Opinions…How Much Are They Worth To You??
Good morning and welcome!
This week as we were in the midst of repairing the “engine” job that “never was” from the dealership – that turned into a head gasket, another vehicle was towed in and the owners were just at their wits end.
They had her vehicle at a “high end” dealership being told she needed a new transmission with the cost in the high $2000′s – then towed it from there to a independent shop – and they were just unable to tell her what was wrong at all.
They eventually found us after this independent shop pointed her in our direction and she accessed our website http://www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
We drove her car for a day or two trying to get it to act up like she said that it was doing. (We’ve all had that – you bring your car in and that mysterious noise or behavior magically goes away and we can’t duplicate it…ugh…that even happens to me believe it or not…drives me nuts.)
She had mentioned that her car would cut in and out – hesitation and there would be a big loss of power.
We decided to drive it up the hill towards DeLuz (the hills behind Temecula) and it finally started doing what she was saying…hmmm…..this gave Ed an idea at least where to start looking.
After putting the vehicle into the air and poking around we found wires on a sending unit had been rubbing against a pulley and they were shorting out. However the only time this was happening was when the vehicle was at an angle and the wires would lay back against this pulley – finally being rubbed raw and exposed – sparking and shorting out. Thus making the car hesitate, confuse the computer and seem like the transmission was failing.
Ed found this within an hour. The dealership had it for days without even bothering to check this and just wanted to charge her over $2000+ for a transmission she never needed.
OUR cost to fix this? Less than $100. We just saved her $1900.
Since she had almost been willing to trade her car in at the dealership for something new instead of fix it, another shop hadn’t been able to find it either, she wanted to see these findings for herself.
We took pictures and personally showed her and her family. You can say that their jaws were on the floor.
While we had their vehicle in the shop we gladly did our bumper to bumper inspection and had found other things nobody bothered to find either and personally showed her what needed immediate attention and some things that could wait a bit longer if $$ was an issue.
Without hesitation she gladly approved ALL repairs and was VERY thankful she had finally found a shop that would not only prove the repairs needed but one she found to be fair and upfront.
She drove off in her car with the biggest smile on her face. I’ve got to tell you there is nothing more satisfying then being able to help someone like her and her family with what seemed like to them a hopeless situation.
I won’t sit her typing this acting as if we never make mistakes because we are human – the difference in the job we do though is that when we do make a mistake we own up to them and do everything we can to make it right. We don’t try and dance around the problem, we don’t make excuses like little kids getting caught with our hands in the cookie jar, we just admit the how and why and move on from there making sure before you leave us your still 100% satisfied with the work we’ve done.
This has been our motto for the last 7+ years we’ve been in business and it will never change for as long as we are here.
So many people still think that to keep their vehicle warranty in place they HAVE to have their vehicles serviced and worked on solely at the dealership. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
The ONLY time you HAVE or should go back to the dealership is for work that falls within your warranty. If we are working on a vehicle and find out that it may fall under your warranty perimeters we’ll stop and send you on your way there before you spend any unnecessary money with us. (most independent shops won’t do this either)
If you are curious mention it because WE don’t always KNOW that you have an extended warranty and can’t be responsible for each and every car we see – but like with anything – it doesn’t hurt to ask and make sure right? Let us know, call the dealership yourself and ask etc. We’ll be more than happy to help and do what we can to help YOU….just let us know.
How do WE know you don’t have to go to the dealerships for work – check this out – IT’S THE LAW – Click on this link (or copy and paste it into your browser) to see for yourself…..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson%E2%80%93Moss_Warranty_Act
Or you can Google – Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and read several articles explaining why you are NOT required to have all your vehicles needs serviced from the dealership you bought your car from.
Dealerships make MORE off repairs in the back then they ever do selling cars…..this misconception helps them stay in business and putting engines and new transmissions in cars that don’t need them. OR if they put new in at all….how would you know the difference if it’s new or just been steam cleaned and then you were told you just paid $5000 and it’s new but really it’s the same engine?! We’ve seen THAT happen too.
