Increased Sparkplug Maintenance Intervals
Iridium Spark Plug
Can increased spark plug maintenance intervals put people out of work? We live in a changing world and sometimes we don’t realize what a big impact seemingly small changes have in our lives. When I got into the auto repair business there was plenty of work to go around. This has changed drastically over the last 2 decades. Maintenance intervals have increased and the car doesn’t need as much attention as it use to.
Today I’m going to talk about spark plug maintenance in particular but you could also add to the list of things that changed the automotive maintenance business, synthetic engine oil, extended life anti-freeze, new transmission technology requiring less fluid and filter changes and direct ignition systems that did away with the distributor cap and rotor.
But let’s talk about spark plugs. When you get right down to it a spark plug provides an electrical lightning bolt that ignites the air fuel mixture in the combustion chamber on command. Voltage surges supplied from the coil travel down spark plug wires to the correct plug. Read more
Big Block Model Engines
Big Block Working Engine Model
It’s no accident that I became a mechanic in the auto repair business. It all started with my first big block model engine project. My father bought me this kit when I was about 8 years old. He wanted me to learn how things worked. He thought that it would be an important life skill to be able to fix things including my own car when I was older.
My Mother tells people a different story. She says he pushed me into being a mechanic so he could get his cars fixed for free. Not sure if my Mom was right but it did work out that way. In fact I not only fix the cars of the entire family for parts cost only but I also replaced the engine in my Dads 26 foot boat. So it worked out well for him.
The same exact 1/4 scale big block model engines kit that dad bought me is still available today. I wrote a detailed review for the model engine kit by Revell for the you fix cars website if you’re interested in something like that. Note that it can be challenging to put together and is recommended for humans over the age of 12. Read more
How to Buy Auction Cars
Car Auction People
People who follow my websites have probably seen my articles on how to buy auction cars. I have written several posts on this subject primarily on Auto-Facts.org Since that location now has hundreds of pages of content the really good articles about the car auctions subject have gotten buried in the massive amounts of automotive information available there.
Friends and longtime followers are familiar with my history in the auto repair business but might forget when it comes to auctions I not only attend events, purchased automobiles but also my prior work experience as a management level employee for some of the larger companies.
Since I am familiar with all angles of the process and like to talk about the subject I decided to share some important tips on how to buy auction cars with visitors to the auto repair information blog. One of the most exciting things about auction day to me when I was buying cars was the very real chance to get a genuine bargain.
Auction car buyer beware
Nicknames For Mechanics
Automobile mechanic wrenching
There are lots of nicknames for mechanics. Maybe the best known one of all time would be grease monkey. Be sure to leave a comment at the end of this article about your favorite nicknames for car mechanics. What got me thinking about this subject was watching a rerun of the Battle Star Galactica series.
I heard a good reference towards the mechanics that worked on the spacecraft. The mechanics are called knuckle draggers amongst themselves and the crew. The interesting thing was these futuristic fantasy sci-fi mechanics wore the nickname with pride. They were proud to be covered with dirt and work hard.
They hung out with other spacecraft mechanics and didn’t associate much with the officers, pilots or the general public because these people often misunderstood them. I found it interesting because whether you’re working on spacecraft, automobiles, heavy machinery or military vehicles mechanics pretty much have the same mindset.
Options for Getting Tires
09 Cadillac Tires
What does a mechanic due about getting tires for his own vehicle? I had to buy 2 tires for my own personal vehicle which is a rear wheel drive 2009 Cadillac SRX. This is one of those situations where I am forced to have someone else in the auto repair business work on my vehicle. This can be difficult for a mechanic.
As they say doctors make the worst patients and I would think that car mechanics make the worst auto service customers. I was completely shell-shocked when I discovered exactly how expensive the H speed rated tires were on the SRX. The tire size not being exactly a common one 255/60/17 is also different than the front 235/65/17.
This means that tires cannot be rotated and will actually wear out faster than on a vehicle where they are able to be rotated. Although I wish this article could be about rear wheel drive and how often tires wear out, this story is actually about the things you should be looking out for and the horrible experience I had Read more
Unfair Shop Supply and Waste Disposal Charges
Recommended Maintenance Notice
Shop supplies and waste disposal charges are not new to the auto repair business. But after my recent visit to a General Motors dealership for a recall it reminded me just how out of control these extra charges can become.
I went into a Cadillac dealership to get the SRX recall performed on my 2009 model year crossover. Although I am a certified mechanic I still need to take my vehicle into a dealership auto repair shop for any recalls that are required by the manufacturer.
Keep in mind I do not announce that I am a certified master technician with 26 years experience to the service adviser at the time of write up. So I was not surprised when the service writer approached me with a list of things “the mechanic” thought should be done while the vehicle was in for the recall.
I wrote about this in more detail on last week’s post about my Cadillac recall experience. But what I didn’t mention about the nearly $400 of recommended repairs was the shop supply and waste disposal charges that were included in the estimate of things the mechanic wanted to do.
Recommended auto repairs estimate
2009 Cadillac Recall
Engine Control Module
I got the 2009 Cadillac recall done on my SRX yesterday. I thought that sharing my experience with visitors would be therapeutic for me and helpful to people that are often recommended services by the dealership. I suspect that this recall more than likely affects all Cadillac models with the 3.6 L V-6 engines.
One thing that is interesting about this Cadillac recall (#10287) is that the recall itself boils down to a software type update for the engine control module. Cadillac states the reason for this upgrade is to prevent excessive wear on the timing chain. How often can you connect software with hard engine parts wearing out?
To clarify the upgrade forces the engine control module to recommend more frequent oil changes. Here is a quote from the recall notice that was sent: “we have determined that under certain driving conditions, and with extended oil change intervals, the timing chain could wear prematurely and cause the illumination of the service engine soon light. Timing chain wear can be affected by the age of the engine oil and driving conditions”.
What will the Cadillac recall do
Quick Oil Change Business Model
When it comes to the quick oil change business you can find both good ones and bad ones, just like restaurants. Although this article may focus on the negatives of this business model I know for a fact that there are reputable quick oil change centers out there that provide a valuable and important service for their loyal customers.
car maintenance schedule
The reason I decided to write this article about the subject is a recent visit that my sister had with her Chevrolet Malibu to one of these locations. A few years ago I moved across the country and I am now about 2000 miles away from my sister and other family members.
Since the family is on their own as far as automotive maintenance each member has taken a different approach to needed car repairs. My sister has tried both the dealership service and the aftermarket quick service locations. She called me from the waiting area of a quick oil change business.
She stated that her Malibu had just turned about 22,000 miles and she was there for a regular oil change. The service adviser informed her that the mechanic recommended a few additional services. And that is what leads me to write this story today.
Auto Repair Problems and Bad Mechanics
Auto Mechanic
You can find bad mechanics in the auto repair business just as easily as you can find good ones. This is no different than it would be for the plumbing business or any other skilled or professional trade. I thought I would take a minute to give my opinion on what separates the good and the bad when it comes to solving auto repair problems.
Two things prompted me to write this article. One I received an e-mail from a site visitor that was about a 1000 words that intimately described a bad experience they had with a particular shop and what they considered a group of bad mechanics.
The second thing is I work with a mechanic that is gaining a bad reputation even though he has about 20 years of experience and has certainly taught me a few tricks as I am heading into my 26th year of being a certified master technician. I work with 14 other mechanics and there is a lot of finger-pointing about who does the right thing and who does the wrong thing.
The Top 5 products a complete surprise!
