I wouldn’t know all the names, but one of them is Mavis.
Can you list all the things I will need to perform on my car to keep it alive? I am talking about maintenance. Leave out brake and rotor and tires. I already know about those 3 items. I need to be prepared for the services and what to expect.
Can you list all the things I will need to perform on my car to keep it alive? I am talking about maintenance. Leave out brake and rotor and tires. I already know about those 3 items. I need to be prepared for the services and what to expect.
The list is in your service schedule and/or manual. Making a statement against independent shops on a forum that has several very competent independent shop owners on it , not good.
If you check your coolant reservoir and the coolant is getting cloudy, that is you can’t see through it, you had better get it changed very quickly or you will start to see damage. If it is clear enough to see through, then it is still working, but ideally it should be changed before it turns cloudy. If it turns brown and muddy looking, you will need a flush and you will need it fast.
Give OP a break. They got dumb advice from misinformed people - not their fault. There are a lot of people who think all independent shops are crooks and the chains wouldn’t be successful if they weren’t honest and good. It’s not surprising that OP would get advice from people like that.
Clueless (a temporary status, I trust), I suggest you read the owners manual thoroughly, and in the service/maintenance section pay special attention to the severe service recommendations.
After you have digested that as well as you can, make a list of your specific questions and ask them here. You will get a variety of opinions and advice, but the starting point has to be your own careful reading of the carmaker’s advice.
My apology if I offended anyone. I misunderstood your question also. I thought you wanted me to name the shops that were messing people’s car up. I re-read your question and saw that you were asking about the people and not the shops. Nevertheless, a neighbor of mine took his car to Mavis for complete brake and rotor service in hopes to save his pocket from being eaten out by his dealership. 3 months later, in May ( here in NY) his rotor changed color from shiny silver to brown ( rust). Such appearance of the rotors made the car look like junk, although the car was driving just fine. The neighbor could not tolerate the ugly rust appearance, so he took it back to Mavis. Mavis assured the owner of the car that it was normal for rotors to rust. However, the neighbor didn’t buy such info because he had his old rotors for many years and they never rusted. So he went to the dealership. The dealership told him that Mavis use cheap parts and the rotors installed were not corrosion resistant. So the owner switched out the Mavis’s rotors and installed back the OEM type at the dealer, and he hasnt experienced any rust ever since. This is one of the reasons I cringe when I am suggested to take my car to an independent shop. But I do need to find one that I will be happy with because the dealer service is too heffy for my pocket.
Your neighbor took the car to Mavis because he didn’t want his pocket to be “eaten out.” If Mavis is some sort of discount shop, then it is to be expected that they will use cheaper parts.
That said, rotors are almost always cast iron - the exception being on exotic cars where things like carbon-ceramic composites are used. Other than that, they will all rust. Brembo makes some of the best rotors out there, and if I don’t drive for awhile, my Brembos will have surface rust on them. The rust goes away as soon as I drive, because the pads scrape the rust off when I brake.
“Rust-resistant” rotors do exist. Some are zinc plated, and the first time you brake you scrape that plating off with the brake pads. Some are cadmium plated, which lasts longer but when it does flake off it poisons plants and animals. And the rest are the above-mentioned composite rotors, which are insanely expensive - like, we’re talking $1,000 and up (way up) for one rotor.
OK , first of all Mavis is a chain not an independent shop. They are fine for tires but I would not use them for repair work. The factory rotors will show surface rust if allowed to set for long enough time. There are some things that a dealer can do that might be best for you and a long list of things that non dealer repair places can do quite well.
Edit : I don’t know your neighbor but it might be best to verify any advice he offers.
Thank you. And yes, I have learned a few things from the responses from the CarTalk community. I am grateful for joining the community! As for the Manual, there are so many things to read, but I have decided to open back the book to continue to read.
Good for you. The more you learn, the better you will be. Chances are you will never be as knowledgeable about cars as your mechanic, unless you become a mechanic yourself. This will always put you at a disadvantage if a mechanic tries to take advantage of you.
But, auto repair is a business transaction and if you use good business practices, you will be OK. If something doesn’t sound right, question it. Get a second opinion. Get multiple quotes for work, at least until you find a mechanic you are comfortable with. If you find a good mechanic that you feel is treating you fair, then stick with him/her for all your vehicles maintenance, just as you would for your family doctor.
Re: OP’s statement above, “I am a virgin regarding car repairs”
Even if you prefer to find a good shop and have them do all the maintenance and repair work, suggest to review the following book to get some general understanding how modern cars work and what tends to go wrong, and why. Will help you communicate with the shop better. Most larger bookstores and public libraries have it.
Popular Mechanics Compete Car Repair Manual
Many shops try to rip you off with extras like oil enhancers for the Castrol Syntec you requested, as if that oil was in need of any extras. If there is any evidence of old rear axle leakage they will try to sell you a repair that was done eight years ago even if there isn’t any wet oil to be seen and the differential housing is full. Most times they let you go for a few years before they hit you with the story. An empty shop makes no money.
Well, “Mavis” is not an independent shop, and is actually one of the largest tire retailers in The Northeast. Recently, for the first time, Consumer Reports published readers’ ratings of tire retailers, along with the latest tire test results. And–surprise, surprise–Mavis was the lowest-rated tire retailer in the entire US!
If so many of their tire customers consider them to be untrustworthy, what are the chances that their vehicle servicing would be better than their behaviors in regard to selling tires?
IF you have any zerks to lube the chassis there will only be four. Buy a gun to do it yourself. Brake fluid service? No way don’t fall for it. Don’t add anything to your oil besides oil if you are keeping it changed and really you could go to regular oil in stead of synthetic. A lot less expensive. Dealers work on commission so the more they sell you is better on their paycheck. No muffler bearings, no rotating the air in your tires etc. sounds like you are doing great! Change fluids in oil and transmission at manufacture recommendations and you car will last a long time. I have over 200,000 miles on my 4 cylinder motor and trust another two hundred thousand.
OP’s car is a 2012 Camry…no zerks anymore.
I don’t think he can…I looked up the 2012 Toyota Camry owners manual and it calls for 0W-20 which I think is only synthetic
https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM33A27U/pdf/OM33A27U.pdf (page 469)