Stupid Mechanics

[topless94style]

So my car has had trouble starting lately. After it is been running, it wont start up again. Something like someone else described on the board, and right away i suspected the FPR. because you can smell gas and the car wont start like its flooded. So at a gas station this morning, i got gas, got out to my car and it wouldnt start. Usually after a few times cranking it starts up, this time it wouldnt. Each new time i went to start it I would press the gas in a bit farther, till the last time i had it 3/4 down and it still wouldnt start. By this time, the battery died so i asked them to jump the car. One guy jumped, told me to floor it, car fired right up. Another guy come over looking at my engine trying to figure out whats wrong. I said its flooded, being doing this often the past few weeks im guessing the FPR. He said, well first i want to find out whats underneath this plastic cover. The 3.4L DOHC cover. I told him, 3 injecters, and half the fuel rail. He said well i want to get it off and see where the injectors are so i can find teh FPR. I said, there are 3 injectors under the plastic cover, the FPR is under the plenum. The other guy said all 6 injectors should be under the cover, i said no they arent, trust me i have had this engine apart. The guy looking at the engine left, and came back with a 10mm socket to take off the cover. To his surprize, there were 3 injectors. I said yes, i told you and the FPR is under the plenum. He said, ok so what engine is this? What year? What kind of car? I am going to go look on the all data see where it is. Long story short, he was an idiot and wouldnt take an 18yr old kid who DRIVES the car word.

[Thabulldog]

Thats what I hate about only bein 18. When I goto get an oil change they always try to sell me things I know I dont need. One time the manager was like you need this this and this and I said you need to go fuck yourself.

[rudefyet]

almost like the time i got new tires on my Prix...they tried telling me my "Upper Ball Joint" was bad...and that i needed a new rear hub

 

first of all there is no upper ball joint and second of all i checked both rear hubs and there was no problem...the suspension is almost peferct...they were right about the trailing arm being bent though...very very slighty

 

oh well...what a crock of shit...my dad still thinks i don't know anything about cars too...that's why my prix is sitting in my driveway needing a new alternator...cause he doesn't want me to actually be right

[godofthunder]

haha!

 

the place we took deborah's truck to did this all the time. They finally remembered that my dad was a mechanic, and a damn good one...so they should back off. That, or I ask them are they paying for it to be replaced!

 

secondly...we also had this at the DEALERSHIP! When the ball joints failed (19k miles...all of them have this prob), they said nothing was wrong, it was improper maitnence. We werent greesing the joints.

 

Sure enough...Dodge has used sealed fittings on all Gen 3 dakotas. we promptly got our money back (didnt know at the time)

 

jon

[Dannymik]

This is kind of embarrasing, but I'll tell you anyways :oops: . Me and I guy i worked with at my former job did the back rotors and pads on my Cutlass. We completed the job and thought everything was good. Next day I'm going to the beach(BayBeach in Canada) and on the Thruway I hear a humming noise coming from my rear driverside wheel. I drove like this for about 25-30 miles until a guy at a red light told me that my rear brakes were smoking like a chimney. So I pulled into a parking lot and checked them out. Well the rotor was blue(warped the bastard only 2 days old) and smelled like that burning brakes smell. I decided to get it back over the border in the states to a Midas station. They told me that I needed rear hub bearings that would cost $850. I told them no way and take the car off the lift...your nuts if you want $850! Next day I take the Cutlass to a different place across from my job and they told me that the hubs were good...it was due to loose lugnuts...you could tighten them by hand .

 

I will never go to a Midas Service center again, they are fucking assholes!

[sl3196]

One time I took my old geo metro to midas to replace struts or something and 2 days later the damn wheel fell off. They forgot how to tighten things down I guess. They tried to tell me I had to pay for it, ha not when the idiots dont tighten stuff down.

[Justin]

Sorry guys, but there's a big difference between a mechanic and someone that changes oil, pumps gas, or works at midas. Are you actually surprised that you're having problems like this if you have those assclowns work on your cars?

[GPRACER]

Sorry guys, but there's a big difference between a mechanic and someone that changes oil, pumps gas, or works at midas. Are you actually surprised that you're having problems like this if you have those assclowns work on your cars?

 

This point needs to be made more often. There are some mechanics here who don't like seeing threads like this. Maybe you should be more careful where you bring your car.

 

I didn't spend 6+ years in school and continuous upgrading to be refered to as a "stupid mechanic"

[topless94style]

No doubt there are some damn good mechanics out there, but this guy just pissed me off. I have brought my car in to get worked on once, because a stud broke on the axel, the stud you tighten your lug nuts too. Other than that, i dont and wont take this car in, unless its a tranny problem, which trannies i know nothing about.

 

 

But this guy, i believe he is a stupid mechanic, because he would not believe an 18 yr old kid where parts were on the car. I told him, i have had this engine taken apart, did he believe me? No. Does he then deserve me liking him? No.

