Mechanic Wants to Charge for Taking a Look at Coolant Leak

Lpolyteknika on 24/11/2022 - 14:01
Last edited 25/11/2022 - 13:58 by 1 other user

Just wondering if this is the norm:

I had a coolant leak on Friday and managed to drive it into a mechanics shop. He said he'll take a look at it (not sure if it was hoisted) but he couldn't find the leak (he says he thinks it's the plastic reservoir or manifold inlet hidden behind the engine). I asked for some photos but not provided.

Since I need my car for work, which is now Thursday - I asked for it back and he wants to charge $100.

Is this acceptable? Happy to pay if all is fair and reasonable.

Automotive Mercedes-Benz CLA

Comments

  • Ghost47 on 24/11/2022 - 15:23
    +1

    What a noob mechanic. He should be charging all his customers a subscription based service. That’s how you squeeze all the money out of your customers.

    • Muzeeb on 24/11/2022 - 15:26
      +1

      Like Mercedes charging $1200 pa for extra torque

      • Ghost47 on 24/11/2022 - 15:28

        Exactly like that.

  • Richmond Tigers on 24/11/2022 - 15:29
    -6

    Give them 1 star reviews on every platform, demand refund in exchange for taking down reviews.

  • polyteknika on 24/11/2022 - 15:32

    Even though I didn’t get the desired outcome of knowing where the leak is or a fix, I have paid the mechanic for his time. I have organised a tow.
    Was only asking if it was reasonable, which it appears it is.

    • zonra on 24/11/2022 - 15:40
      +3

      You’re paying for his time and attempt to diagnose and potentially fix the issue.
      It’s like paying for your lawyer even if you didn’t win the case.

      If you don’t like this system, tell the next mechanic up front that you won’t pay unless you get your desired outcome, but I imagine most would just turn you away after hearing that.

      • Muzeeb on 24/11/2022 - 15:43

        Except no win no fee law firms

        • zonra on 24/11/2022 - 15:54
          +4

          That would be an upfront agreement, not a norm, hence they called themselves No Win No Fee Lawyers and not just Lawyers.
          From what I gathered OP’s mechanic wasn’t one of them No Fix No Fee mechanics.

  • EightImmortals on 24/11/2022 - 15:52
    +4

    "He said he has to open up everything and it will cost >$2000, kept on saying its a "big job"."

    What are you driving? A space shuttle?
    I can understand that fixing the problem might cost $2000 but just to 'open it up and take a look'? And what's >$2000 mean? $2500? $8000?
    If he can't provide a fixed quote to repair the problem for the $100 he asking you for then you need to run…as fast as you can.

    Find a different mechanic.

    • Presence on 24/11/2022 - 17:45
      +3

      Things are very vague. Perhaps it's the head gasket which would justify $2000. A lot of details missing here. I completely agree with your point that OP needs to get a written quote for a clear scope of work before visiting any more mechanics.

  • iNeed2Pee on 24/11/2022 - 16:04
    +5

    Should have said in a Borat voice "We call it 85" proceeds to spit on hand.

  • pegaxs on 24/11/2022 - 16:05
    +1

    How dare a mechanic be asked to diagnose a fault with a car AND expect payment for it… My uncle knows a guy who knows a guy who knows the brother of a guy that has this guy who would have looked at it for nothing… And $100 would be about 30~45min worth of labour.

    Totally unreasonable. Have you considered seeking "CoMpEnSaTiOnZ"???

    • Heaps for Cheaps on 24/11/2022 - 16:27
      +6

      …though he didn't diagnose it, he wants a further $2000 to diagnose and potentially fix it.

      By diagnosing, I would expect he identified the specific issue because without knowing where the issue is, the 2k figure seems arbitrary…
      It could be a hose or something much more, so OP is just trying to get best value because mechanic is going to say it's 2k even if it is a $5 hose with one hour of labour.

    • Shunto on 24/11/2022 - 20:57
      +6

      1. He didnt diagnose anything

      2. OP is literally asking for a view on whether it's fair, making no insinuation either way. Why be so condescending?

      • lachhelix on 25/11/2022 - 01:20

        The joys of Ozb etc etc

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 24/11/2022 - 16:25
    -5

    I'd pay $100 and leave a negative google review for others to beware.

