Category: Automotive

Tips For Selecting An Auto Repair Shop

No matter how well you take care of your car, especially if you take care of your car, auto repair is an unavoidable part of life. At some point, your vehicle will need proper service to run its best. Needless to say, vehicle repairs and maintenance can come with sticker shock and can leave you without a car, or stuck in the shop, for longer than you’d like. You need to make sure that whichever company you trust for auto repair, it’s the best in town and knows how to work on your vehicle.

To help you save your time and money, we have put together 11 tips for choosing the right auto repair service for your vehicle. Take your time to read through, and then practically implement them whenever choosing an auto repair company. Choosing The Right Auto Repair Service

Whenever your car needs work, you want it done quickly and inexpensively. These tips are designed to make sure that happens:

Experience Matters the Most

No matter what, whenever you put your trust in any auto repair service you should check how experienced they are and how long they have been working. Their mechanics should be certified and not easily thrown off by issues affecting your vehicle. If you can, go through their past work details to get an idea of how experienced and professional the company is. Speaking of which…

Professional & Well Organized

Once you decide you need service, pay a visit to their work shop before bringing your car in. It sounds like a lot, but this will ensure that you’re not taken by surprise. Make sure everything is professional, neat and well organized. You could even tell them you’re scouting a new shop. They’ll appreciate that you do your homework. The staff should be courteous and kind and must be willing to answer all your questions.

Get Recommendations

The most reliable sources of recommendations that you can get would be none other than your personal social network: in other words, your friends and family. Ask around from people within your circle who have actually had experience with certain auto body shops. Make sure that this experience is first-hand and not just based on hearsay. Also, it is never a bad idea to check with the Better Business Bureau.

Be Prepared

Know your insurance policy number and your cars unique vehicle identification number. Also, make sure that you have an auto body shop or towing service that you can call in just in case an accident actually occurs. Also, have the proper mindset in case of an accident. Safety first, and call in either the police, ambulance or a towing service depending on your needs.

Estimate the Price Range of Auto Repairs

Before you set on a prospective auto-body repair shop, aim to ask about the price range of repairs in your state. The estimates will ensure that you can choose an affordable outlet. The prices may range significantly depending on the size or reputation of the repair shop. Without such background information, you could end up paying a lot of money for the same services offered at a lower price elsewhere.

Take the example of a Samsung Phone and the iPhone. You could arguably state that the two brands meet the quality expectations of the industry yet the iPhone costs much more than the Samsung because of some few additions and due to the global reputation of the brand. Whether you purchase a Samsung or an iPhone will depend on the amount of money you have and the social status you would like to depict.

Therefore, you should never hesitate to scrutinize the prices. The price range will let you know whether you are overpaying for something that you could get at affordable rates elsewhere. The other thing you need to note is that very low prices should raise some suspicion. You should ask them the type and quality of spare parts they use. Be sure to conduct background checks with people that have interacted with the repair shop.

Location

Repair shops in upscale neighborhoods could change exorbitantly compared to others. How much do you think mechanics located in Beverly Hills could cost? A lot of course. The surrounding neighborhoods would have affluent cars and the financial muscle to settle high repair bills. Your choice of collision shop should take into account the location. Strive to take your car to average neighborhoods or to the city center for repair. The approach may save you surprises during payment.

Insurance is Important

It is better to play safe than to trust a company that is not insured. Insurance play a big role in repairs, particularly if the shop is not trusted or if there are instances that the auto repair shop burst into flames, would you suffer to pay the high premium instead of them paying the damage that has been done within their shops? What if the technician accidentally dented your car while test driving the vehicle? Would you be happy to see your car with a new dent while it’s not even your fault? In getting an auto repair shop, it is important to check if the company has insurance. This would save you the trouble.

Dealer vs. Local Shop

There is a difference between an auto repair dealer and a local shop. Depending on your problem, you have to choose one. For instance, if someone lost their car smart keys and they want a new one programmed, then definitely they should choose a dealer who works on one car brand. Bear that car dealers are very expensive and you may be overcharged for services which don’t cost that much. There is a reason for this. Brand specific dealers charge more because they deal only in a particular brand.

On the other hand, if you need some heavy duty work, a local shop is the best option. The majority of the experienced auto repair shops can easily handle major issues without overcharging you and also offering a guarantee on their services.

Anything Auto

Transmission Flushes

These are my favorite. I see too many transmissions fail just because of simple neglect. You want to make sure you flush your fluid before it gets dirty, not when it is dirty! When its dirty is too late.

I suggest flushing or doing a drain and fill every 30k and doing the filter(if your vehicle has one) every 90k. Its the cheapest insurance you can do to keep your transmission working in good order.

This includes draining and filling the system twice with up to 2 gallons of transmission fluid. The next we have to offer is an actual transmission flush with the machine. This flushes 4 gallons of fluid. This service costs $134. Some vehicles will actual have a filter inside of the transmission pan that can be serviced

To replace this filter the cost would be around $200-250 though some cars can be more if its hard to get it. If you pan is also leaking this would actually fix that problem at the same time.

