Can we talk about the guy at the gas station who saved me $300 on car repairs?

Stopped for gas last month at a Shell near my apartment, and this older guy in a beat-up truck starts chatting about my check engine light. He asks what codes I got, and I tell him it's some sensor thing. He laughs and says "don't let a shop sell you a whole new catalytic converter, it's probably just an oxygen sensor." I took his advice, bought a $45 sensor online, and fixed it in my driveway in ten minutes. A shop had quoted me over $400 to do the same thing. I think about that random guy every time I see a budget win now. Anyone else ever get solid advice from a total stranger like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

ramirez.caleb1mo ago

Don't let a shop sell you a whole new catalytic converter" - wait, they actually quoted you $400 for that? That's insane. I had a similar thing happen with my old Honda, a shop tried to tell me my entire exhaust system needed replacing for like $800. Turned out it was just a cracked gasket that cost me $12 and a half hour with a socket wrench. Point is, those places prey on people who don't know any better. That old timer saved your wallet big time. I bet he's been burned by a shop before, probably learned that lesson the hard way. Good on him for paying it forward.

avery_nelson1mo ago

400 bucks for a cat is wild when you can often just clean the O2 sensor or check for a simple leak first. @ramirez.caleb I gotta ask, did the shop try to pressure you into a quick decision like they did with me? Those places count on people being in a panic, not having time to second guess the quote.