After Warranty Assistance: Warranty Coverage For Vehicles Outside Of Warranty
on Mar 19 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged car dealer tips, repairs, Warranties by jasonl
Recently, I came across a story about a person with a 2004 SUV that needed a really expensive repair, all because of a leaky $4 O-Ring. The problem – the warranty on this person’s SUV is for 5 years or 60k miles, but the SUV has 95k miles on it. It was past the mileage limit (but still inside the 5 year time limit).
What can a person do in this situation? Since the part is not 5 years old yet, isn’t there something the dealer can do to warranty this repair?
The good news is there’s something called “after-warranty-assistance” for people in this situation – provided the person with the problem is the vehicle’s original owner (if you bought the car used this won’t help you). After warranty assistance won’t cover all your costs, but it might make a big dent in the total bill.
Basically, after-warranty-assistance (AWA) is an un-official program between a car manufacturer and their dealer (most large automakers offer some version of this program). Under an AWA claim, a dealer can offer a reduced labor rate and/or free parts on something that failed outside the terms of the warranty, provided there’s some “gray” area in terms of miles and/or years. For instance, when I was managing at a Ford dealership, I once got Ford to cover a broken A/C compressor on a used Explorer. The SUV was 5 years old, but it only had 20k miles. So even though it was outside the time limit on the 3/36 warranty, it was inside the miles (these were the days before Ford’s 5yr/60k mile powertrain warranty). I remember the service manager working with me on a couple of high miles vehicles that were less than 3 years old. Same goes for my time at a Toyota dealer.
Typically AWA is granted on a percentage basis – from 20% of the cost of the uncovered repair all the way up to 100%. If you’re still inside part of your manufacturer’s warranty (or even if you’re just outside it) you’ve got a shot at AWA.
If you want to improve your chances of being granted some AWA from your local dealer, I would suggest the following:
- Pull all your maintenance and repair records for your vehicle. Hopefully you’ve had this work done at your local dealer. This will prove you take care of your car and that you’re a loyal customer.
- If you own or have owned any other vehicles of the same make (GM, Ford, Dodge, etc.), make copies of the registration for each. This will show the manufacturer you are a long term owner of their product.
- Be nice to the people at the dealership – these AWA requests take a lot of work on their end. If they don’t like you, you’re not going to get much help.
- Follow up with the dealership’s GM and service manager – these are the two people with the most power to help you.
- Explain that you understand you’re going to have some out of pocket expenses. Even if the dealer can’t get AWA from the manufacturer, they might be willing to split some labor costs with you in the interest of customer service.
If none of this works (or if you aren’t the original owner of this vehicle with the problem), you might ask the dealer about what they can do towards a trade-in. Maybe the service and sales departments can work out a way to get you full value for your vehicle, even though it needs an expensive repair.
If you want to keep your vehicle, a local independent repair shop might be able to cut your bill in half. They might be able to get you a refurbished part as well. The service advisors at your local dealership can probably recommend a couple of places that do good work for less money (with a little buttering up).
Have a service problem that you’d like some advice with? Contact us!
How To Handle An Unnecessary Repair: A Clogged Catalytic Converter
on Mar 07 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged exhaust, unnecessary repair by jasonl
Here’s an email we got from Geoff asking us about an unnecessary repair:
I took my truck in to be fixed and was told it needed a new exhaust system along with a new catalytic converter. I was told the reason the truck was running poorly was that the catalytic converter was clogged. The work was performed, but the problem remains.
The truck is still in the shop while they try to figure out what’s wrong with it. I’m sure you’re aware that replacing an entire exhaust system along with the catalytic converter isn’t cheap. Since the truck wasn’t loud as a result of the bad exhaust, and since there aren’t any state regulated emissions tests where I live, I wouldn’t have replaced the exhaust system if it wasn’t causing the problem.
How would you suggest I handle this situation when I am presented with the bill for the new exhaust?
