Posts Tagged ‘Mechanic’
Do You Want Cheap Auto Repair Fixes or Pay Big Bucks on Auto Repair?
Written by admin on February 19, 2010 in Automotive
With all the improvement done to our vehicles nowadays, it is not a surprise auto repair cost keeps getting high. When the government requires that our vehicle be fuel efficient, most manufacturer made a lot of improvements to comply. Result? More complex parts are introduced to the vehicle engines which require:
More training required for the mechanics
More expensive tools needed to do the repairs
These 2 factors alone will make the repair process so expensive that if a driver look at the engine compartment, it is very hard to know where to start the repair! No wonder the easiest thing to do is call a tow truck and bring the vehicle to a garage. So with these problems in mind, how does an ordinary driver like you and me stand a chance in fixing our vehicle problems?
Remember the INTERNET INFORMATION HIGHWAY? Yes folks, this Internet, there are now online
advisory companies being established all over to help you fix this kind of problem. It used to be a mechanic can store in their minds the common fix for a particular vehicle problem. Then when a similar vehicle comes for the same symptom, he will do the same test as before and perform the same fix quickly. Instead of doing that, some online automotive companies will gather and store that information and for a fee, give the same information to you. And the beauty here is; this information is the same ones used by most garages!
Common fixes works based on the common symptom that is generated by a particular vehicle as a result of its overall design when manufactured. Example: if a wiring harness is mounted
close to an exhaust manifold, it is to be expected that after some time, those wires will
have poor resistance to heat and fail. This is why manufacturer recall happens to correct this type of problem. Another example is those wires or sensors which are exposed to moisture or dirt will surely develop corrosions in the plug-ins which again will result in a particular sensor or component not to work.
This common fix is therefore unique to every vehicle and since mechanics have access to this
information, they basically know what to do when the symptoms occur. This why you need to get
this information too so when it happens to you, you do not have to fork out a lot of money to
fix it. Membership to an automotive online advisory club will get you this. Also, the membership for
this club could be free but of course you get what you paid for. But the best approach is to join those online companies that offer:
Prompt 24/7 online support in case you have any questions.
Unlimited wiring diagrams so you can locate the sensors
Trial period so you can try it and get a refund if not satisfied
Access to the common fixes for your particular vehicle
On some of this online support groups, they will even include automotive video demo so you
can understand the repair process quickly. So there you go, you either panic and run to your nearest garage if an auto repair problem occur or deal with it and fix it right away by getting an automotive online assistance.
By: Richard Trent
About the Author:
Auto Repair: How Can They Screw Up an Oil Change?
Written by admin on February 14, 2010 in Automotive
“It’s all about beating the clock.” This quote comes from a wise old service manager, advising me on how to maximize my income as a flat-rate technician. If you have ever wondered why your car doesn’t get fixed correctly, or all your concerns weren’t addressed, you can blame, in part, the flat-rate pay structure.
Flat-rate simply means that your mechanic is paid a flat fee for a particular repair, regardless of how long the repair actually takes. In other words, if your car needs a water pump, which pays two hours of labor, and the mechanic completes the job in one hour, he gets paid for two.
In theory, this can work to your advantage. If the job takes longer, you still only pay the “predetermined” labor amount. In THEORY, not reality!
The flat-rate pay structure is designed to drive productivity. It’s very effective. The flat-rate pay system encourages technicians to work hard and fast, but it does not promote quality.
In terms of getting your car fixed correctly, the flat-rate pay structure has disastrous effects. Flat-rate technicians are constantly looking for shortcuts to beat the clock in order to maximize the number of hours they bill. Experienced flat-rate technicians can bill anywhere from 16 to 50 hours in an 8 hour day.
It’s these shortcuts and the breakneck speed at which flat rate technicians work that result in some of the most idiotic mistakes. In the rapid-fire pace of a shop I’ve witnessed technicians start engines with no oil. I’ve seen transmissions dropped, smashing into little pieces onto the shop floor. And I’ve seen cars driven right through bay doors—all in the name of “beating the clock.”
Flat-rate technicians can get quite elaborate with shortcuts. My favorite was the implementation of an 8-foot-long 2-by-4, which was placed under the engine for support while a motor mount was removed. It made a job predetermined to take 1.5 hours achievable in twenty minutes. A win-win, right? The technician makes extra money; you get your car back faster. Actually, in many cases the placement of this 2-by-4 damaged the oil pan. Moreover, it caused the car, your car, to balance precariously 6 feet in the air, while the technician manipulated the car lift to access your engine mount. This tactic was abruptly discontinued when a technician’s 2-by-4 snapped causing the car to crash nose down onto the concrete floor.
Sometimes the shortcuts create very subtle disturbances, which create problems overtime. A quick example: a vehicle had its transmission serviced with a new filter, gasket, and fluid. During the procedure, the technician was able to save time by bending the transmission dipstick tube slightly, in order to get the transmission pan out faster. The vehicle was reassembled, and the technician re-bent the tube back into place and off it went—no worries….
Six months later, the vehicle returned with an intermittent misfire. The engine wasn’t running on all cylinders. After extensive diagnostics, it was discovered that the transmission dipstick tube had chaffed through the engine harness, intermittently grounding out an injector. Hmm, that’s strange. Don’t usually see that.
The high-speed environment and the subsequent shortcuts illustrate the devastating effects of the flat-rate, sales-driven pay structure on the quality of car repairs. No wonder even an oil change gets screwed up!
The poor quality of work encouraged by the flat rate pay structure is disconcerting enough. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop here. The negative effects of flat-rate get exponentially worse as it opens wide the door to rip you off!
By: Theodore Olson
About the Author:
http://www.repairtrust.com/
Ted holds extensive certifications from Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, GM, and ASE. Over a twenty-year period in the automotive service industry, he has served as a technician, shop foreman, shop manager, shop owner, service advisor, service manager, and service industry consultant. He is the author of eight books and numerous articles on the automotive service industry.
Other Works by Ted Olson Include:
- ARREST the Automotive Service Industry!
- Maintenance Myths: A Step-by-Step Guide to STOP Getting Ripped Off!
- Auto Repair: The Shocking Truth About Who’s Ripping You Off and Why!
- Automotive Service Pricing Strategies—a fair pricing guide for service centers
- Being the Best—a comprehensive customer service handbook for service advisors
- Service Center Personnel—an auto repair informational for general service staff
- Service Mission Statement—a philosophical proposal to improve customer service
DIY Auto Repair Troubleshooting
Written by admin on January 27, 2010 in Automotive
If there is something wrong with your car that needs to be fixed immediately, what do you do? Do you rush off to the mechanic to let him identify the problem? That is a good thing to do, sure.
Another smarter thing to do would be trying to identify the problem yourself. After all, we all know that our automobiles malfunction just for some minor problems.
You can try to identify the problem yourself before heading to the mechanic man to fix it by using some basic automobile troubleshooting strategy, just in case this could help save you expensive trips to the shop.
• Look For Information: Do some research on the internet to learn more about the usual kinds of automobile problems with your specific make and model so you can be prepared. Also check out maintenance issues and determine how often you should change the oil and other fluids, balance the tires, etc. And plan ahead with your vehicle’s maintenance schedule.
• Talk to A Mechanic: Seek the advice of a mechanic either nearby or via the web who has time to reply. Note you might not find one at hand each time, though one may be able to email back or reply via an automotive forum or website. If you are given free advice, remember to reply with a note of thanks.
• Perform Simple Troubleshooting Procedures: Check with your local library and bookstores for an owner’s manual for your make and model. These generally have a lot of basic info and steps to help you trouble shoot basic problems. Check the book’s publishing company and automotive manufacturer’s websites for help, too.
• Own a Basic Toolkit: Head to your local automotive store to piece together or purchase in full a good basic toolkit as these tools are those which will let you reach for the most hard to reach areas. They contain wrenches, screws, etc. sized for your vehicle. In case your car breaks down in the middle of the road, you can then use these tools to help you fix the car.
• Automotive Scan Tools: These days, specially devised automotive scan tools are available in the market to allow you diagnose the exact problem with your car. Earlier it would mean listening to your engine and waiting for the exact problem to get diagnosed through trial and error. Thankfully, we have come through that era now. Scan equipment isn’t free, though, so expect to pay a reasonable fee for this service.
• Know More, Operate Better: The more info you have in your tool belt, the better prepared your car and you will be for major and minor mishaps. Get and keep up to date with info about your vehicle by joining local and / or online groups. Find groups by checking with the dealership and via search engines, for example, search “jeep forum” and find plenty of members registered for free at forums for Jeep enthusiasts.
With periods of recession or other economic slow downs, it’s important for households to save up money for the management of all kinds of expenses. One such area is automobile repairs which can cost you lots of dollars. In these cases, it can be good to fix at least some of your problems relating to your car by yourself when possible. So see what you think and learn a little more about your car. Plus in the meantime, save a little aside regularly for your car’s upkeep and maintenance with a local auto repair shop.
By: G Jenkins
About the Author:
