Category Archives: The Dealer

Ms. Kate

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Ms. Kate asked; why can’t you guarantee the repair will fix my car?

Ms. Kate has an almost broken car. Some failures and repairs will fall into a gray area, and Ms. Kate’s Ford was just that, a gray area repair.

The car would stall out when coming to a stop, but restart. Plus it would sometimes not start when hot. It would start after it cooled down for about 1 hour. The condition is intermittent, and it has never acted up for us in the shop. Plus the car’s computer had no codes.

The client never had time to leave the car for a full day.

Ms. Kate does not trust the car and fears driving it because it could stall at the wrong time.

After testing the car a couple of times, my best guess was it could be one of three things. #1 it could be a faulty crank shaft sensor. #2 it could be a faulty fuel pump. #3 it could be a wire fault related to a poor connection at a wire connector or wire junction. More testing was needed.

The big issue for the client is she is on a tight budget and can only spend what is needed to do the needed repair. I understand this all to well. I have a budget and have to stick to it.

To help the client, I advised her to let me have the car for a couple of days so I could leave my test gear hooked up and drive the car at random times. Ms. Kate did not like being without her car, but it needed to be done.

What I found; it did have a faulty crank shaft sensor and a bad fuel pump. The crank sensor was related to the stalling condition and the fuel pump was related to the random hot no start.

I always like to test the car and confirm the fault area. Guessing about what repairs are needed can lead to wasted money and time.

Some times a best guess is all we have, but it must be a good solid guess, 80% chance or more. Give me some time with your car and we can find the fault part 100% confirmed!

I want all my clients to feel good about the money they spend. I want 100% of your business, and I want you to be happy that you used Tony’s Service Center for your repair needs. Ms. Kate is happy because we fixed the cars issues. It did take three days to get it to act up, but only 4 hours to make the repairs once we knew what was broken.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

For Sale

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Yep! It’s For Sale.   ****One owner, driven only on Sunday’s!****

So you are looking for a new car. Maybe not brand new, but new to you. Surfing the web to find a car, can be frustrating.

You may find one you like, but when you go see it in person things change.

I recommend to every client, if you are going to buy a used car. Bring it into the shop for us to check it out. A full car inspection is a small drop in the bucket and it can keep you from getting into a money pit.

Some cars are not worth it, they will suck the money from your budget, and leave you disappointed. The car you choose needs to fit into your budget not eat it alive.

50 to 60% of the cars and trucks that visit the shop for a pre-purchase inspection are only in fair condition. Not worth your time or money

The seller is getting rid of a problem child.

I find a diamond in the rough from time to time, but for the most part many cars I inspect are worn out.

Buying the right car takes a little time. I find that many clients will look at more than 10 cars before they find a keeper.

Cars and trucks from an auction house can be a high risk, so beware that repairs could cost you big if you get a lemon.

So here are 5 basic steps to help you look for your new car.

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.

Take a flashlight. You need to look behind and under the seats, in the trunk and under the dash. You are looking for anything that looks broken or in need of repair.

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 drop 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 the car wants to turn or pull to one side, it could indicate repairs 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

 

Green Grass

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Is the Grass Greener on the other side?

Green grass with mint plants along a fence.

Green grass with a shrub fence line, it looks nice, but what is on the other side?

The big question of the week, is the Grass Greener? Yes, yes it is, if you are on the right side of the fence.

When do you know you are on the right side of the fence? When you get what you want, duh.

So is it Ok to jump ship for something better, yes! If it is better and not a tease.

Many “big chain” retail shops today will bid low to draw you in, then slowly add things until they get what they want. This is called (a bait and switch) Coupon shopping automotive repair can lead you to bigger problems.

mesh fence and green grass on the other side

Wow, this looks good, it’s green.

At Tony’s we have an up front pricing system.

Yes, it may seem higher if you are a discount shopper, but it is real world pricing with quality parts and a solid warranty.

Some people, including my wife will drive 10 miles to save $1.00 on a pair of $18.00 shoes. The percentage of savings ‘vs’ gas cost does not add up. The grass was not greener.

The savings has to be BIG for me to look across the fence. Service providers like to know you use them because you like the work they do. The price is not the main issue, it’s about the quality! Anyway, if I want a service to match a price, most of the time they can match apples for apples, you just have to ask.

Stacy was a long time client and her truck needed transmission repairs. Our transmission vendor looked at the truck and advised a full overhaul. The transmission had 147,000 miles on it. It lived a good life and then some. Stacy did not like the price of the repair. Stacy was mad, because she felt our price was just too high. Stacy picked up her truck and took it to a big name transmission retailer that said they could do the full overhaul 20% cheaper than we could.

Fast forward 2 months, Stacy finally got her truck back from the transmission shop. Yep, It was in the shop a long time. The first overhaul only went a week before it failed. Stacy’s second visit to the retailer took 2 weeks to sort out who would pay for the failure. In all, Stacy had to take her truck back to the shop 4 more times before it was working correctly. It was a big mess. Stacy, spent over $4,000 for all of her efforts, not including rental car charges. Stacy was not happy.

Our overhaul price was only $3,200 and it came with a 24,000 mile / 2 year warranty. The other shop only offered 1 year and 12,000 miles.

