5 Lies You Need to Stop Your Mechanic From

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Most mechanics, especially in the developing world, tackle most vehicle repairs based on a trial-and-error approach. This is a quick guide to making sure that your car isn’t their guinea pig

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As he wrapped up, Angela, his new client was confused. How on earth can a used thing be better than a brand-new equivalent? She tried to reason with him but was met with a solid brick wall.

“Madam, you didn’t bother to ask why the used one is more expensive than the new one?” Angela, looked away, confused – but thinking hard. Kazeem knew he was ‘winning’.

She maintained her mute tempo, but inwardly, was thoroughly confused…she was also ready to take instructions – the spirit of argument having left her.

“Go and change this part for ‘Belgium'”, Kazeem finalized, using the street lingua for used parts, in the country. “I don’t want to do this work twice.”

As Angela trudged back to the part seller to fulfill the wishes of her mechanic, she wondered when 1 and 1 became 11.

Curiously, however, Angela and Kazeem are not alone…this is what plays out, daily, across auto workshops in most of the developing world.

The interesting bit, the used parts example is just one out of several. There’s actually more from where that example came from…and, you must resist this ‘more’ like your life depends on it as a vehicle owner if you’re going to enjoy your motoring journey.

First things first, however: how did things become so bad?

How Did Things Become So Bad?

If you’re not from the developing world, it’s easy to wonder how things are (got so) bad in the first instance. It’s generally inconceivable that folks can be so clueless about what they do for a living.

Here’s a summary: generally, mechanics in the developing world aren’t formally trained. They apprentice to a ‘boss’, usually, before their teen years and largely learn hands-on, by observation.

This method has an immediate benefit: the benefit of exposing the apprentice to the workings of an internal combustion engine as soon as possible. But, it also has two major drawbacks:

1. As it exposes the apprentice to the workings of an ICE as early as possible, it also exposes them to the deficiencies the teacher (who also didn’t get any formal training) suffers from.
2. While such apprentices may be great with taking apart and putting back vehicle parts, they are usually completely ignorant of the theory behind what they do. Without a firm theory base, they usually, commit blunders that no one who has formal mechanic training would commit.

If you want more on this reality, consider taking a look at the ‘About ThrottleHolic Page‘.

So, what are the mistruths you need to stop your mechanic from saying today if you value your car?

5 Mistruths You Need to Stop Your Mechanic From Saying if You Value Your Car

Carefully outlined below are five mistruths you need to stop your mechanic from even mentioning in/around your presence and make certain that he doesn’t carry the ignorance when it comes to the actual fixing of your vehicle.

Here they are, in no specific order or preference. Note that religiously keeping to these items will easily see that you drive for many years, trouble-free, even as a relatively new car owner.

1. Engine Oil Weight Doesn’t Matter

There’s a general wave of misinformation and gross negligence going on with most mechanics when it comes to engine oil for vehicles…they simply conclude that ‘engine oil is engine oil’!

And, the favored engine oil weight? 20W50 weight!

Now, for old classics like the W124 Mercedes or the Peugeot 504, this oil weight is perhaps the best for them – and will make certain that they run as they’re supposed to, as quietly and as responsibly as possible.

Newer engines with tight clearances and an ECU focused reality for everything? Engine oil weight matters!

And, the best recommendation for the engine oil you should be using will be found in your owner’s manual and usually, on the engine oil filler cap, clearly printed.

For most vehicles, especially Asian and American imports, this will be the 5W30 oil weight. However, for newer models, 0W20 is becoming the recommended norm.

Except an engine has been abused prior with a thicker oil weight or is already burning the recommended oil weight, there’s simply no reason in the world to deploy a thicker engine oil weight.

The ‘hot’ weather argument is as dumb as the reality of using vegetable oil as replacement for engine oil.

If your mechanic as much as suggests that you use any oil weight not expressly recommended by your manufacturer and your engine hasn’t been abused, a previous owner didn’t use such a thick weight and your engine isn’t burning any oil, you should fire such a mechanic ASAP.

