A Mechanics Worst Nightmare
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- For me, the worst thing that can happen as a mechanic is to think you did a good job and find out that you didn’t.
I take pride in my work. I want to do a good job. When people drive their vehicles away after I work on them, I want the customer to be happy and satisfied with the work that was done. When it isn’t, it’s a sickening feeling.
It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, nothing sucks more.
Have you ever had a situation like this? If so, please share your story. I’d love to hear about it.
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Stay Dirty
ETCG1
Eric you're great. You tried to help the best you could, and you made the right call, using that money for paying the bills.
those were the cars we always liked working on at the Acura dealership wonderful cars , dont worry Eric shes just turning into an Acura owner thats what they do .
I'm a 56 year old mechanic all my life I've helped people from all likes with similar stories what it did for me was gave me great karma and blessed me beyond belief.
Karma theory is just a theory. Don't be superstitious. ;)
Sounds like you did the right thing helping your friend out but you can't feel responsible for every future issue the car gets. Two rules, never loan money to family and never sell cars to friends.
I don't sell cars to friends unless either they or I are moving out of town :-) I have never sold a bad car knowingly to a friend, but I still might feel responsible for something that is not my fault. If a car is questionable, I GIVE it to the friend or family member.
I don't get this, it's still their choice to buy the car, as long as you are 100% upfront about it, good friends will understand this anyway. If not? You don't need them in your life anyway. :)
Words to live by!
This is true if something were to ever go wrong, which eventually it will, you will never ever hear the end of it
Then they are bad friends anyway.
The best thing when a girl come to my workshop and ask me to change the turbo on mercedes she just come from authorized dealer with that diagnose.
Pleaseeeee tell mi how much money just tell me the price as soon i open the hood i see vacum hose off turbo actuator is just drop from his place i put it back and close no money nice girl she come to my shop few days later with botle of jack and allmost start to cry....
Let's be nice mechanic
P.S SORY FOR BAD ENGLISH I'M FROM BOSNIA
Selmir Fazlic right on brother honesty always works
A friend of mine was told he needed a new engine. We changed the spark plugs and coil pack and it was good to go. There is a reason most people have trust issues when it comes to car repairs.
She will always come back and will recommend her friends and family to you for being honest. You'll make more money long term.
Good on you buddy, cant beat honestly. 👌👌
👍👍Honesty is the best advertising you can get👍👍
I think over 47+ years in the trade i have had many more happy customers than unhappy. Several people have followed me throughout my career to work on their cars and that makes me happy. It's the ones that you know you were honest and did your best and something went wrong either with the repair or something else. Those things still bother me today. I hate people thinking that i am dishonest.
"I hate people thinking that i am dishonest."
how come everyone come on these boards claiming they are all honest, where are all the dishonest ones. For every honest mechanic I met there were at least 10 bitches (dishonest or just don't know what they're doing),. And the honest ones are becoming harder to come across! I guess thats why your customers follow you around. Hope you don't retire soon. Cheers.
JO MANGEEE
What kind of work do you do? Do you have to deal directly with the public? Where are all the dishonest Plumbers, Electricians or any other trade for that matter. Everyone thinks that because they have to spend money on their car they must be getting ripped off or because some know it all tells them they are. People know nothing and don't want to know about the automotive repair business. Everyone thinks that mechanics and shop owners don't have any expenses and would like them to work for free. People would rather buy a couple of six packs of beer or have a good time than having their cars oil changed and then cry rip off when they have to replace an an engine.
Yes, there are dishonest mechanics out there but there is so much honest work out there that most of us don't have to screw the public. The MoM and PoP shop that i work at could be open 24/7 and seldom be out of work to do after 32 years in business. That doesn't happen by being dishonest.
@wysetech2000
How about to charge people a fair rate for an honest job!
It is not rocket science.
Saying well there are dishonest electrician or plumbers does not
vouch too well for you.
