Women Control Car Repair Decisions
Cars are a guy thing… at least that’s the conventional wisdom. The truth is, even when it comes to cars, it is truly a she-conomy. Women control most purchase decisions for the family, including that formerly male-dominated domain: the family vehicle.
The most recent data shows that women control most of the auto related decisions for the family. Women influence more than 85 percent of all automotive sales in U.S. households. Women comprise 50 percent to 65 percent of the customer base at service centers. Women buy 60 percent of all passenger tires.
Yes, even the tire purchases are controlled by women. But when was the last time you saw a tire ad on a TV show with primarily women viewers? The truth is that the auto industry depends on women but does a terrible job talking to them and educating them.
For most families, the car is the second most valuable asset after the home. It’s needed to get to work to support the family, to chauffeur the children to play dates and soccer practice, and to ferry the entire family on vacations. It just makes sense to obtain the knowledge necessary to take proper care of such large investments.
A woman making a decision about car maintenance needs knowledge to make the right choice – as is true with all purchase decisions, knowledge is power. A little knowledge can go a long way in helping a woman determine the best course when auto service is needed.
Here are some points to consider when deciding on car maintenance and repair:
• Search for your local independent repair facility – it’s often the best choice. These local businesses have all the diagnostic tools as dealerships and their technicians are just as well trained. There many more independent shops than dealerships and they are often more conveniently located to home, work and schools. These shops have the added advantage of providing service for all of your family’s vehicles, not just one make or model.
• Make sure the establishment you choose is Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified and a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
• Be sure you get a written estimate for all service to be performed and be sure you understand the work to be performed and the parts to be installed. A reliable independent shop owner is always willing to take the time to explain the procedure as well as the parts and labor required.
• Schedule regular maintenance for your car as recommended in the owner’s manual. Keeping your car in good running order saves money in the long run – it can improve performance and gas mileage as well as prevent costly breakdowns. Keep the phone number of your local independent shop as handy as your doctor and dentist contact information. And make those vehicle maintenance appointments as routine as making all other family appointments.
• Make sure both the parts and labor come with a warranty.
• Ask about the quality and brand of parts to be installed in your car and then research the brand – search the Web, ask a neighbor, phone a friend – but do your homework.
The last point is particularly important because the quality of the part can have a great bearing on the safety of the vehicle. Unfortunately, many poorly-made parts from off-shore suppliers have found their way into the market. The installation of these cheaply-made parts into a consumer’s car can compromise the performance and safety of the vehicle. The cheaper parts also tend to fail earlier, often costing more money and grief for the consumer.
Parts from recognized, brand name suppliers always meet and often exceed the quality of those of the original manufacturer. That is why, the smart woman asks about the parts being installed in her car. She will always insist on parts from a recognized and trusted manufacturer.
It is always smart to “know your parts” when it’s time for car maintenance.
Basic Clothes Drier Repairs and Diagnosis – Check Those Belts
While most people and consumers like the idea of freshly dried laundry fresh from an outside clothes line, in many cases this is impractical. Thus it behooves most homeowners to take care and maintain their mechanical clothes dryers – be they of the electrical or gas fired variety.
Yet what can go wrong with your home clothes drying unit? First of all if the clothes drier stops and will not power up – simply check the circuit breaker – it may of simply popped from an excessive electric load. The circuit breaker – for the uninitiated will be in a full panel of circuit breaker switches – in a utility or furnace room or the like.
Simply find the switch marked “dryer” or perhaps “utility room”. If it is in an “off position” or partially open simply switch it back to the full on position. You should hear a “click” sound as the switch is activated. However if the circuit breaker keeps “flipping” and resetting itself the off or inactive non powered position – this may indicate an electrical problem such as a short circuit in the line, or a power line that is inadequate for the load being handled by the heat appliance. In these situations call in a professional tradespeople to look at handle the matter properly as well as professionally.
All in all those in the appliance repair and heating trades that the mechanical parts of a clothes dryer are much more likely to fail and cause you trouble and inconvenience than the electrical parts – even more so today with space age solid state electronic control panels rather than the older type mechanical switches and control mechanisms.
Thus your first concern, with dryer problems and failures should be to check mechanical components of the clothes dryer first and foremost. Overall there is not a lot of difference between the mechanics of the two basic variations of dryer types – that is electric and gas. Both are intrinsically very similar – as they differ only in the source of their heat used for drying the clothes. First thing to ask – is the motor ruining or is burnt, worn out or defective? If the motor is running (you should be able to hear its hum and its gears moving), yet the clothes drying drum is not turning and rotating – then it is most likely a simple case of a broken rubber belt. The belt transfers power from the eclectic motor via the belt to turn the drum – easily, smoothly and consistently. The belt apparatus and setup in clothes dryer is analogous to belt driven mechanisms such as for your cooling fan in the radiator of your car, or the furnace fan driven by a similar eclectic motor in your home furnace.
How can you easily and simply diagnose if the reason for the drum in your clothes dryer is not turning is a broken rubber belt. Its very simple overall. Simply open the dryer door, turn the drum manually around its edges by hand. If the belt is broken, most likely you will hear a thump thump thump sound as you turn the drum and the broken belt hits the drum casing as you move it.
If that is the case – then it is a matter of replacing the drum mechanism belt if you have the mechanical skills, aptitude and time. If not a professional appliance repair person can easily do the task – made all the easier and less costly by your efficient and thorough diagnosis and hard earned diagnostic skills.
