The CAR WIZARD does a thorough oil change and gives warnings for quick change places
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- The CAR WIZARD 🧙♂️ show what a thorough oil change should look like demonstrating on a Mercedes ML350. He also warns you about what 'repairs' quick change places will try to push you into making on your car.
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📷 INSTAGRAM @therealcarwizard 📷
Got my oil changed at the Honda dealer once since it was across the street from where I worked. They told me I needed transmission fluid, it had none. I told them that was impossible because I had just replaced the transmission and there was no way I would have been able to drive around for the last 6 months with no transmission fluid. The guy got all defensive and said “Well my technician said you have no fluid” and I told him “Your technician doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Never went back there again
Did you just assume or actually go verify the fluid levels first hand? Because for all you know he wasn't lying
@@bennyjetsaroundtheworld9047 if its an automatic it wont fuckin move if theres no tranny fluid
Yes, they are not always lying
The dealer was lying. The mechanic who replaced my transmission would not have forgotten to put fluid in it. For my next oil change I went to a different place and they checked all my fluids, there was enough transmission fluid
@@danpeters6874 so you didn't check yourself rite there and then? You drove thousands of miles more to have another stranger check? Ooookkkkkk
3:43 "If you're not paying for it, I'm not doing it". Spoken like a true professional.
Taunuslunatic
I had a hooker tell me that once
Taunuslunatic money’s, money.
Get what you pay for lol
On his wife's car too! I hope he at least gives her a good hourly rate!
He is not just doing an oil change, he is doing a vehicle maintenance inspection and an oil change.
Also, many shops will do these kind of inspections free to pressure you into doing a repair job. It all depends on the shop and if you can trust them. Some shops are upsell shops.
If I could be a young auto technician again, I’d apply to work at your shop.
I really like the way you do business, you have a very nice looking facility and you treat your techs really well.
You’re definitely a credit to the industry.
If I could be a young auto technician again, I’d invest in income producing real estate, and retire a few decades early in the Caribbean.
He treats his techs well? I've never seen or heard how he treats them, in any of his videos.
@@CadillacDriverdon’t you know that you are definitely able to tell everything about a person, over a video, that they uploaded?!
@@teelowteelow356
Yeah that was my mistake, I now realise the error of my ways 😆
except he hates the 3.6 lfx gm engine, that's one of his quirks i don't get. the 3.6 is obviously not the same motor in every vehicle, he could be right about it in the acadias and whatnots, but in the impala it was used for 9 years and had great reviews.
I just love this guys work ethics and the way he explains things.
I use the oil filter hole to refill my BMW on oil change all the time, big hole no mess.
Someone needs to tell Hoovie that the Wizzard is doing pre-purchase inspections.
But it was the cheapest mercedes on auto-trader, it must be awesome. people never sell bad cars.
The wizard would be taking food off his plate if he did that. Like the grear Simpson's episode wheb Homer buys hotdogs....."lady he's putting my kids through college"
@@b16da93 I know that, it was intended as a joke. ;)
Now where is the fun in that?
🤣
A few years ago, I went to Tire Choice to see if my AC had a leak and to change a fuel filter. They hadn't changed the filter but charged me for it. I knew it wasn't changed b/c I had dropped a washer next to it and it was in the same spot.😠 Ofc, I told the manager and they eventually changed it, gave me a rental for the day and offered me a few free oil changes(declined them). Once my trust is gone, so is my business.
Last time I took my truck into one of those quick change places, they told me they tested the battery, it failed, and wanted to sell me a replacement. I told them the battery was still under warranty from AutoZone and drove the truck over and had them test it and it was just fine. Battery lasted me like 3 more years after that.
The wizard is padding up the bill by giving you a $100 inspection along with the oil change.
First thing they train at quick lube places is that belly pan in bolts go in the trash!
Strange!!!! I’ve never had a car battery last me more than 3 yrs.
@@jdrs4214 you must be buying crappy batteries
@@frankie5373I service commercial equipment. Back in the 80s and 90s it wasn't crazy to see 10+ years old original or quality brand replacement battery still in the green.
After 200..5 or so, I think using poorly recycled lead or watered down electrolyte used in battery products.
My last vehicle (a 2006 GM truck) the o e Delco lasted until 2022 and even then it was still starting the truck after sitting overnight just if it sat 3 days it was barely able to start the engine.
At my job they buy bulk generic no name batteries for the big trucks down to the small equipment.
They all go maximum 3 years, most are too weak to start the engine if sat over the weekend (we're closed on weekends) once 3 years are close.
Basically you have to buy the expensive original equipment brand if you want 5 years or more.
I heard that AGM type battery last longer.
Working at a quick lube place, a lot of what we do is just trying to be honest and avoid being the "hostile quick sell that doesn't need to be done" reputation that we get. We mostly show the customer the issue and give our advice on what should be done, and 90% of the time they'll refuse any services. The worst part is a lot of these refused services are things that really need to be done. I live where we get a good amount of snow every year, and we get plenty of customers coming in with completely bald tires who get upset whenever they're told they desperately need new tires. Metal on metal brakes? "You're just trying to sell me shit". It's impossible for us to outlive the reputation despite how honest we are, and it results in people not taking the care they need to of their cars.
They can't look at the shit and see they need replacing are these gaslitshitballs blind how in God's name do they procreate
Appreciate your perspective 😂 as a gal I don't automatically take the advice but I certainly look into it because I want to avoid problems thanks 😂 and I certainly don't automatically assume somebody is trying to rip me off
I've never had a high pressure sale at a quick lube as this guy suggests 😂
I run a shop outside of Philadelphia and we conduct our business the same way. We have a customer that has a Nissan Rogue with a leaking transmission cooler. She doesn't have a ton of money and it's such a minor leak that the fluid isn't even really low when we check during her oil changes. She's already prepared for the cost of the repair when time comes. This goes a LONG way towards building customer relations and to ease the anxiety that comes with car repairs. Thumbs up for sure
"This isn't grandpa's tractor; it's someone's car..." there should be more mechanics like him!
