@@Joeyyyy87 I know a pretty nice parts guy at a local Toyota dealership. I live in the Netherlands. But an experience with another dealership was awful.
@@righteousone1sorry you've had bad experiences with mechanics. But that mentality is what's wrong. You'll never have a good experience if you're always expecting shady work. Also a good ethical mechanic isn't cheap we have skills that no others have. You get what you pay for.
I regularly go to a local mechanic and trust him. But early in our dealings (about 10 years ago), he put in an aftermarket strut that fell apart after 3,000 miles. To his credit he apologized and fixed it for nothing. I still had to push him on OEM parts, and he was resistant for a while ("I buy a lot of these and they are fine"). Now he knows me, and when I make an appointment he always laughs and says "I'll order the original Toyota part". I do trust that he actually does.
Yea parts can always be an issue on certain auto repairs. I feel you got people who want cheaper parts maybe some aftermarket ones or go OEM. What if the aftermarket parts like suspension parts have good reviews?
@@flouisbailey That's Scotty's, my Matrix, and many, many Corollas have ones that where replaced. But my 25 old Civic Si has original shocks, even sparks plug cables are factory ones.
I hate the pieces of crap of who give us a bad name. I treat every car that comes in my bay like it's my mother's. We have so many folks that come in every week that are told lie after lie by unethical mechanics. It's infuriating how many hard working folks have their lives turned upside down by a piece of crap shop who tell em they need $4000 in repairs when it's a simple $50 fix. Thanks for this video, brother. I hope it keeps a lot of folks from getting screwed over.
@joesmith3908 it's not the mechanic, it's the sales tech that gets commissoned on what they can sell you. Their job is to upsell you so the dealer makes more $$$. You go in for your first brake job at 40K miles. You need pads, rotors, calipers...you want to be safe, right?🤣
What a fabulous video for repair facility and car owner alike! Should be required viewing as it educates and gives real world scenarios of what can and does happen every day. As a former Lexus dealership service manager I enjoy all of your videos. They are factual, informative and always spot on. Thank you for all you do to show that there ARE honest, smart automobile professionals out there that don’t just want to empty the customers wallet, but want to help them and keep them safe.
Besides tires, wheel alignments, and state inspections I haven't used a shop for work in over 10 years. The only other exception is when a new car is under warranty. I consider myself a high-level DIY home mechanic. I don't usually tell shops this when I drop a car off for an inspection, etc. What has happened more times than I can remember is that I'll get a call from the shop suggesting that I should get their brake flush, trans flush, cabin filter, or some other filters or maintenance item. That's when I tell them that I already did these things myself. There is nothing more annoying than being told you need a new "whatever" when you just replaced or recently serviced that system. Sadly, most dealers and mechanics aren't as honest as you are.
Years ago, one shop told me that I have an old radiator that needs to be replaced. That was a massive red flag for me because I still had the BOX for the new radiator that I had installed and even bought the box to them. Wished I took a pic of this "mechanic's" face. I prayed the problem was fixed and it was. Never went back there and Yelped the negative review on these clowns a month later.
Maybe you should inform the shop of what you have already done rather than let them waste time looking at the service interval. It’s a two-way street. If you bring your vehicle into the same shop, they will have a record of what was done and not done. Don’t blame them for trying to keep your vehicle in service.😢😢
@@FloridaNativeMike Yup. They made the same offer to me. But you gotta ask yourself, did they really do those things or just pretend to have done them?
Folks always say “find an honest, experienced and reputable mechanic.” Ok…exactly HOW do you do that? Word of mouth doesn’t work when your friends/family shrug their shoulders and reply with…”Let me know when you find one.”
Maybe you can have them do a little diagnosis when you are already pretty certain what needs to be done. Have them advice to you to see if you like their style and approach. About friends and family members, if their perspective on cars is already very different than yours they will get to a totally different mechanic than you do.
I just reinforce that quality is more important to me than speed - if it takes longer to do the job right, that's totally OK by me. Having been in the dealer environment, sometimes that gets lost on a service writer who's scared the customer will kill them for taking too long. Attitude and understanding carries a lot of weight. It does bear reminding, though - the customer should be aware if they're being charged "book time" or actual shop hours by wherever they're getting work done.
The problem is that, while you say that it's a small number of shops that are shady, my experience has been otherwise. I am not a vehicle mechanic, but I am an airplane mechanic and I am fully capable of working on my own vehicle and have the tools to do so. If I take my vehicle to a shop, it's usually a lack of time issue, and it's easier to just allow someone else to take care of it for me. I had the A/C compressor on my 14 Sienna go out recently and I had to replace it. When I went to the Most "reputable" shop in my area, I was quoted 3000 dollars. I understand parts markups and labor and all that but I ended up doing it myself for less than half of what I was quoted. I am not saying that they're aren't reputable shops, but at some point, the amount that you pay for maintenance is unfortunately a result of either lack of knowledge, or failure to do research. The sad part is that there are really good mechanics out there, but the guys that are robbing and cheating customers are making it hard for the customer to be able to trust anyone. Love the content.
I have just started taking my "cars" to good mechanics here in Western Australia. I am a DIY back yard fixer but can't do a lot of jobs, including everything needing a hoist. So we just got my mothers car back, an expensive service, and was quoted $85 AUS to degrease the transmission and check for leaks. At that price I'm glad i can do somethings to the cars we have on my own Lol. Thanks for the videos CCN (car care nut) , love the content too...........
Same with me. In my area I have not been able to find a trustworthy guy. Overpriced and gouged. Given ridiculous quotes. Like 3 grand for spark plugs because they felt even older V6's needed the plenum removed. It's been a terrible time. Just when you trust them with the fluid spill and fills, and a semi minor major hose replacement, then they get you. Overcharge full msrp on their database and also try to extend the time as much as they can and pretend to say they would charge less if they did less and then stall for time and round up to the next full hour because they stalled the extra 15 minutes.
@@LAactorHow about watching the mechanic walk across the entire shop several times for something or another… at the speed of a sloth. I so wanted to say, can you gather your equipment and get some pep in your step? Lol disappointingly.
Had a 3rd Prius that had the rough idle/misfire at start up problem a few months ago. He had the intake manifold, the EGR and the fuel injectors already replaced by an independent shop. He never told us about it but I could see the new parts under the hood. And we had to tell him he had wasted all that money, probably over 2 grand, for nothing because it was a head-gasket problem which would be another 4 grand.
@@journeyman291 the Prius also comes with a traction battery. $5,500. Sometimes those die & take out the computer too. Another $1,500. There goes the saving$ in fuel. : ) It takes me six-seven hours to change my headgasket. : l
You look and remind me a lot of my old mechanic. Loved that guy. He treated me like his daughter. Never scammed me. He actually helped me not get scammed. I was always loyal to him because he was honest and kept the prices fair. He ended up selling his shop and it’s been so hard to find trustworthy mechanics.
“Tune up” Takes me back to the days of owning and working on Volkswagen Beetles. Plugs, points, condenser, rotor, distributor cap, spark plugs, carburetor adjustment, and valve adjustment, every 10,000 miles. Bugs were great little cars in that era but I wouldn’t call having to do all that stuff so often the “good old days”.
Well young man and I can say that because I am very old man and you are considerably younger than me that is absolutely one of the best videos that you have put up. I mean absolutely one of the best videos that I’ve seen you put up. keep up the good work. I wished more mechanics in the world would like you
Dear AMD, your suggestions for developing a relationship with one's mechanic seem right on the mark to me. Everytime I finish watching one of your videos I'm grateful that you took the time to make it. Thank you.
Yup. Better to take good care of the car from the beginning and keep up with the maintenance schedule for it, even getting oil changes earlier if needed. Thousands upon thousands of dollars saved right there! Good stuff man!
I have the that problem of telling them that I am a mechanic but I let them know also am in disability with Cancer and very weak to work on my car . Being 63 years old doesn’t help me either. But this Saturday I will be installing spark plugs and ignition coil on my 2016 Toyota Sienna SE , I will do the job because the dealer wanted to charge me $ 1000.00 just in Labor. Too costly. Lol Also sometimes I let them know just to make sure they don’t try to rip me off and try to sell me any unnecessary jobs. But I understand your point , very good to know. Thank you car care nut for all you do and your information, . God bless you and your family greatly 🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷
8:26 One thing I've learned working as a retail parts person is that the average Joe doesn't even know what engine is in their car, hell quite a few don't even know what car they are driving, and some don't even know who made the car they are driving. You have really high expectations if you expect them to know what maintenance the car needs.
Another advise: Look under the hood after inspection! Very often I see that: - covers and/or caps (of ac) are missing because mechanics lose or forget to put them back in place - after an oil change the level of oil isn't at maximum - service books were not completet etc.
It sounds almost funny to say, but even if I don't necessarily DIY anything. These videos nonetheless have a therapeutic quality to them in achieving some peace of mind in whatever I do next with a vehicle.
