Hi,

I read on the internet and through advice that it is recommended to watch your mechanic closely as he works on your car to be sure he is being honest. However I would feel weird asking this because it's basically saying "i don't trust you". what is your opinion on this?

 

Meh, I doubt the mechanic will like it too much if you are watching him work. Also, it may be a liability thing if you are in the shop. If something happens, and you get hurt, that would not be good for the mechanic.

 

Most national chain shops like Firestone, Goodyear, etc. will not allow customers in the bay due to insurance and liability issues. If you find a small shop with a cool mechanic, you might be able to.

I was lucky enough to find a local shop through my local forum who will let me help if I want. Cuts down on labor because the job gets done faster.

 

Its actually rather annoying to have someone over your shoulder watching you. And especially if they bug you with alot of questions. Not to mention it takes longer to get the job done.

 

Yea really annoying. Do ask for your old parts though. You have the right to see them, and that will somewhat prove that the mechanic actually replaced something.

 

^ thats fine.. Also on big jobs i take pics to show the customers.

 

Also another thing i hear is that you should ask for the used parts back when they are done so you can be sure they replaced them. this again seems like it could be taken the wrong way as seems to scream "I DONT TRUST YOU". If my mechanic gives me a weird look if i ask this should i look for a different mechanic?

 

Hmmm....i think i understand where both sides(the customer and mechanic) are coming from. It is annoying to have someone not just watching..but staring at every little thing you do, and maybe ask questions if he/she don't know why the mechanic is doing a certain step.
Buuuut....on the customer's side. It is their car. They have the right to watch someone repair something they put thousands of dollars into($ to lease or buy the car). Some mechanics even replaces parts that don't need to be replaced just to get more money out of you, and to deal with only 1 car for a good part of the day. But..how can you tell if a part needs to be replaced if you know little to nothing about cars(which most customers don't)? You can't really tell till the shop gets the new part, then MAYBE you can compare if you're right there when the part gets in.

Sorry to get steal the thread alittle but a couple years ago i didnt know too much about cars, and my brakes on my town & country were squeaking everytime i hit the brakes, and i thought this was a sign that my brakes were going bad(so i thought). Went to a shop in the next town and they said i needed to have my rotors, pad, and calipers replaced..total was $1300 with military discount. I said forget it and took my van to another shop in my town. They said NOTHING was wrong with my brakes other then just some rust and dirt.

If you know cars(even if you do 't do diys)...god bless you. It'll save you money to know what to look for on your car, and what condition certain parts should be in.

If you don't know cars, then check out forums like this one so you can get good advice. You don't need to be a certified mechanic to know your own car.

 

Hey Briceman124 what are you having done to your car? Will it me a small shop or a large one like dealer or national chain.

 

well, i've taken my car to both really. I've been trying to find a shop that I should be able to trust. Even a shop that was a BBB member and ASE certified did some things that seemed suspect to me. So i guess you just have to pick a shop that has the best reputation and place your blind trust in them because once they take it into that garage you're not allowed to follow.