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General Car Tip Questions

Do I have the right to ask what brand of parts a repair shop used on my car?

When you take your vehicle to a shop for repair, you should not only get an itemized bill with part number and brand name, but it should have separate labor operations for everything that was performed on your vehicle. Find a shop that does this-gives you a detailed invoice of what was performed and what exact parts were replaced. You should be offered to see or take your old parts if you want to. It's also great if the shop can document if there is anything else your vehicle may need in the future, that way you can budget ahead for future needs.

I took my car to a shop and they charged me two hours in diagnostic charges. Why does it take two hours on the diagnostic machine to find out what is wrong with my car?

Unfortunately there is no "magic machine," what it requires to accurately diagnose today's vehicles is a combination of a few things. First the technician needs to properly road test the vehicle, then he may do a visual inspection of your vehicle.

He may do a series of scan tests, computer code tests, fuel pressure and volume test, wiggle and tap tests, and finally he may need to scope the engine. This all requires time, it's not unrealistic for today's vehicles to require 3 to 4 hours to accurately diagnose a driveability concern.

I was in an accident where the right side of my car got hit. The air bag did not go off-how come?

Most cars that are equipped with air bags have three sensors that activate the air bag system. When you are involved in an accident two out of the three air bag sensors need to be activated for the air bag to deploy. Most sensors are located in the front of the vehicle; therefore, unless you have nearly a head on collision, the air bag will not deploy.

My yellow check engine light comes on-what does that mean?

When a yellow check engine or service engine soon light comes on, you should make an appointment to have your vehicle checked. What that light means is that the computer is sensing a problem. It could be very minor such as a sensor out of range or it could be that a sensor needs to be replaced. If you would ever have a red light come on, that means your car needs immediate attention and you should shut the car off and have it looked at right away.

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General Car Tip Questions
Do I have the right to ask what brand of parts a repair shop used on my car? When you take your vehicle to a shop for repair, you should not only get an itemized bill with part number and brand name, but it should have separate labor operations for everything that was performed on your vehicle. Find a shop that does this-gives you a detailed invoice of what was performed and what exact parts were replaced. You should be offered to see or take your old parts if you want to. It's also great if the shop can document if there is anything else your vehicle may need in the future, that way you can budget ahead for future needs. I took my car to a shop and they charged me two hours in diagnostic charges. Why does it take two hours on the diagnostic machine to find out what is wrong with my car? Unfortunately there is no "magic machine," what it requires to accurately diagnose today's vehicles is a combination of a few things. First the technician needs to properly road test the vehicle, then he may do a visual inspection of your vehicle. He may do a series of scan tests, computer code tests, fuel pressure and volume test, wiggle and tap tests, and finally he may need to scope the engine. This all requires time, it's not unrealistic for today's vehicles to require 3 to 4 hours to accurately diagnose a driveability concern. I was in an accident where the right side of my car got hit. The air bag did not go off-how come? Most cars that are equipped with air bags have three sensors that activate the air bag system. When you are involved in an accident two out of the three air bag sensors need to be activated for the air bag to deploy. Most sensors are located in the front of the vehicle; therefore, unless you have nearly a head on collision, the air bag will not deploy. My yellow check engine light comes on-what does that mean? When a yellow check engine or service engine soon light comes on, you should make an appointment to have your vehicle checked. What that light means is that the computer is sensing a problem. It could be very minor such as a sensor out of range or it could be that a sensor needs to be replaced. If you would ever have a red light come on, that means your car needs immediate attention and you should shut the car off and have it looked at right away.