Check out RUclips it is full of examples of dishonest mechanics (some links below for your convenience). Cheers mate
ruclips.net/video/Cw-ACoxStfQ/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/v5cmvhvteNw/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/7ytmN7T_HEI/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/jBpMe36GoW0/видео.html
@Frank.T
You are right a lot of people like to complain. And others just don’t mind their own business
There are 2 bad areas of business: dishonest incompetent tradesmen and toxic insanely unreasonable customers. I met both. I do not like both with a passion.
Seems like whenever I've done a "favor for a friend", I've always come to regret it.
I think that using Fixing It Forward money was justified in this instance. My health is bad and continuing to decline, so I know how grateful she must have been for the help you provided.
usmale47374 get well soon my friend :)
Thanks, but I won't get well. I suffer from MS, plus a chronic form of AZOOR, which is gradually stealing my vision. It sucks, but it is what it is.
never give up, you may get contact from somewhere that a new treatment or drug was developed. There is always a chance.
Yep. Try to find a linux distro for the vision impaired and install it on an old laptop if you have one.
Windows accessibility software like JAWS or Zoomtext are too damn expensive.
no drug will help with man created diseases. U have to detox from all the GMOs food, chemicals in ur daily life, and get away from stress and get good rest. It's cheap but difficult because ppl are stuck in their ways and want a "pill" to solve the problem ... these magical pills dont exist. There are pills that temporarily suppress symptoms but that is like making ur hand not hurt while u stick in a meat grinder. Symptom suppressors will kill u. Remember that when u ask ur doctor if that pill he prescribes will cure u or only suppress symptoms with loads of side effects.
I am doing a similar thing right now. Helping a teenage family friend that was kicked out of her home weeks before graduating high school - no car, no money, no job. Just picked up an old Kia Rio to get her to school and back. Seems solid, but no history on it. We're praying it holds together until she can get done with school in a few weeks and then into some kind of job so she can support herself. So far, I have been able to fix the few minor things wrong with it - but every time the phone rings, I anticipate the worst. Bless you for your fix-it-forward fund. I will contribute as these situations present themselves frequently and those who can help, should.
Randy in Texas Your a good man 👍
@@CCCP1968 what the hell is wrong with you?
@@hackdeez1075 😂😂😂😂 he thinkin bout the pussy.. He said family. Might wanna re read
Why would her parents do such a thing?
As a donor to Fixing it Forward, this is exactly why I donated. Sure, maybe it doesn't result in a repair video, but the spirit of Fixing it Forward is bailing out those in need. You nailed it. I'm glad you did this.
You’re a good man , but we in the Latino culture, say never make business with family and friends , you did what you could do and even went above and beyond of what many people would have done , you should be proud
I have no problem with u helping this lady out with fixing it forward money it is there to help people and that's what it did
Eric, you've got a heart the size of Texas.
And everything in Texas is huge.
And a big wiener
We have faith in you. This is exactly what the money is for. You did a grand thing for her. How could you have fixed something that wasn’t wrong while you had it?
You just cannot for see future problems at all.
$%IT happens with all used cars.We all drive used cars and things wear out or,,,break.
Fix the brakes and the water pump goes South. Engine is smoking so it must be over heating.Sorry."Did you look at the temperature gauge?"
Campy H bet she has lovely teeth.
No good dead goes unpunished.
You are a class act ETCG.
I enjoy your programs
Eric, I'm glad you're such an incredibly stand up guy. Great call to use that money, and what a wonderful testimony to her that you care and value your work.
"what did the temperature gauge say?"
"Well, I didn't look at the temp. gauge."
[DEEP INHALE]
Laughed so hard. You're a good guy Eric.
Teach this girl how to car, use fixing it forward money.
I understand. I'm a do it yourself guy. Professionally I work on computers. In the past when I've tried to help friends get a computer it has NEVER turned out well. Sigh. Same exact feelings. Hate that for you, good on you for helping and going the extra mile.
Jerry Zedler in order for it to be a "good"thing she is required to say thank you not sure if that little nugget was accomplished.