They make marketing easy for me and it’s a shame because it IS possible to make a living without having to lie, scheme and cheat the consumer to stay in business. Sad isn’t it?
So how much are those second and third opinions really worth to you now? It never hurts to get more than one opinion and like this family found out…by doing so they saved themselves $1900. She told me before she left that she’s been a life long customer at the dealership for all of her auto repair needs and she’d never go back after this.
I hope they realize just what a disservice they did when they decided to treat her like they did…and in today’s world and economy – losing a life long customer hurts. And owners of other shops and dealerships wonder why they are going out of business?
I could go on and on – but we’ll close here with that story for this week.
Keep all emails and comments coming in. I really enjoy hearing from each and every one of you.
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Have a great week and please drive safely out there.
Talk soon,
Lisa Flading
Owner/Operator
Auto Care Experts, Inc.
(951) 296-3384
http://www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
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A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption in our work; he is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider in our business; he is a part of it.
We are not doing him a favor by serving him; he is doing us a favor
by giving us an opportunity to do so.
http://www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
Oil Change Instructions – Funny!
Oil Change instructions for Women:
1. Pull up to Auto Care Experts, Inc. when the mileage reaches 3,000 miles since the last oil change.
2. Drink a cup of coffee.
3. 15 minutes later, scan debit card and leave, driving a properly maintained vehicle.
Money spent:
Oil Change:$36.95
Coffee: Complementary
TOTAL: $36.95
Oil Change instructions for Men:
1. Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store and buy a case of oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree,and use your debit card for $50.00.
2. Stop by Beer Store and buy a case of beer, (debit $24), drive home.
3. Open a beer and drink it.
4. Jack truck up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
5. Find jack stands under kid’s pedal car.
6. In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
7. Place drain pan under engine.
8. Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
9. Give up and use crescent wrench.
10. Unscrew drain plug.
11. Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: splash hot oil on you in process. Cuss.
12. Crawl out from under truck to wipe hot oil off of face and arms. Throw kitty litter on spilled oil.
13. Have another beer while watching oil drain.
14. Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench.
15. Give up; crawl under truck and hammer a screwdriver through oil filter and twist off.
16. Crawl out from under truck with dripping oil filter splashing oil everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil filter among trash in trash can to avoid environmental penalties. Drink a beer.
17. Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to gasket surface.
18. Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
19. Remember drain plug from step 11.
20. Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
21. Drink beer.
22. Discover that first quart of fresh oil is now on the floor. Throw kitty litter on oil spill.
23. Get drain plug back in with only a minor spill. Drink beer.
24. Crawl under truck getting kitty litter into eyes. Wipe eyes with oily rag used to clean drain plug. Slip with stupid crescent wrench tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame removing any excess skin between knuckles and frame.
25. Begin cussing fit.
26. Throw stupid crescent wrench.
27. Cuss for additional 5 minutes because wrench hit truck and left dent.
28. Beer.
29. Clean up hands and bandage as required to stop blood flow.
30. Beer.
31. Dump in five fresh quarts of oil.
32. Beer.
33. Lower truck from jack stands.
34. Move truck back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during any missed steps.
35. Beer.
36. Test drive truck.
37. Get pulled over: arrested for driving under the influence.
38. truck gets impounded.
39. Call loving wife, make bail.
40. 12 hours later, get truck from impound yard.
Money spent
:
Parts: $50.00
DUI: $2,500.00
Impound fee: $75.00
Bail: $1,500.00
Beer: $20.00
TOTAL: $4,145.00
But you know the job
was done right!
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SEND THIS TO WOMEN WHO NEED A LAUGH…
AND TO ANY MEN YOU THINK CAN HANDLE IT…
Does YOUR Vehicle Have A Recall Notice?
Auto Care Experts, Inc.
www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
Good Morning!
Recently I’ve been reading about an increase in recalls on a variety of vehicles – and some could be dangerous if they aren’t taken care of.
I thought maybe it would be a good idea to bring it to your attention.
