![]() That can lead to the customer's lack of confidence in the mechanic. They just blurt out the repair and the cost, and expect you to make an instant, informed decision when you don't have all information. ![]() Doctors, and mechanics, who are wrapped up in their work, forget or don't want to take the time to explain things in detail. A good doctor will explain things a lot differently to the patient than to another doctor. They are busy and have other cars waiting, and they describe the problem and cure as though they were talking with another mechanic. I've heard mechanics tell a customer what was needed to fix their car, and the way they said it, I wouldn't even approve the service. We fall into a rut when we explain the same things over and over so we start to leave things out, or we forget you're hearing this for the first time. That's okay if a preventive service makes your car last longer, but it should really be needed. Some shops are slow so they look harder for other things to sell you. We were always so busy, there was no need to try to pad the bill by selling unneeded services. I explained what their car needed right now and what could wait. I was lucky that I often got to meet the owners and talk with them. We had a REAL big base of repeat customers, both for service and new car sales. I made an effort to do extra things at no charge and to keep costs down to help prove we could be trusted. I felt just the opposite about woman customers when I worked for a very nice Chrysler dealership. The honest people in any profession don't make news. THOSE are the people who give every profession a bad reputation. A shady salesman for any product can make you feel good while ripping you off. We spent a lot of time in my classes too on "perception". Service advisers often don't know much about cars, but they have good communication skills something most mechanics lack. They just diagnose the problem, then report their findings to the service adviser who contacts the owner with various repair options. Many mechanics never even meet the car owner. As a former instructor at a community college, I was asked almost every week by someone to examine their repair bill, and when it was explained in layman's terms, people realized what at first appeared to be excessive charges was really the mechanic looking out for the customer in the long run. The same can be said of 90 percent of men. I've heard that many times before, but more often than not, it's not that you're a women it's that you don't speak the same language as mechanics. They are very good at getting your money after the sale. General Motors and Volkswagen are the worst offenders at that. I have to mention that for the benefit of other people who might read this and try it. Don't do this on newer cars because many computers can lock up and will need to be reprogrammed by the dealer. To erase the codes yourself, disconnect the negative battery cable for a minute, then reconnect it. Again, see if that code comes back after it's erased. The downstream, (after the catalytic converter), O2 sensor is just reporting what it sees, so changing it isn't going to fix a problem with the converter. Erase the fault codes and see if they come back before replacing parts. I suspect someone just unplugged it at one time. If the initial problem started from leaving the radiator cap loose, that's not going to damage the coolant temperature sensor. Professionals do at least a little testing first to be sure the new parts are needed. The coolant temperature sensor should be tested with a simple ohm meter reading before it's replaced. ![]()
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