My first day as a mechanic..i said to my boss "i dont have any practice at all, even though ive got some knowledge". "Ok, i get it". And after 15 minutes he told me to replace a track rod... as i mentioned before i didnt have any practical knowledege. But real nightmare was after this. I did my job, client left, and it seems to be ok.. but when i came home i thought "what if i missed something?? It may cause a serious accident.. maybe even death? And only I will be guilty.." and with these minds i couldnt sleep for awhile.. still, that car is still running in my town and the client hasnt any issues with suspension (thank God).
I know that feeling man, I'm a diesel tech and I was the same, had plenty of book knowledge which really gets you no where when you have little experience and I was nervous about everything I did my first few months.
That's why shops carry insurance, and why you shouldn't do any major work for money on other people's cars unless you have some sort of insurance policy to cover your butt in case something bad happens down the road.
@@Patrick94GSR insurance doesn't keep people safe or replace them. All shops with noobs should have a supervisor that observes and checks all repairs before a car leaves the shop.
@@damonlemasters3424 Any business performing a service carries liability insurance. That's why I said that you shouldn't do major work on other people's cars for payment, as a side hustle or shade tree DIY mechanic, because most likely you won't have such liability insurance policy.
@@Patrick94GSR I will say it again that insurance isn't going to help if someone ends up dead somebody is probably going to jail and the business reputation will be very bad.
The fix it forward use sounds perfectly legit. With the idea of making sure this lady was in something reliable and safe. Would like to see it out to use for projects we all get to see though sometime.
I watched your busted knuckle video today and I saw this as a suggested video. Totally forgot I watched. Again, I feel good about what you did. The point of those donations are to help someone in need and you did. Thanks again Eric, and I'm happy to be a part of this community.
I'm like you, a soft spot for people who really need it. You did the right thing bro. You can't see the future, cars break. Bad on your friend for the oil leak.
I started with bikes as way of giving back to kids that need it , just did my first fix it forward, and realized what it meant (no good deed goes unpunished)at first I thought it meant "you try to help someone out and you get screwed" but then analyzing it really meant that sometimes you don"t receive the gratitude that you were expecting,but in exchange what I did receive was a chance to learn how to do brakes,master cylinder,and struts,that help improve my confidence in knowing that now I have the resilience to fix anything , and for that Im eternally grateful, you are my hero ;)
Good on you for helping others. A couple of notes. Expectation is the shortest rout to disappointment. Also, if you're doing it for gratitude, you're doing it for the wrong reasons as you pointed out in your comment. You do it because you can help someone, nothing more. If you get gratitude, great. If not, you take away the satisfaction of helping others and learning new things as you stated.
Thanks for the comment.
You're a straight shooter Eric, if you think using Fixing It Forward money is validated, then I have no question to doubt it and support your opinion. Cheers from Oz.
I just want to say thank you for having a heart for those in need.
I think you did Right Eric.
This is also a sign of a good mechanic. My mechanic has taken a loss in the past over a mistake that anyone could have made. He stood by his work but in turn forever got a reliable customer.
Your honesty is refreshing, I love your work mate!
Thanks!
Eric, Thanks your being helpful to a person in need.
It takes some guts to admit mistake in such a public forum. You're a good guy, Eric.
As far as I'm concerned, Fixing It Forward is a charity fund set up for people who need repairs done to their car that can't otherwise pay for them themselves. This instance is fully justified to me! Good video, good guy, Eric!
Dude, the transparency with which you conduct yourself and act as a steward of the money people have donated is EXACTLY how more folks should conduct themselves. You are such a solid example of what TO DO.
As one who has donated to FIF, I have no issue at all with the funds going to this repair. Well done on getting it out of the stealership as well & obtaining piece of mind with a trusted source.
Thank you!