The WORST recall failure we’ve seen is the following:
Not long ago we had a truck towed in with a needed repair that Ed and I had NEVER seen before. The output shaft of the gear box just snapped in two. (It would be like someone taking your steering wheel off while your going down the freeway – there is NO steering when this happens) The rod that snapped is approximately 1.5″ round – thick – solid steel—-that’s huge and very rare or so we thought.
Approximately 42,000 lives are lost annually on our Nation’s highways. Traffic crashes are the primary cause of debilitating injuries in the United States and the number one killer of Americans under the age of 34.
In addition to staggering emotional costs, the annual economic loss to society because of these crashes, in terms of worker productivity, medical costs, insurance costs, etc., is estimated at more than $150 billion.
Clearly, there is a need for dramatic improvement in motor vehicle safety. Getting unsafe vehicles off the road is integral to improving safety and saving lives.
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (originally enacted in 1966 and now re-codified as 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301) gives the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority to issue vehicle safety standards and to require manufacturers to recall vehicles that have safety-related defects or do not meet Federal safety standards.
Since then, more than 390 million cars, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and mopeds, as well as 46 million tires, 66 million pieces of motor vehicle equipment, and 42 million child safety seats have been recalled to correct safety defects.
Manufacturers voluntarily initiate many of these recalls, while others are either influenced by NHTSA investigations or ordered by NHTSA via the courts. If a safety defect is discovered, the manufacturer must notify NHTSA, as well as vehicle or equipment owners, dealers, and distributors. The manufacturer is then required to remedy the problem at no charge to the owner. NHTSA is responsible for monitoring the manufacturer’s corrective action to ensure successful completion of the recall campaign.
Unfortunately for many, for whatever reason, we do not always get these notices. So I’d like to show you a website I found that you can use for free and find a plethora of information. Please click the link below.
http://www.safer car.gov
Once you get to this website – follow these steps:
Under the green heading “Defects and Recalls” scroll down to where it says:
Safety Recalls and click on that.
Once there – in the middle you will see “check for recalls” and click on: search our recall database
From that screen you can either put in your vehicle information on the left hand side of the page or on the right you can look at yesterdays posting, postings listed for the last month or prior months.
The information I found listed just in the last month amazed me.
IF you have problems navigating through the website please email or call me and I will help you.
While I was on this website I happened to run across my neighbors truck. It is currently being recalled for “steering linkage” problems.
The website states:
THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND THE RESTRICTED ABILITY TO TURN THE VEHICLE IN ONE DIRECTION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
YIKES!
When I contacted him – he had no idea…scary huh? Obviously with recalls that’s money dealerships and independent shops aren’t making – but I think I’ve proven time and time again – that’s not why WE do this. So please take advantage of the information available and pass it along to family, friends, neighbors, etc.
The way I see it – whether or not you think it is important – that car coming down your neighborhood street, parked across from your house every day – could be on that list and could end up effecting you in a round about way. So take a minute to pass it on and let them know about this free information.
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Don’t forget to pass this information on to all of your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers! For each person that comes in because of YOU and becomes a new paying customer – we’ll put $25 BACK into YOUR Auto Care Experts account to use towards your next repair for the referral!
Our latest give-away was a total of $400 towards their repair…..that’s 16 HAPPY customers they’ve introduced to us! That could be YOU 
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Have a great week and please drive safely.
Lisa Flading
Owner/Operator
Auto Care Experts, Inc.
www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption in our work; he is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider in our business; he is a part of it.
We are not doing him a favor by serving him; he is doing us a favor
by giving us an opportunity to do so.
How Bad Is It To Really Run Out Of Gas…..???
Hello and Welcome Back!
Last week while I was in the office I noticed quite a few cars being dropped off with barely any gas left in them.
I understand with the economy all of us are waiting longer and longer before we fill up…but allowing any vehicle to run on less than a quarter of a tank can actually damage some VERY expensive parts….besides making it nearly impossible for us to test drive your vehicle after a repair….(which is mandatory to ensure your safety).
When you run out of gas in your car, there are a number of parts of the vehicle that can be damaged. For example, running a car with very little gas OR without gas can damage the fuel pump, fuel filter, or push dirt through out the fuel line of the vehicle.
