(author: Theodore Olson)
- Not confirming the concern. Confirming a
repair concern is a basic diagnostic principle frequently overlooked.
To fix a problem, the first thing one must do is recognize it.
- Insufficient Road Testing. The importance
of a thorough road test (even for an oil change) is well documented
in automotive training manuals. Yet, many technicians consider driving
the vehicle into the shop good enough.
- Misdiagnosing. For the above reasons and
a multitude of others, your vehicle is misdiagnosed more often than
not. Mechanics will spend hours chasing the wrong problem, wasting your
time and money.
- Throwing parts at a problem. To compensate
for lack of skills, mechanics often just throw parts at the problem
in the hope of getting lucky. It’s common to hear mechanics say
I replaced this, this, this, and that, and the problem’s still
not fixed. This goes right back to mistake number one: confirm the problem
with diagnostics, then proceed.
- Not addressing primary concerns first. Technicians
often spend an inordinate amount of time looking for easy sells that
will fatten their paychecks. There’s nothing wrong with this provided
there’s no charge forthe inspection, it doesn’t conflict with
your time, and the upsell suggestions are valid (they’re frequently
not). However, this type of free inspection and the subsequent upselling
too often overshadows the primaryconcern. So…what’s wrong
with my car?
- Overconfidence. Too often unqualified technicians
get in over their heads. Rather than defer to a more experienced technician
or facility, they often keep going and do more harm. How’s it go…The
road to hell is paved with good intentions?
- Taking shortcuts. In the ongoing effort
to beat the clock, technicians will create a host of problems: breaking
parts, snapping bolts, short circuiting sensitive electronics. Refer
to Auto Repair: How Can They Screw Up an Oil Change for a great discussion.
- Poor Repairs. Whether through incompetence
or laziness, mechanics frequently don’t do repairs correctly. It’s
often sloppy work. Forgotten bolts, parts not lined up correctly, or
components not re-installed properly are common. It gets worse with
computer repairs: incorrect software programming, coding, and resynchronization
protocols are just a few.
- Not confirming repairs. After a repair is
complete, it’s important to re-check to ensure that the problem
is indeed fixed. Too often parts are thrown in and the car is pulled
out only to pull in another victim.
- Making a mess. If the above nine mistakes weren’t bad enough, there are now greasy fingerprints on the hood and steering wheel, and two big greasy boot marks on the carpet.
