With the kind of money it takes to buy all those SnapOn tools, NOBODY should be near them much less digging around in the tools you bought. You're better than I am. If I would have pulled up and saw someone messing around in my tools "looking for something", they would have learned a valuable lesson on what an AC gauge set is good for other than just checking AC pressures. It works really well as a beatdown tool. I can't stand people that don't respect what others have worked so hard to get.
I remember watching fistfights nearly break out between mechanics scrummaging through others toolboxes back when I worked in a shop. Most of us were very particular with who was allowed in each others boxes. Never had a problem with others letting me borrow tools, but I always asked first and always brought it back. Can't just go through scrummaging. That's like walking into someone else's house and looking for stuff. SMH.
More like that’s how tools find legs, as in my 3/4” breaker bar finding your shin after I start beating you with it for going in my toolbox without asking. My tool box even has a disclaimer, “Danger, entering this toolbox without permission may cause severe personal injury, enter at own risk.
Sadly, in this day and age it's necessary for about everything! Bring a car in to get it fixed, don't like your diagnosis so basically call you a liar and then ask to have the oil changed. I would have shoved that car up his arse and tell him his buddy can do that too! If he knows so much about cars why did he bring it to their shop? He's a POS!
Back when I worked in a repair shop we were required to have the customer with any car with an unsafe condition such as missing lug nuts have the car towed off the property
Or, and this is a real possibility, another shop "said" that they replaced it or them, customer paid for the parts but the shop didn't actually replace the parts.
Nothing wrong with wrecking yard parts as long as they're still good. But you have to make sure that they're still good. I saved almost $1000 by getting 4 struts and springs from a 7 year old car with a mere 13,000 miles.
Just a suggestion, I was a tire guy for over 22 years. When I came across lug nuts that were a bit hard to go back on because of thread damage, I would run the lug nut on backwards , then take it back off and put it the correct way. Believe it or not it worked every time and I even had some pretty questionable lug nuts I thought had no hope. Thought I’d share that with ya. Awesome videos bud, I really enjoy them…
I'm, right there with you... Dennis at Hooligan Auto Repaid - thank YOU for fixing every project I have tried to complete myself... and not laughing at me too much (in front of me).
CS : Vehicle Shakes when applying brakes while driving normally. Recommended Repair : Replace Rotors/Drums as confirmed experience with shaking while driving and applying brakes. Also visual inspection suggests brake surface wear. PS Repair : Lugnuts stripped AF. CS : "I just paid $1200 for new brakes all the way around. I meant the brakes apply themselves. Not that it shakes. Just change the damn oil." Repair : Slap it with an oil change because the customer doesn't believe what was found. Boy do I miss managing a shop. Such magical experiences.
Toboe this is an old inexpensive Toyota with 80,000 miles... Toyotas can last a really long time but it definitely depends on how you take care of it and the conditions it drives /sits in. Corolla with a Chevy badge stuck on.
I don't really have too much of an issue with it myself. Customers have to deal with a lot of scummy mechanics that absolutely rip you off. You have to find a person you trust, or be assertive and adamant. Sometimes stuff like this (new drums) sounds straight up scammy, but is just mechanical failure.
Getting impatient within them just increases your own mileage. I'm not sure about how things are in Florida, but the few times I ever saw rust like that were on a couple vehicles caught in a flooded parking lot and left there for several days.
Just look at the condition of the interior.... it tells you everything about why the owner declined repairs. Clearly he knows more about proper maintenance.
The same person who told him he needed a proportioning valve probably also did his brakes and told him they put new rotors and drums on. Seen it before numerous times.
A salvage yard or he was taken. Bad thing for a lot of people is they don't know how to check things. Of all the things they teach in school more should be taught on home care, car care, and such, because, let's face it, people will rip you off.
@@payforwin6697ive had friends ask me to put on new pads but use old rotors. Nah not doing that. Raplace pads and rotors at the same time. Heard some say they have them turned. Save 10 bucks lol
This makes me think that the other shop that tries to sell him the replacement of a proportioning valve that the car doesn't have is the same shop that has charged him for a full replacement of the brakes but only replaced the pads, lost his wheel nuts and fucked up his wheel studs. Sadly the customer chose to trust the wrong guy.
If you’re a cheap customer in the automotive field your car is not getting love in any form. It just doesn’t make sense from a business standpoint to take care of someone who only comes in for the cheapest possible repair.
But also I’m not saying half ass the work, I doubt the owner of the vehicle actually paid someone for the work, customers always say they had something replaced that’s clearly not and they know that, but it’s easier to tell the mechanic I had it done VS a straight up no
@@OSRSnChill In my experience, the guys who charge the most per hour are the guys who do the best work. It also helps if they have a fleet of F-150s in front of their garage
@@steezydan8543 that’s right to a certain degree. I definitely think there is like an hourly rate threshold. I get people are trying to lower costs. I always tell my customers, you get what you pay for. I’m not the most expensive, but you will pay more and I will do it right the first time. Most people learn the hard why but being cheap and paying for the job to get done 2-3 times. Educating and “training” your customers is an important part of business a lot of mechanics aren’t great at
@@OSRSnChill I mean. I want the cheapest possible work simply because 1) My annual insurance costs me more than I paid for my car (mines actually functional though unlike this dues) so basically any repair is going to cost me a significant portion of the purchase price lol. and 2) I bought such a cheap as shit car because im broke AF. With that said though, Im also not an idiot. I found a mechanic that's shown he is honest, So My expectation is that he will find the best compromise between cost and function, And in turn when he says "you need this thing, no way around it" I mumble and grumble to myself on the way down to pay the man, Because he knows his shit, i don't (if i did, ida done it myself) and If he tells me its needed, Its needed. I value my life higher than the cost of any car repair. It blows my mind that other people are dumb enough to think that bad things cant happen to them, or value themselves soo low that they would rather risk it than pay a few hundred bucks.
Been wrenching 42 years as a diesel mechanic for Cat, Detroit, then Pepsi fleet. I will say most of my customers were loyal, hard working and honest. You took care of them and felt good about that. I rarely worked on cars only for good friends. In my opinion the car customers were the most difficult and the way you handled that was first class.
you mean someone that payed for his own car and pays for repairs out of their own pocket were more concerned about the job than the drivers of vehicles that belong to a multi-million companies? Shocking, really.
@@Ludak021 What? no. The drivers weren't the customers. I doubt he even talked to the drivers. A company has to be careful due to other laws as well. An unsafe vehicle that they knowingly let an employee drive is a huge liability. Now the owner of this Corolla is just being a tightwad idiot or didn't understand. 3 lugnuts on a front wheel? FFS, spend the $2 and get a new one put on. IMHO, the brakes weren't perfect but I've driven similar without concern.
A neighbor asked for advice. I ran down a few things. And decided that the coil was bad. He wanted to replace the computer. Ok bit I don't see it. He changed it and nothing improved. Then I found out that he had put in a junkyard coil and that's when it died. He put back in the original one and "he fixed it". He tried to blame me for it needing a new computer. Some guys just think that working on cars is a given genetic trait. You don't have to get an education, it is just something that you know.
I learned about this kind of situation way back in my early twenties. That's why I refuse to work on anybody's car. If they ask for my advice, I'll give them a couple of ideas of what I think the problem might be and advise them to take it to their preferred mechanic for the repair.
I agree, it was really nice of him to listen to what he was told... Used what he knew, and kept in mind folks do not have deep pockets... Giving the owner the most cost effective option..... I do not like the owner did not let the car get fixed, but hey that is on them....
The odds are that who ever did the last brake job, told him that he had replaced the old drums and rotors with new. Lied about that but charged him as if he did.
lots of grades of brake rotors and pads. you can pay 20 bucks to 150 per rotor. you get what you pay for. and changing rotors and not pads is illogical.
I actually had a mechanic call me in a panic telling me they accidentally put one of the old parts back on my transmission during a rebuild. Apparently he felt uneasy about something and double checked his cameras at about 2 AM. He calls me at 6 AM says bring it in let me check I think I fucked up. Get you a mechanic that's honest like that.
2 Clues. 1 The missing and non oem lug nuts. 2. Did you notice how shinny the bake hose connectors' in the wheel wells were? Id bet someone half assed a pad job. Told the guy driving a 30 year old car with 80,000 miles he replaced/machined the rotors, maybe even the drums and was good to go. For 80k those rotors and drums look stock af.
Never have I ever considered delivering my car to a mechanic for repairs without cleaning it out first. It's just common courtesy. Someone failed when they raised their kids.
Well said, and I think it's even more than that. I don't think any technician would care about a vehicle neglected by a customer. The way I see it - if you don't care about it, why should I?
I raised my children to clean their rooms and keep their cars clutter free. Once they left home things changed. I can't forever hound or nag them after they became adults and lived on their own. Isn't freedom from parents great? They know so much more than their parents. Can't wait for them to come full cycle in life.
Yup. Not only does an unclean interior reflect poorly on me, I won't trust someone to treat my car with the proper amount of care if they feel like they could catch a venereal disease just by poking their head inside it.
@@retegoe Wouldn't pass the annual test in the UK, required for tax disc. Also if stopped by the police would have discretion to impound vehicle or give 5 day ticket to fix all problems or face a decent sized fine and possible points on license if its a real hazard, and that one looks like an accident waiting to happen.
@@stevegoodanew306 the 1 wheel with illegal lug nuts is automatic 3 points, missing lugnut on other wheel probably get aproducer that it got fixed, but more than likely you'll get 3 points each wheels + upto £2500 fine (or more) because he is aware of the condition of both wheels
Man I'd feel super awkward handing in a car that messy to a shop for work. I always make sure the inside of my car is clean and clutter free before I bring it in somewhere lol
I totally agree. When I was young, I owned some crappy cars... that's just how it is when you're young and broke. But I always made sure my cars were washed and cleaned out, including the trunk, when I took them to the mechanic. It's called courtesy. Side story... years later, a coworker complained of a clunk in the rear end of his car when he turned right. I took it for a drive and found nothing mechanically wrong, but heard the same noise. I opened the trunk to find two wine bottles that were rolling against the fender well. Removed and the clunk went away. He was pretty embarrassed about that one.
I would have bet money that with that mess, a Starbucks, and the horrid shape that poor car was in that it was a chicks car. I was stunned when Ray said it was a dude!
I worked as a master auto mechanic for 18 years, and it never ceased to amaze me of the people who came in with such things. Had a customer come in to change the summer air over to winter air in her tires and add 60 lbs of air to the summer tires in the trunk so she had 120 lbs of weight for traction. At that point I just said will do. Had several customers wanted to help me do their break job so it could be done quicker. Those were met with a "customers are not allowed in the work area during the repair process" and cranking up death metal on my boom box. ( only long enough to drive them away while I did the repair) I have many other stories. To bad they didn't have camera's and you tube back then.
If tire pressure worked that way. I'd want it in the winter tires for the extra traction. Some people really should stick to walking. We would be safer.
@@averthewin1689it's the same car. 98 Corolla/ Chevy Prizm. I learned to drive on a 98 Corolla. Its just like the 01 Chevy Malibu and Oldsmobile Cutlass is the same car, just different badges.
I operated my own repair garage for thirty years and was a certified master mechanic. I always enjoyed some of the stories my customers gave; like the fellow that brought in a Mustang. his complaint was "It made a little ticking noise and cut off.) He failed to mention the two connecting rods dangling through the gapping hole in the cylinder block. I really enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the guys that brought in their own parts you know the kind, They came in a white box with no name or identifying markings because the manufacturer was too ashamed of the junk quality they were selling. Of course the idiot who brought them in wanted to know what kind of warranty I would offer on them. I am so glad I am retired.
"I will warranty that the parts are INSTALLED correctly. I will not warranty the parts themselves, nor will i warranty the labor to change the parts if they fail" ;-)
Geez, I can only imagine the stories mechanics and shop owners have. That said, I'll never forget the time I took my car in to get the muffler and rusted out piping (everything rusts out along the Jersey shore) replaced at a well known muffler shop. While waiting, this young guy (or kid) walks to the counter and asks one of the shop hands if they could install headers on his car. So the clerk says, "What kind of car?", to the response of, "A Dodge Neon". I remember doing a double-take; as I looked back and forth between the two lol. But the clerk's facial reaction was classic followed by, "Why?" It was one of those funny-head-scratching moments. But nothing has changed, huge mufflers that sound like mopeds with rabies or enormous rear wings on frontwheel drive cars. Hehe oh well.
I used to clean the oil pan, clean up rims, tire shine. *Quick spray paint oil pan. Customers would insist on I do oil changes & other work. 🤣 Pissed off my co-workers. Oh well
I think what happened here was the guy LOST all of his nuts on one of his wheels, THEN he used these whatever these are from nuts, that don't thread properly. He realized that the wheel might just fall off, so he TOOK one of nuts from his other wheel to try to have the wheel stay on, even if the other three unscrew.
When they try to argue over your diagnosis, especially one this straightforward, you just gotta shrug and let him known he's free to waste his money elsewhere.
Worked in a Chevy Service shop for a few years out of high school shagging cars. Cousin was a mechanic there on the light line. The transmission mechanic we had was the best I have seen then and now. While I was there, he never had any come backs. Except one, and it didn't even make it off the service drive. It was brought in because it was grinding when putting it into gear. I believe they replaced the clutch. Customer came to pick it up. Had it on the outward going door. Customer got in, and immediately ground the gear putting it into gear. Customer straight away came back up and complained it wasn't fixed. Called the mechanic up to the drive. He immediately got in, moved the seat forward and got out and walked away. Customer got in, started the car and it went right into gear no problem. Just some of the crazy stuff I seen while there.
@@jeffreyrogers8151 Six lines was too much? I didn't realize there was a youtube standard that covers reply length. Is there a reason it seems this reply was too long for you?
Most mechanics have stories of drivers who either can’t (or won’t) use the clutch properly. My friend had an old customer who did around 5000 miles and a new clutch every year.
The fresh washer on the drain plug has doubled the value of the car. Having only three wheel nuts is going to cause some vibration as the wheel will be slightly out of balance.
3 stud wheel may be slightly out of balance but I think the car owner's thinking is way out of balance. You should have brakes steering tyres and lights in good working order or the car is unsafe and should not be on the road.
The wheel nuts are too far inboard to make any kind of meaningful difference for the wheel balance. But even if they did, that's the least of his problems. There's no way a car in this condition would be allowed to drive in any EU country. I doubt it would even last till the next inspection, the police would immediately clock it, check the condition, and send the owner walking home.
While it will make the wheel slightly out of balance the more serious factor is the warping action by not having 4 lugs pulling the wheel tight. Dont misunderstand but it would almost be better to use 2 lugs than 3 because that way it woudn't be warping the wheel. As far as the out of balance effect is less nearer the center of the wheel and more noticeable at the outside of the tire. After all that for the Customer its a safety thing it should have all the lugs this isn't high school. I think I might have Compted the lug if I had one and noted it on the work order. That would be more protection for me and it might be that small thing the customer got for free they might remember and come back fro more work. Being a mechanic is also a public relations job. And practicing being patient but firm is worth it to get repeat customers. might have also tried to machine the drums and rotors if they weren't already undersized. It was interesting job I didn't know Geos had toys in them. I love 4 cyl toyotas they are the best sewing machines in the world.
@@sarsattacks5760 This got noting to do with the drum. On some cars the ting with the studs must be removed, because there is not enough space behind, However, hammering will be not so nice anyway, and our hero here would have to get the studs first, and liability later. So he didn't touch that. Much can go wrong.
CS "Just replaced the drums and rotors" What the customer meant was that the last mechanic lied and didn't replace the rotors and drums but charged him for it.