Good info. I usually only go in for state inspection, tires, and front end alignment. Things I’m not equipped for. I’m just polite at the shop and ask for those services. I never mention I’m a retired mechanic of 50 years. What good what it do. I’ve found that donuts help.
And do your best to make the mechanics' job as easy as possible. For example, I needed a recall service done to replace the fuel pump (inside the fuel tank), so I researched it just a bit to know what basic procedure is required. I then cleaned out the car, and arranged the seats to make the access as easy as possible. I believe that mechanics will take better care of a clean, well taken care of car, because, if the owner doesn't care, why would anybody else care?
As a former service writer, I can confirm - if it's a disgusting car, both myself and the technician hated every moment of working with it and just wanted out. That goes hand in hand with a point AMD mentioned - honesty and respect should go both ways.
I watch several of your videos because we have a Lexus and a Toyota. Your last words in each of your videos always gets my attention: "May the lord bless you and keep you." This speaks well of you and shows credibility of what you share with us. I admire you and thanks for using this phrase.
Oh give it a rest with your church crap. Give it to a god freak to find something religious in a car mechanic video. Go to church, pray with other freaks and leave the rest of us normal people alone.
I work at a shop and I had a customer come in and say he had a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle and he said he knew nothing about cars, so when I was looking at the rear brakes, I found what was causing his issue and showed it to him, it was his passenger caliper and rotor scraping together with no pad. I explained to him that that is the grinding noise he was hearing. I was just really happy he brought to a shop in general because it looked like he drove it like that for awhile.
The " i don't know anything about cars" is a great point. I personally feel that every driver license test should have a basic maintenance course. Whether the person chooses to do the maintenance themselves or not they should be taught what cars need to be reliable.
I met my mechanic at a local coffee place as I was having issues with my vehicle and he said to me he's been turning a wrench since he was 12 and if he couldn't figure out the problem there's no hope for the vehicle gave me a business card. I got it towed to his shop. He is now my go-to
Yep... everybody thinks they're a mechanic LOL. I thought I was one too until I actually went to school for it, at which point I realized how much I didn't know! After years of doing it professionally, I'm still surprised how much more there is to learn!
A very important and necessary video, but you have to remember that many old folks in their 70's, 80's, etc., might ask for a tune-up because they grew up with this service being needed on their vehicle's years ago. If you don't know anything about cars, how will they know where to look for correct information? The sad problem is not very many people are watching this video, and they say or ask stupid stuff which I am sure drives you up the wall. The very best thing is for the mechanic to be a very honest individual. Thank you for the video!
I am fortunate to have an honest shop to repair my vehicles. They know I can do some of my own work, and they offer to help me if I'm stuck. They are always open to talk about anything I need done, and even let me know I can try it myself because they offer to bale me out if it all goes south.
Love this video. I have to say as a technician and now service manager, trying to explain to customers that tune up don’t apply to modern vehicles gets to be a long stale conversation at times. These days I just roll with it and take care of them
Sound advice, I wanted my coolant drained and filled and asked my mechanic to use Toyota coolant for my Lexus, I told him even if it's more than other coolants I will gladly pay the differece. Next oil change I will ask my mechanic to drain and refill the transmission using Toyota WS fluid. I've learned over the years that fluid changes using OEM fluids is worth every cent. As far as synthetic oil is concerned I am fine with Mobil1.
What year, model Lexus do you have? I have a 2015 and I want to do exactly what you are doing with the oil change and the coolant and transmission fluids. I will be using a new mechanic the last two were not honest and showed no respect. Thank you for a reply.
@@wildhorses6817 I recently purchased a 2009 ES with 75,000 miles and I wanted to get the fluids changed so I am confident I can carry forward with good maintenance. The car came with new Lexus brakes and a new set of tires. Hopefully my 17 year old doesn't total it like he did with my 600,000 kilometre Mazda 3.
Ahmed I love your work ethic and so appreciate all of your transparency, which enables us to make wise decisions. GOD Bless you brother and I look forward to meeting you in October to fix our Prius.
I had a story that happens years ago, fits right in with your video, some times dealerships warranty-techs are sketchy too. My dad, RIP, purchased a brand new GMC truck and within months the carburetor started to give him issues. Well we went several times to the dealer and they “changed” the carb and returned the truck, couple of months passed and the same issue. To a point that in a year the truck was in the shop 7 times. They even “extended” the warranty si ce the time in the shop was mot counted and bla, bla. One day we were on the road and the truck started to give him issues, again with the carb. I remember telling my dad, you know is weird that so many carbs are defective, have you thought that they just clean the carb and show you an older one just so you can see a carb “replaced”. He looked at me and said you know that you’re right, that idea never crossed my mind. So we drove home and he went under the truck with a long screwdriver and marked it. Then he said let’s go to the dealer, so we went and they said oh no, again? My dad replied yeap, they gave him a loaner car and we returned in a week to pick the truck, now my was was well aware of my line of thought and as soon as they said it is done, he said but and where’s the carburetor that you removed? The shop manager went and bring the “old carburetor” in a box when he saw it immediately turned upside down to see the markings and there was no markings on it. He then said give me a moment, and got a hold of the dealer owner and said can you come with me p, which he agreed. While we were walking back to the shop the owner was telling my dad that a possibility of so many carburetors were bad gas, and additives, that the new gasoline was a hoax, etc. my dad was silent listening to him, so we got to the shop and the “tech” came and said hey boss look we replaced the carb with a new one. My dad said to both, that’s bull&$’t, look at that carb is full of dust from being there for years. I marked the carb of this truck and I bat that if I check underneath the mark is there, low and behold the carb wasn’t replaced they just cleaned it to look new and that’s it. I was looking how both of the faces slowly changed from “happy” to literally scared. Then the owner checked out and called all the techs in the shop and I remember it like it was yesterday, no one is going to get paid, it was Saturday noon and they got paid that day, until this truck is fixed properly, I don’t care if you have to go and remove the carb from one that is in the lot but that needs to be done now. They were astonished by that, but they ended removing the carb from another brand new truck from the lot and placing it on dads truck. As for the “tech” that always worked with dads truck he was terminated about a month later when the dealer was sued by another customer for a similar situation. We did business with that dealership for years until my dad passed away and I moved from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 to Florida.
Not as serious as a carb, but I brought my Honda CR-V to the Honda dealer to get an alignment and all 5 tires (that includes the spare on the tailgate) balanced. I made sure to see the position the spare tire was in before they took the car in. They finished the work and I asked "did your mechanic make sure to balance the spare tire?". I was assured that yes, he did. I went to the car and saw, based on how it was positioned, that the spare tire was not even touched. I went back and told the service advisor how I knew as a fact that the spare tire was not balanced. The advisor apologized, and took the car back in to get the spare balanced and I asked for them to give me "something". They had the car detailed for me for free.
that has happened to me on a few occasions at a dealership, it was the "mark" that proved that the work hadn't been done. I remember busting them that my tire rotation hadn't been done. Then, what did it for me was the time I learned that they were shorting me 1 quart of oil each time I took my car there for oil changes. The explanation that was given was, "it's fine as long as the oil level is in between the two lines on the dipstick. " I wonder just how many are being ripped off this way. And In case you're wondering, I am the type of customer who waits at the dealership 15 -20 minutes after oil changes and check my oil level. What kept me going back to this dealership was the fact that they were the nearest dealership for me. The next dealership is 35 miles away. After switching dealerships, I found that they used an off brand motor oil for oil changes after telling me their drum oil was Mobil 1. I challenged the service manager and he apologized, but said, "oil is really oil, " But after my insistence, he had the oil drained and provided the empty oil bottles that said Toyota genuine oil. But who knows. I never went back!
I do not miss the days of distributors, carbs. I grew up in the 60-70’s, it has been a learning curve just to try to understand a little bit of new technology. I worked in dealer ships parts dept., working the service dept. counter so I learned a lot from the techs. I agree with you totally.
Well said. Whenever someone brought in an outboard motor for a "tune-up", I asked if they were having a specific issue. Most folks don't bring stuff in that is running correctly, and feel that a "tune up" will solve the issue. You really need to develop a bit of a relationship with your repair facility, so they know your car and you as well. Look for another shop if your questions or concerns are just "brushed off". No one knows your car better than you. And of course, honesty is always the best policy. Ok, perhaps they might give you a little ribbing if you messed something up trying to repair it, but they will appreciate your honesty, and do their best to help you out of a jam.
High volume repair misleading shop experience in So Cal truck would idle for 2 seconds and die. Drove my work truck from TX to Cali for work, big shop across the street said my Tundra immobilizer error code warranted a full replacement estimating $3K. Called my buddy in Texas who specializes in Toyotas. He said to instead re-program key for $80. It then started and ran perfectly. I also noticed my backup programmed key in ash tray next to ignition which may have attributed to the immobilizer problem so kept both keysets separated. $3K disaster averted. Love your channel
Great advise. From a master tech to another and to even customers. Every shop should put out this type of information via social media, posters in customer waiting areas, and company websites. Short videos with this type of wisdom goes a long way in having good relationship between customers and shop/techs #trust. #1 rule - if you don’t trust them why waste your time and especially your hard earned money.
