Not a rant but free advice

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GMorrison

At a certain point, my sanity demanded that I disconnect emotionally with my cars. 

I now drive a nice lexus with Toyota badges on it, fill the tank every few weeks, and near zero emissions.

I've given away my torque wrenches, bearing pullers and body tools. Floor jacks, stands, all gone. I used to rent stuff anyways, so no problem there.

  

At a certain point, my sanity demanded that I disconnect emotionally with my cars. 

I now drive a nice lexus with Toyota badges on it, fill the tank every few weeks, and near zero emissions.

I've given away my torque wrenches, bearing pullers and body tools. Floor jacks, stands, all gone. I used to rent stuff anyways, so no problem there.

I always have a dealership or a business do car stuff for us.  My dad did not know anything, beyond basic stuff.   Basically what could go wrong, not how to fix it.  He made plenty, so we would just have those who could fix it, do it.  I've been successful enough, so we do the same thing.  If they mess up the repair, they are responsible.  I helped a pal decades ago fix the brakes on his car.  HATED IT!  It was freezing cold and things would not come loose.  I did change the oil on my car once.  Never again.  Cheap enough to have Grease Monkey do it.  Cars are not my thing.  I just drive them, I don't know how they work.

Oh boy, great subject. I have too many horror stories to share. I will share one.

 A lady friend needed an oil change on her car. We took it to a new shop that I was recommend to try. The tech comes out saying the job is done, but you have a bigger problem. Your radiator is leaking and it needs to be replaced. Quoted me over $600 to fix it. I said no to the job and we will be in touch. I take the car to a trusted mechanic. He puts the car on the lift, and checks things out. He tells me yeah, there is a small drip but, I tightened the hose clamp and you are good to go. That was all it was... a loose clamp. In my mind, did the first place loosen the clamp to simulate the leak too?  I wouldn't put it past em.

I have many more such "hose jobs" that I could tell you about. Fortunately, I didn't fall for them. It's bad out there.

i

fermis

I sometimes go to the dealership for an oil change. I could do it myself...but by the time I get the supplies...for a few extra bucks, I can just have it done. And, I don't have to get rid of the old oil.

 

I do my own oil changes. Every time I’ve had it done at a dealership or tire shop they have either left the oil drain pug loose or over filled by 1/2 a quart! The guy at the dealer was telling me it was ok to be above the fill mark, I made him take the car back and correct it. Another thing about oil changes at quick service shops is they use bulk purchased filters that are cheap and low quality. No sir I do my own for as long as Im able to.

I sometimes go to the dealership for an oil change. I could do it myself...but by the time I get the supplies...for a few extra bucks, I can just have it done. And, I don't have to get rid of the old oil. Anyway, last time I was in, they came at me with a laundry list of problems.

New brakes, all around (I do these myself, and it hadn't been 4-5 month since). Oil leak (NOPE). Need new front shocks (they were less than 6 months old....rears are long overdue, but no mention of those!). Wheel bearing (which I knew was needing) and, better than half the entire front suspension(which was all replaced less than 3 yrs ago). A few other nickel-n-dime items as well.

Took it to my local guy, all it needed was the bearing. After the last two I've done myself...I'll pay the $300 (much better than the dealership quoted!).

About a week later, the dealership mailed me a whole mess of coupons, all for the work that they said was "needed". Even after all the "great savings"...my local guy is 2/3rds the price.

JohnnyK

When I was a kid I used to work on my own cars. There wasn't much to them. There was a lot of room under the hood. It was easy to get to spark plugs. Then this happened:

If something went wrong under this hood I would have no idea where to start  I can't even identify most of the stuff in there. I have no idea how they stuffed the engine et al in there.

 

I hear ya JK. I owned a 55 Chevy hardtop a while back and did most of the work on it.

I replaced the fuel pump in 15-20 minutes and the radiator in about 30 minutes, no way doing this with the new cars. Replacing the fuel sending unit in my 55 was a snap, not with the current cars.

