Reasons I do all my own work

"Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness" (long-voyager-2nd-edition) 12/07/2018 at 12:26 • Filed to: Wrenching fails

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Reasons I don’t trust “certified mechanics”.

This car was dealer/shop maintained since it was new, by certified mechanics :

1. PO charged for a head gasket job, shop added enough stop leak to clog most of the cooling ports and 2 oil ports, HG was never changed.

2. PO charged for new radiator, shop RTV’d the leaking areas and sent it on it’s way.

3. Shop “fixed” a leaking heater hose by wrapping it in JB Weld, then taping the JB Weld to hold it while it dried.

4. Shop bypassed most vacuum lines trying to solve a running issue, which turned out to be their failed attempt at a timing belt change.

That’s just what I’ve found so far on the current daily. #1 being the reason for doing a complete driveline swap this spring.

Other things I’ve seen over the years, again, certified mechanics:

1. Replace timing belt/water pump, get cam timing off by 1 tooth, adjust distributor by 1 tooth to compensate. 1995 Mopar 3.0L (mitsu 6g72).

2. Have a vehicle for 3 months only to fail in diagnosing a fried ECU. 1990 Buick Century.

3. Cut a rim trying to remove tires, pack the cut with bead sealer, install new tires, send the owner on their way.

4. Failed to torque intake manifold, HPO sensor, and HPOP cover bolts on a Ford 6.0, leading to an almost catastrophic loss of oil while towing a car home.

5. Ordered the wrong CV axle, cut the “wrong” axle down and welded it back together to make it “fit”.

6. Owner charged for TGV replacement DS. Shop replaces passenger side with used TGV.

7. Owner charged for NEW alternator, battery, starter. Upon beginning to work on the vehicle themselves, the owner found all parts to be JY marked.

These are just some I can remember off the top of my head, some are my vehicles, some are things we’ve found working on friend’s vehicles. These are also the reasons I trust NO ONE else to touch my vehicles.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/07/2018 at 12:35

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last time i took me granny bike to the shop they managed to snip off the brake cable right after the bolt so the brake couldnt be adjusted anymore

then told me it was like that when i brought it in

i dont use that shop no mo

punkgoose17 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/07/2018 at 12:36

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I completely understand. The O2 sensor went on my car. It had to be torched out. The shops booger welds are leaking now 8 months later.

functionoverfashion > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/07/2018 at 12:42

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Thank you for reminding me how lucky I am to have a shop I can actually, genuinely trust. I mean, seriously, they aren’t perfect but no one is, and they own their mistakes, up front, every time (and it’s rare).

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > punkgoose17 12/07/2018 at 12:43

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I have one shop I trust my exhaust work to, mostly because I lack a hoist and pipe bender. Outside of that, I even mount my own tires, I just take them to said shop for balancing after.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/07/2018 at 12:44

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This just makes me angry.

jasmits > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/07/2018 at 12:44

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It’s the difference between you putting hours of work and love into doing a job on your car right and them just trying to get it fixed and out the door.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/07/2018 at 13:01

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haha some damn nightmare fuel right there! Not even hard jobs either, just lazy fuckers. 

BigBlock440 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/07/2018 at 13:08

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Manual tire balances aren’t that expensive, especially if you can find a good older one on craigslist. I got my coats 1010 and manual balance from craigslist for $200, it paid for itself after a couple weeks (I had 3 vehicles I was putting tires on).

Funny thing I noticed though is that I can’t tell the tires aren’t balanced on the set that  I didn’t , even up to 70 mph. I just left the old weights on the wheels when I changed them and they drive fine. I’ve read that modern tires are incredibly well balanced and it’s mostly variations in the wheel that need to be corrected, but I don’t know.

thejustache > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/07/2018 at 14:09

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Given that my last couple of cars have been Subarus, I’ve been pretty lucky to find a local shop (well, 1 guy) that I can trust and whose business is entirely Subaru based. I still do a lot of my wrenching myself, but after watching race cars he’s helped build and maintain race up Mt. Washington and rally anything I can’t do I trust him with completely.

He knows I wrench and has given me plenty of free advice on things, and when I got really stuck on a repair and offered to pay him he ended up loaning me a specialty tool to fix it rather than just taking my money. After years of not really feeling like I could trust a lot of shops I took my car to it’s been pretty refreshing. My only issue is that my wife’s car is a Hyundai... thankfully I’ve been able to do any work there myself

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/07/2018 at 15:44

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Wow. That’s a lot of bullshit for people to go through. A lot of that is straight up fraud. Fucked up.