Grandpa here I don't like residual oil on my tractor either :P
The oil should be draining hot while doing inspiration.
How many Grandpas have tractors .... NOT that many.
I got gonorrhea once from driving granpa's tractor in my bathing suit. At least that's what grandma said.
yeah he's absolutely great!
When I was 17, my car seemed to need alignment. I had a coupon from a Firestone store. I took it there. They put it on a lift and proceeded to take a 6' pinch bar, jam it into the suspension and showed me movement that they claimed was dangerous and I shouldn't leave the shop without repairing! I immediately told them to get my car off their lift before they could do any damage. Turned out it was bent rim. Fixed with a $15 junk rim!
Whenever I watch the wizard it's like therapy, I could sit here and listen to him talk about oil changes for hours.
Same. I know most of the stuff he does. It’s just so relaxing to watch and hear him working. I often sit doing other stuff and have a playlist of car wizard in the background.
@@jnofi are you the oil change wizard?
Very soothing calm voice
"You can't just run your engine out of oil. It's very bad."- Understatement of the century.
😮😱😱😱$$$$$$$😡
Jim Beckert According to Mr. Wizzer no oil in oil pan can get pretty hairy but only after 12 months
I think the low oil pressure light would go on before that.
I have seen this phrase pass by somewhere : the one who shall run out of oil will throw the first rod
>genie light comes on
>wish for infinite wishes
>engine explodes
Shouldnt have tried to fool him
Car Wizard.......I wish every Mechanics shop was as honest and meticulous as you are, hats off to you sir....👍🇮🇲
he's gonna make a video soon "My biggest mistakes" Lol
You very most likely do have at least a couple good, honest mechanics in your area, ya just need to network with MEN ( NOT women ) who already have a fair amount knowledge about cars & trucks, and common sense, to ask them who they use & trust. Reason: Quite a few guys are totally capable of oil changes & simple repairs, and have done it themselves for years, but simply don't have the time or energy to do it. I "was" one of those guys. But ya need to be very careful about the opinions of others. If they know nothing about how to do it themselves and spot problems, their opinion is worthless. With that being said, I change my own oil anyway, because I got sick & tired of busting EVERY quick oil change place red-handed pertaining to lying & trying to scam me. They failed every attempt with me. Also, in the majority of oil changes, they did all sorts of crazy screw-ups, a list so long, I could make a video about that alone myself. And it's a darn good thing I have enough experience myself to catch their mistakes right after they were "done with the job". So I bit the bullet several years ago and went back to changing oil myself, like I had been doing years before. I've never paid a full-on mechanic shop that rebuilds engines on-site to change my oil. They cost more, and for good reason. But this 'ole boy ( 58 yrs old ) isn't about to pay $100 to $150 for an oil change I can do myself for only the cost of the oil & filter. But that's just me........
@@howabouthetruth2157 ohhhh you be careful with that. I know several men who can sew but have no clue what an oil filter looks like. I know women who can change their own oil every bit as meticulously as The Car Wizard. It really does go both ways.
@@DigitalJeremy Dude, for every woman who is capable, there are a hundred men who do. Furthermore, you need to re-read my entire comment, because it's painfully obvious that you simply stopped at "women". Because I NEVER said: "ask any man who they trust"........Now, go find something better to do with yourself, if you aren't capable of paying attention to my entire comment, as you took what I said completely out of context, because that's exactly what you did. I STATED DO NOT TRUST THE OPINIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS OF OTHERS, AND THAT INCLUDES MEN, IF THEY AREN'T EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO DO IT THEMSELVES AND/OR SPOT TROUBLE & SCAMMERS. You act like "there are just as many women who are capable", and that's BULLSH*T. "I know men who can sew but have no clue what an oil filter is" has NOTHING to do with the issue OR what I said. "I know women who can change oil as meticulously as the Car Wizard"........CHANGING OIL PROPERLY IS THE EASIEST THING YOU CAN DO TO MOST ENGINES. I was changing oil when I was 13 yrs old kid, because my father made sure to teach me early. Good grief boy, you sound like they've castrated you already.
He ain’t doin all that shit for a oil change foh
A good idea when getting free oil changes is to put some paint on the filter before leaving it off. That way you will know if it was changed.
You might as well change the oil yourself if your gonna lift the car up to do that
The Mercedes-Benz dealer will not even lift the car. They suck out the oil from the top of the car, change the filter, which is on the upper part of the engine, say they did a Service A or B and send you on your way after a $350 Bill plus tax. It's awesome that you do all of this. Too bad you're not in my city. Great videos...thank you and your wife for taking the time to create and post.
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge, I am 42 years old and I am about to become a mechanic. Your videos help me a lot, especially the "tips", keep uploading videos please.
Most dealers and shops are untrustworthy.... it’s just my experience, thus forcing myself to do all the work for last 25 yrs 😉
I think everyone has experience that, it's good to be aware of. The consumption note is news to me, I guess I had older cars and rarely saw more than a fraction of a quart drop, so any car I had to add a quart of oil to between changes would set off alarm in my head about engine damage if there was not a leak spot on the floor. I have a newer used car with a turbo with very low mileage, so this information could be important about checking the dip stick and not worrying if you newer, low millage car is drinking oil like some old beater I owned long ago with black smoke coming out of the pipe.
Those that are ethical, charge $150 per hour or more. Given both, its best to learn and do as much of this stuff yourself as possible.
