Being able to afford what you're driving

Recently we had a car come into the shop with 1 headlight that didn't work.  Now, normally it's a simple bulb replacement, but this particular car had headlights that were, well, let's say expensive.  The bulb alone, $140.  The ballast (yes like in a fluorescent light,) $400!  So instead of a simple circuit that supplies power to a bulb, there's an elaborate system that is going to cost our customer almost $500.  Just to fix his headlight.  You may be thinking that it's gotta be a Saab or a BMW or some exotic car.  It's not.  It's a Cadillac.
Even so-called domestic cars aren't domestic anymore.  More and more manufacturers are teaming up with European designers and engineers and in some cases have even partnered with foreign companies.  One that comes to mind is Daimler/Chrysler.  Daimler is in fact Mercedes Benz.  So now that Dodge minivan you're looking at could potentially be part Mercedes in design and engineering.  Which is fine.  Mercedes makes some awesome cars.  But can you afford to drive or fix one?
I guess the point of this post is that it's not our (the mechanic's fault) that your vehicle is a morphidite of several different manufacturers, engineers and sourcing.  Just be aware that some vehicles cost more, sometimes a lot more to fix.  A responsible shop will do their best to control your costs, but in the end they still need to make a profit to stay in business.  

When you leave your car off for repairs

Ok, this is kind of a gripe.  When you leave your car at a shop for repair, make sure there's some freakin' gas in it!  We can't drive it if there's no gas in it.  You're not gonna pay me to walk home from a test drive and will be irritated when I charge you for putting gas in your car.  USE YOUR BRAIN!  First of all, you shouldn't run your tank below 1/4 tank.  Modern, in the tank fuel pumps rely on sufficient gas to cool them and to keep them from sucking up the crap at the bottom.  Secondly, don't be a dumbass.  How can I drive your car sufficiently to diagnose something if there's no gas in the tank.

Purchasing

Recently someone asked me about buying a car.  Everyone knows that new cars are expensive, some more than others.  Used cars you can pretty much pick your price and go on Craigslist or one of the local by/sell pages on Facebook, etc.  But, you get what you pay for.
When you buy a used car, get it checked out by a mechanic of YOUR choice.  Don't take the seller's word for it, whether its an individual you called off Craigslist or a dealership.  Unless, unless it's a dealer that's offering a warranty.  Ford pre-certified is a good example of this.  Typically these cars have low miles, and have been gone through by the dealership service dept. and are warranted to a certain extent.  Read the contract, carefully.  If you don't understand the language of drivetrain and electrical (there's always disclaimers for every part of the warranty that you'll be responsible for.)
I recently dealt with a customer who had paid for an aftermarket warranty on his expedition.  The company paid for the motor and the labor to put it in, at their labor hour rate, not the shop's.  You either take some work, or go without, so we took on the job.
The warranty company supplied the engine but didn't pay the extra labor to swap the wiring harness, since the junk yard cut everything, didn't pay for gaskets when the used engine came without a bunch of stuff that we had to swap over, etc., etc.,.  The owner of the vehicle ended still having to pay almost $700 above what the warranty company paid.
Bottom line if you're buying a used car.  Cover your ass.  Drive it around town and on the highway if possible but at least at higher speeds.  Look at the tires.  Check the oil.  Is it clean, full?  If the seller will not let you have it looked at by someone of your choosing, walk away.

Problems once repairs are done.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but a recent thread on a Facebook page has got me thinking.

This young lady had taken her car into a shop because it was leaking antifreeze and had over heated.  Now this particular vehicle is pretty unforgiving when it over heats and 75% of the time when this engine has over heated more than twice, it's got more than one problem.
Anyway, the story is that her vehicle overheated, she took it in and had a radiator, fan clutch, thermostat and the cooling system flushed.  She paid her bill, took her car and it overheated the next time she drove it!  Now she's already shelled out $800 for a car that over heats.  There are no leaks on the ground, no coolant in the oil, etc. etc.
An experienced technician will know the peculiarities of this engine and know to conduct simple, inexpensive tests to avoid repairs that either were the result of the original problem, or not detected and causes you, the owner more headaches.  At the very least, it gives a full picture of what kind of damage the engine may have sustained since it's been overheating.
Now this lady has been using social media to inquire as to what to do.  And of course there are as many opinions as there are posters.  My hope is that the shop will step up (and they have) and show that their interest is in fixing the vehicle.  Permanently, reliably, cost effectively.

Get What You Pay For

I have personally worked in shops that do the bait and switch on you, but you don't even know it.  In most cases, there are "grades of quality" parts that can be bought by you, or the shop your car is at.  The shop prices the high end "Cadillac" part for your car, and charges you for it, but they buy the generic brand and that's what you get.  I'm not kidding.
In some cases, it's worth paying for an Original Equipment part, in other words from the dealership.  But an amazing thing has happened in the last few years.  The OEM Parts market has dropped dramatically and  many times the original manufacturer part is cheaper or equivalent to the parts store parts.  A lot of times it really doesn't matter if the part is OEM or not, but there are some cases where it does.  That's where experience and honesty come into play.
I don't have any cut and dry answers for you to not be a victim of this practice of pricing higher end parts and installing low end ones.  It happens a lot!  My thought is to be aware of your surroundings while at the shop.  Do you see NAPA or Dealership deliveries being made?  Or do you see Auto Zone trucks coming and going?  What do you see  for parts lying around?  Are they GM, or Ford?  Or are they generic re manufacturer boxes?
Ask about a parts warranty.  Keep your paperwork and make sure that your front end components are being greased at every oil change.  Don't be afraid to ask your oil change place about doing it.  Sometimes we forget, sometimes we assume that the parts are original in which case many are not serviceable.

Be prepared!

Sorry, it's been a little while since I've posted.  My thought for this message is to be prepared.
When you buy your first car or your 3rd car, be familiar with it.  Does it have a spare tire?  (Some new cars don't even come with spares.)  Do you know how to change it?  If not, take advantage of the nicer weather and practice in your driveway where it's safe.  Read your owner's manual.  It sounds obvious but if the manufacturer could save $1.00 per car by not providing it, don't you think they would?  There's a lot of valuable information in there, and it pertains to your safety.  What certain lights on the dash mean, how to access your jack and accessories and other features your car may have that you may not realize.  Read it in the bathroom if need be.
Fluids have changed in the years I've been doing this.  Synthetic oils, transmission fluid, brake fluid and even antifreeze has changed.  Know what is being put in your car.  Is your GM 2012 or newer?  It probably takes a special oil called Dexos, and if the oil change place isn't using it, it could void your warranty.  Be smart, be educated.  I've got 265,000 miles on my jeep for a reason.  Original engine and transmission.  Don't be afraid to ask your mechanic (I hope you've got one you frequent so there's a relationship built) about your car.

Hello Spring!

The weather's going to change before we know it.  Extra stresses on our cooing systems from the heat, running the A/C, more people on the road and more traffic and more setting at lights.
Get your A/C checked now, before the busy season to avoid the sauna drive home some evening when it's 80 degrees.
Same thing goes for cooling systems.  Years ago, cars had grills the size of barbecues.  Now, cooling systems operate at much tighter temperature ranges, and are computer controlled.  99.9% of the time the computer does it's job, but it can only do so much.  Changing out your coolant is an inexpensive and important aspect of maintaining your car/truck and making sure it gets you where you need to be when (believe it or not it will be) it's freakin' hot!