alfredauto

Got a good one on the lift now, jeep liberty with a rusted out oil pan. 4x4. Should have sent him to the dealer. This job sucks. Just ranting. For those unaware the front axle gets removed, then the pan comes out with the pickup tube. Oil dripped on my head for hours. I tried a dozen ways to cheat the book time on this one and failed.

Finally got this one done, customer was too busy to leave it with me until today. No problem, I center punched what was left and drilled it out. Once I got up to 1/2" the tapered seat snapped off the bolt and the wheel came off. Luck was on my side, the threaded portion unscrewed by hand. I didn't charge the customer, I was the last guy to take the wheel off.

I burn waste oil for heat so the $32.99 lof isn't a total loser. It keeps us in contact with the customers. We do courtesy inspections but overall we don't push anything on oil changes. If we notice a problem we schedule them back in. Standard 4.5qt lof is $32.99, synthetic is $49.99. I make more on their synthetic oil change. We grease the hinges, set tire pressure, fix the loose heat shields, top off the fluids. Tires get rotated as needed, no charge if they are our tires. If we notice a nail we'll fix the tire. I try to give people much more than they expect. European and diesel oil changes are filters + oil + .3 labor. Oil changes give the tech a break too, we do a lot of challenging work so its nice to get a car in and out easily once in a while.

Had one today "I need some air I know my rim is bent so just put some air in real quick". No problem sir, we'll put it on the lift in a few minutes and fix your rim, it will cost about $20. "Can't I just get some air?". No, its a waste of time for both of us, would you like us to fix it? This one turned out well, his steel wheel was bent, but the screw in the tire was causing the leak. We fixed his leak, straightened out the rim, and gained a customer. He was happily surprised that I didn't charge him for the tire patch seeing I had the tire off anyway to fix the rim. He also learned that his dash was wrong about which tire needed repair. The ones that just want free leave before the car gets on the lift, we let the other guys get used for free. " oh you are going to charge me?" Yes sir.

Find customers that can afford to pay you. Not to be a snob but used parts are a lot more work for a lot less money. How can you or anyone guarantee a used part? Its impossible. And i guarantee when your looks good used part fails that customer will be back, and if they didnt have any money the first time to fix it right they certainly wont have any to pay you to do the job twice. Stationary body parts are really the only exception.

Anyone that claims they can diagnose a car without physically testing a component is simply making a guess. I haven't seen a trouble code flow chart yet that recommends replacing a part as the first step.

They are the same ones that call every 10 minutes "done yet?" Lol

I hear it all the time "its just a broken wire". OK then show me what wire and I'll repair it for $5!

I get it occasionally, "why do you need my address?" In case I forget my tools under your hood. But seriously, the first person the customer talks to needs to take control of the situation. Get the keys, get the info, explain what's going to happen. They will fall in line and understand unless their profession is engineer.

The reality of winning a million dollars in the lottery is a take home check of about $30,000 a year for 20 years. Better than nothing but no mega yachts at that level.

Figure $1000 per bay per working day gross revenue as a guide. A 6 bay shop with 3-4 techs will put you where you want to be with a fat wallet. Its a trick to actually pull it off, I certainly don't. This is the reason most 1 or 2 bay shops close after a few years. Economy of scale is very important.

Some people will drive across town to save $.02 on gasoline, 15 extra minutes to save 30 cents on a fill up. Some tire shoppers are the same, I push our service hard on the price shoppers, I even explain that I pay my guys a real living wage which raises the price higher than Walmarts discount minimum wage tire shop. Whatever it takes I try to get the tire business without resorting to selling the cheapest product. The quotas are frustrating, its not best for the customer to only push one brand. I try to fit the best value for the application, but that means 900 of one brand, 700 of another, 400 of another, and so on. I miss out on the high level perks this way, but my profit is better and my customers happier. Sticking to one brand might be better I just haven't grasped it yet. I do buy from the same multi line distributor, that keeps my prices down across the board.

I flush brakes daily on European cars, my investment in equipment is nothing. Suck out the master cylinder with a turkey baster, refill and open all bleeders, drip into a catch can. I haven't found a faster or easier way. I own a Wynn's coolant flush machine, honestly it gets used very little but it does work well. We just don't do too many.

These are the reasons I've been aiming towards the brake/suspension/tire work. I feel that cars 20 years from now will still use ball joints, wheel bearings, and rubber bushings to hold up the computer under the hood. I do diagnostic work now and I'm pretty good at it, but I'm not going to continually invest in OE scan tools and updates just to go broke trying to fix a car. I'm not ignorant or afraid of change, its about diagnostic time profit/loss. Hopefully obd3 or obd4 will simplify things just as obd2 made diagnostics easier.

I've been stopped during test drives due to expired inspection stickers. I always have my uniform on, they let me go. One time a rookie demanded the registration, I refused. I don't have the glove box key, I only got authorization to drive cycle this car. No way am I opening a customers glove box that I don't know what's inside.

If your guy is answering the phone, scheduling work, and taking out the trash in addition to fixing cars then the answer is never. You can always offer it, say you pay a guy $15 per hour straight time you can offer $20 per hour flat rate or whatever the norm is in your city. Some techs like flat rate, some don't care for the uncertainty. I would expect an hourly employee to produce at least 80% if the works there or they are beating you. One thing for sure is if are paying flat rate you need a good front end person to sell the work and get the parts fast! Hourly employees don't care as much, but its easier to slip into low production #'s because they won't complain. Hourly guys are spending your money sitting around, Flat rate techs will push the front end to move faster.

Pay hourly or salary with a profit sharing bonus. A new shop can't pay flat rate, no good tech would take that gamble. My top tech gets treated like a partner, he is involved in decision making, gets a % of gross sales, makes a high hourly wage. He also has a key and uses the shop like its his own keeping the business's best interest in mind. Someday he will probably own the place. But he's not a partner, if I have to get rid of him because he turns into a criminal or whatever its easy see ya later here's your unemployment slip.

On average, 32,000-40,000 people see my Google ad. 100-150 click on it. The ads promote auto repair to students. Students see my name and have to drive by my shop to go anywhere so it works. If there's more competition in your area or if your place is off the main drag a better website would be a necessity. For $1200-$1500 a year it has proven a good advertising investment.

Right! Partnerships rarely end well. Not to be a downer but that's the story I see played out time and again. Hire some good people and pay them well. Even if you pay a guy half your money at least you don't have to stick with him forever like a partner.

We use repair link too, a rep came out and set up a couple dozen dealers in Mitchell, click click click part arrives next day. If its a for-sale car I do the same thing - I shop around because I can wait a week or so for eBay or amazon or whoever.

That's why the shop owners make the employees pass, someone in the garage has to know how to fix a car :-)

I'll check it on Monday.

Lol went to the junkyard by now

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=btsNVaSmF4LUgwT4-YHQBQ&url=http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/inspections/Inspection%2520Program%2520Effectiveness%2520Study.pdf&ved=0CCYQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNEci2M3m87-sD_t9fnkmBcLw2LXnw&sig2=BmObznznLuRqzzKR_khAvw Pa study confirming the obvious Its a PDF.

I've got a 99 e300td I bought at auction, 160k miles, looks like a new car. It starts up easily at -30* and will run right up to redline easily. Here's the issue; at part throttle cruising about 50mph with cruise control on it will hesitate a bit and plume blue smoke out the tailpipe. Driving it with a heavy foot it never smokes. The hesitation is barely noticeable, but the smoke is. I changed the oil and filter with no improvement. Any help is appreciated.