Dealer Versus Independent - You Decide.

Excerpts from a NY Times Article from 2011:

AutoMD.com, which is owned by U.S. Auto Parts Network, an auto parts supplier, collected data (in 2011) from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the Federal Highway Administration and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association. Car owners who went to dealers for repairs spent an average of $1,209 a year versus $903 for those who used independents. These included common repairs jobs like brake work, transmission repairs and window replacements.

 Excerpts from a "Car Talk" recent newsletter:

" We've been asked this question for years, and we've always said, "Yes, they do." Of course, we had no evidence to support that statement; just a gut feeling. So we finally broke down and did some research - details are below - and found that overall the dealers in our study charged 15 % more than independent repair shops for the same repairs. 

We also found that what you pay for repairs is strongly influenced by where you live. For example, if you lived in Maryland, you'd pay almost $3000 for the same repairs for which that sleazeball brother-in-law of yours in Montana, would pay less than $1500! 

Here's What We Did:

We chose 2 average vehicles (a Dodge Intrepid and a Honda Civic) and 4 common repairs - (if you own a 3- or 4-year old car, you might very likely have to do all these repairs in the same year.) Replace Timing belt and water pump Replace Front brake pads and rotors Replace front and rear struts (shocks) Replace the alternator 

Then we commissioned Paul Murky, president of Murky Research and Development Company, Incorporated, Partners, Limited, to survey both dealers and independent repair shops and ask for the price to do the repairs on each of the vehicles. He got prices from 158 dealers and repair shops around the country. Disclaimer Obviously, we did not actually bring these cars to any of the shops, so we don't know if they would actually do these repairs for the prices quoted to us. We don't have any hard evidence, but we've heard that some shops give low quotes and then sock it to you once they have your car. But buying 158 cars to do the real test seemed a little beyond our budget! 

You decide:

 

Greg

gregsautotech.com

Getting Your Car Ready For Spring.

How To Get Your Car Ready For Spring.

Winter can do a number on your car. Slush, salt and cold temperatures take a toll on everything from the tires to the wiper blades. 

So, as spring approaches, it's a good idea to give your car a thorough once-over to undo winter's damage. It won't cost a lot. Here are five things you can do to shake off winter and get your car in shape for spring: 

1. WASH THE UNDERBODY. Wintertime driving will coat the bottom of your car with salt, sand and other grime that can cause corrosion. Corrosion can lead to rust problems, which can make your car much harder to resell or even dangerous to drive. Spend a few extra dollars for the undercarriage power wash at the local car wash or spray the car's bottom with your own hose. If possible, use a car jack to raise the vehicle for a more thorough cleaning. There's no need to use soap or any other cleaner. While you're at it, open the hood and wipe down the engine with a soft mitt and soapy water. And remove all the leaves and debris that can find their way into the car. And remove any crusty white residue off the battery with a toothbrush, baking soda and water. The residue caused by corrosion can eventually prevent your car from starting. The cleaning also helps prepare the battery for the stress of warmer temperatures.

 2. SCRUB INSIDE AND OUT. Salt and sand can damage the car's paint. Give your car a thorough cleaning and wax it with a paste or liquid wax. Scrub the bottoms of doors, which can get coated with grime. Clean the window channels, Also apply a silicone spray, which repels dirt and lubricates the surfaces so the windows will operate smoothly. Use a steam cleaner - you can rent one for $20 at Home Depot - or apply a rug-cleaning spray to remove all the salt from the car's inside. Salt can break down some fabrics and cause rips or tears when feet grind against them. And don't forget to take bags of salt and ice scrapers out of the trunk.

 3. REPLACE WIPER BLADES. Wiper blades get a workout during the winter months. Weathers advises changing them each spring and fall. 

 4. CHECK TIRE PRESSURE. Some garages recommend a wheel alignment, which can cost around $80, or a tire rotation as part of your spring maintenance. Check your tire pressure. Cold weather can cause tires to be underinflated and the onset of warm weather can overinflate them. Also, visually inspect your tires to make sure they're wearing evenly and have plenty of tread for the rainy spring weather ahead. Driving on properly inflated tires can save you money. It can cost anywhere from $50 to $250 to replace a blown tire, depending on the kind of tire you need.

 5. TOP OFF FLUIDS IF NEEDED. Winter weather can deplete some fluids, especially windshield wiper fluid ? more quickly, so top them off yourself if they're too low. A service station will also do the job for $25 or so. You should change your oil, brake fluid and transmission fluid every 5,000 miles or so, regardless of the season.

Hope these tips help. For all your repair and maintenance needs visit us at soon!

Greg

www.gregsautotech.com

Why Does My Car Shake When I apply The Brakes?

Warped Rotors and Brake Vibration

If you're wondering why your car shakes when you hit your brakes, you more than likely have one or more warped rotors behind your wheels. A rotor is the round piece of steel pictured below that your brake pads grab hold of when you hit the brakes.  Depending on your hubcaps, you can usually see your rotors on the inside on the wheel. When a rotor comes out of the factory, it's smooth and even. The brake pads make contact with both side evenly and causes good braking. But what happens over time is that the rotors can become warped, meaning that they loose their smooth, even surface. When that happens, every time you go to hit your brakes, the brake pad encounters a surface that isn't entirely smooth and the braking gets very bumpy.

When you have warped rotors, they loose their sleek, smooth and even surface for braking and your car begins to shake.

What Causes Warped Rotors?

Warped rotors can be caused by multiple things.  As you're driving along, if you ever are forced to brake suddenly from a high speed, the friction can cause a level of heat on the rotor great enough to cause the rotor to warp.  In addition to this, if you're ever driving down a long hill and are constantly having to keep your foot on the brake, the build up in heat can also cause the rotor to become warped.  Another thing I've experienced that has caused rotor damage has been excessive use of brake pads, meaning that the brake pads weren't changed early enough and partial metal on metal friction was allowed to happen.  I've replaced rotors before that have had such deep grooves that you could literally put a marble in them and spin it all around the rotor.  You don't want that to happen to your vehicle.

How to Fix Warped Rotors

When your rotors get warped and your car shakes when you hit the brakes, you have a couple of options.  If you change your own brakes, it will be a lot less expensive to fix the problem than if you take your car to the shop for brake jobs.  If you've been experiencing some shaking when you hit the brakes and you're due for a brake change, then that's the perfect time to deal with your warped rotors.  If the rotors are fairly new then you may not need to replace them.  You can take them off and drive them down to your local auto parts store and have them turned on a special machine that grinds down the outer warped layer of the metal to make the surface smooth and even again.  But there are two things that you need to be warned of when considering this process.

1. If your rotor is too thin the auto parts store won't grind them down for you and you'll have to buy new ones.  This isn't really all that much of a problem since new rotors are generally only about $40 a piece.
2. Make sure you call ahead to schedule a rotor turning appointment.  Sometimes when auto parts stores are swamped, it may take awhile to service your rotors and you'll end up sitting there for a long time.  The process shouldn't take more than 30 minutes or so per rotor, but if the shop is busy, it's just best to call ahead and make sure they can do it quickly for you.

Each auto parts store will probably have a different cost for turning your rotors.  But it shouldn't be more than $25 or so.  So all in all, changing your brakes yourself and having your rotors serviced should cost you less than $100, which is pretty nice.  If you don't service your brakes yourself but take them into the mechanic, tell your mechanic that your rotors are warped and that you want him to turn them for you.  Ask him how much it costs for the process and hold him to it.  Another thing you can do is to go to the auto parts store before you go to the mechanic and buy a set of rotors from the store and then ask the mechanic to replace your rotors when he does the brake job.  It should only be a matter of loosening a couple bolts, so don't let him charge you an arm and a leg for the labor.  Best of luck!

Greg
Auto Tech
www.gregsautotech.com