Under the Lift

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Don Callender is the owner of The Transmission Clinic in Castle Rock and Colorado Springs
He has 30 years of experience as an automotive technician

Issue 233 - April 17, 2006
MAY THE BUYER BEWARE!

Buying a used car has always been a bit of a crapshoot, whether you roll a seven, or shoot snake eyes. Right now, the odds are in the houses favor. 2005 Was an interesting year in the automotive business with the gas prices at over three dollars a gallon, and new vehicles at all time record low discounts.

There are several reasons to beware of used cars. In this edition of “Under the Lift” I’m going to cover as many as I can.

One of the biggest “Bewares” are hurricane victim cars. These cars are picked up by wholesale dealers and sold through auctions all over the country. When the floods precede the hurricane, these cars are filled with water, inside and out. The engines and transmissions fill with water. While you can drain the engine and differential fluids flushing the systems, the transmissions have parts that are water-soluble. The internal components will begin to deteriorate and then you need to purchase a transmission rebuild. The salt water gets into the electrical systems and begins to short out. With multiple computers, and over two and a half miles of wire in newer cars, this can become a nightmare. If the vehicle smells musty, be careful, it may have been submerged.

The next “Beware” are some of the cars sold in auto auctions. There is a reason they are at the auction. Some of these are cars brought in from out of state, because they don’t sell well in the area they came from. Others are brought from local dealers because they have high mileage or other concerns making them undesirable to the local area. A lot of them show up at the auction because they have a major problem that the dealer does not want to repair because of the cost, or the owner of the vehicle is too embarrassed to sell them to a friend or neighbor. If you are considering buying a car at an auction, make sure you buy it cheap enough to cover at least one, and maybe two major issues.

The other issue I would like to cover is the major discounts offered by new car dealers last year. The new vehicles were sold with some major discounts to consumers. While this was a great deal while it lasted, a large number of consumers decided to trade in their cars that had problems. I am seeing a large number of recently purchased used cars that still have paper temporary license plates in the shop for major issues. After spending their savings on a lower mileage “clean” used car, we have to inform these consumers that they need a high dollar repair on their new car. It can be a heartbreaker to see their faces.

How can you overcome these issues? Buy from a reputable dealer, for one. But you have to remember; they don’t know the personal history on every car on their lot. Take the car to a good mechanic you trust, and have them look it over. Any good dealer will allow you to take it for an inspection. Do not trust that individual dealers service department, remember, it is their car and they want to sell it. The infamous 75-point check isn’t as complete as you would think. Walk away from a musty smelling car. It’s been wet somewhere, and electronics don’t like water. Ask to get the name and phone number of the previous owner, all dealers keep those names and numbers on file. Carfax only covers major claims, such as a major accident, or if the car was totaled. It does not report any repair issues the vehicle has had problems with. Privately repaired cars are not reported to the Carfax system. Consider a used car warranty, if there is a major failure they are worth the money. They do have drawbacks, but that’s another column.

Issue 235 - May 1, 2006
THAT PESKY CHECK
ENGINE LIGHT!

You’re driving down the road, and all of a sudden, there it is. That pesky check engine light is back on again. Why does it keep doing that? Why does it go out, and then come back on a week later? Why is this thing pestering me, especially since I’m in such a hurry!

The check engine light covers many different aspects of a car. Its functionality depends on the year make and model of the vehicle. On a car built in the 1980’s, it can just come on to tell you that you need to have the car serviced every 60,000 miles. On a car or truck of the 1990’s, there are approximately 156 different issues that can turn on the light. On a vehicle of the 2000’s, it can be hundreds of different things, from very major, to a loose gas cap. Did you know that filling your car with the engine running will set a check engine light?

