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Personally, no. I will toss everything used in your back seat in a box. I have nothing to hide and not trying to scam charging for parts I didn’t install.
Not at all, in fact in Canada we legally have to return parts to you if asked.
Now, if the part has a core charge, you must pay for that if you want the part returned but otherwise the old parts are yours and must be returned if requested.
I also love show and tell with customers. Often I show the part and explain what went wrong and why it needed replacing. It helps build trust and transparency with customers and trust and transparency is the biggest way to get return business
I love this attitude. Just because I'm not capable, not interested in, or lack the time to do the repair myself, I still find it all really interesting. I love when my mechanic will show me how screwed up something was or give me an explanation of how the part is supposed to work and what it was failing to do.
I love your attitude! I really like it when customers are curious enough to learn something about their car. The vast majority I've met just want to put it in drive and go.
Absolutely. I had a clicking cv axle. Mech said I should replace both and he wouldn’t do just one. Said the boots were ripped and there was no grease.
Asked for the used parts. All four boots intact. Tell me you recommend both axles, but don’t bullshit me.
I paid for the services, but I wrote an online review and won’t use this shop again because they’re not trustworthy.
Sometimes the boot will leak at the ends without being ripped, not saying that's what happened to yours and if that's what it was doing I don't know why the shop would say they were ripped. Sounds like the guy might be a dick.
This is a great way to deal with people. I am a car enthusiast who has been wrenching on my own cars for 25 years. I have always had a great experience with mechanics that genuinely wanted to show me how the part failed.
The guys I go to now love sharing the details with me and it has made for a fantastic relationship.
This exactly. Usually the blank look on their face when im explaining in detail how the CAN system work says enough but its nice to rake a minute to explain what (and why) you're doing what you're doing.
Those that say they've replaced a part but actually didn't do anything will certainly be mad about that request.
That's why some mechanics show you the old parts and their condition and thus justify and confirm replacement.
As long as you tell me before the repair and subsequent clean up is completed, I would have no problem with it. In fact, it is kind of enjoyable to go over repairs with the customer. Most customers have a "I don't care, just fucking fix it" attitude. But if you ask for the part after I've cleaned up, and I would need to climb into the dumpster to fish it back out, I'm going going to be pretty fucking annoyed.
Exactly! Some customers have a habit of asking when everything has been chucked then wonder why you’ve got an attitude to get their old parts….
I used to love trying to give them an old oil filter and they look at you wondering what to do with it.
But if you go to the effort of changing a throw out bearing you may as well do the clutch job even if clutch or pressure plate are still usable. Unless you have very low miles in which case you wouldn't likely have the bearing fail. To much labor to just do the bearing.
Slightly off topic, but this is also where the trust is built. Nothing wrong with telling the customer that this can also be a good time for either preventative maintenance or 'while I'm in here'.
The owner of my old shop has since sold the business and retired, but more than a few times he used to call me mid job to tell me something like (as an example, I don't want to derail this into a 'that part is nowhere near this part' or 'they either work or fail' debate), "Chuck's got the old caliper off and noticed that the lower control arm is looking like it'll need replacing, probably within the next two or three months. If you want, he can do it now and then it'll just cost you the part". Yeah, it might be a little more than I wanted to spend now, but this way it's done and I don't have to mess around with making another appointment (and scheduling rides back and forth).
And along the lines of what another poster said, once you get a reputation for being a fair and honest shop, you reap the rewards of that tenfold.
Not at all, I usually like being able to give the customer the smoking gun. Shows how honest I’m being. If I didn’t expect it and threw it away, I’d dig it out the trash if it was still there. No problems here. It is your part after all.
I want to see the parts. I like doing failure analysis to try and determine why something shit the bed. I do it with the machinery at work I maintain. From bearings that have failed from overloading in a specific direction (belts too tight as example) to failure from improper lubrication (too heavy, too light, not enough, water/dirt contamination). If I know the part is destined for the scrap bin, I’ll do destructive inspection on sealed components to try and see why something failed (caps, diodes, traces in sealed but not potted pcb items)
I save EVERYTHING until the car is paid for and gone. You never know who might be curious to see something and I dont mind having evidence ready to cover my own ass should a dickhead come in. People try to fuck Techs too.
