I'm entirely confident I just got billed 200 dollars to hear the diagnosis for someone else's car.
First, I would say communications were very poor. Brought my car in Monday, was told they would contact me monday, or Tuesday at the latest. Wednesday rolled around and I had not heard from them so I called in. They patch me through to the mechanic who OF COURSE tells me I need a new engine.
My car was making a knocking noise which I thought was maybe a loose valve rocker, or worst case a rod bearing. The noise was coming from the top of the engine, so I was thinking valve related.
Here's where it got super suspicious.
The mechanic told me there was zero oil in my car, and that the engine codes I had given them were of no help.
As fact, I had checked my oil the day before driving in, and it was at the perfect level. As fact, I did not give them any codes.
I assured the mechanic there was oil in the car, he told me there was none and my engine was cooked. Needed a new one. I asked for pricing. He gave me a ballpark but said he can check around for a reconditioned engine. I asked him to put together a full, formal estimate and let me know a price. He said he would get back to me today or tomorrow.
I didn't hear back at that day or the next, so on friday I called in and said I will be picking up my car.
And this is the wild part. As I walk up to the place, I see my car parked our front. Same make, same model, same color.
TURNS OUT, it was not my car. Mine was parked out back. I drove my car across the street, parked, popped the hood and checked the oil. Completely perfect level.
I sincerely beleive that they looked at the other car that was just like mine, which probably had no oil, and they read me the diagnosis for that car.
Frustrated, I go home and start watching youtube videos about engine noises and possible fixes. 400 bucks in parts later and a lot if swear words, my car is no longer making the knocking noise and is running great.
Maybe it was a fluke that they had two Chrysler 300s there at the same time, but it was wild how bad the communications were, and how the mechanic just flat out didn't believe me when I said it had plenty of oil and I never gave them codes.
While I am happy to have saved anywhere from 8000 to 10,000 bucks, it does not sit well with me that I paid 200 bucks for non responsiveness and a diagnosis that was 100% off.
For the algorithm, below is a picture of my engine taken apart by me. Oh that reminds me, based on the condition of the engines dirt and grime, I am even MORE convinced that they never touched my engine. read more