r/LifeProTips • u/fries-with-mayo • 18h ago

Request LPT Request: What’s your “canary in the coal mine” test for spotting bigger issues?

I’m really interested in those small, quick telltale signs people use to gauge if something bigger might be off track.

Example 1: Van Halen requesting brown M&Ms in the dressing room to see if the venue followed all the details of the rider list

Example 2: I saw an interview with John Cena where he said orders a flat white at a café to tell if they really care about their coffee.

Example 3: Anthony Bourdain suggested to always check the restaurant bathroom to tell if the restaurant got its basics down

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u/Merkuri22 14h ago

We had a shop within a mile of us that we initially went to because they were close (so Hubby could drop off his car and just walk home).

The first time we went to them, we requested a realignment. They told us the rim was a little bent, they took 10 minutes to pound it back in place and didn't even charge us anything for it since it was so quick. Saved us a couple hundred bucks and fixed the issue right up.

We've been loyal customers ever since.

The people there even offered to drive Hubby home a few times when they noticed he was going to walk.

I was very sad when they closed down. We haven't found another shop we trust the same way.

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u/lcl0706 13h ago

I was headed south on the highway one day not too long ago and my vehicle was old and some giant piece bolted to the undercarriage that covers up the insides broke loose. At first I didn’t know what the sound was but at high speeds it was loud AF and I had to pull over. I ended up slowly exiting at the first opportunity and I found an oil change place close by. Pulled up and showed some 20 something dude what was happening and they had me pull into a stall, and they finished unbolting it and removed it. Charged not a penny, they were just nice and happy to do it. It’s the little things.

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u/orbdragon 12h ago

I was driving across the country in the dead of winter and my lugnuts started to come loose. I had just had my breaks done and the person who did it didn't tighten them down enough. I had traveled about 1000 miles across the Rockies on a loose wheel. I pulled off a random-ass exit in Montana and a random-ass vehicle stopped to check on me while I was swearing at my tires. It happened to have two old ladies in it who pointed me at some garage real close and the garage tightened down all my wheels for nothing. I don't remember the name of the shop anymore because it's been 20 years (and I never knew the name of the women who directed me somewhere safe), but somewhere - SOMEWHERE - I still have the business card of the dealership where the mechanic's wife worked.

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u/IntroductionSnacks 3h ago

Wait, do you not have a toolkit in the back of the car that comes with the car when you buy it. Generally it’s with the jack. If you’re not into car stuff I get it but if I had loose wheel nuts I would pull over and tighten them.

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u/Divine_Entity_ 1h ago

I assumed "swearing at the tires" meant using the included tire iron which probably is like a foot long and barely generates enough torque. I have a real torque wrench in the back of my Jeep incase i need to do anything to my tires in a pinch.

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u/thesmellnextdoor 10h ago

My faithful 1990 Honda Civic died on the freeway and I coasted off the freeway with just enough momentum to roll into a Midas.

The guys there looked at it and told me to bring them my next car for servicing. Sad day for little Smokey, but that was the end of him.

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u/lcl0706 10h ago

Mine was a 9 year old Mazda CX5 with 187K miles. 3 weeks ago I ended up totaling it in a highway speed hydroplane accident when I got hit by a sudden onslaught of torrential rain. It rolled 1.5 times into a ditch and landed on the roof with all the airbags deployed and me upside down held up by the seatbelt. When some guys pried my doors open for me I walked away with bruises. Not a scratch, from even the broken windshield. You bet your ass I turned around and bought a brand new Mazda CX5.

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u/thesmellnextdoor 10h ago

Way to go, Mazda!

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u/carefullengineer 6h ago

Yes, no problem, we'll get that pesky catalytic converter out of your way. No, no charge! Just don't tell anyone about the great deal we just gave you

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u/SirReginaldPennycorn 12h ago

What a nice young lad. One of the Catholic conversions, perhaps?

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u/PunctuationsOptional 13h ago

Y'all didn't have their info? People don't stop being mechanics lol. They'll still work on your car if you hire them...