Typically, when a vehicle is running poorly and the exhaust is suspected, the 02 (oxygen) sensor is to blame. While I have heard of a clogged catalytic converter before, it’s not terribly common. I’m not sure if it was a bad diagnosis, but the repair shop might have determined the catalytic wasn’t the problem by pulling it off and checking your truck’s performance without it. That would have been a good way to verify their diagnosis without making you pay for a bunch of parts. Of course, that’s only true if your exhaust system was in good shape. If it was completely rusted out (which is possible – obviously I’ve never seen it), they did the right thing. An extremely rusted exhaust should be replaced. It’s only a matter of time until rust flakes clog your catalytic, muffler, etc. It’s also tough to pull any parts off a rusted exhaust without breaking something. The steel is just too brittle.
As for your next step, the first thing you should know is that you probably own all those new parts. Unfortunately they can’t be pulled off and returned. You can try and get the parts for free, but my opinion is the best you can hope for is a discount on the parts cost. You can find out exactly what parts have been added and then call around to some auto parts stores and get some price quotes for them. Most repair shops will mark-up the price of the parts they sell you – if you can find the parts cheaper somewhere else than I would present that information to the shop manager and try to get a discount (assuming they charged you more).
Regarding the labor that went into the unsuccessful repair, it should be free. However, if it shows up on the bill, I would speak with the shop manager. I would explain to him or her in a calm and reasonable manner that while you appreciate that vehicle repair isn’t an exact science, you feel the mechanic made a mistake and recommended the wrong service. I would then request a discount on the parts and ask that all the labor associated with the new exhaust should be free. I would also explain that you would like to continue to work with this shop in the future. A good shop will do as you ask.
Unfortunately, the labor probably isn’t the bulk of your costs, so I don’t know how much this will save you.
If you don’t have any luck with that, it starts to get a little more difficult. If you’re working with a dealership, you should go straight to the general manager. If you’re working with an independent shop and they don’t respond, my next call would be to your local Better Business Bureau to file a complaint. Sometimes this will get results – business owners are more likely to respond when they see that their reputation is on the line. It’s even possible that the state attorney general would investigate if the shop you’re working with has a history of making unnecessary repairs – something the better business bureau can tell you.
uShip Auction Style Vehicle Shipping Marketplace
on Mar 05 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged car shipping by jasonl
I received an email yesterday from Adam at uShip telling me a little about their company and their services. Basically, you can post what you need shipped (your car, for instance), where to pick it up, drop it off, etc. as well as essential details about your shipment. Then, shipping companies look at your post and bid on the opportunity to move your goods. The system works a lot like eBay in the sense that people don’t know your real name or address (at least not until you decide to do business), and they bid on the job.
In short, it’s an excellent idea. When I worked in the car business, I was constantly working with shipping companies to move vehicles around the country. I worked at a smaller dealership with limited inventory, so I was often contracting companies to pick up brand new vehicles we had sold to a local customer through a “dealer locate.” Most of the time, these dealerships were just a few hundred miles away. Occasionally, I would need to order transport for much farther (I once needed a vehicle delivered to a customer in Alaska, and I’ve also bought a couple in the middle of Ohio for shipment to Denver). I wish I had known about this website then. I think it would have saved my dealership some money (and me some profit).
The only thing I can say about the service (because I haven’t used it) is that it doesn’t look like they have many bidders signed up yet – at least in the vehicle shipping category. There are a lot of posts for shipping vehicles, but most don’t have bids. None the less, of the handful of bids I looked at, the prices seemed pretty reasonable (based on my experience).
So, if you’re thinking about shipping your vehicle across country, it can’t hurt to post a listing on uShip. It also looks like you can list postings for more than cars too – so it seems worth checking out. Here’s the link:
Anyone have any experience with uShip? Please comment below.
Six Tips For People New To Diesel Engines
on Feb 16 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged diesel by jasonl
Listen to this article.
If you’re looking at a diesel engine, you’re probably impressed with their combination of power and fuel efficiency. Modern diesel engines are also environmentally friendly and fairly low maintenance. Europeans have enjoyed diesel powered vehicles for years, and they’re finally starting to catch on in the United States. Considering all their benefits, it’s quite possible that diesel engines will one day be more popular than gas engines. Since most U.S. drivers have limited experience with diesel engines, here are some tips for new diesel drivers.
