blogs
Mechanical difficulties
The worst thing about being a girl is not knowing a lot about typically guy stuff. I can talk baseball and football with the boys, but I can't speak "mechanic."
On Friday morning, my car wouldn't start. It clicked a couple of times, then died. I tried not to get frustrated, said a little prayer, then tried again. It finally started but I knew I immediately had to go and get it looked at so I headed to the nearest auto shop.
The men who greeted me were nice. They explained to me that they would have to do some preliminary testing to determine what was wrong with the car. I said, "I think it just needs a new battery." Sure, we'll check if that's the case and we offer a free check of everything that could be potentially wrong with your car so we can call you later to tell you that you must spend $1,000 before we install a $100 battery.
OK, so they didn't say that, but they might as well have. Every time I walk into a car repair shop, I always feel like there's a big target on my head that says: "This woman knows nothing about cars so we should be able to charge her an exorbitant amount."
Sure enough, I got a call early afternoon with the damage: "I'd like to go over some things we found."
Front and rear brake pads - $400. Tansmission flush - $150. And they hadn't checked my alignment yet, but checking it would cost $40. Oh, yeah and the battery will be $120. When all was said and done, the bill totaled nearly $900.
What? Did I really need all of that?
Of course, the answer is in mechanicese about why I needed all of this so the only words I'm suppose to understand are words like "your safety" and "it could be dangerous" and "I wouldn't recommend you go without this" and "yes, you need all of this." Then, he said something that really made me mad: "Well, you saw our place; it's nice and clean."
So what does that have to do with my car not starting?
I admit that I'm not mechanically inclined, but I'm not an idiot. I called my husband and asked him to translate. He said to start getting prices from other shops. So, I did.
And low and behold, the truth comes out about what I need, what I really don't need and how much I should pay for it. I did need new brake pads, but I went to a place that replaced and installed them for me for $99. Then, I got a battery for about $80 from another shop; my husband would install that. I didn't need the transmission flush and the alignment could be done for around $75.
I asked my husband to go with me to all of the shops to get the work done (I ended up at three different shop when the day was over). The original shop guys wanted to charge me for checking the car in the first place. My husband said no; this was a misunderstanding. So, for about 10 minutes I stood there while they talked about me: "she came in asking for this" and "she said this." They waived the fee and we were on our way to get the work done somewhere else.
Here's my advice to any woman who has had similar experiences:
- If you don't like the estimate, drive away and get a second, third and sometimes fourth opinion, preferably from people you trust. Don't stay and pay thousands of dollars because the guys were nice and the place was clean. If a mechanic's hands aren't dirty, they probably aren't doing their jobs.
- Shop around. We're naturally inclined to shopping so think of it as bargain hunting. Like any item, there are various sizes and styles so know what you are buying. Auto parts also have your bargain, medium-priced and luxury lines. You have a choice about what price level you can afford. There are certain items that you really can spend very little on and get the same performance (think of the Great Lash mascara) and other items you would want to spend more on (like a good bra).
- Know enough about your car to be the person most informed about it. I keep all of my records: repairs, oil changes, tires, inspection and insurance, etc. in a an accordion folder that fits in my glove compartment. When they say, "When was the last time you had this done?" you can pull up your records immediately. Most places will say that you need to have the work done right now "because they can't guarantee when it will go out."
- Ask questions and ask to see the damage (if there is any on your car). If you don't understand something ask. And if a shop doesn't let you go into the work garage to see the damage, drive away. That's your car, you should be able to see what kind of work is needed and what they are doing on your car.
- When you get your oil changed (and you should do this regularly every three or four months) go to place that will inspect your entire car for free. Ask for estimates in writing of anything that needs to be done. Then, start making your phone calls or go online to find similar products.
I hope this helps. If all else fails, try learning the language. Are there any CDs for that?
Mari's Moments
It's not always easy being a stepmom, but the rewards definitely outweigh the challenges.
The worst thing about being a girl is not knowing a lot about typically guy stuff. I can talk baseball and football with the boys, but I can't speak "mechanic."
On Friday morning, my car wouldn't start. It clicked a couple of times, then died. I tried not to get frustrated, said a little prayer, then tried again. It finally started but I knew I immediately had to go and get it looked at so I headed to the nearest auto shop.
The men who greeted me were nice. They explained to me that they would have to do some preliminary testing to determine what was wrong with the car. I said, "I think it just needs a new battery." Sure, we'll check if that's the case and we offer a free check of everything that could be potentially wrong with your car so we can call you later to tell you that you must spend $1,000 before we install a $100 battery.
OK, so they didn't say that, but they might as well have. Every time I walk into a car repair shop, I always feel like there's a big target on my head that says: "This woman knows nothing about cars so we should be able to charge her an exorbitant amount."
Sure enough, I got a call early afternoon with the damage: "I'd like to go over some things we found."
Front and rear brake pads - $400. Tansmission flush - $150. And they hadn't checked my alignment yet, but checking it would cost $40. Oh, yeah and the battery will be $120. When all was said and done, the bill totaled nearly $900.
What? Did I really need all of that?
Of course, the answer is in mechanicese about why I needed all of this so the only words I'm suppose to understand are words like "your safety" and "it could be dangerous" and "I wouldn't recommend you go without this" and "yes, you need all of this." Then, he said something that really made me mad: "Well, you saw our place; it's nice and clean."
So what does that have to do with my car not starting?
I admit that I'm not mechanically inclined, but I'm not an idiot. I called my husband and asked him to translate. He said to start getting prices from other shops. So, I did.
And low and behold, the truth comes out about what I need, what I really don't need and how much I should pay for it. I did need new brake pads, but I went to a place that replaced and installed them for me for $99. Then, I got a battery for about $80 from another shop; my husband would install that. I didn't need the transmission flush and the alignment could be done for around $75.
I asked my husband to go with me to all of the shops to get the work done (I ended up at three different shop when the day was over). The original shop guys wanted to charge me for checking the car in the first place. My husband said no; this was a misunderstanding. So, for about 10 minutes I stood there while they talked about me: "she came in asking for this" and "she said this." They waived the fee and we were on our way to get the work done somewhere else.
Here's my advice to any woman who has had similar experiences:
- If you don't like the estimate, drive away and get a second, third and sometimes fourth opinion, preferably from people you trust. Don't stay and pay thousands of dollars because the guys were nice and the place was clean. If a mechanic's hands aren't dirty, they probably aren't doing their jobs.
- Shop around. We're naturally inclined to shopping so think of it as bargain hunting. Like any item, there are various sizes and styles so know what you are buying. Auto parts also have your bargain, medium-priced and luxury lines. You have a choice about what price level you can afford. There are certain items that you really can spend very little on and get the same performance (think of the Great Lash mascara) and other items you would want to spend more on (like a good bra).
- Know enough about your car to be the person most informed about it. I keep all of my records: repairs, oil changes, tires, inspection and insurance, etc. in a an accordion folder that fits in my glove compartment. When they say, "When was the last time you had this done?" you can pull up your records immediately. Most places will say that you need to have the work done right now "because they can't guarantee when it will go out."
- Ask questions and ask to see the damage (if there is any on your car). If you don't understand something ask. And if a shop doesn't let you go into the work garage to see the damage, drive away. That's your car, you should be able to see what kind of work is needed and what they are doing on your car.
- When you get your oil changed (and you should do this regularly every three or four months) go to place that will inspect your entire car for free. Ask for estimates in writing of anything that needs to be done. Then, start making your phone calls or go online to find similar products.
I hope this helps. If all else fails, try learning the language. Are there any CDs for that?
