If Your Car Makes A Noise, Don't Ignore It!

Magnuson-Moss and warranty

Listen to the clip below and know your rights!

The car coach on fluids!

http://buffalo.ynn.com/content/features/543517/the-car-coach---fluids/?r=8492811545

The Black Limo!

The Black Limo NOTE: The tale you're about to read happened to a friend of someone, who told it to me. I thought it was interesting enough to pass along, as I am not a story writer! Gonzo, I am sure will like this one!

It had been a hellish day. It was very hot, very long, and full of hassles. Big time hassles. It seemed like nothing went right. One step forward, two steps back. The day had finally ended and Abbott was glad it was over. He was heading home at last. The air conditioner felt good on his neck, and his thoughts were on dinner. Just as his mind was wandering over the trials and tribulations of the day, something caught his eye up ahead. There was a limo on the side of the road with the trunk open. 'Broken Down?' Abbott thought. As he got nearer to it, he wondered why limos never showed up at the door of the shop where he worked. 'They probably have special garages that work on them. Places that are specially set up to handle them.' He envisioned special lifts that would have huge arms to reach out and hold the massive frames. He imagined special service bays a mile long. 'Should he stop?' he asked himself. That's when the little devil and angel fight begins.

Abbott has been caught in the middle of battles of the angel and devil most of his adult life. The devil touts him to do something that is usually naughty or mischievous. The angel is his conscience, and usually keeps Abbott out of trouble. The little devil jumps out onto his shoulder and says, 'Abbott! Hey, don't stop. They're rich. They probably have their personal tow truck on the way. Or maybe there's a helicopter on the way. Don't waste your time. It's nice and cool in here. You don't want to go back out there in that scorching heat. Sit tight!' Now it's the angel's turn. 'Abbott, they could be in trouble. There might be a good reason why you should pull over and offer help. Be a good Samaritan and see why they are on the side of the road. Go ahead. A mechanic is never off duty. Go for it!' The angel usually won. And this time, Abbott had no trouble listening to the advice of the angel. He pulled his pickup truck onto the shoulder behind the limo and got out.

The driver, dressed in a nice suit, also got out. By the time Abbott had walked up to the back of the limo the driver greeted him saying in a British accent, 'Sir! Thank you for stopping! You are most appreciated. I have no knowledge of how to change a tire. Is it possible that you could lend some assistance in this regard?' 'Why sure', Abbott replied as he rolled up his sleeves. The trunk was already open. Abbott reached inside and removed two golf club bags full of clubs. Then he removed the mat and the spare tire cover, revealing the spare and jack. 'Oh, that's where it is hidden. I would not have known that this is the place where it is kept-unless you had showed me,' said the driver with an amazed expression on his face. Abbott took out the scissors jack and began looking under the limo for the proper place to position the jack. 'I wonder if this jack can handle this huge car?' he worried silently to himself. But, the jack held, and the limo began to go upwards as he turned the crank. 'Now, it's time to break loose the lug nuts--before the tire is in the air,' he instructed the driver. Pulling with his back, legs and both arms, he loosened each of the five lug nuts a half turn. Next, he placed the spare tire under the limo. 'I do this in case the jack falls. The spare tire will keep the limo from crashing down--maybe on top of me and you!' The driver nodded with wide eyes.

In a matter of a couple of minutes he had all of the lug nuts loose and the flat tire was laying on the ground. He swapped places, putting the flat under the limo and the spare in its place. First Abbott tightened the lug nuts finger tight, and then snugged them home with the tire iron. He carefully lowered the vehicle, putting its weight down onto the spare. To finish it off, he gave the lug nuts one final tightening. As he did, he pointed out how he followed a star pattern as the sequence to tighten them. The driver nodded and was impressed. Just then, there was an electric whirring sound. One of the rear windows in the back of the limo slid open and someone inside called out to the chauffeur. Abbott was startled. He had no idea that anyone was actually inside the vehicle. The driver walked over to the person beckoning him and stuck his head into the open window. Abbott could hear muffled voices. Then, the driver pulled his head out, stood up, and motioned for Abbott to come over.

More out of curiosity than anything, Abbott walked up to the open window. A well dressed man sitting inside smiled at him through the window. 'Sir, what is your name? I want to offer you a reward for your gallant actions.' The man reached inside his coat and took out his wallet. Abbott said, 'No thanks. Not necessary. Just doing my civic duty. Think nothing of it.' The man said, 'I insist. Please let me pay you for your time.' Abbott replied, 'Naw. But if you want to do something nice, just send my wife some flowers. She'll get a kick out if it.' The man passed a slip of paper and a fancy gold pen out the window to Abbott and he gave him his wife's name and address. Then he got back into his pickup truck and headed home.