1) Nearly all new diesel engines come equipped with a turbo-charger. Think of a turbo-charger as a jet engine – it forces outside air into the engine and increases efficiency and performance. Turbo-chargers are very powerful, so great care must be taken to make sure the air entering the turbo-charger is clean and clear of debris. Therefore, it’s important that the air filter on your diesel is clean and changed often. Most manufacturers equip their vehicles with electronic sensors that will tell you to check or replace your air filter, and when this sensor tells you to change the air filter, do so immediately. If you ignore this warning, you could damage your engine.
2) Diesel fuel isn’t as clean and pure as gasoline, so the fuel filter in a diesel is very important. Again, your car has sensors that will warn you if the fuel filter becomes clogged, and you should react to these warnings quickly. If you fail to change a clogged diesel fuel filter, it could leave you stranded on the side of the road. Also, keep in mind that diesel fuel filters need changed a little more often than gas fuel filters, so don’t be surprised if you have to replace your diesel’s fuel filter ahead of schedule. That’s perfectly normal.
3) Here’s some shocking news for new diesel owners — in addition to being less pure than gasoline, diesel fuel also contains water. Even though small amounts of water will not hurt your diesel engine, nearly all modern diesels are equipped with water/fuel separators. Depending upon your vehicle, you may need to purge the water from your diesel’s fuel system manually. Check your owner’s manual for instructions on how to do this and to find out how often it should be done. The good news is that many service facilities will perform this task for you at little or no charge (as well as the dispose of the water/fuel mixture in an environmentally friendly way).
4) Diesel engines are often referred to as “oil burners” because, unlike gasoline engines, diesel engines typically burn some of the engine’s lubricating oil during normal operation. That’s why it’s especially important to check your diesel’s oil level between oil changes. To check the oil, make sure the engine has cooled for at least 30 mins and that the vehicle is level. Your owner’s manual will explain when you should add oil based on the engine’s dipstick reading.
5) Diesel engines don’t like cold temperatures. At low temperatures, diesel engines tend to start harshly and warm-up very slowly. At extremely low temperatures (below -10 F) diesel engines may not function at all. Therefore, it’s very important to remember to use your diesel’s block heater if outside temps ever dip below zero. The block heater is nothing more than an electrical plug on your car that uses your home’s electricity to keep your engine warm, and it’s as simple as plugging your car in at night. If you can afford the electricity, you can plug-in your block heater any time the outside temperature dips below freezing. This will protect your engine and make for quick and smooth start-ups, and it will help your engine warm-up quickly. Check your owner’s manual for your block heater’s location.
6) While all new engines have a short break-in period, new diesel engines usually have a break-in period that lasts 500 or 1000 miles (check your manual to find out). Usually, the manufacturer recommends that you avoid driving at sustained speeds (i.e. long trips on the highway) during this period. Additionally, most manufacturers suggest you not tow or haul anything during this period as well. Once the initial break-in is over, it’s not uncommon for your diesel to continue to improve in power and efficiency for the first 20k or 30k miles. Unlike gas motors, which often stop improving in power and efficiency after 3k to 5k miles, diesels need lots of time and use to reach their peak efficiency and performance. In fact, most long-time diesel owners will tell you that their engine didn’t really start to truly perform until a year or two after they bought it.
To summarize, it’s very important that new or first-time diesel owners review their engine manual. In addition to normal vehicle maintenance, diesel owners should keep a close eye on their air and fuel filter warnings, they should always check engine oil between oil changes, purge water from the fuel system as required, and remember to plug-in the block heater any time outside temperatures drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit. When you do all these extra tasks, your diesel engine will reward you with power, great fuel economy, and 200,000+ miles of good service.
Car Dealership Customer Service Tips
on Feb 16 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged repairs by jasonl
Your new car (or your new car dealer) is giving you a headache. There’s a problem and the customer service you’ve received hasn’t been good enough. You feel like you’ve done your part, but your problem is still unresolved. How do you get it solved?
Listen to this article.
