I have been fortunate to have had 2 wonderfully honest mechanics. My friends would ask if they were cheap. I answered my mechanics were fair. I was not interested in cheap. I could always depend on them and trust them.

Good mechanics aren't cheap and cheap mechanics aren't good.

I just do my own repairs. Had too many shops cause more problems than they "fixed" when working on my cars.

Here's a fun one. I wanted to convert my rear end to 3.42 ratio and add a Truetrac gear driven posi. Went to a guy, gave me a respectable quote. Everything seemed fine. Get a call saying the rear end might've been swapped because it had a 30 spline 8.5 GM and not a 28 spline. I told him it should be a 30 spline because 1989 Buick Electra Estates came that way factory. The switch from 28 to 30 was around 1988. Grumbled to himself and said okay. When I do get my car I asked for an itemized receipt, not just the final price. This comes from my time in plumbing, writing out a list for materials and hours, and if something ever breaks I want to know what part to get to replace it with. He didn't want to give me one. I said I'll withhold payment until I do. He grumbled again. Got a receipt. Basically, the price increased $500 because he bought the wrong spline kit, and the kit wasn't the Truetrac I asked for but a different brand called TracRite. Always make sure you get an itemized receipt that isn't just a final price, and know what is going into your car.

I got into fixing my own cars because I simply didn't trust anyone. I probably couldn't do it in the days before youtube, You are likely to find someone diagnosing the exact symptoms you are having on your exact car showing step by step the exact repair needed.

Went to a shop to get my tires changed and an alignment done with a state inspection. What the shop didn't know is I took it to a dealer earlier but they wouldn't pass because my snow tires were just at the limit of being not legal anymore. They mentioned my brakes were worn but legal. Parked my car for about 5 weeks for spring and when I took it to that shop they ripped my inspection out and tried to charge me almost $700 for a brake job(2018). Took it to a shop I usually use down the road(he unfortunately doesn't do alignment) and he confirmed again brakes were well within legal and charged about $300 for the same work.

Got a mechanic I trust. Back when it mattered I could call him @ 9PM and he would meet me at his shop. He had brousing rights at NAPA and a key. I would be back on the road at 5 or 6 the next morning. He was and is the most expensive mechanic in 100 miles. But he made me $$$. When the wheels were turning I was on the clock. He would pull other cars off the lift to fix mine. He still does all my work. Idemized bill and parts for examination. I dread to see him go.

We are not in a good trend. Good mechanics are quitting their jobs, customers are overcharged, scammers are everywhere.

You’d be surprised how much an average joe can fix on a car with an OBD2 scanner and KZfaq videos on car repair!! Also, finding an honest independent mechanic is a must even before you have an expensive car repair.

Congrats on 500k!!!

Lucky, I enjoy your channel, your a straight good guy!!!

Excellent points, all of them are quite valuable! Thanks for your terrific real world tips & experiences, they can save so many people expensive grief in the end!

Just to add to luckies great advice, make sure you get a scanner compatible with your phone, some are android only & apple, some do both, if you have an old car eg 2007 you only need a cheap one if you have a much newer car get a better quality one, I elected to pay for a pro app, it tell you what the problem is and shows you the part and where it’s located. My scanner has a on/off button so I leave in the car permanently. Last time I used it, it came up with an EGR fault showed me the part, purchased the part from EBAY $20 and fixed it myself only 4 screws. Hope this helps, thanks for your ongoing advice lucky. Aussie fan here 🇦🇺

absolutely the best advice KZfaqr out there.. great content.

Lucky, take photos always of your completed work period! That way no need to have customer come down to have vehicle put on rack and prove, also able to send to credit card company for dispute. Love your channel man!

I doubt it says vacuum leak. More like lean condition bank 1.

Unfortunately my local mechanic is now in a nursing home 🥲 he rebuilt my Packard transmission and most everything I owned .

Congratulations 🎉🍾. Well deserved!

