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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / November 2005Is this statement true?
A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded. Is this statement true? I think back to the last eight times I have completely broken down: 1) Brake line burst (cause: my failure to replace very rusty line for years) 2) Alternator died (I had warnings, but thought it was just the battery. PepBoys mechanic failed to check alternator when I replaced battery a few days earlier) 3) Belt tensioner gave way (due to my failure to realize this was a minatainable component over the years) 4) Blower motor and radiator fan stopped working for unknown reason (still trying to diagnose this). 5) Total loss of engine oil, due to mechanic claiming my Fram filter I provided him for an oil change was faulty. I actually think he didn't put it on right. I now do my own oil changes and have never had a problem with a leak or Fram filter. 6) Starter died (I had thought it was my loose battery terminals all this time) 7) Starter #2 died. I had warnings. Hammering on it got it to start. 8) Starter bolt cracked, thereby cracking and dislodging starter. Cheap chain discount auto part/service store said it was my fault (VIP Discount Auto in New England). Strange, both of their lifetime warranty piece of crap starters broke off the bolts since they shook so violently when starting the car. One time they had to pull the engine in order to have a machine shop drill out the bolt! Cost them over $500, and they tried to make me pay. But since going to an AC Delco starter, never a problem, and it always starts quietly! So, as you can see, all of the above breakdowns, with the exception of the radiator fan and blower motor above (#4) have had have been due to my own failures, at least in part. So that statement the mechanic made above does make sense, for th emost part. Julie > A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is > well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it > should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded. > > Is this statement true? IMO, perfection is unattainable. You could get close though. Look at commercial passenger jets. They rarely go bad. Just change everything every few months. Engine, trans, body, driver, etc. Julie P. wrote: > A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is > well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it > should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded. > > Is this statement true? Depends on your definition of well-maintained. Airplane engines periodically get rebuilt at a certain interval, whether they need it or not, because the consequences of failure are severe. This is, however, extremely expensive. I remember riding the bus in the Phillipines.... each round trip from Manila to Baguio, they'd drop the engine, take it apart, and check it. Labour was very cheap and parts were very expensive. It also depends on your definition of "without warning." I can list five... no, six things on my daily driver that are giving some symptoms of possible impending failure, and I should probably do something about them. But none are really high on the list. It's all a cost vs. risk breakdown. What are you willing to pay for each given increment in reliability? --scott >IMO, perfection is unattainable. >You could get close though. Look at commercial passenger jets. >They rarely go bad. >Just change everything every few months. >Engine, trans, body, driver, etc.  Signature"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." > Julie P. wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > was > very cheap and parts were very expensive. I assume you mean "air bus" and not a regular bus? > It also depends on your definition of "without warning." I can list > five... [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > It's all a cost vs. risk breakdown. What are you willing to pay for each > given increment in reliability? Thanks, I agree. It's just with me, I do my own maintenance, and sometimes this can take a while, as there is a learning curve. So I am trying to be more cautious, especially as my car ages. I have not seen a mechanic in almost 6 years now, except to balance my tires and have them mounted. I even pull my own wheels before I hand them to them. >> I remember riding the bus in the Phillipines.... each round trip from >> Manila [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >I assume you mean "air bus" and not a regular bus? No, it was a Mercedes diesel bus. Somewhat swankier than a schoolbus but not as fancy as the Grumman Flxible city busses in Honolulu. Cheap labor changes and weak currency changes the way you look at maintenance. Here, folks have a tendency to replace things if they could potentially cause a problem, because the parts are cheap and the labor is expensive. When you have the thing apart, you might as well replace anything else related. In third-world countries, mechanics carefully razor-blade gaskets so they can reuse them. I've seen folks resurfacing distributor rotors with a small torch, just adding a little more metal onto the contact and grinding it down. A couple hours work in order to save a two dollar part, because those couple hours cost less than the part. >Thanks, I agree. It's