I disagree. Most are just trying to make a living. They won't stay in business for long if they're always robbing people. There are some who either don't know what they're doing (so they replace everything until they solve it - if they ever do), and there are a few who are scammers that make the rest of the industry look like ganks.
Is an honest shop even worth $100+/hr any more. Its cheaper to take an automotive course and learn the job buy all the tools and parts than to pay a shop to do any major jobs any more.
@@honchoryanc yeah they are because most people just do not have the time to wrench in the garage all day.
Can you imagine what a nice place the world would be with guys like David everywhere.....on so many levels
there is no professionals anymore just highly skilled scam artist sales mans
Please refer to him as the Wizard that he is.
How about if people would just be honest.
He’s not doing that inspection for free. He’s getting paid for that. If you don’t mind paying $100 more over a regular priced oil change take it to him.
✅
Finally, a proper oil change / basic car check video.
Thank you very much!!!
From one mechanic to another, I love your style. It's bad enough dealerships, quicklube and Walmart techs give us a bad look. I practice the same style as you. I detest the idea of looking the other way on easy fixes but look for big payday. Right on Mr and Mrs. Carwizard.
i might not have a Wizard but i got a Joe and thats the next best thing lol been my mechanic since the 90s old school mechanic
Sal Gomez
Same. I dont even know why I clicked on this after a long day of doing the same thing lol.
I guess its good to make sure were still on the right track
One of those places told one of our customers that we stripped his oil filter threads. The last oil change had been done by the foreman that's been there for 40 years and the customer is a friend of the owner. Needless to say we took care of it for him but advised him not to go back there. The next time I worked on his car it had a sticker from the same place.
@@gregblau8082
3's & 8's to Greg B.
Pay close attention to his last sentence.
Some Customers/People are so Brain Dead - they'll go BACK to the Shop that you told 'em to stay the fu _ _ away from.
Jesus Christ & Sonny Jesus !
9.17.2019
Long Beach, CA.
Benefits of marrying the Wizard:
Free car maintenance till death due us part
Yeah but in exchange you have to let him inspect your undercarriage
@@FreakTimmah Still worth it and being in wedlock wont make u feel like a hoe when ur done 😂
She probably has to wash his oily work clothes, so fair trade.
til death do those parts you mean
Dangers - he can easily make that death come quicker. >D
you're darn right. If I see oil dripping from under my car or smell oil burning on my exhaust right after an oil change, I take it straight back to the mechanic that did the work. Once, they found that they had cross-threaded the oil drain plug. Sufficient to say, I no longer go to that mechanic. Whether it's sloppy work or just not bothering to clean up after yourself, I will call you on it every time. Sorry to be a pain in the butt, but here in Canada, mechanics go through a four year apprenticeship program with college and frequent recertification to keep their license. If they don't know how to thread an oil drain plug back in straight, they need to look for another profession.
I once bought a Jeep Commander with the electronic locking diffs and I wanted to make sure it had the correct fluids inside. I took it to the certified Jeep shop for service and asked them to change all the fluids in the car. My eyes caught up to ATF in the service bill but I disregarded it. A few months later it was nagging to me enough to pull the receipt and re-check. They had refilled the diffs with regular ATF because the previous owner had used it instead of the Jeep green limited diff oil. I had them replace the oil with the correct one but I could never trust the car again, suspecting noise from the diffs or transfer case. Then when the next service came, like magic my transmission took 6 quarts more oil than it was rated for (they billed the 'free' oil I had them change before). I paid the bill, didn't say the a word, sold the Jeep and never visited that shop again. But oh boy, did I spread the bad word!
I do not know if it is still the case. ATF used to have tiny metal pellets in it. this was to help the fluid coupler, or torque converter transfer more energy. That is the main reason why ATF should never be used for anything other than its intended purpose.@@Munakas-wq3gp
Hey Wizard. A step you may be missing is to lubricate the power steering and CV shaft boots with silicone spray at every oil change. My experience has been these can dry rot in 10 years or less. The steering rack and CV shaft boots are jobs one would rather not have to do, or put off as long as possible.
This silicone spray application is actually part of recommended dealer service for some makes.
Probably not a bad idea to lubricate all rubber boots, bellows, and exhaust hangers while you are there!
Enjoying your channel!
Yea but he’s gona have to charge extra for all that
Are usually put silicone on all the rubber myself while I’m at home
According to Scotty Kilmer, AT-205 for all things rubber.
These chain stores are the reason why I've changed my oil for many years, I didn't trust anyone when it came to my vehicles
Brandon Smith yup, I learned my lesson when I got my oil changed and (of course, in retrospect) found they hadn’t changed the oil filter...
It’s not rocket surgery...yet these guys keep proving they aren’t even up to step 2 (replace oil filter). What made it worse; it was a Subaru Outback (oil filter is the easiest I have ever dealt with and even has the opening straight up so it doesn’t even make a mess if you are careful)!
The same here I don't trust a soul with any of mine....
@@samsonian Conversation at the Jiffy Lube: "Your power steering fluid looks really dirty, we can do a flush for $110"
I'm pretty sure I don't need a power steering fluid flush
"Hey it's your car, but I would get it done right away if it was my car"
Oh your car has electric steering assist too?
Awkward silence
Proceeds to change my oil.
Only reason I didn't leave is they had already drained it.
Never go to those places.
Thank you for being a stand up guy. 👍🏾
The Ford dealer tried to tell me I was going to roll-over and die when the sway bar end links were worn-out on my car; I wasn't impressed. There are honest people there that don't try to pull that crap but they are few and far between. I recently found a trustworthy local shop and it was like finding the damn holy grail. I'm honestly not surprised you have people driving from Colorado to see you!
