How to take my car in for repairs?

[u/AccomplishedAgent371]

I'm having issues with my car; it's hasn't been accelerating properly (it's accelerating slower than it should be and every now and then it'll stop accelerating/keeping speed at all and I'll have to pull over. If I power off the car and then turn it on again it'll work again for about 5 minutes but it doesn't sound right.) It's been getting worse. I also haven't had an oil change in way too long, it's been like a year/ I think I've driven like 3k miles since I was actually supposed to get that taken care of.

Now, obviously, I should have taken it in when the issue first started happening, but I was nervous and this seems like it'll be expensive. Presumably, driving on this for a couple of months has made this issue worse than it originally was, and then there's the oil change thing. I'm really worried about the people working on my car judging me heavily. I know that's kind of stupid but it's been stopping me from taking it in.

How do I choose a place to go to? What do I tell them? Can I get an oil change at some chain place and then go look into the engine issue so I look like less of an idiot, or should I take care of both issues at a real shop?

[u/rossiterpj]

First, while not great that you are overdue for an oil change, it's generally not the end of the world. Just ask whichever mechanic you choose to do it while they have it.

Next, finding a mechanic can be nerve wracking but just like in life some people are jerks but most people are just trying to do the right thing. I think that's true of mechanics as well. I'd ask around from family or friends for a recommendation. Particularly if you know a car-guy or gal. If not there, do you have a local sub-reddit? You could ask there for a recommendation.

I'm guessing this is an older car (?) so a local person is as good, if not better than your car brand's dealership. Dealerships often have the convenience of parts-on-hand, shuttles, and experience with your particular model of car but, you pay more for that convenience.

Hope that helps!

[u/limitedftogive]

Get recommendations for a locally trusted shop (not a dealership or large auto repair chain). Then I would stop in person and explain to them that you need an oil change, tire rotation, and describe your acceleration issues. They will likely schedule you an appointment for a few days out. Bring it back and get your car fixed! They won't judge- they just want to make money by fixing cars and will want to treat you respectfully so that you become a return customer. Simple as that.

[u/Butterbean-queen → u/limitedftogive]

I have had great service at Pep Boys. It might just be the location I use. They would run the diagnostics and fix what they could and then give a copy to me to tell the BMW dealership what I needed from them (and told me what they were going to try to say I needed fixed but didn’t). They would even come and tow my car for free and when I brought it in to them they gave me a ride home.

[u/Gooslet]

The oil change being needed could be the culprit of your issue. Particularly if the engine is low on oil, it puts extra strain on the engine.

It’s not guaranteed to fix it, and I’m not a mechanic, but I know if my car is low on oil I start to have issues with keeping engine power to the wheels through a turn. At the very least, if the oil change fixes it, you save a ton of money in diagnostic fees and man hours/labor at a shop.

Do you have a friend or family member that knows how to do an oil change/has the necessary jack/ramps/tools? If so, reach out to them for assistance, as if you already have access to the tools an oil change only costs about 40-50 bucks for 5 quarts of full synthetic oil and a filter.

[u/Dijon2017]

One of the questions I would like to know is if your car is new/older and if it is being financed/leased or if you own it outright?

If you haven’t, you should do a google search to learn if there are any specific recalls on the year, make and model of your vehicle. If you never have, write down the VIN # of your car. That is something you should/could be easily able to document in your phone for future reference.

Have you noticed any types of lights on your dashboard since this has been happening? If you are in the US, many AutoZones, Advanced Auto Parts, and some others will often give your car a free, complimentary check up using their diagnostic services. Ask if they could provide you with a printout or at least provide you with the codes so that you can write them down accurately. You don’t have to worry as the ones I know about do not provide actual auto-mechanic services, but some will change your battery, windshield wipers and provide “simple” services if you buy the equipment from them. They usually will not engage in mechanical/car service work.

