Category Archives: What happened!

Aftermarket parts cost less for a reason.

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Today I had a Toyota Tacoma client pop in for an oil change. I see this truck about 4 times a year for service needs. The client keeps the truck clean and up to date on all service needs. A year ago the truck was in fender bender and the OE headlights got crunched. The client came in with some aftermarket headlight units and had us install them. I mentioned that the aftermarket plastics don’t hold up in the Arizona heat. The client said he saved a lot of money and they look fine to him. I installed them.

14 months later they look like poop! The plastics are hazed over, but not on the outside. This issue is on the inside, you can not fix an inside issue. You have to replace them again. The end story is the aftermarket parts are less expensive because they are a lower quality part. They kinda look the same, but upon close inspection, they are not.

Aftermarket parts are a problem. Many do not fit correctly, plus the over all finish work is not OE level and they do not last as long. When ever I can, I try to get the client to see the value in using factory parts when ever possible. This is not to say all aftermarket parts are poor quality. We use many aftermarket parts that match OE quality.

When we know that an aftermarket part is ok to use, we use them. We are always watching out for the client. In turn we do not want to use a part that will fail. If the aftermarket part can not meet our 3 year 36,000 warranty we do not want to use it.

We install 48% OE parts on clients cars.

The end game is to fix the clients vehicle correctly the first time and offer a repair that lasts.

HeyAnthonyAz.com

Nissan Sentra No Start

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After many hours of work, the client said no to the repair.

This happens from time to time. It’s part of the car repair business, some clients say no. You check out a clients concern. You put together an estimate for the repairs needed. It’s common to have car owners under the age of 30 to take a couple of hours to decide to move forward with a repair. The 2008 Sentra I was working on needed a new engine computer. Something went wrong and the old one died. The repair was almost 900.00 and to me that was not much for a basic repair.

The client said no and the car was sold for scrap.

Part 2 of this story: The salvage buyer asked us to finish the repairs, but they wanted us to send the computer out for repairs. I have had zero luck using rebuild services for any

Old computer that was sent out for repairs. I don’t see any repairs done…

computer repair. So 3 weeks later the computer was back. The service said they made a repair and the computer works fine now.

I installed the computer and it did not work. The buyer said I diagnosed the problem wrong and the computer was fine. I said he was wrong and the computer repair was not a repair for the problem the computer had. After 2 more weeks of back and forth communications. The buyer finally said yes to a new computer from the dealer.

A new computer fixed the problem.

It’s common for computers to be replaced and they are not bad. It is a guess repair by the technician working on the car. I use a test simulation method to rule out input and output results to the computer. It takes longer, but it prevents a misdiagnosis. Time spent will prevent having to backtrack later or worse ruin a new computer because the part that killed the first computer just killed the new unit.

Fix it right, fix it once. HeyAnthonyAz.com

Yep, it’s broken; Plastics…

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Plastics, they don’t last forever.

Unhappy owners with broken cars arrive at my shop every month, and the owners just do not understand why the car has broken down. Well, if you drive it, it will wear out…..

Todays autos use lot’s of plastics. Auto makers have always used plastic parts, but in todays cars and trucks plastic parts are used for so many things, it can be frustrating when parts don’t last because they are made of plastic.wp-image-33241149jpg.jpg

Today I have a Nissan Frontier in the shop with a coolant leak at a plastic fitting on the heater core. This is a common thing on a vehicle that is 10 years old or older.

The hard part is informing the client that the engine is bad, because it over heated, due to a plastic part that failed. Using plastics to make a car lighter, and get better emissions is great, but at what cost to the client. I would rather have all cooling system parts made from metal. The auto maker makes the parts out of plastic because it’s cheaper to manufacture.

So what do they care if the part fails and the engine goes bad. That’s why they make new cars anyway.

Fix it right, fix it once. HeyAnthonyAz.com

D.I.Y. repairs done on the cheep?

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I have only one issue with a car owner doing a DIY repair.

If an owner of a car is going to try doing A DIY repair, at least be honest about it when it does not turn out the way you wanted.

My only issue is when a car owner does a DIY repair and then they say that no one has been 20160830_113235_hdr.jpgworking on the car.

DIY repairs are easy to spot. It’s obvious that someone was not following a correct procedure.

Fix it right, Fix it once…

DIY repairs are fine when you use quality parts and the correct repair procedure. Short cut the repair and you are asking for trouble.

