Am I getting ripped off? (Mechanic Tips Thread)

[djoyce003]

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.

[kipin]

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.

[Andy Ross]

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.'

[HtotheNootch]

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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.

[DrewDevil]

[ 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.

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

[econophile]

[ 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.

[Thremp]

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?

[basco]

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.

[chopstick]

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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.

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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?

[z28dreams]

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.