by Pat Goss
PROACTIVE - REACTIVE
Proactive, preventing car problems. Reactive, waiting until you’re stranded. You do know the old saying “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” never was a genius idea --- don’t you? Waiting until things fail is dangerous and expensive. Complicating things is high-tech engineering and computer controls now hide many problems until they’re critical.
In the old days failing parts usually gave a warning so being reactive was mostly okay. Back then there was nothing automatic in a car; adjustments were solely from human hands physically turning nuts, bolts and screws. Now many adjustments are made by computers and sophisticated parts made of materials with a memory.
Today’s vehicles are really good at covering up wear and poor maintenance and if that sounds too good to be true, believe me, it is! When a sophisticated high-tech component reaches the limit of its ability to compensate something bad instantly happens.
No subtle warning, no gentle onset, nothing, except an abrupt switch from no issue to full-blown issue. Perhaps your engine suddenly runs poorly, stalls, refuses to start, your transmission quits shifting, your air conditioner stops or maybe your electronic suspension or computer controlled steering system goes goofy. The complete list of possibilities would fill a hefty book.
Which problem isn’t important as they’re all excellent reasons why you need a thorough checkup on your car twice a year or every 12,000 miles. Routine checks can reveal pending issues that might otherwise go unnoticed until the car suddenly becomes unreliable, undriveable or even dangerous.
There are lots of plusses to being proactive including bad things rarely happen and better resale value. Plus proactive is so easy. You simply have the car checked regularly rather than waiting until something breaks. Today, being reactive rather than proactive almost guarantees inconvenient, expensive surprises.
Although routine checkups won’t prevent all your car problems they’ll sure help. When a technician physically checks and measures key parts it significantly reduces the probability of unexpected breakdowns. Techs can measure voltages, observe electrical waveforms, scan computers, measure wear on brake, steering and suspension parts plus look for early signs of leaks, and hundreds more.
Humans keep cars reliable which makes periodic maintenance inspections an invaluable tool available to everyone. Inspections regularly disclose problems before they become hazardous to you or your vehicle. Periodic exams also save money because driving parts to failure usually damages companion parts making the repair more expensive. But more important than cost is the added safety and peace of mind that once or twice yearly visits to a quality shop provide.
The best times to have your car checked are in the fall and before you begin those spring and summer trips. Checkups also help maintain best gas mileage making them cost effective! Besides, sitting, hoping to be first in line for a tow truck on a holiday weekend tends to dampen the fun.
© Copyright 04/09/11 Pat Goss all rights reserved
Goss’ Garage
by Pat Goss
A CURE NOT A CLICHÉ
They’re expensive, they’re used way too often and unless you’re a saint you’ve probably used one or two yourself. “They” are outdated or flawed automotive terms. Some were once acceptable while others never were anything but urban legend. No matter their origin they do only one thing, waste money!
The more common and expensive of these terms is actually a question, “How much is a tune-up?” What’s wrong with that? Only one thing, traditional tune-ups do not exist for today’s cars. When you ask for a tune-up you make a commitment to buy an assortment of parts but more often than not those parts don’t fix your problem.
So rather than ask for a random bunch of parts or services it makes much more sense to buy a cure for your car’s complaint. Don’t try to self diagnose a car problem because without years of training you probably won’t get it right. Instead ask the shop for a diagnosis and an estimate of what the fix will cost. And don’t forget to get a guarantee that their repair will cure your problem. Buy a cure, don’t buy an obsolete cliché.
Or how about, “It can’t be my battery because the headlights work fine.” Come on folks, it takes about three times as much electricity to make the starter go click and eighteen times as much to turn the engine as it does to light the lights. You could have strong lights and not enough electricity for the starter to make a sound. Whether it’s starting, performance, transmission shifting, or fuel economy begin the diagnosis with a battery test.
“My car shakes at sixty miles per hour and the tires have been balanced twice so I must need an alignment.” Wrong! Shaking usually has nothing to do with alignment and everything to do with tires and wheels. Even though a tire is properly balanced that is no guarantee it will roll smoothly. To roll smoothly a tire must be round and free from stiff spots under the tread. If the tire isn’t mounted properly it will not be round. Sometimes during manufacturing materials used in the belts under the tread will have spots that aren’t as flexible as the rest of the belt. Every time one of these stiff spots hits the pavement the car shakes. Diagnosis comes from having the tires checked on a Road Force Variation machine. This tells if the tire is properly mounted to the wheel, is acceptably round and is acceptably free from stiff spots in its casing.
“I’ve figured out how to save lots of money on my car, I just buy the cheapest stuff I can find.” Buying car repairs, parts and fluids by the lowest bidder may save a few dollars right now but could cost a lot of dollars later. If your cheapest part or fluid doesn’t meet manufacturer’s specifications it could lead to premature, expensive repairs. When that happens the good stuff you passed over looks like a bargain in hindsight. But worse, if that bargain-basement component affects the safety of your vehicle you may not have the luxury of hindsight.