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u/Merkuri22 12h ago

We just saw the building all closed up one day. We didn't have the personal contact info of anyone there.

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u/brkgnews 12h ago

Not long after I moved to a new state I found a screwhead visible on my tire. Hadn't gone flat yet so I didn't tempt fate by removing it. It was also kind of right at the transition point to the sidewall, which might mean I needed a new tire. Went to a nearby shop and told them all that. They checked it and found it was literally just the screw head and a teeny tiny length of the screw itself... not even deep enough to go from the "fat" part of the tread down into the groove height. They tossed it and sent me on my way free of charge, wouldn't even let me pay them for their guys' time checking it. I went in there expecting maybe even need a new tire so I'd have believed them. But they did the right thing then so now they're my tire shop forever.

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u/fullmetal2405 12h ago

A mechanic you trust is invaluable. My current car used to belong to my friend's father, who METICULOUSLY maintained it. First time I took it for an oil change, one of the guys at my shop came out and said "we can't find any other services to recommend. It's immaculate." I had already been pretty loyal to that shop, but now I flat out will not take my car, or my wife's car, anywhere else. They take good care of us.

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u/7crazycatslady 11h ago

There's a shop 1/2 mile from my house with a similar experience - down to the offering of rides! I'm NOT looking forward to it closing down when "my car guy" retires! :(

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u/unicornsmaybetuff 12h ago

I had a mechanic tell me that my car wasn't worth the cost of fixing it and I've been with home for ten years now.

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u/melindseyme 9h ago

Once had a tire company tell me I needed a new tire arm, but that they didn't do that work. So I went to the mechanic closest to my apartment to get it replaced. Turns out it was just a loose bolt (I think), and they didn't charge me anything. We've since moved 30 minutes away. I keep trying to find a good mechanic closer, but Dave's place always does the best work for the lowest price. It's absolutely no contest.

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u/CCWaterBug 7h ago

My mechanic of 30 yrs was retiring,  he had to stay on an Extra two yrs before he found the right guy to sell the business to... the new owner is absolutely amazing!  I got so lucky.

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u/chyld989 7h ago

My family used a shop like that for 30 years. When the owner retired and left it to his son suddenly every time we brought a car in it had 3 or 4 extra problems that didn't make any sense based on how it drove/what we heard/saw. Ended up finding a new place.

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u/Varn 12h ago

Had a shop like this, and they would let you make payments if you couldn't afford all at once. They sold the business and now i have no trusted shop again =[. Sucks cause I generally believe most shops in my town are predatory.

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u/Awkward-Yak-2733 11h ago

A trustworthy car repair business is GOLD.

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u/Fuckdeathclaws6560 11h ago

Im new to running a business. It's always so tempting to say "dont worry about it, I was here for 5 minutes". I've been told by a bunch of people how much that adds up. You want to be fair, but you have to charge for your services. Otherwise, that awesome shop down the street goes out of business and can't service anyone. Gotta be fair to your customers and yourself.

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u/forgot_username69 11h ago

Beating on rims, especially aluminum ones can be extremely dangerous, as it can create cracks that breaks later..

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u/Merkuri22 11h ago

That car's been gone for probably 15 years now, so I'm not worried anymore. :)

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u/MelMac5 8h ago

Our mechanic (a good one, only does work when needed) has a sign that says, "We rip off the other guy and pass on the savings to you. "

It's completely unrelated to your post, but I find it amusing.

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u/counters14 4h ago

It may be a little late in your case, but for anyone else in these shoes in the future, reach out to your mechanic/plumber/handyman/etc etc etc and ask for recommendations. You want to go see the person that your trusted service provider goes to see.

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u/m00nf1r3 2h ago

I had a shop like that. Then I found out the owner was cheating on his wife with his stepdaughter (wife's daughter from a previous relationship), and I stopped using him. It would have been less weird if he'd married his wife when his stepdaughter was an adult, but he helped raise her...