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Beware of Unethical Transmission Repair Shops

July 26, 2021

When your transmission starts to give you problems or goes out completely, it is imperative that you get your car to a quality transmission repair shop. The first step in finding one is to get an accurate and fair quote on the costs of labor, parts and repair.
As a rule, never get a quote over the phone but in person. The costs should be outlined in writing and handed to you. This protects you from hidden costs that can be added on later. A phone quote that is not backed up in writing will give you no protection, as the price can easily change once you get to the shop.
When you need a quote, take your car to the shop. One that offers a quality auto repair service will first take the car for a drive to see if the issues are connected to your transmission. If the problem is suspected, the shop will examine the car to see if an outside problem is the cause. If the mechanic finds that no outside variables are the culprit, the transmission then has to be removed, taken part and thoroughly examined to find the problem’s source. The car can also be hooked to a computer and have a diagnostic run to find the problem.
Once the cause is known, you can receive an accurate outlay of the repair costs. Transmission service that is honest doesn’t offer fast deals without examining your vehicle first. The professional will do a thorough inspection and sit down with you face to face to tell you what is wrong and how much it will cost to repair. Be very cautious when you shop around for a quality mechanic.
Follow your instincts and stay clear of places that offer you a deal that is too good, as there may be hidden expenses hidden below the surface. When you have agreed to the repairs, be on the lookout if you start receiving repeated calls to do more work at a higher price. If the shop has inspected your vehicle and found the problem, there should not be new ones popping up that will keep raising your final repair bill.
A quality transmission repair shop will keep you informed, diagnose the problem after a complete inspection and give you a fair quote. An honest mechanic is one that you can come back to over the life of your vehicle to take care of any problems you may have. Many shops will also handle car air conditioning repair. This assures you that you have a shop you can trust with your car and can have peace of mind that any repairs will be handled with professionalism and attention to detail.…

No Rehire Policies – Auto Shop Management Tip

May 12, 2021

Most shop owners and dealerships are willing to rehire past employees that were good producers. When you listen, this is what they’ll typically say: “Now that Mike has worked at another shop for a while, he knows just how good he had it here with us! So I know that if I hire him back, he’ll be a great, life-long employee!” Well, before you agree with that statement, you should consider that when you first bring someone aboard you should look for a number of things, yet none are more important than a mutual commitment to a long-lasting relationship. This commitment is good for both you and your employee.
Unfortunately, no matter how green the grass is at your shop, as we all know, the grass is often greener on the other side of the fence. So what happens when that superstar employee of yours comes to you and tells you that they’ve taken a job with another shop or dealership? In the eyes of the employee, if they have been a good producer for you they may very well feel that if things don’t work out at their new job, you’ll welcome them back with open arms. And why not? That’s what most shop owners ultimately do. So they shake hands, they wish one another the best, and the employee walks out the door.
Then a few months later that very same employee is knocking on the shop owner’s door, telling the owner that they realize they made a mistake, and they would love to be able to join the team again. This is when most shop owners make a major auto shop management mistake. They immediately think of the tech or service advisor’s past productivity, and they foolishly tell themselves that if they bring the employee back into the fold, all the other employees will then realize just how good they have it. In reality, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. When you bring someone back into your company who left voluntarily, the message your employees are getting is that they can leave at anytime, with the peace of mind that you’ll always rehire them. That in itself is the wrong message to send to any employee. Consider this…
When an employee knows, upfront, that you have an auto shop management policy in place which states that they will be ineligible for rehire if they leave your company, it will motivate them to come forward and talk to you about the concerns they have. This in itself will give them pause when they think about leaving. You also need to consider that the price an employee pays for leaving is relatively low. If things don’t work out, they just roll their tool box back into your shop. Not the case with you as the business owner. You now have to burden the cost of finding and hiring the replacement employee, the cost of training that new hire, and the expense of business disruption, which is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.
Lastly, if you do bring that employee back aboard, odds are they’ll leave again. The reason is pretty simple: over the years I have argued that the first thing that leaves is the heart, then the mind, and then the tool box. So if you didn’t resolve whatever it was that caused them to leave the first time, they’ll more than likely leave again. Now I need to be clear: there’s nothing wrong with anyone wanting to do better in life. That’s understandable. But as business owners, we need to think through our auto shop management policies. By allowing employees to leave and return, what we’re really doing is encouraging our employees to take our competitors for a “test-drive”, while at the same time we’re putting ourselves at risk.
So what will a no-rehire policy do for you? First of all, it will bring about a greater commitment, and team spirit, from all your employees. Secondly, it will force your people to really think through any decision they make about possibly leaving your company, as appropriate with any big decision. That in itself is priceless, because it will help prevent your people from making quick, emotional decisions that more often than not turn out to be the wrong decisions. And finally, it will cause your people to be open, and discuss their concerns with you, rather than trying to run from the very same issues that may confront them at their next place of employment.
Are their exceptions to a no-rehire rule? Of course. If someone has to move out of town due to a family issue, if they are forced into a career change due to medical issues, or if they leave you for any other reason that is legitimately out of their …

