Vehicles & Servicing Best Posts in Thread: I can't find a qualified and trustworthy car mechanic.

Antifreeze or now called cooling water , has all the right things inside to protect your engine , most engines these days are alloy made and also most parts on it , the cooling water protects your engine against rust ,between gasket and keeps the engine clean use of basic water is no good for any new Modern car, most come in different collors , I preffer red as it marks very easy if you have a small leak . there are good mechanics in Dumaguete but most of the time the boss is not spending monney on some good tools and educating there staf to work on new cars .Even the main dealers in the dumaguete area can't read there own make's ecu , Maybe I should start a Garage in the phillipines ,but only for fun then , love to solve car problems that other can't . I always have my laptops with me when iam over there with ODB reader and cables for most cars Always willing to help when iam in the area.

 

I can recommend Toto, located on the north Hwy left side when going out of town, pretty much opposite the airport road, left of Robert's auto parts.

Kind of a backyard garage, but in my opinion an honest guy. He charges for labor only, and for parts what he himself paid. Or bring your own parts if you want. I wouldn't entrust them a new car for anything complicated though since I doubt they have anything to read out the OBD port mentioned above, but for my 20+ years old Pajero it's a good fit.

 

Thanks for your reply, but unfortunately my experience with the local authorized dealer is very different. On average they charge double the amount for the combination of parts and labour than the guy on the corner! Plus they can't solve all issues, even after 3 attempts!

 

Some of the bill was as I expected, quoting 5 K when when the actual parts and labor was double that. A little bit was unexpected parts that they texted me about before installing. A big part of the bill was "bait and switch" on a back up camera.

Here's how the "bait and switch" works. 3 times I asked and confirmed that they could/would sell and install a back-up camera for their advertised price of 1,800 including installation. 3 times they confirmed they could do it, no need to pay in advance, yes it is confirmed we will do that.

So when I went to pick up the car they had installed a 4, 500 peso camera with additional 600+ for installation. Why? Because the one for 1,800 they were showing me was camera only, no monitor. I had asked if they could install it with my existing monitor and they said "no need" it comes with a hanging monitor. Had they sent a text before installation I would have said no thank you. So of course they did not. VERY unprofessional as they had already sent a text to confirm a rear seal replacement so I know they had my number and knew how to send a text.

So be cautious with Roberts. Get one job done at a time. Get an estimate. And be sure they stick to it. Oh yeah, one more thing. When the job was done the "check engine" idiot light was coming on. The mechanic assured me that all was fine in the engine so I would have to find someone with a computer hookup to find out why the light was coming on. They don't have one at Roberts. I'd still go back there as the work seems to be done well. I would just be more careful about seeming to be a rich 'Kano.

So does anyone know where I can find a mechanic with a computer that will find out why the "check engine" light is coming on?

 

Without any review or information as to why these particular shops made it into the "top 13" I'd take this list with a grain of salt.

 

I found out that in the evening it was very difficult to find any trikes or easy-rides, during day time no problems.

 

What is bad with public transport here? OK. Some safety issues are around. But the availability of public transportation is quite good for Dumaguete area. In other areas or provinces we would really have to rely upon own personal transportation.

 

I'd rather pay a high price before relying on what's called public transport here

What I did before picking a car was to look around me - what is it that everybody else is driving? Obviously there will be some knowhow and easy to find parts for the 3 or 5 most common models. Pick one of these and you'll rarely run into problems with missing parts or lack of knowledge.

 

keeping the above in mind, do not buy a car for use in Dumaguete if there is no authorized dealer to service it ...
Also keep in mind: If you buy "surplus" (dismantled vehicles shipped to the Philippines from Japan or Korea, then re-assembled when they arrive, and given new Philippine documentation), an authorized dealer will not service it.

 

After living in Dumaguete for 18 months now. Things are going well in many ways, except in finding a qualified and honest car mechanic. My experience so far is that quite a few don't know what they are doing. And when I do find a good one, I am getting tricked and overcharged heavily.
I drive cars now for almost 40 years, but I have hardly any knowledge about the technical side, it doesn't interest me. Now, for the first time in my life I struggle to keep my car well maintained without being ripped off all the time.
I would be very grateful if anyone here on the forum can give me the name and contact details of a qualified and trustworthy car mechanic in Dumaguete.
Thanks very much!!