just with me, I do my own maintenance, and sometimes >this can take a while, as there is a learning curve. So I am trying to be >more cautious, especially as my car ages. I have not seen a mechanic in >almost 6 years now, except to balance my tires and have them mounted. I even >pull my own wheels before I hand them to them. Some of the most interesting people I have met, and surely the most exciting ones, were people I met while broken down by the side of the road. I almost miss owning the 1954 Moto-Guzzi. It didn't run worth a damn, but it made any trip into an exciting adventure. --scott Signature"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." >>> I remember riding the bus in the Phillipines.... each round trip from >>> Manila [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > and grinding it down. A couple hours work in order to save a two > dollar part, because those couple hours cost less than the part. But you said they dropped the engine in the Philippines every round trip, which would be insane, even though labor is cheap. Why drop it at so often? Maybe every 10,000 miles or so would be better. Labor is cheap, but they still have to pay for it. Julie > I remember riding the bus in the Phillipines.... each round trip from > Manila to Baguio, they'd drop the engine, take it apart, and check > it. Labour was very cheap and parts were very expensive. You must be joking! I lived in the Philippines from 1960 to 1977 and rode on many buses from Manila out to the provinces. I don't remember anyone either needing to do this or doing this type of maintenance. I do remember the cooling systems being so leaky that the drivers had to stop at almost every river we crossed to "top up" the rad....but certainly engine overhauls were not the order of the day after every round trip. Even in the Philippines....an engine will last longer then that. Ian >> I remember riding the bus in the Phillipines.... each round trip from >> Manila to Baguio, they'd drop the engine, take it apart, and check [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Ian LOL! As far as I know top fuel dragsters are the only vehicles which are torn down after every trip. Bob > A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is > well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it > should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded. > > Is this statement true? Never? Almost never is more accurate, and it depends on the car. A pit crew couldn't keep some models running reliably. > 2) Alternator died (I had warnings, but thought it was just the battery. > PepBoys mechanic failed to check alternator when I replaced battery a few > days earlier) Keyword here: Pep Boys Almost anyone who has ever owned a 90's GM could describe the charging warning light that comes on a day before the battery goes dead. Everyone in the business knows that series of alternator is a piece of crap. How could anyone have missed this if the alternator was actually bad at the time you brought it to the "shop"? Are you sure you didn't just ask for a battery and their parts counter guy installed it for free as a courtesy? > 3) Belt tensioner gave way (due to my failure to realize this was a > minatainable component over the years) Not really, replace it if it binds or throws the belt off. Otherwise, keep it until it begins to fail. Otherwise you are replacing a good part on a maintenance schedule; if you did that with every part on the car........ > 4) Blower motor and radiator fan stopped working for unknown reason (still > trying to diagnose this). Perhaps a competent mechanic could help here... > 5) Total loss of engine oil, due to mechanic claiming my Fram filter I > provided him for an oil change was faulty. I actually think he didn't put it > on right. I now do my own oil changes and have never had a problem with a > leak or Fram filter. Providing parts for a mechanic/shop is a good sign that the mechanic/shop is too desperate (incompetent) to refuse. > 6) Starter died (I had thought it was my loose battery terminals all this > time) > > 7) Starter #2 died. I had warnings. Hammering on it got it to start. Were starter one or starter two shimmed properly (as in actually properly, not "I think so") > 8) Starter bolt cracked, thereby cracking and dislodging starter. Cheap > chain discount auto part/service store said it was my fault (VIP Discount [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > since going to an AC Delco starter, never a problem, and it always starts > quietly! Sounds like an improperly shimmed starter to me, or wrong bolt torque. If they were new aftermarket starters, I could see the hollowed out nose housing cracking from inferior material build. If they were remans, their nose housings were probably reused Delco pieces that could withstand anything short of improper installation. If you want to learn how to maintain all aspects of your car, then that's great. Accept the growing pains that come with... when backyard mechanics run into a problem, very frequently it's not the part that is at fault. Also know who is a competent mechanic and who isn't. Pep Boys doesn't pay enough to employ competent mechanics, so you won't see too many there (unless they're just in the store to buy oil for their own car). Toyota MDT in MO P.S. All starter comments based on the