I think most people do trust their auto repair shop. Well, I did too. Notice I said did. My car has been leaking transmission fluid for a little while, so I quit parking on the driveway and started parking on the street. I was just delaying getting it fixed, but I was working and not really concerned about it as long as I kept a watch on the fluid level.
I looked under the car to see where it was leaking. Oil was everywhere, so it gave me no clue as to where the leak was originating. I got online and started reading about what other car owners with the same problem found. Most were saying it was the solenoid pack. Since this controls shifting the gears, and mine was doing fine, I found where I could just order the gasket.
Even though I now had the gasket, I really didn't want to tear into the car, not really knowing if I could get to it, or run into more problems than I knew how to handle. I decided to take it to the repair shop and see if it would cost very much to let them fix it. It cost me $46.00 for them to check it out and give me an estimate. The final bill would be $650.00. Ouch! I'd just lost my job so that wasn't an option. Whether I wanted to or not, if it was going to get fixed I would have to try it myself.
The day arrived and it was time to address the oil leak situation. I removed the air intake box and it pretty well revealed everything I needed to see. The only real problem was that it was so oily and greasy I really couldn't tell where the leak was coming from.
I sprayed the whole area with engine degreaser, let it set, then washed it off. Much better. I was still not real sure where to start, so I decided to start with the easiest first. I removed the ends of both transmission fluid hoses on the front of the car and replaced the hose clamps that came on the car with new clamps. I felt good about that taking care of the leak, but time will tell. I put it all back together and drove it for a couple days. It worked. No leaks!
Now here's what bothers me. I paid for them to check this out and tell me what it would take to fix this problem. Did they do a good job of checking it out? Did they know it was just a couple clamps? Would they have stopped once they knew it didn't need all they said it would? I really doubt it. Why? Because they can't make any money replacing hose clamps. They need the bigger jobs to make more profit, but do they have to be dishonest to get their money? I found the problem without the convenience of a nice shop, or fancy equipment, and trained auto professionals.
So now do you think I'll take my business back there the next time I need something? Probably not. Will I be more wary anytime I need my autos repaired? Probably. If I had been working would I have just had them fix it and not thought much about it? Probably. Does this happen to people all the time? Probably.
Just be warned. Sometimes it might behoove you to at least get a second opinion.
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