DewayneP

Did you ever check to see if it has speed sensitive steering?

Does this vehicle have the "speed sensitive steering"? If so, the speed sensor on the steering column is probably going bad.

Preferred Brand for most vehicles: NAPA premium. They seem to last the longest. Most Fords, I'll echo the sentiments above for the Gatorback. Supplier: NAPA or Autozone (for the Gatorback) Warranty: Lifetime for NAPA (lifetime of the goods, so it doesn't mean you will never buy another belt) Manufaturer: Gates manufactures the belts for NAPA For a while I was getting belts from Service Champ. They were very inexpensive but held up extremely well. I can't come close to buying a belt locally for what Service Champ sold them for. I was happy with the belts, but not happy to have to purchase so many of them.

To my conventional oil customers I advise 3000 miles. A few of them go with the owners manual that says 5000 miles. For the synthetic (full) customers I advise 5000 miles. I have one customer that I tried to get to go to synthetic for the extended drain interval and better overall protection for lower cost overall. He said: "that means I won't be able to stop by and chat as much, no thanks, I'll stick with conventional". He's my best OC customer along with his children. He knows the value he's getting by keeping the oil in his vehicles changed. I also have one customer that drives a Mercedes. She gets full synthetic and follows the owners manual that states 10,000 miles. I think that's a little too long, but it is her car. I think we are going to see a lot more people follopwing the owner's manual and going to very extended drain intervals. I also predict we will see a lot more vehicles not making it past 100-150k miles because the engine sludged up and oil couldn't get where it needed to. It is the customer's vehicle, after all, and they can do what they want with it. All I can do is advise them and let them make the decision. My decision to stick with 3000 mile intervals says a lot about what I'm preaching.

I'll agree and disagree with the trusted mechanic. I sense a little animosity from him towards you because you were working out of your own garage, even though he admits he did it (mobile) before opening a shop. True, you may have skirted the zoning laws by doing that (we don't know that part of the story), but, you still had overhead. If you were working out of your own garage you still had to pay for electricity and heat, right? You did have insurance, right? You did make tool purchases to stay current, right? If you were doing it "right" you still had overhead, not like the guy working from the back of his Astro van who only took gravy jobs because that's all he had the tools and equipment for. If you are moving into a bigger shop that means more work capability, right? Can you get more cars in and out on a daily basis? If it is still only you and no employees you may not need to raise your labor rate too much. How does your rate stack up against the local shops? You will probably need to be more in line with them. More room also means you can buy in bulk. Maybe before the move you could only store oil in quarts or gallons. Now, after the move you have more room to buy oil in 55 gallon drums or more. These are the things no-one here can tell you. You will have to figure it out by doing the math. You should be able to lower your COGS enough that you won't have to compensate too much with your labor rate. More cars in and out can mean a bigger discount on parts too. Again, these are things that only you can figure out. Take my advice with a grain of salt, as I too am a guy working out of my own garage (actually my inlaws). However, I did get the zoning permits, registered with the state as a repair shop, inspection station, told the neighbors (only 1 within hundreds of yards), etc... Even though my overhead is low, I have a hard time competing with the big shots on general maintenance (oil changes, filters, etc...) because I can't buy those items in bulk because I don't go through enough of them. There are advantages to being in a bigger shop that can get more cars through. If you find those advantages you will prosper. For example, I have a one bay shop. I currently have a 2002 Trailblazer on the lift for a transmission swap. I'm waiting on the transmission to be rebuilt so I can't take any more jobs until I get this beast off of the lift. If I had 2 bays I would be able to accept more work while I wait on the other vehicle. If I had a 3 bay shop I could do oil changes and easy maintenance while the 2 other bays were tied up. That's enough for now, good luck in your new shop.

I think a better term that could be used in place of "cheap prices" or "lowest prices" is "Fair Pricing". I always try to convey that to my customers, you can get one or 2 of the things you listed, but not all 3. If you say "Fair Prices" you actually can provide all 3.

