Automotive Diagnostics

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Why you shouldn’t lie to your mechanic

In Automotive Diagnostics by HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire

You hear a clunking sound. Or maybe you hit a pothole.

Whatever the reason, you’re having an issue with your car, and you need to bring it in for service. When you’re speaking with a service writer and dropping your vehicle off, it’s crucial that you be honest and give as much information as possible. You shouldn’t lie to your mechanic.

In some cases, customers will not tell the full truth about what’s going on with their vehicle. Maybe they’re embarrassed about what happened, or maybe they don’t want to pay what they think will be more money if they’re honest. But no matter what the reason, you need to be completely honest with your auto technician.

“Don’t be embarrassed about what’s going on with your car. Just like a doctor – tell me anything. Full disclosure can lead to a better car diagnosis,” said Robert Moser, a technician at HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire.

Reasons why you shouldn’t lie to your mechanic

If you’re not telling a technician or service advisor what the problem is, it makes it hard for the technician to pinpoint the problem so that it can be fixed.

“I might hear several funny noises on a test drive, but I need to know which one you want me to fix. I’d hate to fix something, only to find out it wasn’t the issue you were originally having,” said Moser.

Even if you don’t think a piece of information is fully relevant, telling our staff as much detail as possible will actually help you out in the long run.

“When you disconnect your battery or do an emissions repair that requires you to disconnect your battery, there are several monitors on your car that need to be set…even though it’s not necessarily a lie, some people don’t think that it’s important, even if we ask,” said Joe Wood, service advisor for HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire.

By hiding or leaving out information, it can have a big impact on the amount of time you’re waiting for your car to be repaired.

“A customer came in, complaining of no cool air coming from the dashboard, and that’s all the information that she gave us. We pulled the car in, checked the gauges on the AC equipment…after talking customer we had to call back and found that she was losing air at a higher RPM…then we were finally able to track down the problem. If we had known that from the start, it would’ve helped us to speed up the process of finding her problem,” said Eddie Carico, service advisor for HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire.

And if you think that it’s going to be a way to save money on repairs, you’ll actually end up spending more overall, because of the extra time it takes for technicians to diagnose the problem.

“The less information they can feed us, they think the cheaper it’s going to be in repairs, but it doesn’t work that way,” said Carico.

“Lying to your mechanic can create more problems than it can solve. For example, customer comes in, says their engine light turned on and they said that no work had been done on it – the light had just come on. Look at the car, find that the intake had been off, wires were not connected, the vacuum line was not connected properly and a gasket had been put on upside down. If the customer had told us that work had been done, we’d have known where to look a lot sooner…and it would have saved about two hours of diagnostic time,” said Keith Clausson, a technician for HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire.

So the next time you have a problem with your car, be honest and tell us the full story. There’s no judgment and we’ll be happy to work on your car, knowing that we have all of the information to fix it quickly and properly.

HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Michelin and BFGoodrich tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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Five costly mistakes of car ownership

In Auto Parts, Automotive Diagnostics, Vehicle Maintenance by HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire

Did You Know?
If a modern car is treated with care, it can last for over 100,000 miles without needing major costly repairs. However, neglecting you car’s maintenance needs can leave you with a large bill that could have been avoided. Do you really want to be spending extra money?

Here are five costly mistakes to avoid. Doing so will not just save money, but keep you and your passengers safe as well.

Putting off an Oil Change
1. While oil technology has improved dramatically over the past couple of decades, it is still important to change your oil as recommended by your car’s manufacturer. Motor oil gradually breaks down as it is circulated through your engine. After a certain number of miles, the oil doesn’t provide adequate lubrication. In modern engines, many manufacturers use some form of variable valve timing or hydraulic pressure from the oil pump to help make the cars more powerful and efficient. Not changing the oil greatly affects these systems. Changing your oil is one of the kindest, simplest things you can do for your vehicle to insure your engine performs like it is supposed to for a very long time. Skipping this simple task can shorten the life of your car.

Changing Tires without an Alignment
2. An alignment ensures that the wheels of your car are positioned properly on the road. When a car is out of alignment, the tires wear out prematurely or in places where they’re not supposed to. If you are replacing two or more tires it is important to have this checked to get the most life out of the tires.

Installing Oversized Aftermarket Wheels
3. While some aftermarket wheels are carefully designed to be compatible with certain vehicles, getting the wrong wheels can harm your vehicle’s suspension and ride comfort. Also, if you buy wheels that are too large for your car, you can damage your fenders and wheel wells. Even though, the wheels and tires may technically fit on the vehicle it puts more force on the wheel bearing and brakes and can make them wear out prematurely although it looks cool, (and I agree) be prepared for some extra repairs.

Buying a Cheap Battery
4. A dead battery is a huge hassle. Often times, it means waiting for a jump start, or having to wait for a ride to get a battery to put in your car. And it’s important to find the exact battery for your car. A less expensive battery generally has fewer cells and less reactive material in it then a higher end battery so therefore the cold cranking amp ability and the longevity will generally be less. Going to a garage with ASE certified technicians with the right battery test equipment can help you avoid an inconvenient break down.

Getting Cheap Body Work
5. If you have a dent on your car, sometimes you can be approached by a “professional” in a shopping mall parking lot, or a friend might offer to take care of the problem. Beware, because sloppy body repair can cost more to correct than the original damage. Once an amateur has damaged the paint, a dent that could have been repaired by a professional for $100 dollars or (3 egg laying hens, and 5 pounds of bacon) * according to google July 29th, 2014, might now cost five times as much to be fixed.