An honest and trusted local mechanic is pure gold. My mechanic is about to retire, but his son is taking over the business. The son has been working under his direction for 12 years, so I'm hoping he inherited the honest gene. I'll monitor the son every 3,000 miles.
Wizard! Any car with a cartridge oil filter up top, it should be loosened before lifting the car up. Extra oil from the oil lines will drain to the pan, so you change as much old oil as possible
Maybe change, not loosen
Said it before, I'll say it again...an honest mechanic is pure gold!
You sure come across as the "real deal" Mr Wizard, your Mom and Dad can be real proud of your business ethics.
We are so proud of our son. He's the real deal, just as his video shows. We love you Wizard.
Its the truth. If it was feasible i would bring him all my stuff to fix. It is so hard to find a good place to do the work. Im the kind of customer whatever it needs to be fixxed do it. I just want the work actually done and a top notch job done as well.
Well I'm an honest mechanic, did a radiator job for my landlord for 100, shop wanted to charge him 900, I actually told him im do it for 200, he wouldn't pay me that to do it, so i told him, well take it to the shop then, and he nevet did. He waited for me to give in and do it for 100, shame on him.
An honest mechanic and a good CPA are worth their weight in gold.
Guy takes a Tesla to a jiffy lube and mechanics says "you need a new fuel pump NOW!"
Dont forget the carb, intercooler, blinker fluid and flux capacitor.
@@MrDrBlahh yes exactly
@@wildberry752 I made the mistake of goin there for a quick oil change with my focus ST, was 18 at the time and it was my first car so i was still learning what places to avoid. Was going on a road trip so wanted to change the oil, they tried telling me the turbo was leaking oil everywhere and needed new lines. The car had a lil over 10k on it so i was a little doubtful. I left, was no problems on the road trip, and i took it to the dealer after and not only was there no leak but they stripped the oil pan plug, and didnt even change the oil filter. I learned my lesson after that fiasco.
@@MrDrBlahh yeah you gotta be careful
@@wildberry752 They saw a young kid with a new car and was like Ooooooooooooh we got em!
The world needs more mechanics like you!! Amazing as always Mr Wizard
First, I would release the oil filter, so oil can flow to the pan and after that drain it. After demonstrated oil change you still have some old oil in the engine. And also you can pour at least some oil to the new filter, so it soaks and some remains in oil channels - plus the filter holds some oil since you have one way valves and new rubber seals in filter. I do it, it works.
Are you questioning the Wizard?
@@mnewln1800 Indeed.
My dad changes the oil in my first car well tried to. He first drained the oil out n the tried to take the filter off. It wouldnt come off he finally took oil filter mount off n we looked the filter had been cross threaded on. It was a used car he had the filter in pieces trying to get off. Only thing that was left was top that screws on to the mount. I always make sure the filter will loosing before i drain the oil cos of what happen on my first car.
@@michaellethcoe8244 I agree, and always tighten by one hand only.
Excellent job. I'm sure everyone feels the same way, when I say; you are an honest mechanic and it's nice to see you fix only what needs fixing. Great video.
A baby mechanic on the Canadian Tire used a impact gun to put the oil pug and rounded the plug.... great job!!
After this ..
I do my oil changes!!
Even in winter on Canada!!
Canadian Tire... the place to go in pure sad desperation.
hernan alonso same here brother Canadian oil change are fun outside eh
Code Red just put on your winter coveralls, some Ansell Polar Grip Gloves, safety glasses, winter boots and a balaclava then you’ll be set.
Not backing Canadian Tire but the one I went too is pretty good so I guess it depends on location
We had a large 2 car, heated garage up in Alberta, winter time oil changes were a piece of cake.
This is a good and knowledgable mechanic. I have worked on my cars since I was a kid , and heck I would be happy to have him work on my stuff.
I like the fact you take pride in your work, you care about your customers and think ahead. Clean after yourself and give a good value for the money. Good job.
Wizard I appreciate you man. Grew up with one of my dads mechanics teaching me all the stuff you talk about and have always done my own oil. It’s nice to see you getting out the word for people that might not know any better.
i love your honesty man...wish we had more mechanics like you
Good job Wizard. Love your content. Keep it up. I am a mobile mechanic myself and I hate seeing people getting ripped off. Use to see it happen at the dealers that I use to work at. When I said something about it, my bosses never liked it. Keep it up.
Thank you for showing me this. At my dealership I do everything you did. I’m very thorough. Its a multipoint inspection that should be done if your paying $60 plus for a oil change and rotate. I love your videos sir.
I’ve worked on cars for over 30 years, and consider that I’m a safe pair of hands. However, Wizards fills in all the little, but important gaps. You never stop learning, and this guy shows why. Thank you!
Why are you shouting for?
I'm ok with having residual oil on my car, because I live in a state that use salt on the road and all that oil is doing is preventing rust
Rope Grease is better at that
@@richardgraham65 They use so much salt because the karens complain to much when they get stuck with summer tires in 1 mm deep snow. I think so atleast.
Let's not forget that viscous liquid they spray on the road before an impending snowstorm that craps up your windshield so badly, you need two bottles of windshield washer fluid to clean the shit off enough to be able to see. That's always fun.
@@TwentytenS4B8 brine or beet juice, shit sucks
@@semajniffirg230 actually, I like the beet juice. Doesn't rust out my truck
This is probably the best informational oil change video I have ever seen. The only thing I am surprised about is that you didn’t check the tire pressures.
As always keep up the good work and I am looking forward to the next video!
You do a very thorough check that all mechanics should and honest about it. Good man.
Scotty kilmer could have called this car Junk about 50 times before the end of the video
:D
And ramble on about how crappy Jeeps are at least four times inbetween.
Scotty Kilmer would probably have exhausted himself with ALL HIS ARM WAVING, before he even started the job.!!!!!
