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Vehicle Alignment

There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding what an alignment is, by both the general public and even some technicians. It is best to think of an alignment as a maintenance item. The alignment consists of adjusting certain parts of a vehicle to the manufacture’s specific values or correcting the values of said vehicle to prevent future uneven tire wear. So to review, an alignment done correctly will have the vehicle track straight, causing tires to wear evenly and is required about once a year. Now, what an alignment is not: an alignment will almost never cause or correct a noise. ( Unless the measurements are severely off of manufacture specifications, causing a tire to drag opposing direction against the other three.) A bad alignment will rarely cause a vibration. Even a pull to one side while driving is rarely caused by an alignment. A few things that can cause a vehicle to pull to one side are a sticking brake caliper, a bad wheel bearing, or a large discrepancy in tire pressure Sometimes if a steering component is bad and a tire gets uneven wear as a result of that bad component, a pull to one side is likely. This condition may be remedied by replacement of the bad steering component, plus an alignment to “square up” the vehicle, and tire replacement to remedy the pull to one side and get you back on the road. It is a great idea to get an alignment done after any suspension work which may disturb the suspension geometry of the vehicle. Most vehicle manufacture’s will have a mileage and time recommendation for when an alignment is to be performed. Most common is 12,000 miles or once a year, whichever comes first. Although the alignment specs are in the computer and the heads are mounted on the car connected to the alignment machine via infrared, the technician making the alignment adjustments is still human, so the chance for human error does exist. Most savvy drivers get their alignment done in the Spring after the potholes have been filled and the roads have been repaired. Impact with a pothole, curb or something else in the road that shouldn’t be there may require an alignment, i.e. boulder, bowling ball or cinder block. One final thing, changing your tires does not affect your alignment.

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The Road Test

One of the most common terms of any service station is the road test. Simply stated, this is where the technician should start and end, regarding any concern or complaint on any vehicle. Here’s why. A solid technician will road test a vehicle before he begins working on it for a few reasons. First, It will allow any noises, warning lights, vibrations, smells or conditions to come to his attention. Conditions the customer may or may not already be aware of. Second, a crucial step in addressing any complaint or concern is duplicating the complaint, which is done via the road test. An example: I’ve had a customer give a detailed complaint that ” has only happened a couple of times at a stop light”, that on the initial road test was not confirmed. After talking with this customer further, “Oh, Maybe it was the car behind me making that noise at the light.” -I like to think the road test can help in deciphering mysteries that way. If the customer states “My car usually makes that clunk when backing up from a standstill and turning left.” Then the technician should drive the customer’s car from a standstill in reverse and turning left. A quality check [Q.C.] of any vehicle includes the need for it to be driven after the repair, to confirm it was a successful fix. The road test or test drive as it may be referred to is crucial to the confirmation of the repair performed. Many times, especially when the complaint is not immediately evident, it is not a bad idea to involve the owner of the vehicle to go along on the test drive to try and get to the bottom of the complaint. In the shop, if a novice mechanic says “I couldn’t see anything wrong with that car.” It usually is followed by the experienced Technician or shop foreman replying “Did you road test it?” Often a simple road test can produce answers for both the customer and the technician.