That being said, not trusting any of us is like getting food poisoning at a nice restaurant and never eating out again. I know there are a lot of shitty shops doing unethical things, but I really hate being lu mped into a group with them, “certified mechanics”. I’m not trying to call you on that specifically, I know you get it. I guess, this shit just sucks no matter how you look at it.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/07/2018 at 16:06

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I know there are plenty of legit shops out there, just seems like none of them are anywhere near here.

shop-teacher > functionoverfashion 12/07/2018 at 16:08

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Yeah, same here.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > BigBlock440 12/07/2018 at 16:09

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I’ve had plenty of tires I’ve never balanced. I usually take it down the road after mounting and see how it drives. I would say 75% of the time, they are fine with the old weights left on the wheels.

RacinBob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/10/2018 at 08:23

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I don’t so much blame the mechanics as I do the owner. A tough way to look at it is its theft. He ought to do jail time. Fortunately, we have an embarrassment of blessings of good shops in Western WI.

ateamfan42 > BigBlock440 12/10/2018 at 13:34

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Manual tire balances aren’t that expensive, especially if you can find a good older one on craigslist.

That is tempting.  I’ve had terrible luck getting a good balance from the shops around here, no matter how expensive and fancy their equipment.  I would love to be able to just do it myself and get it right.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/10/2018 at 13:38

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W e know you guys aren’t all frauds and idiots, but just enough are to make it a PITA. Thanks Human Beings, for being p ie ces of shit.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/10/2018 at 13:51

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Well, the girls are cute...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/10/2018 at 13:51

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I look at that truck and I see 6 mpg.

CobraJoe > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/10/2018 at 13:58

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I’ve done my share of half-assed repairs, (clear tubing in place of a short vacuum line, smearing on some silicone on a slow transmission leak, JB weld to repair a split intercooler... though that last one was the forum reccomended fix).

But those were all very minor compared to the above scenarios, and they were my personal cars, so any potential future failure would be my own problem to deal with. 

BigBlock440 > ateamfan42 12/10/2018 at 14:21

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Harbor Freight sells them for $70, but some of the reviews mention it being off-center and not accurate. Northern Tool has one too.  I found a bunch within a 2 hour drive on craigslist for $100-200, you probably have some near you. They’re not super common, it took me a few months until I bought one, but they’re not all that rare either, and worth keeping an eye out for.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 12/10/2018 at 15:27

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The few always always ruining things for the many.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > CobraJoe 12/10/2018 at 16:04

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The clear tubing and JB Weld intercooler seem pretty normal, IMO. Silicone on the trans, I would just fix the actual leak, but that’s me. 

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 12/10/2018 at 16:06

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It might be 8 mpg!

Depends on drivetrain though. Our 84 with the 300 I6/AOD combo would regularly pull 18 mpg in mixed driving.

CobraJoe > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/10/2018 at 16:23

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The trans leak was on a manual trans Protege5, and very slow. More of a problem because of the mess on the chassis and a slight perpetual gear oil smell than any worry of losing enough fluid to cause mechanical problems.

A proper fix would have required splitting the trans case and putting a full bead of silicone around the whole perimeter, because there was no factory gasket. Way too much work for a mild annoyance.

For the record, smearing silicone on the outside of the leak did absolutely nothing.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > CobraJoe 12/10/2018 at 17:22

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Eh, a leak like that just keeps the underside from rusting.

Cé hé sin > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 12/10/2018 at 18:45

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I see the girl in the hat has her priorities right.

Selfies always come first.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Cé hé sin 12/11/2018 at 06:54

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Is she taking a selfie or looking for signal?

Ah who am I kidding, of course she’s taking a selfie.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/22/2019 at 08:55

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I was gonna say, haha, you seem to have an affinity for finding the bad ones, or perhaps you are in an area where it’s more common than others.

jebidia24 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/22/2019 at 09:08

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For these reasons and more horror stories I’ve heard or experienced on friends cars I’m proud to say I’ve only taken a car to a shop once. The said shop is a european car specialists and they did a good job at a fair price . Trailering the car an hour away just to get to a good shop is not acceptable for a car 20 years old (needs regular repairs). I have my own (private not for profit) shop where I do all my work .  My newest car is over 20 years old, so I need to know how to wrench myself.

Vicente Esteve > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/22/2019 at 09:24

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Sorry for highjacking the thread, I’m doing my research and deemed your opinion important.

How bad are early M156 powered Mercs? 07-08 E,CLS 63s. Asking for a relative, thanks a lot. 

