Today is going to be a pretty short post. I just wanted to bring up a couple points about the recent surge in "Mobile Mechanics" out there during these hard economic times.
First of all I need to make something clear. I don't believe that all mobile mechanics are bad, in fact I know of some that are great technicians, take pride in their work, and do a great job. With that being said, you also have to be very careful about who is under the hood of your vehicle.
I had a gal come into my shop last week and ask what I would charge to do front brakes on her Subaru Outback (this is a pretty simple task for any legit technicians, even at the entry level). I told her I have a special running this month for $99.00 which includes resurfacing her rotors and replacing the brake pads. If you read my previous post about doing brakes the correct way than you already know that I am very proper about even the most simple jobs like brakes. She told me she did not have enough money for the job and I can completely understand that. The next day she was browsing on Craigslist and found a mobile mechanic that would do the job for $30 less than my price, so she called him and scheduled a time for him to come out and replace the brake pads on her car.
She called me 2 days later and explained that she had a mobile mechanic do the brakes on her car and it was now making a very loud grinding noise. She brought the car in to my shop to have it rechecked as she could not get a hold of the mobile mechanic. What I found was pretty disturbing...
First of all the rotors were not refinished (which will lessen the life of the brake job). None of the moving parts were cleaned and lubed. I see this pretty often so I was not too surprised. What did surprise me though was the fact that the mobile mechanic left a brake caliper bolt out on the brake caliper mounting bracket which was causing the caliper to lodge itself up against the inside of the right front wheel. This could have caused a major accident and I'm very glad it didn't. The caliper was ruined and had to be replaced. The brake pads were ruined and had to be replaced. I was able to refinish the rotors and re-do the whole brake job properly. By the time we fixed everything properly it ended up costing the customer twice as much as I originally had quoted the job + the $70 she paid the mobile mechanic.
The point that I want to make here is: not all mobile mechanics do these kinds of repairs, but there are people out there that do not know what they are doing. Just because someone tells you they have been fixing their cars their entire life does not mean they have the proper training and credentials to be fixing your vehicle the right way. A mobile mechanic may be a great option for you but please check them out thoroughly first. Do they carry ASE Certification cards with them. Do they have legit refrences you can call to check? Do they have a proper business license and are they checking to make sure that the land they will be working on your vehicle is safe for the job. Are they properly disposing of harmful chemicals?
These are just some things to think about while deciding how to go about your next vehicle repair or service.
Feel free to call me 208.664.6400 for any questions or advice about your vehicle. My name is Cory and I'm the owner of Save More Automotive in Coeur d'Alene, ID. We can tackle any of your vehicle repairs and services with only the best ASE Certified technicians available. Brakes, tune ups, check engine light diagnosis, transmission repair, engine repair, timing belts, oil changes, and everything inbetween. We are the experts when it comes to saving your car or truck. You can also find us online at http://www.cdasavemore.com/ where you can fill out a free online quote form.
Save More Automotive
1425 E Sherman Ave
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
208.664.6400
http://www.cdasavemore.com/
cory@cdasavemore.com
Save More Automotive is an auto repair shop in Coeur d'Alene, ID and Spokane, WA. We write this blog to help our customers and other around the web learn about car and truck maintenance and repair.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Importance of The Oil Change & Especially Where It's Done
Changing the oil in your car or truck is one of the most important things you should be doing to maintain your vehicle. Most manufacturers recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles, but a few have different intervals such as 5,000 miles and I've even seen a couple European vehicles that recommend it every 7,000 miles. Those vehicles usually use a very expensive synthetic oil. Check your vehicle owner's manual to know for sure how often your oil should be changed.
The obvious reason for changing your oil is to protect your engine's internal parts that require clean lubrication from heat and friction damage. Many people overlook the second reason to have your oil changed every 3,000 miles or 3-4 months, and the second reason is to have a qualified technician look over your vehicle's vital parts. Bringing your car in for regular oil changes gives your mechanic a chance to test drive and generally inspect your car. If you take your car to one of those quicklube places where they shove you in, drop the oil, sell you as many un-needed "fast services" as they can, fill your car back up with the wrong oil and shove you out is a complete waste of money and your missing out on the 50% of the importance of an oil change.
At my shop I perform a full preventative maintenance inspection on every vehicle that comes in for an oil change. I rotate the tires if needed (at no extra cost) and check things like the safety of your brakes and steering/suspension parts, battery terminals and battery condition, belts, hoses, and antifreeze protection level just to name a few. Tow trucks tow thousands of vehicles of every year for corroded battery terminals or bad batteries, split hoses, and broken belts; all things that could have been prevented if a qualified technician would have warned the vehicle's owner. People also spend thousands of dollars on brake rotors and drums every year that would not have been needed if the owner was informed that they needed brake before they started grinding.
