5 Things to Look For in a World-Class Auto Repair Shop

1) Notice the appearance of the auto center-the outer appearance of the shop can tell you a lot about their business. Is it clean and well-lit? Does the equipment look modern? You can tell you will get the best repairs with the most up-to-date equipment.

2) If possible take a tour-If they will let you, walk around the body shop and talk to the staff members. You can ask them about their experience, how many years they have been working in this field, and you can get a feel from the mechanics if they seem competent and knowledgeable about repairs.

3) Look for special awards-While you are on your tour, try to notice any special awards or plaques on the walls or in offices. This is a good sign that they are well qualified and have undergone the necessary training to properly maintain your vehicle. The awards show that they really do know what they are doing.

4) Find out their policy-ask them what their policy is in case you don't like their work. Ask them how long the repairs will take, if they will fix it at no charge or will there be additional fees? What is the warranty and how long is it good for?

5) Inspect the vehicle after its been repaired-once your vehicle has been repaired, notice if anything doesn't look right and notify the body shop. Even if you don't notice anything until you are home, notify the shop as soon as possible.

With these tips, you should be able to find a legitimately good auto body shop that is well qualified to take care of your vehicle. Class Auto Center, located in Long Beach, California, is a world-class auto repair shop that utilizes top of the line technology for servicing luxury vehicles such as Audi, Mercedes, Nissan GT-R, and BMW.

Auto Insurance Plans

No plan is the same that is why it is a good ideas to search through them and do your homework on which plan suits your own family needs. Never just go with just the first quote you see off the page doing research is detailed and sometimes time consuming but is well worth it if you save a buck and are able to get the best plans available out there. Never take the easy way out because in the end it will get you when you find out you are not saving the money you had hoped to be saving with your new plan and you will not get the best deals in the long run. Carefully sought out planning and calling ahead can often help a consumer get the best plans available. It is very easy to feel lost and confused from plan to plan and it helps to stay organized and to be focused and know what you want..

You can do many things on the Internet fast and easily from your own home and in your own time frame including searching for getting auto insurance fast which also includes finding quotes from companies using your own zip code in their search engines. This will get you the best auto insurance quotes faster and easier on line. Look at insurance quotes around your area and do a search for the best ones.

Make the best out of the benefits available with careful planning know what you will need from them. Some auto insurance quotes don't include everything or even everyone so its best to come prepared and know the facts beforehand so that you end up not falling short on the plan that you get.

If you find a plan that is in your price range and sounds interesting to you and your family call their call centers. They will help you reach your goal. Check out what kinds of policies that they have and what is covered if there is a accident involved and what they need to get form you in order to be approved by the company. Make sure to check out several call centers and find out varying price ranges and details of what they offer and what you would be getting from them.

This is the easiest way to find a plan that suits your needs and your budget and doesn't make you feel lost in the shuffle of fast past auto insurgence companies is to make a list of what you need to get and stay with that no matter how much you have to research that way you are never overwhelmed when calling them. Never take the easy way out do careful planning, call the call centers, and do the research ahead of time that way you will always know what plans are available for which company.

Muffler Auto Repair - What You Need to Know

The muffler is one of the most important parts of a vehicle. It is also a part of the vehicle where a small fault can cause very highly notable effects; as the affected vehicle ends up being 'too noisy' and something of a nuisance. In the best case scenario, such a vehicle could cause other road users (and bystanders) to start sending unkind stares and glares your way. In the worst case scenario, such a vehicle with a faulty muffler could get you arrested and charged, if you happen to live in one the cities with strict sound pollution laws.

It is out of all this, then, that muffler auto repair becomes a major necessity; to such an extent that garages specializing in it (and termed as muffler repair centers) have been coming up in recent days. One of the services that these muffler repair centers tend to offer is muffler modification, so that people who fancy it can have their car sound like a racing car.

If you have been wondering how people are able to achieve this, now you know that it is all about muffler modification; which is achieved at the muffler repair centers. Of course, the muffler repair centers also offer the opposite service; so that if your car is unpleasantly sounding like a racing car due to one or another muffler fault, then the guys at the muffler auto repair centers can check it out and hopefully, make it sound more like a normal car.

So how does one find these muffler repair centers? Well, a good way to start would be by conducting an Internet search; as most muffler repair centers have some sort of online presence nowadays. Another way would be by asking your generalist mechanic or anyone else in the automotive repair industry; so that they can refer where you can find a good muffler repair service. You could also check out your local telephone directory; you never know, you could find a new category for 'muffler repair' (possibly also masquerading as 'exhaust repair'), in the latest edition of the yellow pages.

If you opt to look for muffler auto repair online, you will naturally be expected to exercise some caution; lest you fall in the way of scammers.

The cost of muffler repair will depend on the extent of damage we are looking at. Generally though, it is not too expensive, unless the damage is so extensive that the whole muffler assembly has to be replaced: where more money will have to be spent in buying the assembly, in addition to paying for the replacement labor.

