AutoMetrics Blog

Bad new parts

by Brian Beatty on 05/22/13

Well, we just finished a car that has been a difficult case. I get pretty frustrated when i get my time wasted by our suppliers going the cheap route on parts, this one is done, finally, so here is our story.

Customer brings in a 2001 Nissan sentra with lean codes, so we pull out our expensive nissan diagnostic tool and start our diagnostic. Everything checks out good in the car except for an intermittent throttle position sensor. The airflow meter is not checking out, so we replace it with one from a local supplier.Throttle position sensors do not usually cause lean codes, so we advised the customer of the throttle position sensor and replaced the airflow meter. The airflow meter does not fix the car! We were sure of it, so we call our supplier and get another one, the car runs the same way. In a situation like this, we now spend gross amounts of time and effort trying a new computer for the car, replacing the intake manifold gasket, etc.

Then I get involved and test on the car myself, all indices of logic point to a bad airflow meter, I ask Trent where if was purchased, he tells me it was Napa, so i then tell him i want a Bosch airflow meter, took one day to get it(thats why he went with napa as it was in stock). Guess what the car ran perfect, what a waste of everyone's time. I just don't understand why we are in a "parts is parts" industry. When you are shopping for automotive service remember that sometimes it is better to wait for the correct part and sometimes it is better to pay a little extra for the correct part.

woohoo.....one more problem child out of my hair and finally have a happy customer.

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When things go wrong.

by Brian Beatty on 04/29/13

You know, we all wish the auto repair process went smooth and as expected, but there are unforeseen problems that come up in this business. These surprises can really test the relationship between you, the customer and me, the professional. Just when i think I have seen it all, I experience more surprises that I would have never thought would happen.

Here's some examples of problems we can encounter:

broken bolts, missing hardware, freight delays, wrong parts, defective parts, human error, dings, reprogramming glitches, etc To add to the chaos, in Yakima, most parts are NOT stocked at the dealer so best case on parts availability is overnight..

Many, many times your mechanic will have some of these problems and just rectify them before the car is due for delivery....wooohoo, everybody is happy(you should be especially if you were not charged for extracting broken bolts or other unforeseen problems that take extra time to repair!)

The repair that has these unplanned glitches will put us to the test sometimes. Some of my best and favorite customers have been down a difficult situation with me and i have earned their trust and understanding. With some understanding and patience from both parties, we can overcome these problems and forge a great relationship that will last for many years to come!

Brian

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3 year warranty available now at autometrics

by Brian Beatty on 02/19/13

Well its been some time coming, I have long desired to really put my money where my mouth is in backing up my shop's workmanship with a sensible no hassle 3 year warranty. AutoMetrics has always had a nationwide 1 year warranty, But now I have raised the bar again...Introducing our 3 year/36,000 mile warranty! Most all repairs are now covered just like our old warranty-no hassle and not a dime out of your pocket. So whats the catch? There is a requirement that you change your oil at AutoMetrics or have other service work done twice per year and display our plate frames on your vehicle. That's it! Almost every car on the road needs to be serviced twice per year, so just changing your oil with me will add an excellent value to our already high quality repairs!

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$39 Alignments-lifetime alignments

by Brian Beatty on 01/09/13

There are a few tire shops that perform really low price alignments. I am here to tell you, we have been performing vehicle alignments for over 10 years and there is no way you could sustain yourself in business if you only charged $39. The catch is when the alignment guy sells you a bunch of time and labor to make up for his initial loss! I just would like to let everyone know we see A LOT of Honda, Audi, and Volkswagens with the rear alignment completely out. This happens because there is no way to perform a full 4 wheel alignment for that low of a price, so you might be paying for a full alignment but you may be getting just a front wheel alignment!

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digital pictures

by Brian Beatty on 12/17/12

Camera phones, go pros, digital cameras are everywhere, people love digital pictures. I love to look at old photo albums. I would just like to take a moment and remind people to actually go and print their pictures, they will last a lifetime. Relying on technology for family heirlooms is not the way to go. At the very least, save the sd cards out of your cameras and just buy new ones as you did with film, flick the little protect tab on the card and you too will have somting to pass on to your heirs!

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Yakima Auto Repair Blog

AutoMetrics Blog

Bad new parts

When things go wrong.

3 year warranty available now at autometrics

$39 Alignments-lifetime alignments

digital pictures