The What,Where & When of Auto Repair | Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

Many times auto repair resembles a cross between journalism and detective work. That's a stretch, you say? Well there is a need to tell (journalism) the symptoms of the problem to the service writer so the technician can solve (detective) the issue in the form of a repair. Here is some help with the process.

What -  Whether we are tracking down a leak, a noise, or a sensation (like a shake), it has to be conveyed to the repair shop in a clear, complete and concise manner so it can make its way through the facility's food chain to resolution. Think about how you are going to express your concerns prior to your arrival.

Where -  Location, location, location the repair shop needs to know where you are seeing the leak, hearing the groan and feeling the shake. If the steering wheel is shaking it means one thing and if you think the wheels are vibrating it means something else, so be specific. If you are tracking down a fluid leak, try to describe its location in relationship to other parts of the car. A clear liquid back by the rear wheel and an oily red fluid up by the car's radiator could lead the technician to a quick discovery of leaks of brake fluid or transmission fluid respectively.

When -  Think cold, hot, long trip, or a short stop at the store! Maybe you only smell the fuel odor the day after filling up or possibly the noise is only heard when you press on the gas pedal. How long had your car sat before you experienced difficulty starting? In the case of rattles, are they heard when hitting bumps in  the road or only when first starting up and then they mysteriously go away after accelerating? How about that screeching noise, did you notice that it's only the first start in the morning? Sometimes diagnosis is all about the timing on the symptoms.

TV's most bland detective Jack Friday of Dragnet used to say "just the facts ... just the facts" and even the newest reporter knows the first rule of writing news is to cram into the first paragraph as much as you can of the 3 W's, just like auto repair.

Top- Leaking Brake Line Jeep Grand Cherokee

Copyright 2013, Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

          

When Tires Are Beyond Repair | Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

There are a number of conditions that make it impossible, economically senseless or unsafe to repair a tire. This news is usually met with a combination of disappointment and frustration by the car owner. Here are a number of tire scenarios that usually necessitate replacement.

Tire Age or Wear - The saying is "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear". This applies to tires as well. When a tire is over five years old and shows signs of cracking or dry rotting, it should not be repaired.
The tread may well be "like new" but the integrity of the rubber has been compromised. The same thing can be said of a tire which is at the tread wear indicators, in which case, it does not merit the expense of the repair either.

Un-repairable Puncture - There are a host of conditions that exclude a tire from repair. Some of them are: an injury over 1/4 inch; a puncture so close to a previously repaired area that the patches would overlap; an injury beyond the repairable area which excludes the shoulder and sidewall, and a tire with a damaged inner liner usually the result of running the tire flat or with too little air pressure.

Run Flat or Sealant Treated Tires - Some run flat technology tires cannot be repaired and at the very least the manufacturer should be consulted prior to attempting a repair. Some tire sealants, commonly called fix-a-flat, make it extremely difficult to repair a tire that has been so treated. At the very minimum extra expense will be encountered to clean out the inside of the tire. In many cases these tires have been run with low tire pressure and have damage in addition to the initial puncture and cannot be repaired.

While these are certainly not all the circumstances that may exclude a tire from being repaired, they can give you an insight into the hurdles encountered by tire repairmen.

Tire Puncture

Copyright 2013, Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

                 

Murphy's Law in Auto Repair | Joe & Tony's Service Inc;.

Things happen in auto repair that impact price, completion time and ultimately customer satisfaction. Getting cars repaired correctly and on time usually makes for a pressure packed environment. So what happens that turns an otherwise well planned task into the repair from hell?

• Replacement Parts - They show up defective, boxed wrong or not at all. This is a major hurdle for all shops and a reality that they contend with on a daily basis. Sometimes they don't fit like the original which causes the estimated time of repair to become unrealistic.
• Inaccurate Labor Guides - All shops use databases that provide estimates on how much time it should take to complete a certain repair operation. For example a timing belt on a 2003 Honda Odyssey should take 3 hours, well, sometimes these estimates are not accurate in a real time environment.
• Unavailable Job Specific Tool - On occasion even a well equipped technician will encounter the need to acquire a tool to complete a repair. This may be the only time for months or even years that the need for this tool arises. Tracking down the tool takes time and inevitably delays the completion of the fix.
• Unexpected Failure of Related Parts - Repair shops are not clairvoyant and can not foresee at the time of the estimate just what lies in wait for them. Let's say that your brake master cylinder has failed, many times there will be a need to bleed the hydraulic components of the brake system, in the course of bleeding it is not uncommon (especially on older vehicles) for a bleeder fitting on a caliper to break off or not be able to be opened. There goes the price estimate.