educated guess that the 2.2 and 3.1 use the old early 90's SD shimmed starter. I'm positive they do... >> A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is >> well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Almost anyone who has ever owned a 90's GM could describe the charging > warning light that comes on a day before the battery goes dead. Never happened with me. One day, the battery was just near dead. > Everyone in the business knows that series of alternator is a piece of > crap. How could anyone have missed this if the alternator was actually > bad at the time you brought it to the "shop"? Are you sure you didn't > just ask for a battery and their parts counter guy installed it for > free as a courtesy? No, I had to pay them for the install, and they installed the wrong battery. So I took it back the next day, and went to Wal-Mart instead. This was in the 90's, before I did my own maintenance. >> 3) Belt tensioner gave way (due to my failure to realize this was a >> minatainable component over the years) [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > part on a maintenance schedule; if you did that with every part on the > car........ Yes, I failed as my belt deflection was too much, yet I assumed that tension was supposed to be automatic and could not be maintained. Little did I know this was a sign of a failing tensioner. Now my belt is nice and tight. >> 4) Blower motor and radiator fan stopped working for unknown reason >> (still >> trying to diagnose this). > > Perhaps a competent mechanic could help here... I do all of my own maintenace, and want to learn to diagnose this myself. I am almost there. I just have to find the short now. >> 5) Total loss of engine oil, due to mechanic claiming my Fram filter I >> provided him for an oil change was faulty. I actually think he didn't put [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Providing parts for a mechanic/shop is a good sign that the > mechanic/shop is too desperate (incompetent) to refuse. This was a Chevy dealer. At the time, I only used Fram oil filters, as I thought they were the best, even better than a GM one. >> 6) Starter died (I had thought it was my loose battery terminals all this >> time) [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Were starter one or starter two shimmed properly (as in actually > properly, not "I think so") I don't know. I know I did have to pay for new shims. >> 8) Starter bolt cracked, thereby cracking and dislodging starter. Cheap >> chain discount auto part/service store said it was my fault (VIP Discount [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > remans, their nose housings were probably reused Delco pieces that > could withstand anything short of improper installation. They were remans with lifetime warranty. thanks for telling me about this. I will have to be careful with this should my starter ever fail. Plus the two that broke were no-name pieces of junk. > If you want to learn how to maintain all aspects of your car, then > that's great. Accept the growing pains that come with... when > backyard mechanics run into a problem, very frequently it's not the > part that is at fault. True. I have done a lot of different jobs over the years, so I am proud of that. It just takes me more time. I am thinking of taking courses in Automotive Technology at a local community college after I save some more money. Also know who is a competent mechanic and who > isn't. Pep Boys doesn't pay enough to employ competent mechanics, so > you won't see too many there (unless they're just in the store to buy > oil for their own car). Yes, I learned the hard way. :( > Toyota MDT in MO > > P.S. All starter comments based on the educated guess that the 2.2 and > 3.1 use the old early 90's SD shimmed starter. I'm positive they do... Right, they use shims. Julie > If you want to learn how to maintain all aspects of your car, then > that's great. Accept the growing pains that come with... when [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > P.S. All starter comments based on the educated guess that the 2.2 and > 3.1 use the old early 90's SD shimmed starter. I'm positive they do... sometimes it is the parts. the only in-stock tie rod for the Beretta was a no-name one. Stupid me bought it. The cinch bolt head stripped off while installing it... and I had my torque wrench set to 41 ft-lbs like the manual said. Note that the tie rod didn't strip, the cheapo bolt came apart like it was improperly heat treated - it didn't snap so much as twist apart like a piece of licorice. First and last time I buy a suspension part that doesn't say Moog on it. (I'll consider TRW because I'm not sure if my race car counts as normal use and the balljoint didn't snap, but it did bend about 45 degrees.) Ray > A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is > well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > on right. I now do my own oil changes and have never had a problem with a > leak or Fram filter. oh geez. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER USE FRAM. FRAM = UNMITIGATED sh.t. You could seriously wad up your feces, put it in an orange can, and install it on your engine, and it would be as good as a Fram filter. > 6) Starter died (I had thought it was my loose battery terminals all this > time) [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Julie Sounds like you're learning to a) become better at seeing potential problems and b) having a few lessons in what are quality parts and what are not. Pretty soon you probably will reach that Zen-like state where you can all but predict what's going to break next, and when... nate (whose car hasn't left him stranded, but is vibrating like mad, and I can't figure it out.) > oh geez. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER USE FRAM. FRAM = UNMITIGATED sh.t. > You could seriously wad up your feces, put it in an orange can, and > install it on your engine, and it would be as good as a Fram filter. Maybe NAPA Gold or one from the dealer then? Advance Auto Part sales has some type of "gold" line of their own filters. It's unfortunate I already bought about 10-15 of the Fram (and Purolator) ones a few years ago for my car, while on sale. Oh well. > Sounds like you're learning to a) become better at seeing potential > problems and b) having a few lessons in what are quality parts and what > are not. Pretty soon you probably will reach that Zen-like state where > you can all but predict what's going to break next, and when... > > nate Yeah, we'll see. Right now I'm trying to do all kinds of last minute maintenance before winter. :) > (whose car hasn't left him stranded, but is vibrating like mad, and I > can't figure it out.) Hmmmm. Don't know. Exhaust maybe? Julie > > oh geez. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER USE FRAM. FRAM = UNMITIGATED sh.t. > > You could seriously wad up your feces, put it in an orange can, and > > install it on your engine, and it would be as good as a Fram filter. > > Maybe NAPA Gold or one from the dealer then? Advance Auto Part sales has > some type of "gold" line of their own filters. NAPA Gold is a rebranded Wix filter, which is an excellent filter. > It's unfortunate I already bought about 10-15 of the Fram (and Purolator) > ones a few years ago for my car, while on sale. Oh well. Purolator is pretty good. I prefer Wix, but there's a Purolator on the Porsche right now. I just refuse to use Fram under any circumstances - too many horror stories of the cans blowing apart when cold, on too many different types of engines. Plus their internal construction just looks cheezy. > > Sounds like you're learning to a) become better at seeing potential > > problems and b) having a few lessons in what are quality parts and what [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Yeah, we'll see. Right now I'm trying to do all kinds of last minute > maintenance before winter. :) Yup, spent today doing the same. Next weekend: install heater in Studebaker. That seems like a fairly important winter accessory :) > > (whose car hasn't left him stranded, but is vibrating like mad, and I > > can't figure it out.) > > Hmmmm. Don't know. Exhaust maybe? Nope, I suspect either a transaxle getting ready to self destruct, and/or collateral damage from the hit it took to the driver's side quarter panel. The driver's side outer CV bolts were all loose and the boot on that joint was all cracked, which is odd as it's less than a year old, and I replaced both axles at the same time and the other three CV's were all tight. The fact that it was the same corner of the car that took a hit makes me think that there is a problem there that may or may not be related to getting hit, but I can't prove it, nor can I find what the problem actually is - I replaced that axle again today (the company I bought it from - Raxles, inc, highly recommended - sent me a warranty replacement as the boot was near split through) but the problem still remains; although I'm considering the loose bolts a clue that the vibration is originating in the area of that hub. But, as I said, I'm scratching my head. I think it will probably go back in the shop this week; I don't feel like messing it, and if it's related to getting hit my insurance company ought to pay. (fortunately I did not cancel my comp and collision; unfortunately whoever plowed into it didn't bother to leave a note...) nate >> > oh geez. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER USE FRAM. FRAM = UNMITIGATED sh.t. >> > You could seriously wad up your feces, put it in an orange can, and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > NAPA Gold is a rebranded Wix filter, which is an excellent filter. Ok, Wix is what the employee at Advance Auto recommended, although they didn't sell them there. >> It's unfortunate I already bought about 10-15 of the Fram (and Purolator) >> ones a few years ago for my car, while on sale. Oh well. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > many different types of engines. Plus their internal construction just > looks cheezy. But Purolator is just as inexpensive as Fram, and the filter material looks thinner, at least for their air filters. I suppose the brand of air filter isn't as critical as the oil filter though. > Yup, spent today doing the same. Next weekend: install heater in > Studebaker. That seems like a fairly important winter accessory :) Very nice cars. >> > (whose car hasn't left him stranded, but is vibrating like mad, and I >> > can't figure it out.) [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > I did not cancel my comp and collision; unfortunately whoever plowed > into it didn't bother to leave a note...) That happened to me twice. One they left a note and their insurance paid me, without even an inspection. the other two times it was a hit and run, once while the cars were in motion. The other driver sped off. Julie > >> > oh geez. