30 – AUTONEWS - AA CLUB OF KENYA MAGAZINE
TIPS
CAR REPAIR
Ladies and garages
M
ost lady drivers do not care
much about the mechani-
cal details of their vehicles.
There are many more press-
ing issues to juggle like ensuring every-
thing from the home to the office and eve-
rything in-between is working as it should.
So when a lady drives into a garage
she is at the mercy of the mechanic who
can sense her vulnerability from ten
meters away. She is practically doomed.
Or is she? Although it is widely perceived
that women are more susceptible to me-
chanic fraud, the odds are stacked against
receiving the correct diagnosis. “Cars are
increasingly complex. Men and women
seek high-quality, customer-oriented,
professional automotive repair and ser-
vice. Fortunately, today’s consumers have
many sources of information”. Says Tim
Jessop of Robs Magic, a manager at a
leading vehicle service centre in Nairobi,
“Today’s automotive repair professionals
are more educated than ever — they have
to be to fix today’s high-tech, extremely
complex vehicles.” Experts agree that you
do not need to walk into the repair shop
and admit that you are a guru under the
bonnet. If you were, why would you be
there?
You can however take control when
you visit a service centre and achieve
great results by simply follow these tips.
Ask lots of questions.
It is your car. You should know every-
thing that is going on. If you do not un-
derstand the answer, ask them to explain
it again. It is easy for a mechanic to hide
behind jargon to confuse you with inten-
tion to give you a high bill. Write down
the mechanics’ answers, so when they call
you at work about a list of other repairs,
you can refer to their own statements to
question their validity.
Get an official quote.
It is good practice to have the repair
shop supply you with a written estimate
for the work before it starts. Check the
costs and make a quick call to verify the
price of parts from a second supplier.
Once you agree for them to go ahead
ensure the costs do not increase by more
than 10% without your verbal or written
approval.
Know your vehicle
Sometimes it helps to drive in a quiet
vehicle. This allows you the chance to
listen out for strange sounds. As the ‘purr’
of the engine changed, are suspension
Patrice Banks (above) of Philadelphia USA,
runs a Girls Auto Clinic teaching women
more about their vehicles.
parts clanking, are your tyres rumbling or
wobbling. These are just some examples.
Your radio blaring will not make any
problems disappear. Keep a note pad and
jot down when the issues occur so that
you remember to mention them when you
visit the garage at the next service.
For example, do you have a delayed
engine start? Are the gears jacking? Are
there irritating vibrations? Do they occur
at low or high speed? Is the car judder-
ing? Does this occur during hard or light
breaking? Every detail is important as
all these issues might show up when the
mechanic first tests the vehicle.
Check for warranties on the parts
If you have a new ‘showroom’ vehicle
check what your warranty covers and
insist on replacement of faulty parts
when things go wrong. Do your research
and check the paper work you signed on
purchase. Do not settle for less than you
deserve.
Attend one of AA Kenya’s auto clin-
ics. You will learn so much more about
your vehicle.