The quick lube places simply rush through their oil changes too fast and are too inexperienced to properly look your vehicle over and warn you of real problems that may arise. They check the air filter and vehicle fluids because that is all they know how to repair, and changing those items quickly for you is extremely profitable for them. They do a good job of showing you the "dirty/bad" fluid that is in our car and the harm it is doing and so on. They have a nice little check list of things that are profitable for the quick lube shop to replace, but not necessarliy what should be checked during a preventative maintenance check.
Think about what you gain by going to the quick lube shop for your oil change... You save about 20 minutes or so right? At my shop a good oil change with a full preventative maintenance inspection takes about 30-45 minutes. A quick lube takes about 15 minutes to get your oil changed + what ever they "upsell" you while your there. My normal oil change price is $29.95 which is about the same as the quick lube places but the value is incredibly different. So, you might save 15 or 20 minutes by going to a quick lube shop for your oil change, but that could cost you several hours + a tow bill and costly repair that could have easily been prevented. There is a huge difference between a "good price" and a "great value" and not all "mechanics" or so called "mechanics" are created equal. Remember that.
My goal at my shop is for my customers to never have to tow their vehicles in: for one, I do everything I can to keep them happy and an unexpected break down has never made anyone happy; and for two, I don't like having to push cars to get them into my shop :)
So my advice to you is to find a mechanic that you completely trust. Someone that believes in real customer service and isn't going to just try and sell you repairs that you don't need, and take your car to them every 3-4 months for a preventative maintenance inspection. I guarantee it will save you time and money in the long run.
Cory Howard - Owner
Save More Automotive
1425 E Sherman Ave
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
(208) 664-6400
http://www.cdasavemore.com/
The obvious reason for changing your oil is to protect your engine's internal parts that require clean lubrication from heat and friction damage. Many people overlook the second reason to have your oil changed every 3,000 miles or 3-4 months, and the second reason is to have a qualified technician look over your vehicle's vital parts. Bringing your car in for regular oil changes gives your mechanic a chance to test drive and generally inspect your car. If you take your car to one of those quicklube places where they shove you in, drop the oil, sell you as many un-needed "fast services" as they can, fill your car back up with the wrong oil and shove you out is a complete waste of money and your missing out on the 50% of the importance of an oil change.
At my shop I perform a full preventative maintenance inspection on every vehicle that comes in for an oil change. I rotate the tires if needed (at no extra cost) and check things like the safety of your brakes and steering/suspension parts, battery terminals and battery condition, belts, hoses, and antifreeze protection level just to name a few. Tow trucks tow thousands of vehicles of every year for corroded battery terminals or bad batteries, split hoses, and broken belts; all things that could have been prevented if a qualified technician would have warned the vehicle's owner. People also spend thousands of dollars on brake rotors and drums every year that would not have been needed if the owner was informed that they needed brake before they started grinding.
The quick lube places simply rush through their oil changes too fast and are too inexperienced to properly look your vehicle over and warn you of real problems that may arise. They check the air filter and vehicle fluids because that is all they know how to repair, and changing those items quickly for you is extremely profitable for them. They do a good job of showing you the "dirty/bad" fluid that is in our car and the harm it is doing and so on. They have a nice little check list of things that are profitable for the quick lube shop to replace, but not necessarliy what should be checked during a preventative maintenance check.
Think about what you gain by going to the quick lube shop for your oil change... You save about 20 minutes or so right? At my shop a good oil change with a full preventative maintenance inspection takes about 30-45 minutes. A quick lube takes about 15 minutes to get your oil changed + what ever they "upsell" you while your there. My normal oil change price is $29.95 which is about the same as the quick lube places but the value is incredibly different. So, you might save 15 or 20 minutes by going to a quick lube shop for your oil change, but that could cost you several hours + a tow bill and costly repair that could have easily been prevented. There is a huge difference between a "good price" and a "great value" and not all "mechanics" or so called "mechanics" are created equal. Remember that.
My goal at my shop is for my customers to never have to tow their vehicles in: for one, I do everything I can to keep them happy and an unexpected break down has never made anyone happy; and for two, I don't like having to push cars to get them into my shop :)
So my advice to you is to find a mechanic that you completely trust. Someone that believes in real customer service and isn't going to just try and sell you repairs that you don't need, and take your car to them every 3-4 months for a preventative maintenance inspection. I guarantee it will save you time and money in the long run.
Cory Howard - Owner
Save More Automotive
1425 E Sherman Ave
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
(208) 664-6400
http://www.cdasavemore.com/
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