questioning what my mechanic said!

dirty d

Cadet
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
19
He told me he wouldnt work on my motor unless I came and tightened the nuts securing some of the wires to the switchbox. he said that one of the wires was wrong and wasnt willing to risk ruining the ignition parts. I think he's just putting me off for people with bigger money. He has a good rep as far as I know, but it seems to me that if you are a mechanic who wants money, you would inquire if fixing the wire problem should go onto the bill. Or, he's just cool enough to give me the chance to avoid being overcharged. I already had a two week wait just to get him to work on it. So my question is this guy just buying time? since I brought the boat in on wnsday and now its friday and I was scheduled two weeks ago. Or,is it legitimate like he doesn't want to turn the key and have to replace a thousand bucks in ignition parts? But he's a mechanic!
 

freddyray21

Commander
Joined
Jun 10, 2006
Messages
2,460
Re: questioning what my mechanic said!

what did you take it in for? Have you changed any wires on the switch box. I am not sure what he is saying. It would seem to me part of his job and he can charge you for it is to correct a wiring issue. get a different mech
 

dirty d

Cadet
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
19
Re: questioning what my mechanic said!

I took it in because it was cutting out in for and rev. I got the internal harness from cdi and what I think is original external harness. I follewed the paperwork and hooked it up. He's talking about the black trigger wire hooked to the switch box doesn't have the nut to screw it on { i dropped it and I forgot to hook it up}. Then theres a loose wire (hot) I was going to hook to the fuel sending unit I just left it. That wire is up by the control box. Finaly I had to run a seperate wire to the starting selonoid because for some reason the wire off the harness wasn't working. Not a dirty job, but not the cleanest.
 

BoatNoobie

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 17, 2009
Messages
314
Re: questioning what my mechanic said!

i see you're from Seattle, what shop?

Odds are, he doesnt want to mess with a home repair since it's done wrong. Sounds like he's just tryin to protect his bum.
 

dirty d

Cadet
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
19
Re: questioning what my mechanic said!

I will pm it, only because I don't want to smear the guy.
 
Last edited:

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: questioning what my mechanic said!

If you brought an engine to me with a list of symptoms, and I discovered you had been working on it, done things wrong, and failed to mention it to me, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

Just experience. Get tired of not getting paid and being accused of messing something up, even on purpose.

It looks like this guy is going to let you fix your own mistakes while being observed, and then test run it with you and other witnesses before he touches it.

He's way cooler than I would be.
 

dirty d

Cadet
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
19
Re: questioning what my mechanic said!

I just got back from the mechanics shop. Just the wires to the switch box, the nuts needed to be tightened, along with the starter wire being loose. I tightened everything and then showed him. He said much better and they would get to work on it.

I did tell him I was working on it and then everything I had done to it. He's the only person so far that has given me a straight up answer about what it probably is, and the only person who would let a customer onto his property to work on their own problems...... probably the only person.
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: questioning what my mechanic said!

I just got back from the mechanics shop. Just the wires to the switch box, the nuts needed to be tightened, along with the starter wire being loose. I tightened everything and then showed him. He said much better and they would get to work on it.

I did tell him I was working on it and then everything I had done to it. He's the only person so far that has given me a straight up answer about what it probably is, and the only person who would let a customer onto his property to work on their own problems...... probably the only person.

Like I said, he's way cooler than I would be.
 

dirty d

Cadet
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
19
Re: questioning what my mechanic said!

I told him from the start I'd been working on it and I was out of answers. I refuse to beleive that you wouldnt be cool. The average person can't be expected to know that hand tight is a critical no no, or a few obvious incidentals couldn't be acceptable. If it was a rats nest I'd understand.
 
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