It’s Monday, and I see a Chevrolet truck on the lot that has not been in for about 5 months.
On its last visit, it was low on oil, it did not read on the oil dip stick at all. It was low due to, the engine burns oil. The engine has no oil leaks, it burns the oil inside the engine because of its age. It’s old and has 140,000 miles of hard use.
At the last L.O.F. service, I talked to the client about checking the oil every 30 days or stopping by so I could check the oil for him. It only takes a moment to prevent a failure!
Well the engine ran out of oil for the last time. The engine failed. Checking the oil in your car or truck only takes 2 minuets, so why wait till the engine is making noise or worse.
I talk to clients about checking the engine oil, engine coolant and tire pressure every 30 days, but I only have a hand full that do it regularly. It only takes a moment to stop by for us to check it.
So why wait, check it today!
It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician
copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013
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.
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
I have at least 2 cars a month that need a water pump replaced ASAP. If a water pump is leaking, you risk over heating your engine. An overheating condition can destroy an engine in less than couple of minuets.
If the engine over heats from coolant loss, repair costs can get ugly fast.
This leaking Nissan water pump was changed before engine damage could happen, the leaky pump was noticed during the oil change service. Regular service visits can prevent bigger failures.
The best time to replace a leaking water pump is before engine damage occurs.
This is a no brainer. At least we would think that is the case.
On the web, you can find many auto forums that say, do not get ripped off by replacing parts before they break. Yes and No. Most forums are 50% helpful. Populated by wannabe mechanics or shade tree D.I.Y. guys and you can get advise that will cost you more in the long run.
So are you getting ripped off if you can prevent a bigger failure?
This mess is from an Audi A6. The water pump failed and caused the engine to over heat. The repairs totaled $6,400.00 because a $86.00 water pump failed at 39,000 miles.
Sometimes it is Ok to replace a part before it is 100% broken.
Would you fly in an airplane, if you knew the ground crew waited till an engine part was 100% broken before they replaced it? > No! <
If I knew the airplane could break down when it was at 30,000 feet, I would never want to fly at all.
Preventative maintenance is just what it implies. Fix it before it fails.
I have a BMW client that comes in every 45,000 miles to replace the water pump, upper radiator hose, thermostat and coolant. This is because the water pump life span is about 50,000 miles and the client does not want to have any breakdowns. The above repair is only $590.00, but an engine replacement is around $9,000.00. The client understands the value and loves his car.
Water pumps do not have to leak to cause engine damage. This Volvo S80 water pump has a broken impeller. Repairs for this condition can range from $550.00 to $6000.00. It all depends on how hot the engine gets.
Yes, I know cars do not fly, but many states have safety inspections to keep cars in a safe working order. Brakes, tires, lights, steering, suspension and drive train parts must be in good working condition. If the car needs repairs, you do not drive the car till it pass’ inspection.
I do not like to wait till my car is broken down on the side of the road to take action. Maintenance is required to keep everything ship-shape and ready for the road.
This water pump caused over heating damage and the engine needed replacement because the over heating melted the pistons to the cylinder walls. The car was only 2 years old with 47,000 miles on the clock.
I like to see our clients in at least twice a year for service, but they can stop in anytime to get free air in the tires. Our clients know they are welcome to stop in anytime for a quick under hood check. A quick look costs nothing, but could save you big.
You do not have to wait till the next oil change to pop the hood.
It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician
copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013
Every body want’s a quickie. Plastic head lamp lens polishing.
This head lamp lens was very hazy. Both head lights looked the same way, hazy. The driver did not notice the lights being dim. Once I sold him on a quickie polish, he liked that the front of the truck looked new again. The next day he called me. He was in shock, he noticed right away, that the lights worked better.
Many of today’s head lamp lens’ are made of plastic. The plastic may become discolored and fade after many years of service. Hazy or yellowed head lamp lenses will reduce the light coming out of the head lamp fixture. The Hazy condition acts like a diffuser, making the light travel less distance down the road. A yellow lens condition will diffuse and change the color of the light. Both conditions will reduce the distance your head lamps can project down the road.
Hear at the shop, I have three levels of lens clean up.