Why? Gasoline is the lubricant those parts need to run smoothly. Over time all fuel tanks accumulate sediments that settle on the bottom of the tank….the lower you run your vehicle on gas before filling up – the more likely you are to pick up that dirt pushing it through VERY delicate parts on your car.
The repairs for most any of these parts is significant and costly.
To help protect yourself against the risk of running out of gas, consider filling up your tank anytime your fuel indicator falls below 1/4 a tank.
Did you also know there’s more to re-starting your car after it’s run out of gas then just “turning it over?”
Most owner manuals actually have information about this.
The best thing to keep in mind is to fill it up with a minimum of 1 to 2 gallons of gas. (Do your best to keep it off the paint.)
Then BEFORE actually starting it – turn the key to the START or ON position several times (do NOT actually start the car).
What this does is activate the fuel pump – pushing fresh fuel through and re-lubricating those parts that shut down when it ran out of gas.
Once you’ve done this – it’s safe to start your car. Things should return to normal shortly. If not – then it’s time to give us a call to check things out.
Please make sure and keep on eye on your fuel levels. You may think your saving money or extending the time before having to spend the $$ to fill up…..but your taking a major chance of having massive repairs for running so low. It’s really that simple.
(Also we would appreciate enough gas left in the car to test drive it before AND after repairs ).
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Have you been noticing any driveability problems?
Loss of gas mileage?
Things just aren’t like they used to be?
Bring it by for us to check out for FREE. We’ll do a courtesy check on your vehicle and advise from that point on as to why you may be noticing certain things happening.
If you may need a repair or it’s time for your regular scheduled maintenance we’ll take 10% OFF that repair over $200! That can be some substantial savings.
Give Chris, our Service Writer, a call today to schedule your appointment – (951) 296-3384
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Don’t forget to pass this information on to all of your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers! For each person that comes in because of YOU and becomes a new paying customer – we’ll put $25 BACK into YOUR Auto Care Experts account to use towards your next repair for the referral!
Our latest give-away was a total of $400 towards their repair…..that’s 16 HAPPY customers they’ve introduced to us! That could be YOU
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We’ll see you next Monday Lisa.
Have a great week out there to all of my subscribers from coast to coast.
Remember: “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life!”
Talk soon,
Lisa Flading
Owner/Operator
Auto Care Experts, Inc.
(951) 296-3384
www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption in our work; he is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider in our business; he is a part of it.
We are not doing him a favor by serving him; he is doing us a favor
by giving us an opportunity to do so.
http://www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
When Was The Last Time YOU Changed Your Cabin Air Filter?
Hello!
How are you today? I hope things are well for you and yours on this fine day
Over the weekend Ed and I decided to take our good friends up the coast to go visit Hearst Castle because they’d never been.
We also decided to drive their car instead…..
(This week their bringing their car in for service.)
It’s impossible for Ed and I to ignore car issues in ANY car when we are driving it…and it’s also amazing what people will settle for (sometimes not knowing any better) when their car has issues…and continue to drive it a certain way.
One of our conversations turned to the air quality inside of the vehicle and the smells we smell and DON’T smell that can be dangerous.
How safe is the air inside of YOUR vehicles?
When is the last time you changed or had someone change your cabin air filter?
Studies show that the air quality inside cars on most roads is even WORSE than the outside air. That’s because the heating, air conditioning and vent system has the effect of concentrating contaminants inside the passenger cabin when it draws in outside air and the windows are closed.
Cabin air filters do for the passenger compartment of your car what heating & air conditioning filters do for your home – they filter and clean the air before you breathe removing up to 99.5% of allergens.
Like other filters on your car, cabin air filters need to be changed at routine intervals. We recommend every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. Refer to your owner’s manual for the recommended filter changing procedure or you can come see us/or call.
Why do people need cabin air filters?
Think of them as an air filter that cleans air before it enters the passenger compartment through the heating, air conditioning or fresh air systems. The new filters remove allergens and pollutants before they get into the car and before they can be inhaled by the driver and passengers.
