Cheaper to keep her…

Repair the car you own, it’s cheaper.

At Tony’s we see vehicles in all states of disrepair. A new car will only need basic services and 2 to 5-year-old cars will need bigger repairs as parts wears out. The cars I am talking about are the cars over 10 to 25 years of age and still look nice inside and out.

Just because a repair may be larger than the value of the car is no reason to give up and sell your car. I hear this phrase at least once a day. My car is not worth that. If you have a car that “blue books” at $4,000 and the car needs an AC over haul that may cost $1,800. The repair is worth doing, if your car is in great condition.

Repair it!

If the same $4,000 car needs an engine at $5,100. The car is still worth repairing, but only if the car has been correctly maintained. The car must be in “great condition”. “No accident damage”, good paint, interior is clean plus everything works correctly and you love your car.

In many cases if you go out car shopping you will buy a car that is over $12,000 and you will get a loan to buy the car and your license tags will cost more. Plus your insurance will go up.

It’s less expensive to repair the car you already own. Buying a new car is the same as fixing the car you already own. Now you are making payments vs a repair bill. You must be honest with your self, if you are a person that just does not care for your car. Your car will wear out and fall apart.

A “neglected” car is not worth repairing, junk it and move on

The owner of the car is the reason a car is in good or bad condition, not the repair garage. Let’s face it, some people don’t care about anything unless it’s broken. Preventative repairs and basic maintenance is not important, but a cat video on YouTube will have front row attention. If properly cared for 80% of cars sold would last 15 years or more. It’s up to the owner to care about keeping it in good condition.

2005 Dodge Neon, yes it has road rash, but it’s fixable. This car needs a $390 dollar repair. Any repair that is less than a monthly payment is worth doing.

 

Everyone needs a $1,000 Emergency car fund.

The average “break down repair” at Tony’s is around $650.00. With an emergency repair fund of $1,000 dollars, a $650.00 dollar repair is no big deal. My repair fund is $2,000. I have 2 cars and a service van. If all 3 need minor repairs in the same month, I should be ok.

If you have more than one car you should “add $500.00 dollars for each additional car”. If you have an SUV or European brand, double the amount in the fund.

It’s a fact, it is less expensive to fix a good used car than go and buy a new one.

Heyanthonyaz.com

 

A/C Cabin Air Filter Ford Taurus “very dirty”

Service and Repairs – A/C Cabin Air filters

20161114_113741_hdr.jpgFilters protect your car from harmful debris that can cause damage to internal moving parts. The engine, and transmission need service regularly to keep them alive and happy. So what about you, the driver? Back in the mid 80’s some European car manufactures started adding air filters to the A/C system. Mercedes-Benz called it a particulate filter and it protected the A/C evaporator core from getting contaminated with hair, lint, leaves, and other nasty things that could get pulled into the air intake of the A/C system. It also protected the inside of the car from dust and oder. Most of all, the clean air was a benefit to the driver. European cars started using “Cabin Air Filters” first, around the mid 80’s. In the late 90’s I started to see them in high-end Japanese cars, and by the mid 2000’s almost all cars had some type of Air Filter added to the A/C system. The filter works great till, till it looks like the one in the picture. A filter can only do its job if it can catch and hold the dirt. This filter is past its way past its prime. looking at it, you might think it’s very old, but it’s only 3 years old, but the car is only used in town and in 3 years has only driven 7,000 miles.20161114_113734_hdr.jpg

Most car manufactures today list a 1 year or 15,000 mile interval for A/C Cabin Filters. Many car owners do not follow the recommended filter intervals. It’s hard enough to get clients to do regular oil changes much less service the A/C filter on schedule.

