Where to get your car repaired -- and not get scammed

WHERE TO GET YOUR CAR FIXED

One of the most common questions I hear is, "Where should I take my car to get it fixed?" My answer is to take it to a repair facility that (1) has a good reputation (ask friends and neighbors where they take their vehicles), that (2) is affiliated with a group such as AAA and/or has ASE certified technicians, and (3) appears to be clean, friendly and competently managed. The shop should also adhere to the Code of Ethics and repair standards put forth by the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP).

Most repair facilities are honest and are NOT trying to take advantage of you. Sure, there are some bad apples in the the repair business, but there are crooks in every kind of business from home repair scam artists to top business executives. From what I have seen, most auto repair problems are due to misunderstandings or miscommunication between the motorist and repair facility (they thought you wanted one thing and you got something else, or they misunderstood your problem), or they misdiagnosed your vehicle and the technician replaced the wrong part(s). In other words, they did not try to rip you off or cheat you. They misunderstood you or did not perform the correct repair.

As long as your vehicle is under warranty, you can return to your new car dealer for free repairs (for parts that are covered under warranty). Almost all new cars and trucks today have a 3 year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty that covers ANYTHING that goes wrong. All new vehicles also have a federally mandated emissions warranty that covers the engine computer and catalytic converter for 8 years/80,000 miles (longer in California). The vehicle manufacturers may also offer an extended powertrain warranty that covers major repairs to the engine, transmission and drive axles. Items that may NOT be covered under warranty include common wear items such as filters, brake pads and tires.

Once your vehicle is out of warranty, you can take it anywhere you please for repairs. In fact, you are NOT required to return to the dealer for maintenance or repairs while the vehicle is under warranty (you can take it to ANY repair facility). But the vehicle manufacturer will usually NOT pay for any repairs performed by any unauthorized repair facility -- except in rare emergencies where a vehicle has broken down too far away to be towed to the nearest dealer.

As a rule, independent repair shops are generally less expensive than new car dealers. Franchised repair facilities such as muffler shops (Midas, CarX, Merlin, etc.), tire dealers (Goodyear, Firestone & independents) and retailers (PepBoys, Sears, etc.) are also very competitive with their pricing.

As for repair competency, it can vary a great deal from one repair facility to another. New car dealers have access to the latest factory authorized training and tools, and specialize in the brand(s) of vehicles they sell. But big dealerships are also less personal. You rarely deal directly with a technician. Instead, a service writer talks to you, hears your problem and writes up a repair order. Miscommunication sometimes happens and you do not get the right repairs or service. The service writer is also a salesman who will probably try to talk you into buying additional services you may not need (your 50,000 miles scheduled maintenance, for example, which is nothing more than an oil change, some new filters and a quick inspection of a laundry list of things that should always be checked every time your vehicle is serviced or repaired).

Independent repair shops and specialty repair shops (those who only work on imports or specialize in alignments, brakes, transmissions, air conditioning, electrical, etc.) tend to be small family-owned and run businesses. You are usually on a more personal level with these people, and may even talk face-to-face with the technician who works on your car. Many independent shops are highly skilled and work on ALL makes and models. This requires a much broader range of expertise than a dealership -- and more diagnostic equipment and tools. Some shops, though, are behind on the learning curve and may not be up to speed on the latest technology. Or, they may not have an up-to-date scan tool or other special tools that may be required to service your vehicle. Even so, such a shop may be fine for basic maintenance and repairs.

The kind of repair facility to avoid is one that is NOT concerned about their reputation or repeat customers, and are only out to scam as many people as fast as they can. These shops are not in the repair business for the long haul. They are only in it to make a fast buck. They probably have not been in business very long. They are typically located in "high traffic" areas where they can snag a lot of drive-by customers. They may be located near an expressway where out-of-towners are apt to break down. They usually have high employee turnover and typically hire beginners or less experienced technicians. They often use "scare tactics" to sell parts and services, or try to pressure you into agreeing to major repairs. They are NOT affiliated with any reputable service organizations such as AAA, ASE, their local chamber of commerce or local repair shop organizations. They do not invest any money in training their employees or buying new equipment. The facility itself may or may not be clean and neat (you cannot judge competency and honesty by appearances alone). And they offer no guarantee or a very limited warranty on the work they perform. Avoid these kind of places at all costs!

