Alright, let me start off by telling a story. Yesterday, I got a call from a friend who said she needed her car worked on. She had a 2004 Mazda 6, which she claimed had strange noise in the engine, vibration in the front end, and rough stopping. So, of course, I brought it in to the shop and inspected wheel bearings, tires, the engine, and alignment. I found absolutely nothing. The check engine light was on, but it was just memory codes, so I erased them from the computer. I decided to make a little test out of the situation, so when I told her I was done, I said that I fixed the noise in the engine, balanced the tires, and done some adjusting to the alignment. (when really, I did absolutely nothing but clear the codes.) She texted me about an hour later saying that the car was running great and she was very appreciative for my help. Nothing had changed but the engine light being on!!!
Now, I said all that to say this; If I had been a mechanic and she’d brought her car in to my shop with the same complaints, which had all been in her head, I could’ve given her an extensive list of parts needed and gotten some serious cash out of the deal. Luckily, I’m a good kid and all I did was lie to her for the benefit of a good blog post…..
As most of you know, there are people in this world who have poor, poor morals, if any at all. Some of those people are mechanics, yes. So, ladies, when you bring your car to a mechanic shop, DO YOUR RESEARCH, FIRST! There is a good chance that they will take advantage of you. So, protect yourself and your wallet from the issue. Also, don’t let a check engine light get to your head. DO NOT be a car-ochondriac! It could be something as simple as a loose fuel cap. Just look up the problem you are having and if you find nothing, go to a trustworthy mechanic!
Drive safely, guys!
