I had a interesting find. This AC cabin filter was way over due. WAY over due!!! It should of been changed years ago. Almost no air came out of the air vents. Do not let your filter get like this. Have your AC filter inspected at least once a year. In Arizona we have fine silty dirty air and the AC is running all the time. More frequent replacement may be necessary.
Dirty AC cabin filter
I have many front end and suspension tools. I do not use my pitman arm puller very often now because so many vehicles today use rack ‘n’ pinion steering gears. I still like this 26 year old tool, it just works.
The Chevy Corvette “C3” makes a great race platform. Balance is good and they handle very good even using stock suspension springs and control arms. Heavy sway bars are a must have. Body roll is controlled with heavy duty sway bars.
Even a race car needs a quiet exhaust.
This C3 Corvette was at 158db at 30 feet. Too loud for the track the client wanted to race at. So with two 3 inch in and out Flowmaster mufflers. A bit of pipe bending and welding, I got the sound level down to 137db at 30 feet. The track limit is 145db at 30 feet. Mission accomplished. Tony’s Service Center Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Finished mufflers and pipes look good.
I have many clients that use my services because I am accurate and honest about my findings. To be accurate when diagnosing any vehicle, you must look at the problem and run tests.
Testing helps find what is working normal.
Just like going to a doctor, I ask questions about what your vehicle is doing. A no start condition is different from a check engine light flashing at you.
Every issue will have it’s own starting point.
Once and awhile I will get a vehicle in that the owner has diagnosed it with Google or one of the Ai sites available on the web. >> My first response, let me take a look at it.
You can get great information from the web.
I use ChatGPT to find parts for old cars and other vehicle related info. The Ai web sites are only as good as the keywords you use.
So far I have only had 2 clients in 2026 that got a close answer to what the real issue was on there car.
Thats not bad, but it’s not a repair.
I have the advantage over Ai. I interact with the vehicle to gather information. From the testing I do, I can go to my service information systems and check specs and run follow up tests for the problem area.
Ai can not do that.
Ai can be a sounding board for the data I have gathered. Ai will look for related issues from the keywords I use to guide it’s search. I have found many TSB bulletins for know issues on vehicles for all makes and models.
Ai has yet to fix a problem I was looking for, but findings from Ai helped to narrow down my diagnosis. Now, I car write an accurate estimate for the correct repairs for the problem the vehicle came in for.
I use Google and Ai services less than 15% of the time to fix a vehicle. I have a work station that has lot’s of repair information, but sometimes it’s ok to use Ai as a cross check for findings.
Ai does not repair vehicles, I do.
Your check engine light has been on for 3 months and now it’s time to go to emissions. You already know why the check engine light is on. You had an auto parts store do a free code check. ??? Making the repair is going to cost money, but the repair is needed to get your new tags.
ADEQ
Tony’s Service Center participates with the Arizona Emissions repair program ADEQ. The ADEQ program helps car owners pay for the emissions repair. AZ pays up to $900 for repairs. The average emissions repair is around $1,200. Remember, any help is good help.
How do you get on the ADEQ program?
ADEQ Program
ADEQ Program step 1
ADEQ Program step 2
ADEQ Program step 3
ADEQ Program step 4
Is it easy?
Yes, yes it is. Tony’s Service Center is here to help with your emissions repairs. Give us a call today. 602-264-9866.
The main takeaway: Some emissions issues don’t get fixed. Why will clients give up on the repair? It’s all about the cost. I have some clients say no to repairs because of the age or condition of the car. Buying a new car or getting a newer used car in better condition is always an option.
I look at it this way. If an emissions repair is under $2,000. you should fix the car you own. You will never buy a good car for $2,000.
Fix your old car, if it’s in good shape.
A new project rolls into the shop. It is a simple task. A 65 Mustang that needs the rear drum brakes changed over to disc brakes. Simple, easy and painless.
NO! No it’s not…
Project cars can be easy, but not without complications. Many jobs on older project cars and trucks can go smooth, but… Some times they have a mind of there own.
Things that cause the most issues are parts availability and the quality of the parts available. This 65 Mustang is on upgrade #6 a rear drum to disc conversion. The after market brake kits have a wide range of prices. Price is related to the overall quality of the parts in the kit.
Little red 65 Mustang.
1st: Take it apart and see if the axle shafts will be ok to be used with disc brakes.
Old drum brakes with axle in place
Too much runout at the flange will require new axles to be installed. Yep, they are bent. 🙁 A dial indicator is used to confirm that they are bent.
