If you were a mechanic and a person brought you a car to service?
Which you think is unsafe and shouldn't be on the road would you change the oil and take the $150 or tell them to go and get another car this one needs to goto the tip?
by 
ANSWERS: 6
-
My dad used to be a "shade tree mechanic" after he quit working for the USFS. I used to help him service cars and repair minor stuff. I can remember him telling drivers more than once that their car wasn't worth fixing or wasn't safe to drive. Sometimes they listened sometimes they didn't. Often they had the money to repair, but not to buy another vehicle. 6/2/24
-
-
11stevo73 jack it up to do an oil change notice more than one ball joint shot. If your not fixing that not much point changing the oil or am I rude saying that? My oldman used to fix peoples cars at home for years some of the freeloaders that the oldman might changed points for did drive their car until wheels fell off. -
dalcocono Yup, shot front ends were a big problem on our rough dirt roads too. If they said to fix it, he often would, if they said just change the oil, well, that's what he'd do.
-
-
I am a certified mechanic, but people didn't bring me their cars. They brought me their airplanes.
-
If I were a mechanic, but better yet, the mechanic shop owner 😁, I would fix whatever a customer asks for, regardless if a car is a pile of poo. 💩 Any additional repairs that must be done, I would contact 📱 the customer first and let him or her know about them. If the customer doesn't want to get the additional repairs done, then it is still a win-win for me by charging what I was told to fix. 🤑
-
-
11stevo73
you would end up in court . If the car cant pass a critical safety test when it leaves the shop it shouldn't be worked on .The family of the people that car kills will sue you. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
Nope, you can only get sued if the work you were told to do is not fixed right. If you read my answer properly, you can't do more work than what a customer asks for. Suppose if someone brought you a car for a simple oil change as you mentioned in your reference, and you notice the airbag warning light is on, are you supposed to fix the air bags for free?????????????? -
11stevo73
the airbag not working isn't a danger to other road users. Do you know of a 10 point critical safety check.? If it cant pass that is what Im asking about or interested in. If you're interested into why I ask say so and I'll continue . -
Jenny The Great ⭐
Oh, do continue. I actually answered this question twice so you can get notified. Going back to this discussion, I said "airbags" in plural, which put a family of 5-6 people inside a car in danger, yet, the mechanic cannot be sued for not fixing what is not agreed upon. On the 10 point vehicle safety checklist from Australia: https://www.shell.com.au/motorists/motorist-safety-hub/your-essential-ten-point-vehicle-safety-checklist.html These 10 points are basic car maintenance. That's nothing major like doing collision, suspension, engine and transmission repair. -
11stevo73
Back to reason I asded Young girls car is making a noise she takes it for a service they change oil. 2 days later wheel bearing fails car stops in middle of road less one wheel. luckly no event apart from car. Should they have said this car dont need an oil change and made estimate to make it drivable ? -
Jenny The Great ⭐
You are exaggerating, since "wheel bearings" are not in the 10 point vehicle safety checklist. LOL -
11stevo73
really? A wheel bearing not in a critical safety test? How would one test a wheel bearing? -
Jenny The Great ⭐
You mentioned the 10 point vehicle safety checklist, not me. If you are a mechanic, you can fix the 10 points and advice a customer that repairing the wheel bearings costs extra money to fix. If the customer doesn't want the wheel bearings fixed, then you simply make a receipt for the 10 point repair only. -
11stevo73
I went and saw the workshop they showed me a paper they made the girl sign saying her car shouldn't be driven. She is a liar -
11stevo73
you didn't say how you would inspect wheel bearing? As the car wheels are off the ground to change the oil . theres no excuse for not giving them a wobble -
Jenny The Great ⭐
*The Estimate Work Repair Order* does not lie. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
It's not a mechanic's business to be checking an entire car to see if additional work is needed, unless told or if the mechanic notices a hazard. This is were the mechanic asks the customer, the wheel bearings need repair, do you want them fixed or not? If the answer is No, the customer was advised. Therefore, if the customer gets into a wreck for not paying to get the wheel bearings fixed, the customer cannot come back complaining to the mechanic, cause obviously this is were the mechanic can tell the customer to EFF OFF. LOL -
11stevo73
Aviod touching sh*t heap in the first place was the point I was making.What inspections are required in the US? Yearly inspection of cars over 5 years? -
Jenny The Great ⭐
The same 10 points apply in the US upon getting vehicle inspection. Avoid touching crap is your business. Nobody is forcing you (suppose you are a mechanic) to fix what you don't want. The customer will go elsewhere. -
11stevo73
it's good they go some where else . They used to give me the what is that dunger doing here look. Id be pretty sure most of the western world no longer allows dungers on the road. Who in reality wants to ride in one or let their kids ride in one? Since you have spent this much time talking to me Id better tell you something usefull. A small workshop only makes money on service tyres and brakes. The rest of the major repairs they cover wages and parts . Worker does 5 service a day I know how much the parts cost and how long it will take. Change 1 clutch do we want to machine the fly wheel or replace the slave cyclinder or somethng unforseen. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
