My memory is soooo bad but the only one that comes to mind are the recurring episodes with the brat-girl Melissa. I know there were more than that. Like Tom and the previous week’s Puzzler, I just can’t remember them. As far as an experience listening to Car Talk, would have to be the many times I’d choose to be raking leaves or gardening in our then-Georgia place in the woods. Not a soul in sight. Just the voices of wisdom, humor and information coming into my earpieces.
I liked the puzzlers, also. A few of them were even about cars, but my favorite two were not! Nothing to do with cars.
I’ve seen a lot of teeth, but that doesn’t make me a dentist.
I take your point, but the myth that dealership mechanics are better than independent mechanics, or know more about their brand of cars is just that - a myth. Especially when you’re talking about something like changing spark plugs. That’s not exactly rocket surgery.
Sometimes the dealership mechanics are just as clueless as bad independent mechanics. I had a Honda back in college that kept stalling. This was before I’d learned anything about working on cars, so I took it to my usual mechanic. He changed the distributor cap. That didn’t work, so he changed the ignitor. That didn’t work so he changed the coil. That didn’t work so he changed the whole distributor. That didn’t work but by this point I’d given him $1,000 that I couldn’t really spare to still not fix my car, so I took it to the dealership.
They charged me $75 to diagnose it and then said “We don’t know what the hell is wrong with that thing.” And when I pointed out that the $75 was supposed to buy me a diagnosis, they just shrugged and made me pay it anyway.
That’s what sparked me into learning to work on my own cars, and it turned out to be a bad fuel injector (these were the days of “DPFI” which was a glorified carburetor with two fuel injectors below the throttle plate - if one sticks closed, the car dies). Neither my “Honda specialist” independent mechanic nor the vaunted Honda dealership that should have known everything about my car ever even got close to looking at fuel delivery.
In short, some dealership mechanics are great. Some independent mechanics are great. And some of both sets of mechanics are idiots. Taking the car to a dealership is not by any stretch a guarantee of competence or specialized knowledge about your vehicle.
Well I for one am never guilty of going off topic. I pride myself in sticking to the subject. In fact I decided to write a book about it to supplement my retirement. I’m trying to think of an appropriate title like “On the straight and narrow” or something like that. It should sell for $27.95 first edition. The first 500 will be signed copies. I’ve already got the pages numbered.
I dunno, I think it just depends on the car, the problem, the mechanic, and maybe the area. I’ve had good luck and no luck I guess from both. Around here though I think the dealer mechanics tend to stick around longer, have the specialized equipment, and factory training for what that’s worth. One shop I used to go to had some good mechanics but then the turn-over happened and you never knew what kind of person would be working on the car. So I only use them for tire stuff now. The other shop that I go to now is a smaller shop and either the owner himself or his prime buddy are the ones working on the cars and I’ve had good luck with them. Yeah but plugs? No big deal but I like being able to get the car right in and back the same day.
I too never wander off the topic at hand, right? Hey those books sound great Bing! Put me down for 500 copies.
To keep it strictly on topic I would like all to know that I’m planning on using them as traction ballast in my car the next time I venture to the frozen north (if there’s some kind of emergency that would ever cause that to happen) and also for some reading material while I’m waiting for my spark plugs to be changed.
By the way, would I be better off going to a dealer or an independent for a spark plug rotation? It’ll soon be 5,000 miles since the last change. CSA
I sincerely hope you’re joking. And I like the joke.
But in case you’re not, or for those who don’t realize you are, spark plugs should not be reused. Many have a square shoulder with a metal “washer” that’s actually a hollow metal crush device designed to deform to provide an absolute seal between the sparkplug shoulder and the seat. Once crushed once, it should not be used again. Sparkplugs with conical bases I have mixed emotions about. Whether they take a “seat” or not is arguable. I don’t like them anyway, but that’s another discussion.
