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Auto24 De 

Beware of Unethical Transmission Repair Shops

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.…

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Car Auctions UK

There’s More to Getting an Auto Repair Estimate Than Meets the Eye

When your car breaks down, it’s usually accompanied by a sinking feeling. You know that it’s almost a certainty that it’s going to be a costly affair which might easily throw a wrench into your budget. If you’re lucky enough to know a dependable and honest auto repair mechanic, at least you know you won’t be paying more than necessary. If not, you might be maxing out your credit card to get back on the road. Here, we offer some information on getting an honest and accurate auto repair estimate.
Just as with any type of business, you’ll find a mix of both ethical and unscrupulous auto repair shops. Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to discern which are which in auto repair businesses. It’s a fact that dishonest shops have a number of tricks up their sleeve. For example, some shop owners instruct their mechanics to give an initially reasonable auto repair estimate. Most car owners take this estimate as the final cost.
Once you have your car in the shop, you’re stuck. While the original auto repair estimate was $200, once your car is up on the rack and the repairs are begun, you may get a call from the repair shop, advising you that the problem is more extensive than first thought. What started out as a starter replacement, has suddenly burgeoned into a complicated affair. Not only is the solenoid bad as well, but while doing a routine check on other components, it’s found that your battery is not getting enough juice. Now you also need an alternator. This is what you’re told. The cost becomes $400. You are now in a take it or leave it position. Your car is in pieces.
You can ask to have the bad parts returned to you, thinking that will offer proof that the work was really required. What you don’t know is that the unethical auto repair shop often stockpiles bad parts just for this purpose. The ruined part you receive may well have come from another vehicle! The mechanic, who is instructed by the shop owner to practice such deceit, wants to keep his job and thus goes along with the program.
So, how are you to protect yourself from this type of auto repair estimate scam? Car problems usually turn up without warning. If you have only one car, it’s imperative that you get it fixed immediately. However, you can spend just a few hours and substantially weed out the disreputable repair shops. Get online and Google ‘scams repair-shop-name your-town’. If the repair shop comes up in your results, check out those links. You may find complaints from angry customers on message boards and auto forums. Check the Better Business Bureau records for consumer complaints.
If you know someone who has auto testing equipment, ask them to check your car out. If the testing procedure indicates that your starter is bad and everything else is in proper working order, you won’t be fooled into thinking you need several other costly parts and additional labor.
Better yet, become familiar with your car yourself, before a repair is needed. Buy one of the Chilton’s books and learn the jargon. Study the diagrams. This helps avoid having a mechanic overwhelm you with jargon, faulty reasoning and other deceptive sales talk. You might well save a lot of money if you invest in some basic auto testing equipment that allows you to eliminate that alternator as a problem.
Although it takes a little extra time, it’s worthwhile to get two or three auto repair estimates from different shops. The estimate may vary substantially from one another. Surely there’s a reason. Inquire of each shop why a component has been included, or excluded, if that component shows up on another shop’s auto repair estimate. The attitude of the mechanic and the explanations offered can be revealing.…

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Auto Discount

Mobile Marketing’s Golden Rule to Increase Your Car Count – Auto Repair Shop Marketing

When it comes to increasing your car count, getting more new and repeat customers, you need to take your Auto Service Shop marketing mobile by using a Text Message Marketing campaign.
Just remember that the Golden Rule of Text Message marketing is this:
“Text Message Marketing is Not Really a Sales Business; It’s a Relationship Building Business”
Then having said that, you’re probably asking yourself ‘Why do I need mobile marketing for my auto service shop business?’, right?
To start, America is tired of doing business with faceless corporations where they’re treated like a number, not a person. Being able to build your ‘personal’ relationships with customers and prospects is your ‘ace’ in marketing.
Mobile marketing really is personal. Your messages are delivered to your customers and prospects where they are and they are mobile and on their phone. Your message goes directly to where they will see it; right in the palm of their hand!
Statistics prove that people are on their phone for more than just the chat. There are billions of text messages sent daily! More and more people every day get ‘tied’ to their phone as a resource. They use it as their main communication device, for surfing the internet, doing local searches, texting and maybe even a phone call every once in a while.
The reason that Text message marketing is powerful is because it is highly targeted. You can create various ‘keywords’ to market to specific groups of customers. As an example, imagine a shop that specializes in Audi and BMW service. You could create a specific keyword for each group and send them only the offers that are specific to them and the make of vehicle they drive.
On the other hand, you could create keywords to attract new customers. As an example, if you’re offering a special on your Air Conditioning Check, you should promote it by advertising “Text ACCHECK to 54321 to get Your A/C Inspection for Just $19.95”. Make your offer attractive and people will respond.
When users text to your short code (the shortened number in your ad) they opt-in to your list. From signage or advertising where you promote your mobile offers, users are basically saying that they have an interest and want to receive your offers and messages.
Using the examples above, owners of Audi or BMW vehicles would only get information, offers and coupons that are related to the vehicle they drive. That makes it personal.
Ask yourself, “What better audience could you have than one made up of people who want to receive your messages?”.
You now have a chance to take your marketing to the next level. Build personal relationships with customers and prospects and send them only the offers that are of interest to them (and that they want to see).
The only thing left for you to do is sit back and wait for the stampede of customers coming to your door!…