@@stevecooper6069 he never fatigues, he's the Energizer Bunny & loves to keep throwing in Pelosi pics to mean crazy or gov. affairs. He's a salesman and knows whose made him the $15m he made in past two years here. He even denigrated local TV news,in past year. True fashy old boy, through and thru
@@18_rabbitI mean... he's correct about Pelosi, nobody can even deny that.
I believe everyone should change their own oil. Not only is it better for your car (as you'll likely be using higher quality materials,) but it makes you appreciate your car and give it some respect. Nowadays, a good 5qt jug of oil and a filter from amazon is less than $30-40. I put full synthetic and a Bosch filter in my car for $27, and I put a special local oil (Schaeffer's) and a Purolator filter on my truck for $37.
I agree. If you cant be responsible for the maintenance and nuts and bolts of how your car goes down the road. You really have no business operating one at 75mph for years on end.
You save money.
And if you think it sucks dealing with recycling the old oil... GOOD
Get a good sense of YOUR impact on the environment.
Bosch is the only brand oil filter my Subaru gets. I think they are better than OEM.
I agree. Subaru oil is 60 to 70 bucks every 3k miles. I just get castrol edge extended for 25 bucks 5qts. And a filter. Its half the price for better oil proven by uoas
I appreciate the Car Wizard’s straight forwardness and honestly.
I live in Buffalo NY and I found a great mechanic and I will not go anywhere else. Because it's so hard to find a person. That's why I watch the car wizard.
David you exceeded the industry standard. I don't know exactly what your check in process involves, but since the early 70s when I lost my 1st car (1966 Rambler) to a garage for the same reason, I learned how the mechanic lien process worked.
I actually took the tittle to the mechanic, and apologized to him for making him do all that work. It was a No Crank, No start that I told him to just fix. I was an immigrant freshman in college, and naive.
Most shops will have you sign estimate papers that state what the symptom(s) are, general store policies relating to just what occurred in your situation. Some will charge you per diem everyday your car stays on the lot up to about 30days if the vehicle is not picked up after it is fixed. It will become liened, and sold after that, no excuses, no exceptions.
When the diagnoses is made, customer is notified, and told the Labor cost, Materials cost, and Total Estimate Cost. Customer is reminded that if additional issues are encountered, they will be notified before that work is done. The customer signs off on the estimate. That way everybody knows upfront what the deal is. Sometimes customer doesn't like the price, and wants to think about it, or shop the price. If that is the case, some shops will charge for diagnosis time, and give the credit back if customer lets the shop fix the issues. Customer is informed about that before their vehicle is diagnosed.
Also customers are informed if aftermarket parts will be installed, vs OEMs.
Over the decades some shops will tell customers that the costs exceeds the value of the car, or that the customer is better served to invest their money in a newer vehicle. Some will decline to work on the vehicle altogether. Ditto for very rusty brittle vehicles that crumble upon touching anything undercarriage, under hood, or even in the car sometimes.
Also inspect the car with the customer when he/she drops it off. Note all the significant dings, scratches, & visibly broken items on the vehicle. Have them sign off on the list. This is important on very expensive vehicles, or exotic/show cars.
If you have any warranties, state them clearly on the receipt. If you find any safety issue(s), inform the customer, offer to fix it if you can, or refer them to the respective mfr dealer, and note that on the receipt. CYA FOR EVERY LIABILITY SCENARIO YOU CAN THINK OF.
Avoid taking Checks, or use machines that automatically withdraws the money from customer's bank account when they tender the check at checkout, run the check through the machine, and hand it back to the customer. They may also use their debit card. If they pay by credit card, they could challenge the payment. That's why it is important to document every step of the Shops Policy & Procedures. It also helps you in Court if customer sues you.
Best Wishes.
I am a retired Used Car Dealer & Shop Owner for decades.
You are so correct, if you leave oil dripping on someone's driveway first of all they're pissed because there's oil on their driveway and second of all they're wondering what the technician did wrong. I'm a technician that goes into medical offices and repairs equipment. Even if a tiny little screw or washer falls out of my bag I will search until I find it. Again if the customer finds it they're going to think, what part did you leave out when in all reality it's trash. The customer doesn't know that so you are so correct. I can tell you are an awesome mechanic and technician. From one business owner to another
Do my own maintenace on all our vehicles myself. If I get stuck, I use TH-cam. Like the Wizard channel. Lot's of knowledge here. So far so good. Had a few experiences of dealers and mechanics (if they can be called that) trying to do me over. Probably figured I am a noob. Don't trust any of them anymore.
I went to one of the quick lube places a few times several years ago. When they came in and told me I needed a new air filter, they lost me as a customer forever. Back then, I always changed my air filters myself, and kept them in pristine condition. I am now very particular about who touches my vehicles. You sir, are a great mechanic and I am envious of your clientele. I do have a good shop that I take my vehicles to now and am very happy with them. Last year, I had bought tires for a friend of mine and the tire shop told him he needed a front end alignment. They recommended a shop nearby so we took his car there. They took it in immediately and came in less then 30 minutes later with a bill for $29.00. No up charges, no extra parts needed, just $29.00. That shop has since become my go to shop.
The videos are EXCELLENT!!!! Your customers are so LUCKY TO HAVE YOU!
More ML repairs please Wizard, as an ML owner who does his own services I found this video very informative.
When I worked on Humvees at Ft. Polk in Southwest Louisiana, we had a classification level for leaks.
Class III: Dry, often barely visible.
Class II: Wet, sweating, but not dripping yet.
Class I: Actively dripping and pooling on the ground.
Cheers!! Good to see that there are still honest mechanics out there!! Too many out there giving the profession a bad name. You do it right!! Do your inspection, gather the evidence,(I take pictures) present your findings and evidence to the customer, and let them make an informed decision!
