Shop

by Richard Serra

Created on: January 27, 2010

When you think about a car's transmission, most of us never imagine how complex they really are, and unless the mechanics are experts at repairing them, you can be sure you will have problems down the road again. Todays transmissions are a little more complex than those of the earlier types, but to be sure, they are all very much like a mechanical brain.

The reason why a transmission shop would be a better choice, is the same reason we go to a specialist when it comes to our health instead of a family doctor when it comes to doing anything other than a diagnosis. If your transmission seems a little off, and the diagnosis is that it needs an overhaul, taking it a regular garage is really taking a chance. For the most part they are just not equipped to handle anything but minor repairs, such as replacing a gasket, or filter, as well as draining and replacing the fluids.

A transmission shop however is not only equipped with everything needed to do the job, but that is what they were trained to do, just as a specialist in the medical field. The big question is whether or not all transmission shops are alike. By that I mean, are they honest? Do they have a very clean and professional appearance? Most importantly, you should not take for granted that if they tell you that you need work done, that you should leave the car, and allow them to do the work.

Let them give you an estimate, and then go to two more shops for additional estimates. If all three say you need the same work done, and all are withing a few dollars of each other, then it's a matter of choosing the shop and mechanics that impressed you the most. If one shop tells you that you need more than what the other two shops tell you, then you can be sure that he is looking to overcharge you for the job when in fact the extra work they suggest might not be warranted.

Use a shop that has some visibility to the repair area so that you can see what is going on while they inspect the transmission. I will never forget taking a car that just needed a slight adjustment to a shop, and they tried thier best talking me into leaving the car with them. They even said you might not even make it home.

When I refused, the owner said in a disgusted manner, to lower the car, the customer doesn't want work done. The mechanic looked as though he did something sinister, and sure enough, he did. I never made it anymore than a half mile from the shop. I had it towed it to my neighbors shop who was considered very honest, and he told me they punctured a hole in one of the lines or something within the transmission, and caused a lot of damage by driving it that way, even though it was for a short distance.

He said they do this in the hopes that you will come back after you find you can't drive it anymore. Hard lesson learned, but thankfully most are fairly reliable, but never count on it. Always be on guard, and in this way, you might save yourself a big headache as well as a lot of money.

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