CAR QUESTIONS
Car Questions
Your vehicle may seem like a hornets nest of wires, hoses, and 'thingies' all covered in black goop. It may look intimidating, but I promise it's a lot simpler than it looks. There are many services and repairs than you can preform on your vehicle yourself. These things will save you from an expensive repair bill. With just a little know-how, and a little patience, you'll be feeling like a certified mechanic in no time.
Fear Your Mechanic No Longer:
​
​
I receive so many questions from family and friends about their car. Everyone wants a mechanic they can trust. Believe it or not, most shops are not out to get you, but just to be on the safe side, here are few common things that are quick and easy to educate yourself on.
​
::My top recommendation for any repair is to ask for the old parts back, and KNOW WHAT THE OLD PARTS LOOK LIKE! I cannot stress this enough. I've seen too many mechanics give customers old parts that don't even belong to their vehicle or worse, aren't even the part they claim it to be. If you know what the parts for your car look like, you will be able to spot this scam quickly. Google Images is your best friend::
Your Air Filter Is Probably Fine:
​
​
The most common scam I've seen is the air filter. Your car most likely has two of them, the engine air filter and the cabin air filter. The engine air filter is usually relatively easy to find. It's generally located in a black plastic case under the hood, on one side of the engine bay. You can see the engine air filter on this Mazda engine circled in yellow. To remove it, simply pull the metal tabs circled in green and the top half of the case comes right off. You'll be able to see if the filter is really dirty or not. To change it, just pull out the old filter (there's nothing holding it in) and install the new one you bought from the parts store.
As for the cabin air filter, these things can be very difficult to find. They are often neglected and can get extremely dirty. I've even found a dead animal in one! A simple Google search will tell you if your vehicle even has one, and tell you how much the filter actually costs. They typically run about $15 - $20, and cost around $40 to replace. Some Mercedes and Mazda owners may find themselves paying up to $100 though, so this service varies depending on how difficult the job is.
Changing Your Own Oil Costs You:
​
​
There are a lot of online resources that say, "You should change your own oil. Save some money!" Truth be told, you probably won't be saving any money. Most quick lube places will charge $19.95 for an oil change, and have it done in less then twenty minutes. You get to remain grease and oil free, and it doesn't break the bank. Most DIYers out there will take a lot longer than twenty minutes to do an oil change and time is money. Not only that, but unless you have means to safely lift your vehicle, your home oil change won't get very far. Your other expenses would include an oil catch pan, an oil filter wrench, the proper tools to remove the oil drain bolt, a new crush washer for the oil drain bolt, a funnel, and the new oil. Just the new oil and filter will cost you almost $30. You aren't saving any money by changing your own oil, so just stop by any quick lube place and have done. Just be careful, they may try to up sell you.
​
Shops don't make very much money from oil changes and because of this, they may try to sell you services your vehicle doesn't actually need. The most common of these are:
​
Power Steering Fluid Change:
The Power Steering Fluid is located in the engine bay. You'll find it under the screw on lid with the steering wheel picture on it. It almost never needs to be changed and you probably won't even see it mentioned in your owner's manual. Sometimes fluid can leak and steering performance will be lowered, but that is an unrelated issue. Don't fall for this up sell.
​
Transmission Fluid Change:
​
Transmission Fluid needs to be changed on a regular basis on most cars. Newer cars have sealed transmissions that do not require fluid changes. Your owner's manual will tell you when you should have the Transmission Fluid serviced. If you vehicle before the recommended time for transmission service, you don't need the fluid change. Just don't forget to bring it back when it comes time!
​
Radiator Flush:
​
Radiator Flushes are almost never needed unless the vehicle is overheating. Coolant changes are only recommended every 5 years.
​
Engine Flush:
​
This is the worst of the worst. Never, and I mean NEVER get an engine flush. Not only are they never needed, but they are known to cause detrimental damage to your engine. Most vehicle manufacturers explicitly state not to flush a vehicles engine. That being said, if your car has been sitting for a long time or has had major engine work done it may be necessary to use a chemical engine flush. If your vehicle falls into one of these categories and an engine flush has been recommended to you, make sure to ask the technician if you can see the product he is using to flush the engine. Gunk, Liqui Moly, and Golden Touch are a few popular products. If they don't preform a chemical flush, their service may cause damage to your engine.
​
It's Probably a Loose Gas Cap:
​
​
The Check Engine Light is every car owners worst nightmare, but it doesn't have to be. Most people are under the impression that it can only be an expensive repair when in reality, you would be surprised to know the real reasons that will cause that light to come on. Remember, we scan check engine lights for free, as do many auto part stores, so don't let that light stay on!
Here are the top ten reasons that your check engine light glows, courtesy of www.MotorTrend.com.
​
10. Repair/replace battery charging system:
The folks at CarMD suspect that more sophisticated monitoring systems have made batteries and their systems more likely to turn on the check engine light. Batteries are vulnerable to heat and dry conditions and that’s where they are likely to run into problems.
​
Our average cost to replace: $100
​
​
9. Replace exhaust gas recirculation valve:
The ERG pushes exhaust back through the combustion process and helps lower a vehicle’s emissions. (A bad ERG valve or blocked system may cause your vehicle to run with a rough idle and engine hesitation.)
​
Our average cost to replace: $126
​
​
8. Faulty vacuum hoses in the EVAP system:
Loose hoses mean evaporating fuel will not reach its vented destination. That sets off alarms, or at least your check engine light.
​
Our average cost to fix: $107
​
​
7. Remove aftermarket alarm/remote starter kit:
​
Certain aftermarket parts work better than others — make sure aftermarket alarms and remote starters are installed by a qualified technician. Plugging it into the wrong place can damage other systems.
​
Our average cost to disconnect: $98
​
​
6. Bad mass air flow sensor:
This is the sensor that meters the incoming air and determines how much fuel to inject with it. If it goes bad, your car’s fuel efficiency can drop by 10 to 25 percent.
​
Our average cost to replace: $210
​
​
5. Bad spark plug: If you’re not firing on all cylinders, you’ve probably got a bad spark plug. And that, of course, means you’re not running an efficient engine.
​
Our average cost to replace: $43 (Do it yourself for a lot less.)
​
​
4. Replace ignition coil:
No coil means no spark, and internal combustion engines need spark. The coil, which steps up the voltage from a 12-volt battery, can go bad by connecting to bad plugs, operating under extremely high temperatures or just getting old.
​
Our average cost to replace: $217
​
​
3. Replace catalytic converter:
Generally, the catalytic converter goes bad only after something else goes bad and the engine’s exhaust becomes thick with other things. Think bad rings or bad spark. In either case, plan on grabbing some OT at work to pay the bill.
​
Nation average cost to replace: $1,101
(We do not replace catalytic converters)
​
​
2. Loose fuel cap: Gas will evaporate through the opening of a loose or ill-fitting fuel cap. If a shop charges for a diagnostic test, it’s a $100 test for a free fix. So torque up every time you fill up.
​
Our average cost to fix: FREE
​
​
1. Replace oxygen sensor:
The O2 sensor measures the amount of oxygen in the exhaust to help the car’s computer to inject more or less fuel. A failed sensor can throw off a vehicle’s fuel economy by as much as 40 percent.
​
Average cost to replace: $127
​