You are NOT required to bring your new car back to the dealer for all maintenance and repairs in order to keep your manufacturer’s warranty valid. Many people have been told when they purchase their new vehicle that the warranty will be voided if they have maintenance or repairs performed by an independent shop, but this is not true!

It is actually prohibited by Federal Law for a new car dealer to either deny warranty service or even imply that warranty service will be voided if servicing or repairs are not performed at the dealership. The law is the Magnuson-Moss Act of 1975, Title 15, Chapter 50, Section 2301-2312. Look it up for yourself! Look under “Tie-In Sales” Provisions. A Google Search on the Magnuson-Moss Act will also bring up many Web sites that explain this Federal Code in less “legal speak”; this is a good explanation: http://www.mema.org/Document-Vault/PDFs/MEMA-Comments-RE-FTC-Magnuson-MossActReview-Oct-24-2011-FINAL.pdf

Your own car manual even tells you that your vehicle’s maintenance may be performed by any automotive repair establishment or individual without invalidating the manufacturers’ warranty. Look under Vehicle Maintenance and Care, Maintenance Providers, Where to Go for Service and Replacement Parts, just to name a few areas in the manuals where you will find this confirmed.

For example: under Replacement Parts it says “Warranty coverage is not dependent upon the use of any particular brand of replacement parts.” Or, under Maintenance: “When maintenance and repairs are paid for by you, these services may be performed by you or by any automotive service provider you choose.”

Have you ever wondered how well a vehicle is being serviced at a facility whose primary purpose is to sell you a new car every 3 – 5 years? You may prefer a service provider that wants to develop a long-term relationship with you and help your vehicle stay healthy for 10 years or more.

The next time you are told that a new car has to be serviced at the dealer or the warranty will be void, mention the Magnuson-Moss Act (1975), and say “It just isn’t so!”

“>Auto Maintenance“>

Just as it is wise to take good care of our bodies, investing a little time to pay attention to the needs of our cars will result in our cars living a long life for multiple 100′s of thousands of miles. Just changing the oil, although that is critical!, is not enough. Especially with the latest technology being used in modern vehicles, it can be easy to forget regular check ups, so make sure that wherever you do take your car for service has a reminder program in place to help you remember. Your car may seem to be running just fine. But ignoring recommended services at the proper mileage intervals can result in expensive repairs you could have avoided. Of course, the chances for success are greater if a good car regimen begins when your car is new, but starting now is better than not starting at all!

1. It is usually better to buy a vehicle from a private party than from a car lot. Especially if the car is being sold by the original owner and they have records of the vehicle services that have been done. Vehicles that are sitting on used car lots generally were purchased at auction and will not have their service history with them.

2. Buying the vehicle from the owner also allows you to see/observe how that person may have taken care of the vehicle. For example, if the car is at a personal residence when you look at it, how is the upkeep there? Where is the residence? Near the beach? Possible hidden corrosion. In the hills? Possible extra wear and tear on the drive train and brakes.

3. Service paper work is valuable in order to determine that the important services were done at the right time intervals. This is the most reliable way to determine the likelihood of the vehicle lasting many more miles for the least amount of dollars. Poorly maintained cars cost more over their lifetime. Without the service history, you have no way of knowing, for example, when the oil was last changed.

4. You can inspect the exterior of the vehicle. If the tire tread is worn unevenly, this suggests possible suspension repairs will be needed. Look at the body from different angles in the sun and shade. If the shade of paint looks different on the fender versus the door, for example, it could indicate accident repair.

5. Look under the hood. In the engine compartment, a battery with corrosion, white or green on the terminals alerts you to the possibility that a new battery is needed.

6. Check the vehicle fluids – transmission, power steering, and brake system. Dark or black in color is not good. Engine coolant should not be rusty.

7. Finally, drive the vehicle both around town at slow speeds and on the freeway at higher speed. Any vibrations or noises could mean something is worn out. If you feel vibrations when applying the brakes, it means the brakes need attention.

If the vehicle passes your inspection, then it is a good candidate for a more thorough and complete inspection by a professional.

Donna McCord, Owner
Dean’s Automotive, Inc.
650-961-0302
www.deansautomotive.com
www.facebook.com/deansautomotive

Yes, this could very well become a dangerous situation. If your vehicle’s tires are not staying in constant contact with the road, control of the vehicle is seriously compromised.

What would cause something like this? Most likely, the bouncing tires indicate worn out or broken shock absorbers. Unfortunately, shock absorbers are one of the most overlooked wear items on vehicles, even though they are the next most important safety items after your brake system. The purpose for shock absorbers is not just to provide a more comfortable ride, but to serve to control the suspension movement so that you, the driver, have more control of your vehicle when braking or steering.

