I just got hit with a $650 just-for-starters repair on my antilock brake system. I have to take it in for them to do more (read more money!) tomorrow. The whole time the mechanic who was faithfully trying to explain why the ABS isn’t working and it needs a new skibbidity, I’m mentally wondering ‘what the heck is a skibbidity, and can I still drive the car?’
How secure are you when mechanics talk to you about repairs your car needs? Oh, if you want to know more about the skibbidity, it has to be ordered, since it doesn’t come in stock at the Ford place!
I usually make them explain it, in detail. If I don’t understand, I make them show me. I’ve seen too many exposes on mechanics ripping people off not to. Hey, money doesn’t grow on trees! (Jesus, I sound like my dad! Uggh!)
In my case, Dem, I think the mechanic DID try and explain it, but once he started telling me it had to do with the computer system board being overridden and taking out the ABS notifier, I still was lost!
Hey, sounding like your dad isn’t SUCH a bad thing, ya know! However, probably wanna watch out for sounding like your great uncle Rex!
Amen, Auntie Pro! Since any expert can lose me in 2 seconds flat in their own field, when the bucks reach a certain limit I get a second opinion. Though mechanics seem to be really prone to the “bullshit by jargon” routine.
One of my cars kept stalling and dying. The dealership (fie, curses, hiss, boo) told me it would cost $1200 to replace the gooleywhonker, calibate the bischmert and the readjust the entire camaxelator system.
Oh.
The second place I took it cleaned out some faulty thing in a fuel-intake, tuned it, oil change and lube job for $125. It runs like silk now.
While I’ve never had a problem with my flibity flaxer, I did once have a problem with the whatzahoozits. Thank goodness that at the time, I was dating a licensed auto mechanic. All I had to do was tell him what kind of sound the car was making, and he was able to diagnose the problem. He asked me (I kid you not) if it was a ticking, a flipping, or a flapping noise. It was ticking, so it was the whatzahoozits. He replaced it with no trouble. And since we were dating, he took payment in trade.
** Vestal Blue, ** for your advice about Fords! And yes, I do know I can drive without the ABS being active, I just don’t choose to drive it that way. Also, the light flicking bugs me. However the lights in my dash are now totally out and I attached a small black flashlight to use at night, rather than copping out the $600 it would take to get the bulbs replaced in the dash!! So I DO know when NOT to fix something too!
** Veb, ** whew, it’s a good thing you got that camaxelator thingie fixed, I hear that can kill a person faster than ** Cristie’s ** whatzahoozits can. You can count yourself as being blessed!
Cristie, I really like your dating plan, now if I can just find a mechanic who’s really into old women, I’m almost home free!!
for your advice about Fords! And yes, I do know I can drive without the ABS being active, I just don’t choose to drive it that way. Also, the light flicking bugs me. However the lights in my dash are now totally out and I attached a small black flashlight to use at night, rather than copping out the $600 it would take to get the bulbs replaced in the dash!! So I DO know when NOT to fix something too!