Backstory: My 2007 Mazda5 with 81,000 miles has a problem. The check engine light came on and then a few days later (yes, I ignored it, this is my third Mazda and I find their CELs to be dramatic- the car had been through nothing unusual and drove fine) it would not start. My husband was able to start the car later but it was problematic (it would only start if you were depressing the gas pedal just right while you turned the key just so etc) so we took it to our trusted mechanic. They spent a day diagnosing the problem and have determined it needs a smoke test. Our mechanic does not have this equipment so he recommended another mechanic. Trusted mechanic put several hours into the car and isn’t charging me a dime- I love these guys and hope to pay it back someday.
My concern is with this new mechanic. We’re a small town so he’s the only place who does imports and smoke tests so my hands are tied. This guy has a reputation for being awesome or awful. He knows his stuff like nobody’s business but that also means he doesn’t put a lot of effort into the customer service side. So I have two questions:
1.) What should I expect taking my car in for a smoke test and then leak repair? There is definitely a leak somewhere and it needs to be addressed.
2.) How do I get on and stay on a mechanic’s good side? I respect this guy and his skills, even when I don’t need them, but I’m under stress as this repair was obviously not planned or budgeted for and until it’s fixed I’m up a creek as we’re a family of 6 with just a Toyota Echo…
Just conduct yourself as you would any professional providing service for you. If you don’t understand what the repair invoice lists ask politely. Before smoke test request contact before any repairs are made.
Sorry you are having this difficulty. Car problems are like toothaches, you can’t anticipate them, but when you get them, you have no choice but to pay up and get the problem fixed.
Your leverage here is that your own mechanic recommended him to you. Suggest to remind him of that, friendly and politely of course. But be sure to remind him who it was exactly that referred him to you. Specialty mechanics like this need referrals from other mechanics to be successful, so he’ll want to do good by you so that your mechanic will continue to refer customers to him.
How to deal with him? A couple years ago I had construction work done, and when I’d talk to the contractor I’d ask him why he’s suggesting to do that, or why he wants to do it that way. He’d tell me, which usually didn’t help much as I didn’t have the experience to understand the issues involves completely. But if what he was saying made a certain amount sense, which it usually did, I’d say "well, you’re the expert " and he’d do it the way he thought was best. And as it turned out, it was.
It’s a good idea before he starts the work to let him know any particular restrictions or expectations you have, like budget issues, time the car can be in the shop and not available to drive, etc. That way he’ll have time to come up with a plan to address them as much as possible.
I’m a pro wrencher, but not a shop owner, and I’ve got a few thoughts
Is this “trusted mechanic” working out of his own personal garage?
An evap smoke machine is not terribly expensive. It ranges from several hundred dollars to perhaps 2 grand for a very high end machine
It’s really become a necessary tool nowadays, which makes me wonder why the trusted mechanic doesn’t have one.
I’m a fleet mechanic who doesn’t own his own shop, yet I have my own personal evap/smoke machine. And I use it all the time. It really does make life easier
He can write it off as a business expense
As for the “new mechanic” who is the only guy in town who does imports and smoke tests, I have a feeling the other guys might be intimidated for some reason
There’s no real reason why they can’t do what he’s doing. Perhaps their own shops specialize in domestic cars, but a reasonably smart guy should be able to use an evap/smoke machine to find leaks on any vehicle
Intake, exhaust, ac actuators, door lock actuators, etc.
There is also no reason that the new mechanic can’t be a good diagnostic guy AND have decent people skills. One does not necessarily rule out the other
I have one more question, and it’s important . . .
Why is the smoke machine so important to figure out why the car won’t start reliably?
I’m guessing an EVAP leak code with no obvious visible leaks found. If I were to hazard a guess based on symptoms I’d say purge valve sticking open flooding the intake with fuel vapors after the car is shut off.
Or perhaps a lean running code caused by a failing MAF or cracked intake boot.
I don’t even own a shop, and I probably spend about 5 grand a year on tools and equipment
At our facility, we also have plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc.
They don’t spend anywhere near that kind of money on tools. I’d guess they might spend 1/5 of that . . . yet they get paid the same, perhaps more than I do
I’m curious about a few unmentioned details regarding the OPs problem. They stated it would only start if the accelerator pedal was depressed just so. Left unsaid was whether the engine would straighten itself out right afterwards, whether it does this every time, and whether the car ran fine to the shop or was towed along with which DTCs were set.
That mechanic investment never stops growing either and quite often there’s time and money spent fashioning homemade workaround tools also.
I made my smoke machine out of one of those units used by bands and DJs. Total cost a shade over 50 bucks including the fog juice.
As to the guy’s reputation as awesome or awful, those kind of reviews may or may not mean much.
Awesome could be someone who got screwed over and doesn’t know it and awful could mean someone who decided the price quote they agreed to up front is suddenly not agreeable when the job is completed.