General Advice for finding an honest and competent repair facility:

Patronize a repair facility that has been recommended to you by friends or family.

If you are satisfied with a repair facility, give them your repeat business. Build a lasting relationship.

Do NOT pick a repair facility at random or based only on advertisements or price specials.

The repair facility should follow the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP) Standards of Service. You can obtain copies of these guidelines from the MAP website at www.motorist.org Give the shop a copy if they do not have one.

Always ask for a written repair estimate BEFORE work begins. (This is required by law in many states.)

The final repair bill should NOT exceed the estimate by more than 10 to 20%. (this is also dictated by law in many states, though circumstances may justify a higher final bill.)

Make sure the estimate lists all parts and labor charges. (and ask for an explanation of any items you do not understand or have a question about.)

If you have any doubts about the work performed, ask for your old parts to be returned. (you may need them as evidence if you have been scammed.)

If you have a dispute with a repair facility, take your problem up the chain of command, then contact your Better Business Bureau if you cannot get the matter resolved. Take legal action as a last resort.

Pay your repair bill with a credit card (if allowed) (You can always dispute the charges later when your credit card bill arrives.)

Larry Carley is a well-known automotive technical writer with 27 years of automotive writing experience. He writes for professional automotive trade magazines, and has his own automotive website at http://www.aa1car.com

Which is Best: Diesel or Electric/Gas Hybrid?

Diesel Engine or a Gas/Electric Hybrid?

The short answer to diesel versus hybrid is the choice depends on what you want to use the vehicle for. If you want a truck with lots of towing power, buy a diesel. If you want a fuel efficient commuter car for urban driving, buy a hybrid car like the Toyota Prius, or buy a turbo diesel-powered car like a VW.

Unfortunately, your purchase options are very limited because hybrid gas/electric powertrains and diesel engines are only available in a few cars. Diesels have long been a popular option in light trucks and the availability has been pretty good. But diesel cars have been in short supply – and will get even harder to find for the next year or so thanks to new emission regulations.

As usual we get the wrong regulations at the wrong time. The EPA decided it would be a good idea to require cars and light trucks with diesel engines to meet the same emission regulations as cars with gasoline engines. The Tier 2 emission regulations, which all cars must comply with start in 2007, require a fleet average of 0.05 grams per mile of oxides of nitrogen, a figure today’s diesels cannot meet without low sulfur fuel and electronic direct injection technology. The rules also limit particulate (soot) emissions, which requires diesels to have some type of particulate filter in the exhaust. To make matters worse, California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine have all adopted even tougher diesel emission standards than the federal EPA standards.

In Europe, where gasoline costs several times as mucha s it does here, and where diesel emission regulations are less strict, diesel powered cars account for over HALF the car population. The European limits for oxides of nitrogen are EIGHT times higher.

Unless the new regulations are relaxes or repealed (fat chance for that happening), the diesel option in cars and some light trucks (depends on size & weight) will go away in 2007, and will only slowly return as the technology improves.

Diesel Options:

Currently, the only diesel-powered cars available are:

Mercedes E Class E320 CDI
Jeep Liberty CRD
VW Passat TDI
VW Touareg TDI
VW Turbo Diesel Golf TDI

Technical Differences: Diesel vs Hybrid Gas/Electric

The main attraction of a diesel engine is that it is more fuel efficient than a gasoline engine: up to 30% better fuel economy as a rule than a comparable gasoline engine of the same displacement.

A diesel engine uses high compression rather than spark ignition to burn the fuel. This eliminates the need for an ignition system (no spark plugs, coils or ignition module), but it does require a very high pressure fuel injection system, much higher than that on a gasoline engine. Most diesel engines have a glow plug system for cold starting. There is also no throttle on a diesel engine, so it sucks air more efficiently at idle and low rpm (reduced pumping losses). The trade off is that a lack of intake vacuum in the engine requires a separate vacuum pump for any vacuum operated accessories.

