How do I know what's causing my oil leak?

Maintenance/Repairs
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110

and you also seem to think that doctors deserve to get paid for their time, whereas you seem to think mechanics only sometimes deserve to get paid for their time

For the most part, we’ve all been in apprenticeships, trade schools, associate degree, etc. We’ve all EARNED the right to be in our field

And anybody that’s been in the business for more than a few minutes has TENS OF THOUSANDS invested in tool boxes, scanners, hand tools, diagnostic tools, front-end tools, etc.

Many guys spend thousands of dollars on tools each and every year

And updating a scanner is something that typically occurs twice a year and costs hundreds each and every time

Not to mention some of us want to stay up-to-date on our credentials . . . ASE, not ASA, btw . . . so we spend time reading trade magazines, taking webinars, online classes, maybe even purchasing textbooks and study guides

All of that time, experience, tools, etc. is worth something and we expect to be fairly compensated

Most of the professional wrenches would kick you out of the shop the second you opened your mouth with your “interesting” ideas of OUR business

That’s right . . . OUR business

I know how to solder, repair wires, etc. . . but I’d never presume to argue with a professional electrician and claim that I knew his job better than he did

I’m through talking with you

Have a nice life :laughing:

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111

Earlier in this thread, someone posted a “Don’t feed the troll” meme, and I’m beginning to think that this was a correct assessment.

112

Someone I don’t agree with = troll.

Silly.

113

A recipe for disaster. “But you said it’s probably the free one!”

114

Wouldn’t be a problem if you told them ahead of time that it was just an educated guess.

115

Noooo, someone with zero experience, training, education and or credentials and still wet behind the ears, trying to explain to a group of Professionals that they don’t understand how the field of their trade, that they have been in wayyy longer then you have been alive and you again with zero experience are telling us how our business should be run, when it has been a standard practice for a very long time, that sounds like a troll to me and probably all the others… lol

I think you missed your calling BTW, you should be a Defense Attorney…

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116

Nah don’t try to discredit me and my life experience. There’s many things in life that are relatable and interchangeable in some ways. Mechanic shop is no different.

Lol I’d make a terrible defense attorney or whatever. Those guys are extremely good with the use of language.

117

Certainly. But sometimes the rabble-rouser in me can’t help but stir the hornet’s nest. :grinning:

118

Some do. And those can go to the cheapest place they can find. Some shop for quality and service. Those are the ones I go after. If price is your primary concern you are not qualified to be my customer.

An experienced, professional auto mechanic will never be out of work. This is a great time to be in the automotive service industry. If you are at the top of the game, you can write your own ticket. I see it daily.

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119

I don’t concur w/the OP’s philosophy, but I’d say this is a reasonable topic to discuss in a car repair forum. Mechanics will often give a free estimate, so they do work for “free” in a sense sometimes. They of course have to make that up by a later billing, either from the person who got the “free” estimate, or from another customer. That’s why I’d be reluctant to use a shop who offers to work for “free”, b/c I’d be worried I’d then be paying for all the “free” work they gave to their other customers.

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120

That’s exactly right George. At the end of the day, I have to account for all my time. If I spend an hour doing a free inspection, I have to add that hour back in to the bill somewhere else, or worse charge someone else for the time I spent on your car. I prefer the honesty and transparency of just billing you and being upfront about why.

That is, of course, unless you believe in this slogan:
savings

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121

Big difference between an estimate and a diagnosis, as you know.

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122

I see what you mean now. It makes sense.

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123

Hi everyone,

Sorry for taking so long to get back and post an update. I ended up just having the entire engine replaced. I bought the oil leak dye kit but didn’t get the chance to use it. I took it to multiple places to have it looked at and all of them agreed that the engine was done for, but for different reasons. The most plausible I’ve heard was that this was due to a bad turbo since my intercooler and intake were full of oil. The dealership wanted to charge at least $10,000 to rebuild the engine, but a local garage was able to locate and swap in a used engine with significantly fewer miles on it for about $3,000. I’ve noticed that with the new engine, the car is significantly more responsive and I’m getting way better fuel economy. I’ll let you guys know if anything happens.

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124

My doctors run tests to determine what the problem is. As an example, I had debilitating pain in my right knee. Everyone’s first thought was gout even though knees aren’t usually gouty. The PA pulled fluid from my knee and it was examined microscopically. Crystals were found, also indicative of gout. Chemical analysis of the crystals showed it was not gout but CPPD, also called pseudogout for obvious reasons. The correct treatment finally allowed me to lay flat and get some real sleep for a change.

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125

What was the reason for not replacing or rebuilding the turbo?

126

To do that, the engine still would have to be pulled. Not to mention, it was also knocking and tapping pretty badly, even with the proper amount of oil in it. It was honestly probably cheaper to have just replaced the entire thing than to individually diagnose and repair each problem.