Welcome to Auto Repair Guide
Automotive Repair Garage In New Haven ,michigan Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
You may also listen to this article by using the following controls.
Choosing the Right Repair Shop...
from: Naum Levinson
With the cost of car repair going up, choosing the right repair shop is important than ever.
If you are paying a couple of hundreds of dollars to have your car repaired, you had better
be sure that every dollar you've spent was really needed to repair your car and wasn't
just an inflated shop's price or totally unneccessary repair.
Which shop is better? The dealership? A large repair shop? A small independent shop?
Each one has it's positives and negatives...
Each one is under pressure to make money in order to survive...
The dealership has the latest diagnostic equipment and the factory trained technicians,
but the cost of labor, about $90 per hour, is not uncommon (not to mention the cost of parts...)
Large repair shop. Prices are better than at the dealership, but availability of latest
diagnostic equipment and factory trained technicians are in question...
Small repair shop. These shops simply can't afford the investment needed to buy or
rent the expensive diagnostic equipment or expensive training.
Back to the original question - how to choose the right repair shop? There is no simple
answer....
First of all, the shop and repair area should be clean and the shop's technicians should be
ASE certified.
There always be a question: how honest are shop's employees? You always need
references from other people, who have used this shop before, and you always have to check
with local BBB (Better Business Bureau) for complaints against this repair shop.
If the nature of your car's problem has been determined, and car doesn't need any additional
diagnostic, like if you need a brake job, you can go to the small independent shop if you
know a good and honest mechanic there. They can do a good job and their prices are very
competitive.
If your car does need a diagnostic, its always better to go to the place that has the proper
diagnostic equipment (not necesserally the car dealer). Read following information before
you go and spend some money...
Most of the cars on the road today have the OBDII - on board diagnostic system. If you have
inexpensive scanner (code reader) that cost $50 - $80, you can connect this scanner to the
connector below the steering column and scan on-board diagnostic computer for so-called "trouble
codes." If scanner shows any trouble codes, refer to the booklet that comes with the scanner.
In most cases, the booklet will give you an idea, which system is mulfunctioning.
Your benefit? If you know what system is mulfunctioning, and the service advisor at the
repair shop tells you that something completely different should be fixed, you know what is
going on...
Also, for example, if your scanner tells you that problem is your oxygen sensor. If problem is not
the wire, that connects the sensor to the car's electrical system, you can call around, get
prices for the part and labor, and choose a place to replace the sensor. If, after repair is done,
your scanner doesn't show the oxygen sensor related trouble code, the problem was fixed!
You can save a lot of money this way!
Like we have said before, the inexpensive scanner (code reader) is your first line of defence
against high auto repair prices and dishonest technicians...
Lastly, the proper maintenance will help to minimize unexpected repairs, which will save you
money!
About The Author
Mr. Naum Levinson was born in Eastern Europe.
He holds a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing
in automotive design.
He has over 35 years of experience in vehicle research,
development, maintenance, and repair.
On his website www.best-auto-repairs.com, he shares
his life experience with readers, and stresses the point
that the best repair is a preventive maintenance system.
His other interests are computers, travel, and maintaining a
healthy lifestyle.
He lives with his family in La Mesa, California
Automotive Repair Garage In New Haven ,michigan News
Too many wrecks at Talladega? Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski differ - Yahoo! Sports (blog)
 Yahoo! Sports (blog) | Too many wrecks at Talladega? Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski differ Yahoo! Sports (blog) "Honestly, if we haven't crashed at least 50 percent of the field by the end of the race, we need to extend the race until we crash at least 50 percent of the cars," Stewart said after climbing from his car. "It's not fair to these fans to see any more ... |
Driving Sideways: The Amateur Goes To Rally Car School - SB Nation
 SB Nation | Driving Sideways: The Amateur Goes To Rally Car School SB Nation In this edition, Spencer goes to New Hampshire with a camera crew to learn how to drive a car sideways, and he is surprisingly not terrible at it. Hope is not a strategy, but optimism is. The car is accelerating toward a blind curve. |
Can the United States Build a Foreign Army? - Slate Magazine
Can the United States Build a Foreign Army? Slate Magazine The captain ducked into a garage heaped with scrap metal. He recognized the owner, a casual source named Kamel who had complained in the past about the need to repair the sandy intersection at Route Michigan that had been chewed up by years of ... |
Writer's Block Is Bunk - Huffington Post (blog)
Writer's Block Is Bunk Huffington Post (blog) Focus outward: the gym, a movie, dinner with your spouse, drinks with some buddies, walking your dog, home repairs, a car trip, gardening, working on your tan, cooking, going out, reading a new book by your favorite author -- anything that will absorb ... |
The Poker Face of Wall Street Calls NHTSA's Bluff - Safety Record Blog (blog)
The Poker Face of Wall Street Calls NHTSA's Bluff Safety Record Blog (blog) MINYANVILLE ORIGINAL When I learned to drive 40 years ago, there were direct mechanical linkages between the car's controls and its wheels and power train. When I turned the steering wheel, my muscle power (mediated by some levers and gears) changed ... |
The marijuana debate, a judge's plea and readers' thoughts - CNN (blog)
The marijuana debate, a judge's plea and readers' thoughts CNN (blog) Ahead of a New York state bill that would recognize marijuana for medical purposes, a state supreme judge with cancer writes in its favor in a recent New York Times op-ed. Gustin L. Reichbach, a justice of the New York State Supreme Court, ... |
Public Art Rehashed by Ann Arbor Council - The Ann Arbor Chronicle
 The Ann Arbor Chronicle | Public Art Rehashed by Ann Arbor Council The Ann Arbor Chronicle But the second agenda item required a vote – on a $150000 piece of art proposed by Ed Carpenter, to be hung in the lobby of the new Justice Center. The city's public art commission had selected Carpenter from responses to a request for proposals. |