At the very worst if the rubber belt has to be replaced professionally, the serviceman call should involve less time and cost. Furthermore it may only necessitate one service call rather than two – if you identify the problem to the service staff when booking the service call, as well as make model and brand of your appliance. Thus the repair person can come fully prepared with the correct replacement. Thus at the least the overall cost of service and repair will be kept at a minimum for your home maintenance and upkeep budget.
Where To Get Your Car Repaired – And NOT Get Scammed
One of the most common questions I hear is, “Where should I take my car to get it fixed?” My answer is to take it to a repair facility that (1) has a good reputation (ask friends and neighbors where they take their vehicles), that (2) is affiliated with a group such as AAA and/or has ASE certified technicians, and (3) appears to be clean, friendly and competently managed. The shop should also adhere to the Code of Ethics and repair standards put forth by the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP).
Most repair facilities are honest and are NOT trying to take advantage of you. Sure, there are some bad apples in the the repair business, but there are crooks in every kind of business from home repair scam artists to top business executives. From what I’ve seen, most auto repair problems are due to misunderstandings or miscommunication between the motorist and repair facility (they thought you wanted one thing and you got something else, or they misunderstood your problem), or they misdiagnosed your vehicle and the technician replaced the wrong part(s). In other words, they didn’t try to rip you off or cheat you. They misunderstood you or did not perform the correct repair.
As long as your vehicle is under warranty, you can return to your new car dealer for free repairs (for parts that are covered under warranty). Almost all new cars and trucks today have a 3 year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty that covers ANYTHING that goes wrong. All new vehicles also have a federally mandated emissions warranty that covers the engine computer and catalytic converter for 8 years/80,000 miles (longer in California). The vehicle manufacturers may also offer an extended powertrain warranty that covers major repairs to the engine, transmission and drive axles. Items that may NOT be covered under warranty include common wear items such as filters, brake pads and tires.
Once your vehicle is out of warranty, you can take it anywhere you please for repairs. In fact, you are NOT required to return to the dealer for maintenance or repairs while the vehicle is under warranty (you can take it to ANY repair facility). But the vehicle manufacturer will usually NOT pay for any repairs performed by any unauthorized repair facility — except in rare emergencies where a vehicle has broken down too far away to be towed to the nearest dealer.
As a rule, independent repair shops are generally less expensive than new car dealers. Franchised repair facilities such as muffler shops (Midas, CarX, Merlin, etc.), tire dealers (Goodyear, Firestone & independents) and retailers (PepBoys, Sears, etc.) are also very competitive with their pricing.
As for repair competency, it can vary a great deal from one repair facility to another. New car dealers have access to the latest factory authorized training and tools, and specialize in the brand(s) of vehicles they sell. But big dealerships are also less personal. You rarely deal directly with a technician. Instead, a service writer talks to you, hears your problem and writes up a repair order. Miscommunication sometimes happens and you don’t get the right repairs or service. The service writer is also a salesman who will probably try to talk you into buying additional services you may not need (your 50,000 miles scheduled maintenance, for example, which is nothing more than an oil change, some new filters and a quick inspection of a laundry list of things that should always be checked EVERYTIME your vehicle is serviced or repaired).
Independent repair shops and specialty repair shops (those who only work on imports or specialize in alignments, brakes, transmissions, air conditioning, electrical, etc.) tend to be small family-owned and run businesses. You’re usually on a more personal level with these people, and may even talk face-to-face with the technician who works on your car. Many independent shops are highly skilled and work on ALL makes and models. This requires a much broader range of expertise than a dealership — and more diagnostic equipment and tools. Some shops, though, are behind on the learning curve and may not be up to speed on the latest technology. Or, they may not have an up-to-date scan tool or other special tools that may be required to service your vehicle. Even so, such a shop may be fine for basic maintenance and repairs.
The kind of repair facility to avoid is one that is NOT concerned about their reputation or repeat customers, and are only out to scam as many people as fast as they can. These shops are not in the repair business for the long haul. They’re only in it to make a fast buck. They probably have not been in business very long. They are typically located in “high traffic” areas where they can snag a lot of drive-by customers. They may be located near an expressway where out-of-towners are apt to break down. They usually have high employee turnover and typically hire beginners or less experienced technicians. They often use “scare tactics” to sell parts and services, or try to pressure you into agreeing to major repairs. They are NOT affiliated with any reputable service organizations such as AAA, ASE, their local chamber of commerce or local repair shop organizations. They do not invest any money in training their employees or buying new equipment. The facility itself may or may not be clean and neat (you cannot judge competency and honesty by appearances alone). And they offer no guarantee or a very limited warranty on the work they perform. Avoid these kind of places at all costs!
General Advice for finding an honest and competent repair facility:
Patronize a repair facility that has been recommended to you by friends or family.
If you are satisfied with a repair facility, give them your repeat business. Build a lasting relationship.
Do NOT pick a repair facility at random or based only on advertisements or price specials.
The repair facility should follow the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP) Standards of Service.
You can obtain copies of these guidelines from the MAP website at http://www.motorist.org Give the shop a copy if they do not have one.
Always ask for a written repair estimate BEFORE work begins.
(This is required by law in many states.)
The final repair bill should NOT exceed the estimate by more than 10 to 20%.
(this is also dictated by law in many states, though circumstances may justify a higher final bill.)
Make sure the estimate lists all parts and labor charges.
(and ask for an explanation of any items you do not understand or have a question about.)
If you have any doubts about the work performed, ask for your old parts to be returned.
(you may need them as evidence if you’ve been scammed.)
If you have a dispute with a repair facility, take your problem up the chain of command, then contact your Better Business Bureau if you can’t get the matter resolved. Take legal action as a last resort.
Pay your repair bill with a credit card (if allowed)
(You can always dispute the charges later when your credit card bill arrives.)