Car Service

[NBR]

Going to need some service soon and don't want to go to the dealer. Has anyone used VIP in Laconia? Good experience or bad appreciated.

Thanks,

[songkrai]

Find yourself a good local mechanic. Ask around where you live.

This is only my personal experience. Others may have differing views. VIP used to be owned by a family in Maine. And when the family owned it the stores had reasonable prices and seemed quite honest. The family sold VIP a few years ago. Staff changed. Prices went up. Quality went down. And in my case they sold me parts I did not need. If you are purchasing tires or something simple then it makes no difference where you go.

But is you want work done on your car then find a good local mechanic. Ask your neighbors. Ask people in your church.

My philosophy is to find a good mechanic and have that mechanic/shop do all of your work. Oil changes, etc. You might pay a little more but when it comes time for serious work you are a regular customer and if the mechanic/shop is honest then unnecessary parts will not be added and charged to you.

Find yourself a good independent mechanic.

[AB_Monterey]

I have two words for you if you are considering VIP.

Never Again.

[trfour]

Originally Posted by NBR

Going to need some service soon and don't want to go to the dealer. Has anyone used VIP in Laconia? Good experience or bad appreciated.

Thanks,

My advise to you would depend more on whether your ( service engine soon ) light came on, or if you are looking to have an oil and filter changed??

Even the simplest services – including checking tire pressure and changing the oil – has changed drastically over the past decade, said Hess.

“Oil changes are even more complex,” he said. “With today’s synthetics and other types, it’s important the customer knows the person performing the service knows what they’re doing. Tires have pressure sensors in them that, on some models, once air has been put in the tires have to be reset. Oil life indicators have to be reset. It’s not as simple as changing out the oil and filter anymore.”

What make and model vehicle are we talking about here?

The Mechanics of, and or repair; http://tahlequahdailypress.com/local...nics-of-repair

Terry
________________________________

[Rag Top Daze]

Originally Posted by AB_Monterey

I have two words for you if you are considering VIP.

Never Again.

I could not have said it better

[bigdog]

What are folks opinion of "AutoServ" dealerships for repair service ?

Not for anything major, just oil change, maybe a disc brake job?
I'd do myself, but just don't have the time.......

Thanks,
Bigdog

[songkrai]

Originally Posted by bigdog

What are folks opinion of "AutoServ" dealerships for repair service ?

Not for anything major, just oil change, maybe a disc brake job?
I'd do myself, but just don't have the time.......

Well, as I stated above, find yourself a good independent local mechanic/shop. And have all work performed there. Including oil changes.

Now, as to Auto/Serv in Tilton. I have purchased parts there one time. And they were the highest priced parts of any dealership.

Another time I went to view a new car there. I just wanted to look at a car. No driving. Just view. The saleslady required a ton of personal information just to open the car and view. If you read up on identity theft and companies that are hacked into with all sorts of personal information stolen - one becomes a bit skeptical about giving out personal information. TJ MAX 23 million identities stolen. CitiBank 26 million identities stolen. Sony 60 million identities stolen. The VA 26 million identities stolen. So the lady needs my drivers license to put all my personal information into Auto/Serv's computer just to unlock a new car so I can look inside?

No, I will not go to Auto/Serv for anything.

[NBR]

Big Dog my question about VIP came as a result of experience with Auto Serve. I wouldn't take a pogo stick for service to AutoServe.

[Belmont Resident]

You CAN get a great deal on a new car/truck as we did but you will not get quality service at Autoserve. Or for that matter any of the ford dealers around the lakes region.
Laconia garage located across from Granite state glass on 106 going south out of Laconia is good. I use Winnipesaukee truck for my diesel truck needs.
For Hundai, Belknap Hundai has been great to us thus far.

Bigdog if I were you I’d find the time to do brakes. Average brake job for a truck using quality parts is about $700. Cost of high quality parts for my ford diesel truck is about $250. For 400+ I’ve made time to do my brake jobs again. I was having Belknap tire do my work but had too many problems with the quality of work being done especially on my brakes. Now I go to Winni truck and so far they have been great to deal with.

