Chapter Eight
How can I save money on car repairs without losing quality?
We have gone over what it takes to make a good technician. Now let's see how we can save your hard earned dollars.
Once you have found a good auto repair facility with the proper equipment and training for your car repairs, chances are you have saved money already. By having the proper equipment, an automotive repair shop will cut down repair time on those tricky problems. But in life, things change. Ownership of repair shops change, technicians change and sometimes attitudes change.
In order for you to be your own "watch dog" on your vehicle repairs, there are a few steps you can take. If you feel strongly that the automotive part which was causing you grief did not actually get replaced, ask to see the old part. I mentioned this to a close friend and his question was, "How do I know that this automotive part does not belong to another vehicle?" Great question! Ask your technician to show you where the new part is installed. At times you may not be able to see the area in question. For example, your clutch is totally contained by a transmission bell housing. So now what do you do? If you feel strongly that you have been violated, obtain the old part from your technician. Find a parts store and have them tell you if the removed part is the correct part for your make and model of vehicle. The parts clerk can usually pull new parts from the shelf and compare. This will answer any questions you have in your mind regarding the honesty of your technician. I wish I could say this scam never happens, but, as in any profession, one can always find dishonesty.
If the technician will not give you the part because he has a core charge, pay his core charge. A core charge is a minimal charge the parts house pays your technician so they can recover the old part. From there the manufacturer of the part rebuilds it.
There are three different types of parts available to your technician: remanufactured, aftermarket new, and original equipment, (which is a dealership part). The cost can vary greatly between these different parts.
Another watch dog trick is the Internet. With your home computer, you can verify the repairs done on your vehicle. There are informational systems available to you on your home computer through the Internet. These systems contain service information, flat rate times and part prices. It will cost you to browse through and see what was involved in the repair of your vehicle, but if you feel strongly that you've been "taken," it might be worth checking out.
One of the most important ways to save money on your vehicle repair is to make sure your technician is well trained. Most people do not like to have their car repaired twice for the same problem. Without the right equipment and training, it could take your technician longer to repair your car, and this could increase the cost of your repair. For example, I know of a shop that said they could repair a check engine light problem. They did in fact have a computer diagnostic tool to diagnose the problem. The shops computer diagnostic tool showed that a certain part was bad, so the shop replaced the part and reset the computer. After rechecking the car's computer the technician found the same problem existed. Now what? Does he have the training and knowledge to continue? In this case, NO!
So he might charge you for the diagnosis and send you down the road. Guess what the next shop must do? You got it, diagnose the problem and charge you again. You might say, "The last shop already charged me for the diagnosis." Your new technician cannot accept another technician’s diagnosis. It would be like somebody starting a recipe to bake a cake and then leaving you to finish it without knowing exactly what had been added. Would you know what ingredients are in it already, or what needs to be added? If your new technician accepts the other technicians diagnosis he could be chasing what is called a ghost in the industry. A ghost is a problem you try to chase down, sometimes for days, only to find you were on the wrong track. This is very common. Any time you take a car in for repair, the technician will have to start from ground zero, this way he will know where he has been and where he is going. This is why it’s extremely important you know exactly what your repair shop is qualified at doing. After checking to see if the shop has ASE certified technicians, dig a little deeper and check what areas they are certified in. There are specific areas of certification, i.e., Electrical Systems, Engine Performance, Engine Repair, Manual drivetrain and Axle, Automatic transmission and Transaxle, Heating and Air Conditioning, Brakes, Suspension and Steering.
The following is an example of an ASE Engine Performance test question:
While diagnosing poor driveability on an engine with electronic spark control:
Technician A says there is no need to check base timing.
Technician B says base timing should be checked and the emission (VECI) decal gives the proper procedure. Who is right?
(A) A only (C) Both A and B
(B) B only (D) Neither A or B
As you can see these questions are very technical to test your technician’s ability.
Today there are almost 330,000 (Seventeen years ago there were 380,000) ASE Repair Technicians/Parts Specialists working in auto dealerships, independent garages, service stations, franchises and schools. ASE is the only nationally recognized organization that certifies automotive repair technicians.
ASE certification is not an assurance or guarantee of work performed or that the technician is ethical, just as a medical board certification does not guarantee that a doctor has good bedside manners.
After your technician has done the diagnosis on your vehicle and starts the repair, he may run into additional problems as he gets deeper into the job. Let your technician know that you want to be notified immediately if there are going to be additional charges, have him explain these additional charges and what they will be. Also, request from him any additional parts that will be involved. I have yet to meet anyone who does not get confused when they are quoted one price and find it considerably higher when they pick up the vehicle. Communication is your best money saver.
"By the time we make ends meet, they move the ends"