This video came in a good moment when I'm struggling with costomers. Iam doing the same business for 5 years here in South Africa. I found that some of our auto spares are selling spare parts that will not last long. As a techinic I started telling them if you can afford you need to go to the Agent and get the original ones if you can't I will fit the aftermarket ones but they will not last long.
Hats off to you buddy, you are so professional and humble person, I would like to have a master like you, the persons around to you are blessed to have you in their lives, thank you for make this video.
Another very important thing to ask a dealer repair shop is are there any recalls for my vehicle. Not all repair shops would take initiative to check on that for you for obvious reasons. Or/and do a research yourself. Because the problem you are experiencing might be covered by a recall. I took my Porsche in for a faulty speed sensor repair and oh boy I was so happy to find out that there’s a bulletin for premature failure of speed sensors on my year/model. The dealer ended up replacing all sensors at their expense.
I was doing my forklift recertification today and there was a guy in the class who dropped his car off at the garage. I could hear the conversation and what the mechanic was telling him what they found was wrong with his car. Yes he said I don’t know about cars. I heard the mechanic say the transmission input shaft, the waterpump, the serpentine belt, $2700 Canadian. 😳😳😳😳 I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation or any decision made, but….damn.
Thanks for information. Some of your say confirm what I had gone through. My two cars dropped from 30 mpg to about 20 mpg. I went through five mechanics. None found anything wrong with the car. The last one went beyond what I asked for. He found that there was a software update. I tried it for $150 from the dealer. It helped a little. But none had solved the problem.
Good information. When the need for car repair arises, these are things everyone really should know about, but few do. Thanks for your informative videos.
I had a mechanic ask me whether he wanted me to install oem parts or aftermarket and quoted me the price for both. It was on an older car where the transferbox for the awd had failed. Def appreciated that he gave me options.
I fully support your assertion! I have taken my Camry to the TCCN in July, 2022 and again June, 2023, where the maintenance was flawlessly executed at a very reasonable price! Consequently I refer other Toyota owners to utilize this shop! I live 15 miles from this shop and it only takes me a 1/2 hour to get there (actually if I would take the tollway, I could get there faster). Recently, when I referred a friend who lives near me to the TCCN shop, he initially expressed a concern, when I told it was 15 miles from both our homes. When I said that it only takes me 1/2 hour traveling the back roads, he replied that doesn't sound too bad. Then he said he would take the tollway there (Google Maps says the commute via the tollway would take 22 miles traveling 16 miles, whereas my back roads-route would take 28 minutes). I personally feel it wouldn't be worth it for me taking the tollway, since it would only save me 6 minutes, while costing me $2.35 for each leg of the journey (luckily, my tollway pass saves me half the cost from the regular price of $4.70).
Not what I/we in UK mean as a tune up. what you described as a tune up is maintainence to us. A tune up here usually means changing parts to maximise performance. In the old days the first thing would have been the carburettor ! So, diff gearing, tyres, specialised injectors, alterations to the air and cooling, and of course nowadays, electronic tuning. It takes years to find a good mechanic, develop a relationship etc… then they retire !
Very solid advice! As a production engineer in aerospace I can very honestly say I totally agree with you. I have an OBD2 reader and use it, but I never let the garage know. If there is a noise underneath because of a bad CV joint or control arm, I'll look underneath my car, identify it it ends there. When I go to the shop, I honestly and sincerely tell them, it's making a clicking sound when I turn. If they ask me what side I tell them I can't tell. Now, my shop that I trust because of years and years of great service, them I'll share more info. They are Foreign Car Specialist and this whole city knows their reputation. But other shops, I research things on my own, then follow your rules. Why, because you or a PhD in philosophy or a Broker can't walk up to a metal additive process or Mega large HMC machine set up, and tell me what I should and shouldn't look at. What face mills to use or what c tolerance levels are acceptable for a given function. I realize that because I don't work on cars everyday and could never compete with that knowledge base even with RUclips and Google. So, great advice.
Things you should always say to your mechanic: “You are awesome!” You should have a good, ethical mechanic you trust that treats you well and does good work. I love the throwback music for the throwback video. 😂
Haha, I have a timing light and a dwell/tach meter somewhere. Grease gun, too! Haven't seen it since the 1980s.😂 My spark plugs are the original at 126K miles!
Excellent advice. We are very lucky to have a very honest and ethical mechanic that services all our vehicles and your advice is well taken. Thanks you for all the informative videos you produce - I watch all of them. We are about to order a new Sienna as we average 15 years on all of the cars we have owned and this may be the last one we need as we move into retirement and want to travel in comfort. Toyota reliability is legendary - hopefully it will continue.
Based on my experiences. I value buying my own parts and using mechanics for specific jobs. It's understandable for them to charge/hr a little more and that is fine.
As a DIY (mostly maintenance). If my vehicle goes to a mechanic, the ONLY thing I mention is if I've monkied around myself already. Parts replaced, attempting to diag ect. Other than that, I don't speculate what maybe the culprit as I do NOT want to persuade them one way or the other. Almost any mechanic can change parts.. the good ones can diag accurately. AMD, you one of the goodies for sure, and if I lived in your area, I would most certainly bring my Toyotas to you for anything I didn't feel comfortable attempting myself. God bless 🙏
My extended warranty, which is supposed to cover everything, has a limit on how much they'll pay per hour- $100! No mention of that in the contract or sales pitch. NO ONE who took a warranty charged less than $135/hour AND some even charged an extra $200-250 because of the warranty. I haven't found many honest people around north central FL, scammed often, but I did find a very honest and helpful mechanic.
Is there a way to search out authorized Toyota mechanics around me? I would love to find someone like you and not have to go to a dealer. I love watching your videos, brings me back to when I actually would work on my own cars lol.
No there is not. Other thsn if they "claim" it on their website. Sadly finding a good Indy is as hard as finding an ethical and knowledgeable dealership. Best way Ive found it to join a brand/car spwciric forum and asking for reocmmendations near you.
@@GoldenEagleXTND Well I did that for future repairs/service but still it would be nice to see a matrix being kept publicly of dealerships so they can be held to a standard. *sigh*
@@Th3_Jhobe That would never be allowed other than public review sites. Same type of reason why legislation and laws are in place to keep consumers form buying their vehicle from the manufacturers directly. I have a trusted mechanic because of my fiance's father who is in the car sales business and is friends with many people in the industry. But, even I have taken to simply doing many things myself and buying tools. I just can't justify not having my vehicle for 2-7 days, then having to pay someone else $80-150/hr to do things I could watch a video and follow along for. Sadly that ends when anything is going to require the engine to be removed, which is coming up for about a $5-7K overhaul and preventive maintenance that I want to get done. Mind you this is a Mercedes AMG car, so everything is a brand premium no matter what. A good judge of a decent mechanic shop is wether they raise a stink if you buy/bring your own parts/materials. I have very specific requirements and this goes to his point of them using different parts. I want a specific part and will provide it at a price I know upfront without their mark-up and also a lifetime replacement warranty from FCP Euro or ECE Tuning (including brake pads, filters, and even the fluids in the case of FCP Euro)
Ha! I enjoyed being reminded of what "doing a tune-up" used to mean!!! Yes, routine purchases of points, plugs, distributor cap and rotor, and when you owned a VW, adjusting the valves...every 3K miles!!! And, yeah, hook up that timing light (Wow! Now I have a fancy *inductive* timing light!), and adjust the carb while you are at it. We have come a loooong ways!
So simple and easy advice to escape misunderstanding between customers and repair shops !!! So sad , not many people in our days fallows or listen Ahmed’s recommendations ! God bless your brother !
As a person who knows next to nothing about cars except that gas pedal makes engine go vroom, I wish I could find a mechanic like you in my area. I have done my own oil changes and have changed brakes before, but that’s about the extent of it.
Every point was a nail hit right on the head! I've been wrenching full time a little more than 4yrs at an indy shop. I can relate to every situation you have brought up and only a few customers ever brought up parts sourcing. One thing about the extended warranties though, there are many shady warranty companies so do some research if you want one.
My local Japanese brand (starts with H) car dealer....man, whew...I'd have a blind quadriplegic do the repairs over the dealer "techs". The car is on an extended warranty and wow, I had to tell the new Service Manager which mechanics weren't allowed to touch my car anymore. Once the last bits are done, a warranty/recall replacement headlamp fixture and a back up camera, this car will never touch that lot again. I am always clear, measured and precise with my descriptions when I bring it in and inevitably, it's going to come back for further "adjustments", such as...replacing all missing clips on my front bumper cover, 15 of them from the time they replaced the other recalled headlamp assembly. Or....drivers side mirror heater broke...replaced and NOT installed properly and the mirror fell out. Or... my favorite, 3x now, the drivers window regulator. All this stuff is diy, but it's under warranty...let the dealer do it. As I said...I don't trust dealerships to do ANYTHING. Please dont get me started about my wifes 2021 Santa Fe and the absolute circus those guys have been since the vehicles first oil change.
