Category Archives: mechanical anything

Automotive information related to repairs, maintenance and client questions

Car hopping is on the rise.

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Cars today have anti theft systems to keep the car from driving away.

The petty thief today does not want your car, they just want to swipe what ever you have loose in your car.

Car hopping is on the rise in many areas.

Car hopping is when the thief scouts for unlocked cars and just grabs what ever you have sitting out. It is a snatch and run. At night it is even easier for them to get away with your valuables. Upscale neighborhoods and shopping malls are the prime areas they strike. The worst part is the thief is dressing the part to fit into the surroundings. They are dressing nice to blend in.

Take the time to place your valuables out of sight, in the trunk or glove box. Remember to lock your car. Any loose change in easy view, may make you a prime target. It only takes a moment to become a victim. It also only takes a moment to put the stuff out of sight.

Take the time, be safe and do not become a victim.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Tune Up – Phoenix 85016

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What is a Tune Up?

By todays standards, a tune up is not like a tune up in the good old days. You may remember back to a time when dad or grandpa worked on the family car in the drive way. With many trips to the auto parts store and two six packs of liquid helper the car would run again.

On a modern O.B.D. 2 car, a tune up it is very different from pre 1999 cars.

O.B.D. 2 started back in 1995, but only on some cars and light trucks. By 1999 every car and light truck on the road had O.B.D. 2 computers running the engine and transmission systems. Many government mandates reshaped how engines and transmission systems are managed. Fuel economy and emissions standards became tighter. So car makers had to make changes.

From 1980 to 1999 many american cars used O.B.D. 1 computers. The O.B.D. 1 computer was slow and prone to odd issues. Each car maker had its own system with its own set of codes and short comings.

As fast as home computers changed, the computers used in cars changed, becoming faster and more capable. Some manufactures used old school ways with new electronics and it made a mess of everything under the hood. So many hoses, wires, valves and sensors it just made your head spin.

Imports had electronic systems back in to the 70’s, but no two makes of car ran the same style of system and they changed every 2 to 3 years. Many import cars used parts that did the same things that O.B.D. 1 parts did, but no one used a uniform standard. It was a big mess until O.B.D. 2.

Back in the old days of points, plugs and wires.

Prior to electronic ignition systems, every engine used a set of points to trigger the ignition system. The points system was a mechanical on off switch for the ignition system. Every 6 months or so the parts would wear out and need replacement or a tune up. On the older cars you did not have a computer to give you a code. You had to find the fault by doing tests on all the parts that ran the engine.

Repairing the older cars required the mechanic to hook up a big engine scope to the engine. Getting good data from the engine during its operation was critical to a fast diagnosis. This was the heart of no code driveability. You had to know how every part worked and how wear effected the way the engine ran or how the transmission would respond. I do not miss the old cars, but I still have some vintage rides stop in for service.

Todays version of a tune up may consist of pulling codes and replacing some broken parts, but for the most part a modern car has nothing to tune up. A computer running a program sets the idle speed and timing to maximise fuel economy and engine performance, its pre-set, nothing to adjust. Service intervals are longer and wearing parts like spark plugs last longer.  The Distributer, distributer cap, rotor, ignition wires and coil has been replaced with an ignition coil on plug ignition systems. Todays engine bay looks simple in comparison to a 80’s car. So what is a tune up? It’s about replacing the worn parts and making the car happy.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Auto Repair 85016 Understanding Labor Hours

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Hours of Labor Defined

A client asked a question about the hours billed on a repair order. Jill is the clients name and Jill’s question is simple. She does not know what the hours of labor indicates in real-time. One hour of time on a clock is 60 minuets, that is easy. Divide 60 minuets by 10.

(60 divided by 10 = 6 minuets or .1 hours of labor)

Labor time on an auto repair invoice is calculated in tenths of an hour (.1 hours = 6 minuets) Some clients never look at the hours of labor, just the total at the bottom.

The time it takes to remove, repair and replace the parts is called a labor operation. Every repair on a vehicle is calculated this way. A labor guide is used to look up the labor for a repair. Every car is different and will have different billable hours for similar tasks. A water pump R/R on a V8 rear wheel drive car is different from a V6 front wheel drive car.

Now let’s look at Jill’s invoice labor. She had an oil change @ .3 hours and a tire rotation @ .2 hours. So the labor for her visit was .5 hours (x) the shop rate = total labor billed.