In the middle of brakes and shocks on a '78 GMC motorhome the other half bought.  What a nightmare in a glass.....$1200 for all the new brake stuff, $400 for the shocks, $325 for new front wheel bearings, since you are pretty much going to destroy them when you have to press out of the steering knuckle and off the hub to change the rotor.  They want $720 for the tool set to pull and press bearings on the front....yeah right.  Got a tech at the tire/alignment/brake shop that has done one before and has enough to do it.  going to cost me around $100-125.

Oh yeah a new water pump, alternator and master cylinder to go under the hood.  I'm paying a co-worker at the shop to do the underhood stuff, I'm not going to try and stuff myself in there.  Drivetrain is basically Tornado, 403 cid.  Front wheel drive coach......

But yeah, had my share of attempted rip-offs over the years.  Learned to do it myself by trial and error for the most part. Being a body tech with a raft of tools helps.

When I was a kid I used to work on my own cars. There wasn't much to them. There was a lot of room under the hood. It was easy to get to spark plugs. Then this happened:

If something went wrong under this hood I would have no idea where to start  I can't even identify most of the stuff in there. I have no idea how they stuffed the engine et al in there.

You know, I spent over 20 years in GM Dealerships and in all that time I've seen the best of 'em and unfortunately............the very worst of 'em. Sadly, it's the worst of those that make the biggest impression on the general public's opinion of a dealer. I spent my entire time at dealers providing a service and that means to BE of service to the public. I'm not trying to come off as a "goody two shoes" but I do know what's involved in the earning of a customer's dollar and have always tried to treat folks accordingly.

   I've been a supervisor over a fleet auto repair shop at a local refinery for the last 5 years and through it all and in dealing with dealerships now on the "outside" I know that any business is only as good as its worst visible employee. I really hate it when I hear stories like this as it's a true discredit to those in a dealer (or any automotive repair business for that matter) that are good, hard working and honest people who actually know how to fix cars and trucks and who don't expect to get rich repairing them but to merely make a living.

Only thing my vehicles get taken to shops for is alignment and inspections.  That is it.  Anything else either hubby or I can handle it.  We are capable of almost any job.

Convertible top replacement on 91 Cavalier-check

Heater core replacement on 2001 Blazer-check

Rebuild SBC 350-check

Rebuild Muncie M21 4 spd-check

Lol.  Plus there is a bunch of other stuff we've done.  Currently in the middle of a restoration on my Camaro. 

I took auto class in high school just so I didn't have to worry about getting ripped off by shops.  I have worked at Autozone, and Advance Auto Parts.  So I know my stuff.  It really helps to know.  I have a trusted shop I go to for inspections, and if he finds anything wrong he tells me.  He'll pass the inspection, and knows I will take care of it. 

Two years ago I took my 1997 BMW Z3 to the dealer for an oil and coolant change. They told me that the car needed a new oil pan gasket. The cost--$1,100 !!!!!! So I asked why so expensive. I was told that engine needs to be lifted in order to provide clearance to drop the oil pan. I took the car to Ernie (he does work on my Highlander) and asked him to look at the Z3's oil pan gasket. He said that it is 'weeping' some oil, but it does not need to be replaced. He told me to have it replaced when I see oil on my garage floor. That was in 2017. There is still no oil on my garage floor. It is always important to get a second opinion for expensive repairs.

You are fortunate to understand things about cars, that really helps in not letting dealers con us. I am mechanically inclined, but for some reason never really learned the basics about cars. So I can be a sucker.

I had an acquaintance who was the service manager at the german luxury brand dealer for the car I was driving some 20 years ago. He got demoted to the parts dept because he refused to sell unnecessary repairs. I had been skeptical of dealers before then, but I used to be a trusting soul and couldn't bring myself to believe they would cheat us. Now, the only reason I'll use a dealer is if I have to.

Not just about the above, either. After a couple or 3 new cars, I finally realized that as soon as the 'free warranty' runs out, all of a sudden at the next regular service, all sorts of expensive repairs pop up. Gee, what a coincidence. I can be a slow learner.

Good advice. It always helps to either check things yourself, or have a knoledgeable friend check things for you.