I've had some bad vehicles in my days of wrenching. A few come to mind, 1) I had a Chevelle once where the guy came in for tires. When the wheels came off he had rims bolted to bare axles in the rear because the wheel cylinders had ripped out of the backing plates so he cut and soldered the rear brake line shut and pulled everything off the rear and bolted the wheels back on. 2) I had an extended f150 with a 10 foot bed, I had to raise it on a front-end rack because he welded 2 frames together with a simple steel plate on each side and I refused to lift it on a lift because I had a friend die while lifting a home made tow truck like that and it broke in half while he was under it. 3) The best one of all was not only the customers fault but also the service writers fault for taking the job. I still have a copy of this work order after 20 yrs. Complaint was "Engine Diagnostic - Poor acceleration with brakes applied".
@@sockshandle Sounds like a corporate contract. We used to get that crap right before a 96 in the USMC Avionics shop: "O.N. switch does not function in the O.F.F. position". We'd be left working an ex-rep while some butterbar, whose plane was now grounded, went out and got s***faced.
Howdyyawl from the land down under. In the land of OZ, if a vehicle is serviced & a problem is found that is defect to safe operation, it has to be fixed or the vehicle is marked for defection until it is fixed. It cannot be moved under it's own power until it is so. Keeping it real.😊
@@bryancannon631 hey now, I can change my own rotors and breaks, but I don't know which of the 7 different things it could be that is causing it, breaks, rotors, the steering shift, bent/broken axel, struts, control arm going bad, all things that could cause a wheel vibration, hell even really low oil can cause it, I'd rather have someone that knows more then me to figure out what it is so I can fix it. I once had a shop price me $300 to change my blower motor, i bought the part for $70 and changed it in 5 minutes myself, it was 3 bolts and a wire clip under the glove box un covered.
@@atk9989 Sure, but this particular guy couldn't even figure out the correct lug nuts and destroyed the threaded wheel studs, making his car unsafe to drive. Some people can perform these tasks and some simply can't. This one, can't. And i don't want to get killed by an incompetent guy who fixed his own car to save money, because his wheel wasn't secured properly. My life and the life of my kids are more important than his wallet. Some people can fix their own cars and some think they can, endangering us all.
@@jake_ And some of us know that we can do some things and not others. I've done brakes. I've done water pumps. Heck, back in the old days I was pretty good at replacing the points and condenser and getting the dwell and timing right. When it came time to replace the clutch, I paid to have it done-largely because I didn't have the tools, and I figured that getting the tools was going to cost more than the labor to have a pro do it. As someone once said, "A man's got to know his limitations".
One of the great joys of working on commercial airliners was that I never had to interact with the customers (the airlines) or the "drivers." The company took the job, it came into the hangar, and we did the work. And if I found something that was a flight safety issue, that aircraft would never fly again until after it was repaired. No matter what it cost. And you never touch an aircraft mechanic's toolbox without explicit permission. Not if you want to keep those fingers. If you want to borrow a tool, it's best to ask, and let the mechanic hand it to you. Loaning tools is a big risk. Not only can you lose a tool, but a tool left on an aircraft is a serious offense. If someone borrows one from you and leaves it, YOU are responsible for it.
@Phil Ward Many is the time that we waited through almost the entire next shift while the airframes figured out where they left their god-damned 5/8" socket. I'm glad for it, in perspective. That sort of consequence had serious motivational power when it came to tool control, and doubtless saved lives.
I dropped a screw in behind the circuit breaker panel on my KC-135. We had several folks search for hours, and met the requirements to just sign it off. Knowing it was near lots of bare electrical connections, I kept looking. I finally found the screw tucked in the corner of the frame.
I can vouch for the entirety of the comment. I was known as "Hammer" in my airframe shop because, I've been known to carry a hammer with me everywhere, and to take a swing at people who got too close to tools or parts. I got really protective of my toolbox and parts after one of my former Platoon Sergeants decided it was a good idea to cut a part in half while he was screwing around with whatever he got his hands on.
@@robertheinkel6225 Ugh. I dropped a washer (about 3/8" in diameter) into an exhaust port, once. It would be extremely unlikely to cause a problem, if left where it went, but nope. I spent over an hour just finding the thing. I had to use a borescope to locate it - and then it was only by accident, because it had wedged itself between a titanium exhaust panel and a support member. Very hard to see, and getting it out was an exercise in frustration. I tried several different things, and what ultimately worked was wrapping some .040 lockwire around a stick and making a hook with a very odd shape to get in behind it and pull it out. It wouldn't have caused any problems, but military rules cannot be denied.
after all, if something happens with the airplane during flight - you will be responsible. My grandpa always told me: never loan to anybody 3 things: your car, your woman and your tools. Well, he said horse instead of a car, because he had horses then.
If my grandpa says something like that, it means shorly after WW2. He was suprised that I changed his oil and flushed the radiator and replaced the fluids on his '78 car. I mean, sure he drives it only on sundays to church and maybe once a month on an errand, but I see him maybe once a year and the fluids age regardless if you drive the car or not.
Like how u handled that! Document your findings & make recommendations! They don’t like….. let them have it back! Funniest thing is they didn’t know what was wrong with it so they brought it to you(a mechanic)! It’s the same thing in HVAC! I had a customer try to catch me in a lie regarding a bad circuit board on a gas furnace! Every time I told the problem they’d ask me to repeat! (Of course as I tell I try to break it down for them to understand better)! I finally told them as nice as I could …. “We are talking in circles!” Other words… my story’s not gonna change! BAD CIRCUIT BOARD …NEEDS REPLACING! I finally called my manager & told him what was going on there! I found out other technicians had been to the same house & had a problem with the customer!!! THE CUSTOMER WAS NUTS!!! And I was asking myself… why did they send me to this house!???! Lol! I think it was to confirm their suspicions😮😂
They probably sent you cause the other guys been there done that and refused the assignment knowing full well what was gonna happen again. You was just the next unlucky guy in line to share in the experience ..what i would be asking is: why didnt you guys warn me? They probably got a good laugh out of it back at the shop.
Sounds totally different if you know about cars. Even the customer knows this guy doesn't have a clue and just wants his car out of there as fast as possible.
@@AmityPost Are you able to expand on your comment? I know nothing about cars and the mechanic sounded genuine so what does he not have a clue about and how was this demonstrated? Not flaming, just curious. :)
@@Matelot123 , Colm is bullshitting you and everyone who reads his comment, i started to get into Mechanic's about a year ago and have replaced brakes and rotors many times and everything this mechanic said and showed in the video is correct and truthful, i replaced the front rotors and brake pads in my car 2 weeks ago when i had some vibrations in the steering wheel (as shown as a problem with the car in the vid) and after i replaced them it was back working like nothing ever happened in the first place.
It’s amazing what customers will say or try to get away with. Being a contractor myself I’ve heard some doozies myself a time or two. One of the funniest one was when I remolded a kitchen and the customer wanted their refrigerator on a different wall from where it originally was on the sink wall. The sink wall cabinets were under 12 ft long with the refrigerator on the same wall. But removing the refrigerator made the sink cabinets and countertops over 12 ft long. Since plastic laminate only comes in 12 ft lengths you have to use 2 pieces of laminate and you always put the seam in the sink area so you only have 2 small seams in the front and back of the sink. Customer came home after the work was done and had a fit that they have a seam in their countertop. They didn’t have one before they said! I explained they didn’t have a seam before cause their refrigerator on the same wall made the countertop less then 12 ft so there’s no need for a seam. But removing the refrigerator from the sink wall made the counter over the 12 ft therefore requires a seam. Customer seemed to understand. Then next day customer calls me accusing me of not keeping up with the times and not having the right tools to do the job properly. That they were told that the plastic laminate could be stretched! ROFLMAO YOU CAN NOT STRETCH PLASTIC LAMINATE! especially never almost 3 ft! I told the customer I’ll tell you what! You have the guy that says he can stretch that laminate to come out and do the job. Then I’ll come out and look at it and if there’s no seam I’ll pay for the job. Customer says don’t say something you don’t mean! I SAID I MEAN IT, I want to see this stretched laminate! LOL Needless to say the customer called back finding out the laminate couldn’t be stretched. But then they want the seam to be right in the middle of the sink. Well that I couldn’t of done if the customer would of requested it before the laminate was glued down. At a extra cost having to buy a larger size of laminate to make the seam in the center of the sink. But it’s standard practices that as long as the seam in the sink opening area it’s perfectly fine and legal . Told the customer I’d be glad to redo their countertop but it cost them the cost of having the whole counter laminate replaced again. Oh no, they expected me to just do it out of my own pocket. Nope, countertop perfectly fine as it is and I’m not paying to replace the countertop myself. 2 years goes by not hearing from them till I come home from a job one day and checked my messages. First message was from the same customer complaining a screw came out of one the door hinges. Which does happen from time to time but it’s rare. Regardless I planned on going and taking care of it even though I’m not required to do anything after one year by law the customer on their own after the one year. But I always went the extra mile for my customers and it didn’t matter to me how long ago I did their job I still fix anything that went wrong as long as it wasn’t from abuse! Only thing is, after this customer first message was another message right after it from again the same customer threatening me that if I wasn’t out there to replace this screw within a half hour that they be suing me. Oh I forgot to tell you this customer was a layer too! Threatening me was the wrong thing to do though, they had no grounds to stand on. It was way pass the legal warranty period. Still if I not been threatened I would of gladly fixed it. After the threat no way they lost any help from me. I didn’t even bother returning a call at that point. Customer actually had the nerve to show up at my place of business again threatening me. I told the customer, you know I go out and help my customers all the time even after the warranty period is over and even have fix things that had nothing to do with what I did. Which I had planned on helping you too till you threatened me. Now you’re on your own! Customer says they can do this legal thing and that legal thing so on and so on! I told the customer to go do it then and sent the customer on their way.naturally never heard from them again and go rudders! But descent customers I’ll gladly help anytime I can whether the problem a part of something I did for them or I find out it’s something else wrong. If it’s something simple no big deal fixing it since I’m already there anyway. Btw, that lawyer customer was the only customer I had in 18 years that wrote me a $5,000.00 bad check. Finally made it good after 3 weeks went by. Which I could of charged them for bad check fees and I didn’t. Just doesn’t pay to be nice to some people!
Lmao I was so confused at first.. you accidentally said "the customer was a layer" and until I read later where you said "lawyer" lmao.. I was like "a layer? Does he lay bricks or eggs?" 🤣
I am deeply touched by your videos. I worked as a mechanic many years ago. I never worked in a garage like yours but in several service stations. I can relate to what you are dealing with. I have dealt with those who want the inspection and decline any work, some bring their basket of substandard parts for me to use only to not repairing the problem. I have had customers that trusted me with their vehicle. They call me, "my car is broke, fix it and happy to pay for the service without estimates." I have done lubes, timing chains/belts, tuneups, heating and cooling (radiators, water pumps and heater cores). Done ac work. twenty years ago switched to Air Care (Emissions) here in NM an retired as the senior inspector with the fewest violations of any. I was the one you came to before you went to the MVD to renew your tags. if the vehicle failed the emissions, then they saw you.
I know this happened awhile back but still thought this episode was scary for the mechanic and shop. As if the customer was just hoping to blame them later for something going wrong. Hope it all went well and glad you got it on camera.
Also important, as Ray mentioned, let them sign a waiver that they drive of with a car you found and informed them about, being unsafe. This way at least you are covered if his wheel goes flying around the next corner and he crashes. Even having the car towed of the property would likely not change much. You are covered again, but then they unload it around the corner and drive of anyways.
@@fitybux4664 my car had a real bad miss couldn't figure out what it was. Took it to the mechanic the copper connections on the fuel injectors were bad. They wanted $1,200 5 hours labor. I bought all six injectors $300 10 minutes in my driveway. Sometimes you don't know what the problem is doesn't mean you can't fix the problem. Changing your oil is dirty the car was already on the rack maybe he just didn't want to bother with it.
He would recommend leaving old pads, which wear with rotors, that had been on those horrible rotors, and putting on new rotors, to solve a concern with braking feel - that's very nearly a scam. Roughly like changing a flywheel with hotspots because of chatter, but putting the old disc in because it has lots of meat. He also thinks he should be able to put some sort of legal nanny state hold on your car until he doesn't want to fix anything else on it. So, pretty garbage.
Wow, this brings back memories. I live in Australia and worked on car brakes for 20 years. I came across cars and their owners like this on many occasions. It's good to know that these types are all around the world! I watch these videos to remind me of how glad I got out of that industry! 😉Thanks 👍🏻
I beg to differ Greg. Whilst not, in the general sense, against your comments about it being good to know that clowns/idiots are worldwide it also means that they are a potential source of danger to other motorists. It's not just the owners either. There are unscrupulous dealers out there too. I recently bought another vehicle for my wife. She has only had it for three weeks and the wipers packed up. The dealer said it wasn't down to him as they worked when the car was sold. This is despite having a warranty on it.
You have far more patience than I do. After 30 years as a Journeyman, I refuse to tolerate ignorant customers who refuse to view the actual facts and accept them for what they are. Interestingly, for every customer I kick out and refuse to see them again, I gain at least two good customers.
@@neilhunter3144 Far too many people use Google to diagnose their vehicle. About the same as using Google to walk you through your own root canal. Mind you, information from Google for people who don't know in the first place has proven to be the cornerstone of many a repair shop - "Google told you to do WHAT to your engine? Just leave your checkbook here and I will see if I can salvage anything from what you did."
Sad to say this happens more than it should. I deal with this all the time and there's really nothing you can do about it. Just learn the signs and perform your duty accordingly. I've gotten much better at not wasting my time on cars that show the signs.
Don’t piss your mechanic off. Especially one that does their due diligence like this man. Jeez there aren’t many people willing to tape their work behind the scenes like this. Great video man
Brother, what I would have given back in the day for the ability to video the teardown, diagnosis, and repair process. It sure makes it simple to show what's what...
@@platostien189 I got to disagree. The excessive rust and pitting on the rotors is why they vehicle was having issues when braking. If any mechanic would send time and turn the rotors the labor costs would exceed parts costs. The fact that the owner refused to make the car safe is pretty deplorable. Next time Ray should use a pick and describe the depth of the pitting to his viewers, sure. Ray has enough experience to tell from a test drive and a visual inspection what the problem is.
@@platostien189 The left front rotor needed replacement; Rust on the hat or vanes is normal, but if it’s on the friction surface, especially after being driven, it isn’t flat.
@@Chris-yy7qc "plato stien replied: "Brayden D I didn't see rust on the mating surface... I'll point out a few of his other mistakes too. The oil leak wasn't most likely from the plug but the oil pan seal...recheck the video if you do..."" plato stien must have been watching a different video. Rust 9:04 & Drain Plug 15:48
Those brake drums are new Ray, the guy paid extra for the fancy "Oxidation" coating which seems to be all the rage these days. Those new rotors are "High Performance Racing Rotors" that come warped. This creates vibration in the steering wheel to keep the race driver's awake when on the track. Yes, you sacrifice a lot of braking distance and they are dangerous but hey, an awake driver is a fast driver. (Obviously I am being facetious people so don't try this at home)
With all the Chinesium out there, I wouldn't be surprised if a crappy alloy is to blame for the premature failure / rusting of the brake parts, but still... ... something tells me this customer is not totally truthful. But I really have seen some parts age RAPIDLY recently.
@@iFixJunk I agree but it does not matter I think. Sure those are probably Chinesium and even if the guy put them on yesterday, that does not change the fact they are warped and creating the vibration Ray was asked to diagnose. You are right about the Chinesium being bad all the way around. You can put those on, brake hard a few times and they get hot, then hit a deep puddle and boom...instant warpage. So, to me it does not matter when they were put on. Does this make sense?