    • Presence on 24/11/2022 - 17:46
      +5

      "This mechanic has so much work he can't afford to do things for free"

    • Bigburper on 25/11/2022 - 18:04

      What an absolute clown take

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 24/11/2022 - 17:48
    +2

    Dude

  • herecomestheoost on 24/11/2022 - 17:59

    :D

  • FullPrice on 24/11/2022 - 18:10
    +4

    This whole post/comments is the greatest thing I have read all month.

  • Empharand on 24/11/2022 - 18:17
    +3

    $100 does seem a little far fetched as a qualified or semi-qualified mechanic could find the issue in maximum 30 minutes, but on the other hand you should have done your due diligence and asked 'How much will it cost to perform an inspection' and then made an informed decision of what you do.

    There is always the chance that it took them 10 minutes to find the issue and charged you for 45 minutes - 1 hour (The going rate for mechanics is $100-$120+ p/hour) to try and squeeze a little $$$ out of you, but you will never truly know and you can't dispute that as they run their business how they want.

    Mechanics either do one of two things, charge you for the inspection up-front or add (hide) the time (cost) of the inspection onto the repairs.

    Just pay it and move on…

    • polyteknika on 24/11/2022 - 18:51
      +2

      I understand your point, but the fact is they couldn’t find the leak. That’s my main gripe. If they found the issue, and I thought the quote was expensive to fix, then of course I would’ve paid the mechanic for his time.

    • thesilverstarman on 24/11/2022 - 19:10
      +7

      The going rate is not that. Think 140 to 180.
      As for fixing it in half an hour, Im guessing that it was put on the hoist and inspected, also inspected under the bonnet. If there was nothing obvious, then it would take further work, which could involve removing panels underneath, pressure testing etc. The owner decided to take the car, so the mechanic charged for the 30 odd minutes time. Completely fair. And of course they would have said that the repair could cost that much, because it could.
      Im a mechanic and it frustrates me when people expect that we should diagnose problems for free. Sometimes it can take a couple of hours just to isolate the problem. Sometimes there is more than one problem. Its like when people think that scanning the car should be free. I have over 20k in scan tools, so if I use them, I charge. On top of that, they dont tell you the problem. They tell you symptoms of the problem. Thats where the expertise comes into it.

  • Poor Ass on 24/11/2022 - 18:22
    +7

    As annoying it may be, always ask if there is an inspection cost

    • polyteknika on 24/11/2022 - 18:51

      Noted for next time

      • Poor Ass on 24/11/2022 - 20:53

        Not everyone is like that … Some don't even charge to do a quick look and that's how local mechanics get ya business for life. Very rare find.

        • hippieyippie on 24/11/2022 - 21:08

          Except in this case I do not think OP is local to that mechanic. If it's was me that had the same problem and I bring it to my usual mechanic that I have been using for the last 5 years that would be different. I have faith that he won't charge me a cent for a quick diagnostic. If I bring it to a mechanic who I am seeing for the first time, I'll be counting my lucky stars if I am not charged for his/her time.

          • Poor Ass on 24/11/2022 - 21:09

            @hippieyippie: Yep

          • xsacha on 26/11/2022 - 09:34

            @hippieyippie: 100%
            If the mechanic thinks you'll go back they'll wear the inspection cost.
            They know he's not local and not likely coming back so they aren't just going to give him free info for his regular mechanic.

  • Mcuser on 24/11/2022 - 18:39

    If you didn’t hang around you wouldn’t know, I’ve had mechanics check something for me for no charge while I waited.

  • mollpatrol on 24/11/2022 - 19:01

    I’ve charged people over $2000 for fault finding why an engine kept shutting down.
    Ended up checking all the senders, switches, alarms, relays, speed sensors only to find out it was a faulty speed controller with intermittent issue.

    It happens.

  • HangryCakeStore on 24/11/2022 - 19:01
    -1

    Alot of tradie scums charge what they feel like

  • MrKnowItAll on 24/11/2022 - 19:09
    +1

    I can see issues on both ends here with you expecting a free inspection and the mechanic's claims.. A cooling system is pretty basic and I can't think of any part of the system that would require $2k in parts and (assumedly) labour to replace.. except for maybe the heater core or head gasket / cracked head. My gut feel is you've paid $100, but potentially saved getting reamed by this guy.
    Any mechanic worth his salt could at the very least give a rough indication as to where it's coming from and then offer up the option to investigate further at your cost, with an estimate in labour!

