Charles ~ Humble Mechanic
Raleigh, NC
Male, 32
I am one of about 200 master certified VW techs in the USA. I do everything from basic maintenance, to advanced diagnosis. I eat, sleep and breathe VWs. I also have my own website dedicated to helping everyone to understand their car, and see the behind the scenes of being an auto mechanic. You can see more at
To be honest, I am not really sure. It will really depend on they shop. Something like a 5 bay shop that will work on all cars, do tires and alignments, and all general service, can cost ~$100,000. That should cover the basics like lifts, tire machines, brake lathe, alignment rack. Consider that most A-level, or top mechanics have over $20,000 invested in tools. If you will be specializing, that will most likely involve buying more tools. To open the doors of a VW dealership service department, you are looking at ~$400,000. Now, if a few people got together you could open a shop much cheaper. Buying an old shop, using used equipment and so on. The short answer is it costs a ton of money. :)
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Maybe. It really depends on where you are located. If you are near the beach, your filter may be getting clogged up with sand. That will cause it to need replacement more often. I would guess that you don't need a filter that often. If the place you are taking it to says you NEED a filter everytime, I would consider finding a new shop, or just tell them no, OR have them show you the dirty filter. That is the best way to know if you need one or not.
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I don't have a set value that I use. I take it case by case. Thankfully that is not something that comes up all the time. For me it is more about the total picture of the car. Lets say a car that is worth $5000 requires a $2000 repair. If that $2k repair will make that car run perfect for several years, and all the other maintenance is done, I would say do it. If that $2k repair will just "get the car by" then we need to look at the overall condition of the car. Does the car need a $2k repair plus $1000 worth of maintenance? I might say trade it in. I guess any time you get into the 30%-40% range you really need to consider the big picture.
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HAHA, Thanks Frank.
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Thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate that. It does some what. Although not as much as I would like ;) I will say that it does let me know what I am NOT capable of doing, or maybe what is better left to the pros. Things like drywall work and advanced wiring for the house. The cool thing is, I have a ton of tools to do many different jobs.tive tex I have started getting into working with wood. I built this hutch for my tool box. Mechanic Tool Box It came out really good. The Snap-on hutch costs about $3000. I spent about $250 to build that hutch. I figured that I had a few shots at making a hutch before I even came close to the snap on hutch. HAHA.
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Short answer YES! Most folks know very little about modern cars. They have been told their whole life that mechanics(dealers) will rip them off. I have worked with a few guys that were complete hacks. I would not let them change the oil in my lawn mower. That is not the norm. Most of us are honest, and just want to fix cars right. The other issue is there is more than one person that comes into the equation. You can have a mechanic that is 100% honest, but a service advisor that is a lying scumbag. The best advise is try and find a mechanic that will be "your guy". Someone you can trust, and know that they are looking out for you.
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On a day to day basis, it is not too bad. Cuts, burns, sore backs, and bruises are normal. I have seen a few guys get hurt. We had a tech not pump the brakes on a Touareg after doing a brake job. He backed up and pinned a guy to a car. He suffered a broken arm. That is about the worst I have seen. If you work smart and safe( glasses, hearing protection) then the job is pretty safe. I find that sloppy mechanics generally get hurt more.
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