Rating Your Auto Repair Facility | Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

If you rely on reviews to choose the shop that repairs your vehicle, you can understand the need to offer feedback about your experience. It is about paying the system forward whether it reflects positively or negatively on your provider. So here are some areas that we believe are fair game for evaluation.

General business practices - This covers everything from phone etiquette to honoring your privacy. Are you getting what you tend to expect from any business? Are they responding to your inquiries promptly and explaining the services that your vehicle needs in easy to understand terms? Did you have a good feeling about the experience and were your needs met?

Accuracy of diagnosis - This is the big one and of course the reason why you are there in the first place. If the shop fails to meet your expectations or if it met and/or exceeded them then comment is appropriate. The question is whether your concern about your vehicle has been addressed and resolved to your satisfaction.If, however, you arrived at the facility for a tire repair and the shop was the bearer of bad news and could only offer a replacement, this is not their fault and doesn't merit a negative review.

Resolution of problems- When you are working on a machine as complex as an automobile, there will be times that the fix does not work out on the first attempt. This, in itself, is not grounds for trashing the shop in the form of a negative review. There are, however, some things that we feel that you should expect when you are returning for the same problem. First is that the shop should treat your return as a priority and be willing to revisit your repair as soon as is convenient to you. The shop should also be willing to "work with you" to arrive at a mutually agreeable resolution.

When repairs go south everyone becomes stressed out, if the repair facility is making an earnest attempt to resolve the problem, a negative review should not be used as leverage to pressure the facility. Likewise, a shop should not offer incentives for positive reviews beyond the way they treat each and every patron.          

        

Tire for Repair
Copyright Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

Batteries Are Tougher to Forecast Than the Weather

Batteries can be deceiving. Short of having them professionally evaluated, there are very few ways to tell if a battery is on the verge of failure. Here are some tips to stay on top of the condition of your battery and avoid roadside assistance.

Know your battery- It is important to record when your battery was replaced. Since all batteries are rated by their projected life expectancy and their warranty is tied to that projection, it makes sense to know how old your battery is and what kind of guarantee you have.

Keep it corrosion free - The accumulation of corrosion on a battery terminal can cause a failure to start that might be misdiagnosed as a battery problem. Have the battery checked for corrosion each time you get an oil change and keep the battery clean.

Take the load off - It is a good idea to turn off your car's accessories prior to shutting the car's motor off. This would include the wipers, radio, air conditioning and of course the lights. This way the battery's power can be applied solely to starting the vehicle on your next trip. Also, make sure that your cell phone is not charging while the engine is off.

Replacement should be OEM quality-  When replacing your battery confirm that the replacement is the equal of the original battery in terms of cold cranking amps and reserve capacity. The Original Equipment Manufacturer's recommendation reflects the electrical demand needed to operate the vehicle optimally and should be followed when replacing the battery.

         

Preparing for the Auto Repair Visit

We believe in customer directed auto repair. The process starts with reading your owner's manual and adhering to the suggested maintenance items at each service interval as your vehicle ages. The advantage of this approach is that you free yourself of the need to depend on the service facility's evaluation of your vehicle. This gets us to our motto - "Joe & Tony's, Where Your Car's Care Becomes a Partnership." Here are preparation steps for bringing your car to any shop.

Read the bible- In this case we are referring to the owner's manual. It is all there. Our experience is that the most successful car owners are those that are familiar with the needs of their vehicle as described by the manufacturer and published in manual.

Make a list- Present your auto repair facility with a written list of your concerns and make sure your contact information is on the list as well. Make sure you are available to answer the shop's questions and respond promptly to their queries.

Disclose peculiar traits- If your vehicle has quirks that you workaround you should disclose those to the shop. If a power window doesn't work or the key needs to be jiggled before it will turn in the ignition switch, please tell them when you drop off the vehicle. Oh yes, locate the tool for your locking wheels and inform the the service writer of where it can be found.

Have access to your records- It is important for you to be able to communicate your vehicle's past history to whoever is working on your car. This is especially important if you have changed repair facilities, because some of the parts they may be condemning today may still be under warranty. This information must however be at your fingertips while the vehicle is in for repairs.

Make notes- When the shop contacts you with prices or completion times, it is important to write things down. Communication in an auto repair environment is a minefield, so be sure to ask questions and clarify anything you don't understand.

New Brake Rotor
Copyright 2013 Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

      

Is the Cheapest Price Always a Bargain? | Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

A customer who owns a picture frame shop once said to me, "The consumer who solely shops for price, in the end, doesn't get a bargain." It took a while before his words made sense to me, but now I think I understand what he meant, which is the genesis for this post.

Issue - There are three major consumer concerns in auto repair - integrity, competence and price. The first two will have to wait for another time - price is the topic at hand. It's not unusual for consumers to call multiple facilities for prices on everything from tires to water pumps, which is totally understandable in today's environment and is what I do when I'm considering home improvements. However, should price trump all other considerations when it comes to your car?