I have removed filters that had so much junk in them that they have collapsed in-ward and the A/C system is trying to suck them into the air intake. Blower motor failures can occur due to a plugged Cabin Air Filter. Low duct air flow can happen due to a dirty filter. Poor cooling and compressor failure can also occur because the filter is plugged up with dirt.cropped-Dirty-cabin-air-filter-heyanthonyaz.com-2941.jpg

The filter to the right is from a Toyota. The owner did not know that the car had a filter. It was an original filter. This filter is only 2 years old, and is nasty! The air flow from the duct was almost nothing, even on a high-speed. Changing the filters and servicing your car regularly is part of owning a car. Planning for repairs and preventative maintenance keeps your car happy and reliable. No one likes to tow their car to a repair shop, much less shell out money to repair something major, when you could have prevented the break down all together with a well visit to the car doctor.www.heyanthonyaz.com 252

It’s all good under the hood. HeyAnthonyAz.com

D.I.Y. repairs done on the cheep?

I have only one issue with a car owner doing a DIY repair.

If an owner of a car is going to try doing A DIY repair, at least be honest about it when it does not turn out the way you wanted.

My only issue is when a car owner does a DIY repair and then they say that no one has been 20160830_113235_hdr.jpgworking on the car.

DIY repairs are easy to spot. It’s obvious that someone was not following a correct procedure.

Fix it right, Fix it once…

DIY repairs are fine when you use quality parts and the correct repair procedure. Short cut the repair and you are asking for trouble.

This nasty mess, in the above image is from using an aftermarket A/C service kit that included sealant. Many of the A/C service kits sold at auto parts stores, include sealants as part of the freon charge.

A/C Sealants are nasty & damage your A/C system.

Fix it right, fix it once. HeyAnthonyAz.com

www.carfax.com How accurate is the service?

Buying a used car can drain your savings, if you buy the wrong one.

In the last 10 months I have preformed 35 pre-purchase inspections, 27 cars and 8 trucks. Every vehicle had a clean carfax report. 5 of the cars and 1 of the trucks had un-reported major accident damage. They all looked fine on the outside, looking good, like nothing was wrong.

Carfax is only as good as the people who report the accident damage.

If the vehicle owner has accident repairs fixed for cash, under the table, by a discount shop. The accident damage will never be reported to carfax.

This type of repair may be hidden from view and the only thing you can do, is to make sure you do not buy any vehicle without an inspection. If the vehicle owner does not want you to take it and have it inspected, do not buy it!

You work hard for your money and it would be horrible to find big dollar repairs after you just paid a big chunk of money for what you thought was a nice used car.

Even if the vehicle has a clean carfax report and a good story about why the owner is selling the car. Get all the facts, get it into a shop for a full inspection!

The money you spend for the inspection will give you peace of mind. No one wants to buy a lemon.

It’s all good under the hood. www.HeyAnthonyAz.com 2014

Tony’s Service Center 5362 North 16th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016

Ms. Kate

Ms. Kate asked; why can’t you guarantee the repair will fix my car?

Ms. Kate has an almost broken car. Some failures and repairs will fall into a gray area, and Ms. Kate’s Ford was just that, a gray area repair.

The car would stall out when coming to a stop, but restart. Plus it would sometimes not start when hot. It would start after it cooled down for about 1 hour. The condition is intermittent, and it has never acted up for us in the shop. Plus the car’s computer had no codes.

The client never had time to leave the car for a full day.

Ms. Kate does not trust the car and fears driving it because it could stall at the wrong time.

After testing the car a couple of times, my best guess was it could be one of three things. #1 it could be a faulty crank shaft sensor. #2 it could be a faulty fuel pump. #3 it could be a wire fault related to a poor connection at a wire connector or wire junction. More testing was needed.

The big issue for the client is she is on a tight budget and can only spend what is needed to do the needed repair. I understand this all to well. I have a budget and have to stick to it.

To help the client, I advised her to let me have the car for a couple of days so I could leave my test gear hooked up and drive the car at random times. Ms. Kate did not like being without her car, but it needed to be done.

What I found; it did have a faulty crank shaft sensor and a bad fuel pump. The crank sensor was related to the stalling condition and the fuel pump was related to the random hot no start.

I always like to test the car and confirm the fault area. Guessing about what repairs are needed can lead to wasted money and time.