Taking a runout reading on a brake rotor.
2nd: After replacing the axle shafts, new bearings and seals. Plus a dry fit check of all brackets it was time to do the final machine work on the rotor with the new axles. Even with new axles, the flange still has a small amount of runout, but it was way better than the old bent axles. Below is a video for an on the car machine I use to machine the rotor true to the axle flange.
On the car rotor turning machine, used to cut the surface of the brake rotor bringing the surface true to the axle flange.
3rd: Once the rotor is machined all the remaining parts can be installed. Bleed the brake system, check for leaks and test drive for normal operation.
Caliper installed on ford 8 inch differential. Parking brake cables installed.
Rotor, caliper and spacer installed. Almost ready to bleed the brakes.
The instructions stated that the average working time was 3.5 hours. NOT! Actual working time was over 8 hours and 4 delays for parts that did not fit or needed to be fitted to the car.
No, the job did not go smooth. The job was finished and it worked correctly, but… It needed more. More vacuum boost. The boosters job is to help you push your brakes. It adds assist to the foot pressure you are applying.
Master cylinder and 9 inch booster.
So, even though the brakes worked good. The effort to stop the car needed an upgrade.
A bigger 9 inch booster and a over boar 1.25″ inch master cylinder plus 6 more hours of labor did the trick. New lines and bleed out the brakes again! Test drive and check for leaks one more time.
Done.
TSC Logo – Tony’s Service Center Phoenix, AZ 85016
Why wait to change your oil?
The date on the old filter is from June 2024 and I only got about 2 quarts of oil out of the engine. Waiting on an oil change is an engine killer.
Forgetting to service your car can lead to an inconvenient breakdown or catastrophic failure. Too busy, forgetful, personal issues? It does not matter to the car, it still needs service to keep going.
Keep up on service and your car will get you where you need to go.
Today I had a Toyota Tacoma client pop in for an oil change. I see this truck about 4 times a year for service needs. The client keeps the truck clean and up to date on all service needs. A year ago the truck was in fender bender and the OE headlights got crunched. The client came in with some aftermarket headlight units and had us install them. I mentioned that the aftermarket plastics don’t hold up in the Arizona heat. The client said he saved a lot of money and they look fine to him.
14 months later they look like poop! The plastics are hazed over, but not on the outside. This issue is on the inside, you can not fix an inside issue. You have to replace them again.
The end story is the aftermarket parts are less expensive because they are a lower quality part. They look the same, but upon close inspection, they are not the same quality.
Aftermarket parts are a problem. Many do not fit correctly, plus the over all finish is not O.E. level. They just do not last as long…
When ever I can, I try to get the client to see the value in using factory parts when ever possible. This is not to say all aftermarket parts are poor quality. We use many aftermarket parts that match OE quality.
When we know that an aftermarket part is ok to use, we use them. We are always watching out for the client. In turn we do not want to use a part that will fail. If the aftermarket part can not meet our 3 year 36,000 warranty we do not want to use it.
The end game is to fix the clients vehicle correctly and offer a repair that lasts.
HeyAnthonyAz.com
Brake noise is a common part of brake operation. A majority of the time you will hear nothing inside your vehicle. Worn brake pads can make noises you would hear inside your vehicle. The most common noises are a crunch or runch sound. Another noise you may hear is a high pitch shriek. Shriek noises are very common with very worn brake pads or budget “cheep quality” brake pads, even if newly installed.
I like to install OE dealer brake parts when ever possible. OE parts fit correctly and offer the best noise control for the life of the brake pads. 
When grinding noises happen every time you press the brake peddle. Your brakes are 100% worn out. the metal part of the brake pad is making contact with the metal brake rotor.
The service “wear out” specs on brake pad thickness can vary from 1mm to 2mm. Brake wear sensors will normally turn on the dash brake wear light around 2mm.
Brake pads that use a noise tab built into the pad, may make a high pitch noise only when backing up, but quiet going forward.
When I inspect brakes for wear, I look at the thinest brake pad to judge the wear % remaining. Once below 30% remaining life (around 3mm of pad thickness remaining) brake replacement will be needed soon.
If you are noticing brake noises, stop in at your local repair shop and have them inspect your cars brakes. Waiting to see if the noise just goes away can cause bigger issues. If the brake rotors or brake calipers become damaged from metal to metal contact it can increase the cost of your brake repairs.
HeyAnthonyAZ.com