By the time he pulled into his driveway, he had completely forgotten about the whole incident. It was a few days later, at work, when Abbott got a phone call. 'It sounds like your wife is really upset, Abbott. Better get up here fast. This really sounds serious,' said the boss. As Abbott picked up the phone, he could hear his wife shouting and screeching in a shrill voice. In their twelve years of marriage, he had never heard her make sounds like this. In a calming voice, Abbott pleaded with her to settle down and tell him what was wrong. He was embarrassed that the people in the front office might hear her shrieking. Finally, she calmed down enough for Abbott to make sense with what she was saying. She said that a man had come up to the door and delivered two dozen beautiful long-stem roses. Just then, Abbott remembered the man in the limo. He had completely forgotten about the incident alongside the road. In a voice that would best be described as frantic, she continued, 'Let me tell you what happened.' Abbott said, 'Hold your horses and calm down. Now talk to me!' 'Well, this man came to the door--a delivery man. He had the flowers. I was SO surprised and stunned that it was happening to me. I was maybe just a little concerned-that maybe I forgot something like our anniversary or something-when he pulls out this clipboard.''

And it has this envelope stuck on it. He takes out the envelope and hands it to me, and says, 'I have been instructed to give you these flowers and this envelope. I have also been instructed to make sure that you have read the contents of the envelope and thoroughly understand what is written on this document.' 'That really threw me for a loop', she went on, 'and I didn't know what to think.

So I opened the envelope to see what was inside and there was this note.'We were late to a very important meeting and had a flat tire. Our driver had no idea of how to change a tire. We summoned help, but it would arrive much too late. Because of your husband's wonderful and gallant efforts, we were able to reach our destination in time. Marla and I would like to show our appreciation by sending these roses. Also, as a token of my appreciation, please examine the attached document. It will explain that the mortgage on your house has been paid off. Sincerely, Donald Trump'Epilog. When I first heard this story, I was envious. Now, I find myself looking alongside the highway for a broken down black limo!

Good, Cheap, and Fast those three little words...

Good, Cheap, Fast

If you’re in the auto repair business like I am, you know there are certain times and events throughout the year that dictate how business is going to flow in the shop. Sometimes it’s a good thing; sometimes the shop moves really fast, other times it’s so slow you have enough spare time to build a canoe and wait for the rain to come.
For me, I can just about plan my year by the calendar. School starts, shop goes dead. Holidays, shop goes dead. Tax season, shop goes dead, change political parties, shop goes dead. Any long stretch of mid-70 degree days with no need for air conditioning, heater, or the wipers, shop goes dead. Pretty much anything that upsets the balance of time-space-continuum, the shop goes dead. However, through all the usual up and down cycles I manage to keep the doors open.
There are so many different things that can get in the way of maintaining a full shop. Of course, in the midst of all this chaos I have to find time to keep up with the current technology, and at the same time, purchase any new equipment to go along with this new technology.
I try not to buy the cheapest scanner or tool out there. I’ve seen the results of poor judgment when it comes to that. Fast service to the customer is a plus. However, too fast and you may over look things. I’d like to think I am doing the best I can with every job that comes into the shop. Hopefully, keeping in mind to not go too fast, not use cheap parts, and always give good service.
There’s no doubt that the electronic age has affected every part of our daily lives. I see it even more when it comes to car maintenance and general repairs. Even with all of this technology they haven’t been able to get rid of the technician and a toolbox. There’s still a need for a trained technician to be under the hood doing the hands-on work to get the car back out on the road.
I hear so much talk about “Weeding” out the cheap shops, and promoting the good ones in the automotive repair trade. I believe that’s a good thing, a really good thing; it puts all of us in the business on the fast track to success, and hopefully gives more credibility to the automotive repair shops out there. Although, as it is in the real world, for some people, all they really want is cheap. Cheap enough that their pocketbook doesn’t dry up after a car repair. Let’s face it, as long as there are those “Bottom-feeder” shops out there, and people willing to go to them, little is going to change.
That’s where one of my favorite little quotes comes into play. It goes like this: “There are three things you can have in auto repair or any business for that matter… and that’s--- “Good, Cheap, and Fast”. The only problem is that you can only choose two of these. Choose wisely, because the one you did “not” pick, you must use it to finish this sentence: “It’s not going to be very _____.” I’ve heard this quote from a lot of different sources. It’s nothing new. I wouldn’t doubt it’s been around for a hundred years or more, but it’s still true even today.
To bring it into some modern terms let’s take this example: “Temporary battery clamps.”
You know the ones you find on about 50% of the cars that come into the shop? Hmm… they’re not called “Replacement Clamps,” now are they? No, the common term I’ve heard for years for them is: “Temporary Clamps.” (Call the parts store and ask for temporary clamps, see what they send you.) So, why are so many of them installed and then left on the car? Well, let’s see, they’re cheap, and they can be installed pretty fast. Would I say they are good, well, good for a while… they’re only temporary right? Thus, the answer to this one is “Cheap and Fast” and the results are: It’s not going to be very – Good.
Maybe I’m just a little crazy, but wouldn’t it make more sense to invest in a battery clamp crimping tool, some good replacement clamps, a few sections of color-coded shrink tubing to seal the ends, and take the time to repair them correctly? Hmmm, problem here….. if I was using the quote as a guideline, it would read: “It’s not going to be very “Cheap”. Again, those three little words come into play again.
For me, the real funny part, is how-in-the-world did you end up needing a new clamp in the first place? Oh, that’s right, the maintenance was neglected, or should I say… somebody was too cheap to get regular maintenance done. There are always other reasons you know; I could go on about those… Am I moving too fast for ya? I’m not? Good.
I guess it all goes back to that “Good, Cheap, and Fast thing”. It’s amazing how it seems to always end up with those three little words to explain it all. I don’t think it really matters whether it’s something for the house, or that awful hotel room you stayed in, or even a battery clamp. Some way or another things can or will go wrong if poor choices are made on just about anything in life.
So keep this little quote handy and see how often it works out there in the real world. I have it posted in the front office area, and when someone asks I’ll tell them, while pointing to the little sign: “If you want it cheap, and you want it fast”…
“It’s not going to be very… Good.”