Some times a best guess is all we have, but it must be a good solid guess, 80% chance or more. Give me some time with your car and we can find the fault part 100% confirmed!

I want all my clients to feel good about the money they spend. I want 100% of your business, and I want you to be happy that you used Tony’s Service Center for your repair needs. Ms. Kate is happy because we fixed the cars issues. It did take three days to get it to act up, but only 4 hours to make the repairs once we knew what was broken.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

For Sale

Yep! It’s For Sale.   ****One owner, driven only on Sunday’s!****

So you are looking for a new car. Maybe not brand new, but new to you. Surfing the web to find a car, can be frustrating.

You may find one you like, but when you go see it in person things change.

I recommend to every client, if you are going to buy a used car. Bring it into the shop for us to check it out. A full car inspection is a small drop in the bucket and it can keep you from getting into a money pit.

Some cars are not worth it, they will suck the money from your budget, and leave you disappointed. The car you choose needs to fit into your budget not eat it alive.

50 to 60% of the cars and trucks that visit the shop for a pre-purchase inspection are only in fair condition. Not worth your time or money

The seller is getting rid of a problem child.

I find a diamond in the rough from time to time, but for the most part many cars I inspect are worn out.

Buying the right car takes a little time. I find that many clients will look at more than 10 cars before they find a keeper.

Cars and trucks from an auction house can be a high risk, so beware that repairs could cost you big if you get a lemon.

So here are 5 basic steps to help you look for your new car.

Step 1: Go look at cars during the day.

Cars on the car lot will look real nice under the bright lights, but you will miss many details at night. During the day it is easy to see all the flaws. Paint color issues and poorly done body repairs are the big defects that hide at night.

Take a flashlight. You need to look behind and under the seats, in the trunk and under the dash. You are looking for anything that looks broken or in need of repair.

Step 2: Buy 2 to 4 years old, let the first owner take the hit.

When you buy a gently used 2 to 4-year-old car, the first owner will take the hit on the deprecation of the car. Almost all cars and trucks take a huge dip in value in the first 5 years. It is best to buy a car no older than 8 years. This way you will still have service parts available to keep your car looking and running good.

Auto manufactures start to drop cosmetic parts at 8 years of age. Cosmetic parts keep your car looking good. If it is in an accident it will need cosmetic parts to put it back together. So It is best to get something newer vs real old.

Mechanical parts will still be available for many years and you may have to go to a regular auto parts source (NAPA) for some things as the car ages past 15 years. Personally I drive a 1993 Toyota Tercel and my Toyota is 20 years old, but Toyota still services almost 80% of the parts for this car.

As long as you love your car and we can get quality parts for it, we can keep your car running great.

Gear head alert: If you have mechanical skills, the year of the car will never matter, but I will still recommend you to have an independent shop inspect the car, because it will be an objective opinion. If I save you money and keep you from buying a money pit, it will be worth every penny for the inspection.

Step 3: Drive the car in the city and on the freeway.

Before you bring the car in for an inspection. You can rule out some things on your own. When you drive the car, does it drive straight down the road? On flat ground, under safe conditions, lightly grip the steering wheel while driving. If the car wants to turn or pull to one side, it could indicate repairs needed. Tires can also cause a pull, but so can worn suspension parts or poor quality accident repairs.

Do the same pull check when using the brakes, does it pull or shake? Take time to listen to the car not the radio. Is the car overly noisy when driving on a smooth road? Does it vibrate at an idle when it is in gear? Does it shake at high speeds above the speed limit…

Does the car smell musty or like an old gym bag when you first get in. This is mostly noticed when you live in a hot climate area like Phoenix, AZ.

Do all the electric devices work? Does the A/C and heat work correctly. This one is a must have in Phoenix, AZ

Just check everything you can, switch everything on and off plus open and close all windows and the sun roof if it has one. If it will pass basic tests you are ready for the next part of the inspection.