Used Car Websites – Discover the Best Way to Buy Cheap Used Cars Through Government Vehicle Auctions

May 3, 2021

If you are looking to buy cheap used cars in your locality or across the country then you have come to the right place. There are some well known used car websites available online which you can use to find these types of vehicles through government auctions. Read further to discover how you can grab your favorite car through different types of government vehicle auctions held all across the country.
We all love bargains about the cars we buy. We often hear some people buying cheap cars without investing thousands of dollars. And we usually wonder how these people are able to purchase the cars at such rock bottom prices. Your answer is the government vehicle auction websites.
There are basically two ways by which you can take part in these government auctions. The first one is to ask directly to the relevant government authorities in your locality. This option seems simple in the beginning. But when you actually try to ask these authorities about the actual auction places then you will realize that they are very reluctant to provide you the required answer. Most of the times, government do not spend any advertising money on these types of auctions which is why very few people know about these auctions.
This is why using second option is much simpler and easier for common people. The second choice is to use reliable and safe government auction websites. There are few websites available online which can find all types of cars available in our locality as well as all across the country. Plus we can also place our bid on any car we want at the comfort of our home. For a small one-time fee these websites provide you all the information regarding all types of auctions held across the country everyday.
The major advantage of using these websites is that common people do not know about these sites. This is the reason you stand a good chance to win your auction and get your dream car quickly and safely at your home.…

An Introduction To Biodiesel

April 7, 2021

With gas prices increasing and growing environmental awareness, the need to consider alternate energy and fuel sources are becoming a necessity. One alternative is the use of Biodiesel fuel, which is becoming more and more popular today.

Because Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning diesel fuel, made from 100% natural, 100% renewable vegetable sources, its uses in today’s society may surprise you. Below are nine ways Biodiesel is being used. Some of which you may never have realized.

1) Biodiesel Car Rental – Yes that’s right. A Maui and Los Angeles car rental rents cars that run on Biodiesel. These cars get between 400 and 800 miles per tank! Not bad when consider the price of gas these days.

2) Home heating fuel – More people are taking a look at Biodiesel as an alternative for heating their home. Most oil-fired or boiler furnaces can use Biodiesel (B20), which is a fuel made of 80 percent traditional heating oil and 20 percent Biodiesel. Some people are getting their furnaces adapted to be able to burn B100, a fuel made entirely of vegetable oils, which burns much cleaner than traditional heating oil.

3) Electricity Generation – Diesel generators that produce electricity are now running on Biodiesel fuel. A superior alternative to the typical coal burning electricity generating plants currently being used in the United States. Running on Biodiesel is an inexpensive, clean and renewable way of creating electricity.

4) Trucking Industry – More and more truckers are switching from diesel fuel to Biodiesel fuel. The benefits are numerous not to mention the advantage of helping the environment and reducing our dependency on foreign oil, while saving money.

5) Agriculture – Not only a producer of Biodiesel, but also a consumer. Tractors, reapers, tillers, pickers, conveyors, generators, pumps, and irrigation systems which normally uses diesel fuel, now use Biodiesel to fuel their work, bringing agriculture full circle from producer to consumer.

6) Marine Vehicles – Commercial fleets such as ferries, recreational yachts, sailboats, and motor boats are all candidates for Biodiesel. For example Pacific Whale Foundation, located in Hawaii, use Biodiesel bin their boats.

