How Do Turn Signals Really work?
Monday July 13, 2009
How do turn signals really work? Many of you are already yawning and reaching for the mouse so you can find out how much Michael Jackson's nanny will make over the next decade. Go ahead. If you're still here, you're the kind of person who has a thirst for knowledge no matter how useless or arcane it may seem. You're among friends. Back to the question, how do turn signals work? Obviously there's a relay that flashes them on and off. But somehow they flash on and off even if your parking lights are on. If there is already current flowing into the wire on the parking light that the flasher would normally use to flash it, how can they work at night? I could explain it, but I found a fun video online that does a good job and is far more entertaining than reading another four paragraphs of my drivel. Check it out, and thanks to Junius for taking the time to put it together!
Revisiting an Old Standby
Saturday July 11, 2009
These days anything you can imagine needing is but a click away. We take for granted that if we need an oddball part the biggest part of our suffering will be an extra few days shipping time. Back in the day things weren't so easy. We had a stack -- a giant stack -- of catalogs and price lists in the shop. There was no central place to look things up. If you needed it, you had to find the right supplier, open the catalog and find the part. It was often tedious to say the least. One catalog that everybody had on hand was the J.C. Whitney book. Even if they didn't have parts to fit your make, you could find an endless array of useful tools and accessories inside. Of all the old standby catalogs, few have survived the jump to online sales. J.C. Whitney has more than survived, they seem to have really expanded their inventory of available stuff. Sure, there are some things I wouldn't order from JCWhitney.com, but they've still got hundreds of great deals and amazing values. Definitely worth a bookmark!
Sometimes Ingenuity is a Bad Thing
Wednesday July 8, 2009
A friend sent me this photo the other day. He thought that this person really needed to have a look at our auto repair site. We're all for ingenuity when faced with a crisis -- race cars demand this on a regular basis, especially if one of your drivers thinks swapping paint includes the side barriers. But other times you need to tame and suppress your inner MacGyver. This was one of those times. Something tells me that those flashlights, even in "high beam" mode, aren't going to show you that deer crossing the road at night.
You can check out this and more funny pics at the new blog, ThereIFixedIt.com.
Oldest One in the Book
Monday July 6, 2009
Wow. There's a $222 million-plus law suit pending against a group of Midas repair shops in Oakland, California for perpetrating the oldest upsell in the book -- rotors. Pretty much anyone walking into a chain store for brake pads can count on the rotors upsell. They lure you in with a very cheap brake pad replacement advertisement then hit you with the worn rotors bit. Before the chain-store flunkies start getting upset, I have to tell you that sometimes you really do need to replace your brake rotors. The problem comes with a shop telling everybody that they need that level of service. Time may have caught up with this shop. Read more at KCRA.com.
They Don't Do It Like They Used To
Thursday July 2, 2009
Gregory Kohler sent this note along recently. It made me think about how much things have changed, not just in auto repair but in this country as a whole.
Right up until I sold my business last year, we did oil changes the same way, since the doors were opened in 1945. We only used quality oils and filters...NO CHEAP STUFF! We checked all gear cases, greased anything with a fitting, installed fittings when the factory just used plugs, set tire air pressure, inspected the complete underside of the car, then checked all the fluids under the hood, belts, hoses, etc, and lubricated all hinges, locks and cylinders. We made recommendations to the customer and several times showed them why they didn't need what the quick lubes and discount oil change centers wanted to sell them. By the time I sold the business in July of 2008, we were using synthetic blend in every oil change. The average cost for a full service LOF was $32.00. Just remember that no discount shop can make any profit or even pay the help the time that it takes to do an oil change, so they're going to try to upsell whether you need it or not.We should stop and think about what Gregory's telling us. Maybe we should set a little higher standard for ourselves.
