Automotive What Makes a Good

Automotive

What Makes a Good Mechanic?

A good mechanic is more than just someone who understands cars and can repair them quickly and efficiently. Some people compare a good mechanic to a doctor, a car doctor that can maintain the health and well-being of your automobile (Editors). Therefore, a good mechanic should be well trained and able to diagnose your car's ills quickly and efficiently, but there is a lot more to the job than that.

First, mechanics and garages are often certified to work on certain vehicles. Finding a certified mechanic is not difficult, and if you care about the quality of care your car receives, you should look for a certified mechanic who will understand the nuances and issues with your particular vehicle. You should also look for a mechanic (and garage) that uses factory-authorized parts, because some, cheaper garages use cheaper, second-market parts (or even reconditioned) parts, and these parts can be faulty or even defective. Some auto manufacturers will not honor factory warranties if your car is not worked on at one of their garages or by a factory certified mechanic. If the mechanic is not factory certified, he or she should be certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The American Automobile Association (AAA) also certifies garages, so a mechanic working in a certified shop is a good choice (Cars Editor).

Good mechanics are patient, because they have to be patient to diagnose troubles and then make sure they are accurately repaired. They have to be able to work quickly, too, because many shops pay by the "piece," or by the actual job, such as an oil change or transmission fluid flush. They get a specified rate for these jobs, no matter how long they take, and so they have to work quickly and efficiently to get these jobs done and move on to the next one. They need to be familiar with many different aspects of the car, as well, from replacing headlights and windshield wipers to tearing down and engine and rebuilding it, if necessary. Mechanics need to be flexible, too, because they never know what problems and challenges are going to face them each day, because they do not know what people are going to come in and what car problems they will face every day. That means they have to be flexible, and they also have to be open to change, in case they face an emergency or a repair they may not be too familiar with.

A good mechanic is honest, as well. Many garages have the reputation of being dishonest or inept, and it gives many mechanics a bad name. The customer should be able to trust the mechanic and trust his word about what is wrong with the customer's car. If a customer does not trust the mechanic, they probably will not return to the shop, and the certainly will not recommend them to others. Therefore, a mechanic must always be fair and honest, and never give the customer any reason do doubt his word or his actions.