  • Brick Tamland on 24/11/2022 - 19:15

    I dont think you got ripped but it depends on how long they were looking at the car. If it went up on a hoist then yeah its probably fair.

  • pharkurnell on 24/11/2022 - 19:43
    -1

    If you poured coolant/water in and it pissed out on the ground instantly, your bottom radiator hose is boned… or similar.

    was the engine running as you poured coolant/water in?

    What car is it?

    • polyteknika on 24/11/2022 - 23:42

      Only starts losing coolant after I turn on the car.

  • ahly92 on 24/11/2022 - 19:53
    +1

    Wow didnt relise people actually paid for inspection, might be my local mechanics but non have ever asked me for charges when giving them the car to find a problem

    • xsacha on 26/11/2022 - 09:37

      It will depend if it's your regular.
      If I go to a new random mechanic I don't expect anything free because they don't know if I'll come back.

  • monkeyfood on 24/11/2022 - 20:07

    Its not that easy to 100% pinpoint a leak. It will come out the bottom but could be behind under or on the side of a number of parts or hoses, not to mention once its wet you have to dry it all and start from beginning to see where fresh coolant is coming from. Your car also probably has a plastic drip tray at the bottom which needs to be removed/attached again so it all adds up in time and effort. Could be one of those leaks that only happens under pressure/hot coolant but mostly likely not since it came out as soon as you refilled it.
    Troubleshooting is troubleshooting unless he said no fix no fee (good luck)

  • uwuwu on 24/11/2022 - 20:18

    What car is it?

    Could’ve been anything from heater core, hoses to head gasket. If he spent an hour on it, I’d say $100 is a reasonable amount

  • Eeples on 24/11/2022 - 20:21

    I get my cars (3 of them) serviced every 6 months by 'my mechanic'.

    He wouldn't charge me anything for what the OP described.

    • Kamsi on 24/11/2022 - 20:45

      Yep some mechanics doesn't charge a inspection fee, especially for something as the Op experience. It goes to show NOT all mechanic are made the same :)

    • naruto128 on 24/11/2022 - 21:10

      Same. I got a regular mechanic for servicing and he does not charge for inspection only where mechanical work is required. If he cannot spot the problem he does not charge and suggest I go back to the dealer service centre for better diagnosis. He is a rarity this why I stuck with him for more than a decade.

  • Brianqpr on 24/11/2022 - 20:44
    +1

    Needs to be paid for his time as a minimum.

  • Muzeeb on 24/11/2022 - 20:45
    +2

    Why does the OP refuse to tell us what car it is?

    • polyteknika on 24/11/2022 - 23:42
      +2

      Merc CLA class

      • Muzeeb on 25/11/2022 - 07:44

        You forgot to add the 45 AMG S 4 Matic+

        • yokel on 25/11/2022 - 13:54
          +2

          I came here to ask what car it was. Suspicions confirmed. Nothing seems easy with a euro. Good luck OP. Recommend building a relationship with a workshop by taking car for regular servicing. Mechanics with a solid backlog would hate randoms turning up with this kind of thing and then not leave it with them in the queue.

  • Shunto on 24/11/2022 - 20:56
    +1

    1 hour of labour is usually itemised to about $100 - $110. Sounds like he's just charged you for an hour. I doubt he spent an hour looking for a leak he didnt even find

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 24/11/2022 - 21:05
    -1

    100th comment FTW.

  • Bullion78 on 24/11/2022 - 22:04
    +1

    My old man has just retired after running a machanic shop his entire life and he's never charged for such a thing. Its a different world we live in now where old fashioned customer service no longer is the norm..

    • brendanm on 24/11/2022 - 23:15
      +6

      The problem is that these days, if you diagnose it for free, and say it will be $X to fix, the customer will ring everyone within a 50km radius, and find a mechanic who will do it for $X-50. They then take it there, and the original mechanism has wasted his time, and missed out on the job.

      • polyteknika on 24/11/2022 - 23:41
        -1

        The problem was not diagnosed. I would've paid for his time if he actually knew where the leak was.

        • brendanm on 24/11/2022 - 23:56
          +1

          What is the vehicle? Some will require a lot of disassembly in order to find exactly what is happening. If you let me know what the vehicle is, I may know common leak areas for it.

