Innovative Autocare Blog

     What do all those numbers on the side of the tire mean? Lets examine a tire for 2004 Chevy Trailblazer. This particular tire is a Goodyear Fortera  P245/65R17 105S.  The letter “P” is designated as a passenger car tire. The other possibility would be an LT or light truck tire. 245 is the width of the tire in millimeters or about 9.6 inches. 65 is the percentage of tire that is sidewall.  A 70 series tire has more sidewall and rides softer than a 50 series tires. The 50 series tire will have less side wall flex and corner better than the 70 series tire but the ride will be rougher. R designates radial construction. 17 is the rim diameter in inches. The load index of 105 indicates that this tire can support up to 2039 pounds. Load index ratings range from 71 or 761 pounds to 110 or 2337 pounds.  Lastly, the S is a speed rating of 112 miles per hour. Speed ratings range from L at 75 miles per hour to Y  at 186 miles per hour.

       What this means to the everyday driver is that you cannot mix and match. Changing sizes can distort speedometer readings which in turn could change shift points controlled by the vehicle computer. Changing sizes can also cause the tires to rub the body or frame. Uneven wear  or mixing sizes can cause poor ride or bind the drive train on all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive vehicles.

     Load ratings and speed ratings are important too. Not matching the original ratings could cause the tires to wear faster or even cause a blowout.  When buying tires make sure the construction date is no older than 2 years old.  Every tire has a build date. This is the last 4 digits of the DOT label. The Forteras I have in stock are dated 0612 or June 2012.

     Innovative Autocare. Tires, advanced diagnostics, complete auto repair serving Green and Portage Lakes Ohio.

     I have hired some real boneheads in the past. Not having anyone to depend on made thing hard in the early years.  Mechanics were coming and going quite frequently.  These guys didn’t care what time the business opened or closed.  They didn’t care who was listening when they screamed curse words at their girlfriends. And they didn’t care about the quality of their work.     I ‘m glad those days are gone.

      I hired Greg in 2007. He  beats me to work every day! I have never seen him raise his voice at anyone! And he cares about quality and customers! Having Greg to depend on allows me to take days off and vacations too. Greg runs the business when I am not here.  Greg does most of the complex repairs and some of the diagnostics. Greg can even do a customer invoice and debate My daughter to a standstill!

     Without Greg, Innovative Autocare would not be quite the same. I  really depend on him and I think most customers can easily work with him. Just one more reason why Innovative Autocare is the best auto repair in Portage Lakes!

Hello everyone! This is Tierney, Jeff’s daughter and Innovative Autocare’s service writer. I can remember my first years driving, and how I was taught to drive and obey traffic laws. But one thing many people forget to teach kids is how to keep their car healthy. Listen to this story: My first car was an ’82 Cutlass Supreme. I was seventeen, and was one of few friends who had a car, so I got to drive everyone everywhere. One day, while driving back home from a friend’s house, I noticed my oil light had come on, and the pressure gauge was very low. But I figured I was only about two miles away, and could have my dad look at it when I got home… In that short amount of time, I fried the engine, and was left without a car for over a month.

The cause for the low oil was someone else’s fault, so I am told. But my ignoring the light led to the break down. We had to rebuild the engine because of it… but I’m a mechanic’s daughter! Basically, I should have known not to drive with low oil pressure, but my dad either never thought to tell me, or assumed I would know better.

It is important that we let our new drivers know what to look for in their vehicles. Your teenager probably thinks they know everything, but of course you know better. Show and tell them how to check fluid levels such as oil and coolant, so they don’t end up stranded on the side of the road. Let them know that keeping a tire gauge in the car, and keeping the pressure at the correct level can improve their mileage. And make sure they are aware of how ignoring squeaky brakes or engine lights can be a dangerous idea.

If you don’t know what to tell them, or would like more advice and information, ask your mechanic! I know many adults who didn’t know these great tips, and we would be happy to help you out. We top off all fluids, check lights and set tire pressures with every repair we do, to keep your car at its best, and ensure it’s working safely for you.

Innovative Autocare

     Batteries tend to fail in extreme cold or extreme hot weather.  I have also seen many batteries that will start the car but fail testing. Sometimes we will see a vehicle with too small a battery installed.  It’s no different than having a weak battery.  A weak battery may get you by until you leave the lights on or your starter gets weak too. Then you are stranded.

         Inspect your battery when you check your oil.  The battery should be clean and the sides of the body should be straight with no bowing. The battery should fit the mounting area closely. If you can see extra space in the battery tray area where the battery sits, it is probably not the correct battery. The battery should also be mounted firmly to the battery tray. A loose battery can damage other components or move out of place and create an alternate path for current flow draining the battery. I have even seen rooster-tails of sparks flying when a loose battery made contact with the body as the car made a turn!!! Look for white powder on the mounting terminals. White powder is corrosion. Corrosion can eat the terminals until they break and loose contact leading to a no start. Corrosion can also drain the battery by creating an electronic path from the positive terminal to any ground source.  Most batteries are dated. If your battery is more than five years old you should have it tested.

      If you do not see your battery under the hood, it may be in the trunk or under the rear seat.  These are no different than underhood mounted batteries. Vehicle manufacturers move the battery for better weight distribution and better handling.

       There are two types of battery tests. Carbon pile load testing and electronic load testing. I have seen batteries pass one test and fail the other. For a free battery test, stop by Innovative Autocare.

     When I worked at a Ford dealer in the late 1980′s we still had all the part and repair information manuals for the 1966 model Fords. The repair book was just under 1,000 pages in an over-sized format; it included repair instructions and labor information for all the American cars and Volkswagons too. Today my Alldata system contains 47 dvds (a dvd holds about 96,000 letter-size documents) with repair instructions and labor information for most models sold in the United States. I also subscribe to Identafix and IATN (International Auto Technician’s Network) for additional information.

