Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Need Mechanic Information?


Mechanic information is easy to come by if you have a regular certified mechanic to go to with your questions. Finding a mechanic you can trust is essential, once you find one hang on tight because you will gain loads of mechanic information and save oodles of cash at the same time!

What Makes an Honest/Qualified Mechanic


  1. Word of mouth & referrals from happy customers is a good start

  2. A Certificate of Qualification is a MUST HAVE!

  3. Cleanliness

  4. Willing to share knowledge

  5. Positive Attitude

  6. Always has the old parts available

  7. Has been trained on the latest technology

  8. Quality workmanship

  9. Stands behind every job

  10. Advises customer before going ahead with extra repairs

If you've had a bad experience with a repair shop and they did not try to fix their mistake or your original problem then it's time to go hunting for a new Repair Shop/Mechanic. The smaller private shops are usually more personal and have a small staff so jobs don't get lost in translation. One way to start is by asking around and checking with the Automobile Association in your area, a reputable shop does not need to try hard to attract customers since they have already established a customer base.


Once you establish a relationship and get to know the Mechanics/Technicians a goldmine of mechanic information will be at your fingertips.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Hi John, I found your site through google, and it seems like it was exactly what i have been looking for. My company has a school bus, and it has been in the shop many many times, with over $10,000 invested into the same Problem, that has yet to get fixed. It happens intermittenly, a month without the problem, then it will happen 3 times in one day, then it would happen once a week for a while, etc etc.

it stalls, while driving, it has happened, coming off the gas sometimes, and driving on a downward slope, sometimes in traffic, other times while turning, othertimes for just no plain reason while driving. It is a 1998 Thomas School Bus. Have any idea's or any input?

I want to try to figure it out, with a decent amount of mechnic skills.

Unknown said...

Hi Chris,
If you could provide me with more details that would help like what has been done so far and what model of diesel engine etc. Does it have a Kysor shutdown system? If so, low oil pressure or high coolant temperature will cause an engine shut down. When you're turning or braking, the idle on the engine would be at a minimum especially while in gear. We've had problems with the 3116 Cat Diesels shutting down like yours and the only solution was to change the Engine Oil Pump. It's happened more than once...

Unknown said...

Engine EF1SB190

1998 Thomas Built School Bus Safe T Liner EF Body Style

Another thing I can note is when I have personally drove it, is has not stalled FOR ME, however I have encountered a weird problem where the gas pedal goes un responsive for a split second while highway driving, so I pump the gas 2 or 3 times rapidly and it recovers for me.

Sometimes the stalling problem won’t happen for a whole month.

When the problem occurs it takes 7 - 10 minutes to start back up.

I have the VIN number, and I could email it to you. To further discover the engine code. However I can't find an email for you.

My company appreciates your help.