Posted by Keith in Washington [172.71.150.216] on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 16:21:53 :
In Reply to: Any Real Mechanics Left posted by S. Bear [172.71.223.12] on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 21:09:01 :
Modern mechanics don't know how to diagnose problems without the computer pointing them to the problem. Yes that is needed on newer cars, but it really leaves the mechanic at a loss when it is not pointed out to them.
The other real issue out there is that nobody knows how to fix anything. They just start replacing parts until it's fixed. My daughter's AC clutch went out on her Honda. I was quoted $3700 to fix it. They were going to throw in a new compressor, dryer, radiator and other parts. I asked why. Basically they always replace all just to make sure it won't come back. The real eye opener was the cost of the compressor. They were charging more than the Honda dealer for it. Additionally they could walk across the street to a major auto parts store and buy the exact same compressor (brand and model#) for about 1/2 the price. The quote they gave me was totally generated by a software package that calculated hours and parts price. The guys there could not literally do a quote by themselves nor adjust anything in the quote. The result of this modern way of fixing cars makes it too expensive in many cases for people to have their cars fixed.
Oh by the way, it was $1400 plus tax to replace the brake pads on both axles. Again they were replacing everything regardless if it was needed or not and at over the top end part prices.
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