Who's Your Mechanic?

There are some good, and some dodgy....

Started by Oldskoolie · 3 Jul 2005 · 23 posts survive (22 recovered from printable/lo-fi copies) · Wayback

Oldskoolie3 Jul 2005, 11:00pm

Who do you let fix your car?
I was told United Subaru was the best place to take my car, so i did. Bad idea.
I had an oil leak... It was leaking onto my exhaust and burning, making smoke come out from under my car and bonnet... so i took it to the friendly chaps at United, got a quote and left it in there hands.... They replaced a whole heap of seals and gaskets and re-seated my oil pump, and it cost me about $350 from memory.... 2 weeks later i was on the phone to them letting them know my car was still leaking oil. So they said to bring it back in and theyd have another look, so i did. This time they said that it was actually the rocker cover gaskets that needed replacing and that they wouldnt charge me labour because they didnt fix the problem the first time... so the parts cost me $140.

MY CAR STILL LEAKS OIL!!!!! Im soooooooooooo not happy, but rather than take it back again i'll just stop other people going there if i can. Its quite obvious to me they can not be trusted with a Subaru. How many times is it gonna take me to keep going back untill the oil leak is fixed? NO MORE i tell you.... NO MORE!!!

If you know of any mechanics that you trust, and that i could trust, then please let me know.

And if you know anyone with a troubled Subaru please tell them about my United Subaru story...

Davinr4 Jul 2005, 1:12am

It's rare that anyone is happy with a dealership style workshop. For those that go to an Ultratune or similar and say "I'm really happy", no offense but you probabaly don't know much about cars and most likely can't tell the diference between a good and dodgy job

The problem with any workshop is that they will have many mechanics, ranging from disinterested grease jockies to highly skilled technicians. Who knows which one you'll get when you book your pride and joy in.

I've got about 5 years of dealership workshop experence, and as an apprentice obtained senior and master level qualifications in Holden's Tech Guild (no one else in my workshop could even get the standard member level). You would think I would have been welcomed with open arms, but senior techs and service managers felt threatened. Most worked their way up from sweeping the floor and are not open to the change required to work on modern cars.

The one person I would have trusted doesn't have his workshop anymore

fo_sho_manr4 Jul 2005, 2:56am

Well, Davin, I go to Ultratune Prospect and they have done okay by me so far. Helps when the owner is a friend of a friend (and that person knows who they are

) they have made some stuff ups, but everyone is human, stuffing up the first time is okay, but if you take it back to get corrected and they stuff up again, then I'd think twice..

Davinr4 Jul 2005, 3:22am

Knowing someone who has influence is about the only hope, otherwise it's luck of the draw who you get. You're best hope is normally a factory backed dealership workshop, but even there.....some of the horror stories I could tell you

The same careless idiots exist in all industries, so picture the biggest moron in your workplace, and the workshop you take your car to most likely has one just like them.

I used to think it was just the car industry, but I worked my way up to operations manager for a Telco/ISP, and I encountered bigger morons everywhere we went who were managing massive corporate networks.

Scary thing is, the idiots are scattered amongst the good ones, even in surgens, ambo's, bus drivers, traffic light programmers, and teachers.

Fingers crossed

fo_sho_manr4 Jul 2005, 3:32am

yes, I know all about these idiots Davin.. thank god I'm leaving my job

SUPERSHOOTERr4 Jul 2005, 3:40am

When I needed my clutch replaced, I asked on my local Suzi board, REDLINEGTi.COM.

The guys on there pointed me in the best direction, Suzuki Dealership in the city, which is where a lot of guys with their Swifts take them. Suzi in the city had my clutch replaced, machined etc etc in 4 hrs and only $450ish. Not only was it cheap, but it was fast and they didn't try bullshit me. They weren't trying to tell me to get the gearbox replaced or anything, although my 1st gear syncro sucks.

Yeah, Suzi in the city for all the Suzuki owners and rebadged Suzukis!

slider4 Jul 2005, 1:50pm

450$, fuk that aint cheap mate...

kym - i had that mark 1 gti for sale on redlinegti a while ago (was just a boonger i had, bought it for 500$, sold if for 2000! hehehehehe.

anyways, it cost me 350$ for a new clutch kit (thrustbearing, etc etc) from ur generic ultratune.

Workshops - Mildren Race Engineering - i use/trust them for engine builds, dyno tuning and anything technically minded - these guys use their heads before touching ur car - a refreshing approach rather than hacking away till they find something..
[phone removed]

InjectMAZ for wiring and anything eletrical.

plenty out there - best bet, support your local con/mario/jason at ur local corner garrage - usually good service and prices!

letmeteachyour4 Jul 2005, 3:08pm

QUOTE(Davin @ Jul 4 2005, 12:12 AM)

I go to Ultratune and I trust my mechanic - helps when your mechanic has worked for a Formula One team for 2 years in Europe, engineer for SA WRX Rally team as well as an engineer for Formula Ford. Think he has enough experience to work on any of my cars and would like to meet someone who thinks he doesnt....

