Why QC Auto Service – FAQs

QUESTIONS:

1. Who is QC Auto Service?
   
   
2. Why should I use your shop to repair my vehicle?
   
   
3. Weren't you previously a franchised company?
   
   
4. Do you offer a warranty on your repair services?
   
   
5. What happens when I am not at home when my vehicle breaks down?
   
   
6. What maintenance schedule should I follow?
   
   
7. My check engine/ service engine light is on; Should I have it towed?
   
   
8. Is high octane gasoline better for my vehicle?
   
   
9. Why do shops charge a diagnostic fee?
   
   
10. My vehicle is running rough; Will a tune-up fix it?
    
    
11. I need brakes; How much will it cost me?
    
    
12. My car pulls and vibrates; Do I need an alignment?
    
    
13. I have a problem with my car that occurs intermittently. Can you find the problem?
    
    
14. What if you don’t find the problem? Do I still owe you for the time spent on it?
    
    
15. I have an Audi, my wife has a Honda; Can you work on our vehicles?
    
    
16. The repairs on my vehicle are going to cost a lot. Should I just get rid of it, and get a different one?
    

ANSWERS:

1. QC Auto Service stands for Quality Care Auto Service! QC Auto Service is an independently owned repair shop that has been in business for 32 years! We are not a franchise. We have 3 locations; 1 in Davenport (IA), 1 in Bettendorf (IA), and 1 in Moline (IL). We are local people with a strong commitment to our communities. We service most cars, trucks, SUVs, RVs and medium duty trucks.
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2. You should bring your vehicle to us because our goal is to treat our customers with respect and to provide the best service. We listen to your problem, we assign the proper technician to inspect your vehicle, and we provide a free written and explained estimate to you! In some cases, a vehicle may need a computer diagnostic in order to find the problem; in this instance, we would need to charge for a diagnostic, but with your authorization first. We can tow your vehicle, fix your flat tire, run a battery check, or diagnose that check engine light! If you choose to wait at our repair facility while we are repairing your vehicle, you will be pleasantly surprised that a newspaper, hot coffee, magazines, clean facilities, and comfortable chairs are waiting for you! We also offer free shuttle service if you would like to go to work or back home instead. Our friendly staff will help put you at ease regarding the repair of your vehicle!
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3. Yes, when we started out 32 years ago, it was great to have a national name to help us with our business. But our customers come back not because of our former name, but because of us and our staff. We built a reputation of being honest, reliable experts in our business. The cost of being a part of a franchise became too expensive while trying to remain competitive with pricing. Our pricing is now better for you because we don’t have to pay franchise fees!
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4. Yes we offer a great Peace-of-Mind warranty! On most repairs, our warranty is 12 months or 12,000 miles. We use factory replacement parts because they last longer, and fit your car better! Some items that we sell, (for example, brake pads, shocks, struts, and mufflers) come with a lifetime warranty. Just ask our manager for details!
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5. Our Certified Auto Repair Program is designed to extend our warranty nationwide. If you had your vehicle repaired at our facility, and your vehicle let you down in Texas, you can have it repaired at a participating Certified Auto Repair Shop and they will fix your vehicle! If it is determined that it is the same problem that we repaired, there is NO COST to you! So go ahead, and take that road trip!!
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6. You should look in your vehicle’s owners’ manual, and follow their suggested maintenance. In Illinois and Iowa, we have severe driving conditions (temps range from -35F to 105F), and most people drive short distances, so vehicles never really “warm up”. Take this and the condition of our roads in the spring (potholes??!!) and now you can probably understand why vehicles need a little more TLC.
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7. Most of the time your car’s computer is alerting you to a problem that it has detected and is prompting you to have your vehicle serviced. If you don’t have any other symptoms other than the light on, you should be OK to drive it to your selected repair shop. If you notice the vehicle running bad, smell gas, or another noticeable change, shut the car off, and have it towed.
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8. Unless your owner’s manual specifically requires the use of high octane fuel, use the regular unleaded. There are actually Service Bulletins from manufacturers that address complaints stemming from the use of high octane fuel. If your car is “pinging” or running bad, it is highly unlikely that a “better” grade of fuel will help.
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9. Service shops charge a diagnostic fee because it requires a little extra time to communicate with the car’s on board computer. Every vehicle manufactured since 1980 has some form of a computer; as the years have gone by and technology has become more complex, many of these cars now have 2 or 3 main computers. The time it takes to communicate with the vehicle, and to research the information provided, takes longer than it used to.
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10. A “tune-up” is a preventative item, not a solution to a vehicle that is running poorly. Your vehicle may need plugs, wires, a distributor cap, rotors, throttle bottle service, fuel injector service, etc. Depending on your vehicle, you may need all of these services. That is why we recommend addressing a running problem in the form of a diagnosis before we perform any repairs.
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11. No one can quote a brake job over the phone. This is because we need to see what your vehicle needs first. Maybe you need just brake pads; maybe you need pads, rotors, calipers, and brake lines. In order to get a proper quote, we need to inspect and diagnose the problem you are having. I have had many customers go to a shop that advertised a low price, but ended up paying a higher price than they would have paid at our shop for similar work. Remember, we have been family owned for 32 years; we built our business on our great reputation for great service, great prices, and accurate work!
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12. Possibly. A pull can be caused by tires, loose or worn steering components, or just an alignment issue. A vibration will never be fixed by an alignment. The vibration could be caused by the tires if they are damaged from misalignment.
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13. In short, yes. The biggest pain for an auto technician is the intermittent problem. There is a good chance that the tech will not observe the problem while the vehicle is in our possession. What we normally recommend is to wait until the problem occurs regularly or predictably before bringing the vehicle in. We typically charge for all the time involved in diagnosing an intermittent problem and this can become very expensive for you.
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14. Yes. Although we are highly trained professionals, we can’t always diagnose an intermittent problem. Before we begin on your vehicle, we will have you authorize any diagnostic procedures that we feel are necessary. If we don’t find the problem with those tests, you have the option of continuing with more testing at further expense to you, or stopping at that point. In either case, you will owe us for the procedures authorized by you.
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15. We work on most makes and models of cars, light trucks and SUV’s. We stay on the cutting edge of modern technology so we are able to work on your vehicle. We carry all factory diagnostics for GM, Chrysler, Fords, etc. We use the same diagnostics that the dealership uses, except we are a lot less expensive! We have factory scanners for Honda, Audi/VW, Volvo’s, etc. It’s pretty safe to say that we can service all domestics, Asian imports, and many European imports. If you are unsure, just call us and we'll tell you what we’re equipped to do.
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16. This is a question we get asked a lot. There is not always an easy answer, but my advice may surprise you. I almost always recommend repairing the vehicle rather than replacing it. Usually my thinking goes like this: if your vehicle is in generally good condition, we analyze the age and value of the car. Now, if we can assume after spending the money on the repairs, the vehicle will likely provide fairly trouble-free service for a period of time, we break the repair over a monthly period.
    
    • Let’s say that the repairs were going to be $1200.00 If it is reasonable to assume that the car will run another year, that amount comes out to $100.00 a month. That is pretty cheap considering that is has been statistically proven that the average vehicle owner spends about $1000.00 a year on maintenance, including new vehicles. So you see, it may not necessarily be a bad idea to fix your present mode of transportation.
    
    • Here’s another example. Let’s say you go buy another used vehicle with 60,000 miles on it for $10,000.00 The sales tax alone will cost you $700.00 And that’s not factoring in license and transfer fees that could bring you close to $1,000.00 Is that $1200.00 repair starting to sound not so bad now?
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