Imma mechanic that ended up homeless. Got a job that needs to be done but obviously dont have the setup anymore. I know exactly how to do it. I would love to give a step by step list to help the mechanic so theyre not confused by another route that will take an extra 2 hours.
That is the way many people are, either they know or don't know but they want something done to make their vehicle perform and feel like brand new again. The complaints are my car runs terribly, it is noisy, clunks, and squeaks, I am all over the road, and the car handles crappy. I think it could be this or that, can you fix it? You are the miracle mechanic. Very few people know it all or think they know it all. Not even the Master Mechanic knows everything. Please hand your customers a problematic checklist and for them to describe the symptoms. You know, a checklist that Dealerships give to their techs/mechs the Pre Delivery Inspection, make something you can work with. Doctor and Dental Offices always hand you a form, Have you had this or that (Yes, No, IDK, NA), when was your last Examination? Why are you here today?
Awesome video on point and showing AMD's experience as usual. I'm a carpenter, but if I was a mechanic I would film myself fitting OEM parts and doing it right. Seems like it would be so easy to build a rep that way. I've had mobile mechanics out and they've done the folowing: "I can't replace your oil filter because it's rusted on". (It's all aluminium, looks new and came off easy). "I had to use copper ease on your brakes as they were seized". (AFAIK you need to use proper brake grease with a high melting point or the copper ease melts away, and you + other people die because the brakes then actually do seize ). "I need to remove your entire suspension to get to your fuel filter". (Repair manual recommends 1 part). "I might have to bend all your jack points as my floor jack is broken. You don't really use them anyway. (Thanks, bye). "You can't repair the valve on the tyre as it's 1-time use, you'll need 4 new tyres or your traction control will fail". (RUclips video shows me how to turn valve, remove dirt, fix slow leak in 15 mins). "We can just open the coolant when it's hot and control the spray". (Coolant sprays everywhere, kills half the plants and flowers in the drive and I spend 2 days clearing it up so I don't kill all the dogs and cats in the neighbourhood). I could go on. I would never assume to mess about with life endangering stuff that's beyond me - like tyres, brakes, etc. But it's a tough call with talent like this in the UK. Fortunately the mechanics shop I found looks at me in amazement when I tell them I change the oil every 6months/3000miles and we're good.
This is exactly what should we do. I'm a self-taught computer technician and I repair my own computers and smartphones etc.. I do this because I love it and it doesn't mean I'm an expert in all of the field. One thing we should do for technical things like this is be friends with other technician or mechanics if you ever send it to them, discuss, and share stuff and info so we can find the conclusion. If they prefer doing their own standard protocol let them and then after that discuss what if, what is, how, and why later. This will give combine your skills and knowledge together within compromising the repairs. You know the stuff, but keep in mind there's other thing people might know more or can discover more about the stuff you have. Always learn and share
As a mechanic in a different field who does auto DIY at home. I do my best ethically , so I have these same challenges with dishonest customers. Sometimes employees as well. Thanks so much this resounds strongly. Furthermore I'm not even finished but compelled to contribute thank you for video!
Excellent points that help a lot. Thanks for sharing these.🙏👍 Q: How to make sure you receive the correct service without getting damage to other (related) or faulty parts or wrong services? Any tips to get a guarantee? This happens often when some mechanics repair the car but more damage 😅. This turns me off, and I prefer to do things correctly myself (although slowly and with research on details).
I’m a shade tree mechanic but I’m also 71 years old and I can’t do all the things I used to. I’ll tend to buy the parts (OEM or high performance) then find out I can’t contort myself to get to everything. So I’ll go to the mechanic shop with my parts and admit I couldn’t do it myself. Sometimes they are not too happy about me having the parts I want them to install.
One thing he missed is this: stop thinking you're dealing with a mechanic. In most cases, you're dealing with a service writer. Someone who sits at a desk and gets paid to sell you things. Just because the service writer is trying to sell you a service doesn't mean the mechanic actually is. I've seen a lot of service writers try to sell services I would never do to my own car much less recommend to a customer. Also, if you bring your car to a shop for maintenance, have the owner's manual in hand and open to the page with the maintenance schedule on it. If they try to sell you anything you didn't come in for, ask them to show you on the maintenance schedule where it's needed or when it's actually due.
I do nearly everything on my vehicles. I will occasionally have to make a time vs effort vs cost and have a shop do the work. I get multiple quotes, in person to interview and check out how the shop is maintained. Tells me alot. I usually will buy a shop manual either in digital or book form. Even if you are not doing your own work manuals are a great reference to make discisions.
I got in trouble for being honest at my first shop. The manager likes to leave early and just not work in general so he had me the apprentice mechanic doing supply work, cash deposits, and service advising. He heard me tell a customer the truth, “ ma’am we have already done everything your car needs tune ups are not a thing any more”. Thankfully I work at a place now that respects my opinion and doesn’t ask me to do things I feel uncomfortable doing like the first place I worked.
I have often wondered why my GS with a 2GR says 60k for plugs and my RX with a 2GR is double that. I know there's D4S on the GS and all that but it still doesn't make sense to me.
You reply is important "I owe a toyota 4runner 2010 sr5 in Afghanistan, its impossible to find reliable mechanics you tell them one thing they work on another and the problem is never resolved,once in while "5month" the cars moves left and right while driving without steering it" were do you thing the problem is,I would have loved to have had it checked at your garage but the distance 😅
AMD, You are sitting behind the black work bench and about to say something very serious. 🤨 This is the equivalent of SUBSCRIBERS being called unexpectedly into the boss's office. 😉🤣
Things are changing in the Toyota dealership world, brought my car in and they wanted to install non genuine parts for the same cost has genuine parts and I had to insist on genuine parts. Toyota not having new car inventories will have serious consequences down the road for the brand. They are turning to desperation tricks to fleece their customers. I consider Toyota service department has a safe haven but now I am so scared. Thinking of moving closer to you AMD.😅
As a Toyota owner, I trust you more than my dealership. Great video as usual!
Just remember he came from a dealership and there’s still a few honest technician at the dealership 🥲
@@Joeyyyy87 I know a pretty nice parts guy at a local Toyota dealership. I live in the Netherlands. But an experience with another dealership was awful.
@@SE45CX sad thing about the auto industry we get a bad name because of a few bad apples 🍎
@@Joeyyyy87
A few bad apples? It’s one of the most corrupt industries in existence.
@@Joeyyyy87 happens with all areas in life lol
As a master tech and an ethical mechanic, I appreciate this video.
We appreciate you
There's no such thing as an ethical mechanic.
@@righteousone1sorry you've had bad experiences with mechanics. But that mentality is what's wrong. You'll never have a good experience if you're always expecting shady work. Also a good ethical mechanic isn't cheap we have skills that no others have. You get what you pay for.
@@righteousone1just remember, the mechanic did not manufacture it, sell it, buy it or break it. Mechanics job is to advise and fix what is approved😉
Amen, brother. I LOATHE the jackasses who prey on the ignorance of others.
I regularly go to a local mechanic and trust him. But early in our dealings (about 10 years ago), he put in an aftermarket strut that fell apart after 3,000 miles. To his credit he apologized and fixed it for nothing. I still had to push him on OEM parts, and he was resistant for a while ("I buy a lot of these and they are fine"). Now he knows me, and when I make an appointment he always laughs and says "I'll order the original Toyota part". I do trust that he actually does.
If your paying he shouldn’t even question you in the first place
Yea parts can always be an issue on certain auto repairs. I feel you got people who want cheaper parts maybe some aftermarket ones or go OEM. What if the aftermarket parts like suspension parts have good reviews?
@@aroggo16
Scotty’s old Matrix has “factory” original shocks.
@@flouisbailey
That's Scotty's, my Matrix, and many, many Corollas have ones that where replaced. But my 25 old Civic Si has original shocks, even sparks plug cables are factory ones.
@@pliedtka My 10 & 11 year old Lexus should be good for a while. The 10 year old is getting ready for its 75,000 mile service.
As a retired automotive teacher, this is wonderful advice.
Are you a mechanic ?
@@mycaddigo Yes I was, retired now.
@@dougturner370 cool man
I hate the pieces of crap of who give us a bad name. I treat every car that comes in my bay like it's my mother's. We have so many folks that come in every week that are told lie after lie by unethical mechanics. It's infuriating how many hard working folks have their lives turned upside down by a piece of crap shop who tell em they need $4000 in repairs when it's a simple $50 fix.
Thanks for this video, brother. I hope it keeps a lot of folks from getting screwed over.
That is why I'm gonna switch doing my maintenance to your shop and stop taking my car to the dealership! I feel your honesty and integrity! Salute!
if you are lucky enough to live in his area, this is a no brainer. I wish I didn't live hundreds of miles away from Amd.