Roadside air contains significant numbers of contaminants such as pollen, dust, diesel soot, and smog, and the contaminants are two to six times more concentrated inside a car than outside.
Does the filter help allergy sufferers?
Yes. The filter traps virtually all pollen and dust particles that may cause allergic reactions. Such particles are generally 7 to 100 microns in diameter. A dot made with a sharp pencil is huge at 200 microns.
Do cabin air filters keep car interiors cleaner?
The new filters greatly reduce the amount of dust and pollutants entering the car, so inside glass, dashboards, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems do tend to stay cleaner.
How does the filter work?
Filter fibers are electrostatically charged, allowing the filter to work at higher efficiency because it attracts and holds contaminants within the media. This reduces the chance of surface clogging and allows the filter to last longer.
How effective are cabin air filters?
These filters are extremely efficient. They remove up to 99.5% of allergen contaminants from outside air.
What size particles do cabin air filters trap?
The filter screens out virtually all particles two microns in diameter and larger. A human hair is between 80 and 100 microns in diameter, so many of these particles are invisible to the naked eye.
What is the filter’s change interval?
Like any other filter, cabin air filters need to be changed at routine intervals, following the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation.
What happens if the filter is not changed?
Air will still flow into the passenger cabin through the heating, air conditioning and fresh air systems. Once the filter media is saturated with contaminants, however, the pollutants and allergens will start entering the passenger cabin as well.
Not sure if you need a cabin air filter or not? Give us a call or stop by and we’ll check it out for you.
If you decide you’d like it changed – use this weeks coupon savings to get that done.
Mention this article and receive 20% off a new cabin air filter.
This offer is good for one week only!
Just give us a call at (951) 296-3384 to schedule your appointment or to give us a heads up that you’ll be stopping by to use this offer.
Have a great week and we’ll see you back here next Monday. Be on the look out for your August newsletter this week. If you don’t receive one – let me know and I’ll make sure one gets mailed out to you asap.
Don’t forget to visit our website for some awesome information regarding auto repair!
www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
Talk soon,
Lisa Flading
Owner/Operator
Auto Care Experts, Inc.
www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption in our work; he is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider in our business; he is a part of it.
We are not doing him a favor by serving him; he is doing us a favor
by giving us an opportunity to do so.
How Many Times Should You Pay For Labor?!
Exactly How Many Times Do You Have To Pay For A Repair?
http://www.napaautocare.com/index.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fConsumer%2fc_MechanicalCenter.aspx
Since the launch of our new website I’ve been getting asked a bundle of questions.
There has been one reoccurring theme throughout the emails and it was in regards to consumers being charged labor AGAIN when and if a part fails.
I thought we’d take a minute this morning and address that and explain what the link is all about above.
So….How many times have you had a repair done to your car and “sometimes” the part fails?
Unfortunately there is NOT A SINGLE SHOP in our business that can avoid that from happening from time to time.
Just like any thing – at times there is a bad run on parts or it may have just been a bad apple….either way it’s time out of YOUR day again to get it repaired. WE understand that.
Besides using up more of your time, how many times have you been charged for it….again? Maybe not the part itself but for them to put it in? This is where the rip off begins with unethical repairs. Why?
Most parts houses understand that it’s not YOUR fault or OUR fault that the parts they supplied us with failed. So they give us another part in exchange BUT we are also PAID to put it in again and not by you….. by THEM. So why are YOU being charged labor when we are being paid already from our supplier to replace a faulty part?!?!
That my friend is the question you should be asking yourselves.
Being part of the Napa organization they warranty ALL parts that we put on your vehicle – no matter if we buy the parts from them or not.
(When you get a chance please check out the Napa link above and browse around their site.)
That’s why if one of OUR parts fail you – we treat you right. We already understand that your taking time out of your day a second time around – why charge you “again” making double the profit? It’s not YOUR fault right? Exactly.
I’ve talked to so many people that have had this happen, as well as been asked several times and all I can say is that they simply took advantage of you and it’s a good time to find somewhere else to have your vehicles serviced. To me it is nothing short of highway robbery.
