Do you know why it's important to find a good mechanic or a good repair shop to repair your car? The reason: it could save you hundreds of dollars in parts and labor! When we say a "good mechanic" or a "good repair shop", we're referring to mechanics who are equipped with the latest technology. You do not want to entrust your car to a shop with outdated machinery and equipment because it will take longer to arrive at a diagnosis. And the longer a mechanic takes to make a diagnosis, the larger your bill for labor!
Remember that car mechanics charge by the hour.
Car repairs can cover any one or a combination of the following (note that this is not a complete repair list).
• Air conditioning checks
• Air bag checks
• Electrical wiring
• Cables
• Clutch service and repair
• Transmission repair
• Wheel Alignment
• Suspension
• Brakes
• Heating system
• Oil and lubrication
• Battery
Much of the troubleshooting that mechanics use to diagnose a problem is facilitated by car repair technology.
Ever noticed how some lights on your panel come on when something's wrong? In most cases, an experienced mechanic will know immediately what the problem is, but there are instances where it will take sophisticated technology to lead to an accurate diagnosis.
Sophisticated technology comes in many forms and one popular one is troubleshooting software. Companies like Auto Tech have a software program that car owners can use to find out what is ailing their vehicle.
Most car owners who were cynical about software programs before should seriously consider purchasing a reliable car troubleshooting software program. For instance, some programs start out by asking you to input your car make and model number, the year of the car and what kinds of equipment it has. The software features a large database of information about all cars in the market and a car owner simply follows the steps when prompted. It employs what the industry calls a "tree diagnosis" where logical steps take you through the entire diagnosis process.
After you've keyed in your car's profile, you use the drop down menu to choose the symptoms that your car is exhibiting. For instance, if you choose "squealing brakes", the program mimics the squealing of brakes and if that's the sound you hear, you confirm it and the program recommends a series of steps.
You may not really want to use a troubleshooting software, but imagine how much time and money you could save if you spoke to the mechanic intelligently, letting him know that you're in the know.
Students who are studying towards certification buy certain tools of the trade. A couple of examples are Snap On and Mac Tools. These two are the most popular in the United States and Canada.
Mechanics now have a wide range of technology tools to help them understand car problems better: digital multimeters (electronic measuring), boroscopes (testing heat exchangers), fuel diagnostic testers (testing and balancing fuel injectors) and other such new technologies.
New car mechanic technologies help shorten the learning curve and speed up diagnosis so that the car owner is not saddled with too many labor hours.