Hey Lucky, I drive a 2017 Chev Spark. I bought it just under a month ago from a used car dealer. I'm sure he bought it from an auction. It has a bit over 200,000 KMS. It was a former Napa Auto Parts delivery vehicle. I hear that at this mileage it's usually end of life for this vehicle...and especially for the CVT transmission (unless it was serviced regularly). It runs smoothly enough although I get transmission shudder every now and then. I don't have a service history so I'm really hoping that as a fleet delivery vehicle, it was serviced on a regular basis. I asked my local mechanic to replace the transmission fluid but he was reluctant to do that. He said that at this mileage, it's better to leave it alone because it's been reported that some Sparks CVT won't even work any more if you completely replace the transmission fluid. I did some digging around online and found an additive called ATP AT-202 transmission protectant. Would adding a bottle of this be a better solution than completely replacing the transmission fluid? Finally, if yes, is it ok to just add the whole bottle (which is just 10 fluid ounces) or it it recommended to drain the equivalent quantity of transmission fluid first? My mechanic hinted that it's ok to just pour in the entire contents of the additive bottle without draining the equivalent quantity of transmission fluid seeing as it's a small amount. I suspect that it's a pain in the butt job and he wants to avoid that step if he can. What say you my friend? I'd really appreciate your input on this one. Had I done my homework and knew everything I know now before buying it, I probably wouldn't have bought it. I'm a low income pensioner so I'm really hopin' and praying that I can get a decent amount of mileage out of it before it starts falling apart. Thanks in advance. James.

Spot on thank you!

Over the years, I’ve dealt with several mechanics through my family and my experiences. Incompetence is experienced as dishonestly because of the talent required to work on modern cars. People just want to look smart more than they want to try to make a few extra bucks. I am the only persons that works on my family cars because I also enjoy the experience, but that’s what I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten a deeper understanding of cars

A dealer in NY told me I needed new brakes on my wife’s car while doing a factory recall. I had replaced the brakes myself a few weeks earlier!!! 🙃

Great info to protect consumers.

Good advice. But instead of just clearing the codes, if freeze frame data is available for the code(s) make sure to record/save this data also before clearing.

Hey Lucky Can you make a video on service contracts ( aul and gcw warranty) are they good option to add when buys use car?

Thanks lucky for the info 👍

How bout this, went to get alignment after I installed the upper control arms, they never properly torqued those control arm cam bolts at all. Not one of them. WTF????

Everything you described are things only done by shady mechanics stick to reputsble shops, and the odds of getting ripped off are much lower. One thing that should be mentioned is that a consumer is more likely to run into these types of things when they are looking for the cheapest price. The cheapest shop is cheap because they don't have enough work to sustain a viable business.

I went into Sun automotive here in Vegas to get an oil change done. They said that they would top off all fluids and rotate tires and what not included. I checked my fluids after and nothing was topped off. Tires the same. Let’s hope they really put full synthetic.. The big thing is my car has been taking a while to start ever since I took it there. Is there a way they can wear out the starter maybe or something weird?.. never had an issue until they touched my car. Typically do my own oil changes for the last 4 years.

Thanks again for your update.

Great advice………buying your own scan tool.

What’s the brand / model of the scanner you mentioned? How much does it cost? Thanks

Do you have a web site of cars your selling. I live in Palm Springs but would drive to buy from you, your videos say that your honest and I don’t know any honest used car sales people. I am a veteran on SS Disability and can not take chances buying a car that needs expensive repairs constantly

When are cars going to come equipped w/code scanners built in?

Code readers are slippery slope. It will lead to a lot of people just throwing parts at something. Best bet is to get a professional to work on it to find the root cause.

Good call keeping a scanner around, but if you don't have one, most auto parts stores will read your codes for free.

Find a good independent shop and follow the maintenance schedule. Leave a Snickers bar for the mechanic in the passenger seat.

I was hoping by looking in the description for the "Cheap ODB scanner" recommendation. What should I get?

First thing a person should do when they move to a new city or town, is find a good doctor & a good mechanic

I checked your website to sign up for one of your classes but all them lead to a potential phone call with you. Is there a way I could just sign you for a course?