Now this is how some clients get confused. Jill was at the shop for about an hour but the time on the job was .5 hours not 1.0 or a full hour.

Doing the paper work takes time and some of the time is used just waiting for the oil to drain out. The billed hours, are for the work preformed on the vehicle during the visit at the shop. Billable labor is easier to understand that your phone bill, but if you have questions about labor stop in at the shop anytime during the weekdays.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Chevy Truck Repairs, My engine runs rough.

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1997 Chevrolet truck with a 4.3 engine runs rough.

The owner has maintained the truck very well, but with 300,000+ miles on the clock you would think it would be all worn out, but it’s not. This is why maintenance is critical to the long life of your car or truck. This truck looks and drives great because the owner loves his ride. The rough running condition was not setting any codes.

(This was a No Code, Driveablity Condition) 

It was not related to the ignition system or engine compression. It was caused by a faulty fuel pressure regulator on the fuel injection unit. The only way to spot an issue like this is to know fuel delivery basics.

The failure was not computer related.

Some engine parts go bad slowly over time. The client did not know that anything was wrong. The client only said it felt rough at an idle and to check it out. This little monster below is the fuel injection unit from under the intake manifold. It is hidden from sight. So when it has a leak, you do not smell it or see it, but your fuel economy will drop when it is going bad.

The client may have noticed that the engine was using more fuel, but he does not check the fuel mileage regularly. The easy way to check fuel usage is to zero out your trip meter when you fill up the gas tank. Then at the next fill up, divide the miles traveled by the fuel used to re-fill the tank. Presto, you just found out what your fuel MPG is. Now, do this at every fill up and if you notice your mileage drop over 20% suddenly, you may need repairs or lighter feet.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Full Service Gas Stations 85016

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A long, long time ago… Full service gas stations?

I remember the days when you could find a full service gas station in every local neighborhood. I worked the full service island at a Chevron station near my home town high school. Just about every kid in the auto shop worked at one of the local service stations. It was crazy fun and 5 gallons of free gas every week.

The owner had a great hook, fill up before 9:00 am weekdays and you would get a 16oz hot coffee and a car wash for free. The coffee was average and the car wash was just a basic wash, but people lined up for it. It was a hook.

Today it is hard pressed to find a full service gas station any place in the country. Full service gas stations are gone, a thing of the past. Anyway who would pay extra money for a gallon of gas just to have someone pump it for you?

The gas station I worked at had dozens of regular clients stop in every day for full service fill ups. Young or old, people just did not want to get dirty. Clients liked the personal attention. Everyone liked that we checked the car at every fill up. Checking the fluids, belts and hoses, airing up the tires and washing the windows. We took care of the clients ride.

Cars today still need attention. Waiting till it goes in for service every 4 to 6 months is way too long. Many things can happen in just 30 days. If you have a 6-year-old car or older you should be checking it regularly. Once a month you need to check the under hood fluids, air up the tires, toss out the trash and maybe give it a wash.

If you are in the neighborhood, stop in and let me take a look under the hood. I charge nothing to take a look. If I find something needing attention. I can give you an estimate for the repairs. The important part is to take a look. If your ride needs repairs, it’s better to fix it before you break down on the side of the road.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Are you ready for the “Summer Heat”?

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It’s March & almost summer time. It’s time to get ready for the heat!

Everything inside, outside and under the hood of your car will see extra stress because of the extreme heat in Arizona. If you haven’t noticed it yet, Phoenix is a desert climate, dusty and hot. Every summer I see many cars that are not ready to take on the Arizona heat.

If you live outside Arizona and plan on traveling through Phoenix mid summer, this applies to you too.

The cooling system is a great place to start. Inspecting everything on the engines cooling system is very important. Leaky hoses, water pumps and radiators will let the coolant level drop slowly in the cooling system. Low coolant levels can quickly turn into an over heating condition ruining your engine. Reduced air flow due to bugs, trash or faulty cooling fans can lead to over heating just as easy as low coolant levels. Engine failure can be prevented with a visit to the shop for a full inspection of the cooling system.

You need air-conditioning to keep you cool in your car. let’s check it! Is the output temperature correct, do all the controls work correctly, is your cabin air filter ready to get the job done? Do you have any leaky hoses? Let’s take a look.

