Today I was having a discussion with a lawyer friend and he was just lamenting how most Nigerian mechanics rip many motorists off by improper repairs and or repairs that are done with wrong or substandard parts.

But one of their more sinister attributes is their penchant for telling motorists; "make we commot am, e no de work anything for the motor". Meaning; it doesn't have any function in the car so let's remove it.

But I usually tell them that the white man who spent countless hours researching and inventing and perfecting these systems are definitely not stupid. So for me, whatever is removed from my car is replaced with the exact replacement part. And replaced in the same manner!

Some weeks back, a lady brought in her car for fixing and part of the repairs was to replace a missing suspension linkage to the front passenger side. Kai!

She had been driving the car like that without a linkage because her previous mechanic told her he couldn't find the replacement part. And she could be driving the car like that!

In as much as her car is an American model not common here in Nigeria, all we did was just search through the second hand parts market for the exact part. When we didn't find the exact one, we got another one that could carry the weight of the car and matched perfectly. This was much better that driving the car without a linkage as the anti-roll bar in the front didn't have anywhere to be latched onto so was just dangling and not providing the anti-roll-over functions.

Imagine the lady driving the car and makes a sharp maneuver and the car rolls over, the 'yeye' mechanic will just be at his workshop feeding fat on people's money and endangering their lives and waiting for the next unfortunate customer.

This is not to lay a blanket accusation as there are still some of them who are diligent in what they do but the proportion who are giving the good ones a bad name is simply too much.
Though a great level of blame should be laid on the doorsteps of the car owners who mostly know next to nothing about their cars and some.... care less. Yet forgetting that it's their lives and properties that are at stake.

We all need to be paying more attention to the antics of our mechanics especially when they are effecting repairs on our cars.

A case that comes to mind is that of a friend whose father has been crippled for over ten years now just because his driver collected the man's car from the mechanic and both of them embarked on a trip without confirming what the mechanic did. Along the way, the wheel lug nuts they mechanic failed to properly thread back gave way and the wheel pulled out sending the car into several roll overs. The result? A paralyzed head of the family who had to be prematurely retired from active service.

Always ensure you learn more about your cars, have a good, genuine relationship with your mechanic so that he will never have the mind to do or expose you to things that might endanger your life.

More importantly, ensure you patronize good, well trained mechanics so that your life, that of your loved ones and properties will be in a safe, operational car.

Please share your good or bad mechanic stories with us.

Check out before and after pictures of the car.

Credit: www.naijacarlovers.com

Hmmm.. .Na God dey save man oo

[quote author=hotbullion post=47015223]

There are good mechanics who know their work.
Yet there are those who blame every car problem on the plugs or distributor.

Most men take personal interest in the repair of their wives' cars. That way, the woman is not cheated as most mechanics do when they see a woman alone.

Women who don't have spouses should tell a male relative or family friend what car problems they are having. Sometimes the male fixes the problem or give an idea what needs to be done.

this is wickedness

These mechanics sef









when Seun lalasticlala and mynd44
finally catches the guy who spams NAIRALAND with MTN PROMO

God save us all

What a story.

In Nigeria....it takes time to find a good mechanic. But once you find them....no worries.

It's God's mercy. I have driven to a neighbouring State and back with suspension linkages that were just placed, but not tied.

It was due to carelessness of the mechanic.

The annoying part is, some of these killer mechanics are not ready to learn new things that would improve their works

I was discussing a need to scan a car before just yanking off parts of a car and the mechanic said, "there's no scan anything. Scanning is a waste of time" . Just comot somethings, the car go work again"

The run wey I run comot no get part two. Lol.

They are also fond of using wrong parts. Remove five screws and return just 3. Lol.

Every problem of your car is tied to thermostat so, yank it off. Lol

It is well... My car was over heating took to my 'trusted' mechanics he change everything he could lay his hand on... Until i took it to a specialist who later informed me that the alternator belt which connects to the water pump is not strong.. As soon as we changed the belt car start running normally... Belt of 1500..meanwhile i have spent over 10k for my mechanic

That Mechanic and the woman must have a Spare Life some where.

d Mechanic shud be charged for attempted man slaughter abeg. because of spare part i always go for Toyota nd honda

Emeka71:
How does that concern us self¿

it doesn't concern you before, but now that you have commentted, E don concern u.

May God help us all

D one wey do me.. D guy forgt to put my gear box in d right place ... I don go 6km b4 I realise I don gock am ... Tank God for d spiritual

Mechanics and tailors are the worst set of human beings on this earth

Pyno30:
it doesn't concern you before, but now that you have commentted, E don concern u.

That kind of a useless issue can't concern Me.

kuye21:
.

Nd is dat d only tin u ll do (.) ..... Common, modify ur post jooo


U don book d space already

brunofarad:
this is wickedness

These mechanics sef









when Seun lalasticlala and mynd44
finally catches the guy who spams NAIRALAND with MTN PROMO

that guy needs serious flogging.... Na scammer ba

tammie24:
Mechanics and tailors are the worst set of human beings on this earth

seconded

If na for Lagos, plenty incompetent mechanics dey there. We really need to be circumspect.

Yes its so true, but the attitude of the car owner atimes is not commendable, some of them give their cars to a mechanic to service and jux vanish, pls some of these ppl can be dubious always stick around to monitor there the work being done so that the dont cheat on you.