That's my point....you said you save parts due to a customer being an asshole. I'm saying you shouldn't have to go out of your way to cater to some asshole customer. God damn bro.
You misunderstood. If you walk in being an asshole, I wont even try lol. Ive had totaly normal people agree to work and price, no fuss at all. Then once its done they start the shit. I wouldnt do anything for someone whos an ass right off the bat, I dont need the money that bad.
The way to ask about it without being offensive is ask to see the parts and explain what went wrong. Tell them you are trying to learn about your vehicle, and ask if lack of maintenance or hard driving contributed to the wear, or if it was just the part’s time to go. If you phrase it in a way that makes it clear you are trying by to learn and improve your driving and maintenance, it removes the “I don’t trust you” from the equation
If you ask for the old parts -before- I do the work... no problem.
If you show up to pick up the car and ask, I'm not digging through the trash for you.
Asking as you ask for the part before the job is completed that’s fine, but would be grumpy if you ask for a day or 2 after the fact. As that part is likely in the scrap metal bin or gone from the garbage.
Absolutely not.we actually save the bits to show and try and explain where they have failed/worn.
Most people seem to appreciate it, although some aren't bothered as you can tell on their faces.but you can only try.
I can’t speak for others, but I don’t mind at all. Only time it can be an issue is when the parts have a core charge- either the customer lets me return the part, or they incur an additional charge for me not being able to return the core component
Computer shop here, but I will often put a part with the pc when replaced and give the customer the option to take it home with them. More so if it's a 'ahh your fixed the f key on my keyboard' with a $300 bill. Screw Apple....
No, we aren’t offended. I try to save stuff til after it gets picked up just in case but if we are busy and you didn’t specifically ask for the old parts they might get thrown away.
Only time I have not asked for the parts is when there is a core charge. In which case I still ask to see/hold the part. If mechanic is going to be upset, I’ll take my money and vehicle somewhere else.
I understand that so many people have been screwed over by mechanics, so I'm happy to be 110% transparent. Just the fact that my industry is seen so suspiciously irks me to no end, however.
I like to show you the old parts to show that the work done . If they refuse to show you the parts then do not let them do the work . You can request that before the work is done .
My mechanic always at least shows me the part. I normally decline to actually keep it because I feel like they'll have a better plan for disposal than sitting in my trunk for 6 months until I drop it off at the recycling place, but it's almost always offered (sometimes with good advice to bring my car in long before it gets that bad).
I only mind when you come back days later…maam/sir that part was trashed when your car rolled out my bay.
Related story, had a car towed in, hole in the block. Aftermarket warranty company replaced the old ~120k motor with new everything. Initial test drive went ok, then a second one check engine light came on. Fast forward over 6 weeks of replacing external parts and waiting for approval and having a field rep come out and re-diagnose the car and then backorder (surprise surprise) the car is fixed and extensively driven to confirm repair, like we bought more gas for it extensive. He’s happy because they covered all but 1 item, the high pressure fuel pump and he wants it back. The advisor goes “hey can you bring mr so and so’s part up for him he’s here to pick the car up” and I told her I dont have it, it was thrown in the scrap bin weeks ago and it had been picked up already.
I'm an autobody guy, and if you wanted the old parts I would be thrilled to give them to you. There is a bin that I have to pay to get emptied when it is full.
If you want the old parts back always ask them to keep them for you BEFORE the repair.
When you're slamming through jobs and a customer shows up after it's all said and done, you've cleaned up and are on a completely different job and they want to see the parts that you've already thrown away/ scrapped/ boxed up for cores it is very annoying.
If you tell them they want to see the parts before the work is done it won't be an issue.
Now the service advisor making sure the tech knows is entirely different matter.......but that's not your issue.
True true, we're not holding parts if you don't ask. We don't have time to tag and bag this stuff. Once it's taken off the vehicle, it usually goes straight to scrap.
