Mechanic shop you would use? Suggestions?

[nookiebandit]

With the holidays, my independent guy is closed until the new year and I don't have the tools for the job myself. Can anyone recommend a decent place or mechanic? Just a 2hr labor job with part provided.

[bigscheff]

Andersons automotive in lake dallas. Chad...

[BJerk]

Originally Posted by nookiebandit

With the holidays, my independent guy is closed until the new year and I don't have the tools for the job myself. Can anyone recommend a decent place or mechanic? Just a 2hr labor job with part provided.

Don't have the tools or don't have the smarts? If it is just 2 hours with part provided, go buy the tools and shows us how it is done.

[Crzytxn]

I have a friend with a shop on Harry Hines in Dallas. Does good work, at a reasonable price. You can even bring your own parts.

Baldimar
Astro Car Care
214 - 779 - 6353

[zebra]

Here is mine. www.tdi.com He moved, now he's over on Floyd Cir. in the old building Studio was in.

Anyone need help,here I am(Dallas-Plano ,TX)
Hello everyone.I live in Plano,TX. I have been Technician all my life. I come form Europe. I finish school in Europe in 1993. Start working when I was 16 .
I live in USA 14 years.I have been working on VW and Audi all my life (specially on TD-s & TDI-s). Also on BMW, Mercedes.
I have Vag-Com and also have tool to Program keys on most VW-Audi vehicles , I am able to Delete Immobilizer in ECU, and I have tool to replace Instrument Cluster and ECU Used or new (this means if you have used cluster or ECU I can make it to work on your car).
I do provide complete work on those cars ( from oil change to check engine diagnostics,t-belt ,brakes , suspension, transmission service ,injectors , injection pump,etc.)

I am able to do ECU TUNING-TDTUNING Authorized Dealer.

On Golf, Jetta MK4 & MK5 or Passat B5.5 & B6 I can enable function "open -close windows via remote control"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Wbrx1CdH8).
Also can turn off seat belt chime(you don't have ding,ding till you put your belt in buckle) and DRL can be turn off,also one touch on remote and opens all 4 doors(factory comes with dr.door open first than other doors).


Also I am able to enable needles light up with key on and light switch off (More info in post No.10)

On Full FIS and Half MFA clusters (Golf, Jetta MK4 & MK5 or Passat B5.5 ),
I can replace Cluster LCD Display when the pixels are bad or when they get shade and you can not see anything.




I use ONLY VDO Display and they are 100% same as original.



I have reasonable prices for my work and I do provide parts and warranty for my job.
So if anyone need something send me PM or e-mail me at
marinmm2001@yahoo.com.
I know it is very hard to trust to someone , and it is hard to find good trusted mechanic ,but try me on little things and see my work

[OldGuyInRichardson]

there's a shop on spring valley and central...next to bone daddys....resonable...good work.

[BJerk]

Originally Posted by Crzytxn

I have a friend with a shop on Harry Hines in Dallas. Does good work, at a reasonable price. You can even bring your own parts.

Baldimar
Astro Car Care
214 - 779 - 6353

Any shop that lets you bring your own parts is suicidal. Shops make a profit on parts.

[yewhew]

I dont know if I saw the make/model of the care but if you are driving a mercedes or bmw I recommend Bimmer Auto. (214) 766-1153, philip@bmsdfw.com. They are mercedes/bmw certified and are mobile mechanics, they come to you. I have used them a number of times over the last few years and have always been satisfied with quality and price.

[Generic White Guy]

If you have the parts and just need tools, try Jack Junkies... They will rent a bay and tools...

[ManSlut]

Originally Posted by Bert Jones

Any shop that lets you bring your own parts is suicidal. Shops make a profit on parts.

Yes, shops do make a profit on the parts and it's part of how they stay in business. If a shop owner allows a customer to supply a part, he should explain to the customer his labor rate is higher to allow for the profit losses of the parts and it will be notated on the repair order that the only warranty the customer will get is that the customer supplied part was installed properly for such and such time period. Most shops just probably won't tell you they are charging you more to install your part, but they are.

