It’s just a fuse.

Fuses fail for one reason, they are over loaded past their amps rating.

Many times a year I have vehicle owners drive in and ask us to look at their fuses. A fuse does not fail just because it’s old. They fail due to the load placed on them. 20161117_154934_hdr.jpgOver loading a circuit with aftermarket equipment is the most common reason for a fuse to fail “blow out” In a home, you have 20161118_095112_hdr.jpgcircuit breakers that protect each circuit within the home.

Fuses in a vehicle do the same job of protecting the electrical circuit, but if they fail you must remove the bad fuse and install a new one in the fuse box. Before you install a new fuse, its important to check to see why the fuse failed.20161123_122845_hdr.jpg

(What caused the fuse to fail) Just installing a fuse without looking for the reason it failed is not going to fix the problem. The second most common reason we see fuses fail is due to coins or metallic junk getting into the 12V aux/lighter socket. 20161118_094915_hdr.jpgI have found ear rings, small tokens, and paper clips stuck in the 12V power sockets. A direct short to ground will cause a fuse to fail instantly. 20161121_124842_hdr.jpgOnce you remove the junk from the socket the fuse can be replaced. At our service desk we offer free 12V socket to USB power adapters to plug into the open 12V sockets, just to prevent issues like junk or coins from getting into the socket and shorting the terminals in the socket
.

A 110V inverter to power a laptop can over load an accessory fuse circuit. 20161123_134347_hdr2.jpg.jpgYou do not want to use an inverter larger than 150 watts on a 15 amp fused circuit. Most basic 12V sockets only have a 15 amp fuse to power the socket, and its easy to pop a fuse with an inverter, cell phone, and GPS navigation all plugged in at the same time.

 

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

 

Head Lights – plastics care & refinishing

Frosted, yellow, faded, ugly head lights.

98% of the vehicles today use plastic head light housings with plastic lenses, no glass lenses anymore. As the clear plastic lens age, the protective UV coating on the plastic goes bad and starts to fade or frost over. Some plastic head light housing do not have a protective film, and they show age within 3 to 5 years from new. 20161111_081537_hdr.jpgWe re-finish plastic head light lenses all the time.

20161111_071929_hdr.jpgNot all lenses can be saved. Rock pits, scratches, and plastic cracking can not be fixed with sanding if it’s too deep into the plastic surface. 20% of the head lamp housings I run across in my shop have major damage and need to be replaced.

Replacing factory head light housings with quality aftermarket units is not super expensive, but the labor to change out the light housing could make replacement out of the question for some budgets. 20161111_081656_hdr.jpgThe process of refinishing the plastic lens is fairly simple, and many parts stores sell DIY kits to sand, polish and protect the plastics.

Doing it your self or paying a repair shop to do this procedure will make your car look newer, and maybe influence you to keep your car vs buying a new one. Looks are everything, and the clients comment right away that it looks like they have a new car again. The second big plus to cleaning and polishing the lenses is your head lights will project farther down the road, You can see better at night.

20161111_084322_hdr.jpgSo here it is in a nut shell, we clean the plastics, wet sand the imperfections out of the surface. Then use a 2 step polishing compound to restore the clear as glass look. Last step is a double coating of wax. Regular car war works fine for this.

Keeping things looking clear depends on the owner washing and re-waxing the lenses, but we can also do that for the client when they are in for an oil change.20161111_084404_hdr.jpg

It’s all good under the hood. 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

Yep, it’s broken; Plastics…

Plastics, they don’t last forever.

Unhappy owners with broken cars arrive at my shop every month, and the owners just do not understand why the car has broken down. Well, if you drive it, it will wear out…..

Todays autos use lot’s of plastics. Auto makers have always used plastic parts, but in todays cars and trucks plastic parts are used for so many things, it can be frustrating when parts don’t last because they are made of plastic.wp-image-33241149jpg.jpg

Today I have a Nissan Frontier in the shop with a coolant leak at a plastic fitting on the heater core. This is a common thing on a vehicle that is 10 years old or older.

The hard part is informing the client that the engine is bad, because it over heated, due to a plastic part that failed. Using plastics to make a car lighter, and get better emissions is great, but at what cost to the client. I would rather have all cooling system parts made from metal. The auto maker makes the parts out of plastic because it’s cheaper to manufacture.

