What’s the Difference Between an Auto Body Shop and a Mechanic?

Every car owner faces the moment they need to arrange for repair with dread. First of all, the bad news: You need to spend money on your vehicle. But, what is even more confusing for car owners is to figure out who to contact for their repair needs. With a variety of vehicle specialists to choose from, it’s tough to find the right interlocutor. Indeed, a mechanic shop and an auto body shop provide different services that are both indispensable to the maintenance of your vehicle. So which one do you need? As a rule of thumb, mechanical components and dented bumpers require a different set of expertise. Still unsure which is right for your car? No worries, we help you figure it out. 

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Keeping my car safely on the road

Functional repairs are the job of a mechanic. They refer to the essential work on drive belts, transmissions, engines, wheel alignment and electronic systems. A mechanic will focus on everything inside the vehicle, ranging from the brakes, alignment service, to the air-conditioning. It’s worth mentioning that mechanics often rely on specialist audit and inspection solutions that need to be connected to the electronic system of modern vehicles. This will include resetting dashboards after a fault or determining the exact nature of the repairs. The mechanic can still provide a full inspection and repair service for classic vehicles, such as cars with no electronic systems. 

Can I DIY mechanic repairs?

Enthusiastic car owners can often preempt expensive mechanic repairs by performing some fixes themselves. Car owners who are confident with DIY projects and have the right tools for the job can do simple mechanic tasks on their vehicles:

  • Changing the oil
  • Changing brakes pads and disks
  • Changing lights
  • Changing wheels 

Mechanic shops use specialist equipment and tools, which is why it’s typically cheaper and safer to rely on professional services. I was in Phoenix and found a transmission shop near me. Additionally, an auto mechanic attends training programs to obtain the qualifications for the job. In other words, while you can make some simple changes to your car, it’s never a good idea to follow the DIY path without training. 

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Keeping my car looking good

On the other hand, auto body repair refers to the outside of the vehicle, the car body. Repair work could range from body paint to fixing body damage after an accident. We frequently work on the appearance of vehicles after a collision in our auto body shop. The role of our specialists is to restore the bumper, the paint, the frame shape, and even the headlight so that the vehicle doesn’t appear to have been in a collision. Auto body shops offer aesthetic repair works that restore the value and the body stability of your vehicle. 

Can I do it myself?

Auto body services require specialist know-how, practices, and computerized solutions. As a result, tools and knowledge are not available to individuals outside the trade. 

Vehicles often require mechanic repairs during their lifetime. More often than not, if you are not involved in a collision, you are unlikely to need to contact an auto body shop. However, vehicles will need a highly skilled body technician to recover the frame and color damages after a car crash. Body paint damages linked to corrosion or scratches that are not collision-related can also be referred to an auto body shop expert.