2 Step Quick Polish: Clean the surface and polish the lens with a cleaning wax.
4 Step Polish: Clean the surface, polish with cutting paste and then fine polish plus apply a wax sealer.
8 Step Sand & Polish: Clean the surface, sand plastic in 3 steps, polish in 3 steps and then apply a wax sealer.
Most of the time a 2 step quick polish is all most cars need. The 4 step is for very heavy hazy and yellowing. The 8 step polish is for pitted and scratched lenses. Some times very deep damage will require lens replacement.
It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician
copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013
I just replaced my tires last month. Well, sort of.
The client in question, did replace the tires on this month, but it was 3 years ago this month. Time just zips by, and I have this happen to many clients, they lose track of when they last visited the shop. That is why we mail out reminders to clients, so they come in for service regularly.
I see 4 to 5 cars a week that need tires. So why do drivers wait till the tire fails? Why wait till you are on the side of the road.
I blame it on an old school idea, the myth is that Abraham Lincoln’s head is a good judge of tread depth. In the last couple years I have seen many automotive articles on tire wear and when it’s time to replace the worn out rubber.
Penny @ 2/32″ of an inch vs a Quarter @ 4/32″ of an inch.
When you use a penny to judge the tread depth, you are waiting too long to replace your tires. Waiting till your tires are at 2/32″ of an inch to replace them puts you at risk of hydroplaning in wet conditions.
Hydroplaning; “Verb” To slide uncontrollably on the wet surface of a road : a motorist whose car hydroplaned and crashed into a tree.
Many tires may still have tread in the center, but may be worn at the edge, or worse. Your tires could be age cracked, or have cuts on the side wall from hitting curbs. You must look at the condition of the entire tire, not just the thread thickness.
I know, I live in Arizona. It never rains in Arizona, right? Well the fact is, yes, it does rain in Arizona just not very often. But when it does rain, all the oil in the road rises to the top of the wet surface. That makes the road very slick. Any tire at 2/32″ of an inch will slip, slide and lose traction very easy in that type of wet condition.
So I like to use a Quarter, I keep one in my pocket to show clients how important thickness is when the road is wet. A Quarter will give you 4/32″ or 1/8 th of an inch of tread thickness. I use 4/32″ of an inch as a guideline for tire wear. Many tests have shown that tires worn to 4/32″ of an inch will still grip the wet road and bring your car to a safe stop.
The video below is showing a tire that is worn too much, it needs replacement now. If you look at the center of the tire you can see the tread is still thick enough that it could give the owner the idea the tire is still good. The client did not think the tread was that bad till I showed him up close how cracked and worn the tire was. In fact all 4 tires looked just like the one in the video clip. He only came in to get the fluids checked and the tires aired up because he was going on a trip in the morning.
So as your tire wears down below 4/32″ it will start to lose traction when the road is wet. Tests on tires looking at tire wear vs wet traction showed that at 3/32″ of an inch the wet stopping distances starts to increase by 15 to 50%.
At 2/32″ of an inch almost all the tires tested showed the cars using over double the amount of distance to stop. That is almost 100% more stopping distance needed when the road is wet. Replacing your tires at 4/32″ is a good idea. Think safety first.
By the way the client was very happy we found this before he had a break down. With 4 new tire an oil change and new wiper blades he was ready for his trip.
It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician
copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013
An engine miss fire feels like a bumping sensation. Most of the time, this is noticed by the driver when accelerating. A miss fire condition may cause the Check Engine Light to turn on or start flashing at you.
This is a spark plug with carbon tracking. The dark black lines running left to right in the center of the image is a carbon trail caused by a faulty spark plug wire. This type of condition will cause a single cylinder miss fire.
If an engine miss fire condition is causing poor tail pipe emissions, the check engine light will start to flash on and off.
When you see the check engine light flashing at you, do not continue to drive the car. Get it in for repairs right away. The catalytic converter maybe damaged if you continue to drive the car with the check engine light flashing.
A Catalytic Converter damaged by a miss fire condition. A miss fire condition will melt down a converter very quickly.
A catalytic converter is not chump change. On a Nissan Pathfinder, I just replaced both front catalytic converters on the Nissan and it was related to a miss fire condition. It was over $1,400.00 just for the dealer cats.