In the guitar market the rage is "relics" - brand new guitars with beat up finishes & oxidized metal parts to look like a vintage 50-60s guitar used by a long time player. One pays extra for such "aging" by a master luthier (guitar maker). In fact that car looks like it's had the "relic" treatment. Chevy-Geo-Metro powered by Toyota: One suspects the only reason it still runs at all on only 2 quarts is the build of the engine.
Probably a partially submerged vehicle and the seller told them they put new/er brakes(pads) on so that they'll ignorantly defend it to the death like an idiot.
A genuine slob is someone who hasn't even got the self awareness to clean their environment up before exposing it to other people; some of the cars you have to work on make me gag.
i see it all the time in my shop. if i have to get a lug key or work on the inside of the car and its gross i make the customer clean it and i refuse to work on it. I'm not paid enough
I work in IT and see things like that everyday... Computers so gross I still don't understand how it kept running... The first few are surprisingly disgusting... After 24 years ? Meh... 😅
@@Werewolfmage I used to work in sales at dealerships and sometimes the guys would come get me to look at some of the cars brought in, food wrappers, decaying food, cups and bottles, grime, dirt, ashtrays just overflowing and stinky..... Don't know how you do it but hats off to you..
I feel sorry for the owner who must be in hard times and not be able to afford to repair his car properly. Love your channel and the great work you guys do. Would have you work on my car any day.
Some people are always on" hard times" it's not my problem. Most of the time they are having a hard time is because they are lazy and stupid no sympathy from me
Regardless , if he can't afford to operate a motor vehicle in a safe road worthy condition, he should be riding transit. Far too many dangerous wrecks on the roads need to be inspected and sent to the scrapyard.
@@owenmclain3327 If you go too far on that road, you'll end up with rules like we have over here. Any change that affects the emissions the car has also changes how the vehicle is categorised and taxed. Most people don't want to start a paper war with the bureaucrats and end up just always using original parts to everything. Even a slightly off, beam light direction could get your car impounded even though it only needs a screwdriver to adjust them to these overtly strict legal thresholds.
He honestly seems like my mechanic,he's the calmest guy I've met period,never tells any lies,and he's also done a few little things for me for free,I live in a town full of dishonest mechanics so he gets alot of business
This is why I always watch them put my tires back on most shop guys are lazy and don’t take the time to torque the lug nuts just run them down with impact
@@williesanford8394 got my wheel starting comming off after the first time i didn't stick arround the tire shop while they were putting the wheels on. Lost 3 out of 4 nuts on one of the wheels. Made them pay for brand new OEM lug nuts. It's partly my fault cause I'm a mechanic and I know I should've always double check. Then again there's a reason they didn't hesitate in paying for what I asked for AND throw in a couple of coupons for alignment and wheel balancing, after I said "if there's two things I expect from a tire shop is for a competent job being done in taking out a wheel and putting it back in." And some of my coleagues are like "dude, you overuse the torque wrench". Yeah right, get in my shoes.
My 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser with 400 000miles on the odometer still has the original proportioning valve. I also live in the salt belt of Canada and my truck has some weight reduction because of that but I’ve striped and phosphoric acid washed most of the underside and now I keep it well oil sprayed two times a year. The proportioning valve is one of the few parts I have never heard of a failure even on the forums
Maybe he went to that same guy that put that blue wire down to the oil pump and caused the guy to almost ruin his transmission? There are so real shad tree or shady mechanics out here🤣
"they probably told him they replaced the drums a rotors, " --Or told him that they "did the brakes" but he thinks that meant they replaced everything.
"Customer" probably just wanted to know what was wrong with the vehicle so he can fix it himself. Paying for an oil change justified the time of a master mechanic diagnosing the problem in the mind of this "customer".
And there's nothing wrong with that in the process of learning how to take care of a vehicle , my daughter does her own vehicle repairs down to changing an engine and unfortunately in today's vehicle design it's definitely not like when I was in my teens where I could pull an engine and have another installed on the same day even let alone know where each individual wire goes , sure do miss the 60s thru early 80s , only tools required back then were a matchbook and something to tap the carberator with 🤣😂🤠 and I left out the good ol wire coat hangers ( which is obsolete today and very expensive to get from Amazon or eBay !
@@catslivesmatter1268 Of course there's something wrong with. You are willingly wasting the mechanic's time, making him work for free when he could be working on other cars.
@@gurriato why spend the money on a real mechanic when a business offers something like this for free and you can learn from it then they need to change the policy of the company , but to Ray like Many auto dealerships need to let the mechanics be independent and charge by the hourly book rate, until then more power to the consumer , the government is already making it harder for the average person to work on the vehicle and in fact making it harder for the licensed mechanic to work on vehicles , There was an application for a patent for the Snap out dashboard and the government denied it because it was to easy , as well as the the vehicle setup that ran on water was denied , ( not actually all water but mixing device that would give and gas powered engines for greater fuel mileage up to 75 to 85 mpg ( which originally was invented back in the 70s during the early stages of the so called fuel shortage ( all these inventions were designed and created by Clearance Hurd of Clearwater Florida ( formally of Baldwinsville NY )
@@platostien189 we've had a few like that, one guy was a hoarder. My bay is my office, just cos i did work for you doesn't mean you can walk into my office and root around in my tools when im not there. Ive got around $10k (ish) easy in tools there. Their old shit is in the recycle bin. Only exception is as you say, pre arranged. No customer behind the lines. Its bad practice to let customers in a work space. I might have busted stuff in my trolley could give you a nasty cut. Unbelievable, the nerve of those guys.
@Gary Bea aussie mexican here too mate lol. (Melbs) lol 100%.. i hate to use another techs tools. I hate when customers come into my work space when im working, its just not bloody safe in any way lol. I like to be that guy who has all the tools i need to do any job... even obtuse ones like porche or fiat or even merc/ subaru m60 and m65 bolts :/ i even bought my own scan tools. I recently got a topdon artdiag800bt, worth a crack for cars from 2018-2022. (Not an ad lol) it does i5 bmws, porche, Toyotas and even my moto lol it picked up stuff my bosses 8k snap off modis edge didnt. It sucks on stuff like 2005 holdens but new stuff its awesome. 500 bucks well spent
@@Puggy42069 Those type of comments have been popping up pretty much everywhere lately. They even include links. But pretty much anytime I write a good and informative comment, including a link to a source where I found the information, it gets auto-hidden by UA-cam as spam. YT is so damn useless with this sort of thing.
Love your videos. As an ex-mechanic I know where you're coming from on dealing with the public. Just remember that you can fix a lot of things but you can't fix stupid! Have a great day.
@@VintageTechRepairs I think you mean fending off or ending stupid, the former being somewhat illegal and the latter definitely illegal, because actually fixing stupid is something that requires a much greater investment of time than just breaking out the big wrench and having a couple swings. Plus you run the risk of making a stupid even dumber by sending them into a coma if you're too eager with your blunt force treatment! :D
@@ryanjones7681 I'm sure this customer said the same thing as you. He will now go to the mechanic that sold him the cheaper "proportioning valve replacement". It won't fix the problem, but he will be happy because he was right, and saved a bunch of money.
This whole m-effing thing was such a nervous feeling. From beginning to middle my anxiety was through the roof i could imagine how you felt. "A little agitated" isnt cutting how extremely odd this whole thing was. Your definitely better then me. Im not even a actual mechanic and if someone touches my tools they BETTER be a close friend or family member. And even then im supervising. Man oh man. Im glad you lived through this shit. And the customer did too. I think 🤔 😅
OMG, as a tech, i can't even imagine being blamed for the condition of this vehicle.. it's quite obvious the person is as neglectful as they are unknowledgeable in maintaining a vehicle.. he's lucky it's a toyota!
Yup. The Geo/Chevy Prism was a joint venture with Toyota. It’s basically a Toyota Corolla Sprinter under the GM emblems. Decent little cheap car in its day. This poor thing didn’t get the love it deserved in its short 80k mile life. A good respectful consumer could easily get 400k from the little thing with a bit more care.
@@thompsona10625 I bought one in three years I thought it was a Toyota Corolla and that guy never had those brakes fixed and if he did that mechanic rip them off.
I sold auto parts for 26 years and I have never heard of a bad proportion valve.Only people that couldn't diagnose the problem say they have a bad proportion valve.Nice work my guy
I have replaced dozens of faulty proportioning valves on multiple makes and models over the last 30+ years with both new and reconditioned units. They definitely fail.
@@terrylaw18 I have actually had that happen. It was around 1980 with a 1964 PB Vauxhall Cresta I was looking at buying. The rear brake bias seals in the proportioning valve were faulty, causing the rear brakes to drag, heat the fluid and back pressure the proportioning valve after about 15 min of driving. I have repaired many other proportioning valve faults since then but that was the only time I had one that applied other brakes.
Those door handles! Currently my '96 Corolla has: Passenger front inside handle broken and covered with duct tape, passenger rear inside partially broken but still operable, driver front interior newly replaced, driver front exterior repaired by fuzing stainless steel screen into broken pieces using soldering iron, driver rear exterior..well..its gone! Broke completely away with one pull. Kudos to you for looking out for your customer by regarding their safety along with their financial limitations.
Soon, mechanics everywhere will be wearing body cams and having an internal review board handling complaints. Good news is, you'll be placed on paid administrative leave while investigations are underway.
@@williamwhite9767 some honest mechanic wouldnt want a camera on them either. There's 4 camps here, not 2 and your comment made it seems like those not wanting to be filmed 24/7 are bad. But I digress, have a good day
@@Nordic_Mechanic I've performed almost all of my auto repairs over the 61 yrs I've been driving even now. But, I paid for my daughter's auto repairs when I was away working. Sometimes, the mechanic decided to take advantage of her ignorance of cars. How do I know this? Because one talked to me on the phone and made up names of parts that he supposedly changed not knowing that I am an engineer and an enthusiastic shadetree mechanic and aging hot rodder of the 60's. But, the worst liar of all was the service writer at the local chevy dealer. Her Pontica Sunbird/chevy cavalier was overheating. They just threw parts at it instead of finding out what the real problem was and after multiple trips, claimed they replaced the radiator which they did not. It probably had a head gasket leak but they never bothered to run the necessary tests to determine that. I was home for 3 weeks when it ran hot while she was away at school. I drove there, 6 hours away, sold the car to a salvage yard and went to a Ford Dealer and bought her a one year old Ford Contour which lasted 170,000 miles. So yeah, there are lots of lousy dishonest mechanics out there. I'm happy that Ray is not one of them.
@@williamwhite9767 as you said, service writer. Most mechanic are honest, but at the end I dont talk to the customer except whent he service writer calls me. Its his job to explain to the customer what is urgent/dangerous and what can wait, to work with the customer budget and needs. And Im going to say it: 80% of then dont know shit about cars and cant talk right to the customer. A good service writer should almost never need the mechanic to come in front to explain whats going on
I just love that some guy walks in and tells me that I'm wrong and that the brakes are fine and the studs are "like-new" and cross-threading is just part of good reliable service. I love people that walk into my shop and tell me I'm wrong, they help me learn. Not.
I once had a shop recommending a new fuel filter when the intake system had a leak (just had to replace some hoses to fix it), so no wonder some people don't trust mechanics...
Nothing like a good cross threaded lugnut to keep your tire from falling off!!! Here in town there is an old Impala here that has big "22 chrome wheels with the ultra low profile tires. Within a month I saw that car 3 different times with one of the wheels having fallen off in an intersection. So funny watching them roll the tire back to the car.
Honestly i've seen professional auto mechanics f--- shit up too, so has Ray. I saw multiple vehicles get 'inspected' by a dealership, all of them had problems that the dealer signed off on as not existing or fixed that I personally inspected and knew there were unresolved issues they just didn't want to pay to repair prior to re-selling a car.
If you're a guy that knows their way round a car or have been a mechanic I find they are mostly all too willing to tell you. Unless they work for a place that knows they rip off customers, then they'll probably tell you a better place to get the job done.
I don't think I've laughed as much through a car repair video. Great sense of humor "no wake zone" indeed. Can't believe that the customer, who probably spent much of his work hours paying for the car, would treat it like a piece of crap.
its an old geo. You can scoop trashed ones like this for way less than $1k on facebook marketplace or craigslist lmao. People usually buy these with the intention of beating em to shit and scrappin it when done
I enjoy so much your videos. Not just the fact your approach to fixing the cars. your attitude is great. Very enjoyable. Thank you again! keep up the good work. And don't let crappy people change a great attitude!
One of the biggest issues with being an automechanic is that once you work on a person's car everything that goes wrong after is somehow your fault, "you gave me new brake pads and my engine blew up! It's all your fault!" 😂 Kinda goes for many job, people get a new roof that was definitely needed but the walls inside are still wet, they blame the roofer when the water was actually coming in from a bad spot behind the siding around a window, yet they want to blame the roofer.
Yep..once you work on it, it some how becomes your "baby" and responsibility to maintain and repair.. I've got one right now..I work in the glass, trim, interiors end of it. Guy buys a car totally disassembled by someone else. Hires me to install the headliner and vinyl top. Now he wants and expects me to reinstall the entire interior ..mind you the car was gutted with nothing in it..disassembled by someone else..but I'm the guy who gets to put it back together..hope all the hardware fasteners are all there...good thing I have past experience doing cars of this vintage to go by. Yeah he's paying but I drew the line when he wanted to add on extra stuff while Im there like wanting me to finish the aftermarket AC install work recently started by someone else ..told him to have that guy finish it..I'm not doing it..I already dislike going behind other people finishing what they started. Some cars you work on, you just don't want to touch again.
Bad customers? I was installing home-theater systems: high-end 'in the wall' wiring, multi-screen viewing rooms, all-home audio. One client refused to pay us after three days of work. OK, we have recourse. We took back the screens, speakers and playback equipment, but left the wiring and wall-plates intact. When the client said hew would just bring in another crew to finish the job, we took the wall-plates as well. What he didn't realize is that we cut the connectors off the ends of every wire in his walls. The next tech takes one look at cut wires (wires way too short to reach the wall-plates!) and he knows the client is running a scam. Never accept work from an Attorney, they will legally rob you.
It's good to keep in mind that no matter how good of a driver we (think) we are, there are people around us in traffic who drive around with missing lug nuts, faulty brakes and on "Prime Well" tires.
Geezus....God bless you guys! After 30 years at a GM dealership, I finally changed careers and became a machinist, ironically at a facility owned by one of my personal customers. Just watching this gave me friggin' anxiety.....thankfully I no longer have to deal with this type of time wasting BS!
30 years wow I’m sorry but hope it works better in where you are now. I did this stuff for only 15 years in and out of all sorts of shops and never again will I go back to it. Now I just drive trailers around and if that truck is broke it’s not my job to fix.
I can see why some mechanics act like snobs over working on junk cars. Imagine all the rusty/frozen parts and frustrating situations, then add an owner who acts like his ride is flawless, and if he could pay the repair bill proper, he would probably drive a newer car.
@@catwoman2596 I fabricate parts for proprietary manufacturing machinery, including gear drives, bearing housings, final drive systems and much more. I've been fabricating most of my career, the switch to machinist from master technician, auto fabricator was seamless for me.
Hi Ray as a tech of 38 years firstly you were spot on with your approach to this situation eg gave your diagnosis, offered what you thought was the correct means of curing the customers complaint. They chose to ignore it and put cost before safety 😔 and quite rightly you insisted on them signing a disclaimer all I can say is they walk amongst us 🤯. I'm not sure about the laws over in the US but I'd be having a quiet word with the local authorities about this guy as wheel security is compromised etc. Again with the customer rummaging in your tools over here in the UK there are so many health and safety issues with this if anything happened the consequences could be massive 😔 I personally would be adding a service charge to cover replacement underpants or cleaning them at least as having a soggy arse for a full shift is no fun 😉🤣 keep up the good work 👍
Things learned when I was desperately poor: fix the car- it takes you to work which fixes the poor. If my car guy says fix it we are fixing it. Saving $ today versus lost wages tomorrow is a no brainer.
