Car Repairs you don’t need
Taking your car in for routine maintenance has become a time and money consuming ordeal for many people. Long gone are the days when one could drop off their car and expect to be billed for only the services that were absolutely necessary for their automobile. While there are certainly a good number of honest mechanics, there are a number out there who recognize that the complicated machinery that makes up most motor vehicles today means that most of their customers are completely reliant on their mechanic to tell them what work needs to be done on their cars.
While the following services may actually be useful for some cars, for many vehicles they are overpriced and/or unnecessary. If your mechanic says that one of these services is needed, question him or her on the reasons why. If you’re not satisfied with the reasoning, refuse the service.
Throttle Body Cleaning: This service entails the mechanic spraying some brake clean into the easily accessible throttle body butterfly valve in the engine. While this service is often packaged with other services, a few dealerships will try to charge unsuspecting customers a lot of money for it. In actuality, it takes about five minutes to do this job. Don’t pay more than $10 for the service.
Bundled Maintenance Interval Packages: The owner’s manual of your car should come with a list of what is recommended to be done at specific intervals. Call several mechanics and price these services separately. Odds are you can save about 50% off of what the dealership would charge you for the package.
Power Steering and Transmission Fluid Flushes: Since many new cars now have electrically operated power steering systems this “service” may soon disappear. It should be noted, though, that replacing the power steering pump is not a very common service performed by most dealerships. In other words, this could very well be a completely unnecessary procedure. Always check your owner’s manual for manufacturer recommended service intervals. Most modern transmissions are sealed units and don’t require any service at all or only need it every 100,000 miles. Additionally, most fluid flush machines can only get about eight quarts of fluid out of the transmission. Most transmissions can hold much more fluid than that; essentially you are just mixing a lot of old transmission fluid with a little new fluid making it pretty pointless.
Part-Replacements: While parts can wear out on machines, not everything needs to be replaced as soon as it begins to show signs of wear. Always ask the technician to show you the “defective” part. A technician should never refuse to do this or to let you keep the part after the work is complete. If the car seems to be functionally normally, ask how much longer the mechanic believes the part will last. Avoid anyone who uses phrases like “I don’t think it’s safe for you to drive with the car like this” after a routine maintenance check.
Brake Pads: Hearing that something could be wrong with your brakes is one of the scariest things you can hear from a mechanic, and they know it. Unless you are experiencing any noticeable braking problems, such as a sudden squeaking, grinding or a loss of braking power; chances are nothing is wrong. Often a technician will advise that your pads are looking worn, or you might need to replace or rotate your rotors. I recommend prior to bringing your vehicle in: check to see how far you have to push your brake pedal. If it goes all the way or close enough to the floor, you might need to change the brake pads. Another good way to check is to actually visually inspect how much padding is left; anything over a 1/4 inch is still in good condition. You can have the mechanic show you the brake pads if you are unsure how to do this.
Windshield Wipers and Light Bulbs: Most people can tell if these items need to be replaced. At a dealership, however, be prepared to pay nearly double the cost for a simple job. Service centers gain commission on budget items like these, and they also utilize specific brands or manufactures so choices are limited to their pricing. Shop around for these items at local auto parts stores and check your owner’s manual for directions on how to replace them yourself.
