The things mechanics would never do with their own cars

What would you add to the HuffPost list?

The things mechanics would never do with their own cars
Photo: Bigstock

Using input from car mechanics based in America, a website has listed the things a mechanic would never do with their own car.

HuffPost says that many motorists don’t give their cars the kind of maintenance they need, and by failing to look after their cars, drivers are risking costly and potentially dangerous mistakes.

You can read the entire article here, but here’s a brief summary of the findings.

Don’t neglect car maintenance

Bogi Lateiner, a master automotive technician based in Phoenix, Arizona, said: “I equate oil changes to brushing of teeth. Can you get away with only brushing your teeth once a month? You’ll survive, but you’re going to lose your teeth and you’re going to lose your friends.”

Well, quite.

Don’t rely on car maintenance reminders

Robin Reneau of Georgia said: “You might not always drive the same amount of miles within the recommended oil change interval, leading to either premature or overdue oil changes.”

Don’t use aftermarket parts

This one is likely to be the most controversial, but Grace Claudio, a New York-based master automotive technician for BMW said: “I’ve had it where things come apart, and it makes it worse than it already was. And then it’s more of an expensive repair.”

Note that Grace works for BMW.

Don’t use fluids that aren’t recommended

Motorists should stick to the fluids and fuels recommended by the manufacturer. Bogi Lateiner said: “That goes for your coolant, your oil, the type of fuel that you use. So if your car is asking for 91-octane [petrol], you have to use 91-octane.”

Don’t use products that promise to stop leaks

Bogi Lateiner said: “It’s a Band-Aid. It is a temporary solution at best, and very, very often, it winds up causing more damage than good. The ones for tyres will make an absolute mess of your rim, and the person doing your tyre change is going to hate you.”

UK technicians must be ‘delighted’ when a customer turns up having used a bottle of emergency tyre repair foam…

Don’t change car’s exterior without considering the climate

This advice is not particularly relevant on this side of the Atlantic where UV rays are unlikely to damage a car’s wrap. We’d be more worried about the effects of using a car in a damp climate or in a coastal area.

Don’t use an ill-fitting floor mat

Grace Claudio says customers should select a floor mat that’s designed to fit a footwell because an aftermarket rubber mat could get stuck behind the accelerator or brake pedal.

She stopped short of recommending an OEM mat from BMW…

Don’t ignore a warning light

Bogi Lateiner said a warning light is “the only way the car has of telling us that something is wrong, before it gets so wrong that you’re on the side of the road. Listen to your car, because it is trying to talk to you.”

Don’t use secondhand tyres

Grace Claudio says customers shouldn’t replace old tyres with used tyres, saying: “A lot of times they put a tyre on there that’s pretty bad.”

Don’t lie to a mechanic

In advice that will be music to the ears of the nation’s car mechanics, Bogi Lateiner says customers should be honest when they turn up at a garage.

“We get it all the time … ‘I don’t know what happened. It just suddenly started making this weird noise,’” Lateiner said. “And then we look at it like, ‘Clearly you’ve been off-roading with your very low-profile car.’”

Source: HuffPost

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