You did nothing wrong Eric. I've been in this predicament more than once. You try hard to help somebody, and in the end your the bad guy. Sometimes it's best to just remain neutral I guess. After several bad experiences I learned that it's best not to sell a car to family, or friends. ESPECIALLY when you're a mechanic. They almost ALWAYS feel that the mechanic comes with the car, even years down the road they bring up even minor problems that they had with the vehicle and throw it in your face. "Well you sold me that piece of Sh*t!!" It's exactly like dating a coworker. DON'T DO IT!!! Because eventually when the relationship goes down the toilet, it bites you in the ass, and you still gotta face that person every day until one of you quits. It's best to sell the car to a complete stranger, however I ALWAYS tell them to bring a mechanic to check out the car before they purchase it. It's a used car sold "As Is" No warranties expressed or implied. Only dealers in my state of Connecticut are required to give a minimum 30 days warranty. It's called the " Connecticut Lemon Law" That law was mandated because of too many shady used car dealers selling people junk, and then when the car breaks down on the way home, you call them and they say "Sorry, all sales final, sold in as is condition" So the "Lemon Law" was born. This law however does not apply to private sales. That's why I tell people to bring a mechanic. If there's a surprise after the car is sold, then he gets much of the heat, not you. Like you Eric, I do the best I can to go through any car I sell, and make sure it's the best it can possibly be for the next owner. But as you found out, bad things happen to the best of us. It's just less stressful when it's a stranger involved and not family or a friend. Then, as you learned, you feel "Obligated" to repair the vehicle. Now I try to avoid the "Worst nightmare" predicament at all costs.
1) Don't sell to family, friends or co-worker. 2) Don't date a co-worker. Two excellent pieces of advice to carry with us forever!
Thats what the money is for, helping people in need, no mater how, whether its you doing the work, or you paying the bill. lf u or another shop, was not wasted money or a bad decision considering the circumstances.
As a retired mechanic I can tell you I've been there and it reflexes on you. The bad part of it is the word of mouth marking you as a bad mechanic. That's the mechanic's nightmare.
Using 'Fixing it Forward' money for someone who is unwell and having regular treatment?...Spot on. Paying another shop to do the work? No problem...we just miss out on the videos....
I respect you for your integrity, Eric. Heartwarming to know you handled the situation the way you did.
You're a good guy Eric an I'm sorry this one turned out the way it did for you but you did your best. I've not come across this fixing it forward in the UK but she sounded like as good a case as any for some help. You'll get your reward in Heaven mate! :D
You helped someone who is sick get her car in shape, both before and after if left your hands. This is the first time I've heard of "Fixing it Forward" so I'm not solid on the concept, but this feels like an obvious case of fixing it forward. It was charitable on all fronts.
I think you did a fine thing under the circumstances..
You made the right call. Friend or not, you helped someone in need.
Your a good man Eric! Lords knows what could have happened. But I’m glad your friends able to get to her treatments.
My worst nightmare is getting my tools stolen. You're a good man making it right.
You were doing right by your friend, you didn't squander it, you got her a decent car to help her back onto her feet, I would love to see you do a Fixing It Forward Car for when you get a car in and its not worth it to fix it.
Fantastic on your part Eric. As far as the starter. You know as well as anyone with any mechanical knowledge that being a "used" starter it can go out anytime, and sometimes without warning. So major cudos to you for going above and beyond to make it right...
Hey Eric all you can do is do your best ! As far as using Fixing It Forward money that's what it's for .Sound all good to me !!!!
The worst thing to happen to me was thankfully to myself and not somebody else. I had a nasty knock on a 4cyl s10 just out of high school. I wasn't getting any pressure in a leak down test so we thought it was something in the crank assembly. Well, we get the thing pulled out, torn half apart, and realize the valve was stuck open because there was a perfect groove cut into the middle of the pushrod.
The guy that was helping me had a lot more experience than I did and upon inspecting the pistons, he said they were out of round and had to be bored. Being a teenager without any money, I ask a family friend who routinely builds engines if he can do it for me. He said he certainly would, but since he was at work, he asked me to put it in the back of a truck at the house.
A few weeks go by and I haven't heard anything, so I swing out and ask. It turns out that he never took it out of the truck, so it was just getting rained on outside. Without much of a choice, I had to bring it to the professional machine shop and ask for a bit before I can figure out how much money I need to save up. They looked at it that week and said the cylinders we're perfectly fine, but the crank and bearing grooves were too pitted and wouldn't be worth fixing.