         In 1966  Ford had 7 different models including F-Series trucks and E-Series vans. In 2006 Ford has 11 different model vehicles! Toyota imported a very small number of cars in the 1960′s. Then Lexus and Scion spun off from the parent Toyota group, creating even more variety.  Now they are the #1 sold vehicle in the world.        

      Imagine how much information a technician needs to access to repair your vehicle! Different vehicles require different tools and different training, greatly increasing the investment required by your technician. A good technician will spend tens of thousands of dollars in tools and the repair shop will spend  HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars in heavy equipment.

        Today’s technicians do not have an easy job. New manufacturers, new tools and new technologies can give the most skilled and experienced technician a case of information overload!!!

Innovative Autocare- Experts in foreign and domestic diagnostics and repair!

      Contemporary vehicles have stricter requirements than vehicles from 10 years ago. For example a 2010 Toyota Prius requires 0w20 motor oil. Installing a different weight oil can illuminate the check engine light and even cause a no start condition.

     When servicing automatic transmissions, coolant or differentials the situation gets worse.  There is at least 10 different automatic transmission fluids. Most are not interchangeable and prices vary greatly. Coolant and differential lubes are just as bad.

     In the past there was 10w30 or 10w40 motor oil stored in bulk containers and used on nearly every car. Ethel glycol coolant, Dexron automatic transmission fluid and GL5 gear lube were also universally used.  Imagine having 10 different weight motor oils each stored in a 275 gallon bulk container!!!!

     These varying and increasing costs for products will make that $25.00 oil change and all other fluid services at menu prices obsolete and impossible.

     Finances greatly influence our decision making process. Certainly hindsight is 20/20. When you are presented with a repair estimate one of the most important questions is: What will happen if I delay this repair?

      Last week we towed a 1997 Chevy Monte Carlo. The vehicle had a broken ball joint. When the ball joint broke, the tire and wheel assembly dented the fender and now the door contacts the fender when opening. The halfshaft was also damaged. The customer knew that her car needed ball joints but chose to delay the repair. The estimate for the ball joint repair was $147.00 parts and labor per side.  The price to replace the ball joint and halfshaft including towing was $351.00 not including the body damage!!! 

       We see this cascade of events often. Broken timing belts causing bent valves, Flat tires due to no tread, destroying wheels, ignored oil changes ran for 15,000 miles, ruining engines.  Remember the Fram oil filter commercial of a technician saying “pay me now or pay me later”?

        Innovative Autocare, the best auto repair in Akron. Extended warranty, personalized service and exact price.

1/17/12

Just had a 2006 Jeep Commander towed in. It is 20,000 miles past due for an oil change!!! The engine has valve and piston damaged which will require a rebuild or replacement. Regular maintenance would have prevented this and saved thousands of dollars.

     There are 3 types of professional auto repair shops. Each has positives and negatives associated with it. The first type is the dealership repair. They are usually very good and have all the specialty tools for the make of vehicle that they sell as new. You are required to go to the dealership to service new car warranty issues.  The biggest problem with dealerships is price. They are the most expensive and may be bound by contract to use only the parts sold in their parts department. They can be weak in their ability to service vehicles that they do not sell as new, due to a lack of training and experience servicing other brands.

       The second type is the franchise. Franchises are usually in the middle as far as price. Most franchises offer a regional or nationwide warranty.  Some franchises are limited in what services they offer.  They tend to focus on tires, brakes, suspensions and exhaust. Some refuse engine work and are less skilled with diagnostics.

     The third type is the independent repair shop. Price, services, quality and warranty can vary widely but they are generally cheapest. They may offer a nationwide warranty and they can buy parts as they choose to suit quality and/or price. The majority of repair shops in the United States are independent. A customer can be a big fish in a little pond and have a close relationship with employees. A good independent repair shop can offer complete service and accurate diagnostics. By not limiting what vehicles they service they tend to learn varied skills and techniques that other techs have never been exposed to.

     Each type of repair facility has benefits and problems. You are best served by building a relationship through trust and communication.  Any type of repair shop can be good or bad at what they do. Check with the BBB, ask your friends and neighbors and check for professional affiliations.

In Ohio, auto repair shops can provide customers with an estimate that can increase by 10 percent legally. Many shops add shop supplies and disposal fees which can add another 10 percent to the final bill.

     We pride ourselves on providing our customers with exact prices that never have fees for shop supplies or disposal. More than a few times we have lost a job due to  estimating, only to have the customer return and tell us that our price was cheaper than what they actually paid when their estimate changed to an invoice!!!

What are your expectations when receiving a free diagnostic service? How much time should a technician spend on a free service? Will their results be accurate? What equipment should the technician use? What happens when the free diagnostic is incorrect? Should the technician be entry level with little training or a technician with years of training and experience?
Many “mechanics” perform free diagnostics because they do not have the training and experience to produce accurate results. They may not test drive, hook up additional equipment or even open a hood. When their conclusions are wrong they simply suggest you install another part and demand more money. This is common practice for most repair shops and perpetuates the bad mechanic sterotype through lost trust and overly expensive repairs.
We specialize in accurate information. Read “The Three Diagnostic Methods” on our Pinpoint Diagnostics page. We believe in providing the customer with accurate information so that they know what to expect, how long the repairs take and how much it will cost. See Greg, our lead technician or Jeff, our Master Technician for quality, guaranteed repairs.
Innovative Autocare serving Green, the Portage Lakes, Clinton, Uniontown and Akron.