So what do they care if the part fails and the engine goes bad. That’s why they make new cars anyway.

Fix it right, fix it once. 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

Cheap Parts & Service = Poor Satisfaction!

The bitterness of “poor quality” lingers long after the sweetness of “low price” is forgotten: Ben Franklin

Fixing your vehicle does not have to break the bank. When a vehicle repair has good value, the cost of the repair is not a huge issue any longer. We use quality parts plus offer a solid warranty. Our goal is to offer vehicle repairs that have value and prevent breakdowns.

Knowing you get what you pay for. Haggling about the labor and using the cheapest parts possible to save money is asking for trouble. Sitting at the side of the road waiting for a tow truck is no fun.

We offer quality repairs with value. All repairs we do must stand up to our 2 year / 24,000 mile warranty. As an independent repair shop we use many dealer parts. The dealer parts fit correctly, and exceed our 2 year / 24,000 mile warranty. The aftermarket parts we use must “fit and function” just like the original equipment dealer parts we install.

Some clients will ask if we can find less expensive parts, and we say yes we can, but the part warranty may not be 2 years / 24,000 miles.

The warranty will be what the parts manufacturer offers, and you get no labor coverage. Our job is to show you the value of doing the repair correctly the first time.

“Fix my car as cheap as you can, Blah, Blah, I am selling it next week.”

Some aftermarket parts may only have a 90 day warranty. Granted most parts should last at least 90 days, but if the part goes bad you get to pay labor again, even if the part has a warranty.

For Example: A car owner goes to a quick lube shop for a 14.95 oil change, and the shop strips the threads out of the oil pan. Anyway you look at this, your cheap oil change just turned into a big mess. Our standard oil change out the door is about $41.00 but it has good value. We do not shortcut the job, just to get it out the door. We spend up to 45 minutes on your vehicle, looking for things that may cause you a break down. If we find issues that need repair, we show you what we found, and we give you prices. We help you plan for your maintenance needs.

For Example: Brake pads have one of the biggest issues with quality vs price. If you go to the dealer, they will only offer one part for your model car, and the price will be high, but the parts fit and work correctly. Now go to an aftermarket parts house, and they may have 5 to 10 different brands of brake pad, all at different prices. Some may work good but make noise, others may wear fast or worse not stop the car correctly. With aftermarket parts you must be selective.

Some aftermarket parts work very good, and if you know what works well, then it’s easy to offer the savings to the client. Our job is to know what works and offer the client the best repair.

For Example: Belts, Hoses and Water pumps have a wide range of price and quality. If I am looking for a belt in the aftermarket, and I can get Bando or Dayco I am happy. I know they are brands that last a long time. For Hoses, I look for the best fit, and rubber quality. The parts quality, affects its service life. A long service life keeps you from having to visit the shop over and over. For Water Pumps, I turn to the dealer 60% of the time, because they just last so much longer.

Fixing your vehicle correctly will reduce how many times you need to visit the repair shop each year. If you own 3 or more cars, you can see how important it is to fix it right the first time. Anyway, It’s not that we don’t want to see you again. We want our clients to be happy they used our services.

We are here to help, we fix sick cars!

With today’s vehicle’s, you visit the repair shop less often, but it feels like the repairs cost more, and more when you visit your mechanic.

Going to the “car doctor” is not on anyone’s top ten list, but when your vehicle breaks down, you know you’re going to spend money.

Preventing breakdowns is what we do. Keeping you informed of your vehicle’s condition let’s you save when faced with bigger repairs. Helping you keep your vehicle in good condition, and preventing breakdowns is our goal.

cropped-heyanthonyaz.com-oil-change-display-nissan1.jpg

We like our clients to visit the shop for service at least every 5,000 miles of driving or once every 4 months. Many things can happen in 4 months of driving. Our clients are always welcome to stop by in between vehicle servicings, for fluid top offs and airing up the tires.

Fix it right, Fix it once.  HeyAnthonyAz.com

Can I bring my own parts?

When you go to a restaurant, do you bring your own food?

Every month, I have at least 5 people ask if we will install a part they bring in.

Our answer is no.

   It’s not that we do not want to put on your parts. It’s because of the warranty. If we sell you the part, it will come with a 2 year 24,000 mile warranty, and labor is covered 100%

If you bring in your own part, you get no warranty with us, and if the part fails, you pay the labor again to replace the part a second time.

