So here is a completely non political post for those of you who are as tired of talking about the state as I am. Our topic today is auto repair. Im going to give you some inside information on something that seems to be incredibly costly in a time where budgets are stretched thin. The internet is bulging at its seems with forums dedicated to discussing and repairing automobiles. Newspapers run columns allowing you to write in and ask for advice on your car problems. Auto parts stores are marketing mor than ever to the do it yourselfer. In attempting to save a few bucks, people are becoming quite adventurous in attempting to repair their own vehicle. With degrees of success that vary, from outstanding professional quality work, to badly damaging the car and costing yourself more money. After what seems like eons in the automotive industry I can assure most D.I.Y. repairs fall from the middle of the previously mentioned spectrum to the shoot me now end. I could tell you stories of butchered vehicles that were so badly destroyed by well intentioned DIYers that they were well beyond cost effective for the most affordable professionals to repair. But my focus today is not funny stories but on auto parts stores and their free services. Auto parts stores offering free services seemed to grow in prevalence with the proliferation of giant auto parts chains. It was a shrewd way to lure customers away from independent parts stores and old fashioned service stations and It worked. Primarily these services consisted of changing wiper blades, testing and installing batteries and bench testing starters and alternators. In this era cars were still fairly easy to repair and all of this was relatively simple,provided nothing was rusted or out of the ordinary. These tasks required less mechanical ability than a high school shop class and less tools. Then things went down hill quickly. Automotive starting and charging systems became increasingly complex with many charging systems being regulated through the engine control computer. Around this time period the auto parts chains thought it would be be a good idea to jump into on car testing of alternators and starters. Now instead of testing an individual component with a pass or fail method, an incredible amount of variables were introduced. Now you are trying to test one component that is reliant on an entire system as well as other seemingly unrelated systems that the manufacturer integrated for one function or another. But technology of the testers improved and so did sales for the parts chains. The occasional customer purchased parts that did not solve their problem but that just meant they would have to buy more parts. Fast forward another decade or two with automobiles becoming and immensely complex amalgamation intertwined, codependent systems of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic varieties. Including a federally mandated on board diagnostic system complete with warning lights. It is important to note that during this time frame the giant corporate auto parts chains got interested in the market segment they had previously ignored.That segment is the auto repair professionals.The real financial backbone of the auto parts industry and the people at the forefront of learning and repairing new technology. In tracking sales trends and listening to the professionals they came to the realization that much of the repair work being done were failures of one system or another that customers were alerted to by the previously mentioned on board diagnostic system. The bells went off for for the corporate execs. This was was a potentially huge market. They could sell the same number of,or more, parts to the vehicle owner but at higher margins and without the extra costs involved in selling to professionals. That history lesson brings around to today and one of the poor practices that is commonplace in the automotive repair industry. Auto parts stores diagnosing automobiles for free. Every chain store loves to boast about this free service. But I like to call it a disservice for for multitude of reasons. Probably the most important , and the one that will make me the most enemies, is the parts chain personnel are not qualified. The vast majority are not any more trained or knowledgeable than your your average motorists. These companies hire from the same pool as any other retail store. They certainly do not attract or pay for top notch mechanics to sell parts. They attempt to attract one or two with an automatic background in each store and emphasize sales and management skill over technical knowledge. You may find an exception here and there but I assure you that your exception is not the rule. Another almost as equally important fact is simply lack of equipment. For a professional to scan your care he will generally have a tool or multiple scantools in the 4000.00-10000.00 dollar range.He will have likely equally or greater priced specialized training and years of accumulated knowledge to use said equipment. While the auto parts store has the former walmart housewares manager and a 75.00 tool designed specifically to give just enough information to convince you to buy a part. You wouldnt go to the Walmart housewares manager for treatment of an illness. Neither should you expect them to treat an almost as complex automobile. Trust that Im being conservative when I say this practice sells millions of dollars of unnecessary parts every year. In my opinion it is an incredibly lucrative fraud. When you are over your personal skill level in diagnosing your car and you need to be frugal remember you cant afford to buy hundreds of dollars worth of parts that dont fix your car. See a component professional ,pay a fair market price. It is less costly.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 19:30:55 +0000
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