The idea is to look around for estimates, and who is willing to tackle the job. People can play around when you speak of a dunger. The heck with how the car looks. Dungers can be driven on the road if they meet smog check requirements. They are based on vehicle type and model year, not the date of manufacture. A small workshop only makes money on service tires and brakes? I can understand this, since many car shops specialize in certain repairs. -
11stevo73
dunger = unroadworthy sh*tbox useally they look pretty rough not allways. Once on the lift all nothng can hide -
11stevo73
we dont test for smog as long as the emission control equipment appears to be there is all they check.. Condition of brake hoses is more important -
Jenny The Great ⭐
Don't just look at the bad condition of a vehicle. Look at the potential. Brake hoses? What a big job that is. LOL -
11stevo73
You have to buy the hoses +labor to instal +fluid most cars you wont have any change from $800. While you're doing that you;ll find more. Its money people dont have or wont spend? Have you ever fixed an old car properly so it is roadworthy? -
11stevo73
What can go wrong when you change the brake fliud on a 20 year old car? -
Jenny The Great ⭐
Buying and replacing hoses is minor work. $800 is not a fortune. People pay twice as much for an iPhone. lol -
11stevo73
see why I no longer take part in car repairs for my work. The type of people around here would fight me for $800. if it needed brake hoses there was all ways more. spend $3k on a car worth $5k insurance book value, -
Jenny The Great ⭐
Mechanic shops in Australia have a different way of doing business. Whatever repairs are done in the US, a receipt with warranty must be given on the work done or it's a no deal. On insurance book value, try telling that to some car owners who find a sentimental value on their cars. You're not going to convince them to sell their cars. They will save up the money and get their cars fixed.
-
-
What a smart mechanic you would be for telling customers to go buy another car. That's like telling them to get lost. If I was your boss, I'd fire you. ROTFLMAO 🤣
-
-
11stevo73
No money working on dungers the people that drive them have no money. The other people bring you their next car to inspect before they buy it and then service -
Jenny The Great ⭐
If money is an issue, keep in mind that if you want to be a successful mechanic, many people who cannot afford to get everything fixed at once - will get one thing at a time fixed. -
11stevo73
major rust? -
Jenny The Great ⭐
Major rust, especially on classic vehicles can be fixed by Paint and Body shops, specifically the shops that specialize in auto restoration. It involves cutting and welding in patch panels or replacing sheet metal body parts with aftermarket parts, which are sold online. Rusted floorboards can even be replaced. Sandblasting a rusty chassis and coating it to new specs can also be done. This type of work is not rocket science. -
11stevo73
Have you ever done a rust reapiar on a car? That costs more than most cars are worth. The repairer never gets all the rust Ive drilled all the factory spot welds out before and changed sills and sections of floor pans. Not rocket science I bet you couldn't do it. It takes lots of time. You are dreaming if you think its cost effective. Do you have a full workshop with enough tools to do panel work? My oldman was a panel beater is how Ive spent a lot of time rebuilding old cars in the hour of time its a waste of time . -
11stevo73
if the suspension mounts are rusted off the chassie whats left of the chassis to weld replacement mounts onto will be the next issue then you take the body off the chassis every rubber is rooted replace them to.thats resoration of a car you love. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
Rust repair can be expensive, but then again, classic cars are worth fixing, especially if you are a classic car collector or a classic car salesman who restores vehicles, and then sells them for a high profit. You can also save some money on DIY work. When you say all the rust can't be removed from the factory spot welds, this is were sandblasting comes in or in the most economical way, an electric or pneumatic wire brush will remove the rust, followed by using epoxy primers. They are designed for adhesion and corrosion resistance. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
BTW, replacement mounts, bushings, ball joints are parts you can order online for a lot less than what you will pay at the local auto parts store. -
11stevo73
thats not where you buy parts. You get your mate who has a trade account and spends more than $50k a year on parts to buy them for you. Is where I get parts usally OEM or better -
Jenny The Great ⭐
Shopping for car parts online is as easy as 123. Just enter the year/make/model of a vehicle and the parts you are looking for. OEM parts are better, but they cost more money than aftermarket parts. We're talking about restoring a car in the most economical way, and still make it look good. So if money is not an issue, go with OEM parts. -
11stevo73
Put cheap shit after market rubbish on . That will bite you in the arse when they fail quickly. Would you use a cheap aftermarket thust bearing? Thats fun to fix when its noisey and the owner is back complianing. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
Not if the aftermarket parts are installed by professionals. Mechanics do give a certain amount of warranty on their work, so no worries.