This nasty mess, in the above image is from using an aftermarket A/C service kit that included sealant. Many of the A/C service kits sold at auto parts stores, include sealants as part of the freon charge.

A/C Sealants are nasty & damage your A/C system.

Fix it right, fix it once. HeyAnthonyAz.com

Cheap Parts & Service = Poor Satisfaction!

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The bitterness of “poor quality” lingers long after the sweetness of “low price” is forgotten: Ben Franklin

Fixing your vehicle does not have to break the bank. When a vehicle repair has good value, the cost of the repair is not a huge issue any longer. We use quality parts plus offer a solid warranty. Our goal is to offer vehicle repairs that have value and prevent breakdowns.

Knowing you get what you pay for. Haggling about the labor and using the cheapest parts possible to save money is asking for trouble. Sitting at the side of the road waiting for a tow truck is no fun.

We offer quality repairs with value. All repairs we do must stand up to our 2 year / 24,000 mile warranty. As an independent repair shop we use many dealer parts. The dealer parts fit correctly, and exceed our 2 year / 24,000 mile warranty. The aftermarket parts we use must “fit and function” just like the original equipment dealer parts we install.

Some clients will ask if we can find less expensive parts, and we say yes we can, but the part warranty may not be 2 years / 24,000 miles.

The warranty will be what the parts manufacturer offers, and you get no labor coverage. Our job is to show you the value of doing the repair correctly the first time.

“Fix my car as cheap as you can, Blah, Blah, I am selling it next week.”

Some aftermarket parts may only have a 90 day warranty. Granted most parts should last at least 90 days, but if the part goes bad you get to pay labor again, even if the part has a warranty.

For Example: A car owner goes to a quick lube shop for a 14.95 oil change, and the shop strips the threads out of the oil pan. Anyway you look at this, your cheap oil change just turned into a big mess. Our standard oil change out the door is about $41.00 but it has good value. We do not shortcut the job, just to get it out the door. We spend up to 45 minutes on your vehicle, looking for things that may cause you a break down. If we find issues that need repair, we show you what we found, and we give you prices. We help you plan for your maintenance needs.

For Example: Brake pads have one of the biggest issues with quality vs price. If you go to the dealer, they will only offer one part for your model car, and the price will be high, but the parts fit and work correctly. Now go to an aftermarket parts house, and they may have 5 to 10 different brands of brake pad, all at different prices. Some may work good but make noise, others may wear fast or worse not stop the car correctly. With aftermarket parts you must be selective.

Some aftermarket parts work very good, and if you know what works well, then it’s easy to offer the savings to the client. Our job is to know what works and offer the client the best repair.

For Example: Belts, Hoses and Water pumps have a wide range of price and quality. If I am looking for a belt in the aftermarket, and I can get Bando or Dayco I am happy. I know they are brands that last a long time. For Hoses, I look for the best fit, and rubber quality. The parts quality, affects its service life. A long service life keeps you from having to visit the shop over and over. For Water Pumps, I turn to the dealer 60% of the time, because they just last so much longer.

Fixing your vehicle correctly will reduce how many times you need to visit the repair shop each year. If you own 3 or more cars, you can see how important it is to fix it right the first time. Anyway, It’s not that we don’t want to see you again. We want our clients to be happy they used our services.

We are here to help, we fix sick cars!

With today’s vehicle’s, you visit the repair shop less often, but it feels like the repairs cost more, and more when you visit your mechanic.

Going to the “car doctor” is not on anyone’s top ten list, but when your vehicle breaks down, you know you’re going to spend money.

Preventing breakdowns is what we do. Keeping you informed of your vehicle’s condition let’s you save when faced with bigger repairs. Helping you keep your vehicle in good condition, and preventing breakdowns is our goal.

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We like our clients to visit the shop for service at least every 5,000 miles of driving or once every 4 months. Many things can happen in 4 months of driving. Our clients are always welcome to stop by in between vehicle servicings, for fluid top offs and airing up the tires.

Fix it right, Fix it once.  HeyAnthonyAz.com

Can I bring my own parts?

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When you go to a restaurant, do you bring your own food?

Every month, I have at least 5 people ask if we will install a part they bring in.

Our answer is no.

