These aren’t from YouTube videos I saw or anything AI generated. These were 2 conversations I participated in this last week.
A customer was questioning why a shop was recommending a brake fluid flush at 2 years when the maintenance guide and general industry standards are every 3 years. The service manager replied:
"Your hybrid car uses regenerative braking which is harder on the" fluid. It should be flushed sooner and upgraded to DOT 5.1."
Someone was debating whether to spend a significant amount of money (like over $10,000) repairing their car or to use that money to buy another one. The decision was:
“I’ll fix the car I have. It has better driver assist than any other car I can get, and I tend to fall asleep when I drive.”
I’m a pretty mellow guy but when I heard the one about driver assist I looked at the guy and said “that’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard in a long time.” Except there may have been a few expletives in there. 
From time to time members on the Tacoma forum will post some of the stupidest things that would make a great for April Fools Jokes… This was one that had everyone telling the OP how stupid it was…
Here is the OP’s post: he still has not responded…
Start Quote:
3rd Gen Tacoma Driveshaft Index Flipping Service
If you own a Toyota Tacoma 3rd Generation, one of the lesser-known maintenance practices is driveshaft index flipping a drivetrain balancing method similar in concept to rotating tires, but taken a step further.
Over time, the driveshaft develops directional wear based on its constant rotation pattern and load orientation. Because it spins at high RPMs, even slight imbalances or uneven wear distribution can create harmonic vibrations through the chassis, especially at highway speeds.
What is it?Driveshaft index flipping involves removing the driveshaft, flipping its orientation (front-to-back), and reinstalling it sometimes combined with slight indexing adjustments at the ■■■■■■. This effectively reverses the load direction and redistributes wear patterns across the shaft, allowing for a more even rotational balance over time.
Benefits:
- Smoother driveline operation by neutralizing directional wear
- Reduction in high-speed vibration and harmonic resonance
- More uniform load distribution across Ujoints and carrier bearings
- Improved long-term balance of the rotating assembly
- Helps “reset” driveline memory from prolonged one directional stress
When to do it:Enthusiasts typically recommend this service every 40,000–60,000 miles, or when chasing down minor vibrations that tires and alignment don’t fix.
Pro tip:Before flipping, mark the original orientation of the driveshaft. Some owners alternate between flipping and slight indexing adjustments over time to maintain optimal balance and minimize wear bias.
.
End Quote:
f.l.a.n.g.e is the redacted word…
Most of the replies are funny, like don’t forget to rotate your spark plugs next etc etc etc… 
Completely stupid and wrong on many levels…
If I ever heard that comment said at any shop I was considering, I’d request my car back and leave before anyone touched it because they are just too stupid to work on my car.
Yup!
Rather than stupidity, I think it’s more likely to be larcenous intent, designed to take advantage of car owners who don’t understand the total error of what was stated by the service people.
Hybrids depending on your driving style and habits barely use the friction brakes. Unless something had changed Toyota recommends every 30k or 3yrs whichever comes 1st. 115k on a 2010 Prius with original pads all around.
Brake fluid on a time basis by our trusted shop that sees tons of Toyota Hybrids. 33yrs total following their advice that’s worked for multiple vehicles.
That recommendation is crazy. He could accomplish the same thing by just driving in reverse for 30,000 miles. 
It’s one thing to see stupidity on a web forum where we expect to find a nugget of wisdom in a sea of nonsense. It’s another thing to have a service manager tell his staff that hybrids are ■■■■■■■ brake fluid.
When a technician told me that’s what his service manager said (because I couldn’t believe it when I heard it in real time) I responded with “your manager is a f@(&ing idiot.”
What’s the old saying? Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence, or something like that. In this case I think it was a little of both. Too often in this industry management doesn’t have years of hands-on experience and the requisite knowledge.
I was running a training session for new technicians, and among them was a guy I would say was in his late 30’s. I asked about his technical background, he had none. He was a supervisor at a grocery meat department. He asked how much technical training he needed to take to be a shop supervisor. I found a nice way to tell him that if he walked in and tried to supervise a seasoned mechanic in a shop he would be pulling a ratchet out of his…
I would regularly see Priuses with 180K on original pads and rotors.
