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How can an online course properly teach you mechanics?
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If in doubt about the honesty of any garage/mechanic; always ask them if they can keep the old bits for you to see and for them to show you why they were needed.
Any honest garage/mechanic will have no problems with this (except for a part that is on an exchange basis). Even if its an exchange item they will always keep it long enough for you to be shown and have it explained to you.
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Rusting calipers are not in themselves a problem, unless really excessive and failing in other respects. They are merely housings for the pistons, which push the pads into engagement with the discs when you brake. What often happens is that the discs rust, and these then wear the pads abnormally quickly. Rusting discs are caused by insufficient use, or leaving the car with the brakes wet.
Pistons can stick in the calipers, and these too cause excessive pad wear.
Pads that have been allowed to wear down too far can also damage the discs.
So there's a lot of scope for inter-reacting effects, but a decent garage ought to be able to explain these and justify what they have done.
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"always ask them if they can keep the old bits for you to see"
Soon after getting my first (used) 306, I took it to a Pug dealer for its first MoT, and they reported that it needed new wishbone bushes at 20K miles. This surprised me, as there was no other evidence of heavy use. I was duly shown the replaced parts, and cynically suspected that there was a campaign to shift some new ones, at £75 each, and the displayed parts came from another car. Seven years on, and two 306s later, I am still suspicious, as no-one has mentioned worn bushes since. But now I have my MoTs done at ATS.
[ However, that same ATS reported a failed exhaust mount on Wife's Clio the other day. After ordering new part, I examined the car more closely and decided that nothing had failed - ATS simply weren't sure what they were looking at ]
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So if they show you the parts needing replacing and you are not convinced, go and get another opinion?
Then you will know if anyone is trying to cheat you? Again any honest garage would be quite happy for you to go and get another opinion. I love my customers to; got nothing to hide. When they return, all sides are happy and relaxed.
If they dont return I go out of business so its important to me. and nothing happier than a customer who is only paying out when its needed and keeping his bills down.
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