The purpose of the warning is to inform you the computer has seen a discrepancy. Three times. The computer has to see the fault three times to register a light. That fault can be anything from a vacuum leak, transmission slippage, low oil pressure, to major electrical errors. Ford products are notorious for an Exhaust Gas Recalculation (EGR) code. While this is not an immediate issue, an EGR code will cause the computer to correct for the problem, making the engine run rich on fuel, burn more gas, and eventually plug or burn out the catalytic converter in the exhaust.

A common misconception comes in because the computer has an erasable memory. When you turn the key off, you clear the current memory. Then the computer has to see it three times again to set the light. So the average driver clears the memory by shutting off the car, and thinks the problem is gone. Oh no……you just prolonged the problem. By doing this and continuing to drive the car, whatever the problem is, you just made it worse. And every time you drive the vehicle, it continues to make the problem worse. Soon it becomes a major issue, and now the repair bills add up. You just cost yourself big money.

The moral of this story, is don’t ignore the light. It may be a pest, and it may annoy you. But address the issue. If your mechanic can’t find the problem, it may be time to find a new mechanic. There are people very good at this, and some not so good. Find a good one, build a relationship with that technician, so he knows you, and you know them, and they will help keep the repair bills dow2n, and the performance of your vehicle up.

Issue 237 - May 15, 2006
TO FLUSH OR
NOT TO FLUSH

No, I’m not going to talk about your plumbing! One of the most frequent questions we get asked in the transmission business is about transmission flushes. So I want to clarify some of the misconceptions of a transmission flush.

The real reason this subject came around, is some manufacturers of flush equipment got the idea that if they promote it enough, they can get people to spend extra money on a flush instead of a regular transmission service. So they sold the equipment for a good dollar to transmission shops and fast lube businesses, then helped them promote it. Most of the flush idea is to get into your, the consumers, wallet.

Now, the flush is not useless, it does have a purpose. Any petroleum product will oxidize and begin to break down. This creates a lubrication issue, and starts the failure process. Now you need to come see me! It’s OK, I don’t mind, I have kids to feed! Quite a few of the lubrication/wear issues are hard to trace or see in a transmission. They are small parts in the aluminum castings, which wear out and cause pressure losses and cross-leaks. These little tiny parts begin the failure process. So by keeping good lubricants in the system, you need less major repair work. And at the cost of today’s repairs, that is something you want to avoid.

Any time you service or actually flush a transmission, there is a filter in the transmission pan. Most of these filters are made of a Dacron material, which will get hard, and cause restriction issues, making the pump work too hard, and again, causing failures. The filter really should be replaced, every service. If the shop you are at doesn’t change the filter, go somewhere else.

Lubricants are another major issue. There are many different types of transmission fluid. Your vehicle was designed for a certain fluid, and you need to use the correct one. There are three basic types, and they are quite different. Petroleum products are the basic oils. These are designed for older vehicles and are becoming outdated. Most of the newer cars are made to use a synthetic blend, which is a much better oil, and it’s heat resistance and lubrication properties are much better. They make your car last longer. Many cars and trucks won’t work right with the petroleum products. The last is a full synthetic fluid, which is truly the best. Many European cars require synthetic and are made to run the special oils. The synthetic is far superior in all aspects. Its only failure is that it won’t burn in my waste oil furnace! It’s heat resistance properties just won’t burn. The moral of this ranting is find out if your car takes one of these special fluids and ALWAYS use the correct one. If the shop doesn’t carry what you need, go somewhere else.

In conclusion, remember, when an internal part is damaged, no amount of fluid will fix anything. Period. If you have a problem, it needs to be correctly repaired. Changing the fluid or servicing the transmission will not fix anything. It can even make it worse and create more problems. You cannot make parts grow back with fluid. If mechanic in a can really worked, I wouldn’t have a job! And remember, those kids of mine always need to eat!

Servicing your transmission every 20,000 miles is the best answer to keeping your car out of my shop, and having a happy transmission.

Issue 239 - May 29, 2006
THERE'S A MOUSE
IN THE HOUSE!

