A father-daughter team refused to be scammed on a brake job by following advice given by a popular online mechanic. This is a good demonstration of one option car owners have to take control of their car repair costs.
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Earlier, we learned about the three common scams garages use to make customers spend more than they should on repairs courtesy of an informative video from the host of the Royalty Auto Service YouTube channel.
Viewers were so impressed by this video that it generated a large number of comments, including this one that not only showed another way garages scam car owners but also how a father-daughter team managed to significantly cut their costs:
Where Was the Scam?
The scam noted by the comment was the cost of approximately $1,300 for aftermarket parts rather than using the recommended OEM parts. This is a red flag that the garage is potentially scamming the customer with excessive markups for parts that, at best, are questionable, depending on the source.
A good response to a mechanic for a quote like this is to ask for the aftermarket parts source and the actual brand and level of the parts used. Performance brake parts can be this expensive but are unnecessary for most cars. A quick online search with this info would help clarify whether you are looking at a markup scam.
The Royalty Auto Service YouTube channel
The father-daughter team comment referred to a 39-minute episode titled "How To Perform a Professional Brake Job (Pads & Rotors)" posted December of last year by the host of the Royalty Auto Service YouTube channel.
The introduction to the video states:
"Do you want to make sure your brake job has no noises, vibrations, or any other issues when you're done with it? Do you want to make sure it lasts as long as it should? Sometimes, we think we know everything about a subject, but there's always something else we can learn. You've probably done hundreds of brake jobs in your life, but we believe this video can help you, even if it's just one small thing you add to your process. We will take you step by step through our brake job that we do daily at our shops. We hope this helps! Enjoy!"
In the video, the host walks you through how they do a brake job using a customer's Toyota in need of a new brake pads, new rotors, and servicing of the calipers to ensure smooth and correct braking operation every time the owner steps on the brake pedal.
Related article: Car Repair Stress Cure with ASMR Brake Job
Intrigued by the comments made by the father and by the host, I decided to review the video to see whether the demonstration was detailed enough and doable for non-mechanics to attempt.
In the video, you will observe the following key points:
1st Step: Rotor Removal and Hub Cleaning
- Disassembling the brake ensuring the calipers are hung aside correctly to avoid damage to the calipers and the inner surface of the brake hose.
- The recommended penetrating lubricant for breaking a rusted rotor free.
- The importance of cleaning the hub before putting a new rotor on it.
- How to properly clean the hub using a variety of common cleaning tools.
2nd Step: Cleaning the Brake Pad Cradle
- Checking for slide play after inspecting the old brake pads for unusual wear.
- Rattle clip details and why having a clean space for them on the cradle is very important.
- Bead blasting works best for cradle cleaning; however, a wire brush and some elbow grease will do.
- Cleaning of the slides followed by using the proper grease type and noting that although they may look similar, the slides must go back into their correct holes in the cradle.
3rd Step: Preparing the Calipers Ready for Cradle and Pad Installation
- The importance of preventing crud from getting into the brake fluid while compressing the calipers by using the bleeder port.
- How to determine if your brake fluid is dirty.
- Ensuring that the brake hose is never bent during cradle/caliper reinstallation.
- Where does brake squeak noise come from, and how is it eliminated.
- Why you have to clean even brand-new pads out of their packaging, and how to do it.
- Tricks for installing brake clips and the pads that make a difference.
4th Step: Reinstalling everything
- Rotor on, pads on, caliper on, in correct order and with care along with a few tips for doing this correctly.
What I Liked and Did Not Like About the Instruction Video
While not fully detailed step-by-step instructions, the value of this video is that it is great to use along with a repair manual covering brake service and repair regardless of the model of your car. The steps were shown in the correct order and provided viewers who go to the service center with a clear idea of what should be going on in a garage when their brake system is serviced.
The best part, however, is that the host provided those it' s-the-devil-in-the-details you will not find in a repair book.
In other words, following each step as described in a manual is not always enough.
You also have to know the finer details that ensure your brakes will not need another repair or service for many, many miles. It's those finer details mechanics gain with experience, and now, with YouTube, car owners can gain some of that experience as well in a video like this one.
The only part I did not like was the lack of safety in the video. Brake pad dust exposure avoidance and wearing gloves whenever possible are very important here. In addition, goggles must be worn―especially while spraying any brake clean type product. Get a small squirt of that in the eyes, and you will realize your mistake immediately. Been there, done that.
That said, here is the video which I strongly encourage anyone wanting to save money by doing their own brake pad and rotor replacement to watch with a repair manual in hand and do a dry run of how to do this type of repair before getting their hands greasy.
As mentioned before, even if you do not intend to do a brake service yourself―which is fine and understandable―the video is a great way to quiz a mechanic on what they did during the service.
How To Perform a Professional Brake Job (Pads & Rotors)
For additional garage brake system-related articles, here are three informative ones for your consideration:
- Simple Brake Repair Trick Your Car Repair Manual Might Not Show You
- The Truth About Aftermarket Brake Pads Warning
- How Service Centers Damage Your Brakes With a Simple Tire Change
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
Image Source: Deposit Photos
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The automotive industry has…
The automotive industry has become very dishonest independent to dealers 200% parts markup is not uncommon $200 an hour labor rates nothing fair about it anymore and I don’t know where you find an honest tech They have 20 groups that are teaching everybody how to steal
It is articles like this…
It is articles like this that continue to uphold the stereotype that mechanics are always scamming the customer. Using the term "unreasonable mark up" is really not helpful. Yes, parts do get marked up and that profit is used to keep the lights 9n, paying workers comp insurance, health insurance, training, updating software etc. All of these are required to provide the customer with a quality product. Also, there is NO WAY that the parts purchased for that low cost were actually genuine. Likley zero warranty. As long as you continue to only focus on the negative nature of a few mechanics we will continue to fight the outdated stereotype that you continue to perpetuate!
It's not a scam. You're…
It's not a scam. You're paying for professionals to do their job and especially for brakes done at a Midas that has lifetime warranty on brake pads. If you are confident in working on your car, more power to you. Why even take it in to get an estimate if you're just going to do it yourself? Brake work is a safety heavy system on your vehicle. Don't chance installing brake pads backwards or getting excessive air in the brake lines. Think before you post a tabloid about a field you are very obviously not familiar with.