No dealers outside warranty!
@@darrylk808don’t say that to your honest dealer technician 😊
If I lived close by, I would take an old beater in there and say, I don't know anything about cars!
@joesmith3908 it's not the mechanic, it's the sales tech that gets commissoned on what they can sell you. Their job is to upsell you so the dealer makes more $$$. You go in for your first brake job at 40K miles. You need pads, rotors, calipers...you want to be safe, right?🤣
What a fabulous video for repair facility and car owner alike! Should be required viewing as it educates and gives real world scenarios of what can and does happen every day. As a former Lexus dealership service manager I enjoy all of your videos. They are factual, informative and always spot on. Thank you for all you do to show that there ARE honest, smart automobile professionals out there that don’t just want to empty the customers wallet, but want to help them and keep them safe.
👏👏👏👏
As a service plumber, I love the, "my husband would do it but doesn't have the time." ...and I can tell he tried but gave up 😂
Besides tires, wheel alignments, and state inspections I haven't used a shop for work in over 10 years. The only other exception is when a new car is under warranty. I consider myself a high-level DIY home mechanic. I don't usually tell shops this when I drop a car off for an inspection, etc. What has happened more times than I can remember is that I'll get a call from the shop suggesting that I should get their brake flush, trans flush, cabin filter, or some other filters or maintenance item. That's when I tell them that I already did these things myself. There is nothing more annoying than being told you need a new "whatever" when you just replaced or recently serviced that system. Sadly, most dealers and mechanics aren't as honest as you are.
100% true!!!!
Years ago, one shop told me that I have an old radiator that needs to be replaced. That was a massive red flag for me because I still had the BOX for the new radiator that I had installed and even bought the box to them. Wished I took a pic of this "mechanic's" face. I prayed the problem was fixed and it was. Never went back there and Yelped the negative review on these clowns a month later.
Maybe you should inform the shop of what you have already done rather than let them waste time looking at the service interval. It’s a two-way street. If you bring your vehicle into the same shop, they will have a record of what was done and not done. Don’t blame them for trying to keep your vehicle in service.😢😢
Yeah, the power steering flush, brake fluid flush and transmission flush are the new “tune up” that service places push for profit.
@@FloridaNativeMike Yup. They made the same offer to me. But you gotta ask yourself, did they really do those things or just pretend to have done them?
As A doctor I can say that I will give the same advice when visiting a doctor.
Minus the question about authentic parts :)
😁@@johnetie
agreed as a dr i will do the same ! I dont mind paying premium money for a honest opinion and service
Folks always say “find an honest, experienced and reputable mechanic.” Ok…exactly HOW do you do that? Word of mouth doesn’t work when your friends/family shrug their shoulders and reply with…”Let me know when you find one.”
Maybe you can have them do a little diagnosis when you are already pretty certain what needs to be done. Have them advice to you to see if you like their style and approach. About friends and family members, if their perspective on cars is already very different than yours they will get to a totally different mechanic than you do.
Another thing you should never say to your mechanic: "I'm in no hurry"
I just reinforce that quality is more important to me than speed - if it takes longer to do the job right, that's totally OK by me. Having been in the dealer environment, sometimes that gets lost on a service writer who's scared the customer will kill them for taking too long. Attitude and understanding carries a lot of weight. It does bear reminding, though - the customer should be aware if they're being charged "book time" or actual shop hours by wherever they're getting work done.
The problem is that, while you say that it's a small number of shops that are shady, my experience has been otherwise. I am not a vehicle mechanic, but I am an airplane mechanic and I am fully capable of working on my own vehicle and have the tools to do so. If I take my vehicle to a shop, it's usually a lack of time issue, and it's easier to just allow someone else to take care of it for me. I had the A/C compressor on my 14 Sienna go out recently and I had to replace it. When I went to the Most "reputable" shop in my area, I was quoted 3000 dollars. I understand parts markups and labor and all that but I ended up doing it myself for less than half of what I was quoted. I am not saying that they're aren't reputable shops, but at some point, the amount that you pay for maintenance is unfortunately a result of either lack of knowledge, or failure to do research. The sad part is that there are really good mechanics out there, but the guys that are robbing and cheating customers are making it hard for the customer to be able to trust anyone. Love the content.
I have just started taking my "cars" to good mechanics here in Western Australia. I am a DIY back yard fixer but can't do a lot of jobs, including everything needing a hoist. So we just got my mothers car back, an expensive service, and was quoted $85 AUS to degrease the transmission and check for leaks. At that price I'm glad i can do somethings to the cars we have on my own Lol. Thanks for the videos CCN (car care nut) , love the content too...........
Same with me. In my area I have not been able to find a trustworthy guy. Overpriced and gouged. Given ridiculous quotes. Like 3 grand for spark plugs because they felt even older V6's needed the plenum removed. It's been a terrible time. Just when you trust them with the fluid spill and fills, and a semi minor major hose replacement, then they get you. Overcharge full msrp on their database and also try to extend the time as much as they can and pretend to say they would charge less if they did less and then stall for time and round up to the next full hour because they stalled the extra 15 minutes.
@@LAactorHow about watching the mechanic walk across the entire shop several times for something or another… at the speed of a sloth. I so wanted to say, can you gather your equipment and get some pep in your step? Lol disappointingly.
@@KellyBovierMaybe he didn't know he'd need a socket wrench 😅
I don't see why you should feel being scammed by what they're quoting. That's their price, something for you to decide and shop around.
I never question my mechanic - because the CCN IS my mechanic for my 2015 Highlander. Takes all the stress
out of car maintenance.
Lucky You ! Wish I lived in the area or nearby.
Had a 3rd Prius that had the rough idle/misfire at start up problem a few months ago. He had the intake manifold, the EGR and the fuel injectors already replaced by an independent shop. He never told us about it but I could see the new parts under the hood. And we had to tell him he had wasted all that money, probably over 2 grand, for nothing because it was a head-gasket problem which would be another 4 grand.
Geez, im old
I remember changing a head gasket in less than 4 hrs under a shade tree.
@@journeyman291 the Prius also comes with a traction battery. $5,500.
Sometimes those die & take out the computer too. Another $1,500.
There goes the saving$ in fuel. : )
It takes me six-seven hours to change my headgasket. : l
$4k for a head gasket?!?!….I don’t think so. Run away….run away!
Depends on if the short block is damaged beyond repair or spec. To change it out would cost that much. @@vg3430
The one weak common problem of this vehicle. This is because that other shop didn't know Priuses.
You look and remind me a lot of my old mechanic. Loved that guy. He treated me like his daughter. Never scammed me. He actually helped me not get scammed. I was always loyal to him because he was honest and kept the prices fair. He ended up selling his shop and it’s been so hard to find trustworthy mechanics.
“Tune up” Takes me back to the days of owning and working on Volkswagen Beetles. Plugs, points, condenser, rotor, distributor cap, spark plugs, carburetor adjustment, and valve adjustment, every 10,000 miles. Bugs were great little cars in that era but I wouldn’t call having to do all that stuff so often the “good old days”.
Well young man and I can say that because I am very old man and you are considerably younger than me that is absolutely one of the best videos that you have put up. I mean absolutely one of the best videos that I’ve seen you put up. keep up the good work. I wished more mechanics in the world would like you
Dear AMD, your suggestions for developing a relationship with one's mechanic seem right on the mark to me. Everytime I finish watching one of your videos I'm grateful that you took the time to make it. Thank you.
I can attest to that.
Yup. Better to take good care of the car from the beginning and keep up with the maintenance schedule for it, even getting oil changes earlier if needed. Thousands upon thousands of dollars saved right there!
Good stuff man!
I have the that problem of telling them that I am a mechanic but I let them know also am in disability with Cancer and very weak to work on my car . Being 63 years old doesn’t help me either.
But this Saturday I will be installing spark plugs and ignition coil on my 2016 Toyota Sienna SE , I will do the job because the dealer wanted to charge me $ 1000.00 just in Labor. Too costly. Lol
Also sometimes I let them know just to make sure they don’t try to rip me off and try to sell me any unnecessary jobs. But I understand your point , very good to know. Thank you car care nut for all you do and your information, . God bless you and your family greatly 🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷
8:26 One thing I've learned working as a retail parts person is that the average Joe doesn't even know what engine is in their car, hell quite a few don't even know what car they are driving, and some don't even know who made the car they are driving.
You have really high expectations if you expect them to know what maintenance the car needs.
That's why i asked did he know what the Dunning Kruger effect was. Its actually cringy watching this video.
Another advise: Look under the hood after inspection!
Very often I see that:
- covers and/or caps (of ac) are missing because mechanics lose or forget to put them back in place
- after an oil change the level of oil isn't at maximum
- service books were not completet etc.
It sounds almost funny to say, but even if I don't necessarily DIY anything. These videos nonetheless have a therapeutic quality to them in achieving some peace of mind in whatever I do next with a vehicle.
