Videos/Helpful Info

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Videos/Helpful Info

VIDEOS & HELPFUL INFO

Taking Your Car in for Repair?

Before taking your car in for repairs check our website for questions pertaining to your car repair, and gain as much free additional information as possible. The more information you can acquire the more intelligent you can be when car repairs are needed. The repair shop should inspect your car and estimate repairs before beginning the work. The shop must provide a written or verbal estimate and the final bill cannot be more than 10% higher than the original estimate. Always ask to see the damaged or worn parts at the time the work order is placed. Have the repair shop give you the damaged/worn-out parts in the box the new replacement parts came in to ensure quality. Always insist on factory OE parts (amazingly there are many car part manufacturers that produce sub-standard replacement parts) original manufacturer parts offer better usability and durability. If you are un-sure of the reason the part must but replaced ask the technician to show you the specific damage and why the part has failed. Also, ask how long the repair shop will warranty the repair and if the warranty covers labor on the part if it fails prematurely. It never hurts to get a second opinion, once you have received the first estimate try checking around at a few shops and the dealer to make an informed choice.

Information Every Car Driver Should Know

Getting the most from your gas? - It is no secret gas prices are up and putting a big pinch on our pocket books. Car maintenance and driving habits significantly affect fuel economy. Here are a few tips to help you get the most for your buck. First, check the air pressure in your car's tires. Most vehicle tire pressure recommendations are located on a sticker in the driver's door jam or on the side wall of the tire. While tire and car manufacturers recommend a prescribed tire pressure, it has been shown that slightly more tire pressure is optimal for achieving higher fuel economy by reducing rolling resistance. Some hybrid cars are manufactured with tires that can hold up to 55 P.S.I. as compared with the usual 32 P.S.I. For safety and better gas mileage always keep your tires properly inflated. Next, analyze your driving habits. Do you take off quickly from a stop? Try easing into the throttle and allow the vehicle to accelerate slowly. Observe the traffic and signals in front of you. If a stop is imminent release the gas pedal and allow the car to coast the remainder of the distance before using the brakes. Proper maintenance of your car's engine is essential for optimum performance. If your engine is misfiring it will decrease mileage. If the engine oil and filter changes have been neglected it will cause additional friction inside the engine and hinder the performance and gas mileage. Finally, remove all un-necessary objects from the car, added weight can decease mileage also inspect your engine service records and perform a tune up or oil change as recommended. Following these gas saving tips can increase your mileage and save you money.

Flat tire on freeway - A flat tire on the freeway or any other busy highway can be very dangerous. There are mainly two kinds of flat tires, either the tire is very low on air or the tire is already flat and beginning to fall apart. In the first condition (tire very low on air) you have a chance to get off the freeway to a safe place where you can change the tire or wait for service. In the second case (flat and falling apart) it is best not to worry about saving the tire, your main objective is to get to the freeway off-ramp or to a safe place where you can change the tire or wait for service. The car will have more rolling resistance but it will continue moving on the flat tire, proceed very slowly and use caution. When pulling off the road to a safe place make sure your car is as far off the road and away from traffic as possible. Most of the time when a tire is run very low on air the inner layers of the tire will breakdown and render the tire useless anyway. If there isn't an off-ramp nearby or a safe place to stop, pull the car to the side of the road as far away from traffic as possible, when you can safely exit the car, walk as far away from traffic as possible to a more protected area. Don't get hung up on the idea that you need to save the tire. Far too many times people try to save a sixty five dollar tire and end up getting seriously injured or worse in the process.