JudgmentalDad > CobraJoe 01/22/2019 at 09:25

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On the Protege5, that was just mazda’s way to try and slow the rusting wheel wells. 

JudgmentalDad > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/22/2019 at 09:30

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The shop near me in my small town is okay but I only use them for diagnosis. I’m gone 12 hrs a day so if I know there’s a problem but can’t quite pinpoint it, I’ll leave it with them for a day and they tell me what needs to be fixed.

Saves me rolling around under the car trying to figure it out and means I can just order parts and fix it on the weekend plus it has saved me money in the past.

The ABS light came on on my wife’s Volvo and the ABS computer on them has something like an 80% failure rate so I figured that was the issue and I’d have to pony up some serious coin. The shop checked it over and found one of the tone rings was still on the axle but was cracked. Replaced it one weekend and ABS light is gone.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Vicente Esteve 01/22/2019 at 09:58

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They’re excellent. As long as they’ve been properly maintained. If there isn’t a stack of receipts, covering every single maintenance item, on time, plus other repairs, then it might be best to walk away depending on price.

Biggest issues to worry about are head bolts breaking. If those haven’t been updated then they should be right away. If they have, big plus and nothing to worry about.

Next would be cam and lifter wear. If there engine makes a ticking noise while running it’s probably that. Costs about $6k US to fix properly , mostly in parts.

Next is cam adjusters. They can cause camshaft timing fault codes (not to the point of damaging anything) and rattling noises for a few seconds on engine start.

Poor maintenance history or low quality oil/filter make these valvetrain issues more likely.

On time transmission services are very important. They’re due every 40k. If the car has 100k and never had a trans service, it’ll probably need a transmission. But if they’re serviced regularly they’ll go a long time.

Ball joints and bushings should be checked, along with engine mounts. Get a PPI from someone familiar with the car. Make sure they scan for faults and check transmission adaptations.

Oh and sometimes they’ll get a CEL for a lean condition. Usually just intake manifold gaskets/bolts.

I also suggest looking up costs on brake pads and rotors, as well as tires. They’re not cheap and they wear out faster than a normal commuter car. I’ve seen lots of people buy these and not have the ability to afford basic maintenance. Lots of people just put pads on, even when rotors are getting way below minimum spec and are dangerously this. Like five stops away from Reddit's JRItS thread.

These cars are VERY rewarding , but you need to be very selective and patient. Find the best example ‘you’ can afford and go over it with a fine tooth comb before letting go of any money. Know what it needs and make sure it’s priced appropriately.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/22/2019 at 10:09

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It’s all over around here. Even the dealerships are a complete joke. I have exactly 3 ( 2 now ) “shops” I trust to do some of my work. One does alignments for me, another does my exhaust work, the third did tires ( until they decided that putting in new valve stems wasn’t needed leading to me having 2 flat tires the next morning ).

They’re just small local shops, with experienced mechanics. Neither are “certified” but they’ve forgotten more than most “certified” techs have even learned.

For Sweden > Cé hé sin 01/22/2019 at 11:27

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She’s shaming the girl wearing pants for not crawling under the car, forcing the girl not wearing pants to cut up her legs.

Vicente Esteve > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/22/2019 at 11:57

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Thanks a bunch, this is exactly the sort of advice I was looking for. Car in question has about 30k miles, 1 owner. I am not sure about maintenance but will check it for sure. Again, thanks for the detailed response. 

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Vicente Esteve 01/22/2019 at 15:56

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No problem! 30k is almost certainly worth checking out.

Vicente Esteve > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/22/2019 at 17:39

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The only thing I see wrong with it is the color. Its a very light blue/silver, very rare color on an AMG I’d assume. 

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Vicente Esteve 01/22/2019 at 19:24

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It is. But I'd argue that makes it better.

Tristan > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/25/2019 at 15:18

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It’s almost identical to my high school truck, and it got anywhere from 7 to 8 mpg out of its 12 horsepower 351m , thank you very much.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Tristan 01/25/2019 at 15:47

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How’s “Foxtrot” coming along?

Tristan > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/25/2019 at 17:45

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Fantastic- I’m finishing up “Homecoming” but it's been slow- I've been slammed at work and my classes have been relentless this term. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Tristan 01/25/2019 at 17:53

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I figured you were older than “classes.”

Tristan > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/25/2019 at 19:56

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Me too, but I figured I’d be a good example to my kids/finish what I started years ago  and go back for my bachelor’s. I’ll be graduating in June- a few months after birthday #35!