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Auction Cars 

Auto Repair: 4 Signs It Needs to Happen

Sometimes it is necessary to bring your vehicle in to the mechanic between regularly scheduled appointments. Having your oil and other fluids changed regularly is great but there are a few tell tale signs of an issue that should not be put off until the next time you are planning to go in. These are indications that there could be a serious problem. If any of these happen while driving pull over or get to an auto repair shop quickly so that you are safe and you do not further damage anything.
Squealing brakes are a bad sign. If when the pedal is depressed there is a high pitched screech or a whistle it could mean that the pads are incredibly low and need to be replaced as quickly as possible. Additionally, if the pedal feels squishy it is likely that the same sort of problem is happening. In either case pull over or get straight to the mechanic because this is not something to be taken lightly.
Similarly, any time there is a rattling, a clunking, or a grinding coming from under the hood or under the car it may be indicative that there is a need for auto repair. Any number of things could be wrong or in some cases something could have come unattached. One possibility is that the head gasket is blown and that is a serious problem. If you are unsure what is going on or if the sound is accompanied by a decrease in performance have the car towed to the nearest service station.
It should go without saying but if the oil or check engine light come on it is imperative that those things happen. Many think they can ignore these warnings but in reality they are a good indicator, obviously, that something is not right. Quickly and carefully bring the vehicle straight to the auto repair station and have them determine what has caused the warning to illuminate. Often it is not something terribly wrong but rather something that if left unchecked could lead to a more serious issue.
Finally if it takes a long time to start or won’t start at all it is necessary to have auto repair done. It may be something as simple as a low battery or an old sparkplug but on the other hand there could be a need for alternator maintenance or replacement. In some cases the belt may have broken and the battery was drained trying to compensate.
Regardless of which of these happen, they are all four a sign that now is the time to go in and have service done, even if it is not scheduled yet. Fixing the problem now can avoid cost and inconvenience down the line and that is not something anyone wants to have to deal with.…

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Car Book Value

Vehicle Emissions Testing and Repair Has Begun

Kuna and Canyon County has already begun with vehicle emissions testing and repairs on June 2010. It is the first time that Nampa, Idaho, has required its vehicle drivers to have their cars tested ever since it has established that emissions from vehicles contributed to the area’s air pollution. There are many Nampa emissions repairs and testing stations already servicing many vehicle drivers due to this mandatory law.
Vehicle emissions control has been studied for many years now, and its main goal is to reduce the polluting emissions that vehicles powered by internal combustion engines create and release out to the air. There are many pollutants extracted from cars that are especially important to note down when the health of the people, animals, and the environment is at stake. The most principal of these include hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates.
Hydrocarbons come from fuel that is either unburned or partially burned. They are toxic, and can cause liver damage and cancer to people exposed to the pollutant more than is necessary. Regulations concerning hydrocarbons depends upon the engine off the vehicle. Carbon monoxide, on another hand, is not as fatal as hydrocarbons. But it lessens the blood’s abilities to carry oxygen throughout our body, and too much carbon monoxide can be fatal to us. Nitrogen oxide is a precursor to acid rain and smog. It is emitted mostly by big vehicles and trucks that blow hot exhaust. The effect of nitrogen oxides to our system is that it destroys resistance to any respiratory infections. Particulates also bring harm to our respiratory health.
With the harm and dangers that these gaseous chemicals give us, it is only understandable that health organizations and environmentalists have taken action against them. The continuing pollution of the air has always been a problem. It has become increasingly problematic as more toxicity has been found in the air.
Not all officials of Nampa had been supportive of the law that states that emissions testing is now mandatory for all vehicle drivers of Kuna and Canyon County. The majority has decided, however, and the law was approved. Not everyone of the folks at the specified areas were also unhappy about the new law. Considering the environmental and physical health effects of the pollutants, this move was bound to happen sooner or later. By the start of the month of June, emissions control and testing began to be carried out.
Vehicles that need to be tested are those that are cars from 1981 to 2005. Hybrid cars are exempted from emissions testing. There is also a fee of $10 for the testing. Drivers only need to have their vehicles tested every other year, so 10 bucks is not that costly. This year, even numbered cars are the ones required to take the emissions control and testing. Cars from 1982, 1984, up to 2000 and 2002 will need to make that visit to the Nampa emissions testing station. Next year, it will be the odd numbered cars’ turn.…

