Growing up with seven brothers it was impossible to not learn a few things about cars. From checking your oil, transmission fluid, anti-freeze levels to removing and replacing a tire, they made sure you stood and watched and handed a few tools, or even allowed you hands on experience. Even making a few minor repairs, such as changing a fuse, checking the battery and even replacing one if necessary.
I know today's late model cars can be a little tricky.
Most everything from an oil change, replacing a fuse or the car battery to changing a tire can sometimes throw off the computer system where a reset is required. I learned how to reset the computer on my own car after an oil change when the mechanic shop I took the car to failed to do a reset. Don't ever underestimate the value of YouTube. You can learn lots of stuff there.
These are not fly-by-night type businesses, or some neighborhood mechanic. They're well-known established car repair businesses, some nationally known, you'd think would want to preserve their reputation.
Most recently, taking the car in for an oil change and radiator flush, only for the car to be returned with the oil cover stick protector broken. The business offered to fix it for a fee, but the stick wasn't broken before the car was taken to the shop, although they didn't admit to breaking it and there was no way I could prove otherwise. I'm fairly sure the cover-stick protector wasn't broken, because I'd checked the radiator fluid not quite a week before. Something like plastic-protector covering the oil stick, which is yellow, would have stood out, as it sits at the very front when you lift the hood of the car. The damage done to the yellow-oil stick cover was so severe, it would have been impossible to not have noticed it.
If the car is taken in for a heater check up because it's no longer blowing out heat, the air conditioner no longer blows out cold air when the car is returned. If the car is taken in because the air conditioner no longer blows out cold air, the air conditioner works on return but the heater doesn't and a rare cold day pops up months later, and you turn on the heat. No heat. Just cool, not cold, air.
Taking the car to the car brand's dealership isn't an option for many of us seniors. Replacing a fuse that cost less than $10 can run into the hundreds in labor. Removing the wrong fuse can totally lock up the car where it won't even start and cause your gear shift to lock up. That cost us over $1,500 not long ago, plus over $300 for a rental until the car was repaired. The dealership claimed the part had to be ordered and it took over two weeks to get the car back.
As the elders used to say, "If it ain't peas it's beans then cornbread." Or something along that line. So if anyone out there knows someone who does auto repair work on later model cars at an honest and reasonable rate, I could surely use the help.
Thank You
Brenda Washington
reach me at news@chattanoogan.com