The Single Woman Versus the Auto Mechanic

As a single woman I have always hated having to deal with auto mechanics. As soon as my car requires a repair a sense of dread immediately develops. The feelings of helplessness and vulnerability arise due to the fact that my ignorance about automobiles is now pitted against their expertise and their ability to have me at their mercy.

A couple of months ago, I purchased a 1999 Saab 9.5 SE with 43,000 miles on it and with a transferable extended warranty. The car ran like a dream and I loved the luxury and turbo power of my new car. About a month later the car sputtered, the check engine light came on and the engine stalled. Immediately I got the sense of dread and feelings of helplessness and vulnerability. I called the auto mechanic who had worked on the car previously per the car dealership and made an appointment. The appointment was for five days later and I would have to provide the tow, as they were unable to do so. The manager did inform me they would file the warranty for me so I would not have to pay anything out of pocket that was covered. I was relieved to have the extended warranty but at the same time very concerned that it might be something not covered.

During the five-day period before my appointment I began hunting for information about my car on the web. I hoped that having some information would make me feel less helpless. I looked for information from Saab technicians and Saab owners. I was given good advice and information, which proved to later help me immensely. One person told me that if a Saab were on a flatbed truck, a Saab technician would immediately check the DI Cassette and then the fuel pump, as those are usually the culprits. This tidbit proved to be very helpful.

On the day my car was towed in, the manager stated he would call me when he knew something. Later that morning he called and informed me that diagnostics weren't included in the warranty and asked if I wanted them to go ahead and run the diagnostics that were needed. I consented and he stated he would call me back when he knew something more.

I didn't here back from him that evening although I did call and get the answering machine. The next day I still had no word though I did leave messages on the machine. That afternoon I called and finally got the manager who informed me that there was something "really bad" wrong with my car. He felt the computer was broken and that replacing it would run into a "lot of money" as it wasn't covered under the extended warranty. He informed me he would call me back when he knew more. At that time, I asked him if the mechanic had checked the DI Cassette and the fuel pump. He stated he would get back to me on that.

I did not hear from him the next day (Thursday) at all; although, I left two messages on his answering machine. On Friday morning he called and stated that he had ordered and replaced the DI Cassette(s) and they were in fact "very corroded and yucky" but still they could not get the car to start. He did inform me that the DI Cassettes were under warranty and at that point I owed them for four hours of diagnostics although they still couldn't get the computer to work either. He stated that there was something still "very bad wrong" with my car and probably "very costly" and he would call me back later with more information.

After hanging up I realized that he stated the computer wasn't working and I owed him four hours of diagnostics. Immediately a red flag went up as I pondered how he could run four hours of diagnostics without the computer working. Back to the web I went to my contacts who gave me once again the most useful advice and help. They gave me specific information to ask the manager on Monday morning.

Armed with that information on Monday morning I attempted to call the manager. When the answering machine picked up I left a message which stated the following: 1) I didn't know how they could run four hours diagnostics with a broken computer and if the computer wasn't working had they checked for a blown fuse in the communication system and 2) if the computer was working and they couldn't pull the fault codes from it then possibly they did not have the needed technology to read my Saab computer and I should take the car elsewhere and 3) I asked if they had they checked the crank position sensor (which was another option for the no start engine).

Within three hours I received a return call stating that my car was ready and that they had "flooded the engine on Friday". The car was running fine and I only owed the four hours diagnostics fee of $247.00.

Although I wanted to argue the diagnostics fee (as a bad DI Cassette can be checked in five minutes with a screwdriver without the computer by a knowledgeable technician), I decided to put it down as a lesson learned and by this time I was tired of dealing with them. I later learned that you cannot flood a fuel injected engine. I feel that they thought they would take me for a lot of money but after receiving my call realized that I was not an easy target. Next time, I will take my car to a Saab certified technician.

I owe many thanks to all the people who helped me on Saablink.net and Saabsite.com. Their support and knowledge enabled me to have some semblance of control during this situation and eliminated most of my feelings of being the "helpless female" while at the same time saved me lots of money. Thanks guys!