General

Technical

General FAQ

1. How easy is it to drop my car off for service?

2. Do I need an appointment?

3. Do you have shuttle service?

4. What if I cannot pick up my car before you close?

5. Can I get my old parts back?

6. Do you accept credit cards?

7. Can I wait while you service my car?

8. Can you perform authorized dealer warranty or recall work?

9. How qualified are you to work on my car?

10. Do you do smog tests?

1. How easy is it to drop my car off for service?

Our hours of operation are 8-5pm Monday through Friday. You can use our early bird envelope service at the front door to drop your car off during closed hours or the weekends.

2. Do I need an appointment?

It helps to have an appointment to ensure same day service. We always welcome drop off services and emergency repairs anytime.

3. Do you have shuttle service?

At this time, we do not offer shuttle service; however, we often make the time to drop you at light rail if possible.

4. What if I cannot pick up my car before you close?

We can handle the formalities via email or telephone using a credit card.

5. Can I get my old parts back?

By law, if you ask for the parts at the time the work order is being prepared; all shops must return them to you (except cores when required by the vendor in exchange). We keep most parts for at least a day in most cases.

6. Do you accept credit cards?

Yes, of course. We do not accept personal checks unless we have done so in the past and know you. Feel free to use a debit, credit or cash to settle your account.

7. Can I wait while you service my car?

Of course. However, we encourage you to leave the car for an adequate amount of time for us to do our work properly.

8. Can you perform authorized dealer warranty or recall work?

No. No independent repair shop can fulfill the factory free warranty or recall work. You must take this to the dealership. This is different from your extended repair work which we can perform.

9. How qualified are you to work on my car?

Chris Lagattuta has over twenty years experience performing maint, diagnostics, fabrication, and machine work. He worked at New Dimensions for fifteen years as Vice Pres, technician, service manager. He graduated SJSU 1988, is ASE Master Tech certified, and personally guarantees each and every job that leaves his shop.

10. Do you do smog tests?

No, but we can easily have your car smogged while it is at our shop. There are three other California smog test stations in our complex (they cannot perform “test only” smog tests)

General

Technical

Technical FAQ

1. What is a major service?

2. What is a timing belt job?

3. When do I change my timing belt?

4. Why do my brake rotors need to be replaced or resurfaced when brake pads are replaced?

5. What does it mean when the “check engine” light comes on in my car?

1. What is a major service?

Generally speaking, a major service occurs every thirty to forty thousand miles in the regularly schedule maintenance period. Different manufacturers specify different intervals depending upon several factors. Usually, deciding factors are how the vehicle is used, types of sparkplugs that the factory installed, and to some degree, to show that the vehicle requires very little maintenance when compared to a similar model. In the real world, even though a manufacturer may specify leaving the sparkplugs in the car until 100k miles, it is not uncommon to see misfires, poor mileage, and other drivability issues directly related to parts that just cant operate that long. For example, most manufacturers, such as VW, do not specify a replacement interval for the fuel filter. In real life, it is very common to see clogged fuel injectors on later model V6 engines. Although it hasn't been shown that the fuel filter is the culprit, it doesn't hurt to replace it at least once in a 100k mile period. You can easily spend $3-400 dollars troubleshooting and repairing for a misfire due a clogged fuel injector, and only $50 or so to replace the fuel filter.

(a) Our major service normally includes the following: road test performance and rack vehicle for complete underhood and underbody inspection. Change oil and filter, replace sparkplugs, replace engine air filter, replace cabin intake filter, replace fuel filter, change coolant, flush brake system, service battery, top all underhood fluids, inspect all belts and hoses for wear, check for engine oil and coolant leaks, check front and rear brake condition, check front and rear suspension components for wear, check all driveshaft boots, inspect exhaust and hangers, adjust tire pressures,rotate wheels if necessary, check all lights, check all indicators, check wipers and washers, check air conditioner function, adjust timing, mixture and idle when applicable, check onboard diagnostics with appropriate scanner, final road test and quality check.

(b) Of course, some models require replacement of the distributor cap and rotor, while others require valve lash adjustment and other checks. Prices vary depending upon the parts required and the time it takes to perform the operations.

2. What is a timing belt job?

The timing belt can be found on 4,5,6, and 8 cylinder engines. The purpose of the timing belt is to maintain the correct camshaft, balance shaft, and crankshaft timing in order to keep the engine running. Simply put, it is a toothed rubber long life belt that is usually hidden under covers and accessories that needs to be replaced at a specified mileage interval. Failure of the timing belt or any of the idlers or tensioners which make up the timing belt system can result in disastrous results for the engine.