On diesel engines, fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber as the piston approaches top dead center. The timing of the fuel injector is critical for good engine performance. Compression ratios are very high 18:1 or higher, so it takes a LOT of pressure (300 bar to 1800 bar) to inject the fuel into the cylinder or a precombustion chamber in the cylinder head. The heat of compression causes the fuel to ignite spontaneously. That’s why no spark plugs are needed.

Mechanically, a diesel engine is essentially the same as a gasoline engine except for the higher compression ratio. Diesels typically have stronger crankshafts, connecting rods and pistons than gasoline engines, and they typically run at lower rpms. Most of these engines are VERY durable and will last well beyond 150,000 miles with proper maintenance. Regular oil changes, however, are essential to maintain a diesel engine because they experience more blowby of combustion byproducts into the crankcase than gasoline engines.

Things that can go wrong with a diesel engine include injection pump problems, fuel injector problems, blown head gaskets, hard starting in cold weather if the glow plug system fails, and fuel waxing. Diesel fuel is actually a very light oil, so if it does not contain the right additives it can gel and plug up the fuel line or filter in cold weather.

Older diesels were also notorious for their idle clatter and black smoky exhaust. Many light truck diesel engines still have those attributes, but most of the direct injection passenger car diesel engines built by Volkswagen are relatively clean and quiet.

Would I buy a diesel powered car or truck? It would depend on the current price of diesel fuel versus gasoline, the cost difference to get the diesel option, and how much better fuel mileage the diesel gets over its gasoline counterpart. It would also depend on what I would be using the vehicle for (towing or general driving). Diesels do require a little more maintenance, and most owners who want to avoid cold weather starting problems are religious about using fuel additives in cold weather. I don’t see either of those things being a drawback if I wanted a diesel.

Hybrid Gas/Electric

Hybrid electric vehicles use a conventional gasoline engine for propulsion, and an electric motor for supplemental power. The gasoline engine turns an alternator that keeps a large high voltage battery charged. Some hybrids are designed to shut off the gas engine when the vehicle stops moving to conserve fuel. The electric motor is then used to accelerate the vehicle up to a certain speed at which point the gasoline engine restarts and takes over. For maximum acceleration, the electric motor and gas motor may both provide power to the wheels. How the vehicle is programmed to balance gas power and electric power affects overall fuel economy as do driving conditions. That’s why a vehicle like the Toyota Prius gets better mileage in stop-and-go city driving than it does on the highway.

On other hybrids, the electric motor is used more like a supplemental power source to boost acceleration when extra power is needed. This allows the use of a smaller, more fuel efficient gasoline engine that gets better fuel economy without sacrificing too much performance.

The third approach is to have a start/stop only system, where the engine shuts off when the vehicle is stopped, and automatically restarts when the driver steps on the gas pedal. There is no electric propulsion.

Hybrid Vehicles Currently Available:

Toyota Prius
Toyota Camry hybrid
Honda Accord hybrid
Honda Civic hybrid
Honda Insight
Lexus RX400H
Ford Escape hybrid
2007 Saturn Vue hybrid
2007 Mercury Mariner hybrid

Hybrid Complexity

A vehicle like the Toyota Prius is a technical marvel in my opinion. But it is also a VERY complex vehicle that is much more complex than any gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle. Consequently, the more complicated the system, the more stuff there is to go wrong.

As long as everything is working fine, I see no reason not to own a Toyota Prius or any other hybrid. But when these vehicles get some miles and age on them, I wonder how well they will hold up. Personally, I would NOT want to be the second or third owner of a used hybrid gas/electric vehicle. Why? Because of the high cost to replace the hybrid high voltage battery, because of the high cost to fix any electrical quirks or failures that may occur in the powertrain, and because replacement parts are NOT yet available in the aftermarket for these vehicles. New car dealers currently have a monopoly on these cars, and charge accordingly for parts and service. Most independent repair shops and garages are not yet up to speed on hybrid technology, so the new car dealer is about the only place you can take your hybrid if the electronic components or battery need repair. Ordinary stuff like brakes, tires, mufflers, cooling system, or the gasoline engine can be serviced anywhere.

