Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Every damn time.

There's an auto mechanic that gives all the employees at my workplace a 10% discount, a friend recommended that place so I've taken my car (97' V6 Honda Accord with 71k miles) there for my last 3 oil changes. Every time they find about $200 worth of problems. This time we have the following:

Fuel Filter needs to be replaced - $65
Brake Fluid is dirty - $65
Battery needs to be replaced - $120

I just bought this car used last summer, I'm pretty sure it had a new battery, or at least that's dealer said. My plan is to take the car to another mechanic and get a 2nd opinion... any other options here? Any recommended mechanics in north Minneapolis?

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

LOL

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

The brake fluid is hard to tell, but replacing the fuel filter or the battery yourself is easier, and will cost you about 1/3rd of what they're trying to charge you.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Am I getting ripped off?

[/ QUOTE ]

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/7739/puddy9oa.jpg

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

yes, you are getting ripped off. no way a fuel filter or battery should cost that much. find another mechanic.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Did they find tiny unicorns in the exhaust as well? HAR HAR HAR.

You should try to build a repoire with the mechanic so you don't get f'd like this again. And by a repoire I mean conversing with the dude and making him like you enough to where he won't screw you. Doing this has definitely saved me money and gotten me discounts on oil changes and whatnot.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Mechanic Tips -- great thread.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Even if all that stuff needs to be done you're still getting jacked paying those prices.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Yeah thats ridiculous. All are at least 100% overpriced.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

God that was a good episode. Thanks all, sounds like it's time for me to move on.

high-five.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

if the car turns over you don't need a new battery...don't buy a new battery till the one you have is dead....also, at good ol' wal-mart a batter is way less than 120 and they are super super super easy to install yourself.

I also call BS on the "dirty" brake fluid....just tell him no thanks. Probably the same on the fuel filter.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

basco,

Have you recently checked, or had your headlight fluid checked? What about your muffler bearings?

Summer is the best time to get these checked so when you are getting your second opinion I would recommend asking about them.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

George: Well, of course they're trying to screw you. What do you think? That's what they do. They can make up anything. Nobody knows: 'By the way, you need a new Johnson rod in there.' 'Oh, a Johnson rod. Yeah, well, you better put one of those on.'

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]
if the car turns over you don't need a new battery...don't buy a new battery till the one you have is dead....also, at good ol' wal-mart a batter is way less than 120 and they are super super super easy to install yourself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not entirely accurate on the first part. The battery may be leaking, or not holding it's charge. On my car, the factory battery would crap out if I let it sit for more than a couple of days, or tried to run an accessory without the engine on. It turns out the battery was bad.

That said, changing a battery is definitely a "do it yourself", unless you know the mechanic, and would rather give the guy the business out of courtesy for good treatment in the past.

That said, if you can't change a battery, you probably shouldn't be driving.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Did they find tiny unicorns in the exhaust as well? HAR HAR HAR.

You should try to build a repoire with the mechanic so you don't get f'd like this again. And by a repoire I mean conversing with the dude and making him like you enough to where he won't screw you. Doing this has definitely saved me money and gotten me discounts on oil changes and whatnot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pardon my nittishness, but I think you meant to type repore, which is the more standard mangling of the word rapport.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Did they find tiny unicorns in the exhaust as well? HAR HAR HAR.

You should try to build a repoire with the mechanic so you don't get f'd like this again. And by a repoire I mean conversing with the dude and making him like you enough to where he won't screw you. Doing this has definitely saved me money and gotten me discounts on oil changes and whatnot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pardon my nittishness, but I think you meant to type repore, which is the more standard mangling of the word rapport.

[/ QUOTE ]

someone needs to create a spelling nit gimmick account for these types of posts. i've already got my own gimmick to worry about, so someone else should take this job.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

No, all that stuff is relatively fairly priced to be replaced by a mechanic. But thats the crux of the problem. You're getting billed ~$50 of labor $55 bucks for a battery and $15 of shop materials for something you can easily do yourself.

BTW why don't you just find a competent mechanic who just does the work you ask him and isn't a crook?

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Wow. I just got back. I ended up paying $40 for an oil change and tire rotation. Here's the attachment to the end of the bill:

*These parts And/Or Services Were Declined by the Customer:
1. Fuel Filter
$61(Parts) $58(Labor) $119(Total)

2. Brake Fluid
$0(Parts) $60(Labor) $60(Total)

3. Interstate Bat
$99(Parts) $20(Labor) $120(Total)

good times.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]

Fuel Filter needs to be replaced - $65
Brake Fluid is dirty - $65
Battery needs to be replaced - $120

I just bought this car used last summer, I'm pretty sure it had a new battery, or at least that's dealer said.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lift the hood. Look at the battery. There you go. If you are really concerned about it, take the battery into a Trak Auto or AutoZone, they will test it for free. I don't know why you want to replace it without having an actual problem though.