@@compwiz101 I'm for real when I say my former husband loses a car at least once a year (usually twice). Almost always something small left to fester OR he doesnt check/change oil and ignores the noises of engine anguish. Then the whole mindset when broke down is somehow that it is a surprising event. He doesnt understand the root of his poverty is in THAT attitude. NOT taking necessary steps in life and then feeling like a victim of happenstance. And this attitude that developed over years of laziness is why we are no longer married boys and girls. This whole way of life some people have that revolves around pleasure and leisure is ridiculous. If you have money for eating out and cell phones you have the money for repairs. Nobody carried phones years ago because it wasnt affordable AND take care of necessities like your vehicle too. I can't figure out what all these people who don't work or manage money are going to do in their latter years? More energy spent on rationalization &excuses than taking responsibility. When I left that situation I had a beater car with over 300k miles- I also only made about 10$ an hour. Like Scarlett O'hara I decided I was "never gonna be hungry again!" AKA get a better life. So I worked a lot and looked for better and better jobs. And when the car had problems I fixed them. Every time I got paid I pretended I was still broke. Paid bills early. Picked up overtime. And 5 years later\ago I found myself buying a better car and a home. Because I changed MY thinking about WORK, LIFE and MONEY. My ex is barely surviving and years behind on child support. His life and the people around him is hand to mouth and constantly asking for a handout. Suddenly now that the government will feed your kids if you don't feel like working people don't feel a mortal drive to contribute. You aren't going to starve? Healthcare is available? Some people can get affordable housing even a check and never work a job. And this spreads to every part of life.
@@khelintriplett9130 I'm all for having a safety net (because sometimes you can work hard and make all the right decisions and still get into trouble), though structuring that to avoid the "welfare treadmill" is always the tough part. That plus robust worker's rights are, IMO, a good path. Strong rights helps people work their way up the ladder. But that aside ;), very true about maintenance. I noticed my old '08 Toaster (Honda Element) wasn't "creeping" forward when I took my foot off the brake. Started to get suspicious - on the way home it starts groaning when taking off from a stop. Got it home, and sure enough one wheel was *hot*! By 9pm I'd finished replacing what had turned out to be a seizing caliper and a new set of brake shoes for the front. I hate to imagine how bad it would have been if I waited for something to fall off!
@@compwiz101 oh no doubt that safety net saved us when this adventure in single life started. The great USA fed and insured my kids for the better part of a decade. There are absolutely situations where all the planning and intent doesn't get you off the treadmill. I rode it for years- where making 10$ was better than 15$ because at 10 your kids get 525$ food stamps and Medicaid at 15$ you are on your own without enough to cover food/medical. Originally it was a point of shame until the greater portion of my family pointed out that they have all paid taxes for years and never asked for public assistance. But I learned while climbing off the bottom that while I was getting better employment and making choices people I knew who were also coming up didn't achieve what I did. All because of how I spent that money- whether it was a repair or a debt instead of a meal out and a nice phone. I think that perspective is everything. I have gotten to see this FROM the bottom and watched dozens of people including my ex over 20 years make decisions that either made or broke them. I am a firm believer in the safety nets but programs to physically get people matched to employment and resources to keep it (transportation and childcare) would do more to help than anything. And punishing the few extra dollars by withholding services is ridiculous. Nobody is financially secure over night.
We have had shops over torque wheels lugs several times over the years and we had to turn or replace the rotors. All shops are not reliable. Thanks for an informative video.
I think this guy over tighten the wheel nuts just to piss off the owner for next time he goes to remove the wheels because he didn't get to repair the car correctly thus not making any money. Made more money from this you tube clip than from the owner of this car.
@@4TheMotorist if you actually look at the orange extension attached to the rattle gun, it's called a torque stick. It is specifically designed to flex at a certain torque preventing the rattle gun from over tightening the nuts. I've used them a fair bit they come in many different thicknesses that determine their specific torque.
I worked as a heavy equipment mechanic for NYCDOT for 30 years, everything from cranes to small cars. The only vehicle I ever worked on with a proportioning valve was our small tow trucks with hydraulic brakes. Our 20-ton tow truck had air brakes, and there was no proportioning valve in it.
Those "New" Rotors (at least) are junk. If the customer states those were just replaced, he/she got totally ripped off at the other place. Or they are literally from a junk yard. 80k miles? and in that condition? I've seen cars with 180k miles in better shape than that poor little Toyota/Chevy/Geo...thing.
Also got to remember he's in Florida. If the customer lives close to the shore, the salt in the air from the ocean would make the surface rust much worse than say, Oklahoma. But they looked at least a year old.
I worked for a 'mad professor' type IT guy years ago (in Ireland) and he owned a crocky Toyota Tercel. From what I recall only every second gear worked for some reason, and he had no reverse gear. He would have to swing around and face the car for out when parking - pretty sure he had little/no brakes too. The car was cleaned so seldom (edit: never), that there were mounds of gravel in the footwells around where you place your feet - I mean you could actually take a small shovel and scoop the gravel. Also I was riding in the back a few times and I swear I could feel the car sway from side to side as he was driving, like the rear wasn't fully attached to the axel or something LOL His house wasn't much better - At least it had no axels
@@lward53 You get book rate regardless of how long it takes. That's why you spend big money on tools to improve productivity. If you fight with rusty bolts and it take you and hour and a half, book says an hour, you get an hours pay. A salt belt gas tank replacement comes to mind.
Just came here to say the same thing.. ik also in Ohio and you start seeing Rust on new rotors within days sometimes. Those could be as little as a couple months old honestly.
man i learned a long time ago, the hard way....maintain maintain your car...pay pay for anything, dont cut corners, dont be cheap....if you maintain it, and dish out the money...in the long run it will pay off. The car will last you, youll never put it on a flat bed, and she will always start up.
After looking at the outside and the inside of that junker, I already knew he wasn’t going to fix anything. Alas, you touched it. He will most likely be back to play the blame game.
@@alphatrion100 Great statement!!! A lot of us have been there at times, and we have to make do to get by. Few years ago, I went to my tire guy, he had a pickup in the shop, the rear tires were down to the cords, I said dang, got your money out of them tires.......young guy comes around the corner and starts talking to me, said we was out of work for months, and just started back to work 2 weeks ago, and had to spent his first paycheck on the tires to keep the truck running for work.......Really felt bad for him, but respected what he said, at least he knew his priority's.
I think the scam here was that the guy got a full and accurate diagnosis for the price of an oil change. Now he's going to take the car to his cousin Manny who is good with his hands but a screwup at diagnosis, and get the fixes done for cost of parts and a six pack.
NOBODY should be rummaging through YOUR toolbox even when overlooked by a fellow mechanic!
THAT’S how tools get legs. PERIOD.
With the kind of money it takes to buy all those SnapOn tools, NOBODY should be near them much less digging around in the tools you bought. You're better than I am. If I would have pulled up and saw someone messing around in my tools "looking for something", they would have learned a valuable lesson on what an AC gauge set is good for other than just checking AC pressures. It works really well as a beatdown tool. I can't stand people that don't respect what others have worked so hard to get.
Meh I'm carefree with my tools. Always have been. I lend them out half the time and tell people if it breaks don't even worry about it.
They shouldn't even be in the work area to begin with.
I remember watching fistfights nearly break out between mechanics scrummaging through others toolboxes back when I worked in a shop. Most of us were very particular with who was allowed in each others boxes. Never had a problem with others letting me borrow tools, but I always asked first and always brought it back. Can't just go through scrummaging. That's like walking into someone else's house and looking for stuff. SMH.
More like that’s how tools find legs, as in my 3/4” breaker bar finding your shin after I start beating you with it for going in my toolbox without asking.
My tool box even has a disclaimer, “Danger, entering this toolbox without permission may cause severe personal injury, enter at own risk.
When it comes to such customers, by recording your work, you are ensuring you have proof of what you discovered and what you did.
Sadly, in this day and age it's necessary for about everything! Bring a car in to get it fixed, don't like your diagnosis so basically call you a liar and then ask to have the oil changed. I would have shoved that car up his arse and tell him his buddy can do that too! If he knows so much about cars why did he bring it to their shop? He's a POS!
What a waste of your time Ray. Really don't need customers like these.
You did exactly what you needed to do.
Now it's his head ache. Kain't make everyone 😊 happy.
NEXT!
@Trippy_Trolls the hacks will not comply!
Back when I worked in a repair shop we were required to have the customer with any car with an unsafe condition such as missing lug nuts have the car towed off the property
The customer states, "I just replaced those parts".
What the customer didn't say was he got them from the local wrecking yard.
"I just replaced those... (three years ago and 60k miles)"
Or, and this is a real possibility, another shop "said" that they replaced it or them, customer paid for the parts but the shop didn't actually replace the parts.
@@larryhutchens7593 highly possible sadly 😥
Ebay momento
Nothing wrong with wrecking yard parts as long as they're still good. But you have to make sure that they're still good. I saved almost $1000 by getting 4 struts and springs from a 7 year old car with a mere 13,000 miles.
Just a suggestion, I was a tire guy for over 22 years. When I came across lug nuts that were a bit hard to go back on because of thread damage, I would run the lug nut on backwards , then take it back off and put it the correct way. Believe it or not it worked every time and I even had some pretty questionable lug nuts I thought had no hope. Thought I’d share that with ya. Awesome videos bud, I really enjoy them…
Wasn't the bad lug a closed nut?
As a person who likes to work on my own cars I just want to thank all the mechanics that patently point out and fix all my mistakes
Yes
I hear ya buddy!
I'm, right there with you... Dennis at Hooligan Auto Repaid - thank YOU for fixing every project I have tried to complete myself... and not laughing at me too much (in front of me).
CS : Vehicle Shakes when applying brakes while driving normally.
Recommended Repair : Replace Rotors/Drums as confirmed experience with shaking while driving and applying brakes. Also visual inspection suggests brake surface wear.
PS Repair : Lugnuts stripped AF.
CS : "I just paid $1200 for new brakes all the way around. I meant the brakes apply themselves. Not that it shakes. Just change the damn oil."
Repair : Slap it with an oil change because the customer doesn't believe what was found.
Boy do I miss managing a shop. Such magical experiences.
Nobody needed you to write out what we all saw in the video. So why waste your time and everyone else's?
@@johncoops6897 I'd ask you the exact same thing. Mr. "Oh Better speak my mind instead of crack a smile at 6am" 😂
@@FateOfNines 😂😂😂😂😂
I tell my boss all the time I’m glad it’s not mine, I just work there
@FateOfNines-think he read the whole thing??? Thanks KAREN !!!
Who let a customer go poking around your tools? They should have had him wait until you returned.
Perhaps he was a customer with whom they have familiarity or were expecting to come for the parts.
@@fartzinacan but it doesn’t give u a right to go though tools that he doesn’t own
@@fartzinacan Yeah, it didn't sound that way. My tools are my livelihood. Don't touch them.
to be fair, time is precious, if you can save some time, you should definitely do that
I would have giving that customer, and whoever let him in the shop, a tongue lashing from hell. Touch my tools, I touch you.
This video protect you from negligent customer over previous shop repair.. Well done job
Man, I've seen people like this before and they're hard to deal with. The fact that you are so patient is awesome dude. Keep it up
There cheap wut can u expect im shocked that car hasnt fuckin died yet 🤦🤦🤦
Toboe this is an old inexpensive Toyota with 80,000 miles... Toyotas can last a really long time but it definitely depends on how you take care of it and the conditions it drives /sits in. Corolla with a Chevy badge stuck on.
I don't really have too much of an issue with it myself. Customers have to deal with a lot of scummy mechanics that absolutely rip you off. You have to find a person you trust, or be assertive and adamant. Sometimes stuff like this (new drums) sounds straight up scammy, but is just mechanical failure.
@@julianbrelsford Maybe it's 1080000 because the odometer flipped over :D
Getting impatient within them just increases your own mileage. I'm not sure about how things are in Florida, but the few times I ever saw rust like that were on a couple vehicles caught in a flooded parking lot and left there for several days.
When you see the condition of the car you already know this customer won’t be spending money lol
if i know its gonna be worked on i atleast wanna make it presentable, clean work area + money to pay the bill = Happy Mechanics
That car is so old that noise and shakes are par for the course.
Just watching the video, I could SMELL the inside of that car. I guarantee it didn't smell nice.
Can't really blame them! No one is going to spend $400.00 on a car worth $1000.00...
@@brentfarvors192 unless it's Toyota
Just look at the condition of the interior.... it tells you everything about why the owner declined repairs. Clearly he knows more about proper maintenance.
I'd bet the owner was the one who cross-threaded the studs too. That's why he was so defensive about it.
🤣🤣🤣
@@Just-InTimeRepairs doubt it. He can even wipe his ass. Look at that car. Terrible
It LOOKS like it would stink in there.
@@MonkeyJedi99 like cat piss but they dont own a cat
The rotors were freshly replaced...they were originally at the salvage yard on another car..😂
The same person who told him he needed a proportioning valve probably also did his brakes and told him they put new rotors and drums on. Seen it before numerous times.
Tbh by the looks of it that could be true. They weren’t really worn out just abnormally rusty like you would find on a scrap yard
thats what i was thinking, bought brand new from a salvage yard
A salvage yard or he was taken. Bad thing for a lot of people is they don't know how to check things. Of all the things they teach in school more should be taught on home care, car care, and such, because, let's face it, people will rip you off.
@@payforwin6697ive had friends ask me to put on new pads but use old rotors. Nah not doing that. Raplace pads and rotors at the same time. Heard some say they have them turned. Save 10 bucks lol
This makes me think that the other shop that tries to sell him the replacement of a proportioning valve that the car doesn't have is the same shop that has charged him for a full replacement of the brakes but only replaced the pads, lost his wheel nuts and fucked up his wheel studs. Sadly the customer chose to trust the wrong guy.
If you’re a cheap customer in the automotive field your car is not getting love in any form. It just doesn’t make sense from a business standpoint to take care of someone who only comes in for the cheapest possible repair.
But also I’m not saying half ass the work, I doubt the owner of the vehicle actually paid someone for the work, customers always say they had something replaced that’s clearly not and they know that, but it’s easier to tell the mechanic I had it done VS a straight up no
@@OSRSnChill In my experience, the guys who charge the most per hour are the guys who do the best work. It also helps if they have a fleet of F-150s in front of their garage
@@steezydan8543 that’s right to a certain degree. I definitely think there is like an hourly rate threshold. I get people are trying to lower costs. I always tell my customers, you get what you pay for. I’m not the most expensive, but you will pay more and I will do it right the first time. Most people learn the hard why but being cheap and paying for the job to get done 2-3 times. Educating and “training” your customers is an important part of business a lot of mechanics aren’t great at
@@OSRSnChill I mean. I want the cheapest possible work simply because 1) My annual insurance costs me more than I paid for my car (mines actually functional though unlike this dues) so basically any repair is going to cost me a significant portion of the purchase price lol. and 2) I bought such a cheap as shit car because im broke AF.
With that said though, Im also not an idiot. I found a mechanic that's shown he is honest, So My expectation is that he will find the best compromise between cost and function, And in turn when he says "you need this thing, no way around it" I mumble and grumble to myself on the way down to pay the man, Because he knows his shit, i don't (if i did, ida done it myself) and If he tells me its needed, Its needed.
I value my life higher than the cost of any car repair. It blows my mind that other people are dumb enough to think that bad things cant happen to them, or value themselves soo low that they would rather risk it than pay a few hundred bucks.
