I was chatting with one of our daughters the other day, and she was upset because she had just run their car through inspection, and it failed the emissions test. Upon speaking to the mechanic, she was informed that the problem stemmed from a malfunctioning catalytic converter, and that a new one, installed, would cost around $1,000. She grilled the mechanic for cheaper options, asking, “Is there anything I can do to not have to spend that money?” She was told, No.
Afterward, in speaking with a couple of people she knows, they told her that frequently the catalytic converter fails the test just because it is dirty, and that there are cleaners on the market which might be able to restore it to properly functioning order. She bought the cleaner; glory be, the car then passed inspection!
I went online to check this out, to see if there was anything improper about using cleaners, and found nothing. Apparently a catalytic converter is simply a chamber which is heated up by the exhaust from the engine, so, as the exhaust passes through, some fuel which did not burn in the engine gets burned in the converter. The converter gets dirty in the process, and doesn’t function as efficiently and needs to be cleaned out. So if the converter is just dirty, and not worn out, the cleaner can restore it to working order.
If the mechanic shop she went to did not know this, she needs another mechanic. Or if they just did not want to tell her and lose the repair job, she still needs another mechanic, for putting their own interests ahead of those of their customer. Needless to say, the shop lost her good will. It is a good thing she checked around.
So, what is my point? I guess there are two. Our daughter did the right thing to check around, saving money and learning in whom she can place her trust. The other point comes from looking at this matter through the mechanic shop owner’s point of view. If they did not know there was a cleaner, they should learn their profession better.
Say the mechanic knew better, but chose not to tell – the reality is, turning away $1,000 is not easy. The saying goes, “Virtue is its own reward,” implying, one will feel better, but lose money, certainly in the short run. Each person has to make his own call. In the long run, however, we are all better off if we are honest with one another.
Art Hall
From the Bible: Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Leviticus 19:11
