Friday’s Advice: Asking the Three Questions You Dread

If you’ve ever had a car repair rip-off experience in the past, chances are you almost always think you’ll be ripped off every time you bring your car to the mechanic for repair. But, a one-time rip-off experience doesn’t actually need to stand as a representation of all mechanics and shops out there—your previous experience doesn’t really have to happen again.

And, you have control over that. There are certain things that you can do to be able to avoid a future rip-off, and one of these things would be being upfront with your mechanic when it comes to issues that you want clarified. Yes, there are issues that are a little awkward and a little uncomfortable to discuss with your mechanic, but these issues are better left out in the open from the start so that they won’t cause trouble later on.

It’s good advice that you already ask certain questions and clarify some things with your mechanic the first time even before you have to bring your car in for the actual repair. One, ask about the shop’s use of “used parts.” Ask whether it installs used parts in vehicles and how it charges customers for used parts mounted. Once this is clear, the shop will have no need to hide you the fact that a used part is mounted in your car should it fail to find a new part as replacement sometime soon. Two, ask about warranty before any job is started. Ask what kind of warranty it provides to its repairs, and if there are warranties from manufacturers for all parts mounted in your car (in case the shop is the one that provides the replacement). Have the warranty in writing to back you up in case you need to file a claim later on. And three, ask about supply charge. Ask what the shop includes in the supply charge and how much it usually costs.

In all of these questions, it’s easy to gauge whether a shop can be trusted or not, not only according to its answer but as well as to the way it delivers that answer. The shop should be direct and should not appear as if it is hiding something. Once all the issues are clear, you’ll be at peace during the car repairs.

Friday’s Advice: Questions Not to Ask Your Mechanic

In my post last Friday, the discussion was about the things that you shouldn’t say to your mechanic if you want to avoid a rip-off. It’s important to watch out what you tell your mechanic, especially if you don’t have full trust on him just yet—what you say could be all that your mechanic has been waiting for to rip you off.

Other than what you tell your mechanic, it’s also important to think about the questions that you ask him. Your questions could be dead giveaways that could make you vulnerable to a rip-off or fraud. Here, let’s look at a couple types of questions that you shouldn’t ask your mechanic.

1. Very general questions. I’ve mentioned this in my last Friday’s post. Questions like “what does my car need?” could be the opening lines that your mechanic has been waiting all along, opportunities that will allow him to suggest parts more than what your car really needs. Instead of asking your mechanic this question, you can first do a research yourself and then narrow down the problem so that you’ll have an idea about the parts that your car may need—no need to completely rely on your mechanic.

2. Dumb questions. These questions are what you would really consider as dead giveaways about your lack of knowledge regarding your car. As a vehicle owner, it is your responsibility to know when certain procedures and services are already needed—that’s what your car manual is for. If you have to ask such questions to your mechanic, it will be like “hey, I don’t know anything about my car and I’m at your mercy.” Your mechanic will know that he can suggest anything and you’ll believe him.

Knowing all these, you must be careful about what you ask your mechanic. Do your job and familiarize with your car so that you’ll know how to deal with your mechanic when you come in for repair.

Friday’s Advice: Water Pump Replacement

In relation to my post yesterday about repair and replacement, a friend consulted me about the suggestion of a mechanic to him to have the water pump of his vehicle replaced—when in fact he brought the vehicle in just for a timing belt replacement.

He was a little confused about the suggestion, given the fact that his vehicle’s water pump was in good shape and there was no problem at all in the cooling system of his car.

Now what’s the best thing to do?

The fact is, the suggestion of the mechanic is valid. Why? Well, replacing a water pump is a tasking work, and it involves the removal of different parts. You also have to take the timing belt off—this process involves almost 90% of the entire procedure.

This is the reason a water pump replacement is advised when taking the timing belt off. It’s so much of a hassle to repeat the complicated procedure just to replace the water pump a few weeks after replacing the timing belt. By replacing the pump and the belt together, you save on labor expenses and effort—much like hitting two birds with one stone.

The final decision here still lies on the vehicle owner, so I told my friend about the possibilities. One way to decide would be to determine how long the pump had been in the vehicle. Most pumps on average have the same replacement interval as the belt. If at all, they should be replaced before they reach 100,000 miles. Sure, I’ve read of pumps that last as long as 170,000 miles, but those are more of the exception rather than the rule.

Well, in the end, it’s a personal choice. My friend’s pump had actually exceeded the 100,000-mile mark. His pump had 115,000 miles on it. So, replacement was indeed a good option.

Questions to Ask When Bringing Your Car to Auto Repair Shops

The first step to avoiding a rip-off from auto repair shops is awareness. And to be aware of the work that is to be done on your vehicle, you must investigate and make inquiries to the shop mechanic when you bring your vehicle in for repair. Keep yourself fully informed. Ask the following questions:

1. Will the inspection be charged? Most shops will inspect your vehicle for free, but it is still a good idea to ask. This way, you won’t be surprised when you see an inspection fee in your bill.
2. What will be included in the bill? Other than the labor charge and the replacement part needed, if ever, what other items will be included? Will there be miscellaneous charges such as disposal fees? Again, you would want to know these to avoid elements of surprise.
3. Of course, what is the problem with the car and what does the mechanic plan to do about it? Will it require a simple repair or is a replacement part needed? If so, will it be a new part, a remanufactured component, or a used one?
4. Will the shop provide a warranty to the work that it has performed on your car? Asking this question will force a mechanic to make his work above standard so that the shop won’t have to deal with warranty issues later on.
5. How long will the work take? This question will ensure that your mechanic will take your car as his priority and work on it promptly. Similarly, this will tell you whether the mechanic is doing a good work. You can compare the time given to you to the usual time that the said service consumes—you will find your needed information online.

An informed customer is an empowered customer—and this also applies to you when bringing your vehicle to auto repair shops. By asking the right questions, you establish control of the situation and you become less prone to getting ripped off.