Auto Mechanic

When the economy tanked, auto sales completely fell off a cliff. But did that mean auto mechanics' business INCREASED, since people were hanging on to their cars longer?

Asked by jay over 11 years ago

Short answer, no. We actually slowed down too. Some of that was due to changes in the shop. Most was due to the "economy" The truth is, people will find anyway to cut corners and save money. The weird part is the "needs" are generally cut before the wants. People will save money on food to afford the Starbucks. I found that people would still do oil changes, but anything else preventative was put off. It is was not completely broken it didn't need to be fixed. Looking back it was strange to see. Great question Jay!

can you give some reasons why a chev 2004 epica would be burning oil...about 1litre for every 1000km...thanks

Asked by Ray almost 11 years ago

Thanks for the question Ray.

That amount of oil is considered acceptable by almost every car manufactorer.

Generally oil is lost one of a few different ways:

• external leaks. This can be just about anywere on the engine, like valve covers, oil filters, and drain plugs just to name a few.
• Internal leaks. Oil can leak past internal seals too. I have seen many cars have engine oil in the coolant(oil presure is higher than coolant pressure most of the time). It can also leak past the seals in a turbo charger.

Do you think pricey car alarm systems are worth it? Don't good car thieves know how to get around alarm systems?

Asked by The Sid over 11 years ago

Hey The Sid, I have mixed feelings about them, especially on newer cars. I do think that a good alarm can help. It will help with rookie thieves looking to "smash and grab". I had a fairly high dollar alarm on my Acura. It got broken into 3 times and they only got my radar detector. Most modern cars have some type of immobilizer system. This will prevent the car from being started with out a matching key. What would stop a thief from just towing the car? I do agree that a good thief will get what they want. But hopefully they will choose another car, if they see you have an alarm. It is much like a lock on your door at home. It will keep honest people, and people that are on the fence out. You will still lock your door when you leave the house. I like the alarm that I have on my Passat. I use it for the keyless entry.. ;)

I have a 2003 Ford Focus SE. 4 Cylinder.The battery light has been coming on for a few months, it will come on, and go off. I can hear a difference in the engine when the light comes on.I took it to a auto parts store and had them do a diagnosis on i

Asked by Lindsay over 10 years ago

What did they say was wrong? Battery lights generally come on when the battery or the alternator are failing.

Am I supposed to tip my car mechanic?

Asked by brikhaus over 11 years ago

Only if it's me ;) Okay, I am mostly kidding. You really don't need to tip your mechanic. We get paid well for the work we do. Now, if you have a mechanic that you really like, and they do a good job for you, tip them. The best tips are cookies or beer. This is also a good tactic if you are still trying to find a good mechanic. A customer that brings us cookies does get special treatment. It may not be "right" but it happens. You want your mechanic to remember you for being awesome.

Are most mechanics also in the business of buying junked cars for parts?

Asked by too many lemons almost 12 years ago

Many are. At my dealer, only 2 are. They will by cars that need some work, fix them up and sell them. It is kind of frowned on by the company. They see it as a mechanic competing for customers. I have bought 2 cars like that. 1 was a 1996 VW cabrio. I got it for $450. It needed a top, a battery and an ignition coil. I had the battery and coil, so I was able to drive it home that day. The other I got was a Jetta. I bought it for my sister.

What's the least busy day of the week to bring a car into a mechanic?

Asked by JoJo77 almost 12 years ago

That will really depend on the shop. We are open Monday-Friday 7am-6pm, and Saturday 7-4. I would say that Tuesday and Wednesday are the slowest days of the week. It feels like around 3pm is the slowest time of the day. I don't really have the hard numbers to back that up. It is more of a feeling. That is just my dealer. You can bet that most service departments will be really busy every morning, during lunch hours and right at the end of the day. We are usually really busy Fridays, Saturdays, and Monday mornings.