Saving money on cars is pretty simple. Don’t skimp on maintenance because every dollar you spend on preventive maintenance returns about eight dollars in savings on repairs later. Never compromise vehicle safety or longevity in the name of saving a few dollars. Never self-diagnose problems. Never specify a repair to cure a specific problem but ask for a diagnosis of the cause. Always ask for specific scheduled maintenance services. The longer your car lasts the more economical it will be.
© Copyright 03/18/10 Pat Goss all rights reserved.
by Pat Goss
GAS AND EGO
Everyone screams about gas prices but few do sensible things to lower their costs. Recently a guy came into my shop complaining that his car was getting 14 mpg instead of its rated 26 mpg. A short, scary ride told the story. The car ran like garbage and the driver was a certifiable maniac.
He didn’t mention his scary-aggressive driving and blamed the car’s pitiful condition on high gas prices. Like many drivers he was skipping repairs till things broke and completely ignoring elective services.
Unfortunately, sky high gas prices won’t make your oil or transmission fluid last one mile longer; extend the life of coolant, brake fluid, or any other car part. A missed service might save a hundred bucks today but cause five hundred in damage.
Avoiding preventive maintenance is bad but not performing repairs could make the car literally eat parts and dangerous. On the maniac’s car the brakes were so worn they had destroyed the car’s rotors and were well on the way to causing hundreds of dollars in damage to other parts. Every stop was probably costing him at least ten dollars. Another guy didn’t fix a fifty buck engine noise and killed a four grand engine. High gas prices are hurting everyone but ignoring service is not the answer.
A better plan is to get the most miles per gallon. Not with expensive gimmicks that promise to defy the laws of physics with huge mileage improvements. Those never work but good driving always does. Proper tire pressure and alignment could add a couple miles per gallon so will clean oil, and well-maintained fuel and ignition systems. Cleaner engines and transmissions mean more fuel-efficient cars.
But the all time champion fuel waster is; attitude! Get behind the wheel; lose the attitude. A heavy foot and gotta-be-first attitude are colossal fuel hogs. You prove absolutely nothing by being first away from a stop or needlessly passing? At best you’ll get to your destination a few measly seconds quicker!
Gotta-be-first is absurdly expensive. One full throttle blast from a stop or passing just to gain a car length or two can use as much gas as sensibly driving three full miles. Burning three miles worth of gas to travel two or three hundred feet is foolish and doesn’t impress anyone that matters! Being second could get many drivers an extra hundred miles per tank.
Poor driving technique and maintenance can reduce gas mileage up to forty percent. Waste just ten percent of your mileage at four dollars per gallon and it’s like paying an extra forty cents for each gallon. If you’re a serious lead-foot who’s losing forty percent of each gallon, you’re paying the equivalent of nearly six bucks a gallon.
Better gas mileage is more than nuts and bolts. Ego be damned! Ease up on the throttle, drive gently, you will save gas.
© Copyright 04/23/11 Pat Goss all rights reserved
by Pat Goss
WALLET BASHERS
Drivers need to be on their guard to avoid wallet-bashing, misinformation from Internet pranksters and knuckleheads or water cooler car-guru wannabes.
Costly myth, “tires can’t be rotated from one side of the car to the other because any fool knows they’ll blow out.” Just a myth but spoken with conviction because myths are kept alive by fanatical believers. Truth, unless your tires or wheels are directional the best tire rotation includes crossing two tires to opposite sides of the car. It’s called Modified X rotation and if done every 7,500 miles significantly increases tire life.
Another myth is adding automatic transmission fluid to engine oil which supposedly does a great cleanup. Oh really? More like a great way to destroy an engine or its oil seals. Actually, sludged-up, poorly maintained engines should be left alone, while well maintained, clean engines should be flushed. Not with transmission fluid or “miracle in a can” concoctions, but professionally with a machine.
It sounds absurd to flush clean engines and not dirty engines but it isn’t! Trying to flush-away thick, greasy sludge from a poorly maintained engine is a total disaster.
You flush a clean engine because no matter how well maintained there are spots in engines where oil puddles. These tiny puddles eventually thicken from heat and lack of movement, which can lead to engine killing sludge. Clean engines live longer so professional engine oil system flushing can extend engine life.
Then there’s the genius who preaches that pure anti-freeze is better than a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and distilled water. I guess the twisted logic is that if a little bit is good a lot more is better. Or, it’s the water that causes cooling system rust so no water means no rust. That’s so wrong; rust is caused by poor maintenance, air in the system, and not enough water. The protective additives in anti-freeze are activated by water so too little water can reduce protection. Without water pure ethylene glycol freezes at about eight degrees above zero where a 50/50 mix freezes at minus thirty-four degrees.
So, never trust information you get from self proclaimed experts because in the end you’re the loser. Owner’s manuals are a good source of basic information as long as you remember that owner’s manuals describe the absolute minimum for maintenance not the best possible maintenance.