I ended up buying a motor from a local salvage yard and putting that in.
The moral of the story is that there are a lot of bad mechanics out there. If you find a good one, pay the premium and keep them happy. If you try to cheap out, it will cost you more in the long run. A $20 push rod ended up costing me over $500 because cheap labor lacked the experience needed for proper work.
Eric good story on how we should be able to do for others. I have adopted your Fixing it Forward idea in my own life, and work on cars for friends and family members for free,to save them from being ripped off by the dishonest shops in my area. Being a cabinet maker and not a mechanic, I rely on you and others like you, SMA, Pine Hollow... To lead me in the right direction for the fix. Thank you for all you do. PS. I need a good source for vintage 96 Accord parts trying to restore one now, glass trim, window track............ect.
Thank you! You might try the salvage yard for those parts.
Honda specaltiy salvage yard, or a parts car.
Your in Cincy? Hamilton here. Been there done that.From hero to zero in no time flat. Fix her car. Its for a good cause. I love how honest and passionate you are about customers even if its someone you know.
Eric, you have done a great job. These things happen and you used Fixing it Forward money right. Too bad things panned out this way but I hope your friend sees that you make a great effort towards helping her! Take care
You are forgiven Eric. I had a friend who was looking to purchase a used small SUV and I found one through another friend who had a customer with one for sale.
I got it for her at a good price but she had to spend some money on a few things to get the vehicle running trouble free. I found that I was putting myself in a position where I was spending my own money to make sure it was running to my satisfaction.
Fortunately I was able to reach that point where I was happy with what I had done and I know she would never have had that level of support from any garage in these times.
There are times that we put others before ourselves and not for any financial gain.
I was glad that I was able to truly deliver a reliable product to the customer and still be able to rest well at night knowing that she would be using a reliable vehicle to get her to and from her work place.
Some cases really do deserve Fixing it Forward.
The golden rule should be: Support people in need, not poor life choices!
Well said!
What if there is no difference and one is the result of the other? :)
@@worldhello1234 grow up.
Hear you on this one. Because of how things are portrayed (The ever popular dishonest mech) you have an inherent bad name even though you are trying to do things right. This happens in so many different fields of employment. That said, good choice and expense option on a fore mentioned fixing it forward.
I've worked on hundreds of cars over the years for free, just asked customer to pay for their parts. Its something I like doing and it makes me feel like I've done something to better someone else. There were a few times it backfired but for the most part, it has been a blessing. Keep up the great work ETCG1.
oh dude.... I feel for ya...... I DONT RECCOMEND SQUAT TO ANYONE... as a technician no good deed goes unpunished. after over two decades of being a factory trained Grand Master Red Seal Technician in Canada I flat out REFUSE to RECCOMEND or work on friends and family vehicles... it always bites me in the ass. I could do a LeMans 24 hour race in a Pontiac Sunfire and have zero issues then RECCOMEND a cherry VW Golf to a friend and it would go bonkers and be radioactive if I recommended it...... I feel your pain dude.
Yup. That's spot on.
What is "Grand Master Red Seal Technician"? LOL!
im going with an inside joke
Canadian thing.
@@grzegorz16100 Torquewrench black belt.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.... As a car guy, I recently helped a lady with a car situation. the world needs more good guys like you Eric.
You did the right thing, did good work and something unrelated happened. I hope she understands that. The FIF money was the right call too.
You went above and beyond for this lady. Whenever I fix up and sell a vehicle, I really try to make sure everything works and its good to go but ya just never know when anything can break. I sell vehicles as is but tell the customer if they want to bring it back to me for repairs I'll cut em a deal. So I can make some cash flipping a car and get some $$$ out of it down the road. Using your fixing it forward $$$ in this situation is completely warranted, that seems like that is the perfect scenario to use it on as she really seemed to be in need! Good work man!
I think that qualified by helping her.