I love the way you and the misus make a team. More power to you both!
Oil changes... Last time my Mercedes 'specialist' said they've put the right mb229.5 oil in my W204's engine. Started using oil. 1 liter on 3000 km from that moment on. Before that moment there was no oil consumption. I changed it myself with a new original filter and the right oil. Problem solved, no oil consumption anymore. And a lot cheaper too. Wizard, keep up the good work. I like your channel!
All the vehicles I’ve done oil changes on that have an oil life light/ reminder. Resetting the light I usually turn the key over (without starting) and wait for the chime to cut off and depress the gas pedal all the way 3 times and it clears the message.
thanks Wizard we need more honest mechanics like you but since society is so corrupted with greed thats hard to find.
"We don't leave residual oil behind ... This isn't grandpa's tractor!"
There's a line for your next Car Wizard T-shirt/bumper-sticker right there. :D
No such thing as residual
Owners of Model T cars have a saying - "If there's no oil under it, there's no oil in it!"
Kelly Herald VW owners say the same thing, “If it ain’t leaking, there’s no oil in it,” but mine only leaks a little bit from the valve cover seal, it either just burns on the exhaust manifold, or it sticks to the head, it’s not on the driveway, so I don’t really give a shit.
@@kellyherald1390 Same goes for British Motorcycles...
Grandpa would have kicked my ass for leaving an oily mess on his tractor, just like I would. My newest tractor is over 20 years old and still costed me over 45k. Real farmers have 100s of thousands wrapped up in their tractors, they want real mechanics working on them.
When I change an air filter or something similar, I write the date on it with a Sharpie, both so that I can tell how old it is and if the Iffy Lube tech shows me a filter (or whatever), I can tell if it's mine or not. Although now that I have space I'm going to start serving myself.
They might find a shoddy filter that they find around the shop and put the date on it just how you did it.
ok chrisfix
I add the milage.
Keep a notebook
I never take anything to the Iffy Lube.
As a retired mechanic, watching your vids I can see you are both professional and knowledgeable.
My oil light came on. Went to auto shop. Told me the motor was shot, and I needed a new motor. He wanted $3600.00 to do the work. I went to the auto parts store, and the salesman said for $30. 00 try a new oil sensor. Yup, motor went for 10 more years. You are correct!!!
Went another time to a fast lube. Had to get a mechanic to drill out the plug. Never again.
I like seeing some resemblance between the way wizard runs business and the way Scotty Kilmer does business.
Granted, Scotty doesn’t work on many German cars at all cause he tells his customers the truth about em, but, both wiz and Scotty share resemblance in honesty of their work.
Scotty has a business? Thought he was a shade tree hack that pretends to be a professional mechanic.
How can anybody take that guy seriously. Even his video titles are dishonest. Watching Scotty rant and babble on a range of subjects he clearly has no knowledge of brings back fond memories of "TheDonald" and his expert advice on women. It's easy you just reach over and grab em by the pussy."
He doesn't work on German cars because he knows he isn't qualified to.
As someone who is a technician for a dealership I can honestly say that none of the stuff said applies to me. Every car that comes in for a service gets inspected and recommended ONLY for what it needs and nothing else. I might be the exception but I dont like being grouped into the same bunch as other people. And some of the things said really annoy me. Sometimes I'll recommend something to a customer, like their bushings are completely worn out and clunking, and they don't want to do it because we are "just trying to scam them." These kind of statements really hurt the honest guys in Dealerships and hurt our living. I don't agree that all dealerships are just out to scam you. I've seen it plenty of time from INDEPENDENT shops as well. And I've also seen lots of shoddy work. That doesn't mean all Independent shops are bad and I wish that people would understand that.
Well you might be honest but your one in a hundred cuz I know many and it is criminal what they do
Sometimes you just have to take a beat down for your brethren. Whats your Dealership Labor rate?
1. Dealers should offer the mf-ing public a better service at a cheaper price.
2. They should be specialist, but they are just special😂.
3. The best community mechanics are guys like you that open their own shops. Like Oily's, on Orangthorpe
It's the Service Writer that "sells" the repair(s).
@@speedrover 😒
Wiz, I’m a general dentist and your philosophy is exactly the same as mine. I get patients that come in from corporate dental offices for huge treatment plans into the $10ks. And when I see them it’s like “this old silver filling isn’t going to break this week if you don’t fix it, it’s been like that for 20 years it’ll probably last another 20. If it breaks we’ll fix it”
I love doing my own oil changes for my vehicles but having a trusted mechanic to do everything else definitely the way to go
I work in the car industry, I've heard rumors that one of the stores I used to go to who changed hands is now removing the factory window sticker and putting it in the glove box, then they tell them that the window tint was $300 when it's what was included in the msrp, you'd know if you could see the window sticker. They're not stopping you from looking at the window sticker, it's just sort of "out of sight out of mind". Really shady, I'm glad I no longer go to that store.
In 1981 I was in line behind someone at the service window at the Chevy dealer and almost fell over as they were going over the repair bill for a 1 year old chevy celebrity with cracked exhaust manifold, make a long story short it was the best thing for me to see that the dealer is the last place to bring your car! That is why I am D.I.Y. and still learning from good souls like yourself.