7) Tax Incentive – The IRS is offering tax incentives to anyone that produce and use Biodiesel fuel. The US Government is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by giving producers of Biodiesel fuel government funds. The tax incentive works to help tax paying customers by lowering the cost of the fuel

bill.

8) Lubrication Additive – Because Biodiesel is a better lubricant than current low-sulfur petroleum, fuel injectors and other types of fuel pumps can rely on Biodiesel fuel for lubrication. With the right additives, engine performance can also be enhanced, making engines last longer. Other numerous applications can also make use of it’s lubricate properties, such as concrete forms and asphalt trucks. Its solvent properties also make it a safe parts cleaner, reducing skin and eye irritation associated with other cleaners.

9) Cleaner Environment – Biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide exhaust emissions by up to 80%. Because of this, Biodiesel has the potential to reduce air toxics and cancer causing compounds. Something we all can live with! If spilled, it will quickly degrade into natural organic residues, without polluting the environment.…

How to Buy Car Insurance

March 12, 2021

How to buy car insurance is just as important as buying life and health insurance, it protects the immediate beneficiary from harm or damage that would occur under normal circumstances. And even though people may be positive about their lives accidents do happen and the worst thing about them is they do so unexpectedly.
In the event of you becoming skeptical about how you drive or what risks other drivers pose to you the next step you must take is to make sure that you get an insurance company that works for you and your needs. And whilst most companies might appear perfect and affordable this is not a given. A careful and thorough selection process must be followed in order for you to get insured with a reliable insurance company.
Once you have decided to conduct thorough research you must then consult with an insurance consultant who will show you the ropes in the world of insurance. An insurance consultant will tell you of all the most important insurance companies out there as well as give you quotations for all of the selected companies.
The next step is to go back home and make your choice. Why it is insisted you do this is because you need to think long and hard about which company you choose. The company you choose will determine how much you will have to now put on the side for insurance. You might also be sharing the insurance cost with a husband or partner who will also want a say in the process of choosing.
But you must at least talk to a neutral third party who should give you an unbiased view pertaining the company of your choice. He or she might have been defrauded or failed to get compensation for harm perpetrated against them. So their opinion will be of great value to you.
It is only at this stage that you should make a choice and buy. Phone the insurance company and set up an appointment for signing paperwork and finalization procedures. And when you go to buy the policy you should remember carry with you your identity documents; license and vehicle registration number.
Buying insurance this way has so many benefits. But the most important advantage is that you will make an informed and patient choice as well as learn useful information on insurance that can help you in the future when making insurance claims.…

Epa, Out For Illegal Imported Engines

January 22, 2021

Air pollution and environment destruction is one of the major concerns that envelop not only environment agencies and groups but even the automotive world is concerned. And just recently, the Environmental Protection Agency, or commonly called the EPA, of the United States along with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection have made sure that any illegal imported engines are stopped before they cross the borders of the country.

Mainly, this move is to actually stop entrance of these illegally imported engines from entering the country. Primarily, this is because the groups believe that these engines could actually mar the campaign towards cleaner air. Since these are crafted in other countries, the US specifications on engines would surely not be followed.

At present, the groups were able to seize the importing of over 11,000 pieces of illegal engines which have been created for gasoline cars and diesel vehicles. Other than that, they are also on the move towards stopping illegally imported parts which negatively impacted those reliable car parts stores that are dedicated to providing only the best service to car owners. This number is only what they were able to confiscate during the past nine months. And with such a campaign already working well, the numbers could still continue to rise.

These substandard equipment are actually seen as risks to campaigns and projects created by the U.S. public health as well as by groups concerned about the environment. Even Granta Y. Nakayaman, the EPA?s assistance administrator under the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance, is concerned and avows, ?The Bush Administration will continue to enforce the Clean Air Act and stop illegal imports. The public?s assistance and cooperation, along with EPA?s commitment to enforcing these regulations, is essential to preserving and protecting the nation?s air quality.?

Aside from this, even the Clean Air Act or CAA which is a federal law, requires that all new gasoline engines as well as diesel engines that are created, distributed, or sold in the country should be able to meet the standards and requirements given out by EPA.…

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