          • polyteknika on 25/11/2022 - 00:07

            @brendanm: Merc CLA class

            • brendanm on 25/11/2022 - 00:09

              @polyteknika: Yeah, a lot going on there. If you pour water in, it pours straight out?

              • polyteknika on 25/11/2022 - 00:11

                @brendanm: When I pour water in, the reservoir goes down. However, the car does not leak until I actually turn on the car.

                • brendanm on 25/11/2022 - 00:12

                  @polyteknika: Did the mechanic pressure test the cooling system? Should have been a first step.

                  • polyteknika on 25/11/2022 - 00:23

                    @brendanm: He did not.
                    In fact, I can start the car with the coolant cap off.

  • MagicMikez32 on 24/11/2022 - 22:17

    Download the service manual and have a look at where you think it's coming from.

    If it's pissing out coolant as fast as you can pour it in, it's likely a large leak. Hose clamp, rubber hose split etc.

    • polyteknika on 25/11/2022 - 01:22

      It only loses coolant when I turn on the car, but it drains pretty quick.

  • Punda on 24/11/2022 - 22:50

    Pay it. Then get a mobile radiator mechanic or take it. They’d have more idea than a general mechanic

  • Blargman2001 on 24/11/2022 - 22:54
    +1

    My mechanic charges $200 per hour. $100 is fair.

  • fullmetal on 24/11/2022 - 23:01

    It is strange, in the states the mechanic always take a pic and write a report. AU seems like take my word for it style.

  • polyteknika on 24/11/2022 - 23:40

    For those that asked, the car is a Merc CLA class.

    It only starts leaking coolant when I turn on the car, but when I refill when the car is turned off, I notice that the water goes down that reservoir fast (not a mechanic so I'm not sure if this is useful information).

    From what I can see - no noticeable signs of leaks near the reservoir, external hoses or engine itself, so it's definitely behind/under the engine.

    Anyways I paid the mechanic for his 'time', even though I highly doubt he spent an hour or even half an hour looking at the car, without figuring out where the leak was.

    • johnno07 on 25/11/2022 - 19:52

      Maybe he saw your car and he figured he could get one over on you.

  • dscott85 on 25/11/2022 - 01:04
    +4

    Owns a Mercedes CLA base price $61,000 & complains about paying a mechanic $100 for his time because he didn’t diagnose the problem with photographic evidence intact saying it would require greater disassembly & diagnostics…

    Why not go to the Mercedes dealership, my completely reasonable & well-adjusted fellow? They know how to fleece/help a man of your calibre.

    • polyteknika on 25/11/2022 - 01:20
      +3

      Like I said before, it was the closest car service station due to the engine overheating.
      I'm not sure why you would go out of your way to juxtapose the brand new price of a CLA to the amount the mechanic charged - I only asked if it was reasonable to charge for a mere inspection of the vehicle without identifying the actual leak - also I am well within my right to ask for a photo of the leak.

      • hippieyippie on 25/11/2022 - 07:43

        The first mistake was not arranging it to be towed to your trusted mechanic since you know there is a problem that needs to be fixed. You have no way of knowing if the nearest service station is doggy or not.

        Even if they had found the leak and you paid them to fix it, would you have confidence that it is done properly and won't cause you more grieve further down the road? Just take it as a lesson learnt for a hundred dollars, could have been more expensive.

    • Heaps for Cheaps on 25/11/2022 - 05:10
      +3

      You are taking this personally. Are you a mechanic?

    • brendanm on 25/11/2022 - 14:20
      +3

      I have to say, in this situation I actually agree with op. If the mechanic didn't even pressure test the cooling system, which is literally the first thing you'd do if someone came in with a coolant leak, that's pretty poor. The brand of car is irrelevant.

      • spaceflight on 25/11/2022 - 21:09

        There no point pressure testing when you already know there is a leak.
        Pressure testing is intended to identify if you have a leak…

        • brendanm on 25/11/2022 - 21:52
          +2

          No it's not. It makes it leak, so you can find where it is. Harder to find it if it's not actively leaking.

  • Daddy Chill on 25/11/2022 - 07:46
    +2

    Sorry but Mechanics, real estate, lawyers, car salesman are scum

  • 82norm on 25/11/2022 - 08:28

    It’s the radiator. Thank me later.

