Gonzo

My wife really liked this story. She remembers the guy I was referring to. Although, it's more or less a cornucopia of different people over the years. She remembers "her" guy because it was our first anniversary, I was super busy, running 12 hours a day back then and didn't have time to get her flowers. The "her" guy brought flowers and told me to give them to her. Only problem was... she was standing right there the whole time. FYI.... I haven't forgotten since.

Pulling the plug on an old car We’ve all had those cars in our shop that would be better off resting at the nearest salvage yard. You know the ones with countless problems, none of which are cheap to repair. But, it’s an old regular customer who can’t afford much more than a Band-aide on the old ditch dodger, and you feel more family than mechanic, so you do your best to keep the old thing running. But, there comes a time when no matter how much bailing wire or duct tape you’ve got, ya just can’t hold the old car together anymore. That’s when you’ve got to break the news to them. Most of the time, they understand. Sometimes it only makes sense when you bring the shovel and shotgun along when you explain their car’s demise. The latest was a well-worn ‘85 van that has seen more than its fair share of soccer games and trips to the relatives. I don’t think the salvage value for the old car was much more than what it could bring on the weight scale. It had more than a few problems, and yes it would take a spell now and then and not start, but it always seemed to keep from completely falling apart. It didn’t actually leak oil; it sort of oozed it out here and there. The coolant more or less stayed put, but ya did have to keep your eye on it. The brakes, well, they were OK, and the master cylinder was getting a bit soft and due for replacement. The fuel pump whined awfully loud, but the pressure held up. The starter was caked in layers of grease and grime, and I was certain it wasn’t going to last much longer. The driver’s door sagged and creaked as you opened it. The passenger door, well, that one took a mighty yank to get it to unlatch. Then, it would make a loud popping sound as the door edge grazed by the mangled front fender. I think the lights worked fine, and it didn’t have any service lights on, but all in all… it was a mess. Of course, all of it could be fixed, but as the miles and age kept adding up little by little more things were going wrong. Now, it’s the motor mounts that have detreated, leaving the engine flopping around like a fish out of water. The air conditioner lines have been compromised, the power steering hoses are leaking, and the electrical connections are all getting pulled apart. And, now… the exhaust manifolds are leaking. I think it’s time, time to give this poor old car its last rites. I headed up to the waiting room to console my old friend about his decrepit car. We’ve worked together for many years on this old heap. The intention was always just to make it last one more month. Those months were years ago. I sat down to give him the news. “Well, partner, I think we’ve got enough assorted problems with the old ride that it’s time to either put some money into it or pull the plug. Or, dig a hole out back and place a shot behind the left headlight,” I told him. He laughed and said, “I’ve been waiting for you to tell me that for years.” And here I thought all this time I was saving this guy’s car from the crusher because he didn’t want to buy a new car. When in fact, he did like his old car but, he liked coming to the shop even more. His biggest thrill for the afternoon was watching and listening to all the antics going on at the repair shop. Seems I’ve been this old guy’s entertainment for quite some time. I never knew going to the repair shop was like a vaudeville act for this guy. Apparently so. No wonder he would sit for a few hours after his car was repaired. I thought he was just using the lobby as a temporary office, which I didn’t mind at all. He wasn’t one of those who was constantly interrupting the flow of the day with a question or two, but he always had a “Hello, how are ya” if you walked by. I guess listening in on the antics of the techs talking technical stuff, writing up tickets, taking phone calls, and all must be some kind of entertainment for somebody out there, and the somebody, was this guy. It was his way of getting out of the house and mingling with the world. I’m sure he probably kept a running conversation with his favorite checkout lady at the grocery store, too. I’ll bet he even enjoyed having solicitors call him, and I’ll bet they were the ones who had a hard time getting him off the phone… not the other way around. As with most of these jobs, and fellas like this, they eventually have to buy a new car. He doesn’t come around as often, except for an occasional oil change or new wiper blades. These days he doesn’t drive as much anyway. So, even his frequent trips have become few and far between. However, when he does come by there’s always a new story he wants to tell me about. Once in a while he comes in asking for a complete coolant flush or something like that when we just did one a few months ago. I suppose he’s getting either a bit forgetful in his old age, or he’s just looking for a way to hang around the shop a bit longer. So, even though it was time to pull the plug on the old car, the old guy still shows up from time to time. Sometimes it’s for a sound he heard, or a vibration he felt, or one of those, “Just check it over for me” kind of afternoons. You know, I think I’ve figured it out, it’s not so much the car that needs attention, it’s the customer. He just wants a bit of conversation and a little company. And, as long as I’m able to keep the doors open, I’m not pulling the plug on the comradery between myself and my customers. Cars only last so long, friendships last forever. View full article

fender lizards... that's a new one.... LIKE ! !