© Copyright 04/13/11 Pat Goss all rights reserved
by Pat Goss
BEING TIRE SAFE
Don’t you hate that your mind is always being dominated by thoughts of all the stresses on your tires as you drive? Yeah right; if that’s true you’re probably either a tire engineer or one very strange person. Actually, most drivers are completely oblivious to their tires until they have a problem. I guess their theory is as long as tires turn they’re okay. But when their neglect causes premature wear, a flat or heaven forbid, a blowout, all hell breaks lose! How could this happen? If you consider tires simply as round, black, rubber donuts you might be interested to know that today’s tires are actually highly engineered assemblies made up of hundreds of components and compounds.
Not only are tires amazing examples of modern technology, they are your sole connection with the road and require better care than most of you give them. A monthly pressure check should be considered as important as gas in the tank because all tires lose pressure. This is normal and is caused by air molecules passing through pores in the tire’s rubber. Because pressure loss is normal, continuous and unpreventable a good tire gauge is a must-have tool. But the best tire gauge in the world is as worthless as a box of rocks unless it leaves your glove box and connects with your valve stems.
Although slow pressure loss is normal, loss from a puncture isn’t. Roads are littered with everything from ladders to sofas to pieces of cars and space junk just looking for a tire to puncture. Fortunately most punctures can be safely repaired. But safe repair or a tragedy in waiting depends on where the puncture is on the tire and how it’s repaired.
Sidewall punctures; large holes and cuts are all usually non-repairable and require a new tire. Many other conditions aren’t safe to repair either but yes or no can only be determined with a careful examination of the damage and the tire in general. For a repair to be safe the damage must be small and located between the two outermost ribs of the tire’s tread. Any damage beyond the flat surface of the tire’s tread means a new tire, not a repair.
Here’s something that might change your car or tire buying habits; high-performance, speed-rated, run-flat and specialty tires are usually deemed non-repairable. Consider all repairs to specialty tires as strictly temporary and remember once repaired speed-rated tires lose their speed rating, so drive accordingly.
Even if the puncture is repairable the repair probably won’t be done right. Although primitive and out of date the most common way to fix a tire is still to force a plug through the hole from the outside of the tire and call it fixed. A plug is quick and cheap but usually not totally safe. Tragically, dangerous repair procedures are far too common because many of you choose saving a few bucks over safety.
A proper puncture repair involves removing the tire from the wheel and checking the tire for internal damage. Omit removal and you wouldn’t know about internal damage until the tire failed. After passing the internal inspection a special plug-patch is installed from the inside of the tire. As its name suggests this is both a plug and a patch. A plug-patch plugs the hole through the tread and patches the inside of the tire. A second acceptable repair involves a rope-type plug installed from the outside combined with sealant applied to the inside of the plug with the tire removed from the rim.
Proper procedures seal the outside and the inside of the puncture and sealing both is critical. Failing to seal the inside can allow air to leak into the body of the tire causing separation between the layers of rubber and belts. Failure to seal the outside allows water to enter and corrode the steel belts under the tread. Either can cause catastrophic failure! Having safe tires depends on you; so closely monitor pressure and never ask for or permit anything except a proper repair. Pat Goss
© Copyright 10/26/09 Pat Goss all rights reserved, 674 words.
by Pat Goss
AN ABS QUIRK
Although we’ve had virtually no snow and not much ice there is still the possibility we could. If it happens there is one highly important but very misunderstood factor about driving on snow and ice you should know. All modern cars have ABS brakes and they’re a great help to keep cars from skidding. ABS brakes are a major safety feature that allows a car to be steered around obstacles during panic stops.
But unfortunately you probably received zero meaningful information or training about how to use and what to expect from your ABS brake system when you bought the car. Some owner’s manuals make a half-fast attempt to describe the feeling and sound ABS makes but words really can’t convey the ABS experience to first timers.
My ten-cent ABS explanation: A sensor at each wheel monitors the speed of that wheel. If during braking one of the sensors determines the wheel it monitors is locked up (turning more slowly than the rest or not turning at all) it signals the ABS computer. The ABS computer then releases the brake on that wheel allowing the tire to rotate and regain traction and you to maintain control. Works exceptionally well as long as you know what to do and what to expect.
To be prepared and react properly during an ABS-active stop, you should rehearse. Find a safe location such as a deserted parking lot or unobstructed, wide, dirt or gravel area. Wherever you go, safety is your number one concern. Practice by applying the brakes very hard at low speed. When the wheels attempt to lock you’ll probably feel and hear an alarming, but normal, thumping or buzzing. This causes many accidents because the noise and vibration scares drivers into releasing the brake pedal, which releases the brakes, which causes them to hit the very thing they’re trying to miss.
Generally using ABS is pretty basic. First is properly using the brake pedal. Back in the days before ABS the rule was to pump the brake pedal to help avoid skidding. But not with ABS brakes. Pumping the pedal will keep the ABS system from doing its job and could lead to an accident. The normal and basic rule in most situations for using ABS brakes is stomp --- stay --- steer! What that means is to stomp on the brake pedal, stay on the brake pedal and do not release it and steer around anything in your path.