My advice to anyone is stay away from Franchised repair shops. They are generally operated by GM's who just care about running up numbers. Stick with owner/operated/family owned type shops. If a shop calls you and says, "Well we found this or this while looking at what you brought it in for...", tell them just to note those things on your paperwork and fix what you brought it in for and you'll take care of those other things down the road when you know problem 1 is fixed, unless you really, really trust the repair shop you use.

Though I truly distrust what goes on in the Backend of dealership repair shops, they are sometimes the best place to go if it's a fairly new car or not a very popular Manufacturer, or high end car, due to the fact the technicians have specific factory training on those cars and see more of them. Dealerships fall under the category of Franchised repair shops that care more about running numbers and overselling other things they find to pad their numbers and it becomes a game of technicians and managers just trying to line their pockets.

Good independent garage owners should be sought after like good doctors.

[dallasfan]

Profit is one thing...pure raping is another.

When you can do the same job for less than $200 that they charge over $2000 for and use less than 3 hours of your day to do it, it's a pure ripoff. But if you don't know how to do it yourself, they have you over the barrel.

[ManSlut]

Yes, it's called Capitalism, welcome to America...Doctors do it, Lawyers do it, Plumbers do it, Prostitutes do it, Consultants do it, You name it, every profession does it...It's why we all have the ability to put roofs over our heads, clothes on our bodies and food on our tables.

I grew up in the car business because of my father and it led me to a degree and career in Engineering. There has always been this stigma of people in the Automotive industry shouldn't charge what they do. No one thinks about the cost of garage Garage Liability Insurance, Advertising, Equipment & Tools to maintain a modern shop, etc...Most people simply look at it's just changing a part out, anyone can do that.

Yes, gouging is wrong in any Profession.

[BLM69]

Originally Posted by ManSlut

There has always been this stigma of people in the Automotive industry shouldn't charge what they do. No one thinks about the cost of garage Garage Liability Insurance, Advertising, Equipment & Tools to maintain a modern shop, etc...Most people simply look at it's just changing a part out, anyone can do that.

Great post! I deal with the same issues weekly, people always complaining how expensive labor is.

The OP is better off going on you tube or searching the automotive forums, purchase or rent some tools at your local auto-parts store and spend the 2 hours he has estimated that it will take and go at it.

[BJerk]

Originally Posted by ManSlut

Yes, shops do make a profit on the parts and it's part of how they stay in business. If a shop owner allows a customer to supply a part, he should explain to the customer his labor rate is higher to allow for the profit losses of the parts and it will be notated on the repair order that the only warranty the customer will get is that the customer supplied part was installed properly for such and such time period. Most shops just probably won't tell you they are charging you more to install your part, but they are.

My advice to anyone is stay away from Franchised repair shops. They are generally operated by GM's who just care about running up numbers. Stick with owner/operated/family owned type shops. If a shop calls you and says, "Well we found this or this while looking at what you brought it in for...", tell them just to note those things on your paperwork and fix what you brought it in for and you'll take care of those other things down the road when you know problem 1 is fixed, unless you really, really trust the repair shop you use.

Though I truly distrust what goes on in the Backend of dealership repair shops, they are sometimes the best place to go if it's a fairly new car or not a very popular Manufacturer, or high end car, due to the fact the technicians have specific factory training on those cars and see more of them. Dealerships fall under the category of Franchised repair shops that care more about running numbers and overselling other things they find to pad their numbers and it becomes a game of technicians and managers just trying to line their pockets.

Good independent garage owners should be sought after like good doctors.

Excellent post - I've found the same thing to be true. When you get a mechanic you can trust, don't nickel and dime him and let him make a reasonable profit. The 2000 dollar repair guy for 3 hours won't last.