Then bring the car into the shop for a full inspection. We will check the engine, fuel and Ignition systems, scan the computer, emissions equipment, transmission and under chassis. We will look for hidden body repairs that may have not been reported to Carfax. If we find issues we can give you retail prices on the needed repairs. This repair list will give you power to wheel and deal with the seller or just pass on the car.

Step 4: Stay away from cars that have “Go Fast” modifications.

Modifications do not add to the retail value or private re-sale value of the car, unless done correctly. Too many times I see cars that are just hacked up, but they look good on the outside. You can break this rule if you want to, but let me tell you why this step is important.

Let’s say you buy a Ford Mustang with a smaller V8 or V6, but later will want to add performance parts to it to make it Go Fast. You just killed the re-sale value of the car and wasted your money for a small gain.

It would be better for you to just buy the Mustang GT. The GT will hold its value because it is not hacked up, plus it is a Go Fast car to start with. Buy right, buy once.

When performance parts go bad, finding replacement parts when traveling can cause issues. A near stock car can be serviced at almost any repair location. Modifications will cost extra to maintain, and may add extra repair labor when servicing your car.

Every change you make to the car has a price. The costs go way past the original installation the parts.

Step 5: The most important step is…

*** “Do not buy any car or truck without getting it inspected!” ***

Ok, this should be a no brainer, but it’s not. I have looked at many cars that clients have already signed the papers on and they own the car.

I act on the clients behalf to protect the client from the seller. Think of it as being your second set of eyes. About 99% of all used cars older than 5 years do not come with a warranty. Yes, you can spend extra money on a 3rd party warranty, but if you buy a good car, you will not need to worry about a warranty because you did your home work. So do not sign anything till you have had it checked out at an independent shop. Even if the car is from a friend!

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

 

Auto Repair 85016 – Oil Change Coupon

Cheep oil changes, everybody want’s one!

Why do you want an oil change so cheep? It does not cost much anyway. Our average oil change price is $38.00 with an air filter installed. $30.00 with out an air filter. That is the, out the door price (tax, fees and service) Most cars only need 3 oil changes a year. Why skimp on an important service? 3 oil changes are less than $150.00 a year.

car care oil change sign

Changing your oil does not have to be pain full. The car care special we are running till the end of 2013 is a great deal. A full service Oil change with Air Filter if needed, all under hood Fluids topped off, Charging system checked, Battery checked, Lighting system checked, A/C system checked, Tire rotation, Brake inspection and more. It’s a huge savings and great value.

Coupon Oil Change, why use a coupon?

Yeah, you get your oil changed, but what type of product is going into your engine? Do you think that a $14.95 oil change is going to get high quality oil?

A major “chain store” retailer that does oil changes, uses recycled oil in the oil change special unless you pay extra for the new oil.

Ask for new oil and your oil change just jumped to $26.00 before tax and fees.

Every place that offers a coupon oil change is doing it at a loss. They figure, if they dangle the coupon oil change in front of you, you will spend money freely on other repairs needed.

Yeah, like that will happen, why do you think you are using a coupon.

Oil Change Loyalty

Our clients have the oil changed at least 3 times a year. During our oil change we look at the entire car. Front to rear, we look at everything we can without removing any major parts.

We do this to find any repairs that may be needed.

Yes, it is a fact-finding mission.

Yes, we want your business, but we will not lie to you to get it.

Once we inspect your car, we ask you if you would like prices for the things we see. If you say No. We note our findings as future needs on the work order and we finish the service.

No high pressure. It’s Yes or No.

Chain stores use high pressure words and sales tricks to get you to say yes today, I do not. As long as the repairs needed are not a safety risk to you, we can plan for the repairs to be done on the next visit.

Why go cheep? Be Loyal and be rewarded.

A regular client does not have to question us about why the car needs repairs, but if they have questions about the repairs needed, we are here to help them. The goal is to keep the car in good shape. Nobody want’s to sit on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck. Cars wear out and need repair. If you drive it, it will break some day.

The idea of inspecting the car during an oil change is to inform the client of upcoming repairs. This gives the client the power to plan for the repair.