This was posted in another forum I visit (Chevy Nova site) and the concensus on there was "great, that's good news. They should do that already. it doesn't take that long, etc...". My take is this: You are required to check tire pressure COLD, how do you do that when the vehicle was just driven for however many miles to get to your shop? I just had a minivan in the shop last night. My father-in-law drove it 40 miles from work for a friend of his. I did a NYS inspection, oil change and general vehicle inspection. I specifically waited until all of that was done (about an hour) to check tire pressure hoping they would have cooled down. Nope, tire pressure was 47.5 psi. Should be 35psi COLD, how do I calculate what it should be hot? I think we may all have to get those machines that automatically deflate and re-inflate all 4 tires at the same time so we can get cold air into the tire. I don't see any other way I can acurately check tire pressure when the tires are hot... Another law to put the blame on someone else.

Jeff, I see that you are in Florida. That is one of the hotbeds of mobile repair. I tried that up here in NY and just couldn't get it to work, but from what I understand it works very well down there. The people in FL already know about how it works and are willing to use it (mobile repair). I think that will help you out a lot. Compared to the other shops on AutoShopOwner I am very small and because of that I have a relationship with my customers beyond just as a customer. Because of this I have installed customer supplied parts. I make sure that they know they are paying for the labor if the part doesn't fit, doesn't work, is of poor quality and doesn't last, etc.. I also make sure, on those jobs, to follow the flatrate to a "T" and if the job goes longer they get charged actual hours. You have to do what you have to in order to stay afloat. If that means scaling back, longer hours for you, etc then that's what you have to do. This isn't a time for you to dig in your heals and say "I won't change". Do what you have to to get through this and when you come out on the other side you'll be a better man for it and your business will be stronger.

All of the above is great advice. Here's my take: Can you start out part-time and still work at the dealer? You said you are willing to put in the hours, this would allow you to continue to draw your pay from the dealer and slowly build your business. This is what I have been doing for the past 3 years. There was some talk that the company I work for would close so I started a repair shop on the side. It's hard and a lot of work but it has allowed me to slowly build clientel as well as getting the necessary equipment without any loans of any sort. If I were to call it quits today I could sell all of my equipment and put that money in the bank, not use it to pay off a loan. This would also give you the wiggle room to make a mistake or two without causing undue harm to your family. If it takes off, then you quit your job. If not, you still have an income. Just a thought.

You know what they say, everything old is new again. Anyone remember the Amphicar, same boat/car concept. A neat peculiarity but not useful to many in real life.

No, you're not crotchety and old fashioned. That son of hers would have had a hand across the face in the "olden days" if he didn't stop what he was doing and offer Mom a hand. I know I've stopped what I was doing and driven several miles to help my Mom or Dad or In-Laws if they need help. Also, it doesn't matter if she didn't have money at that time, she could have said "what do I owe you, I don't have any money right now but I will get it to you". It's as much her fault as it is her son's. I've done that very thing a few times and have always been asked "what do I owe you" and I've always said "nothing". It goes toward customer relations, even though she is not a paying customer, she is using a service you provided. Who knows, maybe she'll remember your kindness and become your best customer?

I use NAPA myself. Great people and very competitive prices. Once you get an account set up with one of the quality parts houses you will see your costs drop. As far as I know, Autozone doesn't have a jobber price, what you pay is what the customer would pay. I know for sure that NAPA has a "master installer" program that lets you get your parts for less than over the counter. As was stated above, NAPA has PROLink, a website that you can order parts, check inventory and know your cost before you hand out an estimate. It's nice to know availability and your cost when making out an estimate. I don't do the business these guys on this board do, but I still get great pricing and high quality parts from NAPA. I have used AZ parts in the past but wasn't impressed with the quality. This is just my opinion, I am in no way affiliated with any of the businesses mentioned.

I do. I work through my church to know who is truly in need and who just wants a handout. Usually the parts are supplied and I provide the labor.

