more thing on OE parts. Many OE dealers are carrying two lines of parts; One is the parts that cars are born with, and the other is a cost effective alternative. Many dealer will not ask, but will sell the low line. So remember, in OE parts are not necessarily OE, but AM approved by OE, whatever that means...


Double Up Labor 
I hate to say it, but I see this alot. This problem I will lay at the poor labor guides we have. Yet there is no substitute for experience. We often get beat up on labor. The primary factor for the small shop is being unfamiliar with the processes of every repair. It seems like most labor guides expect you to be an Olympic contender.

But the bottom line is a labor guides provide poor procedural breakdowns of the repairs. I often see a water pump change on a car with a Tbelt LOWER in labor that a T-Belt ALONE! Why? No one who writes the guides seems to know! It's often struggle with estimating times, and strive to be accurate so we are competitive. Some shops just 'add' the labors together, thus double up! We always consider the Big Picture, and often recommend and quote the labor for the procedure that will save YOU the most in the long run. We don't 'double up' with overlapping time; we carefully consider the overlaps and propose a labor hour that coincides with the whole job.


#22 Metal Shavings in Transmission Pans 
I am not sure why they are pushing this one. Metal is NOT normal, to be more correct FINE metal is normal, but COARSE metal is not. But often, filter services are done too frequently. We recommend drains and fills, extraction and fills in lieu of filter services most times.

Fluid breakdown is the primary problem frequent services are guarding against. Stick to OE recommended filter services, drain and fill fluid every 15k or so when over 60k, unless manufacturer say not to, or when synthetics are used.

Transmissions, by the way are PERFECT devices to optimize the use of synthetics. Better fluid means less service labor! Transmissions are closed systems, and leaks are minimal, so because there is no byproduct of combustion to deal with, High Quality fluids can eliminate frequent fluid services, so be sure to ask if you can save money by using synthetics in your transmission.

 If you think of anything, just ask. I want you to know that I have your best interests in mind. My goal is to provide you with the high quality service you should expect at a reasonable price. 
For some great tips on care care, you can visit  ASE Car Care Tips.