I try not to guarantee same day repairs either. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I fixed the 5 o'clock problem.... I close at 4:30. Lol. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Well, it is one of the many reasons why customers aren't allowed in the shop. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Shop Vultures They circle the shop watching your every move. You can’t get rid of them, and you can’t shoo them away. They’re fixated on the service bay where the tow truck dropped the latest dead car. Who are they? They’re shop vultures. Shop vultures, yes there are a few. It’s unfortunate that a few people don’t trust their car alone with a mechanic. They have to either be in eyeshot of it or worse yet, hovering around the car while the mechanic is trying to diagnose it. I for one, find it rather disturbing and quite annoying to have someone standing over my shoulder while I’m working on a car. I’m never sure if they are just watching to see if I made a mistake, or if the whole thing is some sort of side show performance for them. A few are more interested in the repair and watch things intently. Why, I even had one fella who took notes while I was working on the car. Maybe they’re just checking to see if what I’m doing equates to the charges on their bill. I think it’s the latter, or at least that’s what it seems to me. I find this type of personality generally doesn’t trust any type of service repairman. It doesn’t matter if it’s the plumber or the mechanic. They can’t sit and wait; they have to be out there checking on things. It doesn’t matter if they are carefully watching everything, while standing at the edge of the garage door, or following a few feet behind the mechanic… hovering. They’re going to keep close tabs on their car no matter what. Sometimes, they don’t even ask if they are allowed in the work area, they just barge right in as if they own the place. For the ones who barge in and take up residence in the service bay, sooner or later they’ll lean on the wrong thing or pick some greasy part up they shouldn’t have. The sight of the grease on their hands brings on a spasmodic response of quirky arm shakes and facial expressions while in the search of something to wipe it off with. Of course, they inadvertently reach for the same rag the part was wrapped in and end up making an even bigger mess than before. By now, the mechanic has noticed the convulsive antics of the now stammering shop vulture with their greasy appendages, and stops what he’s doing and finds them a clean rag. Sometimes, it’s not so much the leaning over the other fender that’s annoying, it’s the obscure questions they ask while doing so. Other times it’s the strange looks I get when I’ve taken all the lug nuts off the wheel and the rim is stuck to the brake rotor. Out of habit I’ll take the customary stance and proceed to shove all my weight against the tire while trying to pound it free. Yea I know, it probably looks like a gorilla pounding on a tire swing, but it does the trick. To the startled shop vulture the unexpected King Kong approach to tire removal will mean seeking out a higher perch, maybe a bit farther away. Sometimes just being in the shop and watching things like a stuck wheel or seeing what is involved in removing a stripped bolt can greatly affect their confidence… for the good, and sometimes for the bad. As well as typically questioning as to why you started with the under hood fuse box when their problem is the tail lights. And no, I don’t know why your car didn’t start one afternoon last year after you dropped your kids off for soccer practice… on a Thursday, even though it was the only day that it rained for weeks. It’s not that I don’t mind the occasional question or the rubber necking glances over my shoulder all that much, but let me do my job. Even an occasional conversation ain’t bad, but when I have to take the time to explain the inner workings of a low amp probe while I’m trying figure out why my battery is suddenly dead in my scope I might get a bit testy. Not that I couldn’t answer most of the unrelated questions that throw my concentration off, but why should I? Not to say I haven’t had to explain a PID, or what that squiggly line is on the screen, I have. It’s their lack of understanding after explaining something which leads to even more time spent explaining even more things that gets annoying. Not long ago I had a conversion van in with a possible battery drain. (As per the work order), I proceeded to do the usual draw tests that I normally perform. I use several different methods to find a draw on these cars. One is the old amp meter method, another is to read the millivolts across each fuse circuits, and the other is using a digital amperage meter specifically designed to read current flow. I used the digital amp meter this time around. Mainly, because it has a large display that both of us could see from a distance. After hooking up the leads I watched the digital display go from a 2.9 amp draw to 0.00 in a short bit of time. Once I zeroed out the meter a second time I reached over and opened the driver’s door. As soon as I did the meter jumped back up showing the draw. Then, in a minute or so, it was back to zero again and stayed there. I told the now hovering vulture, who seemed to be more interested in the gadgets and not the test results, that I didn’t see a draw on his van. Which led to a lengthy discussion on parasitic draws, what the meter was reading, and what the results of the tests showed. Even after this long dissertation of the fundamentals of Ohms law, and what the meter was showing… he still didn’t get it. He didn’t believe the results. He was absolutely sure he had a battery drain. That’s when the real truth of the matter came out. The battery in the car was just put in at one of those box stores just a few hours ago, and even though his original battery tested bad he didn’t believe it. Sounds to me like the diagnostics results are confirming everything is A-OK, everything that is, except for the battery that isn’t there anymore. What to do now? How do I show this guy the test results are correct and can safely go hover somewhere else? Well, I did the only thing I could think of. Spend the next 30 minutes teaching him how to do the test with my equipment on another car so he could see how to arrive at the results himself. Case closed, problem solved, even though I think this guy will always be a shop vulture, he’s a happy one. Obviously, the best thing is to try and keep these rubbernecker’s out of the shop, if at all possible. That’s not to say I don’t have a bunch of friends and old customers that spend time in the shop talking cars, or learning some new techniques. I certainly enjoy their company. It’s the type of person who doesn’t trust the mechanic and are ever watchful for something to happen. Being friendly, making small talk, that’s OK… shadowing the mechanic so close that you’re likely to get an elbow in your eye… not so cool. View full article