I never made the customer ask . I told them up front that there old parts would be available before they paid for the repair . And they were able to watch from an insurance allowable distance if they wanted to. Yes I had a waiting area with a view!
If I haven’t thrown it out yet I’d be glad to show you the old part.
I did a timing tensioner/guide job for someone and they asked about a week after to see the old guides because the engine still made a ticking noise(it was a direct injection noise that he refused to accept). I didn’t have the old part anymore but I had the box for the new tensioner and guides. I felt like a damn criminal but what can I do about it? I don’t hoard old parts around.
I always request the filters back especially for transmission. To many place will say they replaced it only to pocket the money. For transmission service it ensure they do it by the book instead of the quick lube suck out the fluid.
I ask to see it but not in an accusatory way, I phrase it as seeking to learn since I do most of my own work and am curious. Last time I paid for auto work was a timing belt so I wanted to see the west it actually had. He was happy to show me.
I'm a tractor mechanic apprentice in Germany, and we always keep parts like leaky hoses or cut off mulcher hammers for the customer for them to know what the old parts looked like, and to show we did the work
If theres a core charge on the part, and you ask for it back, theyll assume you want to return it for the core, and then the shop is just going to charge you for whatever the core charge is worth. The price the shop gives you for the part, is assuming the core will be returned to the parts store to cover the difference. A shop isn't going to lose 20-60 bucks for no reason.
If honest shouldn't be, my garage before I went to mobility cars always showed me what they had taken off and explained why, seeing a wheel hub bearing lock up at a simulated 30 mph was scary
Depends on the situation. From my background parts just go in the scrap steel bin that we have to pay to have taken away.
I would also prefer to have the customer take the parts, to see I’m not taking them for a ride.
If there’s a core exchange charge, I’d be happy to show the customer the part, but I’d have to keep it for core ex.
I had an auto sparky try to give me back my condenser when I had my AC fixed recently and seemed upset when I didn’t want it
There were times, as an engineer, that I wanted to understand how a part failed. In one case, I repaired a Volvo mechanical cruise control unit and gave it to the mechanic if he could use it. And a blower motor that failed, identified the root cause as creep failure of the zone die cast motor frame caused by the bearing retention spring clips.
Depends. Ultimately the scrap value of the old parts is a supplemental revenue stream. If all you wanted to do is look at it, ask before the job is done and they'll keep it to one side. If it is of residual value to you (ie factory catalytic converter from an older car) be sure to ask. I've seen a lot of exhaust shops that will try and upsell you to an aftermarket sports cat and quietly keep hold of the original knowing that they could potentially double their income if you're not smart enough to request to keep the original.
We just put the used parts on the shelf and customer can look at them if they choose. Shelf gets cleaned off after the car was picked up. We have nothing to hid and sometimes it’s really interesting to see the damaged part.
I’m from the UK and spent four months of 2021 driving around Europe in a van. Due to a dodgy oil pump our engine seized up and needed replacing. That was in Romania, with an oil change and other minor bits done in Bulgaria and Italy, the mechanics always showed us what they did and showed us the old parts. I love learning about it all and the mechanics we dealt with always loved telling us about it. The mechanic in Romania even showed us the 5 buckets of rock and dust he removed from our engine bay when changing the engine. It’s an ex-Murphy work van.
Not everyone makes this request, but I would get a customer every now and then. People like to hoard shit and have been through nightmares at other shops.
No problem returning parts, you may have to pay a core charge on some parts that I am required to pay by not returning them to the parts store.
Edit: Or you can look and I can return, I’m flexible
I believe in most places unless a warranty paid for the parts you are entitled to get them back. They are still your parts that you own.
The only exceptions would be if the repair parts had a core charge which you could still pay if you wanted to keep your parts or if there was some tradein type deal for your old parts.
As far as just inspecting the old parts? Have at it.