Get the Best Service at Your Auto Repair Center

My mother, who lives in Phoenix called me about her recent vehicle repairs. Since I own a used car lot and sold her the car, a PT Cruiser, I did feel bad that her experience at a well-known auto repair chain went so bad. First, and I agreed, she paid too much for a basic tune-up and was told her oxygen sensor was bad. So she shelled out some bucks to get her car back. While she did pay too much for her repairs, as I've always told her, she could have achieved a better price if she would have worked with the technician and service writer.

In my opinion, all technicians get a bad rap for trying to sell auto parts you don't need and most consumers complain about their hefty labor time charges. I am still stymied at why this is? Not many occupations offer up this unique experience of always feeling like you're a crook. People will pay home repair experts if their hot water tank is leaking or their furnace isn't working, but often, no very often, complain about the amount of their vehicle repairs--even if it's just required maintenance like a lube-oil-filter or full-service check-up. There are ways to work with your technician to achieve results that make you happy and won't leave your auto repair guy feeling like a crook. Use these tips every time you visit your auto repair center whether it's a franchised dealership, auto repair chain, or just a plain old independent repair facility:

1. Make a list at home before you visit your mechanic and be specific about repairs or checks you want done.

2. When you arrive at your repair center, ask if you can communicate directly with your mechanic. Most service writers should be happy you request this. If they don't or refuse, find another repair center.

3. Explain exactly what your problem is and try and be specific about what the vehicle is doing or not doing. No mechanic is a crystal ball reader and all vehicles are different so don't just drop the vehicle off and expect them to figure it all out on their own.

4. Insist and go on a test drive before your technician begins the repair process especially if your vehicle is making a noise you can't describe or identify. My 80 year old father-in-law bought a new vehicle and took his vehicle to the repair facility a whopping ten times for a sound he heard repeatedly but could not identify. Instead of insisting on a pre-repair test drive, the mechanic tried his best to find the cause of the noise to no avail. Once I suggested a pre-repair test drive, the noise he was hearing was his automatic door locks that were performing as required--locking at the 17 mile-per-hour mark. Not only was my father-in-law's time wasted, the mechanic's time was as well and further, the mechanic was most likely not paid for anything other than the first visit and each time he looked at the vehicle, the repair facility where the mechanic worked probably looked at each visit as a "comeback" so he made no money on those repeated visits.

5. Understand how technicians are paid. People complain about the cost of labor. First, all good repair facilities utilize labor time guides that are given to the repair facility by the vehicle manufacturer or from an independent source such as All-Data. For example, if a labor guide says it should take one hour to fix a water pump on a specific vehicle--that is all the mechanic gets paid for. Even if it takes the mechanic two hours to fix the water pump, they only get paid for one hour of work--this is called a flat-rate hour. So, your mechanic and repair facility are not ripping you off, they are going by the guidelines provided to them that is utilized nationwide by all auto repair centers. Don't be so quick to complain about nationally recognized labor time guides.

6. Most mechanics achieve some sort of ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification in all or specific areas of auto repair. If your auto repair shop has an ASE Master Technician--that means they've been through grueling tests--and passed. Tests offered by ASE are not easy, so keep that in mind if your tech is ASE certified.

7. If your auto repair center is a manufacturer franchised facility, say a Ford dealership, when your vehicle is brought to the mechanic with problems and no clear solutions, all franchised dealerships rely on a computer or telephone system that connects them with the manufacturer technicial department. These departments are full of tech experts who work with the technician to fix one of their vehicles. Often, it's not your mechanic whose running the show, it's this technical department--so don't always blame the mechanic.

8. Negotiate - Yes you can ask to speak to the owner of the repair facility if you feel your repairs and the amount you owe are unfair. If you do this, remember to keep calm and discuss what you feel went wrong. Be fair when speaking and ask questions. There's a good chance the two of you can come to a negotiation that you both feel comfortable with.

9. Keep up regularly scheduled maintenance. You can ask your mechanic or read your owners manual--something most people never do. Your owner's manual will let you know when it's time for varied tune ups such as 3,000 mile checks, 30,000 mile checks, and what should be completed at each check.

10. Don't blame the mechanic if your vehicle fails and you didn't keep up with any regularly scheduled maintenance items. If you haven't changed your oil within recommended times and your engine fails, ask yourself who is at fault? It's not your mechanic so don't blame them.

The next time you take your vehicle into any auto repair facility, don't be too quick to judge or think the mechanic is going to "rip you off." Mechanics get a bad rap and they are truly educated on vehicle repair, especially if they are Master Techs. Treat a mechanic as your would your home repair expert--they are people too and really don't need the dreaded suspicion each customer comes in with. Keeping an open line of communication and asking questions is your best bet.