Been wrenching 42 years as a diesel mechanic for Cat, Detroit, then Pepsi fleet. I will say most of my customers were loyal, hard working and honest. You took care of them and felt good about that. I rarely worked on cars only for good friends. In my opinion the car customers were the most difficult and the way you handled that was first class.
because you were working on a fleet
you mean someone that payed for his own car and pays for repairs out of their own pocket were more concerned about the job than the drivers of vehicles that belong to a multi-million companies? Shocking, really.
@@Ludak021 What? no. The drivers weren't the customers. I doubt he even talked to the drivers. A company has to be careful due to other laws as well. An unsafe vehicle that they knowingly let an employee drive is a huge liability. Now the owner of this Corolla is just being a tightwad idiot or didn't understand. 3 lugnuts on a front wheel? FFS, spend the $2 and get a new one put on. IMHO, the brakes weren't perfect but I've driven similar without concern.
I'm glad you did not get this job. Those clients all turn out to be "ever since you" auto repairs. Been their, done that.
Exactly. I call it , " sincha" as in since you worked on my car...
A neighbor asked for advice. I ran down a few things. And decided that the coil was bad. He wanted to replace the computer. Ok bit I don't see it. He changed it and nothing improved. Then I found out that he had put in a junkyard coil and that's when it died. He put back in the original one and "he fixed it". He tried to blame me for it needing a new computer.
Some guys just think that working on cars is a given genetic trait. You don't have to get an education, it is just something that you know.
@@michaelvangundy226 Exactly!
Yeah, we’ve all had em. I call them ‘PITAs’. (Pain in the ass)
I learned about this kind of situation way back in my early twenties. That's why I refuse to work on anybody's car. If they ask for my advice, I'll give them a couple of ideas of what I think the problem might be and advise them to take it to their preferred mechanic for the repair.
I appreciate the manner that Ray displays in quickly getting to the cause of the complaint and proposed approach to keep costs minimal.
I agree, it was really nice of him to listen to what he was told... Used what he knew, and kept in mind folks do not have deep pockets... Giving the owner the most cost effective option..... I do not like the owner did not let the car get fixed, but hey that is on them....
The odds are that who ever did the last brake job, told him that he had replaced the old drums and rotors with new. Lied about that but charged him as if he did.
lots of grades of brake rotors and pads. you can pay 20 bucks to 150 per rotor. you get what you pay for. and changing rotors and not pads is illogical.
Or he just lied and gave a shit excuse as to why he didn’t want the work done
Or perhaps the brake rotors were machined but not replaced. Huge difference in costs.
I actually had a mechanic call me in a panic telling me they accidentally put one of the old parts back on my transmission during a rebuild. Apparently he felt uneasy about something and double checked his cameras at about 2 AM. He calls me at 6 AM says bring it in let me check I think I fucked up. Get you a mechanic that's honest like that.
2 Clues. 1 The missing and non oem lug nuts. 2. Did you notice how shinny the bake hose connectors' in the wheel wells were? Id bet someone half assed a pad job. Told the guy driving a 30 year old car with 80,000 miles he replaced/machined the rotors, maybe even the drums and was good to go. For 80k those rotors and drums look stock af.
You should have asked the customer if they wanted more than 2 qts of oil, since that's what it drove in with 😂
Didn't even buy the missing lug nut. The last wheel has 3 different style of lug nuts!
@@brianwest2775 I saw that💀he had lugs from like 3 different cars and 3 different thread pitches
well... they paid for that though.
or if he wanted his old oil poured back in since it was most likely "recently changed"
@@brianwest2775 The only 'nut' that needs to be replaced in this case would be the one holding the steering wheel.
Never have I ever considered delivering my car to a mechanic for repairs without cleaning it out first. It's just common courtesy. Someone failed when they raised their kids.
Well said, and I think it's even more than that. I don't think any technician would care about a vehicle neglected by a customer. The way I see it - if you don't care about it, why should I?
Not necessarily. I have family members raised in the same house with one living like a pig and the others very clean.
Yeah, my car is never a mess when I hand her over to my mechanic. She's never really a mess ever, but if she's getting work, nope.
I raised my children to clean their rooms and keep their cars clutter free. Once they left home things changed. I can't forever hound or nag them after they became adults and lived on their own. Isn't freedom from parents great? They know so much more than their parents. Can't wait for them to come full cycle in life.
Yup. Not only does an unclean interior reflect poorly on me, I won't trust someone to treat my car with the proper amount of care if they feel like they could catch a venereal disease just by poking their head inside it.
I wish you worked in Kingman, Az, because you are a great mechanic.
That just blows my mind that someone would argue over so many safety issues. But the condition of the vehicle says it all.
It's hard to believe that it had less than 85k miles. Must have been some really, really rough miles.
@@bryguy636 if a vehicle sits for awhile it's just slowly dying the fastest way to ruin a good car is to let it sit in a garage for years.
This vehicle in my country?? I call the cops and he's done driving!!! Mandatory vehicle inspection is the solution
@@retegoe Wouldn't pass the annual test in the UK, required for tax disc. Also if stopped by the police would have discretion to impound vehicle or give 5 day ticket to fix all problems or face a decent sized fine and possible points on license if its a real hazard, and that one looks like an accident waiting to happen.
@@stevegoodanew306 the 1 wheel with illegal lug nuts is automatic 3 points, missing lugnut on other wheel probably get aproducer that it got fixed, but more than likely you'll get 3 points each wheels + upto £2500 fine (or more) because he is aware of the condition of both wheels
Man I'd feel super awkward handing in a car that messy to a shop for work. I always make sure the inside of my car is clean and clutter free before I bring it in somewhere lol
The guy is the proud owner of a Chevy Prizm...I don't think presentation or appearances are important to him.
I totally agree. When I was young, I owned some crappy cars... that's just how it is when you're young and broke. But I always made sure my cars were washed and cleaned out, including the trunk, when I took them to the mechanic. It's called courtesy.
Side story... years later, a coworker complained of a clunk in the rear end of his car when he turned right. I took it for a drive and found nothing mechanically wrong, but heard the same noise. I opened the trunk to find two wine bottles that were rolling against the fender well. Removed and the clunk went away. He was pretty embarrassed about that one.
I would have bet money that with that mess, a Starbucks, and the horrid shape that poor car was in that it was a chicks car. I was stunned when Ray said it was a dude!
Yep agreed, that's a true bogan's car, where have the real men gone?
Delorne: So if a car hasn't been vacuumed, you can't, say inspect or replace the brakes as needed? LOL Give me a break.
I worked as a master auto mechanic for 18 years, and it never ceased to amaze me of the people who came in with such things. Had a customer come in to change the summer air over to winter air in her tires and add 60 lbs of air to the summer tires in the trunk so she had 120 lbs of weight for traction. At that point I just said will do.
Had several customers wanted to help me do their break job so it could be done quicker. Those were met with a "customers are not allowed in the work area during the repair process" and cranking up death metal on my boom box. ( only long enough to drive them away while I did the repair)
I have many other stories. To bad they didn't have camera's and you tube back then.
If tire pressure worked that way. I'd want it in the winter tires for the extra traction. Some people really should stick to walking. We would be safer.
Did you offer her a changeover to high performance halogen for the headlights?
The US, no every country that has cars, needs at least a biennial vehicle inspection regulation.
@@patricknesbitt4003 Did you recommend the blinker fluid be changed.
@@Crash8668 No but I always suggest the buckle on the fan belt be changed.
I love how Ray skillfully re-worded: "this car is a piece of crap and it's not even worth the cost of maintenance"
That is the worst generation of Corolla by far.
@@brandonstclair6530you kidding? Gotta be that's not a Corolla
@@averthewin1689 yes it is. Do your research
@@brandonstclair6530 youve gotta be stupid then ain't ever seen a CHEVY BOWTIE corolla
@@averthewin1689it's the same car. 98 Corolla/ Chevy Prizm. I learned to drive on a 98 Corolla. Its just like the 01 Chevy Malibu and Oldsmobile Cutlass is the same car, just different badges.
I operated my own repair garage for thirty years and was a certified master mechanic. I always enjoyed some of the stories my customers gave; like the fellow that brought in a Mustang. his complaint was "It made a little ticking noise and cut off.) He failed to mention the two connecting rods dangling through the gapping hole in the cylinder block. I really enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the guys that brought in their own parts you know the kind, They came in a white box with no name or identifying markings because the manufacturer was too ashamed of the junk quality they were selling. Of course the idiot who brought them in wanted to know what kind of warranty I would offer on them. I am so glad I am retired.
Someone actually asked you what warranty *you* would offer them on the parts that *they* brought in? Some people...
@@tituslafrombois1164 I was just wrapping my head around that, they prolly got mad too when he said no
"I will warranty that the parts are INSTALLED correctly. I will not warranty the parts themselves, nor will i warranty the labor to change the parts if they fail"
;-)
warranty is 50 feet or till you leave the property whatever comes first 😆
Geez, I can only imagine the stories mechanics and shop owners have. That said, I'll never forget the time I took my car in to get the muffler and rusted out piping (everything rusts out along the Jersey shore) replaced at a well known muffler shop. While waiting, this young guy (or kid) walks to the counter and asks one of the shop hands if they could install headers on his car. So the clerk says, "What kind of car?", to the response of, "A Dodge Neon". I remember doing a double-take; as I looked back and forth between the two lol. But the clerk's facial reaction was classic followed by, "Why?" It was one of those funny-head-scratching moments. But nothing has changed, huge mufflers that sound like mopeds with rabies or enormous rear wings on frontwheel drive cars. Hehe oh well.
"don't try to scam me just top off my blinker fluid and I'll be on my way"
Just replaced by USED Parts. He never said new. I'd use locktite on those.
🤣
I used to clean the oil pan, clean up rims, tire shine. *Quick spray paint oil pan. Customers would insist on I do oil changes & other work. 🤣 Pissed off my co-workers. Oh well
or he's still bleeding from the guy that just "replaced" the brakes
I think what happened here was the guy LOST all of his nuts on one of his wheels, THEN he used these whatever these are from nuts, that don't thread properly. He realized that the wheel might just fall off, so he TOOK one of nuts from his other wheel to try to have the wheel stay on, even if the other three unscrew.
I think the interior of the car speaks volumes about the owner
Well to be fair these particular Corolla's fall to pieces.
So does that exterior...
The overall condition of the vehicle(inside and out) is a good indicator of the type of owner who don't give a sh*t.
Glad I am not the only one that shuddered when I saw the inside of that car.
@@Mitzoplick Still not the worst he has seen...
When they try to argue over your diagnosis, especially one this straightforward, you just gotta shrug and let him known he's free to waste his money elsewhere.
Well he said he just replaced but what he really means is thank you for your diagnosis, I’ll do the repairs myself.
Worked in a Chevy Service shop for a few years out of high school shagging cars. Cousin was a mechanic there on the light line. The transmission mechanic we had was the best I have seen then and now. While I was there, he never had any come backs. Except one, and it didn't even make it off the service drive. It was brought in because it was grinding when putting it into gear. I believe they replaced the clutch. Customer came to pick it up. Had it on the outward going door. Customer got in, and immediately ground the gear putting it into gear. Customer straight away came back up and complained it wasn't fixed. Called the mechanic up to the drive. He immediately got in, moved the seat forward and got out and walked away. Customer got in, started the car and it went right into gear no problem. Just some of the crazy stuff I seen while there.
@@jeffreyrogers8151 keep the replies longer please..
@@jeffreyrogers8151 Bro, were you forced to read his story? Wtf, call 911 if you were
@@jeffreyrogers8151 Six lines was too much? I didn't realize there was a youtube standard that covers reply length. Is there a reason it seems this reply was too long for you?
Most mechanics have stories of drivers who either can’t (or won’t) use the clutch properly. My friend had an old customer who did around 5000 miles and a new clutch every year.
@@jeffreyrogers8151 Like your willy ??? :)
The fresh washer on the drain plug has doubled the value of the car.
Having only three wheel nuts is going to cause some vibration as the wheel will be slightly out of balance.
3 stud wheel may be slightly out of balance but I think the car owner's thinking is way out of balance.
You should have brakes steering tyres and lights in good working order or the car is unsafe and should not be on the road.
The wheel nuts are too far inboard to make any kind of meaningful difference for the wheel balance. But even if they did, that's the least of his problems. There's no way a car in this condition would be allowed to drive in any EU country. I doubt it would even last till the next inspection, the police would immediately clock it, check the condition, and send the owner walking home.
@@horrovac and then crush it👍
While it will make the wheel slightly out of balance the more serious factor is the warping action by not having 4 lugs pulling the wheel tight. Dont misunderstand but it would almost be better to use 2 lugs than 3 because that way it woudn't be warping the wheel. As far as the out of balance effect is less nearer the center of the wheel and more noticeable at the outside of the tire. After all that for the Customer its a safety thing it should have all the lugs this isn't high school. I think I might have Compted the lug if I had one and noted it on the work order. That would be more protection for me and it might be that small thing the customer got for free they might remember and come back fro more work. Being a mechanic is also a public relations job. And practicing being patient but firm is worth it to get repeat customers. might have also tried to machine the drums and rotors if they weren't already undersized. It was interesting job I didn't know Geos had toys in them. I love 4 cyl toyotas they are the best sewing machines in the world.
just remove a wheel nut from each of the other 3 wheels, the vibration will cancel themselves out
Thanks for recording you did the right thing. You just save yourself from lots trouble
i cannot believe the customer didn't at least agree to new lugs. that's crazy
Right? Getting the drums off those rear brakes is the hardest part, a minute later you can have a new lug stud in.
@@sarsattacks5760 No, these come in from the other side...
@@timtim8468 Yeah. You have the drum off, hammer out the old stud, then pull a new one through. It takes no time to do once the drum is off.
@@sarsattacks5760 This got noting to do with the drum. On some cars the ting with the studs must be removed, because there is not enough space behind, However, hammering will be not so nice anyway, and our hero here would have to get the studs first, and liability later. So he didn't touch that. Much can go wrong.
@@timtim8468 and you knock em thru with an air chisel.
CS "Just replaced the drums and rotors" What the customer meant was that the last mechanic lied and didn't replace the rotors and drums but charged him for it.
Those look like cheap high carbon parts that haven’t been coated. They surface rust easy and warp.
I feel like they replaced the pads and he took that as they replaced everything that was causing the problem
@@derek-iy6ch That's possible. I've just had more than one crooked mechanic try to pull one over on me. So, I assume the worst in them.
Maybe he replaced those 2 years ago and for him it's still new in his head at least.
That was my take, too.
I've had some bad vehicles in my days of wrenching. A few come to mind, 1) I had a Chevelle once where the guy came in for tires. When the wheels came off he had rims bolted to bare axles in the rear because the wheel cylinders had ripped out of the backing plates so he cut and soldered the rear brake line shut and pulled everything off the rear and bolted the wheels back on. 2) I had an extended f150 with a 10 foot bed, I had to raise it on a front-end rack because he welded 2 frames together with a simple steel plate on each side and I refused to lift it on a lift because I had a friend die while lifting a home made tow truck like that and it broke in half while he was under it. 3) The best one of all was not only the customers fault but also the service writers fault for taking the job. I still have a copy of this work order after 20 yrs. Complaint was "Engine Diagnostic - Poor acceleration with brakes applied".
Lol are you serious on the last one?
@@sockshandle Sounds like a corporate contract. We used to get that crap right before a 96 in the USMC Avionics shop: "O.N. switch does not function in the O.F.F. position". We'd be left working an ex-rep while some butterbar, whose plane was now grounded, went out and got s***faced.
