A Single Girl’s Guide to Avoid Getting Screwed Over by Mechanics
Lets face it – mechanical issues are unavoidable. Even if you’re a preventative maintenance wizard and keep that engine in tip top shape, shit will hit the fan somewhere along the journey.
From the time I left upstate New York and drove to Oregon, the hands of 7 different mechanics were in my engine – 4 of those mechanics worked on the van for 2+ days. This laundry list of mechanics cost me my net worth and spanned across the country: 1 in New York, 2 in Nebraska, 3 in Idaho, and 1 In Oregon. To make a long story short, each mechanic spent a few hours picking up the pieces of the prior job done wrong. Now I’m not asking for pity or condolences, I’m asking that you do not let the “Big Vehicle + Small Girl = Lots of $$$$” equation get the best of you. Learn from my mistakes to save time, money, and find the right mechanic for the job.
What to do when your engine crashes and burns:
1: KNOW YOUR SH!T
…even if that means fake it ’till you make it. In my experience, the more knowledgable you sound when speaking with mechanics, the more credibility and respect you will have from the get go.
Easier said than done, I know. The best place to start is to pull out ye ol’ pen and paper, and write down symptoms leading up to the breakdown. Include unusual noises, clunking, mileages, locations, etc. Use that mini computer in your pocket to plug these symptoms into the Google search bar. The slew of information you will find is absolutely daunting, but do not underestimate the value in familiarizing yourself with engine lingo.
Be sure to call up your personal resources. This may be your neighbor, friend, father-in-law, etc. Mine happens to be my dad, who worked as a mechanic in his 2os (thanks, Dad!!!). Even though he does not know Sprinter engines, he knows enough to help diagnose what may be going wrong.
2: DO NOT SETTLE
Do not be tempted to choose a shop based on proximity. Unless you are a lucky son of a gun, the closest shop to you is probably not the best shop for you – especially if you have a complicated vehicle like a Sprinter Van or a cute old VW bus. Make Stephen Covey proud and take time upfront to sharpen the saw by doing research on the best shop for the job.
Side note: if you own a Sprinter – MAKE AN ACCOUNT on the Sprinter Source forum! It’s easy and free and will save your a$$ at some point. I found this resource incredibly helpful when trying to find Sprinter mechanics near me.
Call around, and ask “Do you work on [insert vehicle you drive here]?”. If the answer is anything but a firm YES, hang up that phone and move on to the next shop. I made the mistake of taking my van to the shop closest to my breakdown in Seward, Nebraska. “Umm, we’ll take a look at it” the mechanic responded when I asked if they worked on Sprinters. We ended up burning an entire day in the tiny town while the shop looked at the van, did not have the correct diagnostic tools, came to no conclusions, and then charged a labor fee.
3: BE BOSSY!
You have EVERY RIGHT to know what work is being done on your vehicle and why. Be sure to let the mechanics know before they begin working that you would like updates on the progress. Do not hesitate to ask why they want to fix something and how they will do it. This is also beneficial to rule #1 because the more you know, the more you know. Ya know?
Use your intuition, and do not hesitate to put your foot down and give someone a hard time when something feels sketchy.
All in all, breakdowns are just an integral part of the journey. When they do happen, allow yourself 10 minutes of pity before grabbing an ice cream cone, exploring a new place you wouldn’t normally give the time of day, and remind yourself that things can ALWAYS be worse.
With love,
AT
