One of the most difficult jobs in the automotive repair business is to call the customer with "the news." Much like in the medical, legal, accounting, even funeral professions, the news is often not good news. We share the facts, and by these facts we make our living. But still. Every time I call Bob the attorney(not his real name), I feel guilty about what his car needs, despite my having 30 years of experience sharing news with customers.  There is a joke in the business called the three B's: "I didn't build it, buy it, or break it." It was time to call Bob with a list of repairs. I had a cup of coffee and reviewed his records for the past five years. His BMW had been very good to him - with few repairs and mostly routine maintenance. Then, I called. Slightly distressed, Bob asked for details. I went over the list, including costs, and heard a big sigh. "How come every time I bring in my car," he asked, "you t ... read more

Internet auto parts The internet has brought such great information into the world. My businesses use it not only as a home for our web sites, but for accessing information, including logging into our paid reference websites. We use to buy thousands of dollars worth of books per year to get repair information; now we go to Mitchell or ALLDATA websites. We pay more than $1000 per month for the use of these and other sites. When repairing or servicing a vehicle, it is not only important to have access to the most current information, but to use high quality parts from reputable manufacturers. How do we identify parts? We use our experience through years of installing brand name parts and monitoring the results. All parts both rebuild (or remanufactured) and new parts are not created equal. A very wide of range of quality can be found. I once used a rebuilder of starters and alternators with a part return rate of greater than 50%. It took about 4 months before I reali ... read more

I have loved gadgets every since I can remember. In the fourth grade, back before remote controls, I wired my TV and lights so I could turn them on from my bed. I also had speakers all over my room for that “surround sound” effect. It was my first introduction to gadgets and total living comfort. That was around the same time I fell in love with the automobiles, which were full of gadgets and mystery. Where else can you, from the “captain’s chair”, control so many devices? Think about what you control from the driver’s seat. From the earliest days of the automobile, there always have been the basics such as steering, throttle position (gas pedal), brakes, clutch, emergency brake, and the gears for the transmission. As automobiles evolved, more devices were added, such as headlights, taillights, turn signals, horn, roll-up windows, windshield wipers, window washers and doors that open and close easily. Then came the creature comforts: heati ... read more

In the upcoming summer months, fuel prices are predicted to be at the lowest level in 6 years, it’s a great time to travel and see our wonderful country. National parks, state parks and theme parks are a great family vacation without the hassle of airports, airport security and cramped airplane seating. Some sites are reachable even in a day or two drive. As the summer season nears, keep a few things in mind before traveling long distances. Nothing is worse to disrupt a vacation or any travel than an unplanned breakdown. On a day to day base, getting into a hot vehicle is uncomfortable. The inside can reach over 140 degrees. To cool the vehicle inside quickly, roll down the window for the first minute or two of driving to get some of the very hot air out. The complete interior can be as high as 140 degrees and to get it to the comfortable temperature of  70 degrees will often take 20 minutes so be patient. On this note, never leave children or animals inside a vehicle wit ... read more

As I’m driving, I have explored routes in Eugene that the traffic lights are synchronized. I even know that if I miss a certain traffic light, I can turn and follow another route to get to my destination quicker, safer and with less wear and tear on the vehicle. Every time you stop, you use more brake material and waste fuel and time. The good news about Eugene is the city has spent much time and money in traffic light controls. They are “smart” controls, knowing the time of day and “counting” vehicles on the road. How? There are two ways of counting vehicles I know of, the most common is in ground loop detectors. These are put into the payment and detect metal. There may be one to four loops in a lane at a stop light, counting vehicles. The more vehicles detected, the longer the light will stay green. If there’s a low traffic count, the lights change quickly. The other type is an infrared motion detector. The most visible one locally is the camera ... read more

When it’s hot outside, one of the last places you want to be is sitting in traffic without a properly functioning A/C system. To help avoid this uncomfortable situation, having your A/C system checked annually to make sure it is functioning at its peak performance level when those temperatures are rising.           “Making sure your A/C system is working properly will give you the peace of mind knowing that your vehicle will keep you cool and safe when you hit the road this summer,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Not only are high temperatures harmful to the body with prolonged exposure, but they can provide unnecessary wear and tear on a vehicle.”                                                     A vehicle’s heating, ventilating and air conditionin ... read more