No. I’m not an exterminator. But I do hate mieses to pieces. Animals, both wild and domestic, can cause an amazing amount of damage to a vehicle.

Mice love to nest in a car’s air filter. And they don’t have a small house, they go for the condo, and move in all their friends and relatives! We see cars for low performance issues quite often, and one of the first things we look at is the air filter. When mice nest, they put about five pounds of lint, fuzz, pine trees, and everything else they can find, in your motor. This effieciently suffocates the engine, and won’t let it run.

The little critters just love the plastic shielding on wiring too. They chew through the wiring, and actually cut the wires. And they manage to cut it off, at the worst of places, leaving nothing to splice back on to. Farm trucks are the worst of these; they chew the wiring off at the firewall, and leave us nothing to work with. This always adds a little delight to our day.

One of the best cases I have ever seen was at my parent’s house. They are retired, and have a lot of time on their hands. So, Dad likes to feed the birds and squirrels. It keeps them both happy. Dad keeps a large bag of birdseed in the garage. Mom has a nice sports car in garage that she only drives a few times a year. She went to retrieve something from the glove box, and called me in a panic. When I arrived, I found the glove box overflowing with birdseed. I decided to dig a little deeper, and the air filter was full, the support rail for the hood was packed, and the space for the convertible top was loaded. The part that amazed me the most is they had crawled up the exhaust pipes, and the mufflers were full of seed too. I pulled a five-gallon bucket of seeds out of the car, and for six months every time you drove it, it smelled like burnt popcorn from the mufflers. Make sure you keep the critter food in a sealed plastic container!

A friend called me one day, and said the transmission wouldn’t work on his all-wheel drive van. We towed it in, and after careful inspection, we found the wiring harness to his transmission was gone. Completely missing. So we re-wired the harness, and everything worked fine. I called a very relieved friend, who didn’t have to buy a new transmission, and asked him if he was four wheeling in his family van. He replied that it was just the family soccer wagon, and it had never been off road in its life. That evening he drove it home, and first thing the next morning, he called me and said it was doing the same thing! I was shocked, and had him bring it back in for a check. The wiring harness was missing again! What in the heck? We rewired it again, and sent him home. The next day he called me and said he found the problem. They got a new black Labrador puppy, and his wife had the dog on a chain, just long enough to get under the van. The puppy was chewing off the harness. They went and built a doghouse after that.

The moral of this story, if you like animals make sure you keep them far enough away from the cars and trucks, so they won’t cost you an expensive repair! There is nothing quite so exciting, as removing an air cleaner from a car, and going nose to nose with a large rodent!

Issue 241 - June 12, 2006
WHAT A STUD!

Here it is, springtime in the Rockies, and I’m writing about studded tires. Not just studded tires, but high traction winter tires. I hear all the arguments on why you don’t need them in our area, people try to convince me of all sorts of things, but I still don’t have to believe them. If you compare the cost of winter tires, to what can happen without them, they become really cheap. In this issue I’m going to cover the pratfalls of using street tires in the winter in Colorado.

Of course, I’m in the transmission business, so I see all the transmission failures. Most people are aware that rocking a stuck vehicle in the snow can cause many different things to physically break. The harder you rock the car, the bigger the parts that break. But there are many things that aren’t so obvious. My shop is always packed after a good snow. One of my customers owns two Honda products. Honda has a very weak reverse system that is prone to failure. After a good snow a couple years ago, he went out in the driveway and proceeded to “unstick” his daughters’ car, breaking off reverse, and then went over and “unstuck” his wife’s car. Between the two, he cost himself over $3500 in repairs.

