Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide

by Patrice Banks

  - Dealership technicians have a depth of knowledge when it comes to your vehicle’s make, but they often don’t have the breadth of knowledge and experience that comes from exposure to a wide variety of cars. Nor do they have some magic wand that enables them to correctly diagnose a car every time—dealership technicians struggle with complex diagnoses just as much as the next tech!

  - Your options may be limited to a single dealership in your area.

  - Some dealerships are run by businesspeople who prioritize sales, branding, and publicity over employee training and development, long-term relationships with customers, and quality of service.

  - Technicians are paid by the job rather than by the hour. The upside for technicians is they can make more money by being quick and thorough. Really great technicians love this model. The downside? Mechanics aren’t incentivized to spend extra time on your car, and even experienced techs can forget or overlook things as they rush.

  But It’s So Dirty!

  Don’t be put off by a dirty garage—unless it’s accompanied by subpar customer service and a palpable sense of poor organization. This is a dirty job! Some of the best mechanics I know work in filthy but bustling shops. Clean bathrooms, nice waiting rooms, and pristine garages may be appealing, but these customer-facing touches can drive up overhead. Dealerships tend to get an A+ for cleanliness, but they often fail when it comes to customer service and price.

  Clean or dirty, sitting around in a waiting room at an auto shop is never going to be high on your list of fun things to do. But as a #shecanic, you recognize that regular visits to your PCT are essential to the health and wellness of your vehicle, right?

  The Major Chains: The Pros

  + Convenience and recognition. The major chains are everywhere.

  + Speed and price. If everything is functioning as advertised, service can be very quick and inexpensive.

  + Chains often offer automated service reminders and other tools to help keep your maintenance on track.

  + If you run into trouble with service at a chain, there is likely someone further up the ladder (or far away in a customer service center) for you to call.

  + Waiting areas are generally clean.

  + You can make a well-run chain location your PCT, but know that you’re not going to get the same service at every location. And turnover rates are high, which means that you might get good service one year and then find that everyone you dealt with has moved on.

  The Major Chains: The Cons

  - Name-brand recognition may give customers the illusion that chain auto techs are more trustworthy or highly trained, but in fact you’ll still need to do your research to find the right location.

  - With high turnover rates and lower pay, chains don’t necessarily attract the best or most experienced mechanics. Technicians may have received cursory on-the-job training rather than a classroom education or an in-depth mentorship.

  - Chains are largely run by businesspeople who prioritize sales, branding, and publicity over employee training and development, customer relationships, and quality of service.

  - You’re likely to be dealing with a service adviser who doesn’t touch or see your car rather than directly with a mechanic—though you should definitely ask to speak directly with whoever worked on your car if you need clarification about something.

  - Again, your service adviser will be trained at selling you on parts and services you may not need. Chains love to upsell customers. Be educated and empowered, #shecanic!

  - Chains tend to downprice their oil changes and maintenance items so that they can upsell captive customers.

  - Chains use aftermarket parts that are cheaper than OEM parts at dealerships. The quality of those parts varies greatly.

  - Chains may rush through jobs in order to service as many cars a day as possible, assembly-line style. This is how mistakes happen and things like adding engine oil or tightening lug nuts get missed.

  - Customer service can be inconsistent, varying from location to location.

  Parts Stores and Diagnostics

  Price-conscious #shecanics, don’t waste your time taking your car to a parts store for a free diagnosis. Take it to your PCT!

  While some people who work at AutoZone and other parts stores are graduates of automotive technology schools, often the employers and managers are people who understand parts better than they understand auto repair. The main incentive of a parts store is to sell you those parts. Their free check-engine-light troubleshooting consists of giving you a printout of your P codes (see page 131), but P codes are just the first clue as to what is going on. A mechanic still needs to read the codes and diagnose the problem.

  Independents: The Pros

  + Independent shops’ prices on both parts and labor will be lower than dealership rates and comparable to if not lower than those at the chains.

  + Good independent shops are great at relationships. They will give you the hands-on treatment that leaves a #shecanic feeling secure and understood.

  + There may be low turnover among staff, and owners and staff are often members of your community. At a really great indie shop, you’ll feel like family.

  + Indie mechanics may be able to give extra care and time to your car if they’re being paid a salary instead of being paid per job.

  + Independents may reward returning customers with discounts or free line items such as tire rotations—like getting that tenth pedicure for free. Independents live and die by referrals, so smart shop owners are invested in keeping their customers happy.

  + Independent auto techs may be open to negotiating on price. Mechanics don’t tend to negotiate on repairs under $500, but they might be able to give you a break on a very labor-intensive, expensive repair.

  + Indies often offer shuttle service to and from work or your home.

  + Some indie shops have waiting areas that are on par with, if not better than, dealerships’.

  + Trustworthy independent shops won’t upsell you on repairs or parts, because they’re more interested in keeping you as a return customer than in making a onetime sale.

