Hard to find Independent Hybrid Mechanics

It's kind of upsetting seeing things like this (but still... thanks for the article post).
Every mechanic friend of mine is scared of my car, but I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Most upsetting to me was yesterday when I spoke to the service manager of a dealership in Southern Mass. that will remain unamed... I told him that I change the oil, rotate the tires, and perform maintenance myself.
He replied with,

"My God, you're lucky to be alive!"

I just wish this hybrid fear would end. The Prius is just like any other car built in modern times.
All cars are computer controled and require special software tools during maintenance.
Yes there are high voltage lines in the car, but they can be easily discharged with proper precautions and knowledge. They are also clearly marked by bright orange conduits.
I also believe that components like the transmission is actually less complexe on a Prius than on a normal car.

The opinions of the public will change with time I hope.

~Andrew

 

People simple don't understand it yet. I've heard people ask me about little things.... high voltage.. plug it in.. being electrified in an accident... what people don't understand is that engineers are working on all of these things.. and have created multiple systems to keep them all safe or non existing, in the case of plugging in. I like to sit a curious person down and answer all there questions. When they first come up to me.. they look a little like :roll: ... which.. makes me want to do this :guns: :roll: ... but i used to be in that position.. so i talk to them.. and they end up like .. in which a good amount of them want to buy a prius now.

 

One of the reasons I bought a Prius is because the dealership and its staff of mechanics are 10 minutes away. I would have passed otherwise because I knew that regular mechanics would not touch the car. Hopefully, by the time the warranty ends there will be many more Prii on the road and some mechanics willing to tackle it.

 

The real story is:

"Modern Cars More Likely to need Dealer Service"

I posted up a link to an article saying just that a while back.

You think any shade tree mechanic can fix the I-Drive in a new Beemer, or a modern AWD system, or even rebuild the top end of a VVTi engine?

All new cars are becoming rolling computers. The Prius is just on the leading edge of the trend.

The point of the article was that the car mechanics of the future will have to be 1/2 mechanic and 1/2 computer technician.

They will also have to have access to a host of specialized diagnostic tools specific to each manufacturer, and possibly each model.

The days of diagnosis with a strobe light, vacuum gauge and a pair of calipers are over, not just for the Prius.

The other result of this is that cars are basically becoming modular. You diagnose which component/computer is bad, and replace the whole thing. You don't repair things.

 

ask your friends if they are afraid of burining to death when their gasoline tank explodes in an accident?

 

The main thing that slowed me getting a hybrid at all was the service issue. I have an excellent mechanic but he can not get training on the hybrid he tried. I think his crew will do oil changes but at least for the present independents are being kept out. A friends son is on his way to a national competition in Detroit fixing cars. During the competition very little time was spent with tools in the traditional sense. I think the most complex thing they did was remove a spark plug and re gap it. The majority of the time was spent with a computer running diagnostic codes and deciding what was wrong. The cars had all been "prepared" in advance. Good mechanics today use a computer just as much as a socket wrench, but they need training. I am getting a Prius but I am not happy about going to the dealer as most of my interactions with dealers have been bad to very bad.

 

Well, I have mixed feelings about it - I knew going in that my service would be through Toyota, and to be honest, I'm not terribly upset.

Sure, I'm paying a bit of a premium for Toyota service, but it's not nearly as bad as some other cars (BMW, for example). I've found the service at the dealership where I purchased my car to be fanstastic (although they always reset my tire pressure back to the factory specs, instead of leaving them at 42/40).

The other nice thing (?) about dealership service is on the resale value. I track all of my vehicle services very carefully (all maintenance records and receipts stored on the computer), so when I go to sell the car at some point, I can print off the complete service history to show the buyer - and it helps to show that it was all done at a dealership (especially for a hybrid).

Dave

 

I will have all the warranty work at the dealer but, my dealer is terrible so I am looking to have the maintenance performed by someone else if I can find a shop to do oil and tire rotations. Every time I go the dealer they do something that gets me upset. And they don't care. Customer service is not there. I will complain to Toyota if I find another nearby dealer. :guns:

 

Complain to Toyota regardless. Without some incentive they won't change their bad behavior.

 

I also get a print out of my service from my independent mechanic. In fact when my old car a 1990 Explorer with 200,100 mi on it was sold I got a call from the person who bought it from a local used car lot. The funny thing about those old Explorers is that the odometer only went to 99,999 but my mechanic printed out the entire service record for me and I stuffed it under the passenger seat because it was so thick. The person who bought it thought that she was getting a car with 100,100 mi on it. Then she found the records. Apparently the local small time dealer who bought it at auction failed to look under the seat. The Attorney Generals office took over and the dealer is not there any longer. Nice story.
A good independent will give as good or better service and price for you but they need access to the information necessary to compete with the dealers and they should get it. We should support that competition.

 

warranties

Seems to me that the novelty of hybrid technology, and the relatively few hybrid cars out there, explains why there are few independent mechanics.
But....most of the hybrids are still under warranty which requires service at authorized dealers. By the time the warranties expire there will be more and more hybrids on the market, and the number of independent mechanics willing and able to service them will increase. Market economics.
I bought my car 180 miles from Seattle, so I had to do some scouting around to find a dealer I liked. All it took, really was walking into a dealership and talking to salespeople. Another trick is to hang out in a dealership waiting room and observe the employees in action: all of them, not just the salespeople. Do they seem happy to be working there? How are customers in the waiting room dealt with? Is there coffee? Is the facility clean? Can you see into the service bays to watch? Are there lots of cars in the service lot parking area ( i.e, lots of customers who like these guys)?
There are innumerable "intangibles" you can pick up on to decide how a dealer will service your car, assuming, of course, that they do good work the first time you come in. I lucked out and found a dealer who has a good service department (nearly as I can tell with my virtually maintenance free Prius).
So, we pay a bit more for dealer service. Not bad if you drive a Toyota which means less maintenance to begin with. In time, my former ace mechanic will probably learn enough about hybrids to get certified. The incentive is there, and, well, this IS Seattle, "eco capital of the Pac Nor West".
Cheers,
Bob

 

How does one find an independent mechanic who will work on a Prius, or better yet, is certified?

I bought my 2001, salvaged, for $8800 two years ago. 30,000 miles later, at about 55k, the left front wheel is beginning to chirp under breaking, just before a complete stop. I'm assuming something needs to be adjusted regarding the hand-off from regenerative to normal break pads, or the pads are due for replacement perhaps.

This isn't a high-voltage/electronics issue (to my knowledge) and I don't feel like throwing money at a dealership unecessarily because they are usually 50% or 100% higher than independent mechanics. But I also can't seem to Google my way too references for non-Toyota hybrid repair shops. And I live near Santa Monica California where it seems every 5th or 6th car is a hybrid!

Suggestions?