Windsor Auto Repair

This post is a little more technical than most. I've included a glossary below should you like more information about a term. What does it cost to perform a check engine light diagnosis? Repairpal says between $88-111. What does it cost to skip a diagnosis? It could be a lot. Let's give an example: if the check engine light on your 2008 Mini Cooper comes on and you're a do-it-yourselfer, you immediately grab your trusty scan tool, or you head to your local parts store. The diagnostic trouble code you find stored in the ECU is P0420 which is the universal code for catalyst inefficiency (bank 1 if the engine has two banks). This means the catalytic converter is not reducing emissions the way that it's designed to do. What's a catalytic converter cost? Well, almost $1100 for a ... read more

This post is a proactive thought piece as opposed to last week's reactive one. Nobody asks me this question, but I can tell that people have radically different ideas about how much should be spent on vehicle repair and maintenance. There are two scenarios that happen often to me that relate to this universal query: 1. Two customers are quoted the exact same job on identical models: one customer says that's a good deal, the other says the car isn't worth that. 2. Customer A needs a repair that costs $1000; the final bill ends up being $1100. Customer B needs a repair that costs $100; the final bill ends up being $200. Who do you think is more upset? The moral of those scenarios is that people have different value systems. Feeling like you're getting a good deal is more important to people than actually getting a good deal. (Otherwise, people might be asking me to replace unnecessary items so that they won't ever have to pay labor to replace those in the future). Now let's turn to the e ... read more

This is a two-post series with part one being published on February 14, 2020. If you haven't already read that one, you might want to catch up first. So here we are again, talking about whether you should fix the beater. There's risk involved no matter what you do. You might fix it and something else breaks next week. You might buy a new car and that one breaks. (Side note: if you fix it and it turns out that wasn't the problem, we need to talk with your mechanic and make sure that was a one-time mistake and not repeat carelessness). Here's the best question to ask yourself: “Do I love this car?” If the answer is yes, then you should seriously consider fixing it. If you don't love your car, you need to find a car you love. If this repair won't put you into debt, you should fix it so that you're not desperate to find a new car. If you don't fix it, just remember that Ubers for a week are cheaper than years of loan interest and vehicle maintenance. Most people say things to m ... read more

A question I hear from customers often is, “Is it even worth it to fix it?” My answer is always the same: “It depends.” This answer is even accurate for customer who need major repairs like an engine or transmission. This answer is the SAME even if the customer needs an engine for a 1980s Honda…it depends. The real question you need to ask yourself is, “What is my goal with this vehicle?” Most people claim that they just want something to get them from “point A to point B,” but the facts show us that car buying is largely an emotional decision. But this post is about being in the moment where you have to decide what to do with your car, not deciding which car to buy. Keep in mind some of the following costs associated with replacing your car: sales tax, dealer fees, registration fees, loan interest, state inspections, new insurance premiums (could be higher or lower), new phone mount or other personal accessories, time off work and ... read more