What your mechanic wants you to know

WELLINGTON COUNTY – When was the last time you had your vehicle serviced or checked your oil? 

Area mechanics say doing both can go a long way to saving money in the long run — and potentially one of your most expensive assets.

“If you’re planning on keeping the car for a while, you should probably service it,” said Kevin Butler, of Silverdale Motors in Grand Valley.

“We get into a lot more expensive repairs that really don’t need to be done because they could have been solved with maintenance along the way,” Butler said.

‘A thing of the past’ 

Butler took over Silverdale Motors from his father 14 years ago; he and his family have kept vehicles running in Grand Valley for over 50 years.

In the past decade, he’s noticed manufacturers lengthening the time recommended between oil changes.

What was once the norm — changing oil between 5,000 and 6,000 kilometres — has since doubled to as high as 10,000 to 12,000 kilometres.

“It just causes havoc on the timing parts of the engine,” Butler said, adding oil changes should be done ahead of when manufacturers recommend.

“Although you’re doing it more often, it’s so much better for the engine,” he said.

And checking all fluid levels once a month as a routine practice, Butler added, “could save you a lot of money.”

Tony MacMullin of Tony’s Auto Service in Fergus echoed Butler’s advice.

“People are running past those (oil change) intervals, and they’re not checking the oil,” said MacMullin, who has run his one-man Fergus shop for 30 years.

He and Butler have noticed a shift in manufacturer attitudes toward a low maintenance, low cost approach, and drivers are now expecting modern vehicles to sound the alarm.

“Checking your oil seems to be a thing of the past,” Butler said.

MacMullin warned there are still modern vehicles with heavy oil consumption problems. 

“Once they get up to 80,000 to 100,000 kilometres, the cars are having problems,” MacMullin said.

Without proper oil levels, there’s wear-and-tear on the motor — especially parts that ensure precise timing such as timing chains or camshafts and bearings.

“It’s a lot cheaper to check the oil and top it up than go start looking for a new car,” MacMullin said.

He recommends drivers using quick change services continue to schedule regular service appointments with a licensed mechanic to catch problems lube techs aren’t looking for.

“Take it to a garage or facility that has a licensed mechanic to give a once-over, minimum once a year, or least before you go on a holiday, and then you don’t have a surprise,” MacMullin said.

Vehicles, repairs more complex

If you’re dealing with car troubles, Butler recommends being up front about what’s wrong.

It happens often enough that someone holds back on the full story, he said.

Mechanics spend more hours playing detective, trying to chase down the root cause of a problem — and it only means more labour costs on your bill.

“I think people have this misconception that if you don’t tell [us] the whole thing, it’ll cost less,” he said.

“When did it start and why did it start? Just tell the truth.”

Repair bills are high enough without added labour costs as parts cost more and mechanics rely on costlier diagnostic and repair equipment needed for increasingly complex vehicles.

“The average invoice now, versus five years ago, has definitely gone up,” Butler said.

The trade has changed “drastically” since Kris Sikkema became a licensed mechanic in 2001.

“Things have got a lot more technical,” he said, adding changes are coming at “an incredible pace.”

Sikkema has owned Distinct Auto in Mount Forest with his wife since 2010.

Rapid changes in technology and vehicle complexity have changed how things are handled from a shop and client perspective, Sikkema said.

“When I grew up my dad still did a lot of stuff in his own driveway,” Sikkema said. “Those days are pretty well gone.

“People used to be like, ‘I pretty well have an idea of what’s going on with my vehicle’ … Now when people bring vehicles in, they’re like, ‘Here you go, I don’t even know what’s going on … hopefully it’s not too bad,’” he said.

“It’s been a big adjustment for both clients and shops,” he added.

Running a shop is “far more complicated” than it used to be, Sikkema explained. 

With more complex vehicles comes more complex equipment, the cost of doing business is higher, there’s more regulation, labour costs have increased, and land and building costs are up, he said.

Anybody can bolt on a part, Sikkema said, but a pro diagnoses a vehicle accurately and efficiently.

Sikkema said mechanics shoulder a lot of responsibility to keep drivers and their families safe. Decades later, he still finds it “rewarding” to be trusted to get the job done right.