Good Mechanics – how do I know if I have one?
Finding a good mechanic is very important. You need someone you can trust, not only when dealing with a major project like replacing your engine, but to help you with normal preventative maintenance. If you find such a mechanic and bring your car to them twice a year, you can save a lot of money on costly major repairs.
“What are some characteristics of a good, trustworthy mechanic?” you might ask.
- A good, trustworthy mechanic will always take the time to explain to you exactly what is wrong with your car. They don’t sell “magic,” they sell 1) their diagnostic skills and 2) their repair skills.
- A good, trustworthy mechanic will always offer to give you your old parts back after a repair has been completed. Do you know how many mechanics will, for example, say they replaced a fuel filter and only wipe said fuel filter off? The answer is a lot.
- A good, trustworthy mechanic will always have a clearly posted shop rate and call you before doing repair work that exceeds their original estimate. I don’t have much work done at Firestone – I get my tires there, rotations, alignments, etc – but I have always referred customers to them because of the fact that they do such a great job calling before continuing work if repair costs are going to exceed their estimate.
- A good, trustworthy mechanic will not act offended if you seek a second opinion in your first dealings with them.
A few years ago, we sold a 3.8L engine to a customer in Illinois. He was a do it yourselfer who could talk your ear off, but he wasn’t going to tackle the engine installation himself. This guy just didn’t have the equipment. He gave us his mechanic’s address, and we made our normal courtesy call to the shop to make sure they knew the engine was coming, had our phone number, and a copy of our warranty guidelines. The shop owner was a fantastically nice guy. We got to talking, and found out that he had a frustrating history with our customer. You see, over the years, our customer had the habit of bringing his car to this shop, getting problems diagnosed with the shops free estimates, and then doing the work himself or, even worse, taking his car to another shop to get the problem fixed cheaper.
Good diagnostic mechanics are hard to find. They are the kind of mechanic who will save money by figuring out the problem the first time and not “part swapping” until you’re bankrupt. Their shops are full. They typically don’t have the cheapest labor rate, but they can save you money. If you have one, don’t abuse them. Don’t let your car get so bent out of shape that it takes three days of work to get it fixed. If you find a good diagnostic mechanic, bring your car into him right away when your check engine light comes on or when your car starts driving differently. Doing so can save you the cost of buying a new engine.
As always, if you need a quote on an engine, please call us at 901-266-9996 or request a quote online.
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