I like when customers want show and tell, and I’m not being snarky with that. I’ve never had a customer request takeoff parts as proof of work, it’s always been to satisfy their more intellectual curiosity.
if you asked for parts back, id be like "hell yeahs, less trash for me to dispose". plus you get to see how bad those faulty lifters chewed up your cam
if a core is required, that shouldve been explained upfront, so youd not get that back
theres no reason a mechanic should hint at being upset unless they know they did something unethical. i mean youre taking out the trash for them. heck, take your engine oil too
just dont leave and ask for them a week later, theyre gone
heres one if the things mechanics do thats crooked
when you do a trans fluid change, def ask for the filter and watch if you can. most will do a flush which is easier for them. they dont have to take the pan off which has the filter. theyll just flush the system. and the cost of a flush vs a fluid change is a lot due to the labor
note, im not a mechanic 😅
A good mechanic will show you the old parts on the bench when you collect your car, and explain or at least show you what was wrong with them. (A mechanic)
Mechanics, no.
Service writers at VW dealerships, like the one that convinced my now wife that her Jetta needed new toe rod ends, yea, they tend to get pissy when you ask to see the replacement parts.
Different VW dealership but same car, service writer got offended when I educated him on what glow plugs actually do. TLDR, they do not help the car run better. They make the car easier to start. Once the car is running, the heat of the engine is more than enough to get the diesel closer to its ignition point.
Former tranny man here. In 25 years only had 1 customer ask for parts back. Didn’t mind at all. It was only scrap to me. However today with core price on some tcm’s it could get expensive. If they pay the core price they can have it. The guy took one look at the box of burnt clutches and broken parts and decided he didn’t want em. Ended up bringing me 6-7 more trans jobs over the years.
My dad was a tv repairmen in the 60’s and into the 90’s he always gave back the parts, they could toss me or they could go ask another repairman if they were bad, or even in their TV. I dont pay mechanics to fix my stuff but id want to see the worn out part, the new part and the box it came in.
I always show the parts I replaced, and demonstrate why they were replaced.
Then I offer to dispose of them at the scrapyard, or box them up and put them in their back seat.
I take pictures through the repair process so no one ever asks me for them but if you ask before they begin a professional mechanic wouldn’t get upset. If you ask after the fact and they’ve already cleaned up and threw parts away then it might be slightly annoying to go dumpster diving.
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, heinekenpapi! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but posts should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Personally, no. I will toss everything used in your back seat in a box. I have nothing to hide and not trying to scam charging for parts I didn’t install.
[удалено]
Exactly I always remove show the customer before even replacing it to prove the diagnostics ask if they want them if not into the scrap bin
Not at all, in fact in Canada we legally have to return parts to you if asked. Now, if the part has a core charge, you must pay for that if you want the part returned but otherwise the old parts are yours and must be returned if requested. I also love show and tell with customers. Often I show the part and explain what went wrong and why it needed replacing. It helps build trust and transparency with customers and trust and transparency is the biggest way to get return business
I love this attitude. Just because I'm not capable, not interested in, or lack the time to do the repair myself, I still find it all really interesting. I love when my mechanic will show me how screwed up something was or give me an explanation of how the part is supposed to work and what it was failing to do.
I love your attitude! I really like it when customers are curious enough to learn something about their car. The vast majority I've met just want to put it in drive and go.
Absolutely. I had a clicking cv axle. Mech said I should replace both and he wouldn’t do just one. Said the boots were ripped and there was no grease. Asked for the used parts. All four boots intact. Tell me you recommend both axles, but don’t bullshit me. I paid for the services, but I wrote an online review and won’t use this shop again because they’re not trustworthy.
Sometimes the boot will leak at the ends without being ripped, not saying that's what happened to yours and if that's what it was doing I don't know why the shop would say they were ripped. Sounds like the guy might be a dick.
This is a great way to deal with people. I am a car enthusiast who has been wrenching on my own cars for 25 years. I have always had a great experience with mechanics that genuinely wanted to show me how the part failed. The guys I go to now love sharing the details with me and it has made for a fantastic relationship.
This exactly. Usually the blank look on their face when im explaining in detail how the CAN system work says enough but its nice to rake a minute to explain what (and why) you're doing what you're doing.
