Here's to having an honest auto mechanic!

[undeterred]

:toast:

My battery light was on, or so I thought, turns out it was my engine light. Known problem which happens on this model car when the weather turns warm and the oxygen sensor is not happy. You can ungoo it and make it happy.

I worked in his convenience store 5 years ago, so I knew he was honest. I didn't know which light was which, and I didn't know he was colorblind, so it was kind of a funny conversation.

My battery was not dead, but 7 years old, so I had them replace it.

[AllegroRondo]

1. hold on to that one!

they are few and far between.

[tk2kewl]

3. indeed

I still rue the day my mechanic retired. After I moved I would even drive 60 miles just to have him work on my car.

[skygazer]

2. Three people in life you can't do without

A mechanic you can trust
A doctor you can trust
and a lawyer you can trust

Glad you've got at least one of them.

[Critters2]

4. Yikes! Thanks for reminding me.

I should get a lube job this weekend or early next week.

Thanks :hi:

[LostinVA]

5. You said it!

Worth his or her weight in gold!

[idgiehkt]

6. good to hear

What make and model? I have a problem like that on my car too, but it's the EGR thanks to the factory mixing up a suzuki and geo valve (I think, that explanation makes the most sense). It's nice that your mechanic knew about this...none I go to seem to know anything about Trackers. I am glad you got it resolved. My engine light has been on since like 2000, and there isn't any hope but nothing is wrong with it that anyone can find.

Glad to hear it isn't the alternator and glad to hear they didn't try to con you into buying a new oxygen sensor.

[undeterred]

8. I have a Mazda 626 2001

bought it with 29K on it in 2002 and it now has 109K! I did not know the engine light from the battery light but I knew an original battery doesn't last long after 6 Wisconsin winters. Once I understood it was the engine light I googled it and came up with the same answer he told me (and I'm pretty sure he doesn't google things in the shop!)

He told me a new oxygen sensor is around $200, but I get the sense that once the car starts getting this old you start seeing stuff like this and sometimes its just a nuisance rather than pointing to a real problem. I have no performance problems with the car whatsoever and I've hardly put any money into it.

Once I rented a Kia Sportage and lost the gas cap. Well, the engine light never went off after that. I thought I had 2 problems but the engine light was on because the gas cap was off. That light can go on for a zillion reasons, and a lot of them are harmless. I can imagine some poor sucker being told they need a new engine, though.

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. Corollary: Do not trust responses

in "What's wrong with my car?" threads that say "It needs a new..." or "Sounds like the..."

A good diagnostician will ask many questions before posing a possible solution. Some here would conclude that you need a new transmission when the problem is your tires are under-inflated.

[undeterred]

9. Well, I work on a help desk and sometimes people tell me

the wrong stuff too. I went in this morning and told him the yellow battery light came on yesterday. Turns out it was the engine light, and turns out my mechanic is colorblind! Turns out I don't know one from the other. That kind of stuff happens to me all the time and I suppose it happens to them too. The stupid little symbols don't mean nothing to me. No it wasn't the one with the + and -. I guess I don't really know what shape an engine is. Ask your non colorblind partner what color it is...