Fixed a Mercedes s500 with brand new engine and customer took the car and the transmission when out after that the rear end went out
I recommended a 09 vw routan to a very good customer of mine. He’s always nice, always respectful, is a good person in general. His old chrysler van rusted out, i wasn’t even able to lift it, so i told him he needs a good car. So, i recommended my friend, that does good discounts to my customers, my customer chose 09 routan, i came to see the car - 3 issues - motor mounts, valve cover gaskets and tires - had to be addressed, i told him. He buys the car, then all the sudden torque converter locks and the car stalls in drive while standing still, like if you stop in 1st gear in manual trans. Changed valve body and torque converter. A week later he comes back with abs lights al over the dash - another common chrysler problem - abs pump electronics went bad. That was a nightmare to me as i always treat customers right and do whatever possible to do my best. And that was just insane.
I believe in doing the best you can in making the right decisions and doing to right things for the right reasons. That's exactly what you did. No need for our approval nor a need to justify to us why you used the F.I.F money. Thank you for all you do.
It's good to see you enjoying the fruits of your efforts, Eric. Once you get the apparent top-end fuel starvation problem worked out, you really need to work on "power shifting". You built the driveline to handle it, now, ya gotta learn how to use it, just like the rest of us did. Keep on havin' fun, you earned it.
YOU DID THE RIGHT THING AFTER ALL THAT'S WHAT FIXING IT FORWARD IS ALL ABOUT. YOUR DOING A GREAT JOB AND JUST REMEMBER YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE. PRAYERS GOING OUT TO YOUR FRIEND WITH HER HEALTH ISSUES. OH, AND KEEP THOSE VIDEOS COMING.
Thank you!
You are so welcome.
Right call eric, helping someone in need. you went above the normal fixing it forward - sourcing a good car (she wouldn't have bought otherwise), fixing issues you could find, then using contacts to sort later issues - good on you !
I think that as long as you're not spending the money on your self it's fine to use fixing it forward money
Great call in fix it forward. So blessed to be able to offer that to someone. God put her in your hands and just imagine what someone else would have done.
Dude you're such an honest and fair person that we trust you to know who you should spend that money on. Cheers
You've always been one of the good mechanics I aspire to be. Tell you the truth, this is something I was always afraid of when fixing cars. When you think youve done a good job then something goes wrong and now you have to retrace everything you remember doing in terms of repairs that you've done and that eerie feeling of being completely responsible afterwards. I think I might have to start doing that donation things that could save everybody needing a car one day, if you're okay with that. I'd love to help people too with what skills i got. To me, that's one of the best feeling I could really hold on to for a long time: the feeling of making somebody's day; one car fix at a time.
Need more good mechanics like you Eric and just mechanics but friends as well!.
It's like how my dad's best friend who's a mechanic would always tell me " No Good Deed goes unpunished". It never fails, if I'm doing a favor everything that can go wrong will go wrong.
You shouldn't get involved. She will call you again soon.
sigh
As a fellow mechanic, I completely understand. What makes it worse for you was that it was for a friend- If a stranger had driven the car off and starter had failed, sure you'd feel bad, but that's part of buying a used car IMO. Working on vehicles for friends that trust you makes it much harder, and your heart will always be in your stomach until that car is gone and stays gone.... One thing's for certain, you're a good guy, and if you weren't, you wouldn't care.
Mechanics are human too and not perfect. the Good mechanics usually will make things right somehow.
This is Guy is Golden.. how many mechanics would fess up and pay out.... Thanks for sharing Eric the Car guy
Eric, you are fully justified in using the FIF funds in this case ..friend or not she was in need and that's what the FIF was set up for ..Glad to see you have good honest friends in other locations who you can count on in a pinch
Jane Ames its Eric a fund yes? he could spend it on stripper sheep and it would be peechy
I have taken a little bit of a break because of some of the reasons that you're described in this video. 30 years I'm trying to work hard be honest and do my best sometimes people break your heart. I put a water pump on your car and now there's a nail in your tire and it's my fault? God give me strength. Keep up the good work bro God bless
sounds like the starter was just covered in oil "ford problems" lol
No shit! LoL
Hey asshole that's undercoating! ;)
That fact that you were completely transparent is huge. I understand that isn't what the money is for, however there was a need. And you proceeded to do what you thought was right. I don't think you were in the wrong.