Good info. I usually only go in for state inspection, tires, and front end alignment. Things I’m not equipped for. I’m just polite at the shop and ask for those services. I never mention I’m a retired mechanic of 50 years. What good what it do. I’ve found that donuts help.
And do your best to make the mechanics' job as easy as possible.
For example, I needed a recall service done to replace the fuel pump (inside the fuel tank), so I researched it just a bit to know what basic procedure is required.
I then cleaned out the car, and arranged the seats to make the access as easy as possible.
I believe that mechanics will take better care of a clean, well taken care of car, because, if the owner doesn't care, why would anybody else care?
As a former service writer, I can confirm - if it's a disgusting car, both myself and the technician hated every moment of working with it and just wanted out. That goes hand in hand with a point AMD mentioned - honesty and respect should go both ways.
I watch several of your videos because we have a Lexus and a Toyota. Your last words in each of your videos always gets my attention: "May the lord bless you and keep you." This speaks well of you and shows credibility of what you share with us. I admire you and thanks for using this phrase.
You use discernment.
Oh give it a rest with your church crap. Give it to a god freak to find something religious in a car mechanic video. Go to church, pray with other freaks and leave the rest of us normal people alone.
I work at a shop and I had a customer come in and say he had a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle and he said he knew nothing about cars, so when I was looking at the rear brakes, I found what was causing his issue and showed it to him, it was his passenger caliper and rotor scraping together with no pad. I explained to him that that is the grinding noise he was hearing.
I was just really happy he brought to a shop in general because it looked like he drove it like that for awhile.
The " i don't know anything about cars" is a great point. I personally feel that every driver license test should have a basic maintenance course. Whether the person chooses to do the maintenance themselves or not they should be taught what cars need to be reliable.
I met my mechanic at a local coffee place as I was having issues with my vehicle and he said to me he's been turning a wrench since he was 12 and if he couldn't figure out the problem there's no hope for the vehicle gave me a business card. I got it towed to his shop. He is now my go-to
Absolutely, without a doubt, the most valuable video you have produced to date. Should be required viewing by everyone who owns a vehicle.
Yep... everybody thinks they're a mechanic LOL. I thought I was one too until I actually went to school for it, at which point I realized how much I didn't know! After years of doing it professionally, I'm still surprised how much more there is to learn!
Same things apply when you go to the doctor. Especially private Doctor’s offices.
A very important and necessary video, but you have to remember that many old folks in their 70's, 80's, etc., might ask for a tune-up because they grew up with this service being needed on their vehicle's years ago. If you don't know anything about cars, how will they know where to look for correct information? The sad problem is not very many people are watching this video, and they say or ask stupid stuff which I am sure drives you up the wall. The very best thing is for the mechanic to be a very honest individual. Thank you for the video!
This is the best video so far. It is about cars. More importantly, it is a lesson about life in general!
I am fortunate to have an honest shop to repair my vehicles. They know I can do some of my own work, and they offer to help me if I'm stuck. They are always open to talk about anything I need done, and even let me know I can try it myself because they offer to bale me out if it all goes south.
Love this video. I have to say as a technician and now service manager, trying to explain to customers that tune up don’t apply to modern vehicles gets to be a long stale conversation at times. These days I just roll with it and take care of them
Sound advice, I wanted my coolant drained and filled and asked my mechanic to use Toyota coolant for my Lexus, I told him even if it's more than other coolants I will gladly pay the differece. Next oil change I will ask my mechanic to drain and refill the transmission using Toyota WS fluid. I've learned over the years that fluid changes using OEM fluids is worth every cent. As far as synthetic oil is concerned I am fine with Mobil1.
What year, model Lexus do you have? I have a 2015 and I want to do exactly what you are doing with the oil change and the coolant and transmission fluids. I will be using a new mechanic the last two were not honest and showed no respect. Thank you for a reply.
@@wildhorses6817 I recently purchased a 2009 ES with 75,000 miles and I wanted to get the fluids changed so I am confident I can carry forward with good maintenance. The car came with new Lexus brakes and a new set of tires. Hopefully my 17 year old doesn't total it like he did with my 600,000 kilometre Mazda 3.
Ahmed I love your work ethic and so appreciate all of your transparency, which enables us to make wise decisions. GOD Bless you brother and I look forward to meeting you in October to fix our Prius.
I had a story that happens years ago, fits right in with your video, some times dealerships warranty-techs are sketchy too. My dad, RIP, purchased a brand new GMC truck and within months the carburetor started to give him issues. Well we went several times to the dealer and they “changed” the carb and returned the truck, couple of months passed and the same issue. To a point that in a year the truck was in the shop 7 times. They even “extended” the warranty si ce the time in the shop was mot counted and bla, bla. One day we were on the road and the truck started to give him issues, again with the carb. I remember telling my dad, you know is weird that so many carbs are defective, have you thought that they just clean the carb and show you an older one just so you can see a carb “replaced”. He looked at me and said you know that you’re right, that idea never crossed my mind. So we drove home and he went under the truck with a long screwdriver and marked it. Then he said let’s go to the dealer, so we went and they said oh no, again? My dad replied yeap, they gave him a loaner car and we returned in a week to pick the truck, now my was was well aware of my line of thought and as soon as they said it is done, he said but and where’s the carburetor that you removed? The shop manager went and bring the “old carburetor” in a box when he saw it immediately turned upside down to see the markings and there was no markings on it. He then said give me a moment, and got a hold of the dealer owner and said can you come with me p, which he agreed. While we were walking back to the shop the owner was telling my dad that a possibility of so many carburetors were bad gas, and additives, that the new gasoline was a hoax, etc. my dad was silent listening to him, so we got to the shop and the “tech” came and said hey boss look we replaced the carb with a new one. My dad said to both, that’s bull&$’t, look at that carb is full of dust from being there for years. I marked the carb of this truck and I bat that if I check underneath the mark is there, low and behold the carb wasn’t replaced they just cleaned it to look new and that’s it. I was looking how both of the faces slowly changed from “happy” to literally scared. Then the owner checked out and called all the techs in the shop and I remember it like it was yesterday, no one is going to get paid, it was Saturday noon and they got paid that day, until this truck is fixed properly, I don’t care if you have to go and remove the carb from one that is in the lot but that needs to be done now. They were astonished by that, but they ended removing the carb from another brand new truck from the lot and placing it on dads truck. As for the “tech” that always worked with dads truck he was terminated about a month later when the dealer was sued by another customer for a similar situation. We did business with that dealership for years until my dad passed away and I moved from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 to Florida.
That's an incredible story!
@@dawidbujak5567 that still happens in some places, like Ahmed says you have to be vigilant always.
Not as serious as a carb, but I brought my Honda CR-V to the Honda dealer to get an alignment and all 5 tires (that includes the spare on the tailgate) balanced. I made sure to see the position the spare tire was in before they took the car in. They finished the work and I asked "did your mechanic make sure to balance the spare tire?". I was assured that yes, he did. I went to the car and saw, based on how it was positioned, that the spare tire was not even touched. I went back and told the service advisor how I knew as a fact that the spare tire was not balanced. The advisor apologized, and took the car back in to get the spare balanced and I asked for them to give me "something". They had the car detailed for me for free.
that has happened to me on a few occasions at a dealership, it was the "mark" that proved that the work hadn't been done.
I remember busting them that my tire rotation hadn't been done.
Then, what did it for me was the time I learned that they were shorting me 1 quart of oil each time I took my car there for oil changes. The explanation that was given was, "it's fine as long as the oil level is in between the two lines on the dipstick. " I wonder just how many are being ripped off this way.
And In case you're wondering, I am the type of customer who waits at the dealership 15 -20 minutes after oil changes and check my oil level.
What kept me going back to this dealership was the fact that they were the nearest dealership for me. The next dealership is 35 miles away.
After switching dealerships, I found that they used an off brand motor oil for oil changes after telling me their drum oil was Mobil 1.
I challenged the service manager and he apologized, but said, "oil is really oil, " But after my insistence, he had the oil drained and provided the empty oil bottles that said Toyota genuine oil. But who knows. I never went back!
May the good Lord bless and keep you, also! Thank you for this.
I do not miss the days of distributors, carbs. I grew up in the 60-70’s, it has been a learning curve just to try to understand a little bit of new technology. I worked in dealer ships parts dept., working the service dept. counter so I learned a lot from the techs. I agree with you totally.
Well said. Whenever someone brought in an outboard motor for a "tune-up", I asked if they were having a specific issue. Most folks don't bring stuff in that is running correctly, and feel that a "tune up" will solve the issue. You really need to develop a bit of a relationship with your repair facility, so they know your car and you as well. Look for another shop if your questions or concerns are just "brushed off". No one knows your car better than you. And of course, honesty is always the best policy. Ok, perhaps they might give you a little ribbing if you messed something up trying to repair it, but they will appreciate your honesty, and do their best to help you out of a jam.