The exception to that rule is if all four wheels are on a slippery surface. In that case the ABS system will not work; at all! The reason is that when the car is sitting still at the traffic light you certainly do not want the ABS to release the brakes so if all four wheels have stopped turning the ABS system thinks the car is sitting still. Unless at least one wheel is turning the ABS system has no way to know the car is moving. Even if you’re sliding along at high speed with all four wheels locked the ABS thinks you’re placidly sitting still. In that situation you should revert to the old ways and pump the pedal to maintain or regain control. Also remember that ABS doesn’t make a car stop faster it just allows you to steer during a panic stop.
Warning: to remain active ABS systems require preventive maintenance and if you don’t perform that maintenance the resulting damage will be pricey. Brake fluid attracts and absorbs moisture from the air which leads to corrosion on very expensive electronic and hydraulic parts. Happily, ABS preventive maintenance is neither difficult nor expensive. Maintenance is just flushing old moisture-contaminated brake fluid out of the system every two years. Moisture-contaminated brake fluid reduces brake efficiency and shortens brake-parts life. And no matter what your dealer tells you there is no such thing as a sealed brake system that can’t absorb moisture. Just thought you should know.
© Copyright 01/10/11 Pat Goss all rights reserved.
by Pat Goss
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS
Although it may sound like a strange question, is what you expect from your repair shop reasonable? Today’s highly computerized cars mean you may need a new set of expectations that are more modern and better fit today’s complex repairs.
Most of what you should expect is the same as it has always been. It’s reasonable to expect a clean, orderly waiting area, a clean orderly shop and parking lot plus service bays equipped with modern, well maintained equipment. You should expect proper licenses, paper work and ASE certified technicians. What is not reasonable to expect is a miracle. Although your request may not seem unreasonable to you it may essentially be asking the shop to perform a minor miracle
That’s partly because being outside the business you couldn’t possibly know how complicated vehicles have become or what it takes to properly diagnose some of today’s complex problems. Adding insult to injury are stores who offer free code scans and then suggest that codes tell what part to replace. A free code scan is worth exactly what it costs … nothing! In fact a free code scan could cost you a lot more than proper testing and repair. Computer codes do not routinely tell what part has failed, only what part is being affected by what’s wrong so repairs based solely on codes mean good parts are replaced and money is wasted; estimates suggest over one billion per year nationwide. Also, electronic parts usually do not show any telltale signs of failure. Unlike mechanical parts ailing electronic parts can’t be measured with some variant of a ruler.
This brings us to a nightmare for you and your technician, the dreaded intermittent problem. Intermittent problems can seriously test everyone’s patience. Some intermittent problems can only be tested during an event so they must be able to be duplicated to find their cause. But if the problem only happens once in a while duplication may be difficult at best and sometimes impossible. Getting the problem to happen is bad enough but getting it to happen while it’s connected to test equipment can be a nightmarish challenge and still worse still is making the problem last long enough to run a complete test. Bottom line, an intermittent might actually require a minor miracle.
These are only a couple of the reasons why your shop may not be able to tell you exactly what it will cost to find much less fix an intermittent problem. Also more complex cars usually mean more expensive and confusing testing. Confusing because a properly trained technician will follow a manufacturer developed test sequence which requires absolute steps and finds first problems first. Usually each problem has to be repaired as it is found or the remaining test results are invalid. But fixing discovered problems may have nothing to do with correcting your intermittent problem they only guarantee the rest of the testing is accurate. If the shop explains this properly there will be no confusion but a poor explanation leads to confusion and confusion leads to conflict.
So here are some modern realities: your car may have multiple failures that are causing a problem or it may have multiple failures that have nothing to do with the problem but need to be repaired for accurate testing. Although the technician follows proper procedure by correcting known problems first you’re upset because they didn’t correct the initial problem. Unfortunately the alternative to proper testing is a more costly ‘shotgun’ repair. Shotgun repair: keep replacing parts until the problem is gone or more typically replace parts until you get mad and go somewhere else.
Is there an easy foolproof answer? Probably not, but it will be much easier if you seek out a good shop before you need help, learn as much as possible about new terms and procedures, be patient and develop, reasonable expectations. Pat Goss
© Copyright 11/24/09 Pat Goss all rights reserved
by Pat Goss
If you read a popular consumer magazine or talk to many dealer technicians you might get the idea that preventive maintenance is a waste of money. But if you’re the type who values money you should know that statistically, every dollar spent on preventive maintenance will save up to eight dollars in future repairs. Also magazines do not run repair shops and have no real world way to compare vehicles with aggressive maintenance against those receiving factory suggested service. I’ve been fixing cars for a long time so I actually see the difference and it is amazing. Following are some of the benefits of aggressive preventive maintenance. This is predicated on the fact that no automotive fluid can last forever.
BG Carbon Depletion Service: Removes carbon and gummy deposits from injectors, valves, and combustion chambers. These deposits come from additives used in today’s gasoline to help keep it stable and burnable. These Federally mandated chemicals leach out of the fuel and form deposits on fuel system parts. Carbon depletion services can often help or cure emissions failures, engine pinging, rough idle, hard starting, hesitation, poor fuel economy or, better yet to prevent them from ever happening. Failure to perform this service often leads to cold weather stalling following a cold start.
