facts first presents ten secrets your
car mechanic won't tell you number one
some mechanics use scare tactics if you
take your car to the mechanic for what
seems like a minor problem it's likely
you will listen to their advice since
they are the mechanics and you're not
they know cars better than you if you
talk to a mechanic who tells you that
they wouldn't drive another mile in your
vehicle chances are that's a scare
tactic your car might need work however
it's unlikely that it's as serious as
they want you to think they just want
your business number to check for
certifications before you let a mechanic
work on your car most states require
mechanics to have a license in order to
make automobile repairs before you hire
a mechanic you should look for more than
a license it's best to work with a
mechanic who holds a National Institute
for Automotive Service Excellence
certification or an American Automobile
Association certification if you're
working with a reputable shop these
certifications will likely be proudly
displayed on the wall number three ask
questions first before you hire a
mechanic to work on your car you should
ask questions this isn't something that
most mechanics wants you to know because
the time it takes to speak to you is
costing them money before letting them
look under your hood you should find out
how long they've been in business
what certification and licenses they
have what type of warranties they offer
the more questions you ask the more
confident you can be that the person
working on your vehicle is legit number
four never sign a blank authorization
form there are some mechanics who will
ask you to fill out a blank
authorization form when you drop off
your vehicle this would give the
mechanic permission to fix any issues
they find this is not something you
should ever sign you should always get a
work order with these specific repairs
that will need to be made along with a
specific estimate the order should also
include any warranties on the work if
you give your mechanic carte blanche to
repair whatever they want you could end
up with a bill you can't afford
number five does the mechanic have a
scan tool and an engine analyzer if
you're taking your car to the mechanic
for engine trouble make sure they have
an engine analyzer and a scan tool if
the mechanic tells you that they don't
need any fancy equipment to repair your
car find another mechanic a good
mechanic knows that this type of special
equipment is necessary for proper engine
repair especially on more modern
vehicles number six
synthetic oil costs more if you're going
in for an oil change the mechanic might
offer you the option of using synthetic
oil they'll tell you that it's better
for your vehicle they'll also tell you
that you can get a lot more miles
between oil changes what they might not
tell you is that synthetic oil is
significantly more expensive than
regular motor oil if they don't tell you
that upfront you could end up getting an
unwelcome surprise when it comes time to
pay for the oil change since you can't
back out once the job's done you could
end up paying more than you intended for
your oil change number seven don't tell
the mechanic that they're giving you a
second opinion if you took your vehicle
to a mechanic and you got a diagnosis
you might want to see a mechanic for a
second opinion if this is something that
you're planning to do you should not
tell that second mechanic that they're
giving you a second opinion you also
shouldn't tell them the price or the
diagnosis that the previous mechanic
gave you let the mechanic check out your
vehicle on their own and come up with
their own diagnosis and price this will
give you the most information to make
the best decision possible
number eight coolant and power steering
flushes are not always necessary when
you go to a quick lube mechanic they'll
offer you a variety of services that you
likely don't need one common quick lube
gimmick is having your power steering
fluid and your coolant flushed most cars
are designed to drive a hundred thousand
miles before these things need to be
done also cleaning your fuel injectors
is a waste of money there are plenty of
additives available that provide the
same results and you can do it on your
own number nine free lifetime mufflers
if you're having muffler problems there
are many mechanics who offer free
lifetime muffler replacement since
nothing on a car lasts forever it sounds
good
these mechanics will give you free
replacements however you're gonna pay a
lot of money in expensive pipe repairs
try not to read too much into lifetime
mufflers when you see the advertisements
number 10 ask about the tires build date
of the 10 secrets your car mechanic
won't tell you this secret is the most
common one just because a tire has been
in the showroom and it's not been driven
on it doesn't mean that it's going to be
safe
many drivers think that they're getting
a great deal when in fact they're
getting an old tire if the treads are
three years old the tire might not be
safe to drive in the snow even if it's
never been driven on a road before when
you buy your tires
ask the mechanic for the tires build
date that'll ensure that you're getting
a strong dependable tire subscribe for
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