  Independents: The Cons

  - Independent shops may lack the up-to-date technology and equipment or the highly trained technicians to work on newer, luxury, specialty, or foreign cars—unless they specialize in these types of cars.

  - Smaller independent shops may take longer to perform service or repairs on your car if they don’t have the staff.

  - Quality and service will vary drastically from one independent shop to another. You’ll need to do your research!

  - Independent shops use aftermarket parts that are cheaper than the OEM parts used at dealerships. The quality of these parts will vary greatly.

  - Small mom-and-pop shops tend to have small waiting rooms that can sometimes be dingy, dusty, and uncomfortable.

  Work That Body (Shop)

  Though they’re frequently confused, auto body shops and auto repair shops are two different animals. An auto repair shop, aka a garage, is the place where you take your car for internal maintenance and repair. An auto body shop or collision repair center specializes in expensive repair work on the outside, or body, of your car. That’s where you want to go after you get in a crash or someone scratches your paint job with a key.

  Talking to Your PCT

  As a mechanic, I’ve definitely seen women come into the automotive sphere with their guard up, assuming they’re going to get ripped off or talked down to. If that rings a bell with you, take a deep breath and hit the reset button.

  A great PCT should be easy to talk to, but the following tips will help you comfortably assert yourself as a confident #shecanic and an excellent customer.

  Never be embarrassed to ask questions. I always tell attendees of my Girls Auto Clinic workshops they should never feel embarrassed or ashamed to ask questions. Educating yourself is something you should feel proud of! And this should apply to all of your interactions with your friendly PCT.

  Ask to b
e shown the issue on your car. If you don’t understand your mechanic’s explanation of the diagnosis or the fix, ask him or her to show you on your car. Some issues won’t be visible, but most failures on cars can be seen, heard, smelled, or felt. And if a mechanic can see it, hear it, smell it, or feel it, so can you! Use statements like “I want to hear what you’re hearing.” If your discussion takes place over the phone, ask your mechanic to save your old parts so that he or she can help explain the diagnosis when you come to pick up the car.

  Ask for an estimate of the cost. You probably won’t need to ask—no mechanic should perform a job without first giving you an estimate, either verbal or written. They need your approval to proceed with the repair.

  Ask what you need to do now, and what can be saved for later. If you’re facing a steep repair bill and your mechanic hasn’t automatically offered up the information already, ask if any of the line items could be safely saved for later. A good mechanic will be honest with you about what’s truly necessary and what could be put off for another six months. Especially on an older car with a limited life span, it may not be worth your while to repair everything right away.

  Don’t take it out on your mechanic! Car problems can be a real bummer. You’re innocently going about your business, and all of a sudden your check-engine light comes on. Next thing you know your mechanic is telling you that you’d better forget about that vacation you were planning—you’re gonna be out $1,200. But cars are unpredictable. Parts will break, and systems will fail. This is true of anything that is engineered by human beings, from static buildings to machines filled with moving parts. Any part or system that exerts energy and power will eventually fail or die. And if the failure is a result of your negligence, all the more reason not to take it out on your innocent mechanic. Breathe, take a moment, and read on to find out more about how mechanics price their jobs.

  How Repair Shops Price Their Jobs

  If your mechanic hands you a bill that seems totally mysterious, you’re not alone. Given the many different types of jobs, the many different types of cars on the market, and the fluctuating costs of parts, prices for repairs (unlike maintenance tasks) can be tough to predict.

  I’ve estimated the price range for common maintenance jobs on page 56, and you’ll find mentions of price ranges for specific jobs throughout this book. The price of repairs, especially major ones, is another story. To get a sense of why they vary so much, let’s take a look at how auto repair shops set their prices. Generally, their prices are based on 1) a diagnostic fee, 2) the hourly labor rate for performing the repair, 3) the cost of any replacement parts, and 4) fees.

  1. Diagnostic Fee. When you car comes in for any issue, the technician’s first step is diagnosing the problem before recommending a repair. This can take anywhere from thirty minutes to two or more hours, and you will be charged a diagnostic fee for this time—unless a diagnosis takes less than fifteen minutes, in which case most shops won’t charge you a separate fee (provided you get the repair performed at their shop).

  2. Hourly labor rate. After the car has been diagnosed and a repair has been recommended, each shop has an hourly charge for labor. (Dealerships have the highest labor rates, starting at around $100 per hour and going up to $150 per hour or more.) You will be charged the labor rate times the amount of hours it takes to repair your car, based on an industry standard.

  3. Parts. All independent repair shops and chains make money off parts by buying them at wholesale prices, then reselling them to you at retail prices; there’s less variation at dealerships, since they’re almost always using OEM (original manufacturer equipment) parts—the most expensive parts. But you’re still not better off buying parts yourself and bringing them to your independent PCT. You might get a better deal on a quality part by shopping around—or you might get a cheaper part that will fail in six months. Aftermarket automotive parts are a billion-dollar industry, with parts made everywhere from China to India to the United States. Quality fluctuates greatly, and shops game the market by getting their parts from multiple manufacturers and distributors. So it’s best not to play around unless you know what you’re doing. Leave it to your PCT to buy quality parts for a fair price.

