A Neophyte’s Guide to Identifying a Capable Mechanic

You’re 16, ready to hit the road in your new ride. The last thing you want to be is the cause of the next traffic tie-up on the 405.

Maybe you should have spent some of that time the other morning--when you were all wrapped up listening to that new Eminem album--getting a tuneup instead.

The basic science behind cars hasn’t changed since Henry Ford began mass-producing them about a century ago. Car has wheels, car has engine, engine turns wheels and car goes where you want. Usually.

But sometimes your car needs either simple work (think oil change) or more complicated repairs to make it go.

So how do you find a good mechanic, especially if you’re newly on your own and don’t have a fat bank account?

Your friends always seem to have a hookup with a guy they’ve known for years. But that guy’s in Hawaii on vacation when you need him.

You could take the penny-pincher route, scouring town for the cheapest rates and hoping the repairs will last as long as the car.

But let’s face it: Finding a good and honest mechanic, someone who will keep your car on the road without bankrupting you, can be as difficult as a challenge on “Fear Factor.”

The experts say there are ways to minimize the work involved.

Always check the walls of a shop for a quality certificate from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence--known as ASE. The organization certifies mechanics in a dozen or so topics, from brake jobs to engine overhauls, said Jeff Spring, a spokesman for the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The ASE certificate on a garage’s wall is the same as the health department’s “A” grade at a restaurant: Anything less should be passed by. Quickly.

Another way to check on a garage you are thinking of using is to check with the state Bureau of Automotive Repair, which licenses repair shops. The bureau’s Web site, at www.smogcheck.ca.gov (click on the “verify a repair dealer’s license” button), will show a shop’s disciplinary and complaint history and the status of its license.

Spring also suggests you look for an AAA-accredited shop.

“AAA-approved shops must meet strict standards, from cleanliness to safety standards and practices of the shop and its employees,” Spring said.

You can go into any Auto Club office, whether or not you are a member, and ask for the brochure of approved shops. Club members also can look up this information at www.aaa.com.

Another key to identifying a good mechanic, Spring said, is “longevity. A good mechanic has been around awhile.”

But one of the problems of youth is that though there usually is lots of time for concerts and movies, necessary evils such as studying and researching a good mechanic can get short shrift. Many teens and young twenties say they just don’t allow the time to research a mechanic’s background.

But they still want what everyone wants: quick, reliable service that is a value for the money spent.

“What I look for is honesty,” said Ricky Jones, 22, a student at Cal State Dominguez Hills. He said he knows enough about his car to know when a mechanic is trying to talk him into repairs that aren’t needed. “I don’t appreciate that.”

Jones has had his share of dealings with mechanics--he drives a 1996 Escort that’s had its share of problems.

But he says he’s learned from each and feels that he knows now what to look for in a shop.

“Good prices, reasonable prices. Quick [service]. And an explanation of what is being done,” he said.

Jones has done a few things right in his quest for peace of mind at the garage.

He always asks for a written rundown of what the repairs and services are to be.

He also has learned to ask about warranty information. As they say in the business: Six months is great, 90 days is good, and if all that is offered is 30 days on parts and labor, it’s time to find a new mechanic.

Mechanics have their own suggestions on how first-time car owners can find a good match.

“A referral is usually best,” said Al Workman of Al’s Automotive in Burbank. But if that’s not an option, Workman suggests doing a compatibility check.

“Check the shop and look at the types of cars they work on. You obviously wouldn’t want to take a Nissan to a place where they normally work on Rolls-Royces,” he said.

The word from someone with a couple of decades of experience in mechanic hunting is that communication is the key to building a relationship with the person who will be fixing your car.

Mike Rowinsky, 32, a Van Nuys marine biologist, said he talks to mechanics like the professionals he hopes they are, and in return he expects that they “don’t talk to me like I’m stupid.”

Rowinsky said he looks for garages that are part of well-known chains when it is time for his aging Land Cruiser’s routine checkups and repairs.

Those chains typically have ASE-certified technicians.

One of the keys to dealing with car repairs, experts say, is to keep on top of them. Check with the mechanic periodically to make sure you know what is being done when the car is in the shop, and take the vehicle back promptly if it’s not fixed properly the first time.

Tell the mechanic that that mysterious sound you brought it in for is back. Offer to take a ride with him or her so you can demonstrate exactly what that awful noise is and make sure your mechanic knows too.

And always ask for the old parts back if parts are being replaced. You won’t need the old stuff, but you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that you didn’t just pay to have the same old problem parts reinstalled.

Some mechanics, including Workman, say they like having younger customers.

After all, a good mechanic-customer relationship guarantees repeat business, and establishing a good relationship with a mechanic guarantees a young car owner peace of mind.

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Shaun Newton is a 23-year-old Burbank resident who is improving his knowledge of mechanics and automotive care as he keeps his secondhand 1996 Toyota 4Runner on the road. He can be e-mailed at highway1@latimes.com.