REPAIR SERVICES

service and repair all imported and domestic cars and trucks. Bring in your imported and domestic auto, SUV, or pickup today with complete confidence that your auto will be serviced or repaired correctly the first time. Don’t be worried about the factory warranty on your new car! We have the staff, skills, training, and equipment necessary to perform all required maintenance on your new car or truck while maintaining your warranty

Authorized Dealer

Give Your Vehicle a New Lease on Life. That big oil slick in your driveway or those strange noises from under your hood don’t have to mean you’ll be saddled with a new car payment soon

Cylinder Block

A cylinder block is the powerhouse for the motor vehicle. The solid cast car part houses the cylinders and their components (gaskets, valves, and seals) inside a lubricated and cooled crankcase. Since it is one of the most important parts of your car, the block is designed to be extremely strong and sturdy. Although strong and sturdy, the block is susceptible to failure resulting in a vehicle that won’t start.

Cylinder Head

A cylinder head is the closed end of a cylinder (located in a car’s engine block). It sits above the cylinder block, closing the top of the cylinder and forming the combustion chamber. The cylinder head coordinates airflow in and out of the engine. Since the cylinder head’s chief function is to seal the cylinders properly, insufficient compression results in the car being difficult to drive

Diesel

Although diesel engines don’t require tune-ups and tend to last longer than gasoline engines, they do require regular maintenance.

Transmission specialists on foreign and domestic vehicles

specialize in transmission repair on nearly every make, model and year of vehicle. Most people don’t understand the importance of working transmission in their vehicle. drive down the road and hear engine rev up and down, but don’t think about how much work transmission performs to get us from point A to point B.

Many people also think only automatic transmissions need to be replaced. It is true that automatic transmissions are more complex and work harder, but manual transmissions also experience issues from time to time.

Signals That Something May Be Amiss With Your Vehicle’s Transmission

Burning Fluid Odors

Transmission fluid that’s intensely hot takes on a noticeable odor reminiscent of burning rubber. Burnt transmission fluid usually suggests the presence of a leak making its way onto very hot engine components. Burnt transmission fluid odor can also suggest fluid that’s very dirty and needs changed like the oil in your engine.

Slipping Transmission Woes

Automatic transmission slipping can also point to the need for repair service. If you notice your vehicle skipping from first to third gear or second to forth gear, bring your vehicle in right away for us to diagnose and determine the problem.

Slow or Inconsistent Vehicle Engagement

If it takes your vehicle longer than usual to engage and begin accelerating down the road, your transmission may be responsible. Don’t ever assume sluggish engagement is normal

Neutral Sounds

If you’re concerned about your vehicle’s transmission, concentrate on your vehicle when it’s in neutral. If the transmission seems unnaturally loud, you could have an issue with the transmission oil pump or transmission oil filter.

ENGINE MAINTENANCE

Engine maintenance is vital to keep your car or truck operating at peak performance. It also impacts the longevity of your vehicle’s engine.

Check Engine Light

No one likes to see their car’s “Check Engine” light come on. The light could mean a costly problem, like a bad catalytic converter, or it could be something minor, like a loose gas cap

Diesel

Although diesel engines don’t require tune-ups and tend to last longer than gasoline engines, they do require regular maintenance. Typical maintenance tasks include:

Changing the oil & filter

Changing the air filter

Changing the fuel filter

Bleeding the fuel system

Draining the water separators

Refilling the urea injection system

Fuel Injection

Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an engine. Since 1990, fuel injectors have completely replaced carburetors as the primary means of getting gasoline into the engine. A fuel injector atomizes the fuel by forcibly pumping it through a small nozzle (under high pressure). Failure of the fuel injection system means poor performance and ultimately destroys the engine.

Ignition

An ignition system is a system for igniting (using an electric spark) a mixture of fuel and air in a gasoline engine. A properly working ignition system means a properly starting engine and high performance from your car

Transmission Trouble Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

If you’re like most people, car trouble is high on your list of the things that give you headaches. Not only does car trouble put a damper on your day, and seriously slow things down, but it usually means you have to empty your pockets of all your cash.

While some issues, such as a flat tire, are a relatively easy fix, others aren’t so much. Take your vehicle’s transmission, for example. No matter if you drive an automatic or manual, they are usually the more complicated issues to fix.

Transmission 101

You probably have a vague idea as to what your transmission is, and you more than likely understand that when your vehicle has transmission issues, it means big trouble. However, most people’s knowledge stops there.

Automatic Transmissions

Automatic transmissions are the most common type, and most brand new cars have them. However, they are more complicated, and rely on a torque converter to engage the engine and gears.

The torque converter is a complicated system but, in short, it works like this: When the engine is spinning slowly, very little torque is used in the converter and, likewise, when the engine is quickly spinning, just about all of the engine’s torque is converted into the transmission. This explains why your vehicle may creep while idling or when in drive. That is the torque which is being applied to the shaft.