Have you thought about reducing the heat to the inside of your car? If you have regular clear glass. Window tint will help cut the heat load to everything inside the car. A high quality tint will reduce the heat inside the car by rejecting the sun’s UV rays.

A summer time inspection can be included with a regular oil change service. Waiting till you are at the side of the road is too late to act. Stop in today.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

A/C Filter Maintenance

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A/C air filters get dirty quickly in Phoenix, AZ

The normal interval for a/c air filter replacement is once a year or every 15,000 miles. In Phoenix, AZ it is very dusty, so filter changes may be needed more often. Today I found a set of original equipment a/c filters in a 1994 Lexus LS400. The car only has 96,000 miles on it and the owner only drives twice a week at best, the owner is a snow bird and this is the winter car that just sits at the house during the summer.

The car has been serviced several times with us, but the owner visits other locations. The client did not have an issue with the a/c, but it’s March and warm out so I turned it on Max just to check it. I noticed the air flow was weak when the fan was set on MAX air. So I took a peek at the a/c air filters.

I was stunned to find OE original filters in place. Some-how it was not noticed on the other visits to the shop. Overall changing the cabin air filter regularly keeps incoming air cleaner and duct air flow at peak output. If you do not remember ever-changing the a/c filters in your car, stop in at the shop and we can take care of it for you.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

 

Check Your Oil!

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When was the last time you opened the hood & checked your oil level?

Why wait, check it today!

A low engine oil level will cause internal engine parts to wear. Waiting till you go in for service may be too late to prevent wear from taking place. You can’t see the wear that takes place inside the engine, but it may be the difference between replacing the engine at 60,000 miles vs 200,000 miles.

I have seen car owners bad mouth a brand or product line just because of a failure related to poor maintenance.

This car is a pile of @!^&*!!

The truth is the car owner didn’t do his maintenance. Ignorance is bliss. Good car ownership starts with maintaining the things that wear on the car.

Tires, brakes, ignition & fuel systems, fluids, filters, belts, hoses, lights and wiper blades will wear out some day. Why wait till you are broken down at the side of the road to take action?

maintenance is ongoing and the key to the long life of your car.

I know in our rush, rush world. You may never stop long enough to remember about checking your own oil level, unless the engine makes ugly noises or the genie lamp turns on. Why wait, checking your oil level may save you from an engine failure.

If you are in the area, stop in at the shop and I can check the oil level for you. If your oil level is low often. You may have an oil leak. even a small oil leak can cause the oil level to be low in less than 30 days. Always fix oil leaks as soon as possible to prevent engine wear due to oil loss.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

 

Buying a new, used car. 5 steps to keep you from buying a lemon.

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It’s time to buy a car, but you can only afford a new, used car.

Many clients I know have a budget to stick to.  I have a budget and need to plan for any big purchase. Buying a new car is a huge step for anyone.  Tags, title, maintenance and insurance, everything just got more expensive.

Not every used car is going to be a good buy right off the lot. I look at about 10 cars every month and less than 50% are worth buying.

I work for my client, not the seller.

I do not wear rose-colored glasses. So I will look past the shiny paint and overly slicked down engine bay to see every fault.

Step 1: Go look at cars during the day.

Cars on the car lot will look real nice under the bright lights, but you will miss many details at night. During the day it is easy to see all the flaws. Paint color issues and poorly done body repairs are the big defects that hide at night.

Step 2: Buy 2 to 4 years old, let the first owner take the hit.

When you buy a gently used 2 to 4-year-old car, the first owner will take the hit on the deprecation of the car. Almost all cars and trucks take a huge dip in value in the first 5 years. It is best to buy a car no older than 8 years. This way you will still have service parts available to keep your car looking and running good.

Auto manufactures start to discontinue cosmetic parts at 8 years of age. Cosmetic parts keep your car looking good. If it is in an accident it will need cosmetic parts to put it back together. So It is best to get something newer vs real old.

Mechanical parts will still be available for many years and you may have to go to a regular auto parts source (NAPA) for some things as the car ages past 15 years. Personally I drive a 1993 Toyota Tercel and my Toyota is 20 years old, but Toyota still services almost 80% of the parts for this car.

As long as you love your car and we can get quality parts for it, we can keep your car running great.

Gear head alert: If you have mechanical skills, the year of the car will never matter, but I will still recommend you to have an independent shop inspect the car, because it will be an objective opinion. If I save you money and keep you from buying a money pit, it will be worth every penny for the inspection.