Way back when.... I was hiring in techs, I had fella who had a pretty impressive resume, had a lot of varied backgrounds in different aspects of automotive repair. In the interview he had only one request. He would only do engine overhauls and said he would only work on them if he was allowed to smoke in his area. Funny thing is.... my shop is strictly electrical service. Hmm, isn't the name of the shop "Superior Auto Electric"??? for pete sake.... Ah, ... fella ... why did you apply? Did you think I was going to start engine overhauls just because you were supposed to be that good? I told him to take his smokes down the road... and that he was at the wrong shop for his skills. He wasn't happy about that and started going off. I stood up and marched him to the door. go figure.....

What separates the USA from other countries? Our people and the belief that every man is created equal. Allowing everyone of us to seek our greatest achievements with no repercussions or retributions. The ability to be free and the ability to be one in the midst of many is the key to Americanism. Even though memorial day only comes but once a year it's the day we show our gratitude for their efforts and to show that their efforts did not go in vain. For those who have fallen in the pursuit of that freedom, Memorial Day was set aside to express that gratitude, and I'm proud to express my gratitude to all that have served and didn't come home. Freedom isn't free.... it's earned.

For Memorial Day, a time to remember all the men and women that gave their lives for our country. I would like to include all those who have served and were injured or incapacitated from their encounters during their years of service. Old Sarge was one of those guys. Semper Fi A hand salute to all that gave all they could to keep our country proud and free.

Always... I write down everything they are telling me whether they are standing in front of me or on the phone. I ALWAYS read it back to them. In some cases, no matter what they tell me, or what I write down they look at me as if I'm crazy and that they didn't say what they said. Funny part is... if they're standing in front of me they can see that I'm taking notes..... but.... apparently I don't do that very well either. ROFL gotta love em'...