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That Noise

I have heard a minor, intermittent rattle at idle turn into a $1,700.00 catalytic converter replacement and I’ve heard a loud, persistent rattle at all speeds require three .40 cent washers to completely eliminate a heat shield noise. A noise can be anything! So you are driving and now there is a noise. If you are going to go to your repair shop and blurt out, “There is a noise, I have no idea, you’re the car people! It is an annoying noise, you tell me!” That’s the same as saying, “Charge me whatever you want!” If you give little or vague information, that means the technician working on your vehicle is going to drive it, look it over and make you a giant list of things it needs. Or worse. This is the equivalent of handing over your checkbook. In the automotive world when an experienced technician is handed a car to drive with a complaint of a noise, if it is a detailed complaint, the technician already has an idea what to look and listen for. This means the more details you can give the better! (And it will be a less expensive diagnostic fee you will be charged.) Let’s say the same customer states a “buzz type noise at 35 to 40 miles per hour, the sound is coming more from the right front, and it gets louder while accelerating up a hill.” Now, this is useful information which will help the technician fix your car quickly and more efficiently. Many times a complaint with no specifics will yield little results. Many times I’ve witnessed a mechanic say, “Well, I drove that car a couple times for that noise complaint with no real details, and found nothing obvious. ” Who could blame this guy? There was no effort put into the complaint; why should there be any effort put into the repair? Give details. Get results! A better service advisor or person who is taking in your vehicle (see blog section re: Up Front Selling) will ask the right questions: when does the sound happen? And, at what speeds? Does it occur when the car is cold, or at full operating temperature? Remember, this is your car, and sometimes just asking to see the car on the lift can shed light on what is going on. I once saw about a dozen porcupine quills sticking out of a tire, causing a rubbing noise on turns! After conferring with the customer that he had, indeed, recently hit an animal in the road at night, we shared a laugh, put a couple of new tires on, and he was on his way.

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Tire pressure

A question that comes up frequently is “What should my tire pressure be?” The novice Mechanic or guy at the gas station down the street might say, “It’s written on the tire.” But that is incorrect. Almost all tires will have a “MAX TIRE PRESSURE” __(and then a number ) which indicates the MAXIMUM pressure that that tire can hold. And nearly all manufacturers of automobiles place a tire information sticker somewhere on the vehicle. The most popular spot is the driver’s side door jam. This sticker will include the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure for that particular model. German cars tend to have the recommended tire pressure sticker on the fuel door. For the average passenger car about 35 psi is the norm. Tire pressures, if inaccurate, can cause odd symptoms. Even a low tire pressure of 10 psi may cause the car to “pull” or “drift” to one side. If that guy at the corner gas station over inflated all your tires the car may ride more “bouncy” or harsher than normal. Tires do tend to normally lose air, but minimally. If you find yourself putting more than 5 psi of air in any tire more frequently than every three weeks, there is an underlying problem that should be addressed. Tire pressure is part of tire maintenance, which is part of preserving tire longevity. If all your tires are over inflated not only will you have an odd feel but your tires will wear out quicker in the center of the tread. Tires can sometimes be repaired if you are unlucky enough to pick up a puncture from a nail or a screw. A rope style or patch plug is feasible if the tire tech or mechanic sees no sidewall damage or bubble in the tire. A bubble is the result of air trapped between the internal plies of the tire usually caused by impact damage. Tires can be pricey but they are very important to the safety of any vehicle, just as brakes are. One final tip: the best time of the year to buy tires is rebate season which is traditionally spring or fall.

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“Ever Since…”

“Ever since you put air in my tires, my wipers come on by themselves.” “Ever since the technician did an alignment to my car, my radio has no AM reception.” Over the years I must have heard it all. The two most exasperating words you can utter when returning to any repair facility or dealership… “Ever since…” Those words are enough to make any service adviser chuckle and any technician cringe. Now, there are some instances when these statements can be legitimately related to a previous repair. As in “Ever since the mechanic put my new seat belt in, my SRS light is on.” SRS stands for Supplemental Restraint System, so perhaps that seat belt electrical connector did not get plugged in. “Ever since that radiator flush, I don’t seem to have any heat in the car when I turn it on.” That might be the case if the coolant system has an air pocket that hasn’t “burped” yet. If I hear “Ever since the mechanic diagnosed my squeaky brakes my sunroof leaks,” I’m going to go out on a limb and say probably not related. On the other hand, something like “Ever since the mechanic changed one of my headlight bulbs, the other one seems more dim.” Sometimes, when bulbs get to the end of their life they can be slightly low in intensity; or, it is possible that the technician did not seat the bulb back into the lamp completely. Do have faith that the mechanic will repair the vehicle to the best of his or her ability. Remember, the person working on your vehicle is human, unlike the robotic machinery that likely assembled your automobile at the factory. Humans make mistakes. Plus, a conscientious and thorough mechanic in any “Ever since” scenario will go back and check his most recent work if any new symptoms do show up on the customer’s list of complaints.