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER USE FRAM. FRAM = UNMITIGATED sh.t. > >> > You could seriously wad up your feces, put it in an orange can, and [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > thinner, at least for their air filters. I suppose the brand of air filter > isn't as critical as the oil filter though. Thus proving that you don't always get what you pay for :( Above and beyond the apparently weak cans, Frams are notorious for nonfunctional anti-drainback valves, which is important if you have a car that has an "upside-down" oil filter and no ADBV in the engine. I've had personal experience with that on several cars... a proper Wix filter was the solution. Symptom of an ADBV that doesn't work is oil pressure that takes >5 sec. to build on a cold start. Finally, there's people who dislike the glued on cardboard end caps that Fram uses in their spin-ons. That's a really contentious issue in some circles and I hesitate to offer an opinion as to whether that's a real liability or not. Let's not even start on whatever the hell they call that filter that's impregnated with PTFE, that's a giant triumph of marketing over engineering. Even DuPont pretty much comes out and says that there's no place for PTFE in anything to do with the oil system of a car, but I guess Fram felt they had to jump on the Slick 50 bandwagon. I've had no issues with Purolator on the Porsche, which also has an "upside-down" filter, but I'm not certain if it has an ADBV in the filter or the mount. I assume the filter as they are generally very heavy when removed from the car. In any case Purolator supposedly uses a quality media and I have no cold start oil pressure issues. It's really hard to judge filter media by eyeballing... even more so when dealing with pleated paper. AFAIK nobody is using a "depth" type media anymore for oil filters (why not?) so judging on thickness may lead you to the wrong conclusion. If you really want to turn into an oil/filter geek, hang out at bobistheoilguy.com for a while. (if you read all the oil filter threads, generally the only nice things people say about Frams are "they've been working OK for me for "x" years so I kept using them") A good air filter is important as well; clean air is important for good ring life. Of course, worn rings won't leave you walking, but I like to use good filters wherever I can. AFAICT Fram air filters really aren't all that bad; my issues with their oil filters is not the media that they use, it's everything else. I wouldn't even hesitate to use a Fram oil filter element in a replaceable-element application like the old C4 bypass filters or a BMW if I had to; but I try not to buy their products on principle because their spin-ons suck so badly and other quality brands are available for the same price or a dollar or two more. If nothing else, when was the last time you saw a Wix or Purolator commercial on TV? How many times do you see a Fram spot during an average football game? I'm guessing Wix spends a lot less $$ on advertising than Fram, and more money for R&D and the costs associated with making a better product (along with the cut for the shareholders, of course) There's always exceptions though, Mobil does advertise Mobil 1 occasionally, and by all accounts it's still an excellent product... (currently using Rotella T Synthetic though, as I can't find the Mobil 1 in a 5W40 to save my life.) good luck, nate > A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is > well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it > should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded. > > Is this statement true? A simple flat tire can be viewed as a breakdown... So is a cracked block, or a deteriorated GM or Ford plenum, or an intake gasket, or a number of other things. None of these things necessarily signal their demise... Good maintenance will stop the most of it, but certainly not every instance. Some of the drivers here never service their transmission, seldom change oil and filter, etc and still get by pretty well. > A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is > well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it > should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded. > Is this statement true? If you're willing to spend the big $$$ to keep your car in like new condition, I'd say it's very close to true. the reality is the cost would be basically the same as buying a new car every three years, because you'd be pretty much overhauling it about every three years. Oh, and even then... I've had a couple of batteries "just go" on me and others - they got you to work in the morning, and they were just dead after work. What about running over a nail? It's not a breakdown, but you're still stranded if you don't have a spare. Overall though, if you keep on top of the maintenance and either do it yourself or have a good relationship with your mechanic (and he's a good one) then the odds of you being stranded are pretty slim. But it will be expensive, because you'll be replacing a lot of parts