Auto mechanic

Time for another real life story. I knew an auto mechanic that kept a squeeze ketchup bottle filled with lightweight oil in his toolbox. He would squirt it on shocks, struts around valve covers on master cylinders and what ever the car mechanic felt like selling that day.

The service adviser would bring the customer out and show them the wet spots and how important it was to have the repairs done today to avoid getting stuck somewhere.

You can protect yourself against this old trick by performing a pre service trip inspection. I will explain this in the next to last chapter of the book when I teach you how to act like you know about cars.

What else will the auto mechanic find wrong. Well since they are in the engine compartment they couldn’t help but notice that you need belts and hoses replaced.

First we will talk about belts. Most modern cars have one large belt called a serpentine belt. This one belt drives all the accessories like the alternator, water pump, a/c compressor and power steering pump.

In the old days they would have 2 or 3 belts but now they have just one belt to do the job. The down side is, if the belt breaks you loose all your accessories. If you keep driving without this belt your engine could over heat because the water pump is not turning and not pushing the coolant through the engine.



Yep replacing the belt is a gravy job. the auto mechanic finds this Very easy and quick to do and could cost over $150.00 bucks.

When a serpentine belt is recommended for replacement ask why. If the answer is because it has cracks this not good enough. The industry formula for cracked belts is 10 light cracks per inch indicate the belt should be replaced.

Light cracks spread out over the whole belt may mean the belt still has life left in it. The cracks develop on the face of the belt or the ribbed side. The strength of the belt is on the back or smooth side of the belt.

If the belt is frayed or damaged from hitting something ask the auto mechanic to show it to you and replace as needed. Use this rule of thumb when deciding to replace the belt. An average serpentine belt will last for about 50,000 miles or more.

Ford for some reason uses a very high quality serpentine belt that can last for up to 1000,000 miles or more. So take a look at the belt and if you approve the replacement of the belt ask the auto mechanic for the old belt and through it in a bag and put it in your trunk for emergencies. It’s always nice to have a spare for emergency use.

Learn what the service intervals and costs are for your specific vehicle.

Auto mechanics are always looking at my hoses

It has been a long time since I have seen a blown hose. I remember putting hoses on vehicles every 50,000 miles or so. But I have seen modern vehicles with 200,000 miles on them and still have the factory original hoses on them.

The invention of the extended life coolant has also seemed to extend the life of the hoses that carry the coolant. So how can you tell its time for hose replacement?

A visual inspection and feeling a cool hose is about the only way. When a hose is going bad it swells up like a small snake that just ate a big rat. And when you feel the lump or it feels spongy as compared to the rest of the hose.

So if your vehicle has high mileage and hoses are recommended by the repair shop ask your questions on why are they bad and then ask to see them.


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