Here’s what can happen if your shock absorbers need to be replaced:

1. Body roll (side to side movement) which adversely impacts handling and control.
2. Loss of traction, which increases stopping distance and negatively affects control and acceleration.
3. Tire cupping/uneven tire wear, which shortens the life and performance of the tires and can cause road noise.
4. Nose dive when brakes are applied, increasing stopping distance, negatively affecting control and can result in premature front brake wear.
5. Bottoming out going over bumps, which negatively affects vehicle handling and control, resulting in premature wear of the suspension components.
6. Acceleration squat (the rear of the vehicle drops upon acceleration), which adversely affects traction, and vehicle handling and control.

In most cases, by the time a vehicle has 50 – 60,000 miles on it, the shocks (or shock absorbers/shock struts) have deteriorated to the point that new shocks will have a noticeable, positive effect on your vehicle’s ride and control.

This wear on your shocks happens so gradually that you may not notice until the shocks are so worn your vehicle is dangerous to drive. About 80% of vehicles in the wrecking yards still have their original shocks, and most were candidates for replacement at least once. If you experience/observe “vibrations” and “bouncing tires” with your vehicle, I encourage you to have your shocks inspected by a shop you trust as soon as possible.

Donna McCord
Owner
Dean’s Automotive, Inc.
650-961-0302
www.deansautomotive.com
www.facebook.com/deansautomotive

For many of us today, the economic climate is prohibitive to buying a new car. Keeping the car you have healthy, reliable, and fun to drive is not difficult. It just means spending a little time getting to know your car better and following a simple maintenance program.

Most vehicle manufacturers recommend a regular interval service routine. Either check your car manual, or call your trusted automotive shop to learn what those intervals are. In general, it is best to bring your car in for service at 4k, 30k, 60k, 7500k, and 90k mileage intervals. Each service will be an opportunity for your vehicle to be checked and for any problems to be identified.

In between maintenance services, you can help prevent large repair bills by doing the following:

1. check your oil level
2. check your fluid levels (brake, coolant, power steering)
3. check tire pressures
4. keep track of time and mileage on your timing belt.

Also, stay in tune with your vehicle; listen for unfamiliar noises, especially when brakes are applied, when turning corners, when driving at high speeds.

Very important: if a check engine light appears on your dash board, don’t ignore it. Schedule an appointment with your trusted auto shop to determine what has caused the light to turn on.

Sticking to a routine maintenance schedule, monitoring fluid levels and tire condition, and listening to and acting on your vehicle’s complaints will result in a car that will serve you for as long as you want it to. It will also save you significant dollars in repair bills over the long term.
Note: Watch for our video series on YouTube www.youtube.com/deansautomtview for more detailed information on taking care of your vehicle(s).

Donna McCord
Owner
Dean’s Automotive, Inc.
2037 Old Middlefield Way
Mountain View, CA 94043
650-961-0302
mountain view auto repair

Not necessarily, and No! There are many reasons why your air conditioner may not be working correctly.

For one, temperature controls may not be functioning as they should, which has nothing to do with the system charge (refrigerant level).  If the system charge is low, there is most likely a leak somewhere in the system. This leak allows air and moisture to get into the system as well as loss of refrigerant. If the cause of the leak is not repaired and the air and moisture are not purged from the system, the refrigerant will mix with the moisture and create hydrochloric acid. This acid will deteriorate the components of the system from the inside out. Not good!

If your air conditioning system is not performing correctly, please have it examined by a professional with the correct equipment to both diagnose and repair the system defect. The most critical piece of equipment that is required is a refrigerant identifier. There are only two types of refrigerant that should be in an automobile’s A/C system (depending on the age of the vehicle):  R-12 (older vehicles) or R-134A. If anything else is put into the system, it is considered contaminated and must be removed from the system and handled as contaminated waste. As an example, if your system is using R-12 and another type of refrigerant is added, there is the potential for serious damage to your vehicle.

There is also equipment needed to check the operation of the A/C system that is dedicated to either R-12 or R-134A,  as well as equipment that checks for external leakage of the refrigerant and finds the source of the leak.

Be aware that many quick lubes and repair facilities may be putting the wrong refrigerant into automotive A/C systems because of a lack of knowledge, training, or correct equipment, so don’t hesitate to ask your shop if they are using the correct equipment before they work on your vehicle.

Do you know which A/C refrigerant is the correct one for your car?

Donna McCord

Owner, Dean’s Automotive, Inc.

650-961-0302

www.deansautomotive.com

www.facebook.com/deansautomotive

The culprit? His cabin air filter. Even though this filter is a common piece of equipment in today’s vehicles, it is often overlooked during a routine service.  It’s important to understand that failure to change this filter periodically will have adverse effects on the health and safety of the vehicle occupants, reduce the efficiency of the vehicle’s heating and air conditioning system, and even hasten the demise of certain vehicle parts.

This filter is located in the air intake for the passenger compartment and filters dust, pollen, dirt and other allergens from the incoming air. At the same time, it prevents leaves, bugs and corrosive debris from filtering into the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, which would affect performance. The buildup of leaves and debris is usually the cause of the foul smell you are experiencing.