Front wheel drive cars, especially the Dodge Caravans, are prone to differential failures. By spinning the tires on ice and snow, the poor little differential is going a million miles an hour, and the pin holding the differential gears together breaks. Saturn’s and Mazda’s are also susceptible to the same issue. When the hardened steel pin breaks, it exits out the cast aluminum case, and we have a hole large enough to throw a cat through. Next, we call the tow truck. Remember the last column I wrote about having the kids who like to eat well? You just fed them for a few more weeks. So when I see street tires or bald tires on these cars, I automatically think of those kids again. By changing to a set of studded tires in the winter, you can save yourself in the range of two thousand dollars! Not bad for a set of tires that cost about $275 for a set of four of them.

On rear and four wheel drive vehicles; they have a similar issue in the rear differentials. We see lots of Tahoe’s and Suburban’s because the differential section is weak on the GM products. A good spin, and we’re talking another fourteen hundred.

These are all breakdown issues, which leave you walking in two feet of snow. Now there are also the issues of getting stuck in the snow, sliding on the ice, tow bills, and the fact that your car will stop in half the distance. The safety factor alone is worth it to me. Body shops are always happy to see bald tires too.

And yes, I have studded snow tires on both my four wheel drive vehicles, and I have very few issues on snow and ice. For a good reference on learning about traction, ask the publisher of this magazine!

Issue 243 - June 26, 2006
THE DIRTY DEALER!

Did you ever wonder just why, new car dealerships are so expensive in their service departments? Why is an aftermarket shop less expensive? Are they using inferior parts? Are the technicians less trained? Why are there so many repair shops, and why do I have to go to different places to get my car fixed?

The first thing I want to cover today is the way dealerships write service. There is an unwritten law in every dealership that states a service writer MUST have a minimum number of hours billed on average per repair order. If they don’t meet this minimum, then they are looking for a new job. That’s why they are always trying to sell things like transmission services and brake jobs before you really need them. It adds hours. It raises the bill. Remember that warranty work doesn’t pay any hours, so it counts against the average hours. So that poor service writer is hustling his tail so he can keep his job. You get the extra on your bill.

Dealerships rarely repair anything anymore. They get a replacement part. So if that piece that failed, is a two dollar part, but it’s in a three hundred dollar assembly, guess what? You get a five hundred dollar repair bill. Here in the aftermarket, we can get those two-dollar parts, and we can fix it for one hundred fifty! And because we don’t have minimum repair order hours, you don’t get squeezed for something you don’t need. The dealership technicians don’t have to do as much diagnostic work, because they are replace assemblies, and so they don’t have to have great diagnostic skills. Since most good aftermarket shops do have to fix things, their diagnostic skills are much sharper. I actually share information with several dealers in the area to help them repair vehicles properly.

Parts are an interesting subject on their own. My experience has taught me that electrical parts are best bought from the factories. Switches, solenoids, starters and alternators are usually better either new or factory remanufactured. They just plain work better and last longer. As in everything else in life, you get what you pay for, and sometimes it’s better to pay a little extra. Some parts are exactly the same! Being a transmission man by trade, a lot of our parts were originally made by large companies like Borg Warner or Raybestos. They make the parts for the factories. So instead of paying a large markup from the dealer, I buy exactly the same parts from a transmission parts warehouse, at a much-reduced cost. This keeps the repair bills lower, and you get the savings.

Today’s vehicles are a bundle of technical wizardry. No one person can even attempt to know it all. Repair shops have become highly specialized, and you should see a specialist for special problems. Find a good general repair shop, someone you can trust and count on, and frequent his facility. When you have a special problem, like a transmission issue, ask him where he would take his car. He knows who’s good, and who’s not, he deals with it every day. A new car is a major investment, and by building a relationship with one facility, you can prolong the life of a new car, and save yourself costly breakdown repairs. Maintenance repairs are much less than breakdown repairs. And breakdowns always happen at the most inopportune times. My friend that owns the towing company likes them; he has kids to feed too.

How do you find a good, honest repair shop you ask? That sounds like the next edition of “Under the Lift”!