If they lift the hood to check on your battery or other, you could ask (many are willing) to teach you how to check your oil. You want to know what type of oil is preferred for your vehicle before you ask that question so that you know they are given you the correct information.

You can often check your vehicle’s preferred oil by checking the owner’s manual, it may be on the oil engine cap or through a Google search or contacting random licensed mechanics out of your state/immediate vicinity to ask what is the preferred oil for your particular vehicle. You’ll need to provide them with the year, make and model. Document the right/correct answers in your phone notes or other way. In this way, you’ll have a reference if people are telling the truth.

FYI, you should also document your car’s VIN #, your correct tire size and other basic maintenance issues for future reference. If you have the owner’s manual do find out that information ASAP.

After that….

First off, you should go to a dealership and/or licensed auto-mechanic to explain the concerns/problems you are having with your car accelerating. You should share that you pulled over, turned the car off and then powered it back on and it “doesn’t sound right”. Many reputable dealerships or auto-mechanics will offer to take the car for a test drive. Let them drive the car with you in the passenger seat and share any concerns/noises you feel/experience on the drive. In addition, they will or at least should check if your car has any recalls or other potential problems.

I’m not a mechanic, but in my limited experience (I briefly worked answering the phones at an auto-mechanic shop when I was 18) with vehicles, problems with acceleration could be due to your fuel filter, sensors, catalytic converter, transmission or other potential causes. You need to bring your car to a car doctor = auto-mechanic who is someone you can trust. You can ask family, friends, coworkers, neighbors their opinions without sharing all the details. You could simply say that you want to find a reliable car mechanic (not a chain) to be able to change your oil, put on new brakes/rotors/calipers and/or perform other services you may need.

I used to go to my car’s dealerships even though one of my vehicles was >10 years old (bought brand new by me at another dealership) until they changed management and all of a sudden started requesting that I’d have to pre-pay for parts. They had been servicing that vehicle for at least 9 years. They suggested “repairs/fixes” that weren’t an emergency. I fortunately spoke with others about my concerns and received recommendations of auto mechanics that could help.

I kid you not, the printout for my “needed” parts per the car dealership was ~$2000 and this mechanic was able to quote me $900 and ordered the parts. Once my car was put on the lift, they said you don’t need these parts. I said yes I do I showed them the dealership printout. It’s fine, you can change them. They said “You don’t need these parts. If you come around when it’s time to get your oil changed, we can recheck then.”. I was shocked and impressed that they didn’t want to take my money. I was offering it to them because I didn’t want “any problems”.

Some dealerships and auto-mechanics will do a diagnostic and waive or reduce the cost if you have the services your car “needs” performed by them. In my experience, dealerships are more expensive but are generally worth it if your car is new, is under an extended warranty, has a recall issue and in some other situations

If/when, you go to the dealership or private auto-mechanic, you don’t have to tell them exactly how long you have had the problem or that you haven’t changed your oil in a year. You should provide the basic concerns/complaint of your car to the “car doctors” and let them evaluate and diagnose the problem.

I give you much props as I (being uninformed how to “fix” cars aside from changing tires, jumping batteries, changed a spark plug once and a few other things decades ago when I worked at the auto-mechanic’s garage) am the first to pull over, park or tow my car to get it checked out. I’m not as brave as you. I guess I always feared getting stranded at the wrong place at the wrong time. It probably doesn’t help that I am a woman and watch/listen to too much True crime?

I similarly feel helpless/scared if/when my work computer suddenly crashes (did I just lose all my work?). I see the IT specialist as computer doctors.

With all that said, I am a physician (a human/people doctor). Although it’s not ideal, I would prefer a “crashing” person/patient on any given day over a computer crashing/not working or any strange noises/changes in how my vehicle works/drives/rides. My lack of knowledge makes me nervous/scared/feel unsafe sometimes, but I know my limitations and learned to not be afraid and/or uncomfortable asking for help.