Relationships - You should strive to make your service facility aware that your are committed to their business and in return you should expect that they would reciprocate by paying extra special attention to your needs. What does that mean? Some examples would be:

1. The offer of advice free of charge
2. Tending to your needs without an appointment whenever physically possible
3. Minor fixes (Light Bulbs, Tire Repairs etc.) without an appointment
4. Being the steward of your vehicle information and not selling or divulging it to others
5. Transparency in all matters pertaining to your vehicle

Conclusions - The need to find the lowest price usually precludes the ability to nurture a arrangement that rises above that of service provider and client. Beyond the benefits listed above it would not be out of the question that a shop would, for example, take a ride with you to isolate a troublesome noise prior to a trip or maybe even scan for a Diagnostic Trouble Code free of charge. That is, of course, if it perceives you as someone who is committed to patronizing their services.

       

Copyright 2013 Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

 

Recall - 2007-2008 Honda Odyssey Unexpected Brake Application

NHTSA announced a recall involving 2007-2008 Honda Odyssey's manufactured between August 8,2006 and September 8, 2008. The affected vehicles have a problem with the Vehicle Safety Assist System which causes the brakes to be applied unexpectedly sometimes without illuminating the brake lights.

Scope - As reported by Edmunds.com, Honda says that the recall involves nearly 350,000 mini-vans and is the result of a federal inquiry that dates back to June of this year. NHTSA received 22 complaints about the problem while the Honda dealer network reported 109 warranty claims and 205 field reports.

Problem - The affected vehicles could have a reduction in speed of as much as 30 mph since the condition occurs when the accelerator is being applied. Of course, without the benefit of brake lights fears of a rear end crash are heightened. Some dealers reported trouble codes involving the steering angle sensor which is a major component of the stability control system which is designed to prevent rollovers and uses an automated braking feature to keep vehicles upright.

Fix - NHTSA states that the parts needed to remedy the problem will not be available until the spring and owners of the affected vehicles can expect letters from Honda which will contain instructions on how to avoid unintended braking in the interim. Honda is available for questions at 1-800-999-1009. Their recall number is JC5.

Note - Your vehicle's production date can be found on the ID sticker on the driver's door pillar.

Anita Lienert, Edmunds.com

Copyright, 2013 Joe & Tony's Service Inc. 

A New Meaning for a "Flat" Tire | Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

The tire pictured below shows a very strange wear pattern. Yes, that is a flat spot in the middle of the tread. You might ask how that could happen since as you know tires are round and are meant to roll down the road. So how did this tire become flat in one spot?

Customer concern- The car owner explained that a neighbor responded to noises coming from the vehicle and observed that the right rear wheel was not turning. Not deterred the driver continued to perform errands and eventually the noise subsided, but the Buick Century was left with a thumping sound which resulted in a trip to our shop.

Road test - Our technician took a very short road test since the vibration in the car was so severe that he thought it was unsafe to test extensively.

Inspection - The nearly new right rear tire was worn almost to the steel cord. The removal of the right rear brake drum revealed an extreme accumulation of rust which necessitated the replacement of the drum. The thumping noise was a result of the tire's flat spot contacting the roadway with each revolution of the wheel.

Conclusion - The replacement of the tire and brake drum resolved the problem. Sometimes it's not advisable to set the emergency brake, especially when a vehicle sits outdoors for extended periods, which was the case here.  It's notable that one of the errands that the owner completed while riding on the compromised tire was to the state run inspection lanes where the vehicle was approved for two years.

Flat Spot in Tire
Copyright 2013 Joe & Tony's Service Inc. 

2012-2013 Toyota Avalons,Venzas & Camry's Recalled | Joe & Tony's Service

NHTSA announced that certain model year 2012-2013 of the above Toyota vehicles are being recalled. The problem that these passenger cars suffer from is a drain hose in the air conditioner condenser housing that clogs up.This is a common problem with nearly all AC equipped vehicles as anyone in the repair industry can attest. All kinds of debris, dried up condensate and even spider webs fill up the drain hole of the housing which causes the housing to accumulate water.

Serious consequences- On these vehicles, however, the moisture in the condenser housing is migrating next door to the airbag control module. The result is that moisture or corrosion could cause a short circuit in the module and initiate an inadvertent deployment of the airbag. The condition may also cause the disabling of the airbag. Both consequences are serious- in the former scenario the driver loses control of the vehicle, in the latter he or she becomes unprotected in a crash. NHTSA also warns that power steering assist is compromised adding to the risk of a low speed crash.

The fix- Toyota will seal the housing and wrap or otherwise protect the module free of charge. Owners can call 1-800-331-4331 for additional information.

Comment- What a disappointment! It's not like the condensate problem is anything new, wouldn't it be prudent to look at adjacent systems and parts to make sure that safety related failures would not be an issue? .    .

   

Back Side of Airbag/Clockspring Assembly
Copyright 2013 Joe & Tony's Service Inc.