Modesto · Auto, diesel, equipment, fleet
Before you come in.
Everything worth knowing before you drop the vehicle off. Read it once and your first visit takes five minutes instead of twenty.
The short version. Bring the keys, your registration or plate number, and anything you know about what the vehicle is doing. We diagnose it, call you with a written estimate, and don't touch anything else until you say yes.
What to bring
- Your keys, including the wheel lock key if you have locking lug nuts.
- Your plate number or registration, so the job is logged against the right vehicle.
- A phone number you'll actually answer during the day. Most jobs stall because we can't reach someone for authorization.
- Any paperwork from previous work on the same problem, if you have it. Knowing what's already been replaced saves you diagnostic time.
Tell us what you've noticed
You don't need to know what's wrong. You do need to tell us what you've seen, heard, smelled or felt, because that's what shortens the diagnosis. Useful things to mention:
- When it happens: cold start, highway speed, braking, turning, idling.
- How long it's been doing it, and whether it's getting worse.
- Any warning lights, and whether they're steady or flashing. A flashing check engine light means stop driving it and call us.
- Anything you've already replaced or had looked at.
How the estimate works
This is how every job runs here, and it's also what California law requires of a registered repair shop:
- We give you a written estimate with parts and labor listed separately before any work begins.
- Nothing proceeds until you authorize that estimate.
- If we open something up and find a second problem, we stop and call you with a revised number. We don't add it to the bill and tell you afterwards.
- You can ask for your old parts back. Say so when you authorize the work, because some parts go back to the supplier as a core.
- Your invoice itemizes parts and labor and shows your authorization on record.
Diagnostic time
Some problems are obvious in ten minutes. Some take an hour of testing before anyone can honestly tell you what's wrong. We'll tell you up front what the diagnosis is likely to run, and you decide before we start.
Pulling a trouble code is not a diagnosis. A code tells us which circuit is unhappy, not which part failed. Anyone who reads you a code off a scanner and sells you the part named in it is guessing with your money.
How long it takes
Depends entirely on the job and on parts availability. We'll give you a realistic timeframe when we call with the estimate, and we'll call you if it changes. If a part is on back order we'd rather tell you that than keep your vehicle sitting here.
Dropping off and picking up
- We're at 529 McHenry Ave #A, Modesto. Pull in and come to the office.
- Mon–Fri 8am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm, closed Sunday.
- Clear valuables out of the vehicle before you leave it. We lock up, but we don't want responsibility for what's in your glovebox.
- Payment is due on pickup. We take cash and all major cards.
Your warranty
Parts and labor we supply carry a 12 month / 12,000 mile warranty, whichever comes first. If something we repaired isn't right, bring it straight back.
If you supply your own parts we'll fit them, but the warranty then covers our labor only. We can't stand behind a part we didn't source, and if a customer-supplied part fails you'll be paying the labor twice.
Work we don't take
- Body work, paint and collision repair.
- Wheel alignment and tire balancing.
- Stereo and audio installation.
If you're not sure whether your job fits, call before you drive over. (209) 567-2330. We'd rather tell you on the phone than in the parking lot.