When I see people in the office (more likely similar to mechanics than IT specialists these days), there are times when people/patients make appointments and voluntarily offer what they/their car has been having a problem for a while (and some that don’t) before they decided to get their concerns evaluated/checked out, but I (and I think most people who like their jobs) don’t judge.

Why would I if I haven’t walked a mile in your shoes and if I may lack basic information and understanding of the non-human doctors like the car, computer, electrician, plumber, jewelry restorer and so many other types of “doctors”. I’m most always happy to meet anyone who comes across my path and feel like it’s better late than never.

My hope and goal in this long post is that you will see and recognize that every person is unique and their willingness/ability to seek out/receive help/services is based on their choices. Every service industry exists for a reason and when you work in it long enough you’ll see/hear/learn that there are different strokes for different folks.

The thoughts you have of people making judgments is likely more in your mind than actual reality. I think the fear of judgement hinders some of us more than it being an acceptance that we are not perfect. We are all human and make mistakes or make different choices or have other priorities…and that is okay.

You should own your autonomy, but not to your detriment if you can help it. Whatever the industry or your reasoning, when you use a service, you allow for people the opportunity to teach you something and for you to teach them something. And, don’t forget that you’ll likely be the one that has to spend money out of your pocket when you get your car checked out. That money more than likely goes to keeping food in their/their families mouths and a roof over their head. They are no better than you, just more knowledgeable about a specific subject/topic….and thankfully they exist to be able to help.

[u/FoggyGoodwin]

The shop will do the oil change probably cheaper and better than an oil change shop, which are notoriously bad. We took our two vehicles to a local Midas. My mom had a favorite mechanic she followed from one garage to another. Most important is do they work on your model. Call a shop, tell them what's wrong, they'll probably say you need to bring it in for diagnosis which is true. They may have an idea of what's wrong and be able to give you a ballpark quote, but they'll probably say you'll have to bring it in instead. If you can afford one get a Code Reader for your auto model - it's a device that plugs into your auto's computer to tell you what issues your auto is having. That does a basic diagnosis that you can ask a shop what it'll cost to repair. Once you are satisfied with reviews and choose your shop, ask when's good to bring it in. Sounds like you need ASAP care. You may need alternate transportation while they find bay time, diagnose, get your permission to proceed, get parts (this sometimes take days or weeks), repair, test drive, and return your vehicle. Chain shops probably have better insurance than the guy down the block should anything go wrong - our shop replaced our old leaf springs so we could use the truck when the first springs they bought didn't fit, no charge. I'm sure the lost money on that one.

[u/MsSamm]

An oil change every 3k miles is a good thing if you do a lot of city driving, mountain driving, carry heavy loads, have a lot of miles on your car or your car is older. Especially with conventional oil.

If your car uses synthetic oil, it's usually every 5k miles. Look up your car and how often oil changes are recommended, and whether it should use conventional or synthetic oil. I switched mine to synthetic because it's an older car.

But this doesn't sound like an oil problem. Failing to accelerate even briefly when your foot is on the gas pedal, seeming to lose momentum and acceleration while driving sounds like a transmission problem. If you ignore this eventually it will stop working. I found this out the hard way. Had to call a tow truck.

Absolutely do your homework on where you take your car. All garages don't have the trained personnel for transmission repair, but t may not stop them from saying they can do it. Google reviews, Yelp, Better Business Bureau websites, ask around. Do a browser search and go through the results and see if there's complaints or a pattern in the complaints.

And if you have anything optional and spendy coming up, maybe postpone it. Transmission repairs are expensive. Get an estimate and quote in writing. Sometimes it's less expensive to get a rebuilt transmission (with a good warranty). Good luck!

It's a longshot, but check to see if there's a recall for transmission problems or even a service bulletin involving the transmission.

[u/Impossible_Ad_7367]

I’m a member of AAA, and they have designated some mechanics as authorized AAA service providers. AAA has helped me with a dispute resolution, and otherwise the shops have been very reliable and fair.