The next-generation hybrids that will have a plug-in option and larger battery so the vehicle can operate more on electric power and less on gasoline power will make hybrids even better.

Diesels are Better

In the meantime, I see clean direct injection diesels as the better short-term technology. The EPA needs to cut us some slack and roll back the new Tier 2 emission requirements for diesel engines. The environmentally-sensitive Europeans do not seem to be overly concerned about current diesel emissions, and are way ahead of us in diesel technology.

Diesel Sets New Land Speed Record

Who says diesels have to be slow?

On August 22, 2006, the JCB DIESELMAX set a new land speed record for diesel-powered vehicles with a speed of 328.767 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Powered by two state-of-the-art JCB444-LSR engines developed by Ricardo, the JCB DIESELMAX beat the existing record by almost 100 mph. The race car was powered by two JCB444-LSR engines with two-stage inter-cooled turbo-charging, high pressure fuel injection and a low compression ratio, low temperature combustion system. All of these technologies are being developed by Ricardo for application on the high performance, ultra-low Tier II emissions diesel vehicles of the future.

Electric Cars are Best

Long term, the best powertrain choice in my opinion is a pure electric vehicle. Electric vehicles are environmentally clean, quiet and energy efficient. Fuel costs are potentially equivalent to over 100 mpg at today’s energy prices. If charged by electricity from cheap wind, hydroelectric or nuclear power sources, the economics make even more sense.

The battery technology isn’t quite there yet for a do-everything electric car, but ni-cad and lithium ion batteries are more than adequate for urban commuting, which satisfies the needs of about 90% of the population today. The problem is getting the major auto makers to commit to electric cars.

It’s no secret that car makers do NOT want to build electric cars. Why? Because electric cars are not profitable (at least not yet). Development costs are high, battery technology is still iffy, and the domestic car companies are heavily invested in internal combustion engine technology and production tooling. They would much rather sell us accessory laden SUVs and luxury cars than small fuel efficient vehicles regardless of what kind of power system is under the hood.

The domestic car companies cite all kinds of statistics that claim nobody wants electric cars, nobody would drive them if they were available other than wealthy left wing liberal Hollywood celebrities, and they would be too expensive for the average schmuck. Proponents of electric cars say the cars make perfect sense, that people would be standing in line to buy them if they were readily available, and that electric cars could be both affordable and practical if mass produced by major auto makers. I agree.

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Who Killed GM's EV1 Electric Car?
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About Alternative Fuels
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Hydrogen the Fuel of the Future

I've seen the future and it's a gas -- hydrogen gas, that is. At a 2005 General Motors press conference at Northwestern University in Evanston IL, Larry Burns, vice president of GM research & development, described the future of automotive technology.

Today, there are about 750 million cars and trucks on the face of this planet. Yet only about 12% of the world's population can afford to own a vehicle. As economies in China, India, Mexico and other countries expand, vehicle ownership will become possible for millions of people who previously couldn't afford a vehicle. By 2020, GM conservatively predicts the world vehicle population will exceed 1.1 billion cars and trucks!

These numbers make it obvious that we're headed for some serious problems unless we somehow reduce our dependence on petroleum. Today's oil prices (which are around $60 a barrel) and gasoline prices ($2.30 at the pump) will seem cheap in comparison to what we will likely be paying in the not too distant future as worldwide demand outpaces the worldwide supply of oil.

Oil Supply

According to the latest oil industry estimates, world petroleum reserves are thought to be around 3 trillion barrels. We have already used up about a quarter of the total, and are currently consuming oil at the rate of 75 million barrels per day. Two-thirds of the oil we import is used for transportation in this country. If the world vehicle population continues to expand at its current rate, we're headed for trouble. The world simply can't supply enough petroleum to support this kind of growth and usage.

So what's the answer? Ration cars? Tell the rest of the world they can't have what we have? GM and most of the other auto makers think the best solution is to shift our dependence from petroleum to a different energy source -- namely hydrogen.

