I think I must have jinxed myself, but after checking up on auto mechanic reviews, I bookmarked Choe's for a future visit if ever warranted.
Guess who's car broke down on the freeway the other week?
Driving on the freeway, I looked behind me to see a bunch of white smoke billowing out from under my car, not the exhaust pipe. So I pulled off the next ramp and thankfully, there was a commuter park/ride lot open. When I got out, the smoke had already subsided, but I thought I smelled oil. I backed the car back, and there was a huge puddle of black liquid on the ground. I could even follow it out from where I exited the freeway.
At first, after speaking to several of my male advisors on the cellphone, they thought I bottomed out and ruined my oil pan or hit the transmission. Then I was worried that given the amount of "oil" that leaked out, it meant I had incurred engine damage since I was technically still operating the vehicle.
I jumped on Yelp and called and spoke to Sean while waiting for the tow truck the next day. He asked specifically what took place and about the smoke and what color it was. I let him know that it looked like a bunch of oil had spilled out too. He told me to tow it over right away.
Once there, he started the motor and pointed out immediately that it was not the engine but the power steering. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was going to be major, like the engine. As he drove it up to the hoist, my poor car continued to leak dark fluid. Once underneath, he used a flashlight pen to show me where the problem was arising from. We followed the lines from the power steering pump/reservoir to the area that runs parallel to the front axle. I could see the line and splashes of fluid all over the place. The white smoke was due to the power steering fluid hitting the exhaust manifold and because it had been a long time (cough) that the system had ever been flushed, it would explain why I mistook the dark power steering fluid for oil instead.
He lowered the car and asked his counterpart to turn on the motor and turn the wheels to the right. He then pointed out the line to me again, this time from under the hood. The power steering line was ruptured and squirting fluid like a cut artery.
He let me know that he would have to order the part first and honestly, could not give me an estimate off the top of his head without having the part first. I appreciated the honesty. We left the shop a little past 1:00.
By 3:00, he had done research on my car and the part and told me with labor, we would be looking at $350. I approved the estimate, since I was forecasting $500.
I dropped my car off on Saturday. By Monday morning, he called to tell me it was done.
Total charges = $330, including tax.
He did advise that the high pressure hose looked a little "wet" but wasn't sure if it was leaking too. He told me to keep an eye on it. Since that is easy to replace, I will do that myself in addition to the serpentine belt and the brakes in a few weeks (YouTube videos rock!)
I recommend Choe's Auto Center. He is quick to assess the situation, diagnose, and offer a simple approach without seeking additional possible costs as an ulterior benefit to the business. This is not a salesman. This is a true mechanic who knows his trade and honest about his analysis.
Thank you for the quick repair on my car, Sean!! read more