LMAO 😂😂😂
Don't forget vehicle consumes fuel while running 😂
@MLT Ya Cannot make this sh*t up
Howdyyawl from the land down under. In the land of OZ, if a vehicle is serviced & a problem is found that is defect to safe operation, it has to be fixed or the vehicle is marked for defection until it is fixed. It cannot be moved under it's own power until it is so. Keeping it real.😊
He wanted you to diagnose and find the issue so he could fix it himself I guarantee it
I've definitely done that a few times. Lol
If the guy didn't know a pulsating pedal and shaking steering wheel means bad rotors and drums then he doesn't need to be fixing anything
@@bryancannon631 hey now, I can change my own rotors and breaks, but I don't know which of the 7 different things it could be that is causing it, breaks, rotors, the steering shift, bent/broken axel, struts, control arm going bad, all things that could cause a wheel vibration, hell even really low oil can cause it, I'd rather have someone that knows more then me to figure out what it is so I can fix it. I once had a shop price me $300 to change my blower motor, i bought the part for $70 and changed it in 5 minutes myself, it was 3 bolts and a wire clip under the glove box un covered.
@@atk9989 Sure, but this particular guy couldn't even figure out the correct lug nuts and destroyed the threaded wheel studs, making his car unsafe to drive. Some people can perform these tasks and some simply can't. This one, can't. And i don't want to get killed by an incompetent guy who fixed his own car to save money, because his wheel wasn't secured properly. My life and the life of my kids are more important than his wallet.
Some people can fix their own cars and some think they can, endangering us all.
@@jake_ And some of us know that we can do some things and not others. I've done brakes. I've done water pumps. Heck, back in the old days I was pretty good at replacing the points and condenser and getting the dwell and timing right. When it came time to replace the clutch, I paid to have it done-largely because I didn't have the tools, and I figured that getting the tools was going to cost more than the labor to have a pro do it.
As someone once said, "A man's got to know his limitations".
One of the great joys of working on commercial airliners was that I never had to interact with the customers (the airlines) or the "drivers."
The company took the job, it came into the hangar, and we did the work.
And if I found something that was a flight safety issue, that aircraft would never fly again until after it was repaired. No matter what it cost.
And you never touch an aircraft mechanic's toolbox without explicit permission. Not if you want to keep those fingers.
If you want to borrow a tool, it's best to ask, and let the mechanic hand it to you.
Loaning tools is a big risk. Not only can you lose a tool, but a tool left on an aircraft is a serious offense. If someone borrows one from you and leaves it, YOU are responsible for it.
@Phil Ward Many is the time that we waited through almost the entire next shift while the airframes figured out where they left their god-damned 5/8" socket.
I'm glad for it, in perspective. That sort of consequence had serious motivational power when it came to tool control, and doubtless saved lives.
I dropped a screw in behind the circuit breaker panel on my KC-135. We had several folks search for hours, and met the requirements to just sign it off. Knowing it was near lots of bare electrical connections, I kept looking. I finally found the screw tucked in the corner of the frame.
I can vouch for the entirety of the comment. I was known as "Hammer" in my airframe shop because, I've been known to carry a hammer with me everywhere, and to take a swing at people who got too close to tools or parts. I got really protective of my toolbox and parts after one of my former Platoon Sergeants decided it was a good idea to cut a part in half while he was screwing around with whatever he got his hands on.
@@robertheinkel6225 Ugh.
I dropped a washer (about 3/8" in diameter) into an exhaust port, once. It would be extremely unlikely to cause a problem, if left where it went, but nope. I spent over an hour just finding the thing. I had to use a borescope to locate it - and then it was only by accident, because it had wedged itself between a titanium exhaust panel and a support member. Very hard to see, and getting it out was an exercise in frustration. I tried several different things, and what ultimately worked was wrapping some .040 lockwire around a stick and making a hook with a very odd shape to get in behind it and pull it out.
It wouldn't have caused any problems, but military rules cannot be denied.
after all, if something happens with the airplane during flight - you will be responsible.
My grandpa always told me: never loan to anybody 3 things: your car, your woman and your tools. Well, he said horse instead of a car, because he had horses then.
My definition library
"Replaced not long ago": replaced the part sometime during the 15th century crusades
@@caramel_______9413 no 😡
lmao. i love this definition
@@mx_nana_banana don't respond to spam bots, just report them.
@@Will3DPrint I seem to come up with the funny stuff when I'm exhausted
If my grandpa says something like that, it means shorly after WW2. He was suprised that I changed his oil and flushed the radiator and replaced the fluids on his '78 car. I mean, sure he drives it only on sundays to church and maybe once a month on an errand, but I see him maybe once a year and the fluids age regardless if you drive the car or not.
Like how u handled that! Document your findings & make recommendations! They don’t like….. let them have it back!
Funniest thing is they didn’t know what was wrong with it so they brought it to you(a mechanic)!
It’s the same thing in HVAC!
I had a customer try to catch me in a lie regarding a bad circuit board on a gas furnace! Every time I told the problem they’d ask me to repeat!
(Of course as I tell I try to break it down for them to understand better)!
I finally told them as nice as I could …. “We are talking in circles!” Other words… my story’s not gonna change!
BAD CIRCUIT BOARD …NEEDS REPLACING!
I finally called my manager & told him what was going on there!
I found out other technicians had been to the same house & had a problem with the customer!!!
THE CUSTOMER WAS NUTS!!!
And I was asking myself… why did they send me to this house!???! Lol!
I think it was to confirm their suspicions😮😂
They probably sent you cause the other guys been there done that and refused the assignment knowing full well what was gonna happen again. You was just the next unlucky guy in line to share in the experience ..what i would be asking is: why didnt you guys warn me? They probably got a good laugh out of it back at the shop.
Really good commentary. I like the clear explanation, and you taking the time to explain. Even a non- mechanic like me good grasp it.
Sounds totally different if you know about cars.
Even the customer knows this guy doesn't have a clue and just wants his car out of there as fast as possible.
@@AmityPost Are you able to expand on your comment? I know nothing about cars and the mechanic sounded genuine so what does he not have a clue about and how was this demonstrated? Not flaming, just curious. :)
@@Matelot123 , Colm is bullshitting you and everyone who reads his comment, i started to get into Mechanic's about a year ago and have replaced brakes and rotors many times and everything this mechanic said and showed in the video is correct and truthful, i replaced the front rotors and brake pads in my car 2 weeks ago when i had some vibrations in the steering wheel (as shown as a problem with the car in the vid) and after i replaced them it was back working like nothing ever happened in the first place.
Sometimes when the shop sends me pictures of the issue at hand, it makes me realize they are not BS ing me and it needs to get done.
@@colonelclappers Colm must have been the customer 🤣
Watching your channel reminds me why most of the time I don’t like working with the public.
i think we have something in common......
Best comment ever!!!
It’s amazing what customers will say or try to get away with. Being a contractor myself I’ve heard some doozies myself a time or two. One of the funniest one was when I remolded a kitchen and the customer wanted their refrigerator on a different wall from where it originally was on the sink wall. The sink wall cabinets were under 12 ft long with the refrigerator on the same wall. But removing the refrigerator made the sink cabinets and countertops over 12 ft long. Since plastic laminate only comes in 12 ft lengths you have to use 2 pieces of laminate and you always put the seam in the sink area so you only have 2 small seams in the front and back of the sink. Customer came home after the work was done and had a fit that they have a seam in their countertop. They didn’t have one before they said! I explained they didn’t have a seam before cause their refrigerator on the same wall made the countertop less then 12 ft so there’s no need for a seam. But removing the refrigerator from the sink wall made the counter over the 12 ft therefore requires a seam. Customer seemed to understand. Then next day customer calls me accusing me of not keeping up with the times and not having the right tools to do the job properly. That they were told that the plastic laminate could be stretched! ROFLMAO YOU CAN NOT STRETCH PLASTIC LAMINATE! especially never almost 3 ft! I told the customer I’ll tell you what! You have the guy that says he can stretch that laminate to come out and do the job. Then I’ll come out and look at it and if there’s no seam I’ll pay for the job. Customer says don’t say something you don’t mean! I SAID I MEAN IT, I want to see this stretched laminate! LOL Needless to say the customer called back finding out the laminate couldn’t be stretched. But then they want the seam to be right in the middle of the sink. Well that I couldn’t of done if the customer would of requested it before the laminate was glued down. At a extra cost having to buy a larger size of laminate to make the seam in the center of the sink. But it’s standard practices that as long as the seam in the sink opening area it’s perfectly fine and legal . Told the customer I’d be glad to redo their countertop but it cost them the cost of having the whole counter laminate replaced again. Oh no, they expected me to just do it out of my own pocket. Nope, countertop perfectly fine as it is and I’m not paying to replace the countertop myself. 2 years goes by not hearing from them till I come home from a job one day and checked my messages. First message was from the same customer complaining a screw came out of one the door hinges. Which does happen from time to time but it’s rare. Regardless I planned on going and taking care of it even though I’m not required to do anything after one year by law the customer on their own after the one year. But I always went the extra mile for my customers and it didn’t matter to me how long ago I did their job I still fix anything that went wrong as long as it wasn’t from abuse! Only thing is, after this customer first message was another message right after it from again the same customer threatening me that if I wasn’t out there to replace this screw within a half hour that they be suing me. Oh I forgot to tell you this customer was a layer too! Threatening me was the wrong thing to do though, they had no grounds to stand on. It was way pass the legal warranty period. Still if I not been threatened I would of gladly fixed it. After the threat no way they lost any help from me. I didn’t even bother returning a call at that point. Customer actually had the nerve to show up at my place of business again threatening me. I told the customer, you know I go out and help my customers all the time even after the warranty period is over and even have fix things that had nothing to do with what I did. Which I had planned on helping you too till you threatened me. Now you’re on your own! Customer says they can do this legal thing and that legal thing so on and so on! I told the customer to go do it then and sent the customer on their way.naturally never heard from them again and go rudders! But descent customers I’ll gladly help anytime I can whether the problem a part of something I did for them or I find out it’s something else wrong. If it’s something simple no big deal fixing it since I’m already there anyway. Btw, that lawyer customer was the only customer I had in 18 years that wrote me a $5,000.00 bad check. Finally made it good after 3 weeks went by. Which I could of charged them for bad check fees and I didn’t. Just doesn’t pay to be nice to some people!
Dude. I think you're on the wrong channel for this rant. I mean.. good story and BS customers but geez Louise.
@@nachojones1 no one forced you to read a thing, so keep whining. Maybe someday someone will care but I highly doubt it
Lmao I was so confused at first.. you accidentally said "the customer was a layer" and until I read later where you said "lawyer" lmao.. I was like "a layer? Does he lay bricks or eggs?" 🤣
Have you thought about becoming an author?
Yeah, I managed a Warranty Claims Department for a few years. And came to the conclusion that more than a few people are simply ignorant assholes.
Love the free humor you provide along with your work.
I am deeply touched by your videos. I worked as a mechanic many years ago. I never worked in a garage like yours but in several service stations. I can relate to what you are dealing with. I have dealt with those who want the inspection and decline any work, some bring their basket of substandard parts for me to use only to not repairing the problem. I have had customers that trusted me with their vehicle. They call me, "my car is broke, fix it and happy to pay for the service without estimates." I have done lubes, timing chains/belts, tuneups, heating and cooling (radiators, water pumps and heater cores). Done ac work. twenty years ago switched to Air Care (Emissions) here in NM an retired as the senior inspector with the fewest violations of any. I was the one you came to before you went to the MVD to renew your tags. if the vehicle failed the emissions, then they saw you.
I know this happened awhile back but still thought this episode was scary for the mechanic and shop. As if the customer was just hoping to blame them later for something going wrong. Hope it all went well and glad you got it on camera.
Also important, as Ray mentioned, let them sign a waiver that they drive of with a car you found and informed them about, being unsafe. This way at least you are covered if his wheel goes flying around the next corner and he crashes. Even having the car towed of the property would likely not change much. You are covered again, but then they unload it around the corner and drive of anyways.
Na dude was just gonna take it home and do it himself
@@nick______5853 could be, but if he is so handy, why ask for an oil change? 🤔
@@fitybux4664 my car had a real bad miss couldn't figure out what it was. Took it to the mechanic the copper connections on the fuel injectors were bad. They wanted $1,200 5 hours labor. I bought all six injectors $300 10 minutes in my driveway. Sometimes you don't know what the problem is doesn't mean you can't fix the problem. Changing your oil is dirty the car was already on the rack maybe he just didn't want to bother with it.
Rule no 1.there is more cars than mechanics so dont Accept fixing ruin like this one. Just look at this car. Its not worth it
you can tell this guy is a professional, been there, seen that. He's confident and backs up his words with evidence and knowledge. Good job my friend.
He would recommend leaving old pads, which wear with rotors, that had been on those horrible rotors, and putting on new rotors, to solve a concern with braking feel - that's very nearly a scam. Roughly like changing a flywheel with hotspots because of chatter, but putting the old disc in because it has lots of meat. He also thinks he should be able to put some sort of legal nanny state hold on your car until he doesn't want to fix anything else on it.
So, pretty garbage.
@@davidkuehne476 Depends on the pads though, maybe they weren't cracked or even shaved off that much which was not necessary to be replaced.
Whenever they come from another shop, you know there is a problem.
Wow, this brings back memories. I live in Australia and worked on car brakes for 20 years. I came across cars and their owners like this on many occasions. It's good to know that these types are all around the world! I watch these videos to remind me of how glad I got out of that industry! 😉Thanks 👍🏻
I beg to differ Greg. Whilst not, in the general sense, against your comments about it being good to know that clowns/idiots are worldwide it also means that they are a potential source of danger to other motorists. It's not just the owners either. There are unscrupulous dealers out there too. I recently bought another vehicle for my wife. She has only had it for three weeks and the wipers packed up. The dealer said it wasn't down to him as they worked when the car was sold. This is despite having a warranty on it.
@@davidatkinson2167 Yeah there's unscrupulous people all over the world, both mechanics and customers.
You have far more patience than I do. After 30 years as a Journeyman, I refuse to tolerate ignorant customers who refuse to view the actual facts and accept them for what they are. Interestingly, for every customer I kick out and refuse to see them again, I gain at least two good customers.
I'm with you, This guy would have been a recurring migraine every few weeks.
I grew up in dry cleaning, and have worked as a repair tech. It's the same in both those industries. Lol
You can't argue with experience. People watch too much stuff like cowboy builders etc, now everyone thinks they're getting ripped off
@@neilhunter3144 Far too many people use Google to diagnose their vehicle. About the same as using Google to walk you through your own root canal.
Mind you, information from Google for people who don't know in the first place has proven to be the cornerstone of many a repair shop - "Google told you to do WHAT to your engine? Just leave your checkbook here and I will see if I can salvage anything from what you did."
Sad to say this happens more than it should. I deal with this all the time and there's really nothing you can do about it. Just learn the signs and perform your duty accordingly. I've gotten much better at not wasting my time on cars that show the signs.
Don’t piss your mechanic off. Especially one that does their due diligence like this man. Jeez there aren’t many people willing to tape their work behind the scenes like this. Great video man
He seems like a good mechanic.. Unlike the one on Seinfeld :D
Not only tape it but try and save the guy some money!!!! I mean I know a bunch of mechanics that would have really racked up the bill on this one.
Brother, what I would have given back in the day for the ability to video the teardown, diagnosis, and repair process. It sure makes it simple to show what's what...
As soon as the guy refused to have the studs/nuts replaced; that is all you need to know about what kind of customer you are dealing with.
@@platostien189 I got to disagree. The excessive rust and pitting on the rotors is why they vehicle was having issues when braking. If any mechanic would send time and turn the rotors the labor costs would exceed parts costs. The fact that the owner refused to make the car safe is pretty deplorable. Next time Ray should use a pick and describe the depth of the pitting to his viewers, sure. Ray has enough experience to tell from a test drive and a visual inspection what the problem is.