Did you ask the mechanic *why* he thought the fuel filter needed replacing? Are you experiencing a lean condition?

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Thoughts on the 3:

(1) A fuel filter is a $6 part. Buy one yourself and put it on. It's not very hard.

(2) Brake fluid is also about $5. If it actually needs to be flushed, sure it would be tricky. However, this is probably a total waste, as brake fluid rarely gets 'dirty'.

(3) A good battery should cost < $70. There's only 2 connections on it, so it's not really that hard. However, in some cars, it can be a real bitch to get at. (I'm still sweating the day I have to get access to mine).

In short,
DIY: About $80
Mechanic: About $240

My suggestion? Replace the fuel filter if you're at 75k miles or more. Not only will it help fuel mileage, but it'll put a LOT less wear and tear on your fuel pump.

Ignore the brake fluid comment entirely.

Replace the battery when it dies.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thoughts on the 3:

(1) A fuel filter is a $6 part. Buy one yourself and put it on. It's not very hard.

(2) Brake fluid is also about $5. If it actually needs to be flushed, sure it would be tricky. However, this is probably a total waste, as brake fluid rarely gets 'dirty'.

(3) A good battery should cost < $70. There's only 2 connections on it, so it's not really that hard. However, in some cars, it can be a real bitch to get at. (I'm still sweating the day I have to get access to mine).

In short,
DIY: About $80
Mechanic: About $240

My suggestion? Replace the fuel filter if you're at 75k miles or more. Not only will it help fuel mileage, but it'll put a LOT less wear and tear on your fuel pump.

Ignore the brake fluid comment entirely.

Replace the battery when it dies.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I had to replace my battery (car wouldn't start sometimes, bad cell in battery), I actually couldn't find it. I am admittedly very dumb when it comes to cars. BMW 323. The battery is in the trunk. I looked like an idiot looking for it under the hood. Had to read the owner's manual to find the battery.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

find a German, or Dutch, mechanic. it's the only way.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

i know almost nothing about cars and I was able to install a new battery. Whenever I go to get an oil change I just always say no to whatever they reccomend.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Have you let them fix problems all the other times you had your oil changed? If so, please post them.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

The "dirty brake fluid" tips his hand. He's raping you.

Trying to sell a battery to someone who's had no difficulty starting his car is icing on the cake.

I've been very lucky in my life, in regards to finding honest mechanics.

You know when you've found an honest one? Ask him to check your antifreeze. He'll get this little eye-dropper thing with floating balls inside of it, and take a sample.

When he's done, ask him how much you owe him. If he says, "No charge", you've found your man.

The mechanic I go to, I actually had to ask him on my last visit to please take $20 from me, because I felt guilty for all the times he's told me, "No charge".

[ QUOTE ]
The battery is in the trunk.

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In my Buick, the battery is underneath the back seat. You need to lift the seat out to get to it. Like you, I had no chance of finding it without consulting the owner's manual.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Not too hijack, but what about transmission fluid?

On my last oil change, I was told I need to get this changed because it is black and dirty or something.

How often does this need to be done? How much should it cost?

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Fuel Filter needs to be replaced - $65
Brake Fluid is dirty - $65
Battery needs to be replaced - $120

I just bought this car used last summer, I'm pretty sure it had a new battery, or at least that's dealer said.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lift the hood.

[/ QUOTE ]

Whoa....slow down there. Can you please explain this in laymen's terms?

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Have you let them fix problems all the other times you had your oil changed? If so, please post them.

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Sure, I'll sacrifice my dignity.

I've had two other incidents there. The first time my driver's side front tire was making a loud, repetitive noise - it sounded like it was about to fall off. They told me it was a 'pretty bad transmission problem', charged me $60 for the diagnostic, and then sent me to a transmission shop. This is a Accord with 70K miles, just purchased used from a dealer, and I had the whole thing inspected, so I was in shock. The transmission shop called about an hour after I dropped it off to tell me the tire was loose, they tightened it and charged me about $20 I think.

That should've been enough to set all sorts of warning bells ringing, but oil changes are cheap and extremely convenient there (they drop me off and pick me up from work, and there's a discount) so I ended up back there for another oil change several months later, and had them rotate the tires. This time they found a bolt or something that had broken, and had to disassemble something just to replace it. The piece was maybe $1, but the labor charge was over $170 I think. It was a friday and I was taking a road trip over the weekend, and I had only owned a car at that point for about 6 months (didn't need one in college... I'm 22.)

I should find that receipt and post the specifics... I wouldn't be surprised if it just said 'bad johnson rod'.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]
'pretty bad transmission problem', charged me $60 for the diagnostic, and then sent me to a transmission shop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Should've been your sign to never come back there again. Or only go there for oil changes ONLY. If they suggest other things, say "thanks, but just the oil change."