First of all, if you’re having a problem with your new car and it hasn’t been taken care of, your best hope for a solution is to work with your local dealer. Believe it or not, your local dealership is invested in solving your problem because they know that’s the best way to make you a lifetime customer. It’s a well known fact (known by dealers and car manufacturers alike) that while dealerships spend thousands of dollars in advertising trying to create trust with their customers, statistics show that the *best* way to create trust with consumers is to solve their problems.
But before your local new car dealer will help you, they need to believe that you’re going to be a good future customer. It’s much easier for a dealership to justify helping you (especially if it costs money) if they believe they will earn that money back in the future. The best way to convince a dealership you’re going to be a good customer in the future is to show them you’re a good customer now.
You can show the dealership you’re a good customer by being nice to the dealer’s employees. While it might make you feel better to yell or be rude, nothing will hurt your cause more than a group of employees at the dealership that hate you. If you want to get what you want, give them a reason to like you and want to help you. “Kill em’ with kindness” and you will prove you’re a customer worth saving.
While being pleasant will help you get what you want from your local dealer, working with the dealership’s General Manager (GM) will help you just as much. GM’s have the full backing of the manufacturer and they have the power to do just about anything to solve a customer service complaint. Keep in mind that many dealership general managers are powerful enough to get senior manufacturer sales executives on the phone at any time, so they’re absolutely capable of getting the manufacturer to do something for you. They are also usually experienced professionals that know how to help. Make sure you ask to speak with the dealership GM when you have a customer service problem.
In the rare case that speaking with the GM of your local dealer doesn’t work, the next step is to call the manufacturer’s customer service hotline (the number can be found in your owner’s manual). You should try to contact the local regional office as well. While the local regional office will probably just refer you to the national hotline, you may be able to speak with a regional Toyota executive. Persistence is key.
So, to summarize, if you have a new car customer service problem, your local dealer is your starting point. Make sure to ask to speak with the general manager and to be nice to everyone you speak with. If the local dealer doesn’t get it done, try working with the manufacturer’s national hotline. Finally, call your manufacturer’s regional office. As long as you’re persistent and pleasant, you’ll get the best possible customer service.
Should I Use Synthetic Oil In My New Car?
on Feb 16 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged oil, scheduled maintenance by jasonl
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People often wonder if they should be using synthetic oil in their vehicles. Synthetic oil is better than regular oil for a lot of different reasons – it’s a better lubricant, it maintains integrity at high temperatures, it’s fairly pure, and it rarely turns into sludge (even when it’s abused). To many, the obvious benefits of synthetic oil lead them to conclude they should start using it ASAP. However, despite synthetic oil’s benefits, it really depends on how you take care of your car.
To start with, do you change your oil regularly? Oil needs to be changed before it breaks down and puts your engine at risk. But if you’re good at changing your oil on time every 3-5k miles, you’ll never experience one of the benefits of synthetic oil. Synthetic is resistant to breaking down, even after extended use. If you forget an oil change for instance, or even if you just put one off for a few weeks, synthetic is the best oil to have in your engine. But if you’re changing your oil regularly and at the proper mileage you’ll never be in a situation where your engine is at risk from worn-out oil.
Another benefit of synthetic is that it will last a long time without deteriorating. For instance, let’s say you drive 7k miles per year. At that rate, assuming a 5k mile oil change interval, you’re only going to need an oil change every 9 months (based on mileage). Since regular oil starts to break down after 6 months (even when unused), you should either change your oil sooner than necessary or you should think about using synthetic. It may save you money to pay for one synthetic oil change a year instead of two regular oil changes, and it will definitely save you time.
Other than synthetic’s breakdown resistance and long life, there’s one other common reason you should consider using synthetic. As natural oil gets hot, it starts to breakdown. The longer it stays hot, the worse the breakdown. So, if you regularly operate your vehicle in such a way that the engine temperature is always high, you should run synthetic. Letting your vehicle idle for hours at a time (like on a jobsite) will overheat the engine, as would driving in high ambient temperatures (like the desert) or at high altitudes (over 10k feet). As a rule, high temperature desert air doesn’t cool your engine very well, and neither does “thin” mountain air. If you live in these areas, consider running synthetic oil. Finally, synthetic oil is often used in high performance vehicles. If you are utilizing your vehice like a high-performance car (high speeds, fast turns, you know who you are) then synthetic is a smart choice.