Don't be fooled by the "low ball bid" - Some repair shops and dealers practice the low ball bid method of business to get you in the door this is how it works. Let's say you call in for a radiator replacement and you get a low bid, it sounds good but what is really happening on the other end of the phone is the service writer is planning on hitting you with job add-on's. EXAMPLE: The phone is ringing... Mrs. Johnson... I have bad news, your cooling system needs to be flushed, the thermostat is shot and your water pump is leaking... I'm sorry your car is already in pieces so I can't put it back together... The conversion goes on to include more problems not relevant to the issue you wanted fixed and you know the rest. You can see the cheapest estimate is not always the best way to go. To safeguard yourself get several estimates for the same repair, if one is much lower there might be something wrong. Most garages know what it takes to stay in business and stay competitive. For the most part you are safer taking it to the middle to upper end repair shop.

At the Shop - (example)One of my customers called me today asking me if I could help him. It seems he was having a problem with his 2001 Toyota Avalon (V6 engine), the car had 76,000 miles. In the morning he would try to start the car, it would crank over and start but then just die, this happened three more times before he got it running again and now the check engine light was on. His office was right next door to a repair shop so he took it in for a diagnosis; they told him it needed an idle air control motor and an air mixture sensor to the tune of $1,200.00 dollars. He brought the car to me the next morning. I checked it out and recommended a simple solution. Some manufacturers use a magnetic field style idle air control motor that is very susceptible to carbon build up. I removed the idle air control unit, cleaned it, reassembled it and cleared the trouble codes from the PCM. This fixed the problem for the cost of a can of carburetor cleaner. The customer has never been happier with a car repair. With the right information you too can avoid costly auto repairs. All it takes is knowing the right information. "Knowledge is power".

Change Your Oil! -(example) A new customer come in with a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier with 82,000 miles on it. She had never changed the engine oil and filter, but always checked the oil level and added oil when needed. The engine now has a bad camshaft, cylinder head and two failed cam followers. The engine oil broke down and failed to lubricate the bearing surfaces on the valve train components. This repair is going to cost close to $1450.00 for a new cylinder head, camshaft, gaskets, cam followers and labor. That's a lot of oil changes! Just like my Dad (Dave) always says: "Change your oil and filter, its cheap insurance".

Rebuilt or Refurbished? - What is the difference? A rebuilt: replacement part, engine, transmission or differential means the unit has been disassembled and the "wear" items have been replaced such as bearings, brushes or guides etc. A rebuilt part will sometimes have individually painted parts. A refurbished unit is basically cleaned, painted and then resold. Obviously you are better off with the rebuilt unit than refurbished, some repair facilities will try to pass the refurbished unit off as a rebuilt unit so be sure you are getting what you ask for. If you are unsure of the integrity of the repair shop ask to see the part or unit before it is installed. Most dealerships and high end repair shops will only install new parts. New parts are optimum for best performance and longevity, rebuilt is the next best thing. You should only agree to a refurbished replacement part as a last resort.

Introduction

When taking your car in for repair there are some things you should know. As in all repair procedures the more knowledge you have in your arsenal the better informed decisions you can make. Below are some common questions we have been asked by "AllYou" a woman's magazine published by Time Magazine.

Common Car Service Questions

Question: Let’s say you know what’s wrong with your car, you need new brake pads, for example: Is it advisable to get estimates from multiple shops? Do you get them over the phone or should your bring the car in to the shop and have them look at it?

Answer: On any repair or service it is advisable to get up to three estimates from various repair shops. In these estimates make sure to receive a detailed list of parts and labor charges that is clearly described. While receiving the estimate ask if the current service request could be accompanied by additional services and if so what those repairs would entail. Some shops charge an “environmental” fee for handling the waste oil and filter, so request information for any additional charges that might occur during the service or repair that are not directly related. Anytime you can bring the car to the repair shop for an estimate it is beneficial, this “hands on” inspection can give the technician the ability to detail all services needed without the element of “surprise” which nobody likes but is a reality in the car repair industry. For example: If you take your car in a front brake job and when the technician is replacing the front pads he notices one of the front brake calipers is leaking. In this case both calipers must be rebuilt or replaced which can add a couple hundred dollars to the job. You would avoid this surprise and gain the ability to receive additional estimates for the repair work. The quality of parts used in a particular job can greatly very. This quality standard can cause a part to fail prematurely. Always insist on top quality replacement parts, preferably OEM (original parts manufacturers) for example if you own a Honda you would purchase the parts from Honda.
Question: Once you have a couple of estimates in hand, how do you pick which one you should go with?