BG Cooling System Flush: Removes scale and contamination from inside the radiator and engine and maintains the proper coolant pH. Coolant pH is continually dropping and the lower the pH the more acidic and corrosive the coolant becomes. Coolant should be changed at two years or twenty-four thousand miles on most vehicles. Failure to flush coolant can lead to water pump failure, radiator failure, shortened hose life, failed head gaskets and other costly failures.
BG Transmission Flush: As transmission fluid is used, heat causes it to thicken and some of the protective chemicals in the fluid to separate out of the fluid and coat internal parts.
BG Power Steering Flush: Helps prevent the failure of seals and gaskets in the power steering pump and steering rack. In the past, power steering fluid typically lasted the life of the vehicle. But today, power steering fluid deteriorates much sooner due to higher operating temperatures and pressures. Fluid deterioration can be credited with an estimated 300% increase in power steering repairs over the past twenty years. Power steering flushing prevents most expensive power steering failures.
BG Brake Fluid Flush: Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means it both attracts and absorbs water which is a natural occurrence in all brake systems. Contrary to popular myth there is no such thing as a sealed brake system. Because brake fluid attracts water like a magnet attracts metal, moisture can even be drawn into the fluid through the pores of rubber brake system components. Moisture in the brake system combines with available oxygen causing oxidation of brake hydraulic parts; some cheap, some staggeringly expensive!
BG Engine Oil Flush: No matter how meticulous you are about oil changes there are areas inside every engine where oil doesn’t circulate well. Oil sits in depressions inside the engine where it slowly becomes thick and gooey from heat. Over time this forms sludge that moves around inside the engine. When the sludge reaches the oil pan it’s sucked into the oil pump restricting the amount of oil that can circulate for lubrication. Net result,shortened engine life.
Here at Goss’ Garage through more than twenty years of evaluation we have found significant benefits in using BG products and performing BG services. With winter coming quality preventive services like these can greatly improve reliability and component life. Winter is tough so you have to make your car tougher. If you want the longest life from your car plus a free limited lifetime warranty* come see us. We’ll show you samples of parts we’ve removed from aggressively serviced and lightly serviced cars. I guarantee you’ll be shocked.
* Limited Lifetime warranty does not apply to all vehicles and is dependent on mileage and age at time of first service.
Note: coolant, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and brake fluid should be replaced before they change color. When a fluid changes color it’s causing damage to the system it is supposed to protect. Example: coolant changes color because of rust and rust is --- dissolved engine.
© Copyright 10/01/10 Pat Goss all rights reserved.
by Pat Goss
BUSTED or FLUSHED
Modern automatic transmissions can be traced back to 1904 when the Sturtevant brothers of Boston developed a clunky, inefficient, failure-prone centrifugal gearbox. An inauspicious beginning and nothing like today’s transmissions which shift smoothly, deliver great fuel economy and exceptional durability. However, the sophistication of today’s transmissions means repairing or replacing a broken one now costs more than a whole fleet of cars did back in 1904. Transmission repair or replacement can be mind-numbing expensive these days.
To complicate things long term financing may mean you owe more than your car is worth so you can’t afford to trade and another maxed-out credit line looms. Although repairs are expensive preventing them is cheap and makes the most sense. Maintenance used to mean dropping the transmission pan, replacing the filter and refilling with fluid. But that was a long time ago. Today proper service is very different because the old method can actually shorten rather than increase the life of today’s transmissions. That’s because the old method didn’t clean anything inside the transmission and it only replaced about a third of the fluid.
The old process leaves the transmission as dirty as it was before the process began and still filled with two thirds old oxidized fluid. Problem is, new fluid doesn’t always mix properly with the remaining old dirty fluid. Plus without any cleaning the new more-detergent fluid softens deposits allowing fine particles to circulate through the transmission causing wear. Some of the dirt particles are so small they pass right through a transmission filter if yours even has a filter as many now opt for a filter-screen instead.
Today, proper transmission service means flushing, which significantly extends transmission life. Unless you feel dirt and varnish is somehow beneficial to mechanical devices I suggest you flush your transmission. The first step in flushing is adding chemical cleaners followed by running the car to soften and dislodge all the oxidized varnish and dirt built up in the transmission, torque converter, cooler and cooling lines.
Then the car is connected to the transmission flush machine which captures and quarantines all the old fluid coming out of the transmission and sends fresh new fluid back into the transmission. In a transmission flush all the bad stuff is quarantined outside the car, while in the old method all the bad stuff stays in the transmission. Plus flushing replaces nearly 100% of the fluid where the old method only replaced 25% to 33% .
When it comes to the fluids in your car there is nothing more beneficial than cleanliness. So a flush should be done every two years or 24,000 miles never more than 30,000 miles. Also, contrary to what your dealer may have told you, there is no such thing as a fluid that lasts the life of the vehicle. Nothing lasts forever, all fluids wear out and when the fluid wears out the transmission soon follows. There is also no such thing as a completely sealed transmission, they can all be flushed with proper adapters.