Plus, my mechanic lets me drive his XR6 ute which has been fully worked

SUPERSHOOTERr4 Jul 2005, 6:18pm

QUOTE(slide @ Jul 4 2005, 12:50 PM)

$450 is cheap considering they put a genuine Suzuki GTi clutch in. Oh yeah, they charged me for a wheel nut tho, $7, tad questionable

As for the local garage thing, I dunno, they work on various cars, I like to take my car somewhere where they specialise in the make/model. Luigi/Pavaroti or whoever may work on VN Commo's or AU Foulcoons all day and when they get something different that they don't usually deal with, they take forever and sometimes they don't know what they are doing. I say let Bottachelli open a Pizza shop

Ian Hardr4 Jul 2005, 7:51pm

I work on my car myself . i work at metro holden !!

Davinr4 Jul 2005, 8:18pm

I do nearly all work on my car too, but a lack of hoist restricts some jobs.

It's a sad state of affairs in the automotive repair industry, but there's not much the average motorist can do, except try and become somewhat freindly with your local spanner twister and hope you get favourable treatment. Bring a slab of beer next time you drop your pride and joy off

letmeteachyour4 Jul 2005, 8:28pm

QUOTE(Davin @ Jul 4 2005, 07:18 PM)

It's a sad state of affairs in the automotive repair industry, but there's not much the average motorist can do, except try and become somewhat freindly with your local spanner twister and hope you get favourable treatment. Bring a slab of beer next time you drop your pride and joy off

lol... what if your mechanic gives you discounts and takes you out to dinner???

Davinr4 Jul 2005, 8:38pm

who said girls are at a disadvantage when it comes to vehicle repairs LOL

Someone's got their spanner twister all twisted around their little finger it would seem

letmeteachyour4 Jul 2005, 8:44pm

Cant help it if my mechanic does that!!

joker4r4 Jul 2005, 10:10pm

i have also seen some of the stuff they do at the dealerships, i used to work at stillwell ford at medindie for over 7 yrs, and some of the stuff, it will shock u!!
u think beeing a big dealership that they do every thing by the book, well most of the times they do, so thats why i wouldnt take my car there, i just do all the stuff my sself, its better that way, well for me it is, it kinda a pride thing and u know its done right, that i did it all my self, if u know what i mean.

so i cant really recomend anyone, cause i havent really taken my car any where else, but i recond it just comes down to word of mouth, if some one does a good job, they will just pass the names along

fo_sho_manr5 Jul 2005, 2:28am

QUOTE(letmeteachyou @ Jul 4 2005, 02:08 PM)

fully worked?? yeah right.. thats only mild mods.. fully work is when he gets the blower in it..

letmeteachyour5 Jul 2005, 9:06am

QUOTE(fo_sho_man @ Jul 5 2005, 01:28 AM)

fully worked?? yeah right.. thats only mild mods.. fully work is when he gets the blower in it..

Give him time... he will do it eventually... cant wait to drive it then

PaulHamonr12 Jul 2005, 1:04pm

What you have to do stuff to you car... I've only just found the hole to put that liquid stuff into it which makes it run!

Oldskoolier12 Jul 2005, 2:17pm

QUOTE(PaulHamon @ Jul 12 2005, 12:04 PM)

What you have to do stuff to you car... I've only just found the hole to put that liquid stuff into it which makes it run!

You've sold your rickshaw???

fo_sho_manr13 Jul 2005, 1:41am

QUOTE(PaulHamon @ Jul 12 2005, 12:04 PM)

What you have to do stuff to you car... I've only just found the hole to put that liquid stuff into it which makes it run!

thats the wrong place to put the liquid stuff.. if the liquid stuff is fuel, I'll show you on my car first, but your paying

DeLr5 Aug 2005, 8:10am

in the rotor world we have limited options.. a few workshops i wont name or go near.. i use JRE down near immanuel college,

i do my own service work fluids/plugs/filters and i get him to tune the carbi, thats about all ive ever needed

2 yrs of happy rotating

Davinr5 Aug 2005, 2:05pm

not sure about rotors, but pistoned engined cars have their ups and downs

*ducks tomatoes and othe assorted fruit*

DeLr5 Aug 2005, 7:07pm

u coudl talk about mechanics all day .. but the conversation just goes round n round n round....