But, what if you decide to proceed with such a fellow or are already neck deep into using the wrong engine oil weight for your car?

Here’s what will happen.

The Challenges of Not Using the Right Engine Oil Weight for Your Car

• Increased drag on the moving part causing engine to struggle and consume more fuel in the process.
• Accelerated wear of the upper valvetrain components of the engine. The camshafts and valve lifters, for example, are going to be the worst hit.
• The oil pump will take a major hit, needing to work harder and much more strenuously. It will break down, sooner than later.

2. Thermostats Are Useless in the Tropics!

The general consensus amongst most of the repair folks we have around here is that, the presence of a thermostat in an internal combustion engine, running in the tropics is a sure recipe for disaster.

Armed with this thinking and way of doing things, the first thing a new or foreign used vehicle sees in the country is the yanking off of its regulating thermostat.

If a user is adamant about this suggestion and sticks to what they know to be correct, any overheating episode is instantly blamed on the thermostat and the poor thing is the first to be yanked off – without any further diagnosis.

Curiously, however, this ‘solves’ (or put better, appears to solve) the overheating challenge and while the car owner is happy that the issue they had has been ‘sorted’ (and importantly, learns a new, wrong thing), the mechanic has some change to line his pockets with and consequently, sleeps soundly at night, to wake up in the morning and continue this great wrong.

What’s the logic here, at least, from the mechanic’s point of view? And, why does it appear to work, only if on a temporary basis?

Simple:

The logic of the mechanic is that thermostats are important only in cars running in temperate regions. Remember one of the challenge I opened this article with above about the apprenticeship system and the harm of it skipping out of the theory part of the repair process?

This is a practical example.

But, if the overheating episode is ‘resolved’ and everyone goes home happy, Throttle, I hear you say. Why the fuss?

My answer is usually straight to the point: the overheating issue was/is NEVER resolved. What happens is that the engine now perpetually runs cold, making it harder to overheat.

But, what’s the danger in an engine that runs cold all the time? Isn’t that a good thing?

No – and here’s why.

The Challenges of Running an ICE Without a Functioning Thermostat

• Your engine remains perpetually cold and never reaches operating temperature.
• With the engine cold, it remains in an open loop – and the ECU, fooled, thinks it’s a cold start situation and dumps fuel in your combustion chambers, mercilessly. The result is abysmal fuel economy.
• The excess fuel burned usually travels down the sides of the pistons where it mixes with engine oil lubrication, compromising lubrication there and leading to excessive wear of engine components and ultimately, their premature failure.
• If you ever need to use the heater, it may not work or won’t work as designed. The reason for this is simple: the heater derives its heat from the coolant which is made hot by the appropriate closure and opening of a thermostat. Without one, your heater will likely only blow warm, lukewarm air.

Pro Tip

A thermostat can go bad by either being stuck open or closed.

If it’s stuck open, your engine will act like its thermostat is removed; if its stuck closed, your vehicle will overheat, right away.

The trick is to figure out, according to the exact make and model when the thermostat should be replaced.

With this knowledge and proactive stand, you’re certainly going to avoid spending time or money on an unplanned vehicle expense; just make certain that you buy an OEM (or good aftermarket) replacement.

3. ‘Oil Treatment’ Is Important for Vehicles

There’s an age-long practice amongst most mechanics in the developing world to mix additives with engine oil when running a general vehicle service.

The idea here is that, regular engine oil is usually not ‘thick’ enough and as such, needs to have something ‘thicker’ to go with it, especially when used in engines, running in the tropics.

Notice how all the excuses for having your engine abused have to do with the weather and how the tropics aren’t favorable for engines?

Unfortunately, if you make this mistake, you’ll have yourself to blame, sooner than later.

The Challenges of Adding Additives To Engine Oil

• Most additives, added to engine oil either thicken or lighten engine oil, defeating the very purpose of the specified engine oil weight. This isn’t something you’d want for your engine.
• Engine oil alone is all that your crankcase needs. Adding up anything is plain old waste of money.
• ‘Oil treatment’, often, is incompatible with most engine oil formulations – since they aren’t designed with such additions in mind. Adding these up in your crankcase will certainly ensure unpredictable results, results you may not like how they end. For instance, a 5w30 weight engine oil may not act its weight of ‘5’ when cold or its weight of ’30’ when at operating temperature.