One of the only times we have charged labor again is when there has been a clear sign of abuse which made the part fail.
For example: brakes; most times we can tell if the parking brake was left on and it wore out the pads or if you were carrying a heavier load then what your vehicle was designed and brake usage was high – thus burning out your pads. Situations like that are considered abuse and labor will be charged.
However, when we are talking about an alternator (common for those to go bad) or O2 sensors – if they are put on and fail – we replace them completely FREE of charge to you no matter how many times you come in within the warranty period on the part.
If you clink on the link above you will see that we offer through Napa a 12 month or 12,000 mile warranty. If you apply and are approved for the Napa EasyPay Credit Card – your warranty doubles to 24 months or 24,000 miles. You can apply online by clicking on this link:
http://www.napaautocare.com/index.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fConsumer%2fc_NAPAEasyPay.aspx
The great thing about this Car Care One card is that you CANNOT use it for ANYTHING but auto repair. So if something at the mall looks inviting – this card won’t be able to help you out.
No matter where you are at getting your vehicle serviced and you have to return because of what I’ve been talking about – if they try and charge you labor for replacing a part that failed – ask them why?
We are NOT the ONLY repair station out there that get “kick backs” when parts fail – trust me on that one – so don’t sit back and let it happen any longer.
Keep the money in YOUR pocket that YOU deserve instead of lining the pockets of unethical businesses.
Keep those questions and comments coming in! I’ve really enjoyed answering the questions and keeping in touch with everyone.
Brakes & The Napa Warranty
Happy Start of the summer to you! What an awesome weekend we had weather-wise don’t you think? I know it was a little hot….but it’s better than rain or bad weather any day
For all of you that live out of state that receive this email – I hope you had an amazing weekend of weather and good times also with family and friends.
During our mini weekend vacation I ran into my girlfriend who just so happened to have brake issues on her vehicle again………(notice I said again)
I tease her relentlessly about her driving habits. You see – like tires or most any part on a car – you can only estimate how long it’s supposed to last…that’s why if one upgrades to a lifetime warranty part….it can save you quite a bit of money.
Since I don’t ride with her very often (I’m a control freak when it comes to driving and drive everyone myself) I couldn’t tell you if she is one that waits until the last 5 seconds to stop at lights or not. If you do that enough while your driving in town your going to burn through pads probably as often as she is – lol.
Consumer driving habits can be a major factor in how long those parts or tires are going to last on a vehicle. Since everyone drives differently…..well….that time frame can vary by quite a bit.
With my girlfriend…. since we had her upgrade to lifetime pads allows us to take care of her pretty inexpensively as she continues to drive like it’s a Nascar track out on the roads of Temecula.
Below is some information regarding Napa’s Brakes:
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NAPA Brakes Ultra Premium brake pads are your best choice for restoring OE (Original Equipment) performance without having to pay dealership prices. Independent testing verifies that these pads conform to federal safety standards for new car production and are guaranteed quiet for lasting customer satisfaction.
Why Its an Important Part of The Perfect Brake Job
More than any other brand in the Aftermarket, NAPA Brakes Ultra Premium friction formulations are independently tested to ensure the vehicle returns to like-new performance.
Ultra Premium Coverage
Cataloged for passenger cars and trucks built mostly in the past 15 years. Ultra Premium availability includes NAPAs broadest coverage of vehicles from Lexus to Mercedes, Jeep to GMC trucks, Honda to Hyundai and everything in-between.
Features & Benefits
NAPA Brakes Ultra Premium brake pads are engineered to the highest safety standards to meet or exceed the vehicles OE performance
NAPA Brakes Ultra Premium brake pads offer four times as many friction formulations to match the form, fit and function of the pad they’re replacing
For applications that require ceramic formulations, NAPA Brakes Ultra Premium ceramic brake pads cover more applications than any other Aftermarket ceramic brake pad and offer the cleanest, quietest braking possible
The shims, slots and chamfers match the OE design for maximized noise reduction*NAPA Brakes Ultra Premium brake shoes are bonded or riveted to OE standards.
