By joe January 09, 2012
WORST auto shop anywhere. This was the worst auto repair shop that I have ever had the unfortune of going to. I waited two weeks, without of single phone call from them to keep me posted on their progress, only to be repeatedly told for another week after I started calling and complaining that "we're working on it right now it will be done today or tomorrow." This shop is full of lazy, unprofessional, expensive, lying, sorry-excuse-for-mechanics so pray that your car never needs repair when you are anywhere near this shop, and if you do, for your own sake I urge you to ask to be towed a few miles farther to a different shop. A few extra dollars for towing is much better than being strung along by this dreadful shop ...read more
By Bruce McLaughlan April 20, 2011
I took my car there over a week ago for a brake pad replacement, and still haven't received a single call from them. Every time I call (only twice so I'm definitely not "bugging them" repeatedly) the guy promises to call me at a specific day and time, and to "keep you informed" but nothing. I tried calling just now and no one answered. I need my car!!! ...read more
By Kathleen March 24, 2010
It's nice to find a repair shop where a woman is treated with honesty and respect. Howard was able to explain the problem I was having to where I could easily understand it. He was very patient and understanding of my needs. I would highly recommend Full Spectrum Auto Care to everyone! ...read more
Todays vehicles are absolute wonders of modern engineering! In the very newest the vehicle has almost the same type of technology as your desktop computer for intra module(computers) communication. There is a newer communication protocol developed by the Robert Bosch Corp. called Controller Area Networking or "CAN" for short. Other manufactures have different names for it due to Bosch having trade marked the name (in GM it's called GMLAN&has been in GM's since 2004). This can only be described by using the example of the old computer dial up modem interface to the internet, that most of us remember in the early days of the net. Remember having to wait forever to download something from the "Net", we had communication Baud Rates of 2200bps to 4500bps then came T1 lines and eventually Cable & Wireless highspeed internet access. Well it is the same for your newer vehicles; On pre 1996 vehicles we had what was called OBD or On Board Diagnostic 1, which is like the dial up modem of days past; it may connect or may not but can get to the net most every time. Then came OBD2 in 1996, which was a giant leap forward, akin to T1 line. Now in the early 2000's we get CAN with communication protocols of 200,000-400,000bps for all the new gadget in the vehicle, as well as smart airbags & traction control, ect. We also had in OBD2 two side of a vehicle engine computer to talk to called the "Generic or Global" side of the computer. This would allow a repairer to access a vehicle engine data & some system functions no matter if it was a factory scan tool or not. Now with can there may or may not be "global side" due to the fact that the federal government has not mandated it to be. This presents some real challenges as a repairer due to not being able to verifiy a repair, let alone even accessing the "diagnostic Trouble Code" (or DTC's for short) that may be stored in the controller. We are starting to see shops that are using just code readers to try to access this information & in some cases depending on the repairs knowledge may work sometimes(but not everytime). Also how does that repairer verify that the repair is good; in most cases hoping the "check engine light" does not come back on. In lesser shops they may try using on line repair data bases but again this only gives the most likely causes & what if they don't get it the first time? You can bet in that case you will be told you needed 2 repairs. Make sure that your repair facility uses a quality repair information data, such as Mitchell 1, or Alldata that has OEM repair information. These are subscriptions that a shop must pay for on a monthly basis. Also preferably they also have your manufactures "Factory" scan tool. This also allows them access to other system in your vehicle such as ABS, Body Control Module, Computer Controlled Charging System, ect. They also should continue to go out several times a year for advanced & updated training to keep abreast of the new techniques or emerging technologies. In this day & age of the go go go world, who has the time for someone to guess with your time & money. Some food for thought isn't it? ~H~ ...read more
By Full Spectrum Auto Care LLC February 24, 2010
We know economics times are difficult but one area that should not be put off is vehicle repairs&maintenance.; By haveing maintenance performed you can save yourself real money. We are starting to see the wear&damage to internal engine component, such as bearings/valves/rings, from extended oil change intervals with cheap oil change shop filters&oil. First&foremost that get one thing understood OIL CHANGE SHOPS ARE NOT LICENCED OR REGULATED BY THE STATE OF MICHIGAN NOR ARE THEIR PERSONEL CERTIFIED OR REGULATED; and in the state of Michigan that is pefectly legal but customer are under the misguided concept that they are just like a repair shop, THEY ARE NOT!!!! Do not get me wrong I understand that these shops have a purpose&fill a real need but you as a consumer must be informed to protect your own interest, because in most cases a oil change shop will not. Most people do not know that not all filters are created equally. We have seen a real influx of cheaper asian (Korean, Chinese, ect) that do not have much filter media in them, do not have anti-drain back feature to keep the engine from having dry starts, or automatic by-pass valving so if filter becomes plugged it will by-pass filter. Also cheap metal + thin bodies & poorly made gasketing, which allow rust through of body or slight leaks @ gasket when extending your oil change intervals. They also are using a in some cases recycled oil or this new product on the market "Remanufactured oil". In most cases the customer will never know becuse they will tell you it is a name brand but it not. Why would they do this? One reason "Maximize Profit" due to lower car counts from extended oil intervals. IF AUTOZONE (a national autoparts chain) cannot afford to seel 5qts of good oil & filter for less then $16, then how can there be a quality oil change service performed for $9.99 or $19.99 for that matter? This issue is a real problem for internal wear components of your engine. Vehicles today are made far better then ever before; routinely any vehicle made after 1996 & every vehicle made after 2000 will get 250,000mi of good service life if maintained properly. Consumer reports has done the work finding that if you keep you vehicle for 15yrs or 200,000mi, which ever comes first, your save even with all the repairs/maintenance & fuel the full purchase price of your vehicle. But to acheive this companies have had to make their engines much more efficent with better fuel economy; which means tighter tollerances inside your engine & variable cam timing using vehicle oil pressured advancing units. Lower viscosity oils such as 5w20, 0w20, 0w40, ect. Which makes the oil (or the life blood as it were) of your engine more critical then ever. IT ABSOLUTELY MAKES DOLLARS & GOOD SENSE TO MAINTAIN YOUR VEHICLE PROPERLY. So what can the average consumer do to protect themselves? #1.Your can shorten your oil change intervals to 3000-4000mi and no more #2. Make sure you are not looking for the cheapest oil change known to man that you can find! #3. Question your local oil change provider about what type of oil they use & is it a remanufactured or recycled oil brand #4. Go to a local parts store & look at a quality oil filter; look inside to become informed on what a good filter should look like (hint: becuase of the quality features of a good filter, you will either not be able to see media or just barely see it) #5. Ask to see the filter they will be installing to make sure it has the important features needed to make it a quality filter (hint: if you grab filter & almost crush in the side, it is not a good filter) #6. Once you find a good Service Provider stick with them, but still periodically spot check to make sure nothing has changed #7. If your are having oil change service from bottled or better quality oil, make sure they have to pull seals off bottles after opening caps & is not just a bottle filled with bulk oil. Next time we will discuss other services offered by oil change providers. ~H~ ...read more
By Full Spectrum Auto Care LLC February 24, 2010
Maintaining a healthy and functional automatic transmission is incredibly important to your car's overall health as well as your bank account's overall health. A faulty transmission can be one of the most expensive repairs for a car owner and learning how to do repairs yourself can be a well worthy in... ...read more
The transmission is the part of the car that allows the gears to change in order for the car to move faster. Without a functioning transmission, the car will not move. An automatic transmission switches gears by itself instead of requiring the driver to manually change them. The transmission can be re... ...read more