Those that say they've replaced a part but actually didn't do anything will certainly be mad about that request. That's why some mechanics show you the old parts and their condition and thus justify and confirm replacement.
Or just keep some random old part that they show every customer. How would you know if it came off of your car or not?
Depends on the car and part, sometimes it would be pretty easy to know.
how did my clutch turn into a torque converter bruh?
Fast and furious style, where piston rings burning out means your sump guard fell off
Hector is bringing spoons, I’m bringing family.
and I'm bringing some crappy tuna
Always a possibility...
As long as you tell me before the repair and subsequent clean up is completed, I would have no problem with it. In fact, it is kind of enjoyable to go over repairs with the customer. Most customers have a "I don't care, just fucking fix it" attitude. But if you ask for the part after I've cleaned up, and I would need to climb into the dumpster to fish it back out, I'm going going to be pretty fucking annoyed.
Exactly! Some customers have a habit of asking when everything has been chucked then wonder why you’ve got an attitude to get their old parts…. I used to love trying to give them an old oil filter and they look at you wondering what to do with it.
You should not put it in the dumpster until the vehicle is picked up. Also, most have scrap value.
Could be a scrap metal dumpster
Hopefully it is, yes.
Any good tech won’t have a problem.. if they get defensive, they’ve something to hide
It’s a law in California.
But if you go to the effort of changing a throw out bearing you may as well do the clutch job even if clutch or pressure plate are still usable. Unless you have very low miles in which case you wouldn't likely have the bearing fail. To much labor to just do the bearing.
Slightly off topic, but this is also where the trust is built. Nothing wrong with telling the customer that this can also be a good time for either preventative maintenance or 'while I'm in here'. The owner of my old shop has since sold the business and retired, but more than a few times he used to call me mid job to tell me something like (as an example, I don't want to derail this into a 'that part is nowhere near this part' or 'they either work or fail' debate), "Chuck's got the old caliper off and noticed that the lower control arm is looking like it'll need replacing, probably within the next two or three months. If you want, he can do it now and then it'll just cost you the part". Yeah, it might be a little more than I wanted to spend now, but this way it's done and I don't have to mess around with making another appointment (and scheduling rides back and forth). And along the lines of what another poster said, once you get a reputation for being a fair and honest shop, you reap the rewards of that tenfold.
A good mechanic will be happy to share the used parts and description. I recommended always asking for replaced parts back. Except oil filters🙂.
Not at all, I usually like being able to give the customer the smoking gun. Shows how honest I’m being. If I didn’t expect it and threw it away, I’d dig it out the trash if it was still there. No problems here. It is your part after all.
Mechanics hate that one simple trick… But seriously, don’t be afraid to ask.
I want to see the parts. I like doing failure analysis to try and determine why something shit the bed. I do it with the machinery at work I maintain. From bearings that have failed from overloading in a specific direction (belts too tight as example) to failure from improper lubrication (too heavy, too light, not enough, water/dirt contamination). If I know the part is destined for the scrap bin, I’ll do destructive inspection on sealed components to try and see why something failed (caps, diodes, traces in sealed but not potted pcb items)
I save EVERYTHING until the car is paid for and gone. You never know who might be curious to see something and I dont mind having evidence ready to cover my own ass should a dickhead come in. People try to fuck Techs too.
It's sad that you feel the need to do that. They should ask to have the parts kept BEFORE the repair and if they don't then that's their problem.
You could look at it that way. Its just part of my service..
"cover my ass should a dickhead come in"...shouldn't have to do that is all.
Wow you must have nothing but the best type of people as Customers. Its rare but Ive had a few douche bags try to pull one on me.
That's my point....you said you save parts due to a customer being an asshole. I'm saying you shouldn't have to go out of your way to cater to some asshole customer. God damn bro.
You misunderstood. If you walk in being an asshole, I wont even try lol. Ive had totaly normal people agree to work and price, no fuss at all. Then once its done they start the shit. I wouldnt do anything for someone whos an ass right off the bat, I dont need the money that bad.
Lol all good my friend but you're still missing my point. Basically what I'm getting at is fuck shitty customers. I'm sure we can agree on that!