Hardware is included (where applicable)*Every NAPA Brakes Ultra Premium brake pad or shoe is guaranteed quiet for long-term customer satisfaction
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If you have any questions regarding Napa and the lifetime warranty – please just give us a call!
Also….
Since most of us will be driving a bit more this summer while on vacation (whether you have a motor-home, truck or passenger car) call and let us check your brakes out for FREE.
If we find that you need brakes and you would like to upgrade to the lifetime warranty pads – Please use this email offer to take $25 OFF each axle! That’s a possible savings of up to $50.
Give Chris, our Service Writer, a call today to schedule your FREE brake check….
(951) 296-3384
Well that’s it for today. We’ll see you next MONDAY – yes I’ll be back on track after this week
Have a safe and wonderful week with family and at work.
Talk soon,
Lisa Flading
Owner/Operator
Auto Care Experts, Inc.
(951) 296-3384
http://www.StopAutoRepairRipOffs.com
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A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption in our work; he is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider in our business; he is a part of it.
We are not doing him a favor by serving him; he is doing us a favor
by giving us an opportunity to do so.
Welcome!
Hello and Welcome to my first blog post for Auto Care Experts, Inc. (Stopautorepairripoffs.com/blog)
Our website is finally done…can you believe it?! After almost six months in finding someone and then designing the pages – our website is now live and active. Like with anything there are a few glitches here and there as we get use to this “new” style but I’m sure you’ll end up loving it as much as I’m starting to.
(See change isn’t always a bad thing )
Last week I mentioned that we had 11 girl scouts come in and we taught them a few basics regarding auto repair. One mother even mentioned that her daughter was hoping their car would break down because she wanted to see if she could fix it. (I love it!)
Ed and I talk to our daughters AND their friends all the time regarding auto repair, what to look for, what’s not quite right, etc. At times I feel, like I’m sure most mothers/parents do, that the kids really aren’t even listening. That was until my cell phone rang this week and one of my daughters friends had her mother call me.
This young girl had been listening to me talk about cars each morning on our way to school for over three years now and apparently she’s learned quite a bit – lol. She knew enough to know that her mother’s transmission didn’t sound right, the fluid didn’t smell right and they needed to call me ASAP.
The morning before I had received this phone call – I had been telling my carpool kids the story about our visit with the girl scouts and how we had the girls check the transmission fluid, smell it and watch Ed “taste” it, (which brought on a fit of giggles) the girls asked me even MORE questions….and this is what I told them…..
Transmission fluid is a crucial element for every vehicle and for maintaining your transmission system. If you had no transmission fluid, your system could get stuck causing you to hear those awful noises your mother dreads while driving down the road.
If you’re not familiar with the importance of transmission fluid, let me give you a quick lesson. The fluid serves as a lubricant so that all the moving parts of the transmission function smoothly. It’s a channel of transferring your engine’s power to the transmission system properly as well as contributing to less heat generation from the transmission components.
We recommend checking your transmission fluid once a month and having it changed every 30,000-60,000 miles. Preventative maintenance is always important to keep your car in its best running condition, so here are a few simple steps to help you or your parents to get started.
Step 1: Locate the dipstick for your transmission. It’s usually near the back of the engine and the handle is either a T shape or a ring handle, usually similar to that of your oil dipstick handle.
Step 2: Start your engine and keep is running to check the fluid level and make sure your vehicle is parked on a level surface.
Step 3: Carefully, grasp the dipstick handle and pull straight up until the end of the stick clears the housing tube. Wipe the stick off with a rag, and push it all the back down into the tube.
Step 4: Pull the stick all the way out again and hold it so you can see the end of the stick and the film of fluid that clings to it.
Step 5: Look for the level indicators stamped or drilled into the dipstick. You’ll see two sets of indicators; one set is for checking the fluid when the engine is cold and the other set is for checking the fluid when the engine is hot. Each set of indicators is marked with a “full” line and an “add” line.
Step 6: Determine whether your transmission fluid is at the proper level by finding the spot on the dipstick where the film of fluid ends. If the film ends near the “full” mark or somewhere near the halfway point between “full” and “add,” your transmission has a sufficient fluid level.
