8 Car Secrets Only Experienced Drivers Know

A couple years ago a mechanic told me it could be a fuel pump or just an O-ring, I said okay and I went home, I came back to pick up the car and he told me it was an o-ring which is a much less expensive item to fix. I told him you could have easily told me it was a fuel pump and charged me way more, his reply was great, he told me that he has to sleep at night. Now that's the first honest mechanic I ever met in 55 years.

One rule my family and I have always followed: if you find a good mechanic, one that's honest, even if they're priced a bit higher than the discount place, STAY WITH THEM. You won't regret it. Treat them well, and they'll take care of you.

Nice video !...I am an ASE CertifIed Master Tech and I have ALWAYS treated my customers the way I would want myself and my family to be treated. Having said that, I need to advise you to change just one thing. Since the brake pad material does 2 things,the pads should be changed earlier that 90%. Besides stopping your vehicle,the pad material also dissipates heat. The thicker the pad,the better the heat dissipation. Changing the pads at about 70 % and you will be driving a little safer. All the best !

As a mechanic, I hope everyone follows this advice! That will keep me busy working for years!

Change your oil every 10,000km or sooner especially an old engine with high milage, if you're burning more than a third of oil each flush that's bad. Rotating your tires comes in handy if you have a wheel alignment issue you can't afford to correct so switching tires around will at least beat them up evenly.. replace pads when you have a constant squeal, usually occurs from the squealer pin that will stick out past the pads when they hit a certain point of wear (as an indicator to replace)

My good car owner practice : Listen and feel car once a week for problems change my oil every 4k Check oil levels once a week Check tire pressure once a week Check lug nuts once a week Check windshield fluid Check coolant Check power steering fluid Check break fluid Have a set of toolkit in the trunk Have boots and 1 jacket in trunk for winter Jumper or jumper cable in trunk Have extra coolant, break fluid, motor oil, windshield fluid in trunk Spare tire

Have been with the same garage since 1976 the owner retired and sold it to a mechanic who worked there and I'm pleased to say it's still as honest as it was before it changed ownership. Prior to 1976 I'd been with the same garage since 1964 and only changed when we moved. Two great garages, can't fault either.

One tip, turn the heater on once every month even on warm weather, so the coolant recirculate through the heater core so it won't get rust and start leaking....

My wife was working closer to the Nissan service center than I was so it seemed a good idea to get her to take the car in for servicing. 3 times in a row they found that they had to replace the spark plugs and the spark plug leads. On the fourth servicing I went in myself and said to the guy "they don't make those spark plug leads like they used to, do they?". He thought it was highly unlikely that they would need replacing very often, so I asked him why they replaced them every time my wife brought the car in. He didn't have an answer to that.

Twice in Arizona we had, on different vehicles, had mechanics tell us that our shocks were leaking and needed to be replaced. Both was when we were having our tire pressure checked in the morning. Both mechanics had a oil pump that they tried to hide from us. I was warned by a guy in Barstow to expect that to happen, also to watch if they checked your oil, because they often cut belts with a razor blade. I never let any one on a road trip under my hood. After getting stuck paying $126. For a water pump $200, labor and $19.for two gallons on antifreeze for a Dodge 318 again in Arizona , early in my Army Career while traveling cross country with 3 kids and a 8 month pregnant wife I do not trust mechanics while traveling. And some like a certain Chevy dealer in Davis, CA that are way less than honest and ethical.

This is why I learn how or have a mechanic friend do it for me. Also its not always rust for screeching brakes. Sometimes its a worn out brack

Had a neighbor who was a mechanic at Sears up until he retired 15 years ago tell his family, neighbors and friends that the only reason you should take your car to Sears was for tires. Nothing else.

Hello there just need to say this about your vid- I was a mechanic in the military, went to the equivalent of a 3 yr school. Tested for a few ASE certifications while in one of which was for brake systems. That squeaking with your brakes is most likely (if you drive daily or often) not rust. It is actually a built-in warning system, which is rather ingenious. On your brake pads is a single thin metal tab which is only exposed once you're brake pads are worn down to near the limit of necessary replacement. When it's becomes exposed, it makes contact with the rotor, sometimes without even applying brakes, which in turn creates a loud screeching metal on metal sound. Alot of VERY (lots of emphasis) unscrupulous shitbird mechanic shops will simply snap off the metal tab, which then makes no contact with rotor, thus destroying your audible warning system. Next thing that happens- maybe break failure, warpage of pads/rotor THEN failure, friction, glowing pad amd rotor, melting parts then FAILURE...etc.,etc. So, have them replaced before you gotta replace everything concerning brakes. Or the lives of whoever is killed because of your failed brakes

Literally, all of this you can easily learn and do yourself.

Former cat engine mechanic here, not much of an auto mechanic but one of the biggest scams I believe is the coolant flush. If I’m wrong I’ll be more than happy to hear the opposition.

Here in Costa Rica, we are required to an official, rigorous, and certified Full Car Inspection every single year plus at least Basic Insurance by law (so you get two visible stickers on your car for the police to see them). If something is wrong with your car at the Inspection, then you go to any mechanic, fix it, and come back for reinspection. I believe this is a great method to know exactly your ups and downs, thus avoids lots of scams from mechanics telling you lies.

I can tell you from experience. Rotating your tires will give you 40% more life then not doing it. And yes. it helps the tread last longer and wear evenly

Thank you for this honest and informative video. I would add a code reader would come in handy for check engine faults and watch your fluid reservoirs monthly.

I change my engine oil about every 7 or 8 thousand miles. I drive about 8 to 10 thousand miles a mountain. My car is a 2020 with 155,000 on it and it runs like new. I haven’t needed to change brake pads yet as I do mostly highway driving. I changed spark plugs at 120,000 and trans fluid at the same. I turn on the AC and Heater once a month. I have changed wiper blades and I just did a belt check. Preventive maintenance is a must along with knowing your car. Investigate any odd sounds, didn’t wait for trouble. Engine filter and in cab filter should be kept clean.

I really liked the line " It's always better to go to a garage only when there's really something wrong with your car " Here I always thought preventive maintenance was essential. Could you please do one of these videos on dentistry.