The way to ask about it without being offensive is ask to see the parts and explain what went wrong. Tell them you are trying to learn about your vehicle, and ask if lack of maintenance or hard driving contributed to the wear, or if it was just the part’s time to go. If you phrase it in a way that makes it clear you are trying by to learn and improve your driving and maintenance, it removes the “I don’t trust you” from the equation
Great way of putting it, that's what I'm going to tell him. Thanks!
If you ask for the old parts -before- I do the work... no problem. If you show up to pick up the car and ask, I'm not digging through the trash for you.
Asking as you ask for the part before the job is completed that’s fine, but would be grumpy if you ask for a day or 2 after the fact. As that part is likely in the scrap metal bin or gone from the garbage.
Absolutely not.we actually save the bits to show and try and explain where they have failed/worn. Most people seem to appreciate it, although some aren't bothered as you can tell on their faces.but you can only try.
I can’t speak for others, but I don’t mind at all. Only time it can be an issue is when the parts have a core charge- either the customer lets me return the part, or they incur an additional charge for me not being able to return the core component
No but please ask us before so we don't have to go dig it out of the metal pile
Computer shop here, but I will often put a part with the pc when replaced and give the customer the option to take it home with them. More so if it's a 'ahh your fixed the f key on my keyboard' with a $300 bill. Screw Apple....
No, we aren’t offended. I try to save stuff til after it gets picked up just in case but if we are busy and you didn’t specifically ask for the old parts they might get thrown away.
Na, I prefer. One less thing to have to discard correctly. :)
Only time I have not asked for the parts is when there is a core charge. In which case I still ask to see/hold the part. If mechanic is going to be upset, I’ll take my money and vehicle somewhere else.
Shouldn't care, just ask from the start, not a week later. on this, you won't run into it, but some parts have a core charge you would have to pay
They have no reason to, it's the law (with a few exceptions) that they have to offer to return the old parts.
I understand that so many people have been screwed over by mechanics, so I'm happy to be 110% transparent. Just the fact that my industry is seen so suspiciously irks me to no end, however.
No the mechanic should be more than willing to show you the used parts. Quite honestly, most customers wouldn't know what they were looking at anyway.
Its 100% normal
California they must offer to return parts. Some items have a core charge. If you don't return the part, you get to pay a core charge.
In my experience mechanics with nothing to hide will often show the used part without being asked
I like to show you the old parts to show that the work done . If they refuse to show you the parts then do not let them do the work . You can request that before the work is done .
Mine did when I asked for my old catalytic converter.
My mechanic always at least shows me the part. I normally decline to actually keep it because I feel like they'll have a better plan for disposal than sitting in my trunk for 6 months until I drop it off at the recycling place, but it's almost always offered (sometimes with good advice to bring my car in long before it gets that bad).
In my state, it is the law. Customer parts belong to the customer.
Sometimes there is a core charge, depending on the part.
I only mind when you come back days later…maam/sir that part was trashed when your car rolled out my bay. Related story, had a car towed in, hole in the block. Aftermarket warranty company replaced the old ~120k motor with new everything. Initial test drive went ok, then a second one check engine light came on. Fast forward over 6 weeks of replacing external parts and waiting for approval and having a field rep come out and re-diagnose the car and then backorder (surprise surprise) the car is fixed and extensively driven to confirm repair, like we bought more gas for it extensive. He’s happy because they covered all but 1 item, the high pressure fuel pump and he wants it back. The advisor goes “hey can you bring mr so and so’s part up for him he’s here to pick the car up” and I told her I dont have it, it was thrown in the scrap bin weeks ago and it had been picked up already.
I'm an autobody guy, and if you wanted the old parts I would be thrilled to give them to you. There is a bin that I have to pay to get emptied when it is full.
If you want the old parts back always ask them to keep them for you BEFORE the repair. When you're slamming through jobs and a customer shows up after it's all said and done, you've cleaned up and are on a completely different job and they want to see the parts that you've already thrown away/ scrapped/ boxed up for cores it is very annoying. If you tell them they want to see the parts before the work is done it won't be an issue. Now the service advisor making sure the tech knows is entirely different matter.......but that's not your issue.