I know the full story, because Stacy’s brother is a client at our shop. I hope Stacy will return to our shop some day. Stacy found out too late, the grass was not greener.

weeds and dirt with rocks

No body want to land in something like this. Bouncing from shop to shop will not save money in the long run and you could land in a nasty mess.

Price matching an estimate is easy. I know my estimates will always be higher, I am picky about quality. If a client has a legitimate written estimate from a competitor, we can match that estimate apples for apples.

Quality vs price; the quality will be remebered long after the price savings.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Auto Repair 85016 – Oil Change Coupon

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Cheep oil changes, everybody want’s one!

Why do you want an oil change so cheep? It does not cost much anyway. Our average oil change price is $38.00 with an air filter installed. $30.00 with out an air filter. That is the, out the door price (tax, fees and service) Most cars only need 3 oil changes a year. Why skimp on an important service? 3 oil changes are less than $150.00 a year.

car care oil change sign

Changing your oil does not have to be pain full. The car care special we are running till the end of 2013 is a great deal. A full service Oil change with Air Filter if needed, all under hood Fluids topped off, Charging system checked, Battery checked, Lighting system checked, A/C system checked, Tire rotation, Brake inspection and more. It’s a huge savings and great value.

Coupon Oil Change, why use a coupon?

Yeah, you get your oil changed, but what type of product is going into your engine? Do you think that a $14.95 oil change is going to get high quality oil?

A major “chain store” retailer that does oil changes, uses recycled oil in the oil change special unless you pay extra for the new oil.

Ask for new oil and your oil change just jumped to $26.00 before tax and fees.

Every place that offers a coupon oil change is doing it at a loss. They figure, if they dangle the coupon oil change in front of you, you will spend money freely on other repairs needed.

Yeah, like that will happen, why do you think you are using a coupon.

Oil Change Loyalty

Our clients have the oil changed at least 3 times a year. During our oil change we look at the entire car. Front to rear, we look at everything we can without removing any major parts.

We do this to find any repairs that may be needed.

Yes, it is a fact-finding mission.

Yes, we want your business, but we will not lie to you to get it.

Once we inspect your car, we ask you if you would like prices for the things we see. If you say No. We note our findings as future needs on the work order and we finish the service.

No high pressure. It’s Yes or No.

Chain stores use high pressure words and sales tricks to get you to say yes today, I do not. As long as the repairs needed are not a safety risk to you, we can plan for the repairs to be done on the next visit.

Why go cheep? Be Loyal and be rewarded.

A regular client does not have to question us about why the car needs repairs, but if they have questions about the repairs needed, we are here to help them. The goal is to keep the car in good shape. Nobody want’s to sit on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck. Cars wear out and need repair. If you drive it, it will break some day.

The idea of inspecting the car during an oil change is to inform the client of upcoming repairs. This gives the client the power to plan for the repair.

I have a budget and I know I have to stick to it. Most repairs do not need to be done that second, but should be done soon. I promote preventive maintenance. Repairing the car before you break down on the side of the road.

Oil Change Challenge!

I hear people say this often, I can’t afford that much for an oil change. You must plan for your cars service and repairs. A repair savings account is a good place to start. You can also try the oil change challenge below. What goes into the jug stays in the jug.

An oil change does not cost that much. Our basic oil change is $30.00 out the door. (tax, fees and service)

A coupon special may be $14.95 before tax and fees. By the time you walk out the door your bill is close to $ 25.00 or more. So did you save any money? Maybe, but how much?

My oil change challenge: save your spare change in a large jar or 2 qt. juice jug till it is time to change your oil. I know you will have more than you need to do an oil change. Plus you will have money remaining to do extra service repairs. Do not cheat the jug, what goes in, stays in till it’s time for service.

Bring us the coupon! “Coupon Oil Change”

If you need auto repairs, bring in any oil change coupon and we will match that coupon price during your repair visit.

In fact, mention HeyAnthonyAz.com and your oil change is on me. How cool is that, get your car repairs done here and you get a free oil change.

Yes, the free oil change has a catch. It has to be during a repair visit and your repair visit needs to be at least $150.00. It’s that easy.

 

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Going to the dealer for repairs. Auto Repair 85016

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I have some clients that say this: I do not want to go to the dealer. 

Why?

The dealer has all the cool tools, great parts and factory trained mechanics. So why not go to the dealer. They know everything about the car you drive. It must be a great place.

I have worked in three dealerships. Everyone of them was challenging. Shop politics, back stabbing, steeling work from each other, breaking things to flag warranty time, high mechanic turn over and the list goes on. In short, it sucked.

Because I have morals, I never did very well at the dealership level. I did not play along with the shop games, politics and shady ways to flag time.

I did have an advantage, I could work on anything that rolled. I always had work when everyone else was standing around. In the long run I still made my pay check, but I did it the hard way, I worked for it.

I like working at a family owned repair shop.

Clients like the family owned repair shops because they get better overall service. A family shop is a great place to go for all your repair and maintenance needs. A family repair shop works on anything that rolls. Any year and model, we do not mind. A family owned shop can do everything the dealer can do. A family repair shop offers you a personal touch.

A family shop will always be a better place than the dealer, because we care about you.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013