-
-
C'mon stevo, you got a lady here flexing her muscles 💪 on a topic that is dominated by men. lol
-
-
11stevo73
are you into old cars? Plenty of women are or used to be. Some of the women I know. now drive mustages while hubby drives a slow 4wd. As they older they no long like working on old cars. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
I'm not really into old cars. I own 2 European luxury vehicles. But I do have an uncle who does classic car restoration. I also have the knowledge to be a car shop owner. In this economical crisis, you have to be thankful for what you can get. Car shop owners with a pompous attitude will not last long in the business. -
11stevo73
A couple of years ago while my friend was in hospital I ran his workshop for about 6 months. The dungers people drive done my head in. I told 30% of his customers you dont need a mechanic you need a new car. half of them came back with better cars. Service tyres and brakes was the jobs we made money out of. lucky to cover costs doing major repairs most of the time. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
You don't need a mechanic - you need a new car is to run off customers. With the advancement in technology, there is no job that's too big for the professional car repair man. Each person has a trade, whether it is a mechanic doing minor tune-up work like the Australian 10 point vehicle safety checklist, to major mechanical work, the panel beater, the painter, the upholster, the audio installer and etc. In a free country, it's not an "obligation" to fix a person's vehicle. A car shop owner does what he or she thinks is best for the business. -
11stevo73
x -
11stevo73
dont worry about this 10 point check from BP that is BS. Is the car roadworthy, Id show you the VACC document but you wont be able to access their site as it requires membership. the 10 point test the VACC calls a critical safety test is all that is required. Every mechanic is required to do it on every car that leaves his workshop. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
I was able to access the link, being from "Australia." I looked at all the 10 points. What I found on the link that most mechanics are unable to do are replacing tires. You need a tire shop for that. Don't think a mechanic does it all. There are different trades, you know. lol -
11stevo73
most mechanics that do service have tyre changing machines and balenecers. Ole mate brought his own after giveing a tyre mob $80k in one year. The Fleet cars must be able to goto the next service on the tyres they have if no change them. easy money -
11stevo73
https://motortech.com.au/ is the site I said you wont be able to get in. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
The majority of mechanics in the US do not change tires. Tire service is usually done by Discount Tire, PepBoys, Walmart, Firestone and a few other big name tire shops in America. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
The link you added called VAAC MotorTech is not specific on repairs. -
11stevo73
Once you log in there is. It also has all the estermate repiar times for most vehicles and service info . Who are the VACC? the site has all any mechanic needs to know about most cars on the road. -
Jenny The Great ⭐
I find no reason to log in, since I'm not from Australia. So the link is meaningless to me. Let me know of any additional repairs you find unsafe on vehicles.
-
-
#1 - You tell them directly that it is unsafe to drive, and why. #2 - You write that very same information on the invoice (which both you and the customer have a copy of). #3 - You change the oil and take the $150 (ouch! $150 for an oil change? Do you live in Beverly Hills?), having done everything reasonable that a person-for-hire can do to inform the customer of the danger.
-
-
11stevo73
if the thing wants c4 what oil do you put in it? How much do you think 6 litres of c4 engine oli costsplus oil filter + aircleaner+ labor .How much profit would the workshop make? AU dollars -
www.bible-reviews.com
Well...I'm from the USA, oil changes run about US$50 at Walmart (for the better grade of oil), and I never heard of C4 oil. -
11stevo73
Au dollar equal passo's? say $85 for just the oil. 15w -40 would be cheaper but most newer cars dont want that. You don't let a super market touch your car. Do you know what oil your car takes? -
www.bible-reviews.com
Yes, I know, and I always and only put the correct type oil, viscosity and weight of oil. Walmart carries that same type of oil, and puts a sticker on the window that agrees completely with the manufacturer's recommendation regarding these specs, and so I assume that they are putting in the correct type of oil when they perform an oil change.
-
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC