Preparing Your Car for Summer

The month of June is here, and summer is just around the corner. While the months of winter require a lot of prepping up for your car, the months of summer have their own set of demands. Be sure that your car is summer-ready to avoid unnecessary trips to the auto repair shops. Below is an outline of the things that you must do to prep up your car (and yourself) for the heat:

1. Keep your cooling system in top shape.

The first part that you need to secure during summer is your engine—it can easily overheat under the sun. So, be sure that your entire cooling system is in good health, capable of cooling the engine at all times.

2. Keep all your automotive fluids at the correct level.

This goes especially true for the coolant and oil in your ride. The coolant is crucial for engine heat collection and dissipation while the oil is vital for reducing friction and heat among working metal parts.

3. Keep your AC system in good shape.

While your engine needs to be cool, you need to remain cool as well. And for that, your only hope is the AC system. Be sure that all AC parts are working well and that the lines are okay. These will guarantee proper refrigerant circulation and sufficient cooling inside your vehicle cabin.

4. Try a heat shield.

If you’re parking your vehicle in a public area under the heat of the sun, you may want to get a heat shield to keep your ride from turning into a gigantic oven. This is a cheap addition that will help a lot in keeping your drive comfortable.

So, are you ready for summer? Check your car now while the heat is not yet in full blast.

Choosing the Right Auto Repair Shop 101

We’ve been talking about auto repair rip-off avoidance in the past as a better option compared to having the need to fight off a rip-off after it has occurred. And, I’ve also stressed out several times how important finding a good shop is—it’s still the best way to have a good auto repair experience and avoid repair problems.

Here, we take a look again at the things you need to consider when looking for a good shop to entrust your car to:

1. Certification

Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is a basic seal or certification that you need to look into when it comes to the mechanics handling your car. If you’re looking at the entire shop, check out for the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence, a proof that at least 75% of the techs working in the shop have ASE certification. Next week, we’ll look at a list of certifications that you can look into as proof of a shop’s excellence and reliability.

2. Record

When it comes to shop records, the Better Business Bureau is an institution that can help you. Whereas the certifications mentioned above will give you proof of excellence and skills, institutions like the BBB will tend to provide you with a complete picture that considers the overall attitude of shop mechanics. Any complaint about the shop, you will find here.

3. Specialty

We’ve already talked about skills and attitude, now let’s move on to expertise. I remember mentioning once that auto repair shops are not know-it-all. Even the most general shop will have shortcomings in terms of the automotive systems that they can handle. So, if you have a car problem that requires specialty, choose the shop that can deal with the problem well.

With these three things in mind, you’ll be a step ahead in your search for the right auto repair shop.

Coolant Flushes: How Necessary? How Often?

Next to an oil change, a coolant flush is probably one of the most commonly offered services in an auto repair shop. And, it is one service that sometimes lends itself as a tool for a rip-off.

For one, many shops charge a very high rate for a coolant flush. I’ve heard of a shop that charges around $115 for the said service, saying that the job consumes a lot of time to finish. In reality, it’s a pretty simple job that even average car drivers can easily accomplish on their own. Of course, you just have to be careful in handling the coolant.

In other instances, some shops would recommend the service even if it’s not yet time to flush the coolant. They’ll look at your car and inspect it according to the problem that you mention, and just tell you that you also need new coolant. As a car owner, it’s your responsibility to know when the correct interval for changing coolant in your vehicle is. The absence of knowledge can easily lead you to take on the suggestion of your mechanic even if it’s not yet really time for a coolant flush.

Aside from the knowledge of the correct coolant interval in your car, you also need to be familiar with the type of coolant that is in your vehicle. There’s a new “breed” of coolant nowadays that requires a longer time to flush, unlike the usual ethylene glycol. If you have the coolant whose change interval is 100,000 miles, you will need less frequent coolant flushes. Check out the information in your car manual to learn more about the correct flushing interval. This knowledge can help you save a lot on car maintenance and automotive services while also making you less prone to automotive rip offs.

The Secrets Surrounding Auto Repair Shop Work Set Up

Money is the driving force behind all (or most) of the auto repair rip-offs taking place today. And sad to say, many auto repair shops are even promoting an environment that makes rip-offs one of the easiest options for its technicians and mechanics.

Most of us are familiar with the flat rate, a paying system that demands consumers to pay according to the number of hours that the book says, regardless of the actual number of hours consumed in the repair. Although this is reasonable (after all, a good, experienced, and fast-working mechanic deserves a good pay), it is often abused by mechanics who want to earn more, rushing the work, which results in poor repair.

And, with some (or most) shops requiring quota from their technicians, these individuals are even more tempted to rush the job just so they would reach their target and not get in trouble with their boss. In many instances, the said quota doesn’t consider the skills of the technicians—it stands the same whether the tech is skilled or not. So, woe to the customer who is assigned a technician who is unskilled, and whose only hope at meeting the quota is to rush the work even though the result becomes poor.

If you think these are serious enough, then wait until you hear this one more. I’ve heard about a shop that offers incentives on its mechanics for selling a service that sells low on usual days. While this may be valid, this system led to mechanics misleading customers into believing that their car needs the said service even when it really doesn’t—all for the sake of the incentive that was being offered by the shop.

You see, some of the practices mentioned above are actually implemented not for the purpose of ripping off car owners. However, they create an environment that gives way to the latter. And while we cannot control these, all we can do is be careful.

The Effects of Auto Repair Rip Off: More than Just the Expense

Auto repair rip offs leave a bad taste in the mouth for many reasons, foremost of which is the ballooning cost that these demand from car owners. But, while the focus has always been on unnecessary and huge repair expenses, there are actually more to these illegal practices. Other than the money you spend for nothing, there are other crucial concerns. Check these out:

1. Safety

Shoddy automotive work can mean premature part damage, non-functioning components, and unexpected system failure—and all these can lead to accidents. If the rip off had been done on a repair involving a crucial system like the brakes or the steering assembly, you’ll never know what might happen while you’re driving on a busy highway.

2. Convenience

Poor repair would almost always result in the failure of the part or assembly involved, and this would just mean the need to return to the shop, or to another repair facility—wasting your time, effort, and energy. If you’re going on a long travel, the sudden breakdown of the parts would mean a lot of trouble for you.

3. Trauma and stress

Most individuals who have experienced an auto repair rip-off become traumatized after the incident, especially if there’s harassment or outright hostility involved. It’s no wonder many people view the auto repair industry with disfavor—because of these incidents. Some people even reach the point of dreading instances of going to auto repair shops, fearing that they’ll encounter an experience similar to a past one.

So you see, the effects of auto repair rip offs reach far and wide—these effects go beyond the money involved. And sad to say, the positive elements of the industry and the picture of honest mechanics are losing the limelight, replaced by those of the unscrupulous individuals who take advantage of unsuspecting car owners.

DIY Saturday: Some Add-ons to Consider to Protect Your Vehicle from Damage

They say prevention is better than cure, and that especially applies when it comes to your vehicle. Aside from regular maintenance, one way to arrest and prevent the occurrence of any problem is by getting parts that will protect your ride from any possible damage. Here, we outline some of the things that you can get to help you save on repair costs.

1. Floor Mats. These are simple mats (plastic or rubber) that you simply place on your floor area to protect that metal panel from dirt, water and mud from your shoes, as well as spills when you drive. The said elements can intensify wear and tear on the floor area, and you may just wake up one day with a rusted and corroded floor. Prevent this with floor mats.

2. Tonneau Covers. These are ideal for trucks, protective truck bed add-ons that will cover the bed and all the cargos that you place inside. The result? You don’t only get a neat look—you also protect the cargos and the truck bed from rainwater, snow, sunrays, and other elements that can cause damage.

3. Car Covers. Your car needs protection even when parked. In fact, it has to be protected even when it’s just inside your garage! And when it comes to stationary protection for your car, nothing beats a good car cover. Choose a breathable cover, an all-weather type if you park your vehicle outside the home, and one that’s custom-made to fit your vehicle well.

These vehicle add-ons are very simple, but they go a long way when it comes to offering protection to your vehicle. While your car is still in good shape and not yet damaged in any way, it’s a good idea to invest on any of these, and more, to keep your ride in tiptop condition for a long time.

Friday’s Advice: Voiding Your Auto Warranty

Last week, we’ve talked about checking recalls and TSBs as a means to save on auto repairs. There’s actually another means to save, if you’ll just pay attention to it: your auto warranty. There may be parts in your vehicle that are covered by specific warranties, so you don’t have to shell out big bucks when you replace them.

If your car is still covered by warranty and you want to be sure that you’ll get the most out of that warranty, it’s important that you take care not to commit actions that can result in voiding the warranty on your car and its parts. What are some of the actions that you have to watch out for?

Well, one is maintenance. When a part gets damaged and the manufacturer finds that it is poorly maintained, you may be denied a warranty claim. While your car is still under warranty, it’s very important that you follow the recommended maintenance to avoid problems should the need for warranty claim arises.

Another is the installation of aftermarket parts. It’s not advised that you mount upgrades to your vehicle while it’s under warranty. When any problem occurs and the carmaker finds any relationship between the upgrade and the problem, your warranty will end up void.

The use of your vehicle in extreme activities can also void its warranty (especially if your car is not designed for such rides). This is termed as misuse, and this can include the use of a vehicle in such activities as racing.

Finally, odometer tampering is one other common reason that can void an auto warranty.

If you want to know all the dos and don’ts when it comes to your vehicle, carefully read the contract as this will state all the requirements that you need to follow.