  • branners on 25/11/2022 - 08:39

    I have an excellent mechanic who works on my car, used him for years and he is very trustworthy.
    I was talking to him once about this very thing, and he rather casually mentioned that before he even steps into his workshop, it costs him $40/hr in rent, heating/aircon, electricity, insurance, lease and depreciation on tools and equipment, and diagnostic and business hardware and software.
    I never begrudged paying his bills again.

  • 786 on 25/11/2022 - 08:48
    +5

    A giant ship’s engine failed. The ship’s owners tried one ‘professional’ after another but none of them could figure out how to fix the broken engine.
    Then they brought in a man who had been fixing ships since he was young.
    He carried a large bag of tools with him and when he arrived immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.
    Two of the ship’s owners were there watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away and the engine was fixed!!!
    A week later, the owners received an invoice from the old man for $10,000.
    What?! the owners exclaimed. “He hardly did anything..!!!”.
    So they wrote to the man; “Please send us an itemised invoice.”
    The man sent an invoice that read:
    Tapping with a hammer………………….. $2.00
    Knowing where to tap…………………….. $9,998.00

    Effort is important but experience and knowing where to direct that effort makes all the difference.

  • echineon on 25/11/2022 - 09:01
    +1

    better off paying for roadside assistant if you have expensive car. I drive a high mileage car and I maintain the car myself and still I'm more than happy to pay for annual roadside assistant to know that if shit hits the fan I can still look after my car. Pay up $100 and have it towed to where you are comfortable with having it looked at. Honestly if I was the mechanic the $100 is for the time waster factor.

  • w0lf on 25/11/2022 - 09:31
    +1

    It only starts leaking coolant when I turn on the car, but when I refill when the car is turned off, I notice that the water goes down that reservoir fast (not a mechanic so I'm not sure > if this is useful information).
    From what I can see - no noticeable signs of leaks near the reservoir, external hoses or engine itself, so it's definitely behind/under the engine.

    If it's underneath, could be a water pump, heater hose, etc. A quick pressure test will usually tell you where the leak is. But if it up behind the engine then he would need to take it apart to see the exact location, hence the extra charge. But not sure how you can quote >$2k without even knowing the exact cause of the leak.

  • Dabbler68 on 25/11/2022 - 09:35
    +1

    You said "It only loses coolant when I turn on the car, but it drains pretty quick."

    Do you mean it drains onto the floor pretty quick?? That implies water running out, not just dripping or weeping. In that case finding the leak should be easy. If it's coming from a hard to see place behind the engine, surely a remote inspection camera would do it.

    On that basis paying $100 and still no diagnosis is unreasonable. Then to say at least $2,000 does not make sense ….. unless you misunderstood what he said. If he diagnosed it as coming from inside the engine, which meant the head needed to be removed, then yes, $2,000 at least and could be a lot more.

    • polyteknika on 25/11/2022 - 12:22

      Yeah it consistently drains on the floor like a tap, not dripping.
      He definitely did not use a remote inspection camera, or pressure test the system.
      I only got annoyed when the first call back from him was "big job big job" and an arbitrary cost of $2000 to repair.

      • yokel on 25/11/2022 - 14:05

        It wouldn’t be arbitrary. It might be the water pump which is driven on a lot of engines by a timing belt. Even if it is a water pump just driven by a serpentine drive belt - he could be chasing and chasing. Maybe he is quoting a bunch of genuine merc parts because he’d continually get burnt by cheap copies.

  • lookalive on 25/11/2022 - 09:38

    If there's no leak around the reservoir or hoses and you suspect it's under the engine, then it's possible that the water pump has failed. For a regular (non luxury) car, this would cost $600-$1200, but most mechanics would encourage the replacement of the timing belt as well because it's part of the job anyway. Check your oil cap, is it milky colour? If so, the repair cost of $2000 will be a reality.

  • whitepuma on 25/11/2022 - 09:46

    Although i agree that it is a bit ridiculous that he not find the root cause of the problem….I think you might understand his perspective a bit more if you understood the process a bit further. If the problem isn't easily accessible, it's going to take a whole lot of time and effort to take the system apart to simple diagnose it….so imagine that $100 figure being much much higher, simply to find the problem (not even to fix it).