Beware of shops that sell fluid exchanges and call them flushes. A fluid exchange is quick and highly profitable for the shop but a waste of your money. Fluid exchanges can be done in the service lane in about half an hour where a flush requires about an hour and a half. One way to be sure you’re getting the real deal is to look for a shop that uses BG products and equipment like I do. www.bgfindashop.com
I know the economy is tight, but avoiding preventive maintenance is truly a false savings. Metal doesn’t understand economics and if not kept properly lubricated fails. Fixing a broken car always costs a lot more than the service to prevent the failure. Also shop carefully as the bad economy means shops are desperate for dollars to survive and desperation sometimes pushes good people to do bad things.
© Copyright 06/21/10 Pat Goss all rights reserved.
by Pat Goss
SWEATY & STINKY
Your car’s air conditioner is busted, it’s ninety degrees, traffic is crawling, you’re sweaty, your clothes are wet and sticky and you stink; it really sucks. Sitting there sweating your ass off you probably don’t care that the most common air conditioner problem is refrigerant loss but it is. Refrigerant is what it is but Freon® is what most folks call it, which is wrong because Freon® is actually a DuPont trade name for a specific type of refrigerant. But no matter what you call it refrigerant leaks causing cold air to become cool air and cool air to become hot air! Myth exposed: No matter how many bizarre theories you hear the only possible way for refrigerant to leave an AC system; is through a leak! Refrigerant gone, system has a leak.
Warning: Never try to top off your system with a kit from the auto parts store. Without proper test equipment you can’t know how much refrigerant to add and adding too much can do serious damage. Grim Warning: Absolutely never add stop leak.
Although refrigerant loss is common and is one of the first things to check there are lots of others. Finding the actual problem requires a systematic diagnosis using an AC refrigerant identifier, pressure gauges and a written diagnostic procedure. Note: Because it’s rarely done, insist that your technician use a temperature and humidity compensation chart to adjust pressure readings or the diagnosis could be totally, expensively wrong. Another mistake is not using a refrigerant identifier which could save hours of diagnostic time. In five minutes or less the identifier lets the technician know if there is improper or contaminated refrigerant and even if there is air in the system. Today, a refrigerant identifier is a must have, must use tool.
If the compensated readings are correct and the system has the proper refrigerant the next step is to check the heater control valve or air-blend door. These parts control the temperature of the air coming into the car. Heater control valves control the flow of hot coolant to the heater and air-blend doors mix hot and cold air together to achieve the desired interior temperature. So although the AC is cooling properly a faulty heater valve or goofy air blend door reheats the cooled air and you get warm or hot air inside the car.
Unfortunately, air-blend door problems are common and often caused by pens, pencils, toys, food and other “stuff” you place on the dash. That “stuff” falls through the defroster openings right into the heating and air conditioning ducts where it jams the air blend door. Fixing your seemingly tiny blunder can be a very big deal often gobbling-up several hours and hundreds of dollars.
Air conditioning operates by picking up heat from inside the car and dumping it into air moving through a radiator-like unit mounted in front of the car’s radiator called a condenser. Because of its position and importance to AC performance have the condenser examined for airflow-restricting dirt and debris yearly and whenever there’s an AC problem. Over time leaves, bugs, mud, and everything from plastic bags to dried road oil and general crud builds up on the front of the condenser and between the condenser and radiator. Cleaning the condenser is often all it takes to restore proper AC cooling.
Finally don’t forget to check your cabin air filter. Dirty cabin filters restrict air flow into the cabin and significantly reduce cooling. These are just a few frequently overlooked AC problems that’ll bite ya.
Remember to legally fix car air conditioners technicians must have an EPA license and should be ASE certified so ask if the tech working on your car is licensed first. Be wary of “cheap jobs” which often create a mess that is very costly to fix.
© Copyright 06/02/10 Pat Goss all rights reserved
by Pat Goss
AVOIDING FLEAS
My Grandmother was always concerned about the character of the people I hung with. She used to say “remember young man if you sleep with dogs you wake up with fleas.” That sounded pretty silly at the time but through the years I’ve gained an understanding of what she really meant.
Although from another century that saying is right on target for what many of you are doing with your cars today. You look for the cheapest place you can find then bitch like crazy when things don’t work out. Yeah, I know money’s tight but paying a cheap price for something that doesn’t fix your problem is wasting not saving money. Especially after you pay for a second, or as one poor guy did a ninth failed attempt.
Fact is all shops get their technicians from the same employee pool and they all buy parts from competitive suppliers so how do the shops that claim such low prices do it? Actually they don’t because they really can’t. There is absolutely no reason for highly skilled and certified technicians without issues to work in a cheapest guy in town shop earning a fraction of the pay. Especially considering there are thousands of high paying technician openings that need to be filled. Also good techs are proud of their abilities and knowledge and don’t want the blemish of working in a low class, hard sell shop on their resume’. So maybe it’s through buying power. Not likely! High quality costs almost the same no matter how much you buy.
Yet these places advertise prices that are often half what dealerships and quality independent shops charge. Truth is they’re usually cheaper because they do what I and my peers refuse to do, buy cheap offshore parts, employ entry level techs and up-sell from the advertised price like crazy. By the time the deal is done it often costs a lot more than it would have for a quality job using quality parts performed by a high end tech.