Larcenous or incompetent, doesn’t matter which. My business goes elsewhere.
Regenerative braking wears out the electrons. They go through a lot because there are primary electrons and general electrons and midterm electrons.
It’s called SPIN. I’ve told this story before. Years ago, when my wife owned one of her Accords there was a recall on the Cam seals. Honda would replace the seal for free. It was getting close to a time for a new belt and instead of doing it myself I asked the service manager how much he would charge to replace the timing belt since he had to pull the belt of to get to the seal. His idiotic response was - $500 (same price without the recall) because they don’t have to remove the belt. You don’t argue with someone that stupid. I said just do the seal. He couldn’t understand why I didn’t want them to do the timing belt. I replace the timing belt the following weekend - just to make sure the cam seal was actually replaced.
Service advisors pickup this type of information from other service writers, very few of the advisors I worked with had any automotive training or experience.
I once asked where they learned that Lexus recommends wheel alignments every 12 months, I was sent from one service advisor to the next “Bob told me”, “John told me” etc. Nobody had an answer.
You can see what kind of people are entering the repair field.
In 2016 I attended the Lexus Orientation/New car prep training course at the training center; 7 lube techs and myself (w/27 years of experience). 6 of them were not old enough to rent a car during their stay in southern California. Some of these are the “technicians” who are upselling brake fluid flushes and wheel alignments, based on the manager’s (false) guidance.
Enough young men are willing to work for $20/hr. that management doesn’t feel the need to increase wages for the senior techs.
I’ve seen advertisements for service writers/advisers here in NH and northern MA. They are looking for someone with a 2 year degree in Business and no knowledge of cars is required.
Two service writers I worked with were recruited from restaurants by the General Manager during his meal visit, another from a furniture store. From the GM’s perspective, a service writer is a sales position.
I don’t expect a service writer to have a degree in automotive repair, but some on-the-job training is necessary. Seems the manager only showed the new hires how to switch on the computer, then it is up to them to sink or swim.
I overheard the conversation as I was walking by the service counter on the way to the shop, and thought, nah, that can’t be what I heard. And yes, it was the service manager talking. In the shop I asked one of the techs about it and he said “Yeah, Steve is convinced that the heat created by regeneration deteriorates the brake fluid.” After I told him I thought Steve was a flaming idiot I handed him my card and said Steve is invited to the next Hybrid/EV training session.
That’s been going on for 20 years. Service Advisor or Service Consultant with customer service skills and business background. No automotive experience required. One dealer near me hired a fresh college grad to work in sales for 2 years, then as a service writer for 2 years, then promoted her to Service Manager.
At my previous job I had the pleasure of working with the best service writer I had ever worked with. She knew both sides of the business. She was in the hospitality field and her husband built dirt track car chassis before he lost his eyesight. She was smart enough to come get me when a tech’s recommendations were questionable, she had a fantastic closing rate, and she was honest. It was great to see her on the phone with a customer: “Ed, I went and looked at it myself and you’ve got 20 thousandths backlash in that diff. You want us to put a ring and pinion in it or not?”
Women seem to trust other women. If it were up to me every service writer would be a woman with automotive experience. But as you know, women are scarce in this field.
As they are in certain positions in DC…
DC, AC, I don’t care. As long as they know regeneration creates Alternating Current which then passes through the inverter to be rectified into Direct Current and has nothing to do with brake fluid I’m happy!
At a quick glance though, it seems that there are more women in government office than there are on the auto shop floor. Which is too bad.
He was correct and the campaign repair only payed 0.8 hours. Manufactures provide revised repair procedures to save labor fees.
The camshaft pulley can be removed without removing the timing belt, balance shaft belt or accessory drive belt from the engine.
From the repair procedure:
Remove the camshaft pulley bolt. Slide the pulley and timing belt off the camshaft as an assembly without loosening the belt tensioner.
If the technician wanted to loosen the tensioner, it can be done through the access hole in the cover. Minimal disassembly needed.
2 years ago got recommended brake fluid flush. Wait till I need new brakes, 2 weeks ago got new rear brakes and flush, front brakes done previously under warranty, the leaking power steering hose was more expensive.
Sorry to hear you feel that way. They are sorely needed in both locations, and elsewhere.