Their should be more Mechanics like you! Who tell the truth! Good for business, and good for the customer 👍
This guy is great, I like his demeanor. Its hard to find a shop that has any technicians that are honest and ethical. He is right about prioritizing the vehicles needs and advising the customer. Gone are the days of treating the customer right and giving them their monies worth. Recently I became unemployed from my old shop because my boss retired and closed the shop after fifty two years. I worked for him for twenty five years. We worked specialized on two car lines. We therefore had a smaller market. It was imperative that we did a honest and quality job in order to keep our customers. Alot of shops work on most vehicles and have a pretty steady supply of customers. They want to put quantity over quantity. I took a position at a shop that worked on everything including body work. I was hired as a second tech, requiring me to work on all vehicles. I advised them in my interview that I am going to put quality before quantity. They agreed that was great and that their main goal was honesty. I started there and tried to work into the routine. Besides the facts their equipment and shop setup was poor I made a good effort to be productive. It turns out the other tech puts out 80 to 100 hours a week. I feat I found hard to believe. It turns out the guy was fairly knowledgeable on most repairs. The problems were he dishonestly sold work and completed as fast as possible. There was a total lack of integrity in his diagnosis and lack of quality im his work. I came to understand he pretty much ran the department and they encouraged him. They just wanted as much work as possible put out for maximum profit. On top of it the guy was very egocentric and a narcissistic. He acted like I was in his way and tried to blow smoke up my behind. He might have been fast, but my work is top knotch as are my diagnostic skills. Im not bragging, just stating guys like the wizard are hard to come by. I ended up leaving after 3 weeks. I couldn't put anymore of my time into a lost cause. I find out later they haven't been able to keep a tech on for more than three months, go figure. I don't know if I will continue to work on cars. Maybe I can find a shop like the wizards to work. I like the videos , keep up the good work, guys like you give techs a good name.
Start your own business. Start small, and you will build up quickly.
Really good video. I change my own oil and have been since I was 18. Glad that you shared how the other guys try to get you for more of your hard earned dollars. Keep up the good work Wizard!!!
It sure is nice to see someone knows what they’re doing. Thanks for all your tips much appreciated
You are an honest mechanic,worth your weight in gold.I deliver auto parts,I see shops upselling parts not needed.Rotors need not be replaced every brake job,brake lines and calipers on low mileage cars,etc.
Good luck. Honest mechanics like him are like honest lawyers. Very rare and hard to find.
I Like the Way that you Look at things, I would be glad to have you service my car....
mr wizard, i’m a technician and me and all of my coworkers are working extremely hard to change the bad reputation of dealers. we do not have quick lube so every car gets thoroughly inspected by someone with education and experience. we recommend work based on fact, not on how our hours look for the week (we are flat rate). any customer that questions why whatever is being recommended or required receives pictures/video.
ttj volkswagen. and unfortunately, i would have to say that its quite the opposite. there are a lot of crooks out there.
You will never change the bad rep of dealerships in general, because there are so many bad ones. If YOUR dealership is good then word of mouth will get out and people will bring their cars to you. Also, there is no way your dealership doesn't have a huge wait for a customer to get a car in, so why do you even care? You are busy 24/7, you are saturated. Why care about your rep when your bays are always full?
@Don Quixote my tech has had his shop open since 1933, very trustworthy family business, he's always jammed pack but will still always find a way to fit you in.
I appreciate your remarks, but the issue isn't necessarily with techs, it's the grinning goofs at the service desk who write up stuff for max $$$$, the flat rate books that divide larger jobs into a ridiculous number of indicidual rates, and the greedy dealer principals who push push push down the line to make more more more money.
My buddy went to work for Range Rover in the late 2000s They had two sets of flat rates, the innsane one for customer pays jobs, the other much shorter time allowed one for warranty that was ridiculous. He had 4.5-hour jobs that paid 2.5, etc etc. Every day. Some days he made just over minimum wage.
So people who bought 120k RRs were getting shitty warranty jobs from angry techs who cut corners, and always,inexperienced ones as no one,would work there.
Justin Aguilar on
Nice mechanic who has checked many items underneath the car while doing oil change . Never seen such extensive checks With oil change. I am driving for the last 50 years and have several dozen oil changes on different cars at dealers but never found such dedication . Well done
That's why I do my own changes I have been doing changes since I was 15 when my father entrusted me to change oil on 40+ work trucks plus support equipment- nothing wrong with doing a needed inspection
And here I was, feeling good about the simple oil and filter change I did myself on my old Camry this weekend. Jeez.
you accomplished the same thing!
As a Wizard no less.
just make sure you go through the rest of the checks
The good ole days of spin-on metal oil filters!
you should still feel good about it.
When I'm doing oil change I also check blinkers fluid, muffler bearing and piston return spring 😂 and almost forgot, also need to check is it winter or summer air in tires 👍
You can’t be too careful these days! Don’t forget to let all the hot coolant out of the radiator. Your car will run cooler in the summer without hot liquid in it.
Also, grease the friction material on the brake pads to prevent squealing and definitely don't forget to get an exhaust gas sample.
@@dellstudio10 You joke, but I do know someone who used WD-40 on his brakes.
You can buy summer and winter air in 5 ltr tins from the car parts shop best for hinges since sliced bread.
Yes yes, we all watch chrisfix too...