Fluid & Grease Soaked Rear Brake Assembly

So when you get the call that your car will not be done on time or for the price that was originally quoted, it may not be the result of anything sinister.

Copyright 2013 Joe & Tony's Service Inc.         
 

Unusual Inter-Related Failures | Joe & Tony’s Service Inc.

Recently, a Nissan Versa with a pesky TPMS or low tire light highlighted just how obscure some fixes can be. Some time ago we had one that we could not resolve, the inflation in the tires was fine but the customer would report that the light would come back on especially on trips. It would flash and then light up continuously.

When the second Versa came in we uncovered a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) which had been published since the first Versa graced our facility. The TSB listed some qualifying conditions and then outlined the driving scenario that would cause the TPMS light to come on. The driver would have to be travelling at about 65 MPH for 15 minutes or more with the blower motor on the high fan setting.

Now for the punch line! The fix is to replace the blower motor. This is why technicians have trouble sleeping at night. There is no way that anyone would look at the blower motor as the culprit not to mention how costly it would be to duplicate the driving conditions that would produce the failure.

Intermittent Problems – Two Views | Joe & Tony’s Service Inc.

There isn’t a more drastic letdown as when a technician is pumped up about checking out a problem on a vehicle and the complaint can’t be duplicated. Maybe it is a no start or the car will not stay running for the customer, but when the tech turns the key it works perfectly.

What is the next step? It could be to repeatedly try to make the vehicle act up or possibly hooking up what technology is available to the vehicle and monitoring its performance in real time. Sometimes these approaches don’t work either.

Back at home or work the car owner is thinking that finally that nagging car problem will be resolved and the concern over the performance of the vehicle will be in the past tense. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way.

So what is the answer? The customer may need to pay extra special attention to when the condition arises – engine and outside temperature, if it occurs after long or short trips and how long the vehicle is idle. The technician, on the other hand, may be saddled with the contents of his or her mental and virtual toolbox and of course their enthusiasm for the job.

Auto Repair Facilities Can Be Green Too | Joe & Tony’s Service Inc.

Most readers would be surprised to know that the auto repair industry is actually very green. A walk through most repair shops would reveal a number of materials that don’t end up in the dumpster.

Used motor oil is used to heat the shop or is recycled for profit. Scrap metal generated by jobs like exhaust or engine mount replacements are picked up by scrappers motivated by the scrap metal market which has been attractive. Other auto parts like catalytic converters and radiators have value in their own right and are sought out by mobile recyclers.

Coolant/anti-freeze is recycled on-site for a fee charged to the shop. The processed fluid can then be installed into vehicles that come in for cooling system flushes or winterization specials. In the end a good mix of economic gain and eco-consciousness motivates repair shops to be good stewards of the environment.

Timely Timing Belt Replacement | Joe & Tony’s Service Inc.

While car makers may be moving away from the use of timing belts, choosing  timing chains instead, we still have a huge number of vehicles that drive the timing function with a rubber component rather than steel. So the importance of staying on top of your timing belt replacement interval and how your engine is set up is still crucial.

The first step is to determine whether your vehicle has a free wheeling or interference engine. You can look up the timing belt needed for your car and usually that information will be supplied or just ask the service location that you’re planning to use for the work. This information will determine the how damaging the failure of the belt would be to your engine. Cars with interference engines are at risk of extreme engine damage if the belt fails. This is not the case with free wheeling motors- a lot of inconvenience but usually no damage.

Next determine the recommended replacement interval for your vehicle in both miles and time. The information is in the owner’s manual. It might say 105,000 miles or 84 months. Whenever you need to replace the water pump it usually makes sense to replace the timing belt and whenever it is suspected that the belt has been exposed to any leaking automotive fluid it’s replacement should be considered as well.

Protect your investment – stay informed about your timing belt.