   It’s not that we do not want to put on your parts. It’s because of the warranty. If we sell you the part, it will come with a 2 year 24,000 mile warranty, and labor is covered 100%

If you bring in your own part, you get no warranty with us, and if the part fails, you pay the labor again to replace the part a second time.

Do we bent the rule? Some times. We have installed clients parts, depending on what the part is, and if it’s for a specialty reason like a classic car or super hard to find part, but they must sign a waiver, stating they understand the repair comes with no warranty, parts or labor.

Think about it, do you save that much?

Fix it right, Fix it once. HeyAnthonyAz.com

Helping a friend

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Recently when helping a friend with an issue that they had, a problem came up. Poor communications caused a falling out. Communication is just that, and sending information via email or texts is no way to solve any issue. I am a detective and when talking to a person on the phone, I will have Q&A that will help sort out the real issues from the garbage.

I have people ask me all the time for help with an automotive problem they have. They want free advice, or they think it will be cheaper because they know me. I try to get everyone to visit the shop, so I can look at the vehicle properly. In many cases I do not charge to look at the issue at hand.

At my shop we do not charge for inspecting the vehicle if you do the repair on the same visit.

Everyone lies about whats happening with their car, it may be a small white lie, or it could be a big lie to cover up a mistake they made when trying to repair the car on their own.

Being deceptive does not save you money on the repair!

The vehicle will tell the truth, and I talk to cars all the time. The car will not hide whats wrong. It’s broken and need repair. That is why I want to look at the vehicle. Testing and getting reading from the vehicle will tell me what repairs are needed, and it will be 100% correct.

When some one wants a price for a repair sight-un-seen, it’s a guess. So, if I give someone a repair quote without inspecting the vehicle it will always be higher than normal. Brake repairs are the most commonly asked questions. The range of pricing is so wide, its scary.

Guessing at the repairs needed will cause big issues. Bring your vehicle in and let’s inspect the issue the right way, so the correct repair is done right the first time.

Heyanthonyaz.com 2015

You broke it!

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Automotive repairs can cause high tensions with a vehicle owner.

In a perfect world, everything is free and nothing ever goes wrong… Every day I work with clients that understand that the vehicle they own will need service and repairs. The owner knows that a quality repair will cost something.

Finding good prices and honest service is the clients #1 objective.

I never force a client to do a repair with me. I give the client an estimate for the repairs needed and the client can say yes or no. Once the repairs are finished. I drive the vehicle and make sure the repairs are done correctly.

The goal is to fix it right the first time. When I return the vehicle back to the client, I know everything related to the repairs is working correctly.

It never did that before you worked on it! You broke it!

When a client says, it never did that before you worked on it.

I ask the client to stop in and show me what is going on. I will look at the clients issue, and find out how it may be related to the repairs preformed on the last visit.

99% of the time, the clients issue is not related to the last repair, it’s a new repair.

Sabotage or coincidence?

Some times things happen we can’t control. So I work hard to make sure all new issues are addressed one at a time and quickly. When I work on your vehicle, your car is in the shop because it’s broken or needs service. If something goes wrong while your car is in my care, I will openly tell you. I have no reason to hide an oops. Some times things just happen and we move on.

Case in point, Sam’s car was in for an oil service and 4 new tires. During the service work I found a left, low beam head lamp was not working and the upper radiator hose was leaking coolant.

The bulb was old and had burnt out and the hose was 10 years old and ready to be replaced. I asked Sam if he would like to replace both of the head lamps together and take care of the leaky hose. Sam said NO to both repairs. A week later Sam was back saying, I must have done something to the other head lamp, because now it does not work. Sam was angry and wanted me to give him both bulbs for free and put them in for free.

I said to Sam. Do you remember our talk about how light bulbs age and the other bulb could need replacement very soon? Plus, I asked you if you would like to replace both bulbs during your last visit, and you said NO!

Sam had zero recall about what we talked about, even though it was on Sam’s last repair order. Sam was very upset because I would not give him the bulbs for free.

I offered to install the bulbs at no labor charge, but Sam would have to pay for the bulbs.

It was not my fault that the bulbs had burnt out, but because I was the last person to work on the car it was my fault the other bulb stopped working.

Sam stormed off angry.

5 weeks later Sam’s car was back at the shop for the coolant leak repair and 2 head lamp bulbs. Sam said he over reacted to the bulb issue, and trusted our work.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2014

 

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