High volume repair misleading shop experience in So Cal truck would idle for 2 seconds and die. Drove my work truck from TX to Cali for work, big shop across the street said my Tundra immobilizer error code warranted a full replacement estimating $3K. Called my buddy in Texas who specializes in Toyotas. He said to instead re-program key for $80. It then started and ran perfectly. I also noticed my backup programmed key in ash tray next to ignition which may have attributed to the immobilizer problem so kept both keysets separated. $3K disaster averted. Love your channel
Great advise. From a master tech to another and to even customers. Every shop should put out this type of information via social media, posters in customer waiting areas, and company websites. Short videos with this type of wisdom goes a long way in having good relationship between customers and shop/techs #trust. #1 rule - if you don’t trust them why waste your time and especially your hard earned money.
Nice to see the table again AMD! Just like an old school CCN video. 😁👍
Honest communication is the best thing between the car owner and the mechanic. Thanks for the videos!
This video came in a good moment when I'm struggling with costomers. Iam doing the same business for 5 years here in South Africa. I found that some of our auto spares are selling spare parts that will not last long. As a techinic I started telling them if you can afford you need to go to the Agent and get the original ones if you can't I will fit the aftermarket ones but they will not last long.
I’m willing to drive to your shop from Florida just to have my van checked
Meet in in Saint Louis on your way😅
The dealer of Nissan in UAE actually still use the word "Engine Tune-up" when booking regular services.
Hats off to you buddy, you are so professional and humble person, I would like to have a master like you, the persons around to you are blessed to have you in their lives, thank you for make this video.
Another very important thing to ask a dealer repair shop is are there any recalls for my vehicle. Not all repair shops would take initiative to check on that for you for obvious reasons. Or/and do a research yourself. Because the problem you are experiencing might be covered by a recall.
I took my Porsche in for a faulty speed sensor repair and oh boy I was so happy to find out that there’s a bulletin for premature failure of speed sensors on my year/model. The dealer ended up replacing all sensors at their expense.
I was doing my forklift recertification today and there was a guy in the class who dropped his car off at the garage. I could hear the conversation and what the mechanic was telling him what they found was wrong with his car.
Yes he said I don’t know about cars. I heard the mechanic say the transmission input shaft, the waterpump, the serpentine belt, $2700 Canadian. 😳😳😳😳
I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation or any decision made, but….damn.
Good points. the truth is its really hard to find a trusted mechanic.
Thanks for information. Some of your say confirm what I had gone through. My two cars dropped from 30 mpg to about 20 mpg. I went through five mechanics. None found anything wrong with the car. The last one went beyond what I asked for. He found that there was a software update. I tried it for $150 from the dealer. It helped a little. But none had solved the problem.
You never disappoint Being a 4Runner and Highlander 2022 owner I NEVER miss your Knowledge! Thank You!!!!
Good information. When the need for car repair arises, these are things everyone really should know about, but few do. Thanks for your informative videos.
I had a mechanic ask me whether he wanted me to install oem parts or aftermarket and quoted me the price for both. It was on an older car where the transferbox for the awd had failed. Def appreciated that he gave me options.
So happy I discovered TCCN. My cars have been serviced by him since his shop opened. They run flawless under his care!
I fully support your assertion! I have taken my Camry to the TCCN in July, 2022 and again June, 2023, where the maintenance was flawlessly executed at a very reasonable price! Consequently I refer other Toyota owners to utilize this shop! I live 15 miles from this shop and it only takes me a 1/2 hour to get there (actually if I would take the tollway, I could get there faster).
Recently, when I referred a friend who lives near me to the TCCN shop, he initially expressed a concern, when I told it was 15 miles from both our homes. When I said that it only takes me 1/2 hour traveling the back roads, he replied that doesn't sound too bad. Then he said he would take the tollway there (Google Maps says the commute via the tollway would take 22 miles traveling 16 miles, whereas my back roads-route would take 28 minutes). I personally feel it wouldn't be worth it for me taking the tollway, since it would only save me 6 minutes, while costing me $2.35 for each leg of the journey (luckily, my tollway pass saves me half the cost from the regular price of $4.70).
Not what I/we in UK mean as a tune up. what you described as a tune up is maintainence to us. A tune up here usually means changing parts to maximise performance. In the old days the first thing would have been the carburettor ! So, diff gearing, tyres, specialised injectors, alterations to the air and cooling, and of course nowadays, electronic tuning.
It takes years to find a good mechanic, develop a relationship etc… then they retire !
Very solid advice!
As a production engineer in aerospace I can very honestly say I totally agree with you. I have an OBD2 reader and use it, but I never let the garage know. If there is a noise underneath because of a bad CV joint or control arm, I'll look underneath my car, identify it it ends there. When I go to the shop, I honestly and sincerely tell them, it's making a clicking sound when I turn. If they ask me what side I tell them I can't tell. Now, my shop that I trust because of years and years of great service, them I'll share more info. They are Foreign Car Specialist and this whole city knows their reputation. But other shops, I research things on my own, then follow your rules. Why, because you or a PhD in philosophy or a Broker can't walk up to a metal additive process or Mega large HMC machine set up, and tell me what I should and shouldn't look at. What face mills to use or what c tolerance levels are acceptable for a given function. I realize that because I don't work on cars everyday and could never compete with that knowledge base even with RUclips and Google. So, great advice.
Things you should always say to your mechanic:
“You are awesome!”
You should have a good, ethical mechanic you trust that treats you well and does good work.
I love the throwback music for the throwback video. 😂
Your videos are outstanding. The content is relevant, Your presentation is engaging and honest, leaving the viewer wanting more.
Haha, I have a timing light and a dwell/tach meter somewhere. Grease gun, too! Haven't seen it since the 1980s.😂
My spark plugs are the original at 126K miles!
Excellent advice. We are very lucky to have a very honest and ethical mechanic that services all our vehicles and your advice is well taken. Thanks you for all the informative videos you produce - I watch all of them. We are about to order a new Sienna as we average 15 years on all of the cars we have owned and this may be the last one we need as we move into retirement and want to travel in comfort. Toyota reliability is legendary - hopefully it will continue.
Thank you.. never seen a mechanic do a video like this!!!!
Based on my experiences. I value buying my own parts and using mechanics for specific jobs. It's understandable for them to charge/hr a little more and that is fine.
As a DIY (mostly maintenance). If my vehicle goes to a mechanic, the ONLY thing I mention is if I've monkied around myself already. Parts replaced, attempting to diag ect.
Other than that, I don't speculate what maybe the culprit as I do NOT want to persuade them one way or the other. Almost any mechanic can change parts.. the good ones can diag accurately.
AMD, you one of the goodies for sure, and if I lived in your area, I would most certainly bring my Toyotas to you for anything I didn't feel comfortable attempting myself.
God bless 🙏
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Love your informative videos!
My extended warranty, which is supposed to cover everything, has a limit on how much they'll pay per hour- $100! No mention of that in the contract or sales pitch. NO ONE who took a warranty charged less than $135/hour AND some even charged an extra $200-250 because of the warranty. I haven't found many honest people around north central FL, scammed often, but I did find a very honest and helpful mechanic.
Is there a way to search out authorized Toyota mechanics around me? I would love to find someone like you and not have to go to a dealer. I love watching your videos, brings me back to when I actually would work on my own cars lol.
No there is not. Other thsn if they "claim" it on their website. Sadly finding a good Indy is as hard as finding an ethical and knowledgeable dealership. Best way Ive found it to join a brand/car spwciric forum and asking for reocmmendations near you.
@@GoldenEagleXTND Well I did that for future repairs/service but still it would be nice to see a matrix being kept publicly of dealerships so they can be held to a standard. *sigh*
@@Th3_Jhobe That would never be allowed other than public review sites. Same type of reason why legislation and laws are in place to keep consumers form buying their vehicle from the manufacturers directly.
I have a trusted mechanic because of my fiance's father who is in the car sales business and is friends with many people in the industry.
But, even I have taken to simply doing many things myself and buying tools. I just can't justify not having my vehicle for 2-7 days, then having to pay someone else $80-150/hr to do things I could watch a video and follow along for. Sadly that ends when anything is going to require the engine to be removed, which is coming up for about a $5-7K overhaul and preventive maintenance that I want to get done. Mind you this is a Mercedes AMG car, so everything is a brand premium no matter what.
A good judge of a decent mechanic shop is wether they raise a stink if you buy/bring your own parts/materials. I have very specific requirements and this goes to his point of them using different parts. I want a specific part and will provide it at a price I know upfront without their mark-up and also a lifetime replacement warranty from FCP Euro or ECE Tuning (including brake pads, filters, and even the fluids in the case of FCP Euro)
Ha! I enjoyed being reminded of what "doing a tune-up" used to mean!!! Yes, routine purchases of points, plugs, distributor cap and rotor, and when you owned a VW, adjusting the valves...every 3K miles!!! And, yeah, hook up that timing light (Wow! Now I have a fancy *inductive* timing light!), and adjust the carb while you are at it. We have come a loooong ways!