I take anything anyone from AutoMD says with a grain of salt. Of course they don't think OEM is better, they sell aftermarket parts themselves. There are many cases where an OEM part is not only better but essential in a quality repair. Case in point: Go to the AutoMD website and get an "Estimate" for a fuel pump replacement on a 2000 GMC Jimmy. They say parts should cost $90.75 from them or $107.09 at a shop. Labor, if they do it themselves is 3.2 hours or 2 hours at a shop. I just did this repair at my shop. An AC/Delco replacement module was over $320 my cost and the flat rate was 3.0 hours not including draining and refilling the tank (alldata). It actually took about 4 hours with all of the rust issues we have here and the total bill to the customer was just over $600. He was ecstatic, he had called around to several other shops in the area and I was several hundreds less than them and I used the OEM pump. I've compared several of my jobs to automd and found them to be close on some and way off on others. We have to be careful with regards to telling people OEM is not necessary. There are times when it is the only way to go, this was just one case where OEM is necessary on this vehicle. Sure the pump cost a little more but I won't have to do it all over again in a year. This is where communication and trust between a service writer and customer is key. You have to build that trust first. In my case above, a previous customer of mine recommended me to this person. They spoke highly of me as a trustworthy technician and that I wouldn't steer them wrong. After talking to the customer and explaining why I only will use an OEM pump on these vehicles they understood where I was coming from and allowed me to do the job. It is a tight rope to walk between telling people independent shops are great and you don't need the dealer but on the other hand you do need to use OEM/Dealer parts for some repairs.

That's a great article. That's exactly what I tell my customers "what's your life worth?" when they ask me how much a brake job is. I always install middle of the road or better brake products and never the "bottom of the barrel" brake products. This is also an area that we, as technicians and shop owners, need to be able to say "these are the best and they are what I use on my vehicles". If we aren't willing to spend the money to protect our families then how can we tell our customers to?

Joe, I noticed you replaced these because the boots were torn. Have you ever just replaced the boots? I do that at my shop and I think it has potentially saved me these headaches. I've heard for a long time that the best parts for a car are the ones they are born with, I think in this case that rings true? Of course, just changing the boots does require more labor and you have to make sure they are installed and greased properly, so maybe it's not the best idea? Just searching for ideas...

Jeff, what makes them successful is that these free checks gets a person in the door with a vehicle that you know already has a problem. A free scan should be nothing more than the Autozone scan or even simpler. For example: "The vehicle computer is showing a code for the Oxygen sensor circuit. If you would like us to diagnose this problem, the charge is $xx.xx" or something to that effect. A code check should be a very simple "code check" and that's all. I would even go as far as to use a simple code reader and not your high dollar scan tool to keep you from going to far into the diagnosis. That way the customer can't say "what does your fancy computer say?" If you are having a hard time getting people through the door then the free code check can get customers in. Just be very careful about how you sell the service and diagnostic if you get that far with a customer. You don't want to be charged with "bait and switch".

You are absolutely right Joe. That's what I was trying to say. Why does the whole automotive profession get painted with the broadest stroke?

I have to say, I'm not a fan of the "flush", but it does make sense to change the fluids he mentions. He's not exactly telling the truth either about that '77 Cutlass running 180k without needing any of these fluid changes. In that 180k that car probably went through 1 or 2 power steering pumps, a timing chain or 2, a master cylinder, a few wheel cylinders, power steering gearbox, a transmission clutch or 2, etc.... At the time those components were replaced you got a "fluid flush", not by some machine, but by the shear fact that the system was opened up to the environment and all fluid was drained. I have the biggest problem with the transmission flush. The problem is, the service is performed and the pan is not droppped to change the filter. If you are going to do a flush properly, change the filter too. Brake fluid absolutely absorbs moisture and will corrode the internals of the ABS pump, wheel cylinders, calipers and brake lines. A pressure bleed will get new fluid with no moisture in it into the system. Not a bad idea, at least up north here. Now, this doesn't mean i am going to sell every customer on a fluid change (I don't own any flush equipment other than a pressure brake bleeder). But there are some vehicles that come in with obviously neglected fluids that could benefit from changing them. I often wonder if people like him would ask to have the old fluid put back in after he had a component replaced because "the old fluid is just fine". If it is not at all important to change the fluid, ever, then that should be just fine with him. Manufacturers make their recomendations based on a vehicle that they want to last 100k miles. After that, they don't care. If it makes it past the warranty then the manufacturer has done its job. The OEMs also look to be listed as the "lowest maintenance cost" over the life of the vehicle (again, 100k miles). Can't be the lowest maintenance cost if you are recomending fluid flushes every 30k miles.