There are different types of cabin filters to fit most vehicles. The standard filter traps most particles larger than 3 microns in size. A better filter is electro-statically charged so that it can trap particles as small as 0.3 microns. The best of the cabin air filters contain activated charcoal, which helps remove odors, fumes and gases.

The easiest way to determine if a vehicle has a cabin air filter is to check the owner’s manual or ask a service technician.  These filters are usually located behind the glove box or under the hood near the base of the windshield, and are reasonably easy to change.

The result of not changing the filter is a gradual buildup of contaminants, which will prevent it from properly filtering the incoming air and result in foul smells, bacteria, and allergens entering the passenger compartment. Additionally, when less air is able to pass through a clogged filter, it negatively affects the performance of the air conditioning/heating system and makes the components work harder, leading to a shorter useful life.

Are you aware of the cabin air filter in your car? Do you know when it was last changed?

Donna McCord
Owner
Dean’s Automotive, Inc.
www.deansautomotive.com
www.facebook.com/deansautomotive

This is one of those things that drives me crazy! Not only do these types of ads confuse the consumer, but if someone decides to respond, they are putting themselves in a position to be taken advantage of both cost-wise and safety-wise.

If you’re ever tempted to take advantage of such an offer, please first keep these points in mind:

1.      To meet the State of California’s requirements to run a legal auto repair business, the business must pay the California State Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) an annual fee. Most, if not all, the mobile auto repair advertisers on the Internet are operating illegally by not having paid that required fee.

2.      The Bureau of Auto Repair has recently run a sting in Sacramento to address this issue. They scheduled appointments with a number of online advertisers to come to someone’s home and perform brake repairs. They discovered that, in addition to not having paid the fees, a number of these people had active warrants for their arrest or in some cases did not possess legal drivers’ licenses!

Aside from the danger of possibly having someone with an outstanding warrant come to your home, having that same person work on the most important system in your car is probably not a good avenue to take for saving money.

Another point to remember is that when you buy your own auto parts, you may not be getting the correct part needed for your vehicle. Whether the part is right or wrong, once it’s installed, you will not be able to return it for a refund. Note that even repair shops ordering parts for multiple vehicles on a daily basis are frequently delivered the wrong parts, but they can recognize the error before installation takes place; these people who ask you to get your own parts most likely won’t know the difference.

Then, there is the issue of Warranty! How many of these online, illegal auto repair individuals do you believe would provide or, if they do, honor a warranty? Since they rarely provide a home location address for their businesses, if they do not respond to your phone calls, you have little recourse. If any of the parts you provided fail or do not work correctly, you will most likely not get any help with that…they did not provide the parts, so you’re responsible.

The best value for your dollar in auto repair is to take your car to a reputable auto service center with a long history of doing business and a long parts and labor warranty. The established repair shops desire to create long-term relationships with their customers based on trust and quality care, not on one-time, questionable cost savings.

Donna McCord, Owner

Dean’s Automotive, Inc.

650-961-0302

www.facebook.com/deansautomotive

www.deansautomotive.com

Twitter:  @donnamccord

1.      Your engine coolant turns acidic as it ages. When this happens, it will cause damage to the engine and cooling system components. Coolant in good condition will be within the neutral range of the pH scale. A thorough service center will check coolant pH and recommend coolant changes when needed BEFORE damage occurs.

2.      Brake system fluid collects both moisture from the environment and wear metal from the brake system itself. These contaminants cause damage and premature wear to the brake system components, so the fluid contaminate level should be checked at service intervals and changed as needed.  Modern day vehicles can have brake system components costing as much as $2,000 to replace, so changing the fluid can save big money in repairs!

3.      Your power steering system fluid breaks down over a period of time and picks up wear particles from the system hoses. Worn out fluid causes premature wear in the system’s pump and steering rack. The hose debris will block the system’s small passageways. Changing this fluid when needed can also save thousands of dollars in repair costs.

4.      Automatic transmission fluid works especially hard in doing its job of connecting the engine to the drive train. It both lubricates and serves as a coupling agent in the transmission, and goes through a wide range of temperature changes every time the vehicle is driven. When this fluid breaks down, the result is premature wear of components inside the transmission. Transmission replacement or rebuilding can cost $3,000 and more, so change that fluid!

All the above fluids require monitoring and changing, and fluid replacement must be done in its entirety. What is known as a “drain and refill” only replaces, on average, about 20% of the old fluid, as the fluid is present throughout the vehicle systems, not just in the fluid receptacle. Special equipment is needed to insure a 100% fluid change, so don’t hesitate to ask if your service center has invested in such equipment and will perform the correct service for you.

Your vehicle’s fluids are its lifeblood. If you can’t remember when you last had them checked, it is definitely time, especially as we begin to enjoy warmer weather. Prolong your vehicle’s life and help avoid big repair bills by keeping those fluids healthy.

Do you know what condition your vehicle fluids are in? Do you keep records of when they are changed.

Donna McCord

Owner

Dean’s Automotive, Inc.

650-961-0302

www.deansautomotive.com

www.facebook.com/deansautomotive