4. Coolant Is Only Useful in Temperate Regions

There’s a popular idea in much of the developing world that coolant is only useful in temperate regions where it freezes.

For tropical or mild climate regions/countries, plain water is poured into the cooling system and the vehicle is started, day after day; year in, year out.

Since the effects of using plain water in a vehicle’s cooling system aren’t immediately obvious, this abuse continues, for years. Before the danger is realized, the damage has been done.

Unfortunately, because it appears to work, the practice keeps on – without an end in sight. Unfortunately, too, the ills this reality causes is more than the good it appears to bring – in the first instance.

The Short Sightedness of Using Plain Water in Your Cooling System

• Plain water, especially water from the tap, borehole, rain, or well usually contains deposits and chlorine – two additives that easily cause corrosion and scale formation. When this happens, rust is usually only just by the corner, and general flow is inhibited. Neither is good for your cooling system.
• Ethylene Glycol is the principal compound used in the manufacture of engine coolant/antifreeze. In the winter, this important chemical lowers the freezing point of the fluid in your cooling system and during the summers, also drags the boiling point up, considerably. Using plain water may cause overheating, during intense vehicle use, especially during the summer or in the tropics. Coolant, makes sure this never happens.
• Plain water alone lacks any lubricating properties – which radiator coolant actively contains. With plain water, the water pump and all other seals in the line of cooling don’t get to be lubricated, causing eventual leak and often, premature failure.

5. Used Parts Are Better

It’s no secret that the strange ‘theories’ always have a way of emanating from the poorest countries of the world.

However, these ‘theories’ aren’t all inspired by poverty and struggle: most of the developing world, unfortunately, have mechanics that believe and preach a strange ‘gospel’ – the gospel that used parts are better than new parts.

Armed with such strange indoctrination, most car owners actively seek out used parts, even when given the option of brand-new ones.

Unfortunately, fewer things can be off the road, when compared to this misconception. Here’s why:

This Is Why Used Parts Are Inferior to New Parts

• A used part is ‘used’ for a reason – the new part hasn’t seen any action yet. There’s no way a used part will outperform or outlast a new one, all other things being equal.
• The idea that used parts are better came about mostly in areas endemic to fake or sub-standard auto parts, parts that give way long before the original used options. The solution here remains to actively buy brand-new parts that are either OEM or good after-market.
• Ironically, some used parts were also bought brand new as non-original. Making the mistake of putting such parts on a vehicle simply causes double Jeopardy – and isn’t worth anyone’s time or resources.

Bonus Points

1. Dual-core radiators (sometimes called ‘double cell’ radiators) have been touted to be the solution to overheating challenges, in the tropics. Unfortunately, this is a lie. Assuming a vehicle that came stock with a single-core radiator is used for the purpose it was designed for, it won’t overheat because of the smaller-sized radiator (even if used in the most demanding environments, heat wise).
2. Transmission fluid is mostly regarded as generic and a one size fits all affair…this is wrong – and leads to a tranny replacement sooner than later. Transmissions work with specific fluid grades and viscosities, just like engine oil. The tolerance level is appreciably lower for special transmissions like the CVTs.
3. Finally, the power steering fluid touted to be generic also isn’t. Using the grade and viscosity for your pump won’t only ensure a smooth operation, it will also ensure general pump longevity.

Summary

Mechanics fix cars; they also damage them (or at the least, appreciably lower their service life, in the developing world).

To make certain that you’re not a victim to the cluelessness of most mechanics, especially in the developing world, take time to figure out what your vehicle demands.

A great way to ensure this is to read the owner’s manual and repair manuals, if possible. This way, you can correct or at least, guide your mechanic to help your vehicle last longer.

While at that, buying and using at least a basic OBD II code reader is a great starting point.

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