I once had a "mechanic" try to tell me that my car needed about $600 worth of brake work done. This was a national chain shop. All I needed was new pads on the front brakes. Really. * I no longer will darken the doors of that particular chain. *I contemplated taking diesel mechanics in college, as I'm actually pretty mechanically inclined. I just hate the grease under the fingernails thing.
As did ALL of the gals I was with... That's why I stopped working on em myself Sis. Except... I either gotta step up or get off the pot with my avatar, Huh... it is still sitting in the same place as it was when it caught afire... I can fix it with money... just... ummm... Shoot... it is a pretty car... do I want to fix it, or do I want one that is fun to drive and runs now... PPooooooh... Shoot... It was fun to drive... Maybe I oughta put in a new drive-train... I know it needs new wiring and at least two computers... but... it is real estate right now that we are tossing our coins at... and my sportscar can just sit, if I decide to keep it at all... come to thin k of it... a Miata was fricken a hoot the last drive I had... Hmmmmm... OK... Only one more drink before I call it a night...
Some high performance cars do have left & right tires. Laugh all you want, but that girl's ignorance is nothing compared to the general ignorance that allows criminal b...t like this to flourish: http://shakti.teamasea.com/science.aspx Making millions selling salt water as a cure-all - actually, that's not funny. Why aren't these quacks in jail?
That's actually half a step up from homeopathy, which is making millions selling regular water as a cure-all.
What constitutes a "brake job" is debatable. Some would say just ignore them till the pads are worn to the point of needing replacement. Personally I prefer to pull the pads off yearly, relube all faying surfaces, check that the caliper is free-floating on the pins, occasionally check the disk thickness/runout, and so on. It depends somewhat on climate. In colder central and backeast climes (heavy salt use) this intensive approach is more necessary. The shims behind the pads for example, can corrode away to nothing in 3~4 years. One thing with hybrids, their pads keep going and going, maybe promoting neglect?
#1. Latex gloves are a must for doing your own work - seriously. #2. Dude: Jalopnik: Obsessed With The Cult Of Cars
"Brake job"... replace rotors, replace calipers, replace pads. The "mechanic" insisted that the rotors were "so far gone, they can't be turned" (turning rotors means planing off the scored surface. A procedure that could be usually done twice on a rotor without losing too much rotor thickness). The rotors were like new, had never been turned, and were not scored. They weren't warped, either. Barely discolored. The calipers had been changed the previous set of pads, and were not sticky. This was in the days of pads that wore down quicker than present ones do, and one was expected to put new pads on every 10 - 15K miles.
Then that's not right. I find dealerships are turn happy: there's no reason to plane a disk that is running true. But they seem to think it's manditory We had a previous Accord that really consumed pads, and the wheels would feel hot after protracted run. I think the caliper pistons were not releasing properly, maybe due to fluid contamination. And this in turn turned down one disk to the point that it cracked. But with hybrid's the brakes are just along for the ride, most of the time.
Brake rotors do not warp or get scored unless there are other problems such as misaligned calipers, mis-seated pads, etc. Unless you are racing your car and constantly slamming the brakes to the point of boiling the brake fluid, none of these repairs are necessary. The service manual should state the minimum thickness of a rotor and many cars today have a warning lamp that tells you that. Even so you're still probably good for another 1000 miles. I have helped many ladies and men who were at the mercy of the vultures at car service. These are not just the shady local mechanic but dealers, brake, tire shops and air condition shops, all national chains. Once the mechanic finds out you're not too keen on what he's talking about, watch out. You're about to make his day by being the customer he was waiting for. He's going to be real nice and act like a good boy doing you a favor. But he's only trying to make more money off of you. You might as well bend over and spread your cheeks because you got it coming.
OMG. Wait, is this true..... I don't even know what to think. Really.. "You need headlight fluid"... "For this type of car you need two transmissions for this type of car" HA, just don't back up anymore. If someone actually believes everything he just said then I think they shouldn't be allowed to drive. How did her right tire end up on the left?!?! That part is the mysterious one to me. Ha *knee slap*