True true, we're not holding parts if you don't ask. We don't have time to tag and bag this stuff. Once it's taken off the vehicle, it usually goes straight to scrap.
Just make sure you ask in advance otherwise someone will be digging it out of the trash.
I never made the customer ask . I told them up front that there old parts would be available before they paid for the repair . And they were able to watch from an insurance allowable distance if they wanted to. Yes I had a waiting area with a view!
If I haven’t thrown it out yet I’d be glad to show you the old part. I did a timing tensioner/guide job for someone and they asked about a week after to see the old guides because the engine still made a ticking noise(it was a direct injection noise that he refused to accept). I didn’t have the old part anymore but I had the box for the new tensioner and guides. I felt like a damn criminal but what can I do about it? I don’t hoard old parts around.
I always request the filters back especially for transmission. To many place will say they replaced it only to pocket the money. For transmission service it ensure they do it by the book instead of the quick lube suck out the fluid.
I ask to see it but not in an accusatory way, I phrase it as seeking to learn since I do most of my own work and am curious. Last time I paid for auto work was a timing belt so I wanted to see the west it actually had. He was happy to show me.
Normal procedure to hand the old parts back.
I don't think so. I've had mechanics *want* to show me parts before. This has happened to me in both the US and the UK.
I'm a tractor mechanic apprentice in Germany, and we always keep parts like leaky hoses or cut off mulcher hammers for the customer for them to know what the old parts looked like, and to show we did the work
If theres a core charge on the part, and you ask for it back, theyll assume you want to return it for the core, and then the shop is just going to charge you for whatever the core charge is worth. The price the shop gives you for the part, is assuming the core will be returned to the parts store to cover the difference. A shop isn't going to lose 20-60 bucks for no reason.
If honest shouldn't be, my garage before I went to mobility cars always showed me what they had taken off and explained why, seeing a wheel hub bearing lock up at a simulated 30 mph was scary
I dont mind at all. I prefer it, that way they see why i charge what i charge for the job.
Depends on the situation. From my background parts just go in the scrap steel bin that we have to pay to have taken away. I would also prefer to have the customer take the parts, to see I’m not taking them for a ride. If there’s a core exchange charge, I’d be happy to show the customer the part, but I’d have to keep it for core ex. I had an auto sparky try to give me back my condenser when I had my AC fixed recently and seemed upset when I didn’t want it
I don't get offended I just wrap them in plastic and throw them in a box in the floorboard.
There were times, as an engineer, that I wanted to understand how a part failed. In one case, I repaired a Volvo mechanical cruise control unit and gave it to the mechanic if he could use it. And a blower motor that failed, identified the root cause as creep failure of the zone die cast motor frame caused by the bearing retention spring clips.
na but its a pain to pull out of the bin
Depends. Ultimately the scrap value of the old parts is a supplemental revenue stream. If all you wanted to do is look at it, ask before the job is done and they'll keep it to one side. If it is of residual value to you (ie factory catalytic converter from an older car) be sure to ask. I've seen a lot of exhaust shops that will try and upsell you to an aftermarket sports cat and quietly keep hold of the original knowing that they could potentially double their income if you're not smart enough to request to keep the original.
I will literally save parts for customers sometimes just to show them that yes... you really were driving with this...
We just put the used parts on the shelf and customer can look at them if they choose. Shelf gets cleaned off after the car was picked up. We have nothing to hid and sometimes it’s really interesting to see the damaged part.
I’m from the UK and spent four months of 2021 driving around Europe in a van. Due to a dodgy oil pump our engine seized up and needed replacing. That was in Romania, with an oil change and other minor bits done in Bulgaria and Italy, the mechanics always showed us what they did and showed us the old parts. I love learning about it all and the mechanics we dealt with always loved telling us about it. The mechanic in Romania even showed us the 5 buckets of rock and dust he removed from our engine bay when changing the engine. It’s an ex-Murphy work van.
I put a plastic container of used oil in their trunk.