It's a used car things brake stop working is not your fault its a starter small thing to go on a car don't sweat it anyway you helped her out so all good I thought you were going to say you forgot to tighten a wheel and she crashed or something like that lol 😂
yamaha ttr600 all I have to say is I only did that once. Always make sure to double check that they're tight now.
You want to use a torque wrench twice, once when you install the wheel and once again, after driving the car ten feet back, and then ten feet forward, a few times. If you find a loose lug, do the back and forward thing again...
My dad fixed a lot of cars for single moms back in the day. Love men like you.
If you are helping out someone who could use the hand up, then do it. The Fixing it Forward family is behind you. Donation on the way (plus a little extra to pay for the videos).
Thank you!
we live in our van and struggle every day to make our van suitable ,I work at temp services and fix one thing at a time, I still have a few things like my controller arms and gas tank with a leak but it is getting fixed , your a great man to help people with this and you deserve to be blessed
I honestly think your friend was being lazy on maintenance and not wanting to tell you because he knows how you feel about taking care of a car. As sure as the car was having those problems, there is no way the previous owner had no knowledge of it. Sucks for somebody to represent your reputation with their laziness,, you are the kind of person that wouldn't even try to hide something from someone anyway. However when it's about money, clearly your friend can't be trusted to do the same.
I had a friend ask for help with his car Lincoln ls 2000 we checked everything before starting the car needed jesus and he could not afford it so we sealed the cooling system and put an electric fan and eliminated the power steering driven fan the car left and needed a fuel pump two days after. And a starter a day after that I felt like the car was committing suicide
It's a Lincoln... worst new car I ever bought! I have a 2000 LS v6 had more problems with it than 2 older Chrysler's. I've replaced the fuel pump 3 times, every window regulator replaced, all spark plug coils, and it goes on and on... the factory paint quality is garbage, the transmission is quirky, it has weird vibration issues from the rear suspension... but I still love the style of the car, just wish it was made like a higher end car should be.
Javier Betancourt i
Good on you to make it right for the lady, and using the money was justified. I'm a shade tree mechanic out of necessity, and I had one moment that I experienced the "worst nightmare".
Had a friend who needed new front brakes on his Ford Ranger, and since it was an easy rotor and pad switch I agreed. Did the job, torqued everything down, and told him to bring it back to me after a week of normal driving for me to check the lug nut torque as it can change when driving around a bit. A few days goes by and I was told his front wheel had came off while driving through town. I was horrified because I thought it was my fault and called him to see if he was okay. Apparently he took the truck off roading and drove it hard rather than following my instructions to drive normal and return in a week. Luckily he understood that it was his fault and was cool, and there was no major damage.
I knew that I had torqued everything, wheel included, down correctly but it still scared me. He could have hit a family when the wheel came off and killed someone and it would have been on me. Since then that unless it's for immediate family I don't work on anyone's vehicle but my own, and even then there are some things I won't do for family.
Del corazon,from the heart,making it right straight up Ive been there no regrets saludos
Eric, YOU ARE THE BEST! I've helped people before, but my opinion is, "pay it forward" is a fantastic idea! I hope it all works out for her and I think you're doing the right thing.
It is my birthday Eric , it is . "" a lonely tear running down my face ""
Happy Birthday! Hopefully a tear of joy.
ETCG1 yes it is .
EA Jam happy birthday 🎂
Jumbie thanks man .
EA Jam, its ok tears can be blow out the candles too. happy birthday!!!!!
I'm a second generation auto mechanic.. my dad was a master truck tech. I'm a master auto tech he always taught me to do whats right. You did all that IS right and then some. Good person- good mechanic.. then as dad says sometimes a good deed never goes unpunished... it happens and it sux but hey cars dont hide things people do. Most of the time the longer u talk to someone the more comes to light and the truth for some owners is embarrassing so they fib a little about what they know or think is wrong.. I wish i could have worked for/with you. You have all the qualities I take pride in (disabled now- mind still has it, body just wont do it anymore).
