Brake Job

My wife with out my consent took car for an oil change , next thing you know she was talked into a brake job back brakes and rotors new fluid and a bolt for the front caliper (front brakes not done) $600 bucks
I was like WHAT . $80 for cleaning and lube for caliper $66 to install brakes also -
Brake pads $177 .
On and ON
I said I want the old parts to scrap he gave them to me
the old rotors were still fine especially for the rear and the pads still as thick as the metal plate .
So i started to complain
I say $80 bucks to lube the caliper ?? He says look it took 45 min with a grinder to clean the metal
My answer was classic I said look I Scrap metal I use a grinder each day what your talking about is 5 min work
if you give me 45 min with a grinder I'll cut a rotor in half for you - Don't bull **** me . He was silent I said this is a bunch of c***
it's unnecessary work and a scam cause my wife only came in for a oil change
I said heck back brakes hardly ever go any way .
Any way some money is coming back not sure how much

30 years and nothing has changed. I bought an '83 Camaro brand new. At 5,000 miles, I took it in for service. Was told it needed something in the suspension - I forget what. I said "BS". He then convinced my wife I was putting her and the kids' lives in danger and the car wouldn't make another 50 miles. I still wouldn't get what he wanted. Listened to her *****ing for the next two and 50,000 miles years till she decided I knew what I was talking about. Quit driving the car after another seven years and never did get it done.

Originally Posted by scrapping

Same guys who want to clean the corrosion off my batteries terminals for $25! lol

With a "special" type of corrosion cleaner (Coca-Cola) I'm sure.

Coca-cola is too expensive. I'd bet that special cleanser is baking soda.

Originally Posted by Copper Head

My wife with out my consent took car

isn't there some kinda law agin that by now? I mean like, shouldn't there be? Doesn't anybody know a woman will most likely be taken advantage of in most any circumstance(especially in auto repairs?) I recall reading long ago, two men, working for a well known auto magazine, drove a new car all over the country, to all 48 contiguous states, just looking for trouble. They pulled into most every city just looking for a scam, and please remember, this was a long time ago(do you possibly believe it could be constantly getting better somehow?). In each town they came to, I believe it was near 500 places they stopped at, in about as many towns, they would unhook a plug wire, put in a blown fuse, or possibly do nothing at all to a perfectly good new automobile
and stop in at the next "proven" shop, dealership, etc., etc., and ask for help in determining the problem. This was two grown men!

They concluded of the 500(ish) places they visited, all across our outstanding land, about 2(yes, two) honestly said, "it was only a loose plug wire", or a "we don't find anything wrong with it".(period)

The other 498(ish) places gave stories(along with their outlandish bills totaling into the Thousands) of it being anything else but what it really was ; )

I, personally, believe the two honest ones, are still sleeping very well at night : )

Another story.. Awhile back the o'lady dropped her little Mazda pickup off for her free tire rotation. An hour later the shop called nearlly frantic! "That passenger side king pins are so bad, my technician (tire buster) is afraid to drive it out of the shop. We need to fix it immediately!"
She handed the phone to me . After he, somewhat reluctantly, repeated the story to me. I told him to tell his "tech" to grow a set. Or leave it set on the rack 'n I'll have my o'lady drive it off.
Took it right home n jacked it up 'n had a quick look. There was 'some' slop/wear, but certainly nothing dangerous. Another 20k and was still holding together fine when we scrapped it.

When I did take my car to the oil change place, they always wanted to charge me some outlandish price for doing an engine flush, I said no and that the next time I brought it in I would dump a qt of trans fluid in the engine then drive it over to them and they would unknowingly do an engine flush for me. Then told them that I was an ASE certified mechanic and to stop trying to sell me crap I don't need. After that they never tried to upsale me again.

No, if you have a lot of carbon build up inside your engine an engine flush will help clean it out. I have seen pushrods bent, lifters and cams worn out and valves stuck just because carbon was keeping the components from moving.

I have been "slowly" teaching my wife how to do simple vehicle maintenance and how to check over certain parts for wear or damage. The best answer is knowledge teach your family how to work on vehicles. Been that way in my family for a long time everyone knows the basics there is no need for brake jobs to cost more than the brakes and maybe an hour if your all discombobulated. Might need to invest in some tools but tools always pay for themselves in the long run. Yeah there are crooked garages out there that can see them coming a mile away and if that's what they see as success or profit well someone once said you reap what you sow.

I decided that the the price for a oil change was a bit much.
So next time I felt sick I took the day off & changed the oil in my car.

Got a filter & oil pack.

I didn't have a oil tray, so I used a old oil container with its side cut out. Pity it was thicker than the clearance under the engine.
After a few false starts I got the plug out & most of the oil into the container, which was over flowing because the engine has more than 4 litres of oil in it.
Then I spilt more distorting the container getting it out from under the engine. So theres oil flowing down my arms to my elbows & the gravel as well.

I couldn't get the filter off, so I did something I'd heard, stab a screwdrive thru the filter & unwind it.
Then I found I had the wrong filter. Since the cars got no oil in it. It took a 15 min walk to get the right filter.

Back & after putting the filter on, I full it up with oil.
The oil doesn't register on the dipstick, so another 15 min walk to get another oil pack.

Pour another litre & a bit in there & I see it on the dipstick. Sweet.

Now I have a oil change, a overflowing dirty oil container (that stayed knocking around the boot for months till I found a recycler....)
A dirrty cut open container & a leaking oil filter as well as a newish container containing 2 1/2 litres oil. I have also lost a days wages.
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Fast forward 1 year. I see a 'Oil & filter change $30' sign at a oil changers & relise thats what I paid for one oil pack & the filter.........

So I take it in. Drive it onto the hoist & watch as the guy undoes the plug with the catcher under it.
He wanders over & picks out a filter, screws that on, wanders over to another thing with a hose on it & unscrews the rocker cover cap & sits the hose connection into it.
He then screws the oil plug back in & switches the oil valve so it fills it up.

Job done.
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So, to do it myself I need >
A whole day without pay (or income tax too) 3 hours on my back on gravel & dog sh!t under a car with oil running down my arms. Several skinned knuckles & elbows.
2 oil packs & two different oil filters & 1 1/2 hours walking up & downhill.
A messy oil container full of oil in my boot untill I find a recyclers & a 2nd oil container 1/2 full of oil. A really messy oil filter as well.
Some other guy who didn't get paid for 15 mins for what I took all day to do.
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The morel of my story?

DIP**** (Do It Properly, Saves Hassle & Time.)

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Update (sic) I find out that if you stab a screwdriver thru a oil filter, it drops most of the filtered out contaminates back into the engine.
That the dipstick was not the correct one & was 1 inch too short....