So simple and easy advice to escape misunderstanding between customers and repair shops !!! So sad , not many people in our days fallows or listen Ahmed’s recommendations ! God bless your brother !
As a person who knows next to nothing about cars except that gas pedal makes engine go vroom, I wish I could find a mechanic like you in my area. I have done my own oil changes and have changed brakes before, but that’s about the extent of it.
Every point was a nail hit right on the head! I've been wrenching full time a little more than 4yrs at an indy shop. I can relate to every situation you have brought up and only a few customers ever brought up parts sourcing. One thing about the extended warranties though, there are many shady warranty companies so do some research if you want one.
Often warranties are bad value and exclude the more likely repairs and require keeping every single maintenance receipt.
My local Japanese brand (starts with H) car dealer....man, whew...I'd have a blind quadriplegic do the repairs over the dealer "techs". The car is on an extended warranty and wow, I had to tell the new Service Manager which mechanics weren't allowed to touch my car anymore. Once the last bits are done, a warranty/recall replacement headlamp fixture and a back up camera, this car will never touch that lot again. I am always clear, measured and precise with my descriptions when I bring it in and inevitably, it's going to come back for further "adjustments", such as...replacing all missing clips on my front bumper cover, 15 of them from the time they replaced the other recalled headlamp assembly. Or....drivers side mirror heater broke...replaced and NOT installed properly and the mirror fell out. Or... my favorite, 3x now, the drivers window regulator. All this stuff is diy, but it's under warranty...let the dealer do it. As I said...I don't trust dealerships to do ANYTHING. Please dont get me started about my wifes 2021 Santa Fe and the absolute circus those guys have been since the vehicles first oil change.
Love your video, great information 👏🏻👏🏻❤️❤️❤️🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙏🙏🙏🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷
Dimelo corillo! Los boricuas toyoteros viendo este canal. Weeeepa
Seguro que sii!! 😉🇵🇷👏🏼
Imma mechanic that ended up homeless. Got a job that needs to be done but obviously dont have the setup anymore. I know exactly how to do it. I would love to give a step by step list to help the mechanic so theyre not confused by another route that will take an extra 2 hours.
Really practical advice and very needed. I always enjoy watching your videos but I think this one was badly needed. Thank you 🙏🏾
That is the way many people are, either they know or don't know but they want something done to make their vehicle perform and feel like brand new again. The complaints are my car runs terribly, it is noisy, clunks, and squeaks, I am all over the road, and the car handles crappy. I think it could be this or that, can you fix it? You are the miracle mechanic. Very few people know it all or think they know it all. Not even the Master Mechanic knows everything. Please hand your customers a problematic checklist and for them to describe the symptoms. You know, a checklist that Dealerships give to their techs/mechs the Pre Delivery Inspection, make something you can work with. Doctor and Dental Offices always hand you a form, Have you had this or that (Yes, No, IDK, NA), when was your last Examination? Why are you here today?
Awesome video on point and showing AMD's experience as usual. I'm a carpenter, but if I was a mechanic I would film myself fitting OEM parts and doing it right. Seems like it would be so easy to build a rep that way. I've had mobile mechanics out and they've done the folowing:
"I can't replace your oil filter because it's rusted on". (It's all aluminium, looks new and came off easy).
"I had to use copper ease on your brakes as they were seized". (AFAIK you need to use proper brake grease with a high melting point or the copper ease melts away, and you + other people die because the brakes then actually do seize ).
"I need to remove your entire suspension to get to your fuel filter". (Repair manual recommends 1 part).
"I might have to bend all your jack points as my floor jack is broken. You don't really use them anyway. (Thanks, bye).
"You can't repair the valve on the tyre as it's 1-time use, you'll need 4 new tyres or your traction control will fail". (RUclips video shows me how to turn valve, remove dirt, fix slow leak in 15 mins).
"We can just open the coolant when it's hot and control the spray". (Coolant sprays everywhere, kills half the plants and flowers in the drive and I spend 2 days clearing it up so I don't kill all the dogs and cats in the neighbourhood).
I could go on. I would never assume to mess about with life endangering stuff that's beyond me - like tyres, brakes, etc. But it's a tough call with talent like this in the UK. Fortunately the mechanics shop I found looks at me in amazement when I tell them I change the oil every 6months/3000miles and we're good.
“What was that you said about preventative maintenance?”
This is exactly what should we do.
I'm a self-taught computer technician and I repair my own computers and smartphones etc.. I do this because I love it and it doesn't mean I'm an expert in all of the field. One thing we should do for technical things like this is be friends with other technician or mechanics if you ever send it to them, discuss, and share stuff and info so we can find the conclusion. If they prefer doing their own standard protocol let them and then after that discuss what if, what is, how, and why later. This will give combine your skills and knowledge together within compromising the repairs.
You know the stuff, but keep in mind there's other thing people might know more or can discover more about the stuff you have. Always learn and share
As a mechanic in a different field who does auto DIY at home. I do my best ethically , so I have these same challenges with dishonest customers. Sometimes employees as well. Thanks so much this resounds strongly. Furthermore I'm not even finished but compelled to contribute thank you for video!
@8:01 It is a different level of complexity and even if you are less efficient or experienced you still can fix things the DIY way.
Excellent points that help a lot. Thanks for sharing these.🙏👍
Q: How to make sure you receive the correct service without getting damage to other (related) or faulty parts or wrong services? Any tips to get a guarantee?
This happens often when some mechanics repair the car but more damage 😅. This turns me off, and I prefer to do things correctly myself (although slowly and with research on details).
I’m a shade tree mechanic but I’m also 71 years old and I can’t do all the things I used to. I’ll tend to buy the parts (OEM or high performance) then find out I can’t contort myself to get to everything. So I’ll go to the mechanic shop with my parts and admit I couldn’t do it myself. Sometimes they are not too happy about me having the parts I want them to install.
Great stuff AMD, as always keep up the awesome content! 💪
As per usual thank you for the great info for us customers and how we are to deal with the mechanics.
One thing he missed is this: stop thinking you're dealing with a mechanic. In most cases, you're dealing with a service writer. Someone who sits at a desk and gets paid to sell you things. Just because the service writer is trying to sell you a service doesn't mean the mechanic actually is. I've seen a lot of service writers try to sell services I would never do to my own car much less recommend to a customer. Also, if you bring your car to a shop for maintenance, have the owner's manual in hand and open to the page with the maintenance schedule on it. If they try to sell you anything you didn't come in for, ask them to show you on the maintenance schedule where it's needed or when it's actually due.
I love this guy. I wish all mechanics were as forthright and articulate as he is. Awesome.
I do nearly everything on my vehicles. I will occasionally have to make a time vs effort vs cost and have a shop do the work. I get multiple quotes, in person to interview and check out how the shop is maintained. Tells me alot. I usually will buy a shop manual either in digital or book form. Even if you are not doing your own work manuals are a great reference to make discisions.
I got in trouble for being honest at my first shop. The manager likes to leave early and just not work in general so he had me the apprentice mechanic doing supply work, cash deposits, and service advising. He heard me tell a customer the truth, “ ma’am we have already done everything your car needs tune ups are not a thing any more”. Thankfully I work at a place now that respects my opinion and doesn’t ask me to do things I feel uncomfortable doing like the first place I worked.
Lots of good advice.
Such a total professional this guy is 👍🏼
I have often wondered why my GS with a 2GR says 60k for plugs and my RX with a 2GR is double that. I know there's D4S on the GS and all that but it still doesn't make sense to me.
Probably they have different types of fuel injection systems
Hmm. Possibly Lexus is anticipating a more spirited driving style with the GS?
You reply is important "I owe a toyota 4runner 2010 sr5 in Afghanistan, its impossible to find reliable mechanics you tell them one thing they work on another and the problem is never resolved,once in while "5month" the cars moves left and right while driving without steering it" were do you thing the problem is,I would have loved to have had it checked at your garage but the distance 😅
AMD, You are sitting behind the black work bench and about to say something very serious. 🤨 This is the equivalent of SUBSCRIBERS being called unexpectedly into the boss's office. 😉🤣
Called into the office so he can let us know what questions to ask.
Things are changing in the Toyota dealership world, brought my car in and they wanted to install non genuine parts for the same cost has genuine parts and I had to insist on genuine parts. Toyota not having new car inventories will have serious consequences down the road for the brand. They are turning to desperation tricks to fleece their customers. I consider Toyota service department has a safe haven but now I am so scared. Thinking of moving closer to you AMD.😅
I think you missed a big one. Never tell your mechanic to “get to the repair when they can”.
I'm not in a hurry = 4-6 weeks
I have discovered this applies to house electricians too…
😂😂
Heard the old, Fast, Good, Cheap. Pick any two.
or plumbers or carpenters or electricians
Also giving the shop as much detail as possible to help direct the tech to the proper diagnosis, not just saying "it's making a noise"
Ugh.... that's one statement that makes me hate some customers.... "It's making a noise"...