Answer: When the estimates are in your hand, choose the estimate that is the middle to upper end of the road. The old adage “you get what pay for” is well related to the car repair industry, but at the same time you don’t want to over pay for anything. Most repair shops understand what it takes to stay in business and any repair shop that is undercutting the job will either make it up on other services or they will be out of business soon, in either case this scenario does not benefit the customer. Also check the warranty with respect to parts and labor; this will help you determine who will stand behind the work after you have driven out of the driveway. Certifications are a good clue on who takes pride in their profession and who does not. Today’s automobiles are more technologically advanced and some training is required. A certificate gives verification of advanced training.
Question: I’ve been told that a good practice is to ask to be notified if the job will cost more than the original estimate. Even if you are notified, how do you know that the reasons for the overrun are valid?
Answer: By Law the repair estimate cannot cost more than 10% of the original estimate not including tax. All cost overruns must be approved by the customer before the repair can proceed. To be informed on how a car works is the only way to know for sure if what they are telling you is the truth. The internet is one of the best tools to achieve this, varius websites can help you understand the repair in question. Always ask for all parts involved and also have them explain why the particular part has failed.
Question: Another tip I’ve heard is that if a part is replaced, ask for the old part. What will having the old part tell you or show you?

Answer: Yes, always inform the repair shop that you would like to have the parts returned to you at the time the work order is placed. Also ask for the old part(s) in the box of the new part that was installed on your vehicle. This will help you determine the quality level of the replacement part. Ask them to explain in detail why the part has failed. Some parts cannot be returned such as gaskets that need to be scrapped off to be replaced, you would just get back a handful of gasket shavings with no evidence of failure. In this case a personal inspection is required before the work has begun.
Question: If you don’t know what’s wrong with your car and take it in for a diagnosis, do you have to pay for that?

Answer: Sometimes diagnosis time is needed depending on the repair shop and the problem involved. For example: If you take your car in for a coolant leak, the technician performs a quick evaluation and determines the water pump has failed; this would be a free diagnosis in most cases. On the other hand, if you take your car in because the battery continuously goes dead over night even though a new battery has been installed. The technician will perform many tests to determine the electric seat control switch has become stuck and is draining the battery of its electrical charge. Even though the actual repair only took a few seconds to clean out the sunflower seed shell from the switch it took real time to find the problem.
Question: When I have gone to an oil-change place and even my Subaru dealer, technicians there have tried to sell me an engine flush. However, I have heard that this can be dangerous because it can dislodge debris and damage the engine. What’s your take?

Answer: The best course of action in this situation is to service your vehicle on the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule. But if the car has been neglected and the engine has developed excessive deposits inside an engine flush can be good to remove debris. If there is extreme build up the excess debris left behind from the flush can become dislodged clogging the oil pump pickup. This condition can be serious by stopping the oil pump from working causing a major engine malfunction. In the case of extreme engine sludge build up two separate flushes could be in order. If an engine oil and oil filter service is performed with an engine flush but the oil still looks dark and dirty it could be a sign of extreme build up and a second flush is required.
Question: Any other tips for saving on car repair and maintenance?

Answer: When servicing your car prevention is your best weapon against repair costs. Today’s’ automobiles are subject to higher temperatures and harder driving conditions than ever before. Clean fluids such as engine oil and coolant help the engine run efficiently for many miles down the road. Servicing other components such as the transmission, air conditioner and differential will help your car live a long and happy life. It is also beneficial to find a repair shop you can trust, you can do this by contacting the better business bureau in your area and inquire about any complaints the shop might have filled against them.