Eric I believe your heart is in the right place. I don't believe this experience diminishes in any way your capabilities. As for my personal experience as a mechanic in the field I'm in, I cant have a worst nightmare. If I where to have a worst nightmare it would become other peoples worst nightmare. The only way in my field to prevent nightmares is 100% verification in troubleshooting and thorough inspections. I think how you handled the situation was absolutely admirable. You did the right thing buddy.
I think fixing it forward is a great idea and every now and then a situation comes up where you're not in a position to physically repair it yourself. The concept still worked. Great video.
I tought it was European cars & 4.6 northstar lol
I am just going to say, you did the right thing. There are not a lot of people out there today that would help people like this. Don't let anyone or anything change that.
buddy it sounds like you did what any good person would do with that money!!! keep up the good work(karma)
I wish I had a mechanic like you here in New York. It’s so rare to have someone honest and someone that puts heart and confidence into their work. Don’t stress it because mistakes will always be made, it’s the solution that counts. You did the right thing!
Despite the best of intentions, there are sometimes customers that will NEVER be happy, no matter what you do to try and please them. I've learned a few things over the years about this, but this is the most useful: while I'm a great swimmer, I can't save everyone drowning in the ocean without drowning myself. So sometimes I have to step aside from situations such as these and not get involved.
30 years in this business, I feel your pain. Sometimes things just don't go right. Just part of being a mechanic. You do the best you can and it looks you did the right thing. Respect.
"If not for bad luck, she wouldn't have any"
This is important. Her fear of the car overheating after seeing smoke and not looking at the gauge is more than likely a result of her constantly being slammed with bad luck. When someone keeps experiencing problem after problem and rarely has anything go right, they become jaded and guarded. You just kind of jump to the worst case scenario out of reflex after a while. I doubt she was ungrateful. She was probably just very scared. So good on you for pulling through, either way.
I feel your pain. This falls into the category of, 'No good deed goes unpunished'.
Some things that have bitten me and caused me to makes some rules for myself. Your mileage may vary:
Never sell a vehicle to someone you know.
Never 'give' a vehicle to someone you know (the fact that it was free is soon forgotten and you will be held responsible never the less because inconveniencing, or costing someone more money will be the biggest factor in their mind)
Never sell or give a vehicle to a person who has health issues, or is poor (seems harsh, but you're going to own it as long as they own it).
Never sell or give a vehicle to a friend of a friend.
Never get into the middle of a transaction on a vehicle or some other mechanical device between two people.
Never recommend a mechanic, or any other kind of a service to others. You'll be in the loop when things go wrong. You may never hear from them, but you will share any blame.
Never recommend a product.
Resist the urge to help.
And there are more, but you get the idea.
You may be thinking, what a heartless asshole you are, Fred. Yeah, I know. But I can tell you that I didn't use to be. Get used a few times, or thrown under the bus by some other mechanic and the wisdom will become more evident. It's sad, it's a shame, but it's a reality, especially as society (much of it) moves more toward a sense of entitlement instead of an attitude of gratitude.
I think its cool that you helped her out.
I am a mechanic in a small town so we know just about everybody. What my boss does is that if he knows it is someone that is going through hardship. He only charges for the parts at cost and a $20 repair fee. Which i think is cool of him.
Definately don't trust the stealership. We had a customer bring her car in so we could replace the trans that the dealer was going to charge her $6,000 for. We looked it up and the car was still under warranty. They were trying to rip her off.
Oh by the way my worst nightmare is when a customer does not listen to what you tell them is wrong with the vehicle. So you replace the parts they want you to replace and then they bring it back and want you to fix it for free because "you worked on it last and it is still doing the same thing".
I know that feeling. I help people on a budget with their computer issues. My worst nightmare i know from experience is helping someone with faulty hardware fix their PC, usually with second hand parts, and having them come back a few days later with the part replaced that failed. It's just the worst feeling. You hope to save the good people a chunk of money and instead they just spent all they had on that part and it broke. I feel you. You are doing the right thing! Sometimes it just doesn't work out the way you hoped. Cheers!