I'm a service writer and it totally depends on who you get as a writer as to how much they know and what good advice they can actually lend on importance of repairs, but you have to be very careful about saying something will run while not in perfect condition for a while, because if something fucks up and that seal blows out guess who they're coming for. The problem is that customers dont want to take responsibility for their own vehicles and just accept that A) every component on every car can and given enough time will break, and B) there is no way I can give you a fixed time those components will last. "How long do I have left if my brakes are at 4mm?" "That totally depends on your driving style, but on OE pads maybe an oil change before we should look into replacement" "so they'll for sure last that long?" "they SHOULD, yes by all means, but YOU are the one driving the car and I don't know how YOU drive" "well am I gonna be safe until winter?" "Most likely yes, but AGAIN, I cant fucking guarantee it, so If you hear them squeaking get it inspected again and see where they're at" "well when will that be?" ".......just give it an oil change alright, or buy them today" I can't tell you the amount of times it's been implied that I'm somehow responsible for your AC line leaking, or your fucking head gaskets on your 2013- Subaru leaking. And even worse if I find something major it's "well how come nobody told me that last time?" "Well A) you've only been here with it a few times, and B) who the fuck did you talk to last time, and how have you driven in the last 5-6,000 miles?" Like fuck dude, and then they're skeptical of every repair you suggest and it's cost because of everyone saying they're getting screwed, their mechanic is cheaper and it's like ok well your mechanic is 65% chance a couple of guys who knew each other at brakes plus for a couple of years, never even had a formal apprenticeship and just opened their own garage because they thought they had the whole industry figured out, there are so many hacks out there it's incredible and at least there's some structure and accountability at a dealer, I'm not saying it's the only good choice, but if you bought a car you can't afford to maintain with OE parts then whose fucking fault is that?
I work for a dealership and I’m new and this video helps me a hole lot to be a better tech cause I don’t want to be those techs that try to get money out of innocence people cause it’s hard to check everything when I’m being rush to finish in 15 min . I like to make sure I’m not missing anything and do a good job cause it’s my name on that ticket
I never go to a quick lube anymore, I have a trusted mechanic that I pay a bit more for, but I have no headaches. Good video, good advice, and yeah, if I drove home after a change and there is a drip in my garage, I would assume the plug was loose and go back. Saves everyone time to clean up.
That Mercedes pulled in and I swear I heard "endless money pit!" from somewhere.
It gets the labor for "free", they are well-off thanks to the likes of Hoovie and they are surely smart enough to sell it while it's not too badly broken. I can see no problem.
My uncle has a Mercedes with 725,000 miles and gets 40 mpg
@@garfixit the older diesels are made different
I worked at a Chrysler dealership, and some lady brought in an X5 that she bought used with over 100k miles.
She had more leaks than dry spots.
I showed it to her and told her that all that's gonna cost her thousands
She said she knew a guy, to which I said: I hope your guy has all the special tools it takes to fix this.
ML350 = Money Loss 350?
Good job, thanks for being an honest mechanic...
And one time , I was getting a set of tires put onto a Mazda B2000 and they told me while I was waiting in the lobby , I needed brake pads ! I had just changed them a few days before that !!! There's absolutely no way ! No wonder nobody trust them . When I was working in a shop , we charged the bare minimum and did a quality job ... an honest job ! We used to change the oil for $3 just to get business . That's to check everything . That's if you bought your own oil . We never ever screwed anybody over , period !
Scare tactics rarely work,before the age of cell phones with cameras, I would take the customer out to the shop and on the hoist and show them, I also ran car care clinics for how to deal with these pushy salesman at service desk,and how to get educated on your maintenance schedule ,great video,keep up the good,honest reports ,Roger
Quick tip.
Use trip A on your odo. For oil changes and trip B for tire rotations!
Been doing that for years.
U are amazing and detailed in ur profession. It shows u take pride in ur work. I wish there was more mechanics like u!
Great video. The camera work is excellent too. Thanks for Sharing your knowledge.
I love your videos Wizard. However, I cannot imagine that a shop will do such an intense inspection for an oil change every time.
He can do that inspection in about 10-15 minutes when he's not making a video of it: much of it can be done while the oil is draining...
Agreed, but why not remove filter and start draining oil Before the 10-15 minute inspection? This would remove more dirty oil.
Great! Now I'm going to have to save up to drive 1500 miles to Kansas to get my vehicle worked on!
Or you could just learn to do it yourself. Most is pretty simple.
@@joshuagibson2520 You're right and I do change my own oil. Just giving this guy praise because he seems to know his stuff.
I have to explain how dealership work, firstly when a car goes to a dealership the customer expects us to find every fault on the car. If anything is missed they will complain. Sometimes the customer is aware of faults and they don't tell us because they expect a main dealer to find every fault on the car. Many complaints are about things that tech has missed. So to cover the tech and dealership every single fault found on car is reported then it's for the service advisor to go through what's important and what can wait till next time. I have never seen a dishonest main dealer and I have worked for 2 very big brands
That's the mentality that customers sometimes have going to a dealership. They think the dealership has unlimited funds to pay for anything the customer complains about. People need to find a shop, dealership or independent, that they are happy with and sick with them. It's that simple.
We had an oil change shop in town that recommended windshield wipers no matter what. You could put a brand new pair on before going and they would tell you that new wipers were needed. They didnt charge labor for putting them on, so they could deny they were scamming people. But they were marking them up $10 or so over cost, so they were making a huge amount extra per month.
Jiffy lube
They did not charge for labor putting them on, mark up 10.00 not free.
Replace the oil filter BEFORE draining the sump. As you've said, the cartridge housing drains into the sump, so you're filling your new oil on top of .5 L of old oil.
this
Depends on the filter placement. Mine is located below the sump level, so it doesn't flow into the sump by itself.
But in this case, great idea!
@@martij30 Indeed. Like on a Toyota ZR block, the cartridge housing is at sump level, below the pump and mounted horizontally, so removing it drains the housing into the waste oil, but in the case of the Merc V6 on display here, the cartridge housing drains into the engine sump, and so it is important to remove the old cartridge before draining the sump.
He also forget to flush the system
Exactly what I do with top side canister filters. I open it up and let it drain while I carry on with the rest. Pulling it out immediately dumps oil in the engine bay
You know why it costs more to have the Wizard do your oil change????. Because it’s worth it!
Wish all mechanics would check components like him. Thank you sir for helping people properly. It matters.
Have worked at a few dealerships over the last 35 years and never heard anyone use "scare tactics" matter of fact most would consider that a reason for discharge!!