Does this make any sense?

[Captain Kate]

Ok car forumers, I have a question...

I work with this chick who drives an '03 Celica. Apparently she's been having some trouble with it (I don't know what), so she took it to get checked out, and the mechanic at Advanced Auto told her she has "four piston failures". To me this sounds like the car wouldn't even be running anymore. :confuzed:

What does this mean???

[DarcSystems]

Uhhh, does he mean piston (cylinder) 4 is failing?

Leakdown, compression test, misfire? I dunno. I think he worded something wrong, or she mixed something up in translation.

[Captain Kate]

Oh, that's more likely! Awesome. Thanks, bud.

[elliott678]

There are no mechanics at Advanced Auto :dunce:

All they did is hook up an OBD-II scanner to it and read the code. The code that the scanner outputs is the most informative thing, that is something you can search. It would say something like P1310 (random made up code), then you can search around to see what other people have done to solve that issue. The code doesn't tell you exactly what is wrong, but it gives you a place to start looking.

[EVO_9MR]

^True, i highly doubt any ASE certified tech would want to work at advanced auto.

[RTShadow]

Hell, most automotive tech's aren't even mechanics these days, they are just parts replacers, looking at a computer screen to diagnose a problem and replacing parts until the car works again. It's f'ing irritating to pay for 4 or 5 different parts before your car is finally repaired at the dealership, then listening to the service manager lie out of his ass about why all 5 parts 'needed' to be replaced.

[car_boy_16]

LOL that's funny you two say that, we have a retired SAE mechanic at our local Advanced Auto...very very cool, smart guy.

And the techs are getting a much more encompassing education on automotive mechanics than they did back in the days, it's the dealerships who write the rules as to replace parts versus repair parts.

[EVO_9MR]

yeah he's RETIRED that's why. No one with a decent level of automotive knowledge would want to work for the pay they give at advanced auto compared to other places that pay much more.

[fade2black]

Uhhh, does he mean piston (cylinder) 4 is failing?

Leakdown, compression test, misfire? I dunno. I think he worded something wrong, or she mixed something up in translation.

Yes my guess is a misfire. It's probably just a bad spark plug, wire or something, an easy fix. I can't imagine something going horribly wrong on such a late model car, unless it was completely and utterly neglected which sadly, is sometimes the case!

[elliott678]

LOL that's funny you two say that, we have a retired SAE mechanic at our local Advanced Auto...very very cool, smart guy.In this area, the retired mechanics are working at CarQuest and Napa.

[savcam500]

Hell, most automotive tech's aren't even mechanics these days, they are just parts replacers, looking at a computer screen to diagnose a problem and replacing parts until the car works again. It's f'ing irritating to pay for 4 or 5 different parts before your car is finally repaired at the dealership, then listening to the service manager lie out of his ass about why all 5 parts 'needed' to be replaced.

Now, why why why, did you have to go and say that? :banghead:

Do you know how many sensors, switches, actuators, and control modules modern OBDII cars have? How many intertwined systems there are? How much of a bear it is to diagnose, say in this instance, a P0300 or P0304 code? Nope? No clue? :confuzed:

I do know how the dealerships work, having worked for a couple. But to make a blanket generalization saying most techs just throw parts at a car... well thats just misinformed. Thats just wrong.

When you go to your doctor, what does he usually tell you? "Take two of these and call me in the morning." If that doesnt work, he tries something else. And he went to medical school for eight years. Give the Tech a break, he probably learned the good ol' fashioned way. Hands on. :preachon:

[SickMyDuck]

But to make a blanket generalization saying most techs just throw parts at a car... well thats just misinformed. Thats just wrong.

When you go to your doctor, what does he usually tell you? "Take two of these and call me in the morning." If that doesnt work, he tries something else. And he went to medical school for eight years. Give the Tech a break, he probably learned the good ol' fashioned way. Hands on. :preachon:

Is it just me or did this guy just contradict himself?