Hydrogen Fuel

Hydrogen is the simplest of all known elements, and the most abundant element in the universe. Water, which covers two-thirds of our planet, is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Passing an electric current through water (a process called "electrolysis") can split water molecules apart freeing the hydrogen from the oxygen. The energy for electrolysis can be generated by solar cells, nuclear plants, wind generators, hydroelectric dams, geothermal generators, wave generators or even conventional fossil fuel burning power plants. Hydrogen gas can also be made from biomass or even garbage. The potential supply of hydrogen would seem to be almost limitless.

Hydrogen is also a clean-burning fuel that generates no carbon monoxide, no hydrocarbons and no soot -- only water vapor. It can also be burned in internal combustion engines, but its best use is in fuel cells -- and that's the future of automotive propulsion, says Burns.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell

A fuel cell is a relatively simple device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity. The electric current can then be used to turn electric motors to drive a vehicle. Fuel cells were invented as a power source for space capsules back in the 1960s, and researchers have been playing with them ever since in an effort to improve their efficiency and performance, and reduce their cost.

It seems that the pay-off is close at hand. GM's latest hydrogen fuel cell powered car (HydroGen3) is seven times more efficient than GM's last hydrogen-powered test car, which was built six years ago. Burns says GM should have a production-ready hydrogen-powered car by 2010. In fact, GM's latest concept car, called "Sequel," is a five-passenger crossover SUV that uses both a hydrogen fuel cell and lithium ion battery for combined power. The Sequel that was on display at the press conference appears to be a preview of what may be GM's first fuel cell powered production vehicle for the U.S. market.

The main issues now, said Burns, are the cost and availability of hydrogen. GM estimates it will cost about $10 to $15 billion to add hydrogen refueling capabilities to 11,700 service stations across the U.S. And if hydrogen is manufactured from natural gas at today's prices, it would cost about 1.3 times as much to power a vehicle with hydrogen compared to gasoline. But those numbers may soon change.

Hydrogen is currently around $4 per kilogram. If a hydrogen-powered car holds 8 kilograms of hydrogen in its tanks (enough to give it an estimated driving range of 300 miles), it would cost $32 to fill up. Compare that to what it currently costs to fill up a big fuel-thirsty SUV -- say $80 to $100. Seems to me hydrogen is already a bargain.

Hydrogen Car Test Drive

I test drove the HydroGen3 fuel cell research vehicle, and found it to be remarkably unremarkable. That's actually a compliment because it drove pretty much like any other small car. Except for a little electric motor whine, the test drive was relatively quiet and uneventful.

The neat thing about this exotic technology is that it is essentially invisible to the driver. If the car wasn't plastered with decals and didn't contain engineering instrumentation, I'd have no way of knowing I was driving something that is radically different from what I've been driving all my life. The technology works and works well.

Hydrogen, however, is a much different kind of fuel than gasoline or diesel. It is a lightweight gas, not a liquid, and contains far less energy than gasoline. So hydrogen must be stored under extremely high pressure (up to 10,000 psi!), or liquefied at extremely low temperature (-423 degrees F) and held in an insulated cryogenic tank so it doesn't boil off.

For test purposes, the HydroGen3 fuel cell car is fitted with a 4.6 kilogram capacity liquid hydrogen fuel tank, and a 3.1 kilogram compressed gas tank. Hydrogen from the liquid tank provides a driving range of about 249 miles, and hydrogen from the compressed gas tank adds another 168 miles. Top speed of the test car is claimed to be 99 mph. I didn't have a chance to verify the top speed or the driving range, but I did have to sign a waiver before the test drive saying my widow couldn't sue GM if the hydrogen car blew up and cremated me.

Actually, hydrogen is no more dangerous than gasoline. It is highly flammable and burns almost invisibly. But the extremely strong high pressure fuel tanks makes a fuel leak in a collision much less likely than in a gasoline-powered vehicle with a relatively thin plastic fuel tank.

The only question I have about this new technology is what kind of service tools and equipment will be required to work on hydrogen-powered fuel cells?