Don't forget to visit my website for even more car stories, info, and photos. www.gonzostoolbox.com Pick up a copy of my best selling book while your there.

Air conditioning refrigerant line replacement

Dale Donovan showing but not really explaining why auto manufactures make it so difficult to replace an air conditioning line on a late model vehicle.

Profiles in the Automotive Industry -- Pat Goss

His slogan often heard when signing off the air"drive gently". Goss 62, was born and raised in a small town outside Buffalo. His father, a bus mechanic, died when Goss was young. His mother's job in an electronics factory couldn't keep the family solvent, so Goss opened a body and paint shop while a high school freshman.

"I've read a few books and concluded that the stuff was incredibly simple," he says. By the time Pat finished high school, his shop employed 23 people and grossed $900,000 a year. "We specialized in lowering car frames, so the body of the car sat lower, and painting flames on the side -- stuff like that."

While taking scattered college courses, he taught for an automotive test equipment company. "I was teaching the cream De la Creme of the technicians," he says." One day it dawned on me that I am teaching these guys who are making four and five times as much as I am." So he went back into the business. Tired of small-town life, he came to Washington in 1966: "I knew people in Washington, so I stopped here and I never left -- no grand plan."

Besides running his Silver Spring garage located in Seabrook Maryland in the suburbs of Washington DC, Goss discusses cars Saturday's on WJFK -- FM radio. His television show, "Goss Garage" is carried on news channel 8 in Arlington, VA. ,Saturday mornings at 9:30 am. MotorWeek is broadcast internationally.He also writes for publications including the Wall Street Journal and Reader's Digest.

Goss teaches car care clinics and he has consulted for the White House office of Consumer Affairs, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and others. He and his wife, Bonnie, live in West River, Maryland, south of Annapolis. She helps produces TV and radio shows and works in the garage. Goss's daughter, Marcy, works in the front office; a husband and shop foreman.

He was once asked how come cars constantly go in for repairs?
I don't take my refrigerator in the shop! "Your refrigerator doesn't fly up and down highways at high speed. It doesn't weigh thousands of pounds it's a simple machine. Today's automobiles at around 10 times the computing power of the original lunar landing module. They're among the most sophisticated equipment on the planet. And that performance is stunning. Brakes aren't locking up like they used to. Cars are considerably more durable and reliable"

"Getting good maintenance, a car should run relatively trouble-free or at least 150,000 miles. Given exemplary preventative maintenance, maybe 200,000 to 255,000 miles before needing really major repairs".

"In all my years in business -- hiring and firing people, and so on -- I truly can't remember an employee it didn't have a lot of good in him or her. Maybe not a lot of good for the particular position they were in, but overall they were good people. I've learned that what I thought was all-important when I was much younger wasn't. I used to be very concerned with money. I tried to do a good job, sure, but I was concerned with making the most dollars."

"Then I backed off that. I concentrated on doing a better job. Before long the money took care of itself. I made more concentrating on doing the best job possible than I had concentrating on the money. I've long had expensive stuff around the house. Those nice things were important to me. Then a few years back, I had a health crisis -- malignant melanoma -- which required surgery and treatment. After these treatments, I woke up one morning with a realization: Not once during all this drama had I thought, or given a damn, about any of the stuff Never once."
I said, "now, wait a minute -- there's a lesson here." These things have absolutely no meaning when it gets down to brass tacks. There is no meaning to them at all!

*excepts taken from The Washingtonian 04/23/04

How To Store Your Car

Watch Bobby live from the floor of Car Clinic Service / PreRepair as he demonstrates "How to Store Your Hot Rod/Muscle Car or Collector Car