Step 3: Drive the car in the city and on the freeway.

Before you bring the car in for an inspection. You can rule out some things on your own. When you drive the car, does it drive straight down the road? On flat ground, under safe conditions, lightly grip the steering wheel while driving. If it wants to turn or pull to one side, it could show repairs are needed. Tires can also cause a pull, but so can worn suspension parts or poor quality accident repairs.

Do the same pull check when using the brakes, does it pull or shake? Take time to listen to the car not the radio. Is the car overly noisy when driving on a smooth road? Does it vibrate at an idle when it is in gear? Does it shake at high speeds above the speed limit…

Does the car smell musty or like an old gym bag when you first get in. This is mostly noticed when you live in a hot climate area like Phoenix, AZ.

Do all the electric devices work? Does the A/C and heat work correctly. This one is a must have in Phoenix, AZ

Just check everything you can, switch everything on and off plus open and close all windows and the sun roof if it has one. If it will pass basic tests you are ready for the next part of the inspection.

Then bring the car into the shop for a full inspection. We will check the engine, fuel and Ignition systems, scan the computer, emissions equipment, transmission and under chassis. We will look for hidden body repairs that may have not been reported to Carfax. If we find issues we can give you retail prices on the needed repairs. This repair list will give you power to wheel and deal with the seller or just pass on the car.

Step 4: Stay away from cars that have “Go Fast” modifications.

Modifications do not add to the retail value or private re-sale value of the car, unless done correctly. Too many times I see cars that are just hacked up, but they look good on the outside. You can break this rule if you want to, but let me tell you why this step is important.

Let’s say you buy a Ford Mustang with a smaller V8 or V6, but later will want to add performance parts to it to make it Go Fast. You just killed the re-sale value of the car and wasted your money for a small gain.

It would be better for you to just buy the Mustang GT. The GT will hold its value because it is not hacked up, plus it is a Go Fast car to start with. Buy right, buy once.

When performance parts go bad, finding replacement parts when traveling can cause issues. A near stock car can be serviced at almost any repair location. Modifications will cost extra to maintain, and may add extra repair labor when servicing your car.

Every change you make to the car has a price. The costs go way past the original installation the parts.

Step 5: The most important step is…

*** “Do not buy any car or truck without getting it inspected!” ***

Ok, this should be a no brainer, but it’s not. I have looked at many cars that clients have already signed the papers on and they own the car.

I act on the clients behalf to protect the client from the seller. Think of it as being your second set of eyes. About 99% of all used cars older than 5 years do not come with a warranty. Yes, you can spend extra money on a 3rd party warranty, but if you buy a good car, you will not need to worry about a warranty because you did your home work. So do not sign anything till you have had it checked out at an independent shop. Even if the car is from a friend!

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

 

 

What is a genie lamp? Engine Repair Phoenix 85016

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What is a Genie lamp?

This was one of the funnest & sad things I have ever encountered, but it was mostly a sad day for the owner of the car. The owner of the car in question did not know what the lights on the instrument panel indicated. The owner drove the car till it stopped. Once the car arrived at the shop, I asked the standard questions. The owner said they had a genie lamp on, but the car drove fine till the engine stalled. so I asked them to show me what lamp on the panel was turning on.

Keep in mind, I was puzzled about what the client was seeing. Because I have never seen a genie lamp on any instrument panel. 

The client turned on the key and pointed to the light that was on. It was the OIL LIGHT, but to them it looked like a genie lamp. Keeping a straight face, I said, a genie lamp would have smoke going up out of the spout. The lamp on the panel had a drop going down. The client just giggled. Then shock set in.

The client had no idea that the engine had no oil in it. It was just serviced at the clients local quick lube. The drain plug was tight, the filter was new and tight, just no oil. I was very impressed, the car went 14 miles before engine failure. The client said the light was on when they picked up the car, but they did not think anything of it because, it was on intermittently a week before the service. I did not say a thing. I Just gave them a price and the car ended up going away.

As a car owner, you should know some basics. You need to know how to air up your tires, plus check the oil and coolant. You should know what all the warning lights on the instrument panel indicate. You should know how to change a flat tire.

If you have questions about your car, stop in at the station and we will answer any of your questions at no charge. Knowledge is key to keeping your car in good shape.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013