This set of worn spark plugs was causing a DTC P0300 on a Ford 4.2 V6. The plugs are 8 years old with 102,000 miles of use. The engine needed more parts than just spark plugs. This set of plugs also shows oil build up, the engine was due for a valve job on top of all the other needs.
If the check engine light is flashing, get it in for repairs!
OBD2 cars today can store a code that will direct the mechanic to look at a specific area.
A good example of this is when you have a DTC P0302 miss fire detected on cylinder #2, you have a place to look (cylinder #2 has a miss fire). You just have to look at things that would affect cylinder #2.
Oil fouled spark plug, this plug was causing a single cylinder miss fire. (DTC P0304)
On a DTC P0300, this is a random miss fire condition that could be caused by anything. Anything that changes the air/fuel mixture to all of the cylinders in the engine at the same time.
A dirty MAF sensor can cause this type of change to all the cylinders.
MAF: Mass Air Flow Sensor, is a sensor that takes reading of the incoming air into the engine and sends a signal to the computer. The signal is used to make fuel system, cam timing and ignition timing adjustments.
The driver may not feel the engine miss fire with a DTC P0300, but the driver should see the check engine light turn on. Other things the driver may notice. The engine may feel like it is not responding crisply or the driver may notice that the fuel economy has been poor.
A couple other things that can cause a DTC P0300. Poor engine compression or an engine that is out of time due to a faulty timing belt or timing chain. A large centrally located vacuüm leak or a restricted exhaust system.
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DTC P0300 Defined: Random Cylinder Miss Fire, this condition could be caused by any parts attached to the engine or parts inside the engine. You have to look for any condition that will change the air/fuel mixture, spark or compression to all the cylinders at the same time.
DTC P0301 Defined: Miss Fire on cylinder #1 or any cylinder that the code lists. (P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304) The last number in the DTC is pointing to the cylinder that set the code.
It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician
copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013
Summer time is here. Summer heat will place extra load on your engine. During the hot summer months it is advised to use top-tier gasoline. (91 octane) The engine systems in modern cars today do a great job to control timing, but sometimes it will still ping. Top tier gasoline most of the time will quiet the ping or rattle sound.
The engine knock sensor pictured above was causing a nasty ping on a Nissan Pathfinder. The sensor is located under the intake manifold, not easy to change. The one on the left is the new knock sensor. The sensor on the right was still working, but not correctly due to the broken outer plastic shell.
If you hear the ping sound, do not ignore it. Something could be wrong. An engine will also ping if it is over heating. If your car is 3 years old or older, inspecting your cooling system regularly is very important. Stop in at the shop if you have a ping or rattle condition. A prolonged ping condition can damage internal engine parts.
It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician
copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013
When a DTC is stored in the PCM, (Power-train Control Module) you would figure that the stored code would point directly to the fault or the engine would run poorly.
Some codes will be very specific to a sensor or fault condition.
DTC P0102 is a simple code with a very specific fault condition. The MAF signal is low during engine operation. The normal idle frequency of a good GM MAF is around 2100 to 2500 hertz.
The code will most commonly set anytime the hertz signal drops below 1200 hertz during engine operation.
This condition is easy to check with a lab scope or a OE level scan tool. I do not recommend to DIY this type of intermittent fault unless you have the correct tools. It is easy to cause more harm than good or replace parts that are still good.
If the condition is intermittent it could take time to duplicate the fault. Many parts houses will sell you a MAF sensor as the most common part replaced. When the condition is intermittent you have to duplicate the condition to I.D. the real cause. The MAF sensors can go bad, but MAF sensors are not the most common failure part.
Do not buy a re-manufactured MAF, ever!
A man-made or age related failure is more common with an intermittent fault. I see many damaged electrical connectors, faulty Idle Air Control Valve, poor handling of the wire harness during service work, damage to the MAF sensor, poor quality accident repairs, faulty chassis grounds or age related circuit failures may cause an intermittent conditions.
This dirty throttle chamber was causing the clients issue. The build up was cutting off the air and causing the engine to dip so low in RPM that it would go into a stall when coming to a hard stop.
One week earlyer I had a Buick Park Ave that had the same code, but it had a bad MAF sensor. Testing is the best way to know what is faulty. If you have a check engine light on. Stop in to the shop and let us take a look.
It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician
copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013
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
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
