last week I got a bit motivated and decided to start a "LOG" on all service work on my car since I purchased her almost two years ago.
It will actually be two years now in March
I had kept all the service records from when I took her to various meechanics up until Aug when I gave up on mechanics and decided to work on her myself so I pulled them all out of my file, organized them by date, than started my "Log", listing the date, what service work had been performed (as listed on each invoice), and any other additional notes such as what other issues had been found according to the mechanic.
Well, I had already known I was never happy with any of the mechanics and the results after I would give them the car but seeing everything completely spread out in front of me and seeing the list of work performed I hadn't realized to what degree I had been completely and utterly ripped off and the sheer amount of money that had been wasted on these mechanics.
There were things done within a few months timeframe that were complete duplicates and triplicates of the identicle work. A lot of that was simply because one mechanics wouldn't solve the problem so I'd take it back and to try to fix it the same wark was done again and rebilled, than it still wouldn't be right so I took the car to a different mechanics and he would re-do the same exact thing all over again and i'd get billed for it of course.
At the time I had no real clue what they were really doing to my car. All I knew would be that it wasn't running right so I'd take it in, describe the problem and tell them to try and fix it. Even if I read the service order they did when I paid the bill I didn't understand at the time most of what they listed as work performed. Like and idiot I just paid the bill, took the car, and than the car STILL wouldn't be right so I'd take it back and they would "try" something else.
I think the carb was "rebuilt" (meaning basically just replace the gaskets) three times, the valves adjusted three times, the points and condensor in the distributor were replaced twice in a one months time between two different mechanics, the carb power valve replaced twice in a two month period, etc, etc, etc.
Geez, what a f**cking waste of money!!!!
ad
Granted, part of it was my fault for not realizing at the time EXACTLY what work they were doing and that the same things were getting done over and over again needlessly, but back than I really didn't have a clue on this stuff so if they told me it needed something I just said go ahead and do it. Still, you would thing that a "professional" mechanics would be able to see that the points he is replacing is a brand new set, or that the gaskets he is removing to replace on the carb look new and in good condition and so on.
We are talking hundreds and hundreds of dollars just completely wasted here!ad
pretty much without exception, everytime I took the car back home after getting servive work performed i'd end up having to call my neighbor who does his own work to try to get the car running better because it would run worst after I brought it home than before I took it in to the mechanics!
Well, at least I got smart and gave up on the mechanics and with all of your generousity of assistence, tolerating all my questions and helping me, I'm doing the work needed my self so at least I know what is being done to my car and if problems still exist, being able to try to track down the cause of them logically rather than just spending money on throwing parts at it and wasting time and money, especially money.
so, thank you all for your knowledge, your time helping me with my car, your advice and suggestions.
except for something that obsolutely requires special tools or knowlege that I just can't handle on my own my Baby won't be going to mechanics anymore. I had already decide that months ago but especially after seeing the evidence of the mechanics experience it's reconfirmed in my mind that I made the right decision to learn how to work on my car myself.
Thanks everyone!! (and thanks for letting me rant)
It will actually be two years now in March
I had kept all the service records from when I took her to various meechanics up until Aug when I gave up on mechanics and decided to work on her myself so I pulled them all out of my file, organized them by date, than started my "Log", listing the date, what service work had been performed (as listed on each invoice), and any other additional notes such as what other issues had been found according to the mechanic.
Well, I had already known I was never happy with any of the mechanics and the results after I would give them the car but seeing everything completely spread out in front of me and seeing the list of work performed I hadn't realized to what degree I had been completely and utterly ripped off and the sheer amount of money that had been wasted on these mechanics.
There were things done within a few months timeframe that were complete duplicates and triplicates of the identicle work. A lot of that was simply because one mechanics wouldn't solve the problem so I'd take it back and to try to fix it the same wark was done again and rebilled, than it still wouldn't be right so I took the car to a different mechanics and he would re-do the same exact thing all over again and i'd get billed for it of course.
At the time I had no real clue what they were really doing to my car. All I knew would be that it wasn't running right so I'd take it in, describe the problem and tell them to try and fix it. Even if I read the service order they did when I paid the bill I didn't understand at the time most of what they listed as work performed. Like and idiot I just paid the bill, took the car, and than the car STILL wouldn't be right so I'd take it back and they would "try" something else.
I think the carb was "rebuilt" (meaning basically just replace the gaskets) three times, the valves adjusted three times, the points and condensor in the distributor were replaced twice in a one months time between two different mechanics, the carb power valve replaced twice in a two month period, etc, etc, etc.
Geez, what a f**cking waste of money!!!!
ad Granted, part of it was my fault for not realizing at the time EXACTLY what work they were doing and that the same things were getting done over and over again needlessly, but back than I really didn't have a clue on this stuff so if they told me it needed something I just said go ahead and do it. Still, you would thing that a "professional" mechanics would be able to see that the points he is replacing is a brand new set, or that the gaskets he is removing to replace on the carb look new and in good condition and so on.
We are talking hundreds and hundreds of dollars just completely wasted here!
adpretty much without exception, everytime I took the car back home after getting servive work performed i'd end up having to call my neighbor who does his own work to try to get the car running better because it would run worst after I brought it home than before I took it in to the mechanics!
Well, at least I got smart and gave up on the mechanics and with all of your generousity of assistence, tolerating all my questions and helping me, I'm doing the work needed my self so at least I know what is being done to my car and if problems still exist, being able to try to track down the cause of them logically rather than just spending money on throwing parts at it and wasting time and money, especially money.
so, thank you all for your knowledge, your time helping me with my car, your advice and suggestions.
except for something that obsolutely requires special tools or knowlege that I just can't handle on my own my Baby won't be going to mechanics anymore. I had already decide that months ago but especially after seeing the evidence of the mechanics experience it's reconfirmed in my mind that I made the right decision to learn how to work on my car myself.
Thanks everyone!! (and thanks for letting me rant)
