Service FAQs

FAQ #1:	Do you have one of those machines that you hook up to a vehicle and will tell you everything that is wrong?
Answer:	Yes. Their names are Rick or Mike or whomever the technician is working on your vehicle.
Answer:	No. He is not a machine but a certified technician that is employed to fix vehicles for compensation. They have families that require money and benefits. They also have large toolboxes that require tool purchases on a weekly basis. They also need time away from work to de-stress and reeducate themselves to stay abreast of the constant changes in the automotive industry. Today's vehicles are very complex and expensive pieces of electronic machinery. Each vehicle has several different computer controlled systems that function independently yet work together to get us where we want to go safely and efficiently. Each system has diagnostic procedures and steps that need to be tested with different pieces of diagnostic equipment such as scanners, scopes, volt meters, amp meters, load testers, compression gauges, fuel press gauges, vacuum gauges, and the list goes on of which we have all of them and what we do not have we get.
FAQ #2:	Do you give free estimates?
Answer:	Yes. We can give a free general estimate of what a specific repair can cost. We also recommend that you check out this web site that can do this for you: Go to the link CARCARE.com and click on the $ sign. They can give you a general cost of specific repairs and maintenance. We have found this site to be accurate in most cases.
FAQ #3:	Can you tell me what is wrong with my car over the phone and give me a price?
Answer:	No. Today's vehicles are far too complex and expensive to make a guess. We perform what is called symptom based diagnostics which by definition is to find out what symptom the customer is experiencing and follow the manufacturers flow chart of the symptom to determine the problem and estimate the cost to repair. Some symptoms can and will have several different causes. They will have different prices. Example: "My car quit running. How much will it cost to get it running?" First of all we need to establish which system is not doing its job, mechanical, fuel, electrical or ignition, or computer controlled functions. Each one of these systems can cause a vehicle to quit running and each system repair varies in cost. Therefore a proper diagnosis with test equipment and time are required.
FAQ #4:	Can you install my parts if I bring them to you?
Answer:	No. In order for us to stay in business and meet the needs of the motoring public in the new millennium we have to have profit. With the cost of tools, equipment, wages, liability insurance, medical insurance, computer data base, monthly subscription changes for updated changes in vehicle design, reeducation, heat, electricity, office supplies, phone bills, advertising, office & clerical employees, etc. etc. etc. we need every penny we can get just to meet overhead required to serve you. Example: Lets use a McDonald's hamburger; the parts: meat, bun, mustard, ketchup, pickle, and paper to wrap it in. On the other side we have labor (the cook, the order taker, manager, owner,) all the overhead of a building has (heat, electricity, phone,) and misc. supplies, cleanup and uniforms. McDonald's not selling you that hamburger at the same cost they are paying for the parts and putting it together. The automotive business is not a whole lot different, just the cost of doing business is a lot higher in the auto repair industry.
FAQ #5:	Why is it so expensive to fix my car?
Answer:	Reason #1: The cars we work on are complicated and very complex electronically. We want more in smaller packages and higher performance thus vehicles cost more to manufacture and more to repair when broken. Reason #2: Total lack of preventative maintenance. Most vehicles are driven until they die and a computer controlled car is designed to keep you driving until all the other systems fail to keep things going as long as possible. A well maintained vehicle can be very economical to operate and a poorly maintained vehicle will be costly to repair. Return to basics is the key. Read and follow the recommended service intervals of your vehicle. No not all maintenance must be performed by a dealer on a lease or if you own your own car. Some recommended maintenance items are not covered under warrantee repairs. You want your car to treat you well. Treat it well with good maintenance.
FAQ #6:	I just had my car tuned up and now it quit. Why did they not warn me this could happen?
Answer:	Most people do not perform the required maintenance until they begin to have a problem or notice that their vehicle is not quite running right. At this point it is no longer preventive maintenance it is a repair and they ask for a tune up to fix a problem. Example: Part of a tune up would be changing the fuel filter. That fuel filter had been let go for several thousand miles over its recommended change interval and become restricted with dirt. This restriction in the fuel filter causes the fuel pump to work harder for a longer period of time then it was designed for. Eventually like anything else that works harder then intended to, it will quit working all together and fail which will cause the car to quit running. That is just one example that is simple to follow. Others can be much more complicated.
FAQ #7:	Do you have a warranty?
Answer:	Yes. 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.
FAQ #8:	Do you have a nationwide warranty?
Answer:	Yes, through our Auto Value Certified Service Center affiliation we offer a nationwide warranty. Ask for details when your vehicle is picked up.