Posts Tagged ‘car mechanics’

Car workshop charges for unnecessary work (Survey)

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Notice your car repair bill next time, there are chances you may be charged for repair work your car may not require. In the recent survey in Canada, only 6 garages out of 19 those were able to detect the simple fault and rest charged for the work which was not required.

The Automobile Protection association, CTV’s W5 and our Consumer Specialist Lea Williams-Doherty put auto repair shops to the test. They did an undercover investigation to see if 19 garages could properly diagnose and repair a simple problem.

The problem should have been easy to detect and cheap to fix. The APA loosened one battery cable on two cars in otherwise perfect condition and took them to randomly selected repair shops.
A secret shopper told the garages that sometimes the cars just wouldn’t start. Of the 19 garages, only six passed the test by finding and tightening that loose cable.

It depends upon mechanics expertise and processes followed at car service centre. In Canada and other countries, you can find associations which monitor and is trying to standardize car repair shops, but there is no such automobile protection association in India. India lacks on trained manpower and scarcity of spares.

Providing reviews of car workshops are the solution to know the best car service centers. MeriCAR Reviews section is developed for the same purpose. It allows customers to review workshops based on certain criteria.

Source Survey:
http://calgary.ctv.ca

Battery is the life of the car, when it dies, so does your car

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

You get up in the morning prepare for your office and you find your car wont start. It’s just one of the signs that winter is in full effect, and every year it amazingly takes people by surprise. Batteries drain more quickly in winter.

Make sure your posts and connections are no corrosion. Most experts suggest you have your battery checked at least once a year. While many batteries are labeled “maintenance free,” most are serviceable. One simple way to keep your battery in proper working order is to keep the battery case clean. You can clean dirt and residue by wiping it with moist paper towels and mild detergent.

Check car manual for instructions for battery. If your battery has a removable vent cap, you should check electrolyte levels at least once a month. If levels don’t rise above the top plates of the battery, you can add distilled water. If you are checking your battery instead of car mechanic, make sure you follow the safety precautions listed in your owner’s manual. Most batteries have a life span of up to three years. If your battery is older, it should be replaced.

Other possible reasons for a battery runs down are:

• You accidentally left the lights on or some other accessory that pulls power from the battery even when the ignition key is off.
• The battery is not being recharged while the vehicle is being driven (you have a charging problem)
• There is a key off parasitic electrical drain on the battery because a relay is sticking, a module is not shutting down, or there is a shorted diode in the alternator.
• Your battery is old and will not hold a charge anymore. The battery needs to be replaced.

To send enquiry with discounted offers, you can check with Nishant Batteries, Click here

Source:
Articles
More detail of Diagnosing A Car Battery That Runs Down read at aa1car.com

Don’t Pay For Your Car Mechanic’s Negligence

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Once you believe your car mechanic and you do not bother anything next time until something wrong has happened. How many time you have changed your car mechanics or car workshop? Possible if you are paying for your car mechanic’s negligence. Here is a situation that may happen to you:-

I’ve been going to car workshop for a few years and up until now they’ve provided what I would consider to be a good service. Anyway, they serviced my car and I picked it up and took it home. The next morning, there’s a huge pool of oil under the car. I took the car back to the garage and they felt sorry about using wrong washer on the plug.

I took the car home, woke up next day to another pool of oil. I had to use the car to get to work, so I topped the oil up and set off with the intention of dropping the car off at the garage again in the evening. I got to the end of the road and there’s a loud clattering noise coming from the engine bay. I called the garage and they asked me not to drive and the car gets picked up.

Later that afternoon, the garage called back and said ‘It’s not the engine, it’s your steering pump; the bearings have exploded and there’s power steering fluid everywhere. It’s nothing to do with us, you need to pay for getting it transported over, new belts and a new pump’.

Okay, let’s think about this, because to me it doesn’t really make any sense. First of all, they have had two opportunities to spot the leaking fluid and didn’t. Secondly they lied to me about the ‘wrong washer on the sump plug’. Finally, and most importantly, if they had spotted the steering fluid leak in the first place, my pump may well have not died. After all, when I spotted what I thought was an oil leak the pump wasn’t making any bad noises.

I think they have been completely incompetent throughout and I don’t think I should be paying for any of this. As you would expect, the garage doesn’t agree.

Here are some suggestions to reduce chance you need to pay for your car mechanic’s incompetence.

Visit Authorized Garage:

You can not trust car mechanic even if you are using them for long. You must go to authorized car workshop, garages. There are Bosch Car Service centres. They have some standards/criteria to give authorization to small car workshops.

Check Out Car Workshops Reviews:

You can also check out if there is any review available. MeriCAR.com is providing reviews of car workshops and service centres and they are real customers experience.

Using any car mechanics who is just near to your home, is not enough to save your car (or bill).

Source: WeeklyGripe

Did you ask your mechanic to keep old car parts before it being replaced?

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

When you are busy, it is very common that you do not bother asking about the spare parts brand your mechanic has replaced. You stress upon having seen old parts.

Here is a story.

“About two years ago I played a joke on a customer who asked me to keep her old parts. She asked me to save the old parts–BEFORE we did any work, I gave this customer an air conditioning compressor and told her it was her old water pump that we replaced, and she believed me” said mechanic and writer at: trustmymechanic.com

Ask your mechanic to use brand name or dealer parts whenever there is a “critical component” being replaced.

Critical components are water pumps, alternators, starters, fuel pumps, etc and non-critical items are air filters, spark plugs, fluids, brake pads, etc.

Ask your mechanic to use his best judgment when determining critical items. You will probably pay more for these parts now, but in the long run you will be glad you did.

In India, spare parts industry has grown with huge demand. Almost every workshop has problem getting particular parts from the market. Maintaining inventory is not easy, especially multi brand workshops. Car manufacturer are putting legal term before spare parts supplier to supply to their dealers only. It has been believed that same spare parts are available in the open market with different brand name and they have warranty.

Always compare while you need to replace critical component and prefer authorized workshop or ask for brand name. Small workshops get it arranged but take their responsibility to replace if it has any problem.

Checking pressure of your car tyres can save lots of fuel

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

One of the most prominent questions asked by any car owner is how to improve fuel efficiency? Answer is very clear in the unconscious mind of people but they often tend to avoid it. Consumer guides recommendation for getting better fuel efficiency may seem like a silly approach, but they really can make a difference.

Apart from regular car service, checking tyre pressure is normally recommended by mechanics and car experts.

Tyre pressure can drop due to small perforations, the natural escape of air through the tyre’s components or even from a decrease in ambient temperatures. So it is important to check it once a month, because:

• Low pressure increases the risk of damage to your tyres
• Excess pressure of 20% can reduce the life of your tyre by up to 10,000 kms
• Correct tyre pressure will even save fuel

Michelin recommends that you must check the pressure of your tyres, including your spare, monthly and before any long journey, preferably when your tyres are cold. If they are hot, it is advisable to add 4-5 psi to the pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.