[WhiteOut]

I'm with topless94 on this one. There may well be some good mechanics out there, but the majority, in fact all of them are human. And that means they're faliable, and that means they can't possibly know everything. The good ones tell you they don't know whats wrong. The bad ones pretend to know whats wrong and throw parts at it untill its fixed. Unfortunately most of them seem to be of the second type.

[manitcor]

yes there are good mechanics out there though Im sad to say that the bad ones most likely way outnumber the good. Even ASE certification does not gaurentee you are getting a good mechanic. It seems any monkey with that little piece of paper and his own tools trys the mechanic gig and more often than not they are complete retards.

 

I normally end up going to 8 or so different shops when I get into a new town till I can find a place I can trust.

[whoyourdaddy49]

all i have to say is that realy hurts u guys are just talking hella shit about mecanhics and im one lol dont say we are all stupid cause i hate when ppl talk shit bout us cause u gotta give us credit for us nowing so much but there are some stupid ppl out there

[ThunderBat]

I worked as a "mechanic" for a year when I got out of high school...I loved going to work every day!.Every day was a learning experience with both people and the machines. The Chrysler dealer I worked at tried to get everyone in the shop sufficent training. The factory rep would come by to give us hands-on updates on new equipment and procedures. He had this work van, My God that thing was a workshop on wheels! But you know a good portion of the guys there never stayed for the training. They closed their toolboxes and hit the road...IMO they were the dumb-shits...Mechanics nowdays need to learn 10 times more stuff than I did then...because most car owners are clueless! they trust that the mechanic knows what he's doing...but even after a guy trains his ass off, he needs the benefit of experience and theres only one way to get that...To me the biggest problem thats out there now is that most shop owners (ESPECIALLY the dealers!) charge an arm and a leg for labor but the mechanic doesnt even get half of what they charge and that sux...If a guy can make a decent living at what he does he tends to take more pride in the quality of his work...some will do it on pride and principle alone, but those guys are way too few.

[ThunderBat]

I worked as a "mechanic" for a year when I got out of high school...I loved going to work every day!.Every day was a learning experience with both people and the machines. The Chrysler dealer I worked at tried to get everyone in the shop sufficent training. The factory rep would come by to give us hands-on updates on new equipment and procedures. He had this work van, My God that thing was a workshop on wheels! But you know a good portion of the guys there never stayed for the training. They closed their toolboxes and hit the road...IMO they were the dumb-shits...Mechanics nowdays need to learn 10 times more stuff than I did then...because most car owners are clueless! they trust that the mechanic knows what he's doing...but even after a guy trains his ass off, he needs the benefit of experience and theres only one way to get that...To me the biggest problem thats out there now is that most shop owners (ESPECIALLY the dealers!) charge an arm and a leg for labor but the mechanic doesnt even get half of what they charge and that sux...If a guy can make a decent living at what he does he tends to take more pride in the quality of his work...some will do it on pride and principle alone, but those guys are way too few. They are in too big of a hurry to get done and get to the next car cuz that how they make more money. I know of only one place (and thats a body shop) where the owner pays his staff strictly by the hour and not by the job...granted, he's probably the most expensive place in town but the quality of the work that comes out of that place is absolutely flawless.

[89oldscutlass]

Im a mechanic guys and I can tell you there are so many different types of cars I work on thats impossible to remember torque specs or firing order of everycar. Cars have become about to cramped and tight for the average Joe to work on and if the car companys had their way only car dealerships would be able to work on them putting small garages out of buisness. We all make mistakes working on cars at some time or another. At the garage that I work if we make a mistake or mess something up we make it right and we eat the cost of the mistake no questions asked. There are a lot of garages that prey on women and young people and their lack of info on cars. Those places that do it give the rest of us a bad name. We are not all like that and some of us do take pride in our work.

[Heza]

Im a mechanic guys and I can tell you there are so many different types of cars I work on thats impossible to remember torque specs or firing order of everycar. Cars have become about to cramped and tight for the average Joe to work on and if the car companys had their way only car dealerships would be able to work on them putting small garages out of buisness. We all make mistakes working on cars at some time or another. At the garage that I work if we make a mistake or mess something up we make it right and we eat the cost of the mistake no questions asked. There are a lot of garages that prey on women and young people and their lack of info on cars. Those places that do it give the rest of us a bad name. We are not all like that and some of us do take pride in our work.

 

took pretty much what i was going to say out of my mouth...except...im not a mechanic, well, just on my car i am!

[topless94style]

Again im not attacking mechanics, and i know for damn sure no mechanic knows everything about every car. There is too much stuff now a days to even try and know it all. But to have a mechanic, who is supposed to be trustworthy, not trust me, when i told him specifically, where the FPR and Fuel injectors were, AND that i had taken the top end of the motor apart, and then have him not believe me, show me up to his mechanic friend, that he knew more about my car. I too hate when mechanics try to take advantage of women and younger drivers, but if they did make a good portion of what the shop charges on labor im sure they would be less proned to doing that. Money to many people may seem as though its a motivator to do a job, but if you get more money to be motivated, after a while you will again want another raise to be motivated again. So, really it cannot be considered a motivator.