Another old saying is you get what you pay for and that’s really true when getting your car fixed. Although high prices don’t guarantee high quality ridiculously low prices always guarantee compromise. That compromise could mean second-class parts or maybe second-class workmanship or both. Sure you want a good price but not by sacrificing safety or quality and not by exposing yourself to a lot of intimidating high pressure up-selling. So, what can you look for?
Look for a fair price instead of the absolute lowest price! You want to deal with a clean shop with no derelict cars or old parts sitting around that has a clean comfortable waiting area and clean restrooms. Always ask for a tour of the shop and if they say no leave. During your tour look for offensive pictures and calendars or anything else disrespectful to women, men, religions, etc. You also want a shop that has ASE Certified technicians and preferably a shop that is ASE Blue Seal Certified.
Next do some homework. Contact the local consumer agencies to see how the shop fares on complaints and remember all businesses have some complaints so you’re just looking for a disproportionate number of them. Also ask friends relatives and trusted acquaintances if they’ve heard anything good or bad about the shop.
Here’s a trade secret just a few dollars spent on your future with a subscription to Alldata www.alldata.com will allow you to look up bulletins. That way you don’t have to pay to solve a problem that has already been solved. Plus you can verify estimates using the Alldata parts and labor guide and learn the terms you’ll encounter at a shop. Alldata could save you a ton of money as your car ages. Invest a little time, invest a few dollars, use common sense and you’ll be more empowered and better able to cope with your auto repairs. Caveat emptor: always avoid fleas --- don’t sleep with dogs!
© Copyright 04/29/10 Pat Goss all rights reserved.
by Pat Goss
QUICK BUT DEADLY
I was shocked at a relatively late model low miles car in my shop recently with battery cables so badly corroded the metal ends were almost non-existent. Not surprisingly it had been towed because it wouldn’t start.
It’s shocking that so many drivers think they’re too busy or too important to take time for proper service. All they want is a ten minute oil change, but cars need more than oil changes. Cars have always needed lots of things checked and maintained at each service interval to keep them reliable and healthy. Not the least of which is battery maintenance because without a healthy battery and clean, electrically efficient battery cables you can kiss even basic reliability goodbye!
But the car in my bay had been regularly serviced in a quick oil change lane. It had also had all those exceedingly high profit services that get sold in speedy lanes. Unfortunately some of those services may be pure profit for the shop owner yet offer no real benefit to the driver. I’m not saying to avoid quick service but at least alternate between quick service and full service and understand what you are and are not getting!
As a rule the full service shop will check battery and cable cleanliness and recommend service before you’re stranded. Also full service usually includes inspecting safety items like steering, suspension, exhaust, lights, wipers, and a check for fluid leaks, etc. The full service shop will point out pending problems allowing you to fix them before they damage more expensive parts or leave you driving a deadly car. The big difference is full service shops check everything not just items on a speedy service menu. Because what a quick service shop can fix is limited so are the things they usually check.
The driver of the car in my bay had spent huge amounts of money on quick services which kept the engine well protected but everything around the engine was literally falling apart from neglect. It was over maintained and grossly under-maintained at the same time. Like his battery. The cables had been sprayed on the outside but they had not been removed for proper cleaning. Although it looked great the cables had literally dissolved from the inside out and the car needed new battery cables. The sad part is proper battery service would have cost $20.00 to $30.00 and that would have prevented the problems entirely. The result of the bogus quick service was towing $162.00, battery cables $224.00; labor $120.00, testing $42.00 for a total of $548.00. Every penny of that money would have been saved with proper maintenance.
Saving a few minutes on service may cost you hundreds later on and even worse, you usually don’t save money by using quick lanes. The cost of speedy service is usually the same and many times higher. All you save is a few minutes time and even that doesn’t always happen! If you compare what you get for what you pay you may find quick service costs more than double what full service costs because full service gives you so much more for the same or less money.
For longer vehicle life review your owner’s manual so you’ll know what’s needed for minimum preventive maintenance. Then make copies of the pages to present to the shop and ask if they can and will do the various services and checks. If they say no or some services aren’t needed go to a better shop.
For maximum vehicle life and lower repair costs move up to aftermarket maintenance which often extends vehicle life to a quarter million or more miles. For a free copy of my Goss’ Garage maintenance schedule and information on getting a free lifetime BG Products warranty go to www.goss-garage.com Remember quick may save a little time today but cost you both time and money later. Quick is good but complete, professional and proper is best.
© Copyright 04/13/10 Pat Goss all rights reserved.
Goss’ Garage
by Pat Goss
MAKING GAS & WATER MIX
All fuel tanks have water in them, but that water isn’t from the service station. Since the latter part of the dark ages it has been a commonly held myth that water only gets into cars from service stations. Although possible it definitely isn’t typical. When you get water from a service station the quantities are usually large causing the car to quit almost immediately and not restart until the tank is drained. Actually water in fuel tanks builds up naturally over time.
Unless you’re very strange I doubt you think about how this happens but every time you remove your fuel fill cap outside air enters the tank which always contains moisture. Higher humidity means more moisture in the air entering the tank. This is also true of the air the tank breathes-in with changes in temperature. Some of that humidity condenses and slowly builds up in the bottom of your tank.