I have a budget and I know I have to stick to it. Most repairs do not need to be done that second, but should be done soon. I promote preventive maintenance. Repairing the car before you break down on the side of the road.

Oil Change Challenge!

I hear people say this often, I can’t afford that much for an oil change. You must plan for your cars service and repairs. A repair savings account is a good place to start. You can also try the oil change challenge below. What goes into the jug stays in the jug.

An oil change does not cost that much. Our basic oil change is $30.00 out the door. (tax, fees and service)

A coupon special may be $14.95 before tax and fees. By the time you walk out the door your bill is close to $ 25.00 or more. So did you save any money? Maybe, but how much?

My oil change challenge: save your spare change in a large jar or 2 qt. juice jug till it is time to change your oil. I know you will have more than you need to do an oil change. Plus you will have money remaining to do extra service repairs. Do not cheat the jug, what goes in, stays in till it’s time for service.

Bring us the coupon! “Coupon Oil Change”

If you need auto repairs, bring in any oil change coupon and we will match that coupon price during your repair visit.

In fact, mention HeyAnthonyAz.com and your oil change is on me. How cool is that, get your car repairs done here and you get a free oil change.

Yes, the free oil change has a catch. It has to be during a repair visit and your repair visit needs to be at least $150.00. It’s that easy.

 

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Going to the dealer for repairs. Auto Repair 85016

I have some clients that say this: I do not want to go to the dealer. 

Why?

The dealer has all the cool tools, great parts and factory trained mechanics. So why not go to the dealer. They know everything about the car you drive. It must be a great place.

I have worked in three dealerships. Everyone of them was challenging. Shop politics, back stabbing, steeling work from each other, breaking things to flag warranty time, high mechanic turn over and the list goes on. In short, it sucked.

Because I have morals, I never did very well at the dealership level. I did not play along with the shop games, politics and shady ways to flag time.

I did have an advantage, I could work on anything that rolled. I always had work when everyone else was standing around. In the long run I still made my pay check, but I did it the hard way, I worked for it.

I like working at a family owned repair shop.

Clients like the family owned repair shops because they get better overall service. A family shop is a great place to go for all your repair and maintenance needs. A family repair shop works on anything that rolls. Any year and model, we do not mind. A family owned shop can do everything the dealer can do. A family repair shop offers you a personal touch.

A family shop will always be a better place than the dealer, because we care about you.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

2008 Toyota Corolla Dirty Cabin Air Filter

Toyota Corolla, Dirty Cabin Air Filter

I see many cars that need love, but I find it odd when you show someone how bad something is and they still feel it is not needed. That is just crazy.

It is the clients choice to do what they want, when they want, but waiting till it is broken just does not pay off in the long run. Preventing a break down saves time and money.

Dirty Cabin Air Filter

This filter was from a Toyota Sequoia. It was over due and blocking the air flow.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

When Rats Attack

Repairs related to Rats or field Mice.

I have many cars come in every year with rat or field mice damage. The little critters chew up wires and hoses, damaging your car or worse causing a health hazard by getting into the A/C system. If you have a car that sits for the season, the little critters can cause hundreds of dollars of damage in just a couple of weeks.

On many cars, critters can get up into the small spaces and start building nests. The video above is showcasing what I did to stop field mouse from nesting in a Lexus A/C system air intake passage. The client had replaced the cabin air filter 6 times in 4 months. I had to make a repair inside the A/C case related to the damage so this is what I did to keep the critter out of the inlet passage.

Rats and field mice can damage a wire harness in hours. One way to combat them is to use an ultra sonic pest repel unit, if your car is parked for storage this works the best. Local hardware stores have them and you can find them on Amazon. You have to plug them into a 110 volt power outlet, but if you can use this product, it is effective.

Wire and hose repairs we do at the shop, are wrapped up with rat tape. Rat tape has a spicy kick to it. It has a hot pepper additive in the tape that makes the rat think twice about chewing on it. Rat tape works about 90% of the time.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013