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That new car smell…

To keep your car running as designed you do need that oil change. Yes, you do need some type of scheduled service plan. I don’t like buying tires, so I rotate them at every oil change interval. So should you. There are some things you can skip, or skimp on, and some things you shouldn’t. Just as all people are different with different needs, all cars require different maintenance-style intervals. To assess your particular vehicle’s needs, here are some questions that require honest answers : Do you drive a lot (i.e. more than 12,000 miles/yr.)? Does the vehicle idle a lot? Is the vehicle in question subjected to a lot of stop and go driving? Do you frequent dirt roads? Do you avoid pot holes or just drive straight through them? If you answered “yes” to most or all of these questions then your vehicle is in what’s referred to as a “severe” maintenance schedule. It requires more- frequent-than-usual service. (More stop and go traffic = more brake service needed.) And if you live on a dirt road or drive in correspondingly similar (dusty) conditions, you will need that air filter and/or cabin filter replaced at the 12,000 mile interval. Your car is one of the most costly investments you will make so let’s try and keep that “new car smell” for as long as we can.

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The Mystery of the Matrix

So when this first came to my attention, I refused to believe it. I had overheard a Service Manager say to a Service Advisor, “Make sure you use the Matrix when you quote that job.” So at the time being a curious mechanic, I asked,”what is the Matrix?” At that time the Service Advisor pulled a little chart out of his desk that had all these columns of numbers down and across. “Oh it’s basically hoping the customer can’t compute math and it is a way to over charge them.” He said. ” WHAT?” I couldn’t believe it until I looked at the card in his hands. That’s right. The more hours you spend, the more the shop rate increases! Now, a lot of businesses do the opposite. You spend more, you should get a break right? Maybe at the independent shop or at your Mom & Pop style repair station but that’s not how the dealership does it. Say they are $100.00 an hour. At that rate 4 hours of labor should be and usually is $400.00 . With multiple repairs to the same vehicle, sometimes you can be quoted 16 hours worth of work and not all customers are savvy enough to notice the first 5-6 hours were $100.00 an hour but beyond that the additional hours were calculated at $107.00 an hour or more! So that 16 hour job is now costing you $1,670.00 instead of $1,600.00 in labor only! Not including whatever parts were required to do the repairs and the disposal fee which is usually a percentage of that total repair. Most consumers wouldn’t catch it would they? That is what the dealer is betting (or banking!) on.

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Up Front Selling

You survived the walk-around and now you are ready for the write up. The Service advisor is well versed in meeting your automotive needs. This includes up selling as much as possible before your vehicle is even seen by the mechanic. You might hear things like: “Your transmission service is due.” Or, “Mileage-wise, your spark plugs and air filter are next up for a change. Or, “an alignment ” is suggested. Some of these things are required, some are overkill. Your owners’ manual or service dossier should have a guide on what is due, and when. Don’t let an overzealous advisor sell you things your car won’t yet require, or things that have been already addressed. An example would be a “coolant flush” if your radiator was recently replaced. (At the time of replacement is when the system should have had this done along w/the new coolant added.) Advisors make a living on selling to you—the customer—as much labor/hours/service as they possibly can. Remember this is your vehicle; it’s your choice! If you have any questions before, during or after your visit, don’t hesitate. Ask.

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surviving the trip to the Dealership

You have got a car you love. Or at least one you wish to maintain so that the automobile remains somewhat reliable. That’s great, but few dealerships are trustworthy so I wanted to provide some insight and some ammo for when you bring your car in for service. Lets start where most dealerships do: with the walk around. The walk around is presented as a “pre-inspection” or a way for the service advisor to get to know you and your automobile. Now make no mistake, the walk around is more than selling you wipers or a rear lamp bulb you may not be aware that you needed. It is to protect the dealer; to note any scratches, dings or dents you may claim to have acquired while your car is being serviced. A common misconception is that the service advisor is there to help the customer. The service advisor is put in place by the dealer to help the technician sell the work. The more billable hours the better, somewhat like a lawyer.