Book Review: Don't Let Your Mechanic Pick Your Pocket! by George A. Moyer

If you're female, you've probably been in this spot before:
You're driving your car, it makes weird noises, then you go home and try to tell hubby about it, and he doesn't "know" what you mean by the 'weird noise'. So you take it to the mechanic, and try to explain it to him. You get the same exasperated look.... YOU feel like a dope, but you KNOW something is wrong with your car!


Wouldn't it be nice to have a book where you could go look up what SOUND the car is making, so you can tell hubby/mechanic what the cause might be, so you look intelligent? Well, the answer is at hand!


dont let your mechanic pick your pocket cover
Synopsis: (from the author) "This book is designed to save its readers money and provide the knowledge needed to deal with unscrupulous repair shops found everywhere you go", George says. "It is short, concise and straight to the point. Best of all, you won't get greasy, or in most cases even have to touch your car, AND, you don't need any mechanical background to understand it!".


As a retired mechanic/shop owner, George got tired of seeing people ripped off by less than honest mechanics, and having to defend an honest shop because of all the crooks out there! He was appalled at the instances of creative bill writing and haphazard repairs by other shops, even when they knew their clients couldn't afford it. He spent two years compiling a list of the most common symptoms and what they mean,  translating them into everyday language, and putting them in a book that can fit in your glove box!


The book has a listing of bumper-to-bumper noise, leak and vibration symptoms that help car owners to be able to know enough of their problem and what to expect BEFORE seeing a mechanic. It also includes safety, maintenance and USEFUL information, about keeping your car in it's best condition. Moyer states,"You can put this little book in your glove compartment and have it handy when you really need it- WHEN you break down! It will pay for itself over and over again, in keeping you from getting ripped off by unscrupulous mechanics".


About the Author: George A. Moyer, an Army veteran, owned an automotive repair shop for eight years, working as chief diagnostician.In 1995 he had the opportunity to open up his own shop, and it was an instant success that quickly grew into a 5,000 sq. ft. facility with two shifts and a customer base of roughly 1500 families and fleets. He was able to set up a car care ministry out of his shop that allowed him to donate and/or repair cars for scores of single moms and indigent families in two counties.  In 2003, he was recognized as a local United Way "Unsung Hero" for the charity mechanic work he performed for needy families. He is now on the board of directors for the pregnancy center he used to fix & donate cars for, and vows to give every single mom he meets his book.Moyer and his wife, who have been married 37 years, have two children and three grandchildren.


Review: I love love love this book! If I had had this the past 20 plus years, I would have saved ALOT of headaches when dealing with mechanics, boyfriends, hubby, and dad! Being able to look about a sound and go AHA, struts/cv joint possible problem, is much easier than saying 'weird clunking noise'. Not to mention, my cars have been evil and like to NOT make said noises when the 'mechanicly' inclined take a look at them. Had I been able to pinpoint an area, they might have found the area a WHOLE lot sooner!


Some interesting things I learned from this book:

  • when changing a bulb in your headlight, NEVER touch the front GLASS of the bulb- if you do it can shorten the life of the bulb alot!
  • if you notice you have less heat in your car when stopped, you are probably low on anti-freeze, or the radiator cap is loose
  • if your car pulls to the left or right while driving, you might have radial pull-if you don't rotate your tires out, your front tires will develop a 'memory' on their tread. Then when you rotate the tires, the front ones will try to move in the direction they've become accustomed to! SO rotate your tires!
  • if you're driving and hit some bumps and your car 'side steps' a little, you may have worn struts! They can also affect your braking! 

I also found the diagrams in the back of the book to be very helpful in discerning where parts are, and what is nearby that can either be the actual culprit, or the next to go!


We've used it to pinpoint some potential issues with my truck and will be determining this weekend if the book was right or not. But I wanted to get the review up asap, as I know some of you will be buying your kids new/used cars for graduation and I wanted to make sure you knew about this book as a super present to include with the car! If your kid is going off to college in a car/your car, this book is a must as well! 


I highly recommend giving a copy of this book to your kids when they are learning to drive and to keep a copy in ALL your cars! I know I will be! And at a $12 cost, it is WELL worth the inexpensive price, if it saves you HUNDREDS in repair bills later!


Kudos to Mr. Moyer for writing a book we can all use!




Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this books for review purposes on this blog, free of charge, from the author, via Bostick Communications .No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told what to say about the book!


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