My $976 Oil Change

Come friends. Gather round, and let me tell you a story about a deal that wasn't much of a deal in the end, while I massage my temples and avoid eye contact with my credit card statement.

To be honest, I'm not sure if this is a cautionary tale, or just a bad bit of luck that was due to come my way because I drive an old car, but I've decided recently that we're swearing off all car-related deals that come from couponing sites like WagJag or Groupon. More specifically, I'm swearing off any mechanic-related deals.

Just to be clear, before we get started: I still like WagJag. Their service is pretty impressive, in my experience. Not all mechanics are crooks either; some of them are really quite awesome... I just plan to be a little more discerning about who touches my car in the future.

Ok, that said, on with the story.

Once upon a time, your friendly neighbourhood writer found a really incredible deal for three oil changes at an impossibly good price, online. If you drive any car, regular oil changes are important. If you drive an old car, such TLC is essential.



Admittedly, routine car maintenance tends to be one of those things I sometimes leave to the last minute. I usually end up leaving such things until the day before I'm scheduled to go out of town for some reason or another. Here's what I've learned though: Having your back against the wall in this way is a really lousy position to be in when you need to make costly decisions about the mechanics of your car, or anything else you know very little about.

Each time I went in for one of these nearly free oil changes, I left owing a fair chunk of change on my Visa bill. The first bill for repairs I "needed" to have done, came in just over $250. (It was December 23. I was swamped with errands, and I was leaving the next morning to go visit family.) The second bill rang in close to $500, and the third bill, when it was clear I wouldn't be coming back, was a whopping $976, despite the fact initial estimates suggested the bill would again cost just under $500.

The implication, every time, was that the repairs were very serious and needed to be done right away. (At my own mechanic, there is usually more of a dialogue where he tells me what needs to be done, and which repairs can be put off for a time.) Twice, after the repairs were completed, brand new creaks, clunks and problems seemed to show up as well, usually within minutes of me driving away.

Fair or not, I am generally pretty mistrustful of mechanics. In the past I've been overcharged quite a bit by a guy we took our business to for years. This pattern of new problems showing up after a visit to the shop is one we experienced under his care as well. That said, I'm trying hard to get over it, largely with the help and patience of the mechanic we see for most things today – he's fantastic.

By the end of this particular coupon experience though, it felt like I was back to wearing a flag or a sign that screamed "take me, I'm yours," every time I pulled my 13-year-old car in for some minor, routine service.

Here's the number one lesson I've taken from this experience:
Don't wait until the last minute to make car repairs; if your car isn't dead on the side of the road, leave time to get a second opinion, if needed.

I talked to a few experts after the fact to help make some sense of the situation. That this particular mechanic perhaps thought he was actually doing me a favour is one possibility that I'm willing to concede after having a few of these discussions.

I also had a hypothesis: Routine maintenance or no, older car repairs can be a little like kicking a hill of sand: if you disturb one part, another area could crumble as well.

Cars are a bit of a mystery to me though, so I asked Dave Redinger, radio host and "neighbourhood mechanic" for his advice as well. (Redinger retired from running his own shop just this month after more than 46 years in the business.)

We talked about how to drive an older car without losing your shirt in repair costs, and how to find a decent mechanic.

Finally, he said the hill of sand analogy can be true, but he had this particularly good bit of insight that I hadn't considered as well:

"Here's the thing: He doesn't know your car. I get people who come in, I don't know them and I don't know their car, but legally, if I put it on the hoist and get under it, I'm almost responsible because I'm a trained professional and they're paying for my services," he says. "I will become very critical of that car until I understand what it's all about. If I find something wrong and they refuse to fix it, I make them sign off that I've told them about the problem and that they've refused to fix it."

"It's the guys who say here's your bill, you need $1,000 worth of work, who give (mechanics) the bad reputation. The secret is explaining to the client what's involved."


For more car-saving advice from Redinger, see also:
How To Drive An Old Car Without Getting Taken For A Ride
How to Find a Good Mechanic


RELATED:
Hypermiling: Save On Gas, Drive Like a Granny
Hypermiling: Save On Gas ($30/tank!)




Kate McCaffery is a freelance writer, editor and former urbanite, now living somewhere in between the lake, the ski hill and some farmer's cow path. Visit mccaffery.ca/kate2.0/ for more information.