Step 7: Return the dipstick to the holding tube and push it all the way back down into the tube. Fully seat the dipstick in the holding tube.
I expected to turn around or look in my rear view mirror to see them all sleeping or texting but they only had more questions.
After having this young girls mother bring her car in….to be honest it was amazing it made it to us at all. The noise it was making when it pulled into our parking lot was a sure sign there was something definitely wrong. (She had also been at the dealership earlier that day and handed us the quote they provided to her.)
As with ANY repair I explained to her that I view auto repair much like being sick personally. You cannot expect to call the doctor and have him diagnose you and prescribe you medications over the phone without ever seeing you in person. (That’s why we give you our initial diagnosis for FREE) I told her that we’d have to get her vehicle in (over the phone quotes are nearly impossible) and see what we found and even then until we performed a bit of “surgery” we wouldn’t know for certain the extent of the damage.
(The dealership in town had quoted her an estimate of well over $2500 and that did NOT include a new transmission, rebuilt or any of what was really wrong.)
After we opened the transmission it was truly even MORE amazing that it was at any time drivable. However it could be fixed and guess what?….it was LESS than the dealership was going to charge her and she was getting more done with US! How sad that she may have been spending almost $600+ for LESS VALUE!?!
Needless to say we had her transmission torn apart, fixed right with new parts and back together for her in less than 48 hours AND we were able to extend to her our awesome warranties. I’m hoping that we were able to show her the misconceptions she’s had about having vehicles fixed or maintained solely at a dealership and their warranties….because personally it couldn’t be more wrong. Like I’ve told YOU all before – repairing cars (and ripping you off) is how the dealerships are able to stay in business – NOT selling cars…..why pad their greedy pockets any more than you have to for less service, less value, untrained mechanics and downtime without your car? No need any longer
Well… I’ll have to thank my little friend for sending us her parents. She was able to diagnose all by herself (at age 13) that what she was hearing with her mothers car and by smelling the transmission fluid that those two things were not normal and needed to be checked further after asking me a few simple questions. I think that’s pretty amazing. It warms my heart to know that what I’m mumbling in the mornings isn’t always falling upon deaf ears.
Many of you out there have young adults getting permits or starting to drive cars themselves. Knowing basic car maintenance is always a must. AAA isn’t always available and cell service isn’t 100%. Everyone should always know the basics.
For the next week we will be taking appointments for anyone and everyone out there (young teens or adults) for a one on one lesson regarding car maintenance! Most times classes last around an hour depending on how many questions you may have etc. I welcome you, your teen or anyone you think could benefit from this to bring your own vehicle so we can show you exactly where and what to look at on the vehicle that’s being driven. What Ed and I will be covering in this personal class is:
- Checking & Adding Oil
- Check Your Radiator
- Change a Flat Tire
- Check Your Battery
- Jump Starting
- Windshield Washer Fluid
- Windshield Wipers
- Open the Hood
- Checking Tire Wear
- Checking belts and hoses
All of this will be covered and at NO COST to you OR your teen!!!! (I charged my teen $125 – lol – it was the only time he would take us seriously! He figured since we were in the “business” we would just take care of things FOR him…he thought wrong.)
Give Chris, our service writer a call today at (951) 296-3384 to schedule time for this amazing class. We will be taking appointments for ONE week only as classes fill up fast. However our availability will be open for next three weeks, until June 13. Grab your spot today! We’ll do everything we can to accommodate your schedule so you can take advantage of this offer.
Enjoy the new website and remember to send your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to the ONE place that will treat them right and fairly.
Remember – For each person you send our way and they become a new paying customer we’ll put $25 into your auto care account to use towards your next repair. Right now our top earner for referrals has been $325! Can you beat their record?
We will see you next week and as always….please drive safely out there.
Lisa Flading
Owner/Operator
Auto Care Experts, Inc.
(951) 296-3384
A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption in our work; he is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider in our business; he is a part of it.
We are not doing him a favor by serving him; he is doing us a favor
by giving us an opportunity to do so.