New Scam, But This One's Aimed at Shop Owners
Saturday June 27, 2009
I talk a lot about the scamsters and their relentless ways, but it's usually a place of business that is perpetrating the fraud. This time it's auto repair shops who are the victims. True to form, the scam artists have managed to create an odd scenario with enough compelling elements to make some shop owners fall victim. The scam apparently goes like this: A shop gets a phone call from a man or woman who claims to be a teletype translator for the hearing impaired. If you're unfamiliar, teletype services simply translate typed messages to voice so the hearing impaired can make a phone call. They're legit, most of the time. In this case the translator informs the shop owner they are calling for a stranded motorist. They can actually be heard typing in the background. They need their car towed in but "for some reason" the towing company can't run their credit card. The translator asks the shop owner to run $3500 on the credit card for them, and take a $1000 deposit on the repairs for his trouble. He will then send the remaining $2500 by wire to the potential customer who will be there in the morning with the car. I'm sure you know what's next. The credit card company declines the charges and the shop is out $2500. It won't always work because some shops run the charge right through, but older systems will have a lag time and that's who gets nailed. Ouch.
Read more in the Ventura County Star.
Should've Stuck With Auto Repair
Wednesday June 24, 2009
I couldn't resist sharing this. Sometimes it's better to stick with the things you know and do well. If you're a fisherman, don't try to milk a cow. If you're a mountain climber, let grandma knit the sweaters. And if you're Holtkamp Auto Repair of West Point, Iowa you should most definitely not sell cigarettes to minors ... three times. Maybe now that their license to sell tobacco products has been suspended they'll have time to relearn the art of auto repair. Read more in The Hawkeye.
Avoiding Oil Change Ripoffs
Friday June 19, 2009
There's no avoiding the oil change. I guess that's not entirely true. My stepfather avoided changing the oil in his '88 Toyota Celica from the day he bought it new to the day he sold it to my little brother, five years later. When he did finally take it in for an unrelated ailment, there was very little oil left at all. He's either very lucky or Toyota engines were bulletproof back then, or a little of both. For the rest of us, the oil change is a must. If you change your own oil, pat yourself on the back. If you don't there are some things to think about. The oil change itself is not a very profitable endeavor for the repair shop, but many will lure you in only to hit you over the head with an expensive laundry list of repairs later. Between upsells and outright ripoffs there's a lot you can do to make sure you're getting the most bang for your hard won buck. If you're familiar with these tactics you'll be in control next time you drop your car off for the basics.
Fred's Charcoal Update - Good News!
Sunday June 14, 2009
You may remember Fred from his earlier woes involving an expensive charcoal canister repair to his Camry. He refused to take a $650 repair estimate lying down, and now he's proven further that being your own diagnostic team can pay off. AutoZone is one of many parts retailers that will read your car's OBD codes free of charge. Fred decided to go to AutoZone to see if there was any more information to be gleaned from his Toyota's brain. I'll let him tell the rest:
Well Matt, here's one for you. My neighbor suggested that I take my Camry to AutoZone for a second opinion. AZ read the codes and turned the light off. The guy next asked if I always turn the gas cap for at least three clicks after filling up. And did I leave the ignition on while gassing up. I told him I just turned the cap for 1 or 2 clicks and that I always leave the engine running while fueling. He explained that those conditions where causing the computer in the car to get a poor vacuum reading and that that probably caused the 'check engine' light to come on. It's been about 300 miles since the light was turned off and it hasn't come back on. Looks like Auto Zone saved me $650. -- FredLet's all hold hands and sing "Way To Go Fred." Ok, let's skip the hand holding and just tell him. Way to go, Fred!
Check Engine Light Pulls a Fast One
Wednesday June 10, 2009
A couple of weeks ago I received a letter from David, who was having problems with his check engine light -- it was staring at him. He took it to a shop which told him that he needed a pricey amount of work to replace a number of parts in his EVAP system. Not completely convinced, David decided to wait a minute on the repairs to see if there was a different diagnosis, or to see if he could do the repairs himself to save some money. It looks like he did the right thing. After checking and rechecking all of the potential culprits, he realized that his gas cap had been replaced at some point with an aftermarket locking version. He threw out the locking cap, replaced it with an original equipment cap, and what do you know? No check engine light. This is a great example of somebody using their head to save a serious amount of money. Way to go David!