You can’t see inside your fuel tank so out of sight usually means out of mind. That is, until something bad happens like clogged fuel injectors, a failed fuel pump or even a frozen fuel line on an icy-cold morning. All are common problems and except for frozen fuel lines, seldom associated with water in the tank. Fortunately, prevention is easy; use fuel system drier (often called dry gas or gas line anti freeze) which prevents excessive moisture build up. It’s readily available under a variety of brand names.
All automotive fuel system treatments for water control are made of either methyl or isopropyl alcohol. Although harder to find isopropyl is what you want so shop till you find isopropyl because the two products deal with water and gasoline very differently.
When you use a methyl alcohol based product it soaks up water and prevents freezing. The problem is although the water and alcohol mix that mixture won’t combine with the gas so it stays in the tank causing long-term damage. Things like early failure of fuel gauge senders and fuel pumps, tank de-plating and corrosion of in-tank components. As these parts corrode they shed tiny flecks of metal and plastic so small they pass right through the fuel filter. Once past the filter they can devastate other parts, like injectors. To actually protect fuel system parts the water and alcohol have to get out of the tank.
Like methyl alcohol products isopropyl alcohol dry gas combines with water but it also causes the water, alcohol and gasoline to blend together. Once mixed together the water and alcohol move harmlessly through the fuel system as a blend with the gasoline and are burned in the engine. Isopropyl prevents moisture buildup and eliminates fuel system damage.
But be aware that not all isopropyl products are created equal. I prefer BG Products Fuel System Drier because of its consistently high quality. For you cheapskates no, you can’t use isopropyl rubbing alcohol, it’s already water saturated so it can’t absorb a single drop more water and therefore won’t help your car --- at all. Plus I’ve encountered generically named products that were almost certainly just repackaged rubbing alcohol sold at four or five times the price.
By using quality isopropyl based dry gas once every month, twelve months a year, the damage caused by water in your fuel tank will be avoided.
© Pat Goss 03/ 24/2010 all rights reserved
by Pat Goss
SAVE BY
Modern automatic transmissions had very humble beginnings back in 1904 with a clunky centrifugal unit from the Sturtevant brothers of Boston. Over the years automatic transmissions have evolved into reliable, economical and fun to drive units that work through a series of sensors and an onboard computer to mastermind their decisions. Pretty amazing and well beyond anything even imagined by most of us a few years ago. But although sophistication brings reliability it really requires your help. Help or face repair bills that were also unknown a few years ago. In 1970 the average price of a new car was $3900 today the price of a transmission can easily exceed that!
So with replacement cost so high and prevention so cheap transmission maintenance makes a lot of sense. Now is the time of year to protect your transmission; before those scorching-hot summer trips. Service used to be nothing more than dropping the transmission pan, replacing the filter and refilling it with fluid. But that was a long time ago; proper service has changed because that old-school service can actually decrease rather than increase transmission life. The old method didn’t clean the transmission and it only replaced about one third of the fluid.
That good ole process left the transmission as dirty as it was before the service and still filled with two thirds old, worn out fluid. Without a thorough cleaning the new more-detergent fluid softens dirt allowing it to circulate through the transmission under high pressure leading to wear. Yeah I know you’re thinking your filter will trap the dirt but it won’t because the particles are so small they pass right through a transmission filter plus many transmissions don’t have filters, they use screens instead.
Today a proper transmission service is flushing, which dramatically extends transmission life. Flushes are nothing like those old fashioned fluid services. Flushes begin by circulating special cleaning chemicals through the transmission to remove the yuck that has built up in the transmission as the fluid deteriorated from heat.
During this process the car is connected to a transmission flush machine and every drop of fluid that circulates back into the transmission first passes through a bank of highly efficient fluid filters. The filters trap all the bad stuff to keep it from reentering the transmission and causing wear. Once the cleaning is complete the machine installs new transmission fluid. Plus flushes replace every drop of fluid not just a small portion.
Ideally a flush should be done every two years or 24,000 miles because clean fluid in a clean transmission means longer life. Also contrary to what your dealer may tell you there is no such thing as transmission fluid that lasts forever. Nothing lasts forever, all fluids wear out and when the fluid wears out the transmission soon follows. Sealed transmissions don’t exist either, they can all be serviced.
Finally beware of shops that sell you a fluid exchange and call it a flush. A fluid exchange is quick and highly profitable for the shop but a waste of your money. Fluid exchanges can be done right in the service lane in about half an hour where a flush requires about an hour and a half.
I know the economy is tight but avoiding preventive maintenance is truly a false savings. Unfortunately metal doesn’t understand economics, can’t sympathize with your tight money and if not kept properly lubricated fails. Repair always costs a lot more than prevention. For what it’s worth I’m a firm believer in the BG Products flush system and chemicals so by selecting a BG Products shop www.bgfindashop.com you’re sure to get good value. I’ve tested and compared a lot of products and flush systems over the years and BG has always come out on top.
© Copyright 03/17/10 Pat Goss all rights reserved.