Monthly Archives: April 2006

Question: I'm aware that you no longer carry the Auto Insight CD. Do you have any information on the company or where my school can purchase it. Thank you, Doug Answer: Doug, the software has been sold to another company, and is not being sold to the public from what I know. You can find some of the information online at www.innerauto.com Kevin

I had a visitor contact me the other day to have me look at a repair bill. She wanted me to review the charges and make sure she was not being ripped off. It got me thinking about ways to make sure you are getting the best deal on body work. Here are a few tips to help you out when looking at an auto body repair estimate... 1. Check labor rates between shops. Body work should be around $30 - $60 per hour depending on your location and the shop. 2. Most body shops use a computerized quoting system which uses standard rates to complete jobs. This can be good or bad. Usually these numbers are inflated to protect the shop from losing money on the job. If you find a shop that does not use a computerized quotation system, be cautious. Get competetive quotes from other shops and make sure the shop stands by their quote if it goes over time. 3. Ask to see the parts which were replaced. Just like taking your car to a mechanic, make sure they are actually replacing the parts on the quote, and make sure they were truely damaged and needed to be replaced. 4. Ask questions ! A body shop quote can be very confusing, a good auto body shop will spend the time to go over the quote and answer your questions. If they do not, run away and find another shop. 5. When getting your car back from having body work done, inspect the car before leaving the auto body shop. Inspect the paint work carefully and try to view it under different light situations. A paint job which looks great in the bright sunlight can look totally different in the shade or at night. I have had this happen to me once, and ended up taking the car back to have it repainted. Good Luck, Kevin Schappell

Question: I have a mint condition F-150 (2001) SuperCrew. Hope you can help the the side mirrors control no longer works. Can I fix this myself or do I need a dealer? Thank You, Tom Answer: Tom, I would check the fuses first, there should be a diagram on the fuse panel showing you which circuits are which. The side mirror controls are probably grouped with the power window circuit or door locks. If it's not a bad fuse, then I would suspect the switch. Removing the door panel and getting to the switch is not too hard, but you will have to be careful when removing the inside door panel. I do not have specific instructions for your truck, but typically you will need to remove some screws first around the arm rest and possibly at the bottom of the door, then carefully pry the door panel away from the door. The trick is to apply enough pressure to pop the clips which hold the door panel on, but not break the plastic door panel. You should be able to get the switch from the Ford dealer, a junkyard or possibly a U-Pull-It Junkyard. Infact, if you have a U-Pull-It type junkyard in your area, this may be a good way of practicing to remove that door panel ! You can find a listing of junkyards at www.classicjunkyard.com/junkyards/ Good Luck, Kevin

Question: Hi there, I'm Ann. I am tired of getting ripped off. Last week my 1970 Karmann Ghia VW stopped on me on the Freeway. I've had this car since 1997; and I just love it. A lot of people want to buy it. I had no idea it was a car that many people would want to use as a CLASSIC Project. I've been using it to get around. I've had everything put in this car from new transmission to engine. You name it, I've had it put on my car. Since I've had the car for a while, I can just hear certain sounds and know that there is something wrong. Now last week when the car stopped on me, I knew it had to be something simple. AAA towed it to my house; I had a mechanic to come by the house and look at the car. Off the top, he was going to charge me $100 to tell me what was wrong. I called someone else over to the house to look at it because I felt this guy was trying to ripp me off so he could (PAY HIS BILLS). When this other mechanic finish looking at my car, he went over to his van, took out this piece of clapp, I can't remember what he told me it was; that's why I'm on line looking for some way to learn about this car, so I could do it myself. I've had it long enough, and I plan on not getting rid of it either. Do not want a car note. To make the long story short. He charged me $20 and left. I went to the parts store and saw this little piece and it was around $3. I was so shocked. I told my husband we need to go to school for auto mechanics if we are going to keep these old cars. We could really save a lot of money. Now I want to know from you WHERE DO I START? Do I need to take a auto mechanics class or go to school or will this online serve the purpose. I want to tune up my VW and change the oil. Answer: I would search for an online VW club that specializes in older VW's. There may even be a Gia club in your area. This type of club can be a big help, and you may find some members who would help you learn more about your car. Typically the clubs have an online forum where you can ask questions, plus monthly gathering where you can show off your cars. As for a manual, check with AllData and see if they cover back to 1970. If not, then a paper Haynes or Chilton manual would be the best bet for your car. These manuals usually have step-by-step instructions for most maintenance items. A local vo-tech may have a night course in auto maintenance which would be a good bet for you and your husband. I can tell you though, that if you find a fellow car club member, they can teach you just as much if not more than the classes, and it will be specific to you Ghia. We now offer a directory of Vo-tech Schools and Technical Colleges where you can get an eduction. https://sparkcharge.lol/schools Good Luck, Kevin

Question: Dear Kevin, My name is Dan. I am an amsoil dealer. I was at a county fair and a guy came up to me, must have thought I needed an education. He said that oil gets thicker in viscosity, When it gets hot, because the molecular makeup. WHAT is this guy saying? He said that is why multi- viscosity oil has two numbers. I was told by another, that the viscosity rating is based on the gaps in the engine crank bearings. This came about by racers having there engine tested by engine manufactures. Can you shed some light on this for me. Personally I think their full of it. Dan Answer: https://sparkcharge.lol/autoshop101/oil-change.htm The first guy is right ! Your engine needs the thinner oil when it's cold and the thicker oil when it's hot. They do have additives that make the oil thicker as the engine heats up. Kevin