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

The saga continues... (more problems).

I was driving home after work yesterday when my left front tire starts making a loud repetitive noise. I turned around and went back to the mechanic. An hour later, it turns out the tire is out of round, and while it was unnoticeable in the back, it made a lot of noise in the front. The machine they were using to test it found about 16 pounds of pressure on the road, I think my other tires had about 7.

In their words, the tire was 'bad', but could still be driven on (normally). In fact - if I didn't mind the loud noise, they were okay with it staying in the front.

They recommended a 4 wheel alignment which would cost $135 total. What I don't get is why I can drive on this tire? It's not creating any pull, but shouldn't it be replaced asap?

(On the plus side, they didn't charge me anything for the hour or so long diagnostic process.)

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

dont drive on an out of round tire. the price of 4 tires is not worth the risk.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

basco,

don't take this the wrong way, but if you continue to go back to this place, you're retarded.

They are taking you for a serious ride dude. Go somewhere else. Talk to your friends, family, search the web for places people deem dependable.

GL

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

If I had to guess here, I'd just say that the tire isn't balanced....it's probably not even out of round.

My advice, go to discount tire or somewhere else that is a tire expert and let them have a look at it...I think it's fairly evident that these guys are morons. I'd quit going here even for oil changes...it's not out of the realm of possibility that they are breakin stuff.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Shajen - agreed.

After the third post in this thread I was never going to buy more than an oil change from them. I know my previous actions were borderline retarded. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

basco,

they would never get another dime from me. Go elsewhere for your oil changes too.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

Find a nice Honda Dealship if you really want good service. I have found that if you go to a dealer with a real problem, they will be more expensive, but they will fix the problem, fix it right and won't screw you by making up other "problems"

Other than that, go with Pep Boys, or Midas, Firestone or some national chain. Again, you may pay more, but you don't have to worry about quality or getting shafted.

If you don't know alot about cars, it shows to any mechanic. If the mechanic is working for a living, he will try to get you to do everything he can think of. The guy at the dealer or national chain gets paid by the hour, so he doesn't need to make up problems.

Also, Check BBB on your dealer, you can find a lot of shady buisnesses there.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Other than that, go with Pep Boys, or Midas, Firestone or some national chain. Again, you may pay more, but you don't have to worry about quality or getting shafted.



[/ QUOTE ]

This is false.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

You're a young guy and you will make these mistakes. I know I made the same mistakes when I first got my motorcycles/car. Unless you're making a ton of money you need to figure how to do some of these things yourself, and spot the times when you don't need to do anything.

Firstly, look into your owner's manual. There will be a maitenance schedule in the back. This chart is conservative. It tells you when you need to check/clean/replace what. If your mechanic deviates from this schedule and tells you to replace stuff earlier/more often, he is probably screwing you.

Secondly, you should get a shop manual and a basic toolset. The manual will have step by step instructions (with pictures) for basic tasks. Mechanics charge $50/hour in labor and they are generous with their estimates. It is an easy way to save money for basic tasks when things need to get done.

Basically, all the stuff you bought was almost certainly unneeded so you blew $240 on nothing. How many big blinds is that for you? (For me, it's alot)

At best some of that stuff needed to be replaced, but if you looked into it and unbolted a few screws yourself, you would've saved all the labor costs and probably some of the (overpriced) parts costs.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

They're scamming you IMO. Get your oil changed somewhere else. It's costing you a needless fortune. As others have stated you can get the battery checked to see it holds a charge. The dirty brake fluid sounds suspicious as well. On the tire thing take other posters advice. Go to someplace like Big O or something and they can probably do an alignment cheaper if you need one.

Also I try and not use one mechanic believe it or not. I used a guy for a long time. A clutch wore out on a vehicle I had about 10 years ago. After he changed the clutch when the temperature got hot the clutch wouldn't engage. I took it into him about 4 times and on the last time he stated that he'd have to charge me if I brought in a 5th time. Again my clutch went on the fritz when the temperature outside got hot enough. A friend recommended another mechanic. I took his recommendtion and went. I thought that the car would be for a day at least. By the time I got back from lunch my friends mechanic said the car was ready and it would be $35. Apparently my long time mechanic had put part of the clutch pedal on backwards. Needlessly to say I've never returned to my long time mechanic.

Re: Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)
 

[ QUOTE ]

Other than that, go with Firestone . Again, you may pay more, but you don't have to worry about quality or getting shafted.


[/ QUOTE ]

Eh, depends.

When I lived in Knoxville, my parents purchased me a brand new set of tires that I went to Sears to have put on. I also needed my free brake pads from Firestone, so I drove 15 miles (FIFTEEN MILES) to Firestone, and as the guy checks my car out, he says,

"Looks like your tires are worn. Want to look at some new ones?"

Good game sir.