Do we bent the rule? Some times. We have installed clients parts, depending on what the part is, and if it’s for a specialty reason like a classic car or super hard to find part, but they must sign a waiver, stating they understand the repair comes with no warranty, parts or labor.

Think about it, do you save that much?

Fix it right, Fix it once. HeyAnthonyAz.com

The Repair you need today.

 

heyanthonyaz.com bent tubes on fuel pump

Short cuts, compromises, and fix it cheep. Too many clients are asking for what they don’t want.

70% of the clients I work for, know first hand what it means to do the job right.

Lately, I have had an increase in walk in clients that want a cheep repair, but they also want a full warranty? This is not a client, it’s A person with A broken car.

Using top quality parts that come with a 2 year or 24,000 mile warranty is very important to us. Keep in mind that A bad repair will be talked about 100 times more often than a repair done the correct way.

At Tony’s we look at a car one of three ways. Does the client want to have a like new OE repair using all dealer parts. Does the clients want a high quality aftermarket parts. Or will the client just want to fix the part that is broken and nothing else.

A Tony’s we focus on the now. What do you need now, to get your car on the road.

All other repairs needed are estimated and we tell you what needs to be done. We break it down in months and by miles. We will not force you to repair your car with us. We want you to feel happy you used our shop for your repair needs. If you own a car or truck it will need repairs and service. We want you as our client, but the only way that will happen is if we do the repair the right way, not the cheep way.

The image at the top, is a fuel pump unit that was installed in flagstaff one week prior to the truck being towed into our shop with a no start condition. The pump failed because of handling and the changes done to the metal pipes. The client was very mad and had nothing good to say about the shop in Flagstaff.

We called the shop. I found out that the correct repair was offered but the client wanted to use a budget part that needed to be adjusted to make it fit. The Flagstaff shop should have said no, but they did the repair anyway. Now they have one more angry person saying ugly things about them, even though the client guided the repair. The outcome was bad, due to a shop compromise and a fix it cheep attitude.

Fix it right, fix it once. HeyAnthonyAz.com 2015

Helping a friend

Recently when helping a friend with an issue that they had, a problem came up. Poor communications caused a falling out. Communication is just that, and sending information via email or texts is no way to solve any issue. I am a detective and when talking to a person on the phone, I will have Q&A that will help sort out the real issues from the garbage.

I have people ask me all the time for help with an automotive problem they have. They want free advice, or they think it will be cheaper because they know me. I try to get everyone to visit the shop, so I can look at the vehicle properly. In many cases I do not charge to look at the issue at hand.

At my shop we do not charge for inspecting the vehicle if you do the repair on the same visit.

Everyone lies about whats happening with their car, it may be a small white lie, or it could be a big lie to cover up a mistake they made when trying to repair the car on their own.

Being deceptive does not save you money on the repair!

The vehicle will tell the truth, and I talk to cars all the time. The car will not hide whats wrong. It’s broken and need repair. That is why I want to look at the vehicle. Testing and getting reading from the vehicle will tell me what repairs are needed, and it will be 100% correct.

When some one wants a price for a repair sight-un-seen, it’s a guess. So, if I give someone a repair quote without inspecting the vehicle it will always be higher than normal. Brake repairs are the most commonly asked questions. The range of pricing is so wide, its scary.

Guessing at the repairs needed will cause big issues. Bring your vehicle in and let’s inspect the issue the right way, so the correct repair is done right the first time.

Heyanthonyaz.com 2015

FREE Oil Change Monthly Drawing at Tony’s

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FREE OIL CHANGE @ TONY’S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s time to change the oil!

Enter to win! Win a free oil change, enter your information @ Tony’s contact page.

Enter your contact information on Tony’s contact page & in the message box type “Free oil change monthly drawing” and include the make, model and year of your car.

You will be automatically entered into the drawing for the next months free oil change drawing. Enter as often as you like. The winner of the free oil change will be contacted by Tony’s at the end of each drawing month. The free oil change offer will be running till December 2015

The oil change includes, up to 5 qt’s of 10w30 synthetic blend oil, an oil filter, and under hood fluid top off’s, plus a vehicle safety inspection. This is a $30.00 value at our regular price & a great saving if you win it for free. So enter today, it’s easy and free.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2014 ~ It’s all good under the hood…