Diesel Mechanic in Metro Detroit

[THJeff]

Can anyone recommend a good diesel mechanic in metro Detroit? I bought my boat in Sandusky two years ago and had it serviced down there before we drove it up. The mechanic I used (Tom Hill) was very good and I used him again last year but I would like to avoid the travel surcharge and get someone local now. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

 

[Gofirstclass]

I've heard good reports about the CAT dealer in Detroit. They had done the maintenance on my boat before I bought it and I had the individual tech who maintained it do the survey prior to my purchase. I was very happy with the job he did.

Michigan CAT
25000 Novi Rd, Novi, MI ‎
(248) 349-4800 ‎

 

[boltman]

THJ, I use a mechanic out of Wisconsin,I'm not sure of his travel charges but he's in Detroit a lot and our boat is in west Michigan, would you like me to ask him for you,he went out on his own this year so he doesn't charge dealership pricing .
I just text him to see what he charges I truly don't know if he does. OK he charges 1.00 per mile from where ever he's at if he's already in Detroit then only hotel bill and he charges 105.00 per hour.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[THJeff]

Thanks for the info guys. I considered calling Michigan CAT, but now that I have a good reference I think I definitely will. I'd prefer to avoid excessive travel/hotel charges if at all possible.

 

[Dquint]

+1 for mike at michigan cat.

 

[tc410]

Hey THJeff.... I'll just chime in with a few more thoughts on the question. In my opinion you're on the right track by using Michigan Cat for your service and repair needs. I used Michigan Cat when I had the 3126's in our previous 410DA. It was the Kalkaska store, but I did swing through Novi a few times to pick up oil/filters etc. The parts guys there were always great.

While there are many opinions out there, I'm a believer in using the service network of your engine manufacturer as opposed to smaller goups or independent diesel mechanics for obvious reasons. First, it's all they do (Cat does Cat, Cummins does Cummins, etc.). They know your engines well and can usually quickly point to an issue because they've seen it before. This can save lots of diagonstic time compared to a generic mechanic. Plus they have access to all the proprietary tools and diagnostic equipment which also saves time. And lastly, they have the depth of knowledge of colleagues in their network and more robust resolution options if you do have a dispute over an invoice or faulty part etc. They can more easily "write-off" excess service charges or premature wear on replaced parts and work with you even after the warranties have expired. They might have a slightly higher than average hourly rate, but my experience is that your savings comes in expertice and quick diagnsosis/resoultion.

I believe the mechanic Robert is referring to used to work for the Green Bay franchise for MAN engines (Polk). I've heard good things about him. Robert has MAN's in his 480, so it makes sense for him to use this guy. I looked at a boat last winter with MAN's and I was going to hire this guy for the pre-purchase engine survey, simply because he knows the engines and the MAN network in general is very thin in the Great Lakes region. Choosing the right independent mechanic takes some research to know this history. Hiring the engine franchised service network gets you peace of mind of experts on your specific engines and issues and maintenance needs.

Just my $0.02.

 

[THJeff]

Thanks very much for the input Jeff, I appreciate it! I see they have a location in Shelby Township as well so I'll likely contact them since it's much closer to my marina compared to Novi.