[gtxrider]

I never used them but I heard a horror story from 1 former customer. I would not go near them.

[Just Sold]

Valvoline would not be my choice for an oil or other fluid change. I had their oil filters leak on more than one occasion and they even came finger loose in a few miles of leaving the place. They still leaked after I re-tighened them myself by hand. I believe it was poorly cut threads on the filter that was the problem. For other fluid changes I have seen problems as well.

I am back at my local Ford dealer now for the oil changes. Good price, correct oil and tight oil filter.

[SAMIAM]

Finally found a good one MIkes Quality Car care in Laconia......went there on a friends suggestion and saved over $300 on my 100K service as compared to my dealers quote.Very clean and professional ,operation.
Also had work done on my Dodge truck and was very pleased.
Went to Autoserv once and they gave me an estimate for transmission pump and fuel injector repairs that was TWICE that of another dealer.......they advised me not to drive it away because it might cause permanent damage....I did anyway and the other dealer just laughed and fixed it for 1/2 of Auroserv's price

[Winnipesaukee]

Gulbikis. They got us back on the road on a Sunday afternoon last summer when they could have been enjoying their day off (very fair pricing too). AWESOME, honest people. Can't recommend them highly enough.

[angela4design]

Neil's Laconia Garage, at the intersection of Routes 106 and 107 is nothing short of amazing.

My Volvo was estimated needing over $2,000 in repairs, so I thought I'd see about fixing the car that I parked for almost 3 years in the yard beside the driveway (when I had had first gotten the Volvo, because it needed a bunch of repairs). It had a hole in the engine block from where a belt had broken and kept snapping away at the engine block until there was a hole there. I had thought it was 'terminal', that it would never run again without a fortune dumped into repairs. In light of this $2,000 Volvo prospect, I decided to bring it in to Neil to get his expert opinion.

Not only did he patch up that engine block and replace the broken belts that caused the fiasco in the first place, but he set right the neglect I had inflicted by letting it set in the yard for three years (rusty rotors cleaned up, brakes replaced, etc etc). He got that car running tip top with NO problems, for under $900. It might sound like a lot, but I thought the car was dead, un-savable, and I'm still driving it!

I think he's the last mechanic I'll ever need to find!

[Winnigirl83]

I've had work done at Mike's. Always reasonable and quick. He also gives a AAA discount. Plus I can walk to Dairy Queen while waiting!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by angela4design

Neil's Laconia Garage, at the intersection of Routes 106 and 107 is nothing short of amazing.

My Volvo was estimated needing over $2,000 in repairs, so I thought I'd see about fixing the car that I parked for almost 3 years in the yard beside the driveway (when I had had first gotten the Volvo, because it needed a bunch of repairs). It had a hole in the engine block from where a belt had broken and kept snapping away at the engine block until there was a hole there. I had thought it was 'terminal', that it would never run again without a fortune dumped into repairs. In light of this $2,000 Volvo prospect, I decided to bring it in to Neil to get his expert opinion.

Not only did he patch up that engine block and replace the broken belts that caused the fiasco in the first place, but he set right the neglect I had inflicted by letting it set in the yard for three years (rusty rotors cleaned up, brakes replaced, etc etc). He got that car running tip top with NO problems, for under $900. It might sound like a lot, but I thought the car was dead, un-savable, and I'm still driving it!

I think he's the last mechanic I'll ever need to find!

The different belts that you could have on your car are: Timing, cooling pump, power steering fluid pump, cooling fan, air injection pump, air conditioning compressor and more.

If the timing belt breaks the engine will stop immediately and could cause severe damage to your engine. You wouldn't be able to drive your car to be repaired.
None of these belts should put a hole in the engine block if they come off nor should they flap and hit the engine block.

I’m not sure what the mechanic said to you about repairing a hole in your engine block but I can almost assure you that it wasn’t a hole anywhere near the block…and… a hole in the block is not an easy thing to fix in most cases.

IMO the mechanic replaced a few belts (and not the timing belt), machined the rotors, replaced the pads and maybe cleaned up some other areas of your car.

