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Instead of telling consumers that when they find a great shop/technician they should stick with them and support them, "experts" tell consumers to shop around which is all about putting price first. There are even times when some go as far as to tell them go to the top shop just for the diagnostics and then once the problem is identified, shop the repair. Nothing like slapping the shop/tech in the face for having worked harder than everyone else while having the integrity and discipline to approach the work correctly with a viable, verifiable set of standards.
Each of us can only control we do personally and what happens inside our shops. When a prospective customer turns their back on us embracing some gimmick such as free inspections, they deserve what ever they get.
At least have the decency to cover the full cost of the call to that person who cares! A quarter only gets you halfway there these days (if one can even find a payphone)....
Except in California, where service stations are required to have free air. A few laws/regs actually do look out for the consumer.
(Point taken about "industry").
Ralph inspects my car once or twice a year. He always always finds something wrong, even though I give him the explicit instruction not to find anything (gives us both a laugh). He repairs it and I pay him. I cannot imagine shopping the repair around. Not only a waste of time, but my chances of finding a mediocre or dishonest shop greatly increases the more I shop around.
I rather like the "not to exceed" book cost method, where you get charged for the time it takes, but not more than what the book says it's worth.
Mandating free air most likely raised the price of something else, because there is a real cost for the equipment and air station provided to the consumer. I do not see that as "being on the consumer's side."
>>$90 an hour barely pays your gas getting to a jobsite
The main purpose of money is to throw it at problems you want to go away.
(I'm still waiting for people to throw money in my lap, so I'm still here.
And thus we keep seeing this headline:
Auto Leasing Hits Highest Level on Record, Report Says
The lease returns get CPO'd. At some point it won't be cost effective to try to keep cars running beyond six years.
A $5 Harbor Freight 12v inflator worked for several years and pumped up a low tire one time. they are cheap, but slooow.
The TPMS usually saves my bacon.
Back when I was a kid working in a gas station, there were a lot of jobs that we did for free. We never charged to install things like headlights taillight bulbs wiper blades etc. On oil changes we only charged for the oil and filters etc. We didn't charge labor to install car batteries. Now, shops seem to charge for EVERYTHING!
That's still less labor time than putting a clutch in a Mini Cooper.
Now she needs someone who can solve this issue and put it to rest and she still doesn't want to pay anything which is why it isn't going to the dealer. Since she doesn't want to spend any money, it isn't coming to my shop either.
To quote Professor Farnsworth, GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY: The inspection at 18,000 miles turned up all valves are dead center. Honda does it again. So at least for this portion of my current maintenance, I only owe the inspection charge, which will probably be a couple hundred dollars. At the rate I ride, I won't have the threat of a valve adjustment for ten more years. Yay.
Breaks
More
Wallets
Ask me how I know!
I can't say the numerous old German cars I've owned have personally been a huge burden, but I was able to do some things myself and I am a world-class scrounger and networker.
I once bought a beautiful 7 series BMW for....dirt....absurdly cheap, because the carpets were soaked with puddles of water. Not a flood, but clogged fresh air vent drains. I had to strip out the entire interior and have things professionally cleaned for a couple hundred bucks, but I drove that car for 2 years with no serious issues.
But for the previous owner, the quote to fix the problem was substantial, at $125/hour for labor. Note, too, that a main junction box is under the passenger seat. That was fun.
Over 144k miles my 1995 3er has needed no mechanical work save a thermostat and LCA bushings. It also needed a heater hose fitting and a brake light switch. It was my track car from 1996 to 2012.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
http://www.ratchetandwrench.com/RatchetWrench/July-2016/The-Diagnostics-Pro/?utm_source=KnowledgeMarketing&utm_medium=RW - Newsletter Emails&utm_term=RW - RW Insider&utm_content=RW_TheInsider_20160712&utm_campaign=Streamlining the Diagnostic Process&eid=276170960&bid=1460009
He probably should be lugging it home every night - you never know when you're going to wake up at 3 am with a brainstorm about why a no-start issue only happens in the fog on Tuesdays, and if you are prepared, you can log on and research the issue and make yourself a note for fixing the truck when you get to the shop later that morning.
It is always inspiring to read about superstars, 110 percenters.
Best quote yet: "this scan tool lies, this scan tool doesn’t"
Also, at the time the R-134 systems were introduced I kept hearing how mush expensive work was required to retrofit an R-12 system to R-134. Later I heard it's not that big of a deal. Experts?
Retrofitting was pretty easy and amounted to removing all of the old refrigerant, installing R134 fittings and adding the correct amount of compatible refrigerant oil (usually an Ester based product). You didn't even have to remove the old mineral oil.
BTW. Even though one does not have to be licensed to buy R134a, it is illegal to vent it to the atmosphere and everyone is "supposed to use" recovery equipment.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Oh the stuff we used to do! We would use R-12 cans to cool down choke housings and when I was in the tool business we would demonstrate how to use the leak detectors by blowing a cloud of R-12 into the air and following it around with the detectors!
We would pour coolant into the storm drains. the ocean was three blocks away!
We would arc brake shoes sending clouds of asbestos dust into the air! The junkyards where we would buy our parts were like toxic wastelands. Now, the few that remain are fenced and very sanitary.
"Service and staff was excellent. People were polite and prompt with getting back to me. I also was kept up to date with photos of the progress. "