The timing belt job, when done properly, includes the replacement of the belt, the tensioner, the idler wheels and sometimes the water pump when it is directly driven by the timing belt. The reason these parts are all serviced, regardless of their condition, is so that the life of the new belt can be accurately predicted. Since the belt will only last as long as the weakest component, replacing all the parts that affect its longevity makes good sense. In addition, since the labor involved to access the timing belt is often substantial, it also makes good sense to service any leaking oil seals, tensioner dampeners, and accessory drive belts at the same time. The added cost in labor and parts is usually minor when compared to the cost savings in the long run.

3. When do I change my timing belt?

The answer to this question all depends upon manufacturer, make and model. As a rule, 60k miles is the generally accepted replacement interval for most cars. This can change, however, if you drive a diesel, a manual transmission versus an automatic one, or on the model year. It is always a good idea to check your maintenance book for the recommended mileage interval or call us to find out. Most newer cars after 1999 have timing belts which are supposed to last until 105k miles. Don't always trust this interval. It's prudent to check with the manufacturer's technical service bulletins for the latest updates. Premature timing belt tensioner failures and water pump bearing failures are two common reasons these belts don't always make it to 105k. Sometimes, it is better to just replace it by 80-90k and play it safe.

4. Why do my brake rotors need to be replaced or resurfaced when brake pads are replaced?

First, brake rotors are usually made from cast iron. By the time your brake pads are ready to be replaced, there are grooves and deep wear marks worn into the wear surface of the brake rotors. The job of the brake rotor is to dissipate heat during braking. If we were to install new brake pads on the worn rotors, the new pads would only contact the high spots, thus decreasing the available friction surface and heat transfer. In addition, modern brake pads are made from hundreds of inorganic materials that wont “form” to the worn rotors as easily as the pads made in years past. Also, on most front brake rotors, it is sometimes prudent to replace the rotors to maintain a larger mass of material to dissipate heat. Resurfacing rotors is a process that removes the outer layers of the rotor to reveal a clean, flat, microfinished surface that will allow the new brake pads to “seat” and further cure the compound in the brake pads. On today's high performance front drive vehicles such as VW, Audis, and BMWs, it is not uncommon for a front end brake job to return several months later with warped brake rotors. It often makes more sense to replace front rotors and maintain a larger, thicker mass of material to prolong brake life and performance in the long run. On the other hand, some manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz, routinely install only brake pads if the minimum thickness of the brake rotors are within factory specifications. In these cases, we discuss the pros and cons of the outcome with the owner and install only genuine Mercedes Benz brake pads.

It should be noted that the primary complaint we hear from customers regarding brake operation is noise. Noise can be tracked down to several factors such as types of pads, cleanliness during installation, worn front suspension components, and insufficient or missing brake hardware or lubrication. But the main reason, we find, is that poor quality brake pads with insufficient cleaning and lubrication were installed on worn, unfinished brake rotors.

5. What does it mean when the “check engine” light comes on in my car?

The check engine light is designed to inform you of an emissions related problem with your engine. After 1996, a system called OBD2 is built into every car's programming. In simple terms, your onboard computer analyzes thousands of bits of data from input and output sensors to make sure your engine is running within parameters set up by the OBD2 engineers. The idea was to create a universal system that governing bodies could use in car manufacturing that would ensure cars would have to be running clean and efficient to protect our environment. Your onboard computer monitors the oxygen sensors (devices that measure fuel to air mixture), the catalytic converter ( an exhaust device that converts harmful engine emissions into more environmentally friendly compounds), the ignition system, the fuel system, and the evaporative emissions systems. When one of these systems is malfunctioning, the onboard computer makes a decision to turn on the check engine light to inform the driver that service is required. Sometimes, your light may come on for a day and not return, or come on once, and then not return. This means there is a problem and the fault is stored in the computer's memory awaiting retrieval. The light turned off because the system it is checking has a failure test that is not entirely complete, or may take more drive cycles to complete before turning the light on solid. We never charge to download the fault codes and help you decide if it is safe for you to continue driving your car. Rule of thumb for the check engine light is get it checked as soon as possible. Most of the time, you are completely safe driving your car home. If your car is misfiring (the engine seems like it is idling rough, lack of power, hard to start, check engine light on), you should cease driving the car and have it towed. Driving your car with a misfire can lead to serious emissions problems including ruining your catalytic converter.