A really hones auto service department?

Which shop where? If it's anywhere near where I live, I want to know about that shop!

Imperial Ford, Mendon, MA. When I was working we took the company pickup there for service and inspections. Never had any issues with them but this was really excellent. Most shops would just take the money.

My classic example was the experience a girlfriend had with the local Pontiac dealer. I was working for a large company at the time and we had company provided lease cars. She needed a new car and a colleague had a Gran Prix with 60K miles that was due to be replaced, so I arranged for her to buy it. About 6 months later, the check engine light was on and she took it to this local dealer, neither car nor her had been there before. She also told them that the power steering was making a noise.

They reported back that the brake control computer module was bad $700 and that the power steering needed to be repaired, $600. So I took a look at the power steering. No leaks, the only noise was the expected slight noise if you turned it all the way to full stop. No fluid on the garage floor either. Then I called up my colleague and asked him if he had any problems with the brake system, figuring maybe something was done that might still be under some kind of warranty or maybe where he took it they might have better service. He told me that about a year earlier he had a wheel speed sensor replaced.

So, I had her take it to another dealer. I don't remember if it was the one that my colleague had used or just another one here. They diagnosed it as a wheel speed sensor, the whole bill was maybe $200. Now for sure this first experience was a crook. These cars log very specific codes. There is a code for a missing signal from right front wheel sensor, a code for sensor shorted to ground, a code for open circuit, etc. And there is a code for ABS computer failed self-test. The second honest dealer mechanic read it out, replaced the sensor. She went on to own the car for several more years, with no more brake codes and nothing being done to the power steering either. Had she said yes to the crooks, she would have been out ~$1100.

My brother was an engineer but car were his hobby and he save a ton of money for people over the years. One time a guy at his work asked my brother if he would give him a ride back when he dropped the car off at a shop for repair. Brother said sure, but also asked what the problem was.

They guy said the were going to replace the alternator and battery. Both went bad together? My brother checked it out, tightened the fan belt and all was good.

My Honda was parked on our outdoor driveway for a week or so.

I got in and there was a whiff of gasoline odor.

Being a guy I simply turned the ignition.

Wngine started for a half second or so, then cut out.

I tried again. Ditto.

Bigger smell of gasoline...

Even though I'm a guy I figured better to not play any games. Towed to shop.

The service tech looked it over, put it on the lift, and said mice had eaten the fuel line and some wires sticking out of the tank.

Charged me about $200 total, which was pretty decent for the lift, inspection, fuel line replacement, and fixing the wiring.

Now many shops would have sleazily said the mice had damaged the fuel pump, plus XYZ, too, and easily charged $500 to $1,000. And could easily have gotten away with it...

Some shops will cheat you, but I believe many shops just have incompenent service men. I took my 1991 Toyato to a dealer and I had already replaced the simple things like plugs, wiring and fuel filter.

After 3 weeks they finally decided it was the mass air sensor. I would have replaced that myself but it was about a $ 500 item. The price they charged me for that and the labor was reasonable.

Dad had a 1968 truck he bought new and after a few thousand miles it would backfire when he changed gears ( 3 speed on the tree) . After about 4 trips back it turned out to be something that looked like a lawn mower muffler that fell off the 'smoke pump' on the engine that was about the size of an alternator. All this was under warrenty .

I had a 1972 dodge I bought new. It would not start half the time after I had about 5000 miles on it. Never did find the problem and I got rid of it before I had 20,000 miles on it. I think Clare may have had a good idea on it being a ballast resistor as he said that was a common problem.

Not the unthinkable at all. When I was service manager at the dealership there were many times we sent customers away without doing un-necessary work - and I gave "good-will" compensation when I deemed it a good idea.