@@platostien189 The left front rotor needed replacement; Rust on the hat or vanes is normal, but if it’s on the friction surface, especially after being driven, it isn’t flat.
If he doesn’t want to change the brakes, fine, but driving away with those studs and lug nuts is insane.
@@platostien189 You obviously got no clue what youre talking about.
@@Chris-yy7qc "plato stien replied: "Brayden D I didn't see rust on the mating surface... I'll point out a few of his other mistakes too. The oil leak wasn't most likely from the plug but the oil pan seal...recheck the video if you do..."" plato stien must have been watching a different video. Rust 9:04 & Drain Plug 15:48
Those brake drums are new Ray, the guy paid extra for the fancy "Oxidation" coating which seems to be all the rage these days. Those new rotors are "High Performance Racing Rotors" that come warped. This creates vibration in the steering wheel to keep the race driver's awake when on the track. Yes, you sacrifice a lot of braking distance and they are dangerous but hey, an awake driver is a fast driver. (Obviously I am being facetious people so don't try this at home)
With all the Chinesium out there, I wouldn't be surprised if a crappy alloy is to blame for the premature failure / rusting of the brake parts, but still...
... something tells me this customer is not totally truthful.
But I really have seen some parts age RAPIDLY recently.
@@iFixJunk I agree but it does not matter I think. Sure those are probably Chinesium and even if the guy put them on yesterday, that does not change the fact they are warped and creating the vibration Ray was asked to diagnose. You are right about the Chinesium being bad all the way around. You can put those on, brake hard a few times and they get hot, then hit a deep puddle and boom...instant warpage. So, to me it does not matter when they were put on. Does this make sense?
Yeah exactly that's not called rust it's called patina. If you remove it, it decreases the value.
In the guitar market the rage is "relics" - brand new guitars with beat up finishes & oxidized metal parts to look like a vintage 50-60s guitar used by a long time player. One pays extra for such "aging" by a master luthier (guitar maker). In fact that car looks like it's had the "relic" treatment.
Chevy-Geo-Metro powered by Toyota: One suspects the only reason it still runs at all on only 2 quarts is the build of the engine.
Probably a partially submerged vehicle and the seller told them they put new/er brakes(pads) on so that they'll ignorantly defend it to the death like an idiot.
A genuine slob is someone who hasn't even got the self awareness to clean their environment up before exposing it to other people; some of the cars you have to work on make me gag.
i see it all the time in my shop. if i have to get a lug key or work on the inside of the car and its gross i make the customer clean it and i refuse to work on it. I'm not paid enough
I work in IT and see things like that everyday... Computers so gross I still don't understand how it kept running... The first few are surprisingly disgusting... After 24 years ? Meh... 😅
Is refuse to work on such a vehicle until the owner cleans it up and preferably goes to another shop.
Ray, you need a hazmat suit for some of these "cars."
@@Werewolfmage I used to work in sales at dealerships and sometimes the guys would come get me to look at some of the cars brought in, food wrappers, decaying food, cups and bottles, grime, dirt, ashtrays just overflowing and stinky..... Don't know how you do it but hats off to you..
I feel sorry for the owner who must be in hard times and not be able to afford to repair his car properly. Love your channel and the great work you guys do. Would have you work on my car any day.
Some people are always on" hard times" it's not my problem. Most of the time they are having a hard time is because they are lazy and stupid no sympathy from me
Regardless , if he can't afford to operate a motor vehicle in a safe road worthy condition, he should be riding transit.
Far too many dangerous wrecks on the roads need to be inspected and sent to the scrapyard.
@@owenmclain3327 If you go too far on that road, you'll end up with rules like we have over here. Any change that affects the emissions the car has also changes how the vehicle is categorised and taxed. Most people don't want to start a paper war with the bureaucrats and end up just always using original parts to everything. Even a slightly off, beam light direction could get your car impounded even though it only needs a screwdriver to adjust them to these overtly strict legal thresholds.
you are the most calm mechanic i’ve seen when it come to people, especially customers, in your tools
In Arab countries they chop off a hand , early in the teaching process...js
He honestly seems like my mechanic,he's the calmest guy I've met period,never tells any lies,and he's also done a few little things for me for free,I live in a town full of dishonest mechanics so he gets alot of business
"I appear to be held captive" I immediately subbed after that line
Them: you can possibly put the lug nut back on
Ray: hehe impact go brrrrrrrt
i'm guessing the person is Insane for not wanting new studs
Well it had a torque stick on it, itll be fine
This is why I always watch them put my tires back on most shop guys are lazy and don’t take the time to torque the lug nuts just run them down with impact
@Leonardo Santuario Shhhh the grown ups are talking.
@@williesanford8394 got my wheel starting comming off after the first time i didn't stick arround the tire shop while they were putting the wheels on. Lost 3 out of 4 nuts on one of the wheels. Made them pay for brand new OEM lug nuts.
It's partly my fault cause I'm a mechanic and I know I should've always double check.
Then again there's a reason they didn't hesitate in paying for what I asked for AND throw in a couple of coupons for alignment and wheel balancing, after I said "if there's two things I expect from a tire shop is for a competent job being done in taking out a wheel and putting it back in."
And some of my coleagues are like "dude, you overuse the torque wrench". Yeah right, get in my shoes.
My 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser with 400 000miles on the odometer still has the original proportioning valve. I also live in the salt belt of Canada and my truck has some weight reduction because of that but I’ve striped and phosphoric acid washed most of the underside and now I keep it well oil sprayed two times a year. The proportioning valve is one of the few parts I have never heard of a failure even on the forums
Don’t forget to recommend that the other mechanic should install a flux capacitor along with the new portioning valve.
Also, an inductor with at least an Xc of 12 or more.
Ah just do a wheel delete, it'll make the car safer overall
Flux capacitors are a Democratic hoax!! :eek: :D Great job on your work, Rainman!!!!!
@@buffvail476 For real? Lol
Fairly certain it should have a triple omniaxial dipthong regulator too 😎
He's obviously been to another shop they probably told him they replaced the drums a rotors, but didn't do anything .
Exactly. Brake repair is safety related and not skimming
Shop? It was shady Eddy who lives down the street from him.
Maybe he went to that same guy that put that blue wire down to the oil pump and caused the guy to almost ruin his transmission? There are so real shad tree or shady mechanics out here🤣
"they probably told him they replaced the drums a rotors, " --Or told him that they "did the brakes" but he thinks that meant they replaced everything.
yep
"Customer" probably just wanted to know what was wrong with the vehicle so he can fix it himself. Paying for an oil change justified the time of a master mechanic diagnosing the problem in the mind of this "customer".
And there's nothing wrong with that in the process of learning how to take care of a vehicle , my daughter does her own vehicle repairs down to changing an engine and unfortunately in today's vehicle design it's definitely not like when I was in my teens where I could pull an engine and have another installed on the same day even let alone know where each individual wire goes , sure do miss the 60s thru early 80s , only tools required back then were a matchbook and something to tap the carberator with 🤣😂🤠 and I left out the good ol wire coat hangers ( which is obsolete today and very expensive to get from Amazon or eBay !
@@catslivesmatter1268 Of course there's something wrong with. You are willingly wasting the mechanic's time, making him work for free when he could be working on other cars.
@@gurriato why spend the money on a real mechanic when a business offers something like this for free and you can learn from it then they need to change the policy of the company , but to Ray like Many auto dealerships need to let the mechanics be independent and charge by the hourly book rate, until then more power to the consumer , the government is already making it harder for the average person to work on the vehicle and in fact making it harder for the licensed mechanic to work on vehicles , There was an application for a patent for the Snap out dashboard and the government denied it because it was to easy , as well as the the vehicle setup that ran on water was denied , ( not actually all water but mixing device that would give and gas powered engines for greater fuel mileage up to 75 to 85 mpg ( which originally was invented back in the 70s during the early stages of the so called fuel shortage ( all these inventions were designed and created by Clearance Hurd of Clearwater Florida ( formally of Baldwinsville NY )
@@gurriato Wait, what? Work for free? Why aren't they charging for their time?
@@catslivesmatter1268 Internal combustion engine running on water? You fell for that snake oil. Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
Thank you for walking through the whole process in detail. Very interesting
In the UK, we would always change the front pads when changing the discs (Rotors), as the pads would wear to the disc and could cause poor braking.
yeah but the owners wanted low cost, but they dont know that eventually it will be a bigger cost
who asked
You did. Don't you remember? Maybe you were drunk.
Same here in Ireland
same here in Spain , its woth the extra euro
If a customer was rumaging around my tools and in my workbay, i dont think i would have been as professional as you rayman.
@@platostien189 we've had a few like that, one guy was a hoarder. My bay is my office, just cos i did work for you doesn't mean you can walk into my office and root around in my tools when im not there. Ive got around $10k (ish) easy in tools there. Their old shit is in the recycle bin. Only exception is as you say, pre arranged. No customer behind the lines. Its bad practice to let customers in a work space. I might have busted stuff in my trolley could give you a nasty cut. Unbelievable, the nerve of those guys.
Agreed, I don’t trust anyone around my stuff, Especially now a days
@Gary Bea I believe it is also against WH&S to have customers in the workshop and there has to be a separate office.
@Gary Bea aussie mexican here too mate lol. (Melbs) lol 100%.. i hate to use another techs tools. I hate when customers come into my work space when im working, its just not bloody safe in any way lol. I like to be that guy who has all the tools i need to do any job... even obtuse ones like porche or fiat or even merc/ subaru m60 and m65 bolts :/ i even bought my own scan tools. I recently got a topdon artdiag800bt, worth a crack for cars from 2018-2022. (Not an ad lol) it does i5 bmws, porche, Toyotas and even my moto lol it picked up stuff my bosses 8k snap off modis edge didnt. It sucks on stuff like 2005 holdens but new stuff its awesome. 500 bucks well spent
@@mrvwbob156 what part of the world are you from champ?
19:07 "sometimes the rain likes to come straight up from underneath".
Love the Forest Gump quote, still my favourite movie to this day!
In my job pictures speak a thousand words and you were right with your recommendations
3:03 Nothing like a day of work with swamp ass. Those are the most memorable days for me.
Almost as bad as working after a scorching hot chilli or curry and knowing you're gonna have to run to get to the John at some point.
@@caramel_______9413 Not Interested in your scam Mr. robot.
@@Puggy42069 Those type of comments have been popping up pretty much everywhere lately. They even include links. But pretty much anytime I write a good and informative comment, including a link to a source where I found the information, it gets auto-hidden by UA-cam as spam. YT is so damn useless with this sort of thing.
@@Justin.Franks I wondered why UA-cam would delete my comments with links but this stuff doesn’t. It’s so frustrating.
@@Puggy42069 don't interact, just report
Love your videos. As an ex-mechanic I know where you're coming from on dealing with the public. Just remember that you can fix a lot of things but you can't fix stupid! Have a great day.
You can fix it, it's just not legal 😏 😉
@@VintageTechRepairs I think you mean fending off or ending stupid, the former being somewhat illegal and the latter definitely illegal, because actually fixing stupid is something that requires a much greater investment of time than just breaking out the big wrench and having a couple swings.
Plus you run the risk of making a stupid even dumber by sending them into a coma if you're too eager with your blunt force treatment! :D
You can't fix them, but you can vote Joe out of office in 2024!
I can fix your car, but I can't fix your life. That's what I say 😁
@@butterknuckles2 "Sorry sir but you need another kind of professional for your problem!"
I wish all mechanics were willing to record themselves while diagnosing a vehicle or while working on it...transparency and honesty = good karma 👍😉
Most of 'em are too busy WORKING.
@@maximusmax4557 working replacing parts that don't need it, or pretending to change fluid that they never change...
@@ryanjones7681 I'm sure this customer said the same thing as you. He will now go to the mechanic that sold him the cheaper "proportioning valve replacement". It won't fix the problem, but he will be happy because he was right, and saved a bunch of money.
@@ryanjones7681 sounds like you need a better shop. Or work on it yourself since you seem to know what's what.
If that was my car it would be cleaner I would listen too him but I would tell him u don't gotta slam my door like he did
This whole m-effing thing was such a nervous feeling. From beginning to middle my anxiety was through the roof i could imagine how you felt. "A little agitated" isnt cutting how extremely odd this whole thing was. Your definitely better then me. Im not even a actual mechanic and if someone touches my tools they BETTER be a close friend or family member. And even then im supervising. Man oh man. Im glad you lived through this shit. And the customer did too. I think 🤔 😅
OMG, as a tech, i can't even imagine being blamed for the condition of this vehicle.. it's quite obvious the person is as neglectful as they are unknowledgeable in maintaining a vehicle.. he's lucky it's a toyota!
That poor Yoda has seen some terrible things.
It's not a Toyota??
Yup. The Geo/Chevy Prism was a joint venture with Toyota. It’s basically a Toyota Corolla Sprinter under the GM emblems. Decent little cheap car in its day. This poor thing didn’t get the love it deserved in its short 80k mile life. A good respectful consumer could easily get 400k from the little thing with a bit more care.
@@thompsona10625 I bought one in three years I thought it was a Toyota Corolla and that guy never had those brakes fixed and if he did that mechanic rip them off.
@@thompsona10625 Yup still a Toyota lol.
Im glad you recorded this, that way you can show the customer or law enforcement if it comes to that point.
if a car has missing , improper / cross threaded lug nuts, bald tires they should call cops. tow it to a impound yard.
Law enforcement? Not his problem.
I sold auto parts for 26 years and I have never heard of a bad proportion valve.Only people that couldn't diagnose the problem say they have a bad proportion valve.Nice work my guy
I have replaced dozens of faulty proportioning valves on multiple makes and models over the last 30+ years with both new and reconditioned units. They definitely fail.
@@Damoinion whatever you say doc not going to argue.Just stating what I know.I also ran a brake shop for 7 years and I have never seen one go bad
I’m trying to figure out how a proportioning valve could make the brakes apply by themselves. Likely that shitbox had seized parking brake cables.
@@terrylaw18 I have actually had that happen.
It was around 1980 with a 1964 PB Vauxhall Cresta I was looking at buying.
The rear brake bias seals in the proportioning valve were faulty, causing the rear brakes to drag, heat the fluid and back pressure the proportioning valve after about 15 min of driving.
I have repaired many other proportioning valve faults since then but that was the only time I had one that applied other brakes.
I think I overstretched the spring on my one, I hope the valve is still good, finding a new one is like finding guilded rocking horse shit.
Those door handles!
Currently my '96 Corolla has: Passenger front inside handle broken and covered with duct tape, passenger rear inside partially broken but still operable, driver front interior newly replaced, driver front exterior repaired by fuzing stainless steel screen into broken pieces using soldering iron, driver rear exterior..well..its gone! Broke completely away with one pull.
Kudos to you for looking out for your customer by regarding their safety along with their financial limitations.
Soon, mechanics everywhere will be wearing body cams and having an internal review board handling complaints. Good news is, you'll be placed on paid administrative leave while investigations are underway.
Not all mechanics are honest like Ray. Some of them would not want a camera in the area.
