Parts Guy Rant

[Xist]

Somehow, I ran across a Canadian news channel on YouTube (CBC Marketplace). I watched many videos of Canadians scamming each other before the sound died on my laptop again. In one video, they recorded video of a automotive repair instructor thoroughly inspecting three vehicles and performing required maintenance. Then they installed hidden cameras on the vehicles and three people who worked for the news channel. They went in for $20 oil changes and everybody was told they needed radiator and brake fluid flushes. Each of the three left paying over two hundred dollars, but all the shop did was change the oil. In one case, they apparently sucked out the coolant overflow, put in new antifreeze, and then claimed they did the full job.

The instructor explained that he car required some special coolant and he needed to flush the system to fix work that was done incorrectly.

I wondered how much of the wrong fluid in the overflow had worked its way into the system, and how much damage it would have done. Couldn't he just suck it back out?

The dealership said the power steering fluid was fine in my Subaru. Sure, it was pretty clean, but the cap specifies ATF, so I needed to flush it!

What is the difference between Honda power steering fluid and normal stuff?

[Fat Charlie]

Honda PS fluid is normal stuff, if you have a Honda.

Back 15 or so years ago, Chrysler started using ATF for PS fluid. Last fall they discontinued the "old style" PS fluid, superceding that part number to the ATF. Except we know it's not a good supercedence because they didn't do it 15 years ago. And I think I have two kinds of PS fluid for electric systems. And they're all "normal."

[Xist]

What are the two types of synthetic?

[redpoint5]

After watching scary news programs that showed CA lube shops charging for services not rendered, I have never trusted those cheap shops to perform any service but changing my oil. Even then, I verify that it was done correctly by observing that new fluid was put in, and that the proper level was maintained.

I don't even trust the shops on my nicer vehicles that don't already burn oil. So, I change the oil myself once per year, regardless if it needs it or not.

Grease monkeys don't get paid enough to care if the job was done right, or if the drain plug was torqued to the correct spec.

[markweatherill]

I saw the words 'insurance company' quoted and this is another level of markup as I understand it!

Arguably the price of 'insurance' work is high because it's done to manufacturer-approved high standards.

But there are plenty of places on the internet where we can read about shoddy insurance repair work done by manufacturer-approved repairers.

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by Xist

What are the two types of synthetic?

Overpriced and not available? There's also a third type: not specified for your application.

[Xist]

Ah good. If it is available then it is affordable!

[Fat Charlie]

No, overpriced is the one on the shelf. The reasonably priced ones are unavailable. The reasonably priced ones on the shelf are for other applications.

It's like the three military clothing sizes: too big, too small and out of stock.

[gone-ot]

Old-fashioned "Goldie-Locks" marketing !

[jcp123]

Had a few years in at AutoZone. Some thoughts:

Shops get a discount but not huge. 20% at most, more like 10%. Markup was usually double their cost, so a starter which retailed at $100 would go for $90 to the shop, and they would charge the customer $180 for it. My experience is that if you bring in your own parts, you lose any labour guarantee.

Brake pads were mentioned: no, there is a difference in brake pads. I felt no sympathy for guys who bought the cheap crap. I wouldn't buy the cheap crap pads unless I were reconditioning a car for sale. The higher prices pads had bona fide advantages.

Yes, we fairly regularly supplied competitors' phone numbers; in the long run, that all evened out.