Question: Did you actually see the hole that was caused by what you say was a flapping belt?

[SteveA]

3rd for Mikes Car Care.

We trust them for all of our cars.

[angela4design]

@Rusty... yes, I did see the hole! It was cringe-worthy, and that's why I had thought this car was "DONE". Neil wasn't the mechanic that originally "diagnosed" the problem, but he did fix it. I realize that's a tall order, which is why it was SO amazing! The belt was parallel with the engine, and the hole happened from the lateral friction when it had broken (saw that too), so if I made it sound like it was perpendicular, I misspoke. (I'm not positive which belt it was, since we did replace several.)

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by angela4design

@Rusty... yes, I did see the hole! It was cringe-worthy, and that's why I had thought this car was "DONE". Neil wasn't the mechanic that originally "diagnosed" the problem, but he did fix it. I realize that's a tall order, which is why it was SO amazing! The belt was parallel with the engine, and the hole happened from the lateral friction when it had broken (saw that too), so if I made it sound like it was perpendicular, I misspoke. (I'm not positive which belt it was, since we did replace several.)

Thanks for the response.

In all my 50 + years of working on car engines (and 2 cycle putt putts) I have never seen or heard of a belt causing impact damage to an engine block.
Maybe a cover or guard that is around the belt, but never an engine block.
That is amazing to say the least!

[Winnipesaukee]

...........

[VitaBene]

We are lucky in Moultonborough, we have:

Larson's on Airport Rd off 25
Dave Fullerton at the CH Irving
Clifford's on the Neck Rd
Viking Tire on 25

[songkrai]

You can weld a crack in an engine block. But it will not hold for very long. If this is so then that engine is toast shortly.

There are timing chains and timing belts. There are two kinds of engines that use timing belts. One type if belt breaks the enging is destroyed. The other type if timing belt breaks - it just stops the engine with no damage other then needing a new timing belt.

There are some exceptions. But an engine with a timing chain no maintence is needed. Timing belts do need to be replaced as they are made out of plastic and may stretch or just break. Read the car manual and do change when recommended. And most - one should replace the water pump at the same time as well as the external belt or serpentine belt.

When I think about purchasing a new car I find out if chain or belt. If I plan on keeping car long time I get a chain engine. If you trade every few years this whole dialog is moot.

[patman]

A timing belt and a timing chain perform the same function. They connect the valvetrain to the crankshaft, and keep the movement of the valves synchronized with the movement of the pistons.

Typically a belt has a service life of between 50K and 100K miles. A chain will usually last somewhere upwards of 200K miles. Both will fail eventually, though chains usually stretch to the point of slipping a notch or three instead of breaking as belts do. For most car owners, a belt is the only one that they'll ever have to worry about replacing.

If the belt breaks, typically the valvetrain will stop nearly immediately, but the crankshaft and pistons will keep moving for a short while because a) they have some rotational momentum, and b) usually you're driving and the wheels/drivetrain will keep them going as you coast to a stop.

If the chain slips, something similar happens, but everything is still moving...but not in the proper synchronization.

The worst-case scenario either way is that one or more of the valves in the engine are open all the way (sticking down into the engine) when the piston comes up to the top of its path.

Some engines are designed so that if this happens, the piston will hit the valve, bending it, and possibly damaging the piston as well. This is major damage, and extremely expensive to repair. Although this sounds like a dumb design choice at first, it's often done to increase the performance and efficiency of the engine.

Other engines are called 'non-interference' design, so even in that worst-case scenario, there is clearance between the piston and valve, so they can't hit and cause damage. In this case, only the belt/chain needs to be replaced, which is much cheaper than the other design. Again, the tradeoff here could be lower performance or efficiency.

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As for the hole in the block...I could see it if the problem was a worn bushing that caused the idler to lean to the point that the belt was rubbing (sawing) into the block. For something like that, it could easily be in a non-essential location on the block, and could even be repaired with a blob of JBWeld or something. Not all parts of the engine block are high stress areas.