Issue 245 - July 7, 2006
HOW TO PICK A
GOOD REPAIR SHOP

This is going to be a tough one. I can pick at policies and procedures, standards and personalities, but I’m going to try and explain the different ways that people do things, and why they do them. Then if you use the information, you can be more educated to make your own decisions.

I don’t like the chain stores, or franchises. A franchise has to pay a percentage to the home office every time they sell something. These fees run from 5% to almost 20%. That is additional cost to the consumer. It’s also been my experience that these shops are in the business strictly for the cash, and the customer is their second or third consideration. A smaller independent shop has to answer to their customers directly, and generally does give better service with quality repairs. A friend of mine has a saying that if you go into a shop and can’t talk face to face with the owner, then find another shop. Franchise stores have learned that it is more profitable to put a salesman on the desk with a telephone, than it is to have a technician answer phones. These salesmen have no idea how much is reasonable; they are just working from a guide book to get the most amount of money for a job. A technician knows how easy some jobs are, and bids them as such. So a salesman powered shop is going to be more expensive than a technician powered shop. Plus, the technician can answer the tough questions you require answers for!

Dealerships are just parts changers. They take out bad assemblies, and replace them with new ones. Their diagnostic skills are poor at best. I saw a T-shirt once, and it always brings the dealer service centers to mind. It said, “We don’t care, we don’t have to. We’re the phone company.” When they were the only game in town, they didn’t have to care. I had a car in my shop the other day, with a diagnostic sheet from the local dealer. It listed three trouble codes, one transmission slip code, one code for a shift fault, and one code for an output speed sensor. The dealer wanted $2200.00 for a transmission replacement. If a speed sensor is bad, the computer thinks the transmission is slipping, and doesn’t recognize the shift. It turned out to be a broken wire to the speed sensor, about an inch up the wiring harness. I fixed it for less than $200.

One of the best ways to find a good shop is to ask! Ask your friends, ask a co-worker, ask someone in the business! We know who around us does good work. Most shops specialize in something. But we know who around us does good work in other areas. I own a transmission shop, but I know where I go for electrical problems, brakes, engine rebuilds, etc. They go to different people for different reasons. Some technicians are just plain better at different things for different reasons.

One thing that needs to be addressed to the public is diagnostic time. It does take time to properly diagnose a problem so it can be repaired properly. Mechanics don’t work for free, and the utility companies still want their electricity paid for. There is more computing power in today’s cars, than was used to put Neil Armstrong on the moon. There is over two miles of wire in a car, which will break, chafe, short out, and come loose. It’s a bear cat to find a broken wire and repair it. It may take three or four hours to find it, and two minutes to repair it. If we charged for the two minutes, you would have to find a new repair shop, because I would be living under a freeway overpass with my family.

Make sure the shop you go into has the proper diagnostic equipment. In this day and age of computers, the proper equipment is a must, and it must be updated at least yearly. Old, outdated equipment means you get an old outdated repair.

Estimates are an interesting subject, because so many service writers do it so many different ways. I’ve been doing transmission repair for twenty-five years. If I know what the real problem is, I can estimate the repair within fifty dollars. I’ve done it once or twice, and I pride myself in being a professional. Other people use an RDI. This means they remove, dismantle, and inspect before quoting. What they are doing is to get you in a catch 22, because they have your car apart, and they can charge and extra 3-500 dollars for the job, and they already have you on the hook for that much. The other tricky method is to quote a “soft parts” overhaul, plus major parts. The initial quote is relatively low, and really seems to be a great price. Until you get the bill for those “major parts”. It can range anywhere the service writer wants it to be!

Of course, if you are new to an area, nothing beats the BBB. They have records on everyone, members and non-members. If someone is bad news, they know it. The City attorney has records on the bad guys too. Or just call me, I know almost everyone in town, if not by name, by reputation.

Be careful, there are a lot of chiselers out there, just looking for your Visa card. But there are a lot of really good, hard working, honest shops to be found; you just have to look a little.

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