There are a lot of entities that recommend using synthetic oil, even for people that don’t need it. For example, synthetic is recommended for anyone that drives in stop-and-go traffic. Since all of us drive in stop-and-go at some point, that’s a bad recommendation. You should only use synthetic if you’re driving in stop and go traffic long enough for your engine’s cooling fan to turn on and only if you’re doing so daily. Also, if you drive short trips only, people may recommend synthetic oil as a way to protect you engine. However, short trips, regardless of your choice of oil, can damage your motor. No matter whether you use synthetic or regular oil, your engine was designed to be ran for at least 20 minutes. Running synthetic in these situations might be better, but tests have shown the benefit is minor.
If you determine that one of the above situations applies to you, take care when you purchase synthetic oil. Many places will suggest a synthetic blend as a way to save money (instead of full-synthetic), however the “blend” is often times a mystery. Maybe you’re getting a 50-50 blend, or maybe you’re getting 1% synthetic and 99% regular oil. My recommendation is to go full synthetic or not to bother with it – unless the blend suggested is provided and produced by your vehicle’s manufacturer.
Last but not least, what do auto manufacturers have to say about synthetics? Most state that “any oil that meets API standard specifications can be used in your vehicle.” That means normal oil is just fine. For most people, their vehicles will operate for a very long time without the benefit of synthetic oil as long as they are properly maintained and used normally.
How To Figure Out Your Gas Mileage: Calculate It Easy
on Dec 16 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged gas mileage by jasonl
Figuring out your gas mileage yourself is very easy to do, and if you remember this simple method you can figure it out for yourself every time you fill up your tank.
Here’s how — we’re going to figure out how many miles you drive between fill-ups, then we’re going to figure out how much gas you used. Finally, we’re going to do some really simple math and come up with a very accurate estimate of your gas mileage.
All you’ll need is a piece of paper, a simple calculator (the one in your cell phone will work fine), and a minute or two at the gas station right after you fill up.
Step 1: Fill your gas tank completely full.
Step 2: Before you leave the gas station, you need to reset your trip odometer to “0″ (zero). If you don’t know how to do that, or if you don’t have a trip odometer, then you need to write down your car’s total miles and save the piece of paper you write it on.
Step 3: Drive around normally until it’s time to put gas in your car.
Step 4: Fill your gas tank completely full.
Step 5: Figure out how many miles you’ve driven since your last fill-up. You can look at your trip odometer for the answer, or you can figure out how far you’ve driven using the scrap of paper from step 2 and your calculator. Write down that mileage and go to the next step.
NOTE: Keep in mind that most of the time, the number you write down in step 5 should be between 100-500 miles. If you’ve driven a lot more or a lot less, there might be a problem with your math (or you’re getting really good mileage).
Step 6: Now that you know how far you’ve driven since your last fill-up, it’s time to figure out how much gas you’ve used. This is easy — just look at the gas pump. You’ll see exactly how many gallons of gas you just put in your car — that’s the amount of gas you used since your last fill-up. Make sure to write down the amount of gas you used, and make sure to include the numbers after the decimal point.
Step 7: Using your calculator, divide the number of miles you’ve driven by the number of gallons of gas you just bought. The resulting number is your gas mileage!
If you’re driving a truck or large SUV, your mileage should be between 12 and 20.
If you’re driving a small SUV or a large car, your mileage should be between 18 and 25.
If you’re driving a mid-size or compact car, your mileage should be between 25 and 35.
If you’re driving a scooter, your mileage should be really good and you shouldn’t worry about it.
If you want to know what your car’s mileage should be according to the EPA, you can look it up online. Just find your car’s year, make, and model.
Also, if you car’s mileage is a lot more or a lot less than we’ve listed, there might be something wrong with your math or your car.
The best part about this method is that you can figure out your gas mileage every time you fill up — just make sure that you reset your trip odometer or write down your mileage every time you fill up with gas.