[Dannymik]

Im a mechanic guys and I can tell you there are so many different types of cars I work on thats impossible to remember torque specs or firing order of everycar. Cars have become about to cramped and tight for the average Joe to work on and if the car companys had their way only car dealerships would be able to work on them putting small garages out of buisness. We all make mistakes working on cars at some time or another. At the garage that I work if we make a mistake or mess something up we make it right and we eat the cost of the mistake no questions asked. There are a lot of garages that prey on women and young people and their lack of info on cars. Those places that do it give the rest of us a bad name. We are not all like that and some of us do take pride in our work.

 

You said it best and thats the problem with mechanics. I bet there are a large number more snakes out there that will feed you a line of bullshit rather than the honest mechanic who wants to do the job for a fair price. Its a lucrative business, because we all need our cars!

[phantomFE3]

yeah there are a fair share of idiot people around here too, especially at the valvoline instant oil changes and places like that. one time i went there with my mom, i still only had my permit and so i was driving and she was in the front passenger seat and when they are almost done they come and tell you what they found and what the did and everything and he comes over and i roll my window down to talk to him and he goes, oh! i better go to the other side, sorry about that. and im like, uuuh what the fuck? my mom is completely clueless about anything to do with cars. i spose i can see where hes coming from, a little 15 year old driving and his mom in the passenger seat in a 97 dodge minivan. but still, i know 100000000000 times more about even the basic things they do at those types of places compared to my mom. and i was ready to talk to the guy and everything, oh well.

 

kinda the same deal in my auto classes, they had an old ford on the lift that had the rear wheels off because they were replacing the differential and i was lookin at the exhaust on it because it didnt look stock and my auto teacher comes up and hes like, those are called drum brakes, like i didnt know what fucking drum brakes were. and then he points to the sway bar and hes like, do you know what thats called? and im like, thats a sway bar. and hes like wow good job. what a fucking idiot, hes a pretty cool teacher though, just isnt used to junior knowing a shitload about cars in a basic auto class thats full of freshman and sophomores.

[WhiteOut]

I don't think that anyone here is trying to bash on mechanics. And I certainly don't think anyone here is foolish enough to think that a mechanic should know everything about a single car, let alone every car thats out there. I think most of us just wish that when mechanics don't know whats wrong with a car that they would just admit it instead of screwing you over by replacing everything under the sun, or by recomending services that aren't needed.

 

Example, my mom went to have a front marker light changed on her 99 Regal. She ended up paying $250 because after they got the lighting assembly out the mechanic wouldn't put the thing back together without replacing the bulb connector which was insanely priced at like $75. Seems pretty dubious to me, I don't think I've ever heard of having to replace the bulb connector because a bulb burnt out. Thats the kind of shit that pisses me off, granted its partialy my mom's fault for even going to a shop to have a bulb replaced.

[MommyTaz022200]

I got to say when it comes to dealing with some mechanics I'd rather be an 18 year old guy. You guys should try being a woman and go into a shop with your 3 year old son. I seem to have everything wrong with my Escort when I bring it in for an oil change. Funny thing is last time they never said anything about my radiator hoses being bad, just the air filter ($19.99 to replace) and Serpintine belt ($49.99 to replace). I told them I'd have my mechanic do the engine work, I only wanted an oil change at their 10 minute oil changes shop. The next morning I was leaking antifreeze. Maybe they looked too hard at the parts that are ok and not hard enough to find the one that was real.

 

P.S. Their is nothing wrong with the air filter or serpintine belt on my Escort. The air filter is 3 months old and the belt is 6 months old. The tires they said looked just fine have 82,000 miles on them though.

[MommyTaz022200]

I got to say when it comes to dealing with some mechanics I'd rather be an 18 year old guy. You guys should try being a woman and go into a shop with your 3 year old son. I seem to have everything wrong with my Escort when I bring it in for an oil change. Funny thing is last time they never said anything about my radiator hoses being bad, just the air filter ($19.99 to replace) and Serpintine belt ($49.99 to replace). I told them I'd have my mechanic do the engine work, I only wanted an oil change at their 10 minute oil changes shop. The next morning I was leaking antifreeze. Maybe they looked too hard at the parts that are ok and not hard enough to find the one that was real.

 

P.S. Their is nothing wrong with the air filter or serpintine belt on my Escort. The air filter is 3 months old and the belt is 6 months old. The tires they said looked just fine have 82,000 miles on them though.

[Goph]

Thats what I hate about only bein 18. When I goto get an oil change they always try to sell me things I know I dont need. One time the manager was like you need this this and this and I said you need to go fuck yourself.

 

yea, when i go in and get a oil change some time i want them to try and sell me the high mile oil when i do it because my car has 83,000 on it and the engine have like 4,000 on the rebuild(damn rod bearing had to go out on the old one )