Is my mechanic giving me a good deal?

ANSWER : Question sent to CS for a quote of replacing front brakes, rear brakes, new tires, and the cost of labor. This quote is for comparing a mechanic quote previously estimated.

ANSWER : The prices you have listed sound like very good deals you will find a very hard time finding anywhere else especially if the parts are high quality or near OEM quality. IF you are unsure, you can request quotes from other vendors to compare and make the right decision for your financial needs.

ANSWER : Hello. Thank you for writing in. There are several reasons your vehicle may only start when jump starting. The first and most common is a build up of resistance that is causing you to need a boost of voltage to get the engine started. This may be due to poor battery cables, a bad ground connection, a poor starter solenoid, and a couple of other issues. The first thing you want to do is perform a visual inspection of the starting system. Make sure there is no corrosion build up in the battery cables. You can also check the resistance across these wires and make sure you have a solid connection between components. You then want to make sure the starter solenoid is doing its job. It is responsible for taking the small amount of electricity sent by the ignition and turning it into a huge electrical charge that is strong enough to push over the engine with the help of some gear ratios in its favor. Do some more testing, and stick to the basics before assuming its something seriously complicated.

ANSWER : Hello there. In general, when the battery is good and you have a solid power supply to accessories, more often than not the issue exists within the ignition cylinder, ignition relay or the starter / starter relay. The only way to determine this is to trace the power from each access point. If you have power upon turning the ignition switch to the starter, then the starter itself is the problem. Trace this backwards within the supply line if there is no power until you find the last point where power is supplied. If you have issues with this, you can always set up a car is hard to start inspection from one of our mobile mechanics, and they can pinpoint the source and recommend or complete the right repairs for you.

ANSWER : As you know, with any car the life expectancy of it depends largely on the maintenance schedule the owner has maintained, the driving conditions it is subjected to, the driving habits of the owner and many other factors. Often times when a car has had internal damage or even slight cosmetic damage, it may be difficult to tell without looking closely or performing an in depth inspection. As with any vehicle, proper maintenance schedules are a key factor to prolonging the longevity of the vehicle and avoiding unnecessary costly repair bills due to neglecting proper maintenance intervals. I would suggest having an expert from Your Mechanic come to your location to perform a thorough pre-purchase inspection prior to making your purchase.

ANSWER : Hi there. Buying a used car can be a daunting task with all the unknowns. There are several websites available that can provide you with a baseline value of the intended purchase. You may find what seems like a great deal until the repair bills start arriving. You are the only one that truly knows what the car is worth to you. A pre-purchase inspection is a great tool available to you to provide you with a list of potential current and future problems that may arrive expectantly. Knowing what the car needs gives you a powerful negotiating tool as well; you can decide the actual value is the current value less the needed repairs. Your Mechanic has several available technicians that can assist you with a pre-purchase inspection.

ANSWER : Hello – to determine the real "initial cost" of the vehicle – that is, what additional repairs must be made immediately upon purchase – the vehicle should be inspected first by a professional to determine repair and maintenance issues that must be made right away. Then the "real cost" of acquiring the vehicle is clear. I recommend a pre-purchase inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, and give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

ANSWER : If a motor mount diagnostic was performed and the mounts were confirmed to be faulty, the only safe repair strategy would have been to install dealer OEM motor mounts. If you use aftermarket parts in this application in essence you are using your time, money, and so forth to conduct an experiment with parts that, very often (not always, but VERY often) simply were not designed for your car. As a practical matter, the only way to determine if new motor mounts will resolve your issue is to install the mounts that were intended for your vehicle and those are the OEM dealer supplied mounts. If after installing the correct parts, you still have a vibration issue, at least at that point you can continue on with further diagnostics knowing that the mounts are NOT an issue. Motor mounts are not what they were years ago. Modern mounts have internal hydraulics and valving. There are many, many parts on a car which should not be repaired with aftermarket (or worse, rebuilt) parts if you desire to keep headaches to a minimum.