Lucky I don't remember you saying you pass 500k subscribers well done

Bro the crasiest thing ive been thru is engine idle relearn lmao. Didnt even know thats a thing. Shoutout to the mechanic at firestone for telling me how to fix over the phone ha

I paid a little shop for a simple brake job. When I went to pick up the car they were bring it back because they had to do a pizza and beer run. Also they were speeding around corner and hit the curve putting it out of alignment. the shop owner paid for it but I was p off.

A complaint I hear often from shops is shoddy parts. Mechanics may need to replace a starter motor three times before they get a good one. Parts are all made in Mexico and/or China. You get what you get.

Haven’t seen a video on the 6 x 6 in a while.

Funny that the suggested video after this was "Nobody wants EVs". No head gaskets in those.

Dodge service department charge me $450 for a filter and oil change and they just up the bill with a lot BS checks and diagnostic test which I never asked for.

How would you recommend someone like us to sell a vehicle?

I come to realize that those who modify their cars have the most issues.

Have a trusty mechanic. He isn't cheap but is reliable and have never had to return with problems. His receipts are emailed with a video of the tech making the repair from start to finish and is complete with a clock on the video..

Are you going to sell used cars at the new building?

Toyota wanted to charge me $200 to install a cabin air filter in my Prius. In 350k of services it seems Ssangyong never replaced my cabin filter on my 4x4

Swear I will cancel my subscription of blinker fluid ... 🤣😂🤣😂

…I once had a mechanic tried to charge $59.00 for checking my vehicle’s charging system and alternator…needless to say, I told the person to kick rocks.

Here’s a story, a Car Shop wants to charge me $120 for scanning the check engine light code to see what it says, I told them I scan it already with my scanner and know what the code says, I just want to know how much they would charge to fix it, they said they would have to use their own obd2 scanner to scan it, so they can tell me exactly what I just told them. Then they charge me $120 for scanning the code and then quoted me the job and parts to fix it. They made $120 by telling me a code I already know. Second story. I needed a transmission change. I have bought a new transmission already, I ask the shop how much they charge for a transmission change, they said it’s going to be $3000 for the labor because they have to overhaul swap out the whole engine and transmission out of the car to be able to change the transmission. He also said he’s been a mechanic for over 30 years, and knows what he’s talking about. I said F-U and left to another shop and they did the trans job for $800, and they didn’t need to take the whole engine and Tran out of the car.

A long time ago, when I was young and stupid.I brought my car to the local foreign dealer because the break light was on. Turns out the pads were low and the fluid dropped and set the light. They wanted to sell me a master cylinder. And a break job, I said thank you good bye

People incorrectly perceive Mexico as more corrupt than the US. I trust Mexican mechanics more than American mechanics. A diagnosis is 200 pesos, an alignment is 400 pesos, a full good paint job is 35,000 pesos. The exchange rate is 16.5 MXN to 1 USD. Shop rates average out to 500 pesos per hour. You buy your own parts in the US so no parts mark-up, just a 19% import fee at the border. The mechanics I deal with don't like using locally sourced parts for US customers. I did have an engine upgrade done at a US speed shop because Mexican shops don't like to do engine swaps.

Average car owner NEVER checks the OIL thus NEVER opens the hood. Give them an OBD2 scanner and they'll look at it , scratch their head and throw it away.

$100 diagnostic charge? Laughs in Volkswagen

Lucky I love your content and channel. I’m calling BS NO CODE READER CAN DETECT A VACUUM LEAK. Just because a ECM set a P0171/P0174 does not mean an Engine as a vacuum leak. I’m calling BS again..Labor times are a GUIDE! It’s an estimated time. For a guy who’s says he’s an Auto Repair Expert I’d expect a different answer. We always bump up labor times. We work in Out of Warranty Vehicles and we Are Warranting our work. There a cost to that for in the event. Yes we mark up parts. I wouldn’t be able to afford to stay in business going off Parts Stores list price. Our parts margin is about 54% Yes I pay excellent wages/benefits to my employees. A scanner is the worst thing average consumer needs. A scanner and getting a code is NOT a Diagnostic. To perform a Testing requirements to know what the check engine light is on. Takes a skilled technician, factory authorized scan tool, factory service information, DVOM, lab scope…I can keep going to identify what part(s) need to be replaced.