I am in the same boat as Joe. I am in Upstate NY and my shop now, just this year, does inspections. I was complaning in another thread that I thought the DMV should allow us to charge a little more for the inspection. Right now the inspection fee is $21 for a 1996 or newer vehicle. With the costs of the equipment and the time it takes to perform a proper inspection you end up losing money. I still can't believe that there are states without inspections. Especially in the northern states that use road salt in the winter. These cars get eaten away by the salt and before you know it you have a rotten fuel line or worse yet, brake line.

I know if I pass a changing (ones with a scrolling message, etc..) LED sign it has to be timed so you can read everything on the sign in the time it takes to pass by it. Maybe the banner is easier to read and less intrusive?

Isn't that programmable via J2534? The tools aren't that cost prohibitive, but if they are only used once or twice then cost becomes a factor. It could become a profit center for you if you are the only independent in town with re-flash capabilities.

Yes, they are a necessary evil. However, my best customers have come from simple oil changes. My new customers, the ones that are interested, i take the time to go over the benefits of regular oil changes, maintenance, checking things like air filters, belts, hoses, etc... They leave my shop knowing that I'm not just there for the sale, I truly do want their cars to last as long or longer than they want them to. I think it helps, in my case, that I'm not a "salesman" as much as I am a technician. I don't care if you don't have me do the work, just be sure to get it done because the vehicle isn't safe. That statement does more than the low-cost services to keep them coming back.

I'll chime in a little on the extremely low cost oil change deals that are out there. The reason most of us (small one or 2 man shops) don't do them is because it doesn't work economically for us. I don't purchase enough oil or buy the cheap filters to be able to get my COGS down to $8/oil change. I purchase NAPA gold oil filters and use bottled oil (again, I don't use enough oil to buy it in bulk, a 55 gallon drum may last me a year). It costs me over $17 for materials for an oil change. If I priced it at $19.95 I would be losing money. I am priced at $26.95 for a full-on lube, oil and filter which includes lubricating the locks, door hinges, trunk and hood hinges, fill washer fluid, brake fluid, PS fluid, etc... I end up with about $7 for my labor, I think that is low enough. To be honest, I would rather not be pushing a low cost oil change and would rather push a "Free" scan of codes as that will invariably lead to more work without a feeling of "bait and switch". If I offered a low cost oil change and the customer left with a $75 ticket that would bother me. I have read that the "average" ticket at most oil change places is over $75. Those people are just looking for an oil change and they end up with the motor flush or coolant flush or trans flush, etc.... Those are customers that won't be back or will tell their friends about how they got scammed at "xyz" auto shop. I don't see this forum as a meeting place for quick-lubes or shops like that. I may be wrong, but I think most of the shops on here are more of the "independent" type trying to be competitive in a difficult market. I also think the bait-and-switch doesn't have to be getting them in the door with a low advertised price and then hitting them with a higher price for the same service. It can also mean (to me) getting them in the door with a low cost service and then hitting them with high pressure sales of another add-on service. That to me is bait-and-switch. If you are truly honest about a $19.95 oil change being profitable then you shouldn't be upset that you have a service manager that isn't up-selling customers. I would have to say that is probably not the case. In my case, I don't want to have to put on a hard sell to get a customer to spend more with me. If they are happy with just an oil change then I am happy to provide that service for them.

While I agree that the people that throw parts at a problem just because the code reader "says to" can become good customers, there are also those that will throw one part at a problem and it will go away. Those people won't be in your shop anytime soon. I might say that it's closer to 50% of the time it's not a sensor causing the problem. The most common sensor code is probably related to O2 sensors and generally it's because the sensor has gotten slow or the heater is shot. I think it basically comes down to this: the gravy jobs won't be as plentiful, but the difficult to diagnose will be. Which goes back to the article about charging for diagnostic work. We need to be careful not to minimize the value of diagnostics as apposed to "code reading". The information needs to be put out there that the "computer" doesn't tell you what part to replace, it just tells you the values the computer is getting are outside of the expected parameters. That can be caused by a bad sensor, poor connections, bad wiring, etc... There needs to be a consumer advocate group (notice I didn't say shop owners group or industry group) that is not into bashing repair shops but will explain exactly what you are getting when you pay for diagnostics and what you get with a "free diagnostic check". That would push more people to our doors and away from the autozones of the world.