Miss Mechanic

Okay ladies, amongst an array of ugly realities we must accept about our status in the world, although we have come a long way, there are still several areas where we are lacking respect and knowledge. Yes, you guessed it, I am talking about the lovely subject we blissfully avoid familiarity with, our vehicles.

Over the summer, my Jeep, who I love dearly, began having a few problems. First, she began moving in this very jerky motion, like my engine was going to explode any second, so I had to take it in. After a check up, I learned that my car had an "electrical problem in the transmission". What do I know about a transmission? Try nothing. So I asked what the total would be and the mechanic estimated it around $550. Ouch. I had a lunch shift to work around the corner, so I told them mechanic I would be back within the next few hours, and he assured me the car would be fixed by then. Well, it was fixed all right when I came back, with the exception of several ordered parts that he "didn't know he would need earlier" Total: $850.00. Did I mention I am a broke college student?

Needless to say, I may have been scammed, and to make matter worse, i had to go back for a "cracked fan" two weeks later and spent $350 on that. Sure, cars are expensive, but part of me strongly believes that if I had more knowledge about the issue, or at least a big man to help me, this all could have been avoided.

I don't mean to distract you from your day job, but for your own sake ladies, follow the next few steps to avoid being cheated.

Bring a Man/ Knowledgeable Friend


When I purchased my first car, I brought my cousin, a mechanic in training to check out the parts. He was able to tell me how practical my purchase was; weighing the price and quality of my car. My problems before came from me running it to the ground, but still, he rode with me in it, looked under the hood, and made me feel more confident about my purchase. I ever shaved off a couple of hundred dollars from the price.

Research the Price of your Car Parts

There is obviously a service charge always, but considering you do not order the parts, make sure the mechanic is not overcharging you when looking at the materials he needed to use. Also, since we have this lovely information tool called the internet, you can see how much others paid for the same problems.


Research the Cost and Frequency of your Problem


Your vehicle may have an off the wall, infrequent problem, but remember that cars are built from one basic model, and typically begin to develop the same problems due to mileage/ usage. Research the problem your car is having, and at least if it costs a lot, you will be assured that this is just another one of those good with the bad compromises we have to make in life.





Ladies, next time you go the the mechanic, show them what's what and not the other way around. Even when you have a smudge of engine grease on your cheek, don't forget to Winc ;)