Lube and Latte - Crimestoppers!

I am hoping that the information I am about to post does not come off as crude - frankly, I am just kinda stunned by some of the things that happen to me as a business owner and I cross my fingers that readers of this blog find the hilarity of certain situations as much as I do. That said, aside from the inside scoop, which I'm going to post each week, I feel obliged to share events that occur here on a regular basis so that you may know the extent of my psychological well-being (minimal).

Alas, there was an arrest made at Lube and Latte this morning. There my staff was, peaceful as doves on a promenade of the stoop, when who should arrive through the door: The Fuzz. They explained that they had made 83 arrests this month of men suspected of seeking minors for illicit acts. The two men and two women police people then proceeded to describe how they would be meeting one of these suspects at Lube and Latte - then they ordered a couple of mochas and an americano (yes, tips were included on their receipts). One of the cops spoke on the phone to the suspect in Spanish, she being the supposed minor. The man, on the other end of the line was to be rolling up in a fancy white Mercedes-Benz (this turned out to be a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am). When the guy arrived, he popped out of his Mercedes-Pontiac, sauntered over to the wooden bench on the porch, sat down next to the woman police officer and then, a few nano-seconds later, had some hand-cuffs slapped on his wrists. He claimed not to be the sought after marauder, except that his phone rang when they called it again (curse you T-Mobile). There it is, the 84th arrest!

The officers left us with a few Cheezo pamphlets (a yellow pink panther who helps advise kids to stay away from creeps like this on the internet) and a business card. Ok, so this type of situation is not a laughing matter...except...are you serious? At Lube and Latte? Why Lube and Latte? I kid you not, we had no warning of this visit. Worse, the Pontiac-Benz is still here! No tow-away in sight. Sigh...

Amazon Scanner

Last week the Denver Post wrote an article about the "Innova 3160 Scanner" on sale at Amazon which pulls the codes for the "check engine light" and "ABS light" on your vehicle. Approximate cost $470...While this may seem like the perfect stocking stuffer for the do-it-yourself dad, I might go so far as to BEG you not to give dad this little baby. If you're even thinking that your dad is a handy guy around cars (unlike a father I know who mistook the crankcase for the radiator - true story!) - buy him a ratchet instead! You make ask, "why dear crooked shop owner are you asking us not to buy dad or mom this wonder of modern technology - is it so that you can make more money??" Trust me, the answer is "no". Really, if you wanted to find out what the code was for your Check Engine Light, you could just drive on down to the local Auto Zone and there, for no money whatsover, receive the self-same information. The reason I think a device like this is a bad idea, is because the codes behind the check engine light indicate a viable problem with your vehicle. In very few cases is the scanner going to pinpoint the exact item on your car that needs to be fixed. For example, let's just say that the code says that the car is running lean on fuel. What do you do then? Now you've spent $470 and you know that your car has a fuel related issue. Danger! You erase the code and are off on your merry way for a vacation to Iowa. Halfway on your trip your car runs so lean on fuel that it dies and you're stuck roaming through miles of corn looking for anyone who can get you towed to a shop where they do know why your car is running lean and have no problem selling you $700 worth of repairs to fix the silly 02 sensor or broken vacuum line or dying fuel pump that caused the code in first place. Here's today's inside scoop:

I know the Check Engine light sucks! I know that shops fix it and it comes back on again and again. But, believe me, the seemingly expensive diagnostic you pay for is worth it. If the shop doesn't get it fixed right, and the light comes back on again, and the shop is worth their salt, they'll get it cleared up for you. But, be prepared. If the light comes back on with a different code, you may have multiple problems. No $470 scanner is going to save you money in this scenario. Instead, get dad a gift card to Lube and Latte. That way he can down a Mocha while the code gets pulled on his car and explicit details of the code are conveyed to him in all their gory detail.

Inside the Industry - Brake squeaking

"I just had my brakes put on and now they squeak every morning when I pull out of my driveway"
"Does the squeaking go away after a few stops?"
"Yes"
"Aha!"

This makes up a good chunk of the phonecalls I get. We've just put brakes on a car and a week later we hear about the high-pitched bird noises emanating from the wheels of the vehicle. Inevitably this scares people because this sounds like the self-same noise that the brake "wear-indicators" made when they warned them that it was time to change brake pads. But, dear reader, the noise is different! When we buy pads from a vendor (your Napas, Checkers, Auto Zones, etc.), there are a number of different styles to choose from. Some of the pads we intall will have a design lends itself to corrosion buildup. What happens is that this particular type of pad, in humid conditions, develops corrosion on these edges. This tiny amount of corrosion causes a vibration between the pad and the brake rotor which translates to: squeaking. As the corrosion wears away when the brakes heat up, the squeak disappears. However, and here's where this gets tricky, the brake pad isn't the only culprit. If the customer's wheels are built in such a way as to allow moisture buildup on the pad, it doesn't matter how much fine green has been blown on the brake job - they still squeak. Evil cars! Here though, is the inside scoop (because this is always the follow-up question to the one posted above), how the h-e-double hockey-sticks am I supposed to know if my brake are failing because a squeak is a damn squeak?? The answer - you can't. When the tires get rotated, the brakes need to get checked...every time! So here it is, today's inside scoop:

If your brakes are checked every tire rotation, you are less susceptible to some of the dishonest auto repair business sales. Think abou it, if you were told by a shop 6,000 miles ago that your brakes had 70% life left, and the shop you are at is telling you your brakes are toast...time to run or step out to the garage and see for yourself! Likewise, if you know your brakes are at 30% life left, you'll know - long before you spend a lot of money going into your rotors - time to schedule a brake appointment.

Hope this helps.