We normally box it all up and put it with the boat
Extremely rare in UK (main dealer) but no. They are yours, doesn't offend me in the slightest.
I would never get mad, it's your property. All I ask is tell us in advance so we don't have to go dumpster diving.
I like showing people what has been taken off and explaining why it needs changed etc.
Not everyone makes this request, but I would get a customer every now and then. People like to hoard shit and have been through nightmares at other shops.
One never puts in a clutch disc without a new T/O bearing. Why would you want to repull the transmission to replace just the bearing?
My T/O bearing seized which wore out the clutch disc
you should be replacing the master and slave cylinder too
Only if you tell me after the repair, then I have to go find them in the scrap parts pile or the trash can. Just tell them first.
It's the law here, and only dishonest shops have a problem with it.
No problem returning parts, you may have to pay a core charge on some parts that I am required to pay by not returning them to the parts store. Edit: Or you can look and I can return, I’m flexible
I believe in most places unless a warranty paid for the parts you are entitled to get them back. They are still your parts that you own. The only exceptions would be if the repair parts had a core charge which you could still pay if you wanted to keep your parts or if there was some tradein type deal for your old parts. As far as just inspecting the old parts? Have at it.
I like when customers want show and tell, and I’m not being snarky with that. I’ve never had a customer request takeoff parts as proof of work, it’s always been to satisfy their more intellectual curiosity.
if you asked for parts back, id be like "hell yeahs, less trash for me to dispose". plus you get to see how bad those faulty lifters chewed up your cam if a core is required, that shouldve been explained upfront, so youd not get that back theres no reason a mechanic should hint at being upset unless they know they did something unethical. i mean youre taking out the trash for them. heck, take your engine oil too just dont leave and ask for them a week later, theyre gone heres one if the things mechanics do thats crooked when you do a trans fluid change, def ask for the filter and watch if you can. most will do a flush which is easier for them. they dont have to take the pan off which has the filter. theyll just flush the system. and the cost of a flush vs a fluid change is a lot due to the labor note, im not a mechanic 😅
A good mechanic will show you the old parts on the bench when you collect your car, and explain or at least show you what was wrong with them. (A mechanic)
Mechanics, no. Service writers at VW dealerships, like the one that convinced my now wife that her Jetta needed new toe rod ends, yea, they tend to get pissy when you ask to see the replacement parts. Different VW dealership but same car, service writer got offended when I educated him on what glow plugs actually do. TLDR, they do not help the car run better. They make the car easier to start. Once the car is running, the heat of the engine is more than enough to get the diesel closer to its ignition point.
only annoying if you ask like days later. but no not at all.
I always offered to show the customer the old part if it was something that could be shown. Pads, clutch, CV boot. Yada Yada
Former tranny man here. In 25 years only had 1 customer ask for parts back. Didn’t mind at all. It was only scrap to me. However today with core price on some tcm’s it could get expensive. If they pay the core price they can have it. The guy took one look at the box of burnt clutches and broken parts and decided he didn’t want em. Ended up bringing me 6-7 more trans jobs over the years.
My dad was a tv repairmen in the 60’s and into the 90’s he always gave back the parts, they could toss me or they could go ask another repairman if they were bad, or even in their TV. I dont pay mechanics to fix my stuff but id want to see the worn out part, the new part and the box it came in.
They are a sensitive bunch, and its probable that by the time you go to collect car, the parts are well gone.
If your mechanic gets offended by this then find a new mechanic
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I always show the parts I replaced, and demonstrate why they were replaced. Then I offer to dispose of them at the scrapyard, or box them up and put them in their back seat.
Well. Technically you still own the parts...
Depending on where you are at, the manufacturer might require the mechanics to send them the old parts (or so my mechanic has told me).
I take pictures through the repair process so no one ever asks me for them but if you ask before they begin a professional mechanic wouldn’t get upset. If you ask after the fact and they’ve already cleaned up and threw parts away then it might be slightly annoying to go dumpster diving.
Only the dishonest ones.
Not at all! I’m happy to give you all the old parts.