    Yeah mechanics are expensive, but if you take something to a mechanic and want him to spend time looking at something, you gotta pay him for your time, even if he doesn't resolve or find the exact root cause of it.

    This is the case for any job…

    I think this is something that could be resolved with some better communication between both yourself and the mechanic, Most tradespeople i deal with tend to remove the diagnosing or call out fees if i pay them to resolve the problem, as they just include it into it. Could have asked him how much it would cost to find out for sure and fix it.

    Also, always be upfront about asking for costs, the second you brought it to a mechanic, you should be telling him what problems you are experiencing, and asking him how much he would charge to look at it.

  • Muzeeb on 25/11/2022 - 09:46
    +1

    Just so we are all on the same page this was the mechanics view

    • Dabbler68 on 25/11/2022 - 11:01

      Yes, a bit crowded. But 1 minute to remove the engine top cowling would make a huge difference. As I said in my earlier post, if it was leaking fast, an inspection camera should find it in no time. I can't see why a competent mechanic could not find a fast leak in minutes.

      Here is a video showing how fast it is to remove a lot of that stuff on a similar vehicle. No tools needed.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XSN-dTmYYk

      • polyteknika on 25/11/2022 - 12:23

        I removed the plastic top of the engine and did not see any leakage.
        It is a consistent drain, not a drip.

  • cunningdrew on 25/11/2022 - 10:34

    My euro mechanic charges 165 and hour. If he spent a half hour looking for a leak, he'd bill me. So many little items in the list of things he does, I hate it. But that's the way it is sadly.

  • freddofrog42 on 25/11/2022 - 11:02

    I'd be more concerned about what potential damage has happened when it overheated.

    It doesn't take much to blow a head gasket and warp a head etc and you can forget about $2000 for a Merc if that's the case, probably more like double that.

    $100? What did you expect? That's 30 mins work realistically, only to find that there are so many plastic panels on modern cars that you need a considerable amount of time to remove them to even see the engine or many of the hoses.

    • polyteknika on 25/11/2022 - 12:25

      No white smoke so hopefully not the gasket.
      For $100, I think the mechanic could've at least told me where the leak was, or a photo of the leak.

  • bigbadboogieman on 25/11/2022 - 11:04

    Took my car for a coolant leak check to MyCar 2 days ago. It took them less than 3 minutes to confirm the leak and give me a quote. No charge.

    Depends on the car model, etc. I guess. Is your water pump separately installed from the engine or is it attached together with the Engine timing chain?

    Mine was separate so not a big job but it is indeed a big job if it's part of the timing chain assembly and not easy to determine or replace the part if there actually is a problem with the water pump.

    I got 4 quotes ranging from $710 to $870 for Water pump replacement, drive belt replacement and coolant flush.

  • mathew123456 on 25/11/2022 - 11:30

    I've used MyCar before - had my Tiguan with strong coolant smell in cabin - and losing coolant. They couldn't find issue (only charged me for anti-leak and refill) - but still couldn't find the issue. They said they would have to potentially pull engine out - could be expensive.
    Took it to VW direct - and it ended up being the reserve bottle itself leaking - go figure. Not cheap - but sometimes might pay to go direct to actual service centre - might be more knowledgeable about common problems and get them fixed quickly (not always though :) )

  • 7ekn00 on 25/11/2022 - 11:31
    +1

    Buy high yield euro, pay the euro repair tax - all mechanics know it too!

    Euro trash, likely a cracked radiator header :/

  • Kentrolla on 25/11/2022 - 11:58

    Things like this needs to be discussed prior to leaving your car there. If you've left it there, and asked him to "look at it", it's implied that there will be some sort of charge. Too late now to negotiate.

    I learned this decades ago after being overcharged for an assumed "small job". It's always best to get a quote or something BEFORE leaving your vehicle there.

    Alternatively if that's a problem, learn how to do it yourself.

  • jonkvh on 25/11/2022 - 12:06

    Years ago had a mechanic do a similar thing, charged $200 for a 2 hour inspection to look over the whole suspension/drivetrain. 6 months down the track was at another mechanics who mentioned the ball joints were stuffed(AU Fairlane), probably the worst he'd ever seen.

    The only way to get your money back is to let the mechanic who is charging you $100, do the whole job & ask for $100 off when the job is finished.

  • dontboopthesnoot on 25/11/2022 - 12:22

    offer him $50 and move on

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