Besides, once you get that rear bank out in a transversely mounted “V” style engine, or those inaccessible rear plugs in those few vehicles that have longitudinally mounted V8 engines but are designed for the macho image rather than maintainability, why would you ever put the old ones back in?
I feel like I shouldn’t have to explain it but by “seen” I obviously meant worked on.
I think it stands to reason that a professional that has “worked” on something more times than another is likely to be more experienced with that make and model than someone who has not. It kinda works like that in every profession.
I’m no mechanic by trade but even in my limited experience I’ve had cars with challenging spark plugs. Others have related some examples of ones they wouldn’t want to tackle either. I have several mechanic friends. Fortunately, they have shared certain experiences and shortcuts with me over the years for all sorts of repairs and maintenance tasks. Things particular to that make and model that they learned from repeatedly doing that job on that vehicle. So much for myths.
Of course there are good mechanics and bad mechanics on either side. Never said anything to the contrary. Just refuting a prior post that was dumping on dealer mechs and pricing as if that was an absolute.
I got that. My point was that just because you have worked on something doesn’t mean you’re good at it. The electrician who wired my mother’s new house ran a 20A circuit on 14/2 wire. 20A requires 12 gauge wire. He also hung a ceiling fan using Madison straps on the box opposite the joist, which are meant to secure a less-than-one-pound outlet box to a wall, not hang a 20+ pound fan from a drywall ceiling, which was discovered when she went into the room and found it detached from the ceiling on that side and dangling from the other.
This was a professional, licensed electrician who worked as an electrician every day of his professional life, and he was an incompetent idiot. There are plenty of mechanics out there both dealership and independent who are the same way. The whole point in my post was to dispel the pervasive myth that it will always be done right at the dealership. There is no guarantee of that.
Well, there’s probably only two guaranteed things in life; death and taxes.
It’s more about probability then. Usually, I’m looking for the person that is likely to have the most experience possible as the probability of success/good outcome for me is higher.
It still amazes me that some of these people continue to be gainfully employed. Like that electrician you mentioned. Shouldn’t something like that affect his/her license? Of course, they can simply pick up and move elsewhere.
It’s humorous to note some of the “higher” professions call them practicing (doctors, lawyers) throughout their entire careers. At what point does the practicing end and the executing (maybe bad word for doctor) begin?
Local dealer (that does all my oil changes; just like sparkplugs, filter changes are a lot harder on this Toyota) will charge … are you ready? … $460.95 to install new spark plugs.
Amazing. But seems to be an indicator of a complicated, time-consuming job. Maybe one too hard for a small shop to do well?
No, what am I saying. Any shop can replace spark plugs.
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned in this thread yet, but transverse V6s tend to skew expensive on spark plug changes because you have to remove a lot of stuff to get to the back 3.
Not saying 500 bucks is within reason (although it might be if you live somewhere expensive), but don’t be surprised if the job costs more than you might expect when you take it to an independent.
Replacing rear plugs can be a pain on certain vehicles WITHOUT A LIFT. However - with a lift it makes the job much easier since you reach them from below.
Not to argue, but that is the case on certain vehicles. Others, not so much. Some vehicles have components “sealing off” access from the bottom, things like steering racks, steering gear, etcetera. As tedious as it is from above on the Grand Prix, for example, it’s worse or impossible from below. CSA
This thread has taught me a lot: On spark plug changes, I am going to replace my van with its transverse mounted V6 with either a 1947 Pontiac or a 1948 Dodge. With these flathead engines, the spark plugs were easily replaced. The engines didn’t need expensive irradium spark plugs. Good old Champion J-8s did the job.
As for all this health talk, I am 76 going on 77. I fitness walk 3 miles a day. At my doctor’s appointment three weeks ago, my blood pressure was 114 over 70. I want to stay healthy for a long time so I can continue to irritate all of you on this board.
Yup. I don’t mind crawling to do an oil change…but anything beyond that…not interested. Not even transmission fluid where I have to drop the pan and replace to replace the filter. Can’t be bothered.