  4. Repair shops often charge a small shop fee to cover the cost of supplies and disposal of old parts and fluids. Things like rags, wheel weights, brake grease, oil disposal, tire recycling, and so on will be included in either a flat rate or an added percentage to your bill.

  Mobile Mechanics: Legit or Shady?

  A mechanic who comes to your house and fixes your car right there in your driveway sounds like a pretty good deal, right? Mobile mechanics are great for things like oil changes and brakes, but they are limited when it comes to repairs and diagnoses because they won’t have all the tools and equipment required to work on a car. Environmental regulations may restrict mobile mechanics as well. There are exceptions, and a few startups are trying to innovate in this space, but as a general rule I wouldn’t advise going with a mobile mechanic unless you’ve done the research to make sure you’re dealing with someone legit.

  Should You Haggle?

  A small study showed that independent repair shops may be willing to lower prices if you ask, and even dealerships can sometimes lower their rates. A mechanic may give you a lower price as a first-time customer to get you to come back again (though this isn’t something you’d ask for) on a repair over $500. But good mechanics price their jobs fairly from the start, so I personally wouldn’t recommend haggling.

  Just Say No to Those Chicken Nuggets!

  Ladies, I like the occasional Happy Meal as much as the next #shecanic. But when it comes to oil changes or brake repairs, just say no to those chicken nuggets. Those golden arches may tempt us with the promise of a delightful four-nugget snack for only $1.99. But you gotta ask—what else is in those nuggets that they can afford to price them at less than fifty cents a pop? It ain’t 100% chicken, that’s for sure.

  That’s the way I feel about oil changes for $19.95 or fifty-dollar brake jobs. These chicken nuggets of the auto repair industry are really enticements to get customers in the door, at which point you are slammed over the head with a bunch of stuff you probably don’t need. Shops that operate this way may use low-quality oil or parts, or even forget to change the oil in their rush to get through the job. And they certainly won’t be looking over your car to spot any potential issues like a quality PCT should. Even for something as simple as an oil change, don’t give in to the lure of the nugget.

  As far as shopping around for lower prices on repairs, that’s an approach I just can’t recommend. You’ll always be able to find someone who’s willing to do a cheaper job, but at what price to your car? Trust me, the odds are pretty good that you’re going to find yourself paying for it later. The lowest price probably means low-quality parts and an inexperienced or rushed technician. I’ve definitely seen how trying to pinch pennies in the area of auto repair can come back to haunt people. At best, the repair or service will need to be repeated at your expense. At worst, the repair or service could damage an expensive component of your vehicle, like the transmission.

  High Maintenance

  Now it’s time to talk about how often you should be visiting your mechanic: Showing up for scheduled maintenance appointments (generally every six months) is vital to the health of your car. As for what goes on during those visits, most of us seriously underestimate how much maintenance a car needs. Especially when it comes to newer rides, we assume oil changes and tire rotations will be the extent of the damage. That may be true for the first couple of years, but a car is a large and complex mechanical instrument filled with moving parts. We’re talking thousands of pounds of steel, aluminum, plastic, and glass, with joints, pulleys, pumps, and gears that rust and wear down as they rub up against each other and degrade over time. Until that self-driving car of the future comes with self-regenerating parts, we’re going to be maintaining our rides.

  The idea of spending money a
nd time now, for no other reason than avoiding having to spend more money and more time later, isn’t sexy. But most things we value need to be maintained.

  Your Wheels, Your $$$: Some Preventative Maintenance Is Free

  What is preventative maintenance? The ongoing habit of preserving and restoring your car so it (a) lasts as long as possible, and (b) doesn’t break down on you in the middle of rush hour. The good news is that anytime you bring your car into a repair center, your technician is going to be giving you a bit of free preventative maintenance by doing a quick checkup. For the price of that repair—even for just a simple oil change—you’re also getting a little freebie. Some technicians will go into more detail than others, but every technician should be performing a minimum health check: looking for, listening to, and feeling for any abnormal issues.

  Another win for maintenance: Prices on maintenance line items are much more predictable than they are for repairs, which can involve lots of diagnosing and sometimes a few dead ends. For more on budgeting for maintenance and repairs, see the timetable starting on page 56.

  A Master Schedule

  In every car’s owner’s manual, there is a detailed timetable of maintenance tasks. This is your maintenance schedule, and it’s specific to your car’s make and model. My 2010 VW Jetta has a different maintenance schedule than a 2008 Chevy Impala or a 2014 Kia Sorento.

  Knowing your car’s particular maintenance schedule will help you do two things:

  1. Properly maintain your vehicle.

  2. Avoid shelling out cold hard cash for upsells you don’t need. (They can’t sell you an air filter every time you go in for an oil change if you know how often you really need a new one.)