that are "wore" but not "wore out" and sometimes there's a long time between "wore" and "wore out." My buddy replaces his battery every three years, I don't. When the car starts to crank a bit slower and the battery is getting old, then I replace it. I've had 4 year old batteries and 8 year old batteries. Stuff like tires -> once you get a crack in the sidewall, is the tire junk? On my Trans Am it would be. On the Beretta it's not. Ray > My buddy replaces his battery every three years, I don't. >When the car starts to crank a bit slower and the battery is getting >old, then I replace it. I've had 4 year old batteries and 8 year old >batteries. And I wait until the car won't start, then I push-start it and drive to the auto parts store for a battery. Why replace it before you have to? --scott Signature"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." >> My buddy replaces his battery every three years, I don't. >>When the car starts to crank a bit slower and the battery is getting [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the auto parts store for a battery. Why replace it before you have to? > --scott I have a professional 200/100/50/10/2 Schumacher starter/charger/tester which I use in this situation, as well as a portable 1000 amp jump starter battery. Julie >> My buddy replaces his battery every three years, I don't. >>When the car starts to crank a bit slower and the battery is getting [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the auto parts store for a battery. Why replace it before you have to? > --scott That's why I have multiple cars. I think of them as spares. ;) >A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is >well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it >should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded. > Is this statement true? Some people who make a living studying things like this think it could cut the failure rate for cars by 80-99%, but I don't believe they differentiated between expected and unexpected failures. And keep in mind that even highly pampered, well-designed and maintained vehicles costing millions or even billions and full of sensors still fail unexpectedly. I'd like to see what Caterpillar thinks because they probably have the best database for terrestrial vehicles. >1) Brake line burst (cause: my failure to replace very rusty line for years) Brake lines have also been known to rust from within, and I had a VW recalled for this. >2) Alternator died (I had warnings, but thought it was just the battery. >PepBoys mechanic failed to check alternator when I replaced battery a few >days earlier) I had a Delco rebuilt alternator die in less than a month, but I'm sure if I had monitored its case temperature I would have detected the bearing failure earlier. > A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is > well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > Julie Beware of people who make Never and Always proclamations. Those who make such statements are always wrong because they never consider all of the possibilities for automotive breakdown. (And they are usually trying to sell you something) I think it isn't so much continuing education (that comes into play more in terms of diagnostics, especially on weird problems and/or cars where feature creep has turned into more of a dead run) as attentiveness. A lot of otherwise good mechanics don't have the time (or don't want to take the care) needed for ad hoc predictive maintenance -- which takes a thorough drive under a variety of conditions as well as inspection in the garage. The ones who can are worth their weight in towing bills! Even they can't foresee everything -- some flaws are without superficial symptoms, and some cars are just a hive of problems. But they can prevent a lot of unscheduled breakdowns and also give you an idea of what you'll likely have to spend, and when, into the future, and how to know when it's time to bring 'er in. That last is important because unless your car is a SERIOUS lemon, you drive it a lot more than your mechanic does, and he or she will probably enlist your surveillance expertise. Cheers, --Joe "Ad absurdum per aspera" <jtchew@california.com> wrote in message > A lot of otherwise good mechanics don't have the time (or don't want to > take the care) needed for ad hoc predictive maintenance -- which takes [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Cheers, > --Joe In Norway, our company cars were serviced regularly and according to schedule. The garages were cleaner than most people's living rooms, the mechanics wore clean 'lab coats', and during this service, they concentrated on YOUR car. They were not trying to beat the flat rate. They spent the better part of the day on that car only. They were highly trained and legally liable. No BS. They literally check everything you can imagine. They have the time because they take the time to do it right. Of course, this costs money. On my last major service, they found brake wear, and rebuilt the brake system. I believe that service cost about $1500 or thereabout. Considering the level of service they offered, and what is currently done at many American dealerships, and in full view of the prices in effect now in the USA, it really wasn't such a bad deal. |
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