Rude or Incompetent There's a point when all the communication skills and diagnostic theory just go straight out the window. Nothing you do will change or affect the outcome of the situation, no matter what you do. You’re at the mercy of the situation. I always go back to the quote by Will Rogers, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” I agree… except I don’t think Mr. Rogers was referring to the happenings at the service counter. It's not that I don't try to get along with everyone who comes in the door, but there are times that no matter what I do, we aren’t going to see eye to eye. Could be a communication problem, could be one of us is not comfortable with the surroundings, could be my turn for a bad day…or theirs… who knows? To be honest, I'm not one to sit and listen to a long winded story of how they bought the car on a rainy Tuesday, or how the right rear seat belt hasn't worked, and the transmission sometimes doesn't shift, then this morning the battery went dead so they had to jump start...but… that’s not what they brought it in for… however… they thought I should know “everything”. How about we just get to the point and go from there. For some… that’s not at all possible. And, if you ask, “So, what you want me to find out is why the transmission doesn't shift sometimes?” you probably just started a string of improbable conversations that will inevitably end with me being either called “rude” or “incompetent”. As with the following example. They'll answer, “No, I need you to find out why the engine stalls. What ever gave you the idea that I wanted you to look at the transmission?” “Cause you mentioned it right before telling me about jump starting it.” “What are you talking about?” “I'm talking about what you’re talking about.” “I said the car died when I was driving it, and now the battery is dead. That's why the engine is missing. Apparently you're not as good a mechanic as my friend said you were.” (See… I reached incompetent pretty quick this time.) Then there are the times someone will come into the shop and tell me somebody said to them that I give some sort of discount if they are a member of some car club. Or I have a “no charge” policy to check out their car for special customers. Huh? Really? Who? What the? How does this get started? Oh, and of course.... this leads to the “rude” side of things and another potential customer out the door. Even if I try to offer them some condolences for their misinformation their mind is made up, and since whatever it was they were told isn't happening, it’s OK for them to raise their voice and be demanding… because, well… I’m rude. The biggest laugh I get is the typical type of “A” personality person who comes in the door and wants their car looked at “NOW”. Are ya serious? How, what, when, or where did ya ever get the idea that you could walk into a shop, doctor’s office, restaurant...etc... And demand something like that? I'm afraid to say it but, it happens a lot. I suppose it's this rush rush world we live in these days that some people think the world revolves only because they allow it to. I guess I missed the fairy’s dancing in front of you while they were lofting rose petals for you to walk on… sorry about that… please forgive me. A typical situation happened just the other day. An elderly gentlemen came into the office asking about a brake problem he was having on a truck he kept alongside of his house. He uses it to pull a camper trailer, but he hasn’t used it in years. He wanted an estimate on bleeding his brakes, but before I could give him any kind of estimate he had to tell me all about the brake system on his truck. (Here we go…) I asked him what kind of truck it was. That led to him waving his hand at me as if I wasn't supposed to worry about things like that. He explained it to me, “This is a truck brake system that I’m talking about, and you don't know anything about those.” (Gee, I'm glad to know... that I don't know...so I guess without knowing...ya know, I probably can't fix it either.) He went on to tell me, “I saw a leak around that little thing that you bleed the brakes from, so I tightened it up. I've also switched it over to DOT 4 brake fluid and added a brake aide to it.” I said to him, “You've modified the brake system I take it? Dot 4 and some sort of brake aide? I'm wondering if the leak has been taken care of correctly. That could be the reason you need the brakes bled.” “I didn't put Dot 4 in it, and I don't have any brake aide on it... those are for big trucks. Mine is a ¾ ton truck,” he stammers. “You just told me you did,” I badgered back. “No, I didn't. Are you having trouble understanding me young man? All I need is an estimate for bleeding the brakes.” “What kind of truck is it?” “It's a Dodge... and it has a small camper trailer that I've had for a while. Oh it’s a real nice one, and I use it all the time.” “You told me you hardly use it, and that’s why it’s sitting alongside of your house.” “No, I use it a lot when I need to. So how much to bleed the brakes?” “If you're seeing brake fluid leaking odds are you probably need a lot more than just the brakes bled, sir. Chances are it could be a wheel cylinder leaking, and of course I'll have to check the fluid for any contamination. Which could lead to even more issues.” “Oh, I see, Ok then, I don't have the truck with me. Can't drive it right now... brakes ain't working, I just need a price for bleeding them.” “I could give you an estimate on the average time it takes to bleed a brake system that is fully functional and doesn't have any other problems, if that's what you'd like?” “I'll bring the truck in so you can look at it and give me an estimate, as soon as I get the brakes fixed.” (Ah dah, isn’t that what you wanted me to fix?) This is like the guy who drives his car to the shop because it won't start. I'm really laughing inside you know, even though I’m being as professional on the outside as I can be. I mean seriously… the car that you drove to the shop starts and runs fine… what am I supposed to do now? A few hours later the brake bleeder guy is back. “What can I do for you now?” I asked. “None of the other shops would talk to me. They told me to get out. You're the only one who would even tell me what’s going on. So can you give me that price on bleeding the brakes now?” he asked. I guess I wasn’t rude or incompetent enough… it never ends. View full article

You know, we all have our limitations as far as what type of work/repairs we are capable of and or qualified to do. I don't pull motors, change transmissions and stuff like that, but I know the right people to send that kind of work to. It's these shops that try to handle everything and fail that tick me off. They'll keep a customers car forever and charge them outrageous amountd of cash. All it does it leave a bad feeling about the automotive repair industry as a whole. Now I'm hearing ads where a franchise transmission shop will check your "check engine" light for free, and will set up payment installments if it's a major repair. Come on now... stick to what you say you do... that is fixing transmissions. You can't convince me that their tranny guy knows enough about power window data circuits to properly diagnose them. Maybe I'm wrong, but it just doens't seem right to me.

I'm nominating my wife as the world's SUPER best mom and grandmother!