@@williamwhite9767 some honest mechanic wouldnt want a camera on them either. There's 4 camps here, not 2 and your comment made it seems like those not wanting to be filmed 24/7 are bad. But I digress, have a good day
@@Nordic_Mechanic I've performed almost all of my auto repairs over the 61 yrs I've been driving even now. But, I paid for my daughter's auto repairs when I was away working. Sometimes, the mechanic decided to take advantage of her ignorance of cars. How do I know this? Because one talked to me on the phone and made up names of parts that he supposedly changed not knowing that I am an engineer and an enthusiastic shadetree mechanic and aging hot rodder of the 60's. But, the worst liar of all was the service writer at the local chevy dealer. Her Pontica Sunbird/chevy cavalier was overheating. They just threw parts at it instead of finding out what the real problem was and after multiple trips, claimed they replaced the radiator which they did not. It probably had a head gasket leak but they never bothered to run the necessary tests to determine that. I was home for 3 weeks when it ran hot while she was away at school. I drove there, 6 hours away, sold the car to a salvage yard and went to a Ford Dealer and bought her a one year old Ford Contour which lasted 170,000 miles. So yeah, there are lots of lousy dishonest mechanics out there. I'm happy that Ray is not one of them.
@@williamwhite9767 as you said, service writer. Most mechanic are honest, but at the end I dont talk to the customer except whent he service writer calls me. Its his job to explain to the customer what is urgent/dangerous and what can wait, to work with the customer budget and needs. And Im going to say it: 80% of then dont know shit about cars and cant talk right to the customer. A good service writer should almost never need the mechanic to come in front to explain whats going on
in auto case---with no pay!!
Absolutely proud of the honest and talented technician.
I just love that some guy walks in and tells me that I'm wrong and that the brakes are fine and the studs are "like-new" and cross-threading is just part of good reliable service. I love people that walk into my shop and tell me I'm wrong, they help me learn. Not.
you own your own shop?
I once had a shop recommending a new fuel filter when the intake system had a leak (just had to replace some hoses to fix it), so no wonder some people don't trust mechanics...
Nothing like a good cross threaded lugnut to keep your tire from falling off!!!
Here in town there is an old Impala here that has big "22 chrome wheels with the ultra low profile tires.
Within a month I saw that car 3 different times with one of the wheels having fallen off in an intersection.
So funny watching them roll the tire back to the car.
Lol all mechanics are such self important assholes I’m so glad I work on my own cars
Honestly i've seen professional auto mechanics f--- shit up too, so has Ray.
I saw multiple vehicles get 'inspected' by a dealership, all of them had problems that the dealer signed off on as not existing or fixed that I personally inspected and knew there were unresolved issues they just didn't want to pay to repair prior to re-selling a car.
I always like mechanics that can "show me" the issue.
If you're a guy that knows their way round a car or have been a mechanic I find they are mostly all too willing to tell you. Unless they work for a place that knows they rip off customers, then they'll probably tell you a better place to get the job done.
I don't think I've laughed as much through a car repair video. Great sense of humor "no wake zone" indeed. Can't believe that the customer, who probably spent much of his work hours paying for the car, would treat it like a piece of crap.
its an old geo. You can scoop trashed ones like this for way less than $1k on facebook marketplace or craigslist lmao. People usually buy these with the intention of beating em to shit and scrappin it when done
@@Philip_J_Hill
You just named all of the things I look for in a relationship.
Of course I'm a bit jaded. 😆👌
i don't find him on a par with professional narrators. having said that the " no wake " zone actually was on a par ....
I just love people who take extremely great care of their vehicles! Hope you patted this guy on the shoulder for doing such a fine job
these cars werent built to last
I enjoy so much your videos. Not just the fact your approach to fixing the cars. your attitude is great. Very enjoyable. Thank you again! keep up the good work. And don't let crappy people change a great attitude!
One of the biggest issues with being an automechanic is that once you work on a person's car everything that goes wrong after is somehow your fault, "you gave me new brake pads and my engine blew up! It's all your fault!" 😂
Kinda goes for many job, people get a new roof that was definitely needed but the walls inside are still wet, they blame the roofer when the water was actually coming in from a bad spot behind the siding around a window, yet they want to blame the roofer.
Yep..once you work on it, it some how becomes your "baby" and responsibility to maintain and repair..
I've got one right now..I work in the glass, trim, interiors end of it. Guy buys a car totally disassembled by someone else. Hires me to install the headliner and vinyl top. Now he wants and expects me to reinstall the entire interior ..mind you the car was gutted with nothing in it..disassembled by someone else..but I'm the guy who gets to put it back together..hope all the hardware fasteners are all there...good thing I have past experience doing cars of this vintage to go by. Yeah he's paying but I drew the line when he wanted to add on extra stuff while Im there like wanting me to finish the aftermarket AC install work recently started by someone else ..told him to have that guy finish it..I'm not doing it..I already dislike going behind other people finishing what they started. Some cars you work on, you just don't want to touch again.
Bad customers?
I was installing home-theater systems: high-end 'in the wall' wiring, multi-screen viewing rooms, all-home audio.
One client refused to pay us after three days of work. OK, we have recourse.
We took back the screens, speakers and playback equipment, but left the wiring and wall-plates intact.
When the client said hew would just bring in another crew to finish the job, we took the wall-plates as well.
What he didn't realize is that we cut the connectors off the ends of every wire in his walls.
The next tech takes one look at cut wires (wires way too short to reach the wall-plates!) and he knows the client is running a scam.
Never accept work from an Attorney, they will legally rob you.
Never allow more than 10% outstanding at the end of any job. This is why and honest people have no problem signing off on that.
It's good to keep in mind that no matter how good of a driver we (think) we are, there are people around us in traffic who drive around with missing lug nuts, faulty brakes and on "Prime Well" tires.
Geezus....God bless you guys! After 30 years at a GM dealership, I finally changed careers and became a machinist, ironically at a facility owned by one of my personal customers. Just watching this gave me friggin' anxiety.....thankfully I no longer have to deal with this type of time wasting BS!
I no lol i
30 years wow I’m sorry but hope it works better in where you are now. I did this stuff for only 15 years in and out of all sorts of shops and never again will I go back to it. Now I just drive trailers around and if that truck is broke it’s not my job to fix.
I can see why some mechanics act like snobs over working on junk cars. Imagine all the rusty/frozen parts and frustrating situations, then add an owner who acts like his ride is flawless, and if he could pay the repair bill proper, he would probably drive a newer car.
It takes a long time to become a machinist. What kind of work are you talking about?
@@catwoman2596 I fabricate parts for proprietary manufacturing machinery, including gear drives, bearing housings, final drive systems and much more. I've been fabricating most of my career, the switch to machinist from master technician, auto fabricator was seamless for me.
Hi Ray as a tech of 38 years firstly you were spot on with your approach to this situation eg gave your diagnosis, offered what you thought was the correct means of curing the customers complaint. They chose to ignore it and put cost before safety 😔 and quite rightly you insisted on them signing a disclaimer all I can say is they walk amongst us 🤯. I'm not sure about the laws over in the US but I'd be having a quiet word with the local authorities about this guy as wheel security is compromised etc. Again with the customer rummaging in your tools over here in the UK there are so many health and safety issues with this if anything happened the consequences could be massive 😔 I personally would be adding a service charge to cover replacement underpants or cleaning them at least as having a soggy arse for a full shift is no fun 😉🤣 keep up the good work 👍
Things learned when I was desperately poor: fix the car- it takes you to work which fixes the poor. If my car guy says fix it we are fixing it. Saving $ today versus lost wages tomorrow is a no brainer.
Couple new studs is cheaper than a tow to the shop, replacing the studs, AND the rims.
@@compwiz101 I'm for real when I say my former husband loses a car at least once a year (usually twice). Almost always something small left to fester OR he doesnt check/change oil and ignores the noises of engine anguish. Then the whole mindset when broke down is somehow that it is a surprising event. He doesnt understand the root of his poverty is in THAT attitude. NOT taking necessary steps in life and then feeling like a victim of happenstance. And this attitude that developed over years of laziness is why we are no longer married boys and girls. This whole way of life some people have that revolves around pleasure and leisure is ridiculous. If you have money for eating out and cell phones you have the money for repairs. Nobody carried phones years ago because it wasnt affordable AND take care of necessities like your vehicle too. I can't figure out what all these people who don't work or manage money are going to do in their latter years? More energy spent on rationalization &excuses than taking responsibility. When I left that situation I had a beater car with over 300k miles- I also only made about 10$ an hour. Like Scarlett O'hara I decided I was "never gonna be hungry again!" AKA get a better life. So I worked a lot and looked for better and better jobs. And when the car had problems I fixed them. Every time I got paid I pretended I was still broke. Paid bills early. Picked up overtime. And 5 years later\ago I found myself buying a better car and a home. Because I changed MY thinking about WORK, LIFE and MONEY. My ex is barely surviving and years behind on child support. His life and the people around him is hand to mouth and constantly asking for a handout. Suddenly now that the government will feed your kids if you don't feel like working people don't feel a mortal drive to contribute. You aren't going to starve? Healthcare is available? Some people can get affordable housing even a check and never work a job. And this spreads to every part of life.
@@khelintriplett9130 I'm all for having a safety net (because sometimes you can work hard and make all the right decisions and still get into trouble), though structuring that to avoid the "welfare treadmill" is always the tough part. That plus robust worker's rights are, IMO, a good path. Strong rights helps people work their way up the ladder.
But that aside ;), very true about maintenance. I noticed my old '08 Toaster (Honda Element) wasn't "creeping" forward when I took my foot off the brake. Started to get suspicious - on the way home it starts groaning when taking off from a stop. Got it home, and sure enough one wheel was *hot*!
By 9pm I'd finished replacing what had turned out to be a seizing caliper and a new set of brake shoes for the front. I hate to imagine how bad it would have been if I waited for something to fall off!
You take care of your car and it takes car of you. Even down to just washing it.
@@compwiz101 oh no doubt that safety net saved us when this adventure in single life started. The great USA fed and insured my kids for the better part of a decade. There are absolutely situations where all the planning and intent doesn't get you off the treadmill. I rode it for years- where making 10$ was better than 15$ because at 10 your kids get 525$ food stamps and Medicaid at 15$ you are on your own without enough to cover food/medical. Originally it was a point of shame until the greater portion of my family pointed out that they have all paid taxes for years and never asked for public assistance. But I learned while climbing off the bottom that while I was getting better employment and making choices people I knew who were also coming up didn't achieve what I did. All because of how I spent that money- whether it was a repair or a debt instead of a meal out and a nice phone.
I think that perspective is everything. I have gotten to see this FROM the bottom and watched dozens of people including my ex over 20 years make decisions that either made or broke them. I am a firm believer in the safety nets but programs to physically get people matched to employment and resources to keep it (transportation and childcare) would do more to help than anything. And punishing the few extra dollars by withholding services is ridiculous. Nobody is financially secure over night.
We have had shops over torque wheels lugs several times over the years and we had to turn or replace the rotors. All shops are not reliable.
Thanks for an informative video.
Most shops just use the impact gun at full torque... in a circular pattern.
I think this guy over tighten the wheel nuts just to piss off the owner for next time
he goes to remove the wheels because he didn't get to repair the car correctly thus not
making any money. Made more money from this you tube clip than from the owner of this car.
@@4TheMotorist if you actually look at the orange extension attached to the rattle gun, it's called a torque stick. It is specifically designed to flex at a certain torque preventing the rattle gun from over tightening the nuts. I've used them a fair bit they come in many different thicknesses that determine their specific torque.
Handle immediately falls out once door is closed with a reasonable amount of force…. Classic.
I worked as a heavy equipment mechanic for NYCDOT for 30 years, everything from cranes to small cars. The only vehicle I ever worked on with a proportioning valve was our small tow trucks with hydraulic brakes. Our 20-ton tow truck had air brakes, and there was no proportioning valve in it.
Even after sitting for 3 months my chevy's rotors had a very light rust. The rotors on that mutant car are years old based on the rust.
Those "New" Rotors (at least) are junk. If the customer states those were just replaced, he/she got totally ripped off at the other place. Or they are literally from a junk yard. 80k miles? and in that condition? I've seen cars with 180k miles in better shape than that poor little Toyota/Chevy/Geo...thing.
@@dinomagick
Junk yard I would say.
@@dinomagick I would bet money that car's had its odometer rolled back. The owner sounds like exactly the sort of guy who'd fall for that scam.
Also got to remember he's in Florida. If the customer lives close to the shore, the salt in the air from the ocean would make the surface rust much worse than say, Oklahoma. But they looked at least a year old.
@@scottjackson1636 Florida cars seem to rust much less than New York cars.
I worked for a 'mad professor' type IT guy years ago (in Ireland) and he owned a crocky Toyota Tercel. From what I recall only every second gear worked for some reason, and he had no reverse gear. He would have to swing around and face the car for out when parking - pretty sure he had little/no brakes too.
The car was cleaned so seldom (edit: never), that there were mounds of gravel in the footwells around where you place your feet - I mean you could actually take a small shovel and scoop the gravel.
Also I was riding in the back a few times and I swear I could feel the car sway from side to side as he was driving, like the rear wasn't fully attached to the axel or something LOL
His house wasn't much better - At least it had no axels
With a car handle like that... its obvious the customer can't afford the repairs. Not because he doesn't believe the diagnosis.
the customer did not want to pay for the missing wheel bolt ? Amazing....Especially when you know what road vibration can do ...
I can picture the scene - customer drives car, wheel comes off, blames everyone but himself. What a cheap ass douche bag the owner must be.
Considering it probably would have cost no more than like 5$ for a set, and then maybe 30-45 to replace the stud.
That would be a stud replacement which would require pulling the rotor off and pounding out the old stud. Prob an hour charge.
@@mph5896 He uses the brrt brrt gun, often quite fast. But ye, probs an hour labor.
@@lward53 You get book rate regardless of how long it takes. That's why you spend big money on tools to improve productivity. If you fight with rusty bolts and it take you and hour and a half, book says an hour, you get an hours pay. A salt belt gas tank replacement comes to mind.
This is not limited to cars, it happens in every repair related field. Even when your clients have PhD's...
I remember working in IT in the healthcare industry. Gives you an "alternate" view on healthcare professionals, let's put it that way
*even --> *especially
PhD just stands for Piled Higher and Deeper!
@@CMDR_CLASSIFIED Have to remember that one. 🤣
PHD's have nothing to do with intelligence.
In Ohio our rotors generally look that way about a month after we install them.
I know I laughed when he said "A lot of rust" lol
Yep that’s why they sell painted ones now ,not for looks but for rust prevention.😂😂😂
Just came here to say the same thing.. ik also in Ohio and you start seeing Rust on new rotors within days sometimes. Those could be as little as a couple months old honestly.
yours last a whole month? it's more like overnight 🙄
Up here in newfoundland Canada I've seen parts come of the shelf with surface rust. I'm not joking!
man i learned a long time ago, the hard way....maintain maintain your car...pay pay for anything, dont cut corners, dont be cheap....if you maintain it, and dish out the money...in the long run it will pay off. The car will last you, youll never put it on a flat bed, and she will always start up.
After looking at the outside and the inside of that junker, I already knew he wasn’t going to fix anything. Alas, you touched it. He will most likely be back to play the blame game.
The owner has no money.
If you dont have money, you can't own a car responsibly.
That said: being poor doesnt make someone a bad person.
@@alphatrion100 Great statement!!! A lot of us have been there at times, and we have to make do to get by.
Few years ago, I went to my tire guy, he had a pickup in the shop, the rear tires were down to the cords, I said dang,
got your money out of them tires.......young guy comes around the corner and starts talking to me, said we was out of work
for months, and just started back to work 2 weeks ago, and had to spent his first paycheck on the tires to keep the truck running for work.......Really felt bad for him, but respected what he said, at least he knew his priority's.
@@bobwild9995 yep rent and baby food if needed come first . Been there . Glad i dont have to worry about that now in life
I think the scam here was that the guy got a full and accurate diagnosis for the price of an oil change. Now he's going to take the car to his cousin Manny who is good with his hands but a screwup at diagnosis, and get the fixes done for cost of parts and a six pack.