I am wondering why people trust the places that do free code reads over a reputable repair facility.?

Question

I am really curious as why do people do this. They trust someone barely making 8 dollars an hour that is or is not ase counter person certified over a real ase technician or master ase technician. They get their check engine lights checked out for free, and 9 out of 10 times get sold parts that are irrelevant to the actual code. For example, any po171 or po174, autozone immediately says the O2 sensors are bad, when they seldomely are with that code, yet the customer thinks they are getting a good/free deal and replaces the sensors, only to notice the light comes back on the next day. I put it on our invoices, Customer requests O2 sensors replaced, no warranty, and charge them 100/hour flate rate and happily take their money. Do you think they would have saved money in the long run skipping the free "code read" and actually having someone qualified do the actual diagnostic procedure?

Answer 1

We have the same issue with customers going to a chain auto parts store and having their ECM checked for codes. We have replaced customers O2 sensors after advising them that it may not solve their problem and documenting it on the invoice. We try to advise customers of the difference between the parts store simple code reader and our scan tool. We inform them of our ability to perform diagnostics and verify that a part is bad. You are definitely not alone in this situation.

As for Firebird's post.........

It is my personal opinon (keep that in mind when giving me a thumbs down like I'm sure you will).

A reputable shop does not have an incentive to lie. Any reputable shop that has built a good reputation has usually done so by properly repairing their customers vehicles and treating them well. A shop that lies and does not take care of their customers problems is not going to maintain a good reputation. We own 4 tire and auto service centers and they are all in fairly small rural areas. I pride myself in the reputation that we have built.......and it has not come from lieing to our customers! If we were not reputable and lied to our customers I doubt that we would have 4 successful shops. Customers have a choice as to where to take their vehicles and I believe that the reputable shop is going to be the more common choice. I will say that there are plenty of dishonest facilities out there and unfortuneately all they do is give the industry in general a bad name. For you to lump all of us into that category is unfair and wrong.

Answer 2

people do this because they save money most of the time,being ,ase, doesn't mean much unless a person knows how to use it very well, i have seen the ase test and took it,my 18 year old nephew also took it and passed it with flying colors,and he really watches closely to what he,s doing when he works on a vehicle and he also works at an auto zone,when you see shops charging people for things that they don't need this is bad,all people need to know is the code for the problem,auto zone or any other place don't recommend that you buy that exact part if that's what the code reader says,they just tell you that could be the cause,but to have someone check it out further,I'm michigan state certified plus ase and master certified,but i don't give out no more advice than i think people need to know sometimes giving out too much advice will cause people to tear in to things and make matters worse,so i limit my information,people need to have some kind of an idea of whats going on with their vehicle before they go to get it repaired,and all the parts stores provide this knowledge free of charge,so there's nothing wrong with it,sometimes this makes a lot of mechanics mad because people come in with a little knowledge of whats going on,i think the free service is a good thing and more people should use it before going to a repair shop,it doesnt bother me that someone walks in knowing whats wrong or they at least have a code to work with because i scan every vehicle that enters my shop free of charge,regardless of when it was scanned last,so to me this is just a head start to the problem,it may bother some mechanics though,i wish more people had general knowledge of how cars worked,it would make our jobs a lot easier sometimes,good luck.

Answer 3

I half to disagree with you . In most of the auto parts store's they have young people working in them, All there wanting is to learn and get a pay check . They have no reason to lie about what the scanner is reading . I also thank that the people that go for a scan has a little common sence to know that they will let you watch them scan your car. Believe me i've worked in many shops where you better off watching  the one's  that walks around saying that they a ASE certified , There the one,s that have the reason to s***w you. not that young person that's trying to make a few bucks after scool & at summer break . I can also say that most ASE certified people are up right people thats just wanting to feed there family

Answer 4

It's not a matter of trust.  If you don't read the codes, then you have nothing.  If you pay nothing to have codes read, you've not lost anything.  No trust required.  If you don't buy anything, then the guy reading the codes has no incentive to lie.

A "reputable" repair facility has a HUGE incentive to lie.  That's how they got to have such a far-flung reputation.  They're all pretty much reputed to be crooks.  Anytime you ask the same guy to diagnose the problem and fix it, you create a conflict of interest.  Isn't that obvious?

I bet you thought that was a good question, didn't you?  It's not.

Answer 5

There 100 dollar code readers can only do generic codes and can not trace it down like the $3500 code readers real shops have.So when I have a service engine light come on I'll go to one of these free places to read my code and then go home and do some research on it before I buy any thing, If the generic code has a lot of possibility's are some expspensive parts then I'll take it to a shop and pay to have them read it.

I't not a matter of trust, there  just there trying to help you with posible fixes. You should read up on your code and try to narow it down on what you should replace are fix

Answer 6

the truth------ not all people know what the difference is-- and its free.. !

it will never change.. thats how the little turds make money.  the end

Answer 7

I'm a ase certified master tech. and have replaced many O2 sensors sold by Autozone to people by doing there free scans. Most people want the sensor put in and want no other checks done because its going to cost them money. So I put in there sensor.Then they see that there check engine light is still on and want me to hook up the scanner and turn it off. But they don't want me to charge them. I just tell them that Autozone will turn if off for free.I like most people don't work for free.So they have spent a little over $100 on a free Autozone scan and have the same problem. So if a customer comes in with a O2 sensor in there hand I know they have been to Autozone.

Answer 8

I think you are all bouncing around the truth here because every time i have a problem i take it to get it checked at autozone and take the codes to my mechanic and he says exactly what autozone said and fixes and GUARANTEES his work, all being done off the codes from a autozone code reader.  To me it sounds like a bunch of wannabe mechanics just griping cause they dont get to rape someone on their price to run a scan on it when they could be a good mechanic and just fix the problem and try to get the person as a repeat customer instead of trying to rape them on the first shot.  All of you are the reason why a real mechanic cant make it cause you cant keep from raping people.  

Answer 9

An ASE certified technician is a person who has studied long and hard so they may pass a written test. There is no guarantee he/she is a qualified mechanic. You can take the test on cooling systems and earn a shoulder patch that says ASE on it. How do you identify a REPUTABLE repair facility ??

Answer 10

I guess some people don't want or can't afford  to spend $100 bucks for what they can do themselves. Or maybe they don't like dealing with arrogant ase mechanics.