Mechanics Need Not Apply It shouldn’t be that hard to find a mechanic, why everybody is a mechanic, don’t ya know. So, if there are so many mechanics out there how come finding a good one is such a challenge? Could it be that these so called mechanics have been lying to us all this time? I find it very disconcerting that after 3 decades in the repair business I haven’t ran into as many mechanics as they say are out there. There are shops and various companies out there that hire people in to fill these positions who they believe they are mechanics. But, turn out to be your typical person with a mechanical aptitude but very little in the way of training in the field. However, they can bluff their way through most common problems. Sometime ago, a guy came in with a car that was extremely hard to start, especially after the engine was warmed up. He took it to one shop who changed a part or two, but that didn’t fix his problem. Then, he took it to another shop that stumbled around with it for a month. A month mind you! There answer to the problem was that it must be a fuel pump. And, how did they determine that? Well, like any typical backyard mechanic would diagnose it. They sprayed some fuel into the intake. So, naturally, it must be a fuel pump that’s gone bad. No, they didn’t check to see if it had any fuel pressure, no, they didn’t bother to scan it, no, they didn’t check to see if it had any injector pulse or not… no, they didn’t do anything that would resemble a reasonable attempt at diagnosing it. Needless to say, it was still extremely hard to start. After a month of guesses the car owner’s patience’s was wearing thin. Now the car was at my door. A faulty cam sensor and an overheated crank sensor was all it was. All it took was a look on a scanner to see the various input and output controls that the computer was monitoring. From there, check the leads for any damage, and scope the sensors (under the conditions of the failure). Easy enough…didn’t take me a month though. With a little background in how each of these sensors played a part in the engines operation you could have deduced what the problem was in less than a month… seriously people. And, to this day, that shop is still in business, and has the gall to call themselves a mechanic shop. There are a lot of parts chasers out there that shouldn’t even own a tool box as far as I’m concerned. Am I ticked off? You bet! Granted, these Neanderthals with wrenches keep my shop full, but at what cost to the consumer? This is my point. If you’re going to be in the business of repairing today’s cars, then by all means… fix them, or pass on the job (at a reasonable time level) and suggest to the customer the appropriate shop that can perform the work. It’s not just the mechanics either; it’s the shops and companies that allow such things. Oh sure, if you talked to the higher ups in some of these large national franchised corporations they’ll tell you they have the best mechanics in the business. Honestly, I doubt any one of those executives have a clue as to what’s really going on. And, I seriously doubt any of those execs. are driving around a late model car that has seen way too many miles and is barely keeping all four tires on the ground. I wonder if they’ve ever spent any time in the service bays to actually see what’s going on or not. Even though, most general repairs can be accomplished by anyone who calls themselves a mechanic, it’s the evaluation and diagnostic work that seems to be lacking. But, people who are looking for bargains will still cater to the shops that don’t charge a diagnostic fee or has the cheapest rates in town. Not to get a second rate repair on their car mind you, oh no, they are looking for the same kind of results that they would expect at a much more qualified (expensive) shop. They are strictly after the cost savings and not poor workmanship. They usually won’t see the difference in their decision until after they’ve picked their car up. Today’s cars are not the kind of thing to be left to some guy who has nothing more than a hammer and a screwdriver to test the car. But, for some reason, people will still go to that type of shop thinking they are going to get top notch service. I see this every day, and every day I’m still shocked that these shops are still in business. So where are all these mechanics at? I still haven’t found them. Most good mechanics know who the good mechanics are in their area. Good shops and good mechanics don’t need to look for work. Those cars that need their expertise will find them eventually. Usually after the owner has ran the circuit of poor diagnostic results at those other shops. The problem is by the time some of these cars finally make it to the right mechanic their bank account is tapped out, and this usually ends with the same old scenario at the service counter. You might say, “Well, I go to the dealership because those guys are the best trained guys out there.” Not necessarily, most of your top notch independent shops have as much time in a class room or in a book as most dealer mechanics do, if not more. In fact, most independent shops have an exceptionally wider array of knowledge. Different types of tools such as scopes, various scanners, and independent training companies that aren’t offered through the dealerships. This whole thing just irks me to no end. If there are so many people out there that call themselves mechanics then why is it so hard to find a good one? I guess, the next time I decide to hire some help I’m going to hang a sign out front that says, “Help Wanted - Mechanics need not apply – Unless you really are one.” View full article

The dignity and the care that many of our professional people out there that deal with the sad/bad part of our community is overshadowed by a few. Stories like this should be promoted on every network and local news. Less bad news and sensationalism and more stories like this. I'd rather hear about a boy scout helping an old lady across the street than I would about someone killed over a bad drug deal. Just sayin' Good news is good to hear. Thanks for posting this Frank. U da best!