Meeting people as a mechanic.

[kingjason]

haye, I paye other people to work on my junk anymore...

I learned how to work on cars out of necessity because I've always liked driving them, just didn't have the money to pay others to work on them.

the mantra I live by these days is "I pay people to do what they do every day because they can do it faster and cheaper than if I pay myself to do it"

The best thing about knowing your shit though is you are quick to catch some crooked ass mechanic in a lie.

[Cooter]

The best thing about knowing your shit though is you are quick to catch some crooked ass mechanic in a lie.

oh absolutely!!!

I'm certainly glad to have paid my dues and to know what I know.

As such, there's only one person I let touch my vehicles.

[Scott Mc]

My SVO was literally a 3G alternator and intercooler piping swap away from running like a champ .

The real Elinore mustang!! an SVO that runs like a champ lol.

I had zero urge to work on it on the days I had off.

I know that feeling.

[Frank]

^^ yep. when i was in HS i loved working on mine and my friends cars. When i started showing interest in learning the trade as a job, dad stepped in with that same advice. Super glad that he told me that and i listened, as many of my friends who went that route are beat to shit and working their asses off just to get by.

No doubt. My buddy got on with some Ford program that paid for his school and he went the route of mechanic. I worked part time at Pep Boys long enough to realize I liked it as a hobby, but not as a job. The expense of tools, the long hours, hands always dirty, but the worst I think would be working in the extreme cold or heat. I ended up going into IT and glad I did. My buddy is so sick of it all with the politics, his body has taken a beating, and the long hours and utter bullshit.

[SC457A]

Working on cars or trucks or BIG trucks is not for everyone. I always think of this fact when I hate my job, Someone needs to get to work, and home from work. Someone wants to get deliveries to them and from them. Someone wants their yard mowed, power supplied to their house, garbage taken away. Someone needs roofing materials, Metal to recycle...

My job is to ensure this happens.

[LaserSVT]

I don't even attempt to have rotors turned any more. They're too thin to begin with, and if they're not, they're probably going to cut them too thin anyhow.

not worth the time

90% of the time I just replace them but on larger trucks and most high end cars they can be turned and still be within spec. $15 per turn as opposed to $100+ for a rotor is a big difference. If its a sub $40 rotor though I always tell the customer we will just replace them. I can do pads and rotors on almost anything in under 30 minutes. If I have to send them to Oreillys to be turned than the vehicle is stuck there for hours and i usually cant tie up a bay that long.

[LaserSVT]

Related:

Yup.

[Scott Mc]

How do you even do that!

[Chas_svo]

Didn't make any noise...

[Cooter]

How do you even do that!

you keep having a shade-tree mechanic do your brakes... he keeps slapping pads on it...

eventually you have this

[LaserSVT]

Every day I get that question. "How much to do my brakes?" Well sir/ma'am I need to get it in the air to see what it needs. "It needs brakes!" Yes, well there are many components and I need to see if you just need pads and rotors or if there is caliper problems or hardware issues and if your rotors can be saved or need replacement. "Just tell me how much for pads!"
Argh. I cave in and say "About $100 give or take." They then allow me to get the car in the air and I can see heat cracked discs due to binding calipers that are now damaged because the last person pad slapped it and pig tailed the brake lines (when they spin the caliper around too much) which has caused the caliper to hang. They go ballistic when I say new calipers, lines, rotors and pads are now $430. Then say they will have their friend just throw pads on it when I refuse to just pad slap it.
That Regal in the other pic still just wanted a pad slap after shown the rotor. I explained it was impossible. I was told to put it back together and he would go somewhere else. I told him legally I can only release it if a tow truck picks it up.
I guess he went to three other places and showed them the pic and was quoted 3x more than what I quoted so he had us do it.

I once had a Ford Explorer come in with a freakin ace bandage holding a front caliper on after the mount snapped from the caliper seizing. Wish I still had that pic, lost it in my Galaxy II POS.

People are such cheap bastards when it comes to brakes. Its the only part there soley to save your life.



So late Friday I had another Continental dropped off. We fixed a hose and informed her it needed a water pump (two weeks ago) . She declined. Thursday the pump blew up, big cloud of steam, she freaked and slammed the brakes on. Passenger front tire was covered in coolant so it locked up (told her the ABS wheel speed sensor was bad 5 months ago and she no longer has ABS) and sent her in a spin. I can see the car sideswiped another car and must have spun in the grass a few times as the rear wheels both bent and has grass stuffed in the bead.
She tried to tell me it FLIPPED 3 times. I tried to correct her but she insisted shiney side was down before it landed on its wheels. I gave up. Its a Continental and it would have folded the suspension landing sideways on the wheels. I let her keep her story.
So as we change the pump I can see the tensioner has cracked and is cutting the belt. I inform her it has to be done or it will shred the belt and it will overheat again. I even offered to install it for free and let her have the part at my $52 cost. She still had a shit fit. I reminded her what happened last time she ignored me and reminded her she has kids in the car. At least that threw some light on it and she conceded that we never steer her wrong. That she guessed she could wait till next pay check for her new weave and we could do what needs to be done now.

Priorities people!

[LaserSVT]

I also have some customers that try and do the right thing but just cant afford it. Good customer brought in his 03 F-150 farm truck because it died in the field. He was positive it was timing chain. It was actually the fuel pump. He was so glad it was only a $240 repair that he said fix whatever else I see wrong and that he also wanted the rear main seal replaced since it was leaking like crazy. So we do that, replace lower ball joints, sway links, fuel filter and a couple other small things and when we hit $1400 I asked if he wished me to continue with all the rest. He was shaken when asked what else it needs. Well..... pitman, idler, tie rods, rotors, bearings, pads, upper control arms, plugs, wires, entire plenum (cracked and leaking) as well as several other issues. Would be another $2200.
He didn't have the cash. I told him the brakes had to be done as it was metal on metal and looks like its been through a couple pad slaps already. I understood his problem and knew he will bring it back so that was one of the few times I did a pad slap. Told him pads would fail within 5000 miles but he assured me it would be back next month for the rest and since he is a long time customer and does what he says he will do I know it will be back to be done properly. At least I could minimize the chances of him rear-ending someone a little.

Never tell a mechanic to fix whats broke and no need to call for approval unless you really can drop a few grand.

People tell me all the time "I had this car/truck for years and only ever needed an alternator or water pump." and those are the ones to fear the most. People just don't notice the slow degradation of steering and suspension components as well as bearing noise.
That is why I always bring them to the floor and show them each part and why its bad. Really helps them understand.
Cars that have spent there life with "It only needed xxxx part its whole life" are always the worst. The car needed the damn thing but the owner just did not know.

[inline 6]

You shoulda "pad slapped" the fuck out of that stupid mofo that wanted you to put pads on that rotor.

[Scott Mc]

you keep having a shade-tree mechanic do your brakes... he keeps slapping pads on it...

eventually you have this

Shit like that just baffles me, and I have thought up some half ass shit to get me home lol.

[03mustangdude]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Justrolledintotheshop/