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Wholesale Cars

How to Repair a Rusted Car Surface

Rust is not an uncommon problem to old cars that are usually left out in the rain or not stored in the garage. Years of exposure to wind and other forces of nature can dilute a car’s protective coat of paint, leaving the surface vulnerable to corrosion. Once the metallic layer of the car’s surface is exposed to moisture, oxidation takes place and eventually leads to the formation of rust. This is common to most types of metal.
Fortunately, there are ways to restore the brand-new look of the rusted cars. However, since some severe rust buildups are no longer treatable by any restoration methods, it is important to deal with the problem as early as possible. Few materials are needed to remove the rust, as well as restore the beauty of the car’s appearance. These materials include sandpaper, primer and car paint, a clean piece of cloth, and a vacuum cleaner.
The procedure can be easily completed in your garage at home. There are auto body repair shops in affluent cities like Beverly Hills that offer modernized techniques of restoring the appearance of a car after years of rust-caused damage. These services are often more expensive compared to traditional repairs done in other shops. Nonetheless, for those with tight budgets, here’s a DIY method for removing rust from a car’s surface.
First, check for spots that are affected by rust buildup and spots that are already severely faded. Start rubbing the rusted region with 120-grade sandpaper and a hard rubber block, until the rust is gone. Professional cleaners in a Beverly Hills auto body shop use masks to keep themselves from inhaling rust dust.
Wipe the surface with a clean cloth properly to prepare it for coating. Shake the primer container thoroughly before spraying the primer on the portions to be painted. Like other painting companies, most Beverly Hills auto repair shops use primer to maximize the adhesive property of the paint.
After allowing the primer to completely dry, smooth the surface by rubbing with fine-grade sandpaper. Once the surface is ready, spray the paint on the surface at a distance of 6 to 8 inches, to control the paint’s impact on the surface. Most Beverly Hills auto repair experts prefer to do second paint applications to completely balance the color and shading of the paint.…

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Inexpensive Cars

Where to Buy Factory Service Auto Repair Manuals?

Original auto repair manuals are very important to car owners, whether they have a use for them or not. These are usually repair and service instruction booklets that in most cases a car owner will be provided for by the manufacturer on the initial purchase of the car. These manuals come in three various categories that include the general, maintenance, and repair manuals. The common type of manual that is gotten free with the purchase of a car is the general manual.
The function of a general manual is usually to provide specific information and instructions on all the major car parts of the particular model. These general car manuals give instructions on how the owner can make adjustments and easy to do repairs and the ways that they can make the.
In the case of a car repair manuals, these are specifically used when making major repairs to a car. Furthermore, it is mostly used by those who do the repairs to the cars. Although the instructions provide in these instruction booklets is not really for a precise car model, these car repair manuals maybe used by just about any car. They offer common information on a few car models on how to make repairs and the adjustment that may follow after the repairs. Where then can one buy genuine editions of these manual?
The best avenue for buying genuine repair instruction booklet is online. There is a wide collection of sites that offer factory and aftermarket repair guidebooks published by all car manufacturers. Moreover, it is these manufacturers’ manuals that they themselves use in their factories. For an easier time looking for these auto repair manuals it is good to check with sites that offer a platform for other repair service manual websites. These are platforms that offer general sites with possible original editions of the repair instructions booklets.
Forget getting your manual from a dealership only after making a purchase, and waiting for the deliver to be made. With these online sites one can be able to get a manual that have all the probable automotive diagnostics, repair information and diagrams that can point one to the right direction. Furthermore, one is guaranteed that they instruction booklets contain information from the original manufacturers.…