Sun auto on Craig a couple yrs ago tried getting me to change my breaks 20k early. And kept trying to get me to do them every oil change. & eventually I assumed it was about time as they had 25k on them and a different mechanic at the same exact shop told me they were fine. They lasted another 8k before they started grinding. Worked perfectly until the new ones were on

What about covering the latest bills stopping Auto Brokers: assembly bill S7553 senate bill A3499

I was a deputy sheriff for 22 years, but I fixed cars on the side. Even though I was charging 60% of shop rate, people still complained. Now I did have some good, long term customers that knew I was straight up and I worked on their cars for years before I retired and moved. I went back to a college auto shop to take some classes and stay updated on cars. Even one of my teachers who owned his own shop was kinda shady. He said you need to sell parts to bill for hours worked. In other words, encouraging you to sell work that wasn't needed so everyone made money. That was a suspension class that I could have taught better than he did.

are there purposely scammy technicians out there? yes, but their not that common, as a tech i met very few, not only that but those few werent smart at all. i think the perception is similar to government, its not malice, its incompetence. like that engine story, complete incompetence, it would make zero sense to put a wrong engine in, theres a chance the customer looks under the hood and says thats wrong and they'd have to do it all over before it ever even leaves, thats too big of a "lets try to pull one over on this guy".

I feel the Automakers and the Auto Part manufacturers create politics in the industry that ruin it. A car is made up of parts that are assembled. At the end of the day you're sort of bound by the parts and who controls them. Doesn't really matter how good of a service technician you are if the parts are bad and you're always guessing. You even have to test your own testing equipment and the new parts. The trickle down from Big corporations needs to be regulated it's just not fair to small businesses. Unfortunately big businesses have big pockets to put lobbying in place to create unfair competition.

5:56 I'm calling BS on this one. If you find labor guides with book time included on the internet for free, PLEASE reply and send me the link. I would love to not have to pay for that information anymore.

pay money for them to give me a problem? na thanks

Lucky has an oversimplified explanation here on the OBDII. Some readiness items need multiple drive cycles or certain conditions to be in place (3 drive cycles for LTFT, 1/4-3/4 tank for EVAP readiness. Another thing is parts prices. I don't care if O'Reilly has a water pump for $120, what BRAND is the pump. Compare apples to apples, if the OEM part is Bosch, Denso, Continental, etc and you tell me some cheap Chinese part is one third the cost I will tell you to fix it yourself. Lucky is dead on with pics and videos. Also dead on to ask questions. The reality is very few techs can really dig into CANBus issues, complex wiring diagrams, etc. Modern vehicles running ISO protocols are very complex. It takes oscilloscopes, multi meters, wiring diagrams and engineer level of knowledge. Lucky is also dead on for asking questions, but if you accuse honest shops of cheating you and you know nothing, you will have third rate techs shotgunning parts at your car.

Even dealerships screw up but hopefully they aren't scamming

Open mouf

*”….you broke my car on purpose”* 😂😂😂😂 and my mother ADAMANTLY AND PASSIONATELY encouraged me to study to be an auto mechanic when I was a teenager…I really should’ve listened to her smhlmao

Whatever car you have, find the corresponding Internet forum. You’ll find who sells the cheapest OEM parts and common problems. Do your research before going to the mechanic.

Electric tesla = no mechanic

learn to do basic things on your car yourself.

There was a repair shop in town that could manipulate the space-time continuum. My car had suspension work done that booked for three-hours of labor, but got a call it was finished in only two-hours. Of course I was charged for the full three-hours.

Just use common sense and don’t be stupid.

Gotta have a good OBD reader! Learn to at least diagnose the issue with your vehicle, when they pop up. You can get further telling a mechanic "I need the downstream 02 sensor on bank 2 replaced", and save money and time, rather than "I have a problem with my vehicle, can you fix it"? That leaves you open to serious scamming and useless "parts cannon" type fixes that don't work.

Dude you've got more commercials on your channel than a Super Bowl weekend. Do you have to agree to that before you look like a sellout?