Is My Kids Car Safe?
We are getting calls from parents wanting to make sure their kids’ car is dependable and safe.
Watching your kids drive off in their first vehicle can be emotional for any parent. Add to that, the worry that their car might break down and watch your stress level hit the roof. While we cannot take the emotion away, we can certainly alleviate your worry and stress by ensuring the vehicle is sound and in good condition with a DVI (detailed vehicle inspection).
Unlike other states, Michigan does not have state-mandated vehicle inspections. Without the mandate, it can be easy to overlook regular inspections as proactive auto care. It can also be tough finding an auto shop who’s technicians know how to do a DVI like we do at O’Neill Auto & Transmission Service.
We offer a DVI, including a scan of all modules, steering linkage and battery & charging. You will have accurate knowledge of the mechanical state of your vehicle. We will tell you what items need immediate attention and if others can be safely put off for a while. Cost can range from $90-$225, depending on how detailed you wish us to get.
Having this information helps to budget you auto repair/maintenance cost and will give you peace of mind when your young driver is away from home.
Why isn’t my car shifting??
Customers with complaints of not shifting, wrong gear starts, late or early shifts are considered to have shift timings issues.
For an automatic transmission to shift, there are two things that need to be known: 1) How fast the vehicle is moving. 2) How hard the operator is depressing the accelerator.
Sorting out the source of the issue can be complex. The first step in finding the truth is to separate the command to function from the transmission ability to function. The “Command” observation centers on the vehicle speed vs throttle position state. The simplest way to do this is with a scanner that reads, codes, and provides observable data. We observe the Power Train Control Module command a shift while watching the transmission’s ability to make the shift.
If a command to shift isn’t occurring we diagnose it as a problem outside of the transmission. If the command to shift occurs but the transmission doesn’t change speeds, we conclude that the problem is with the transmission.
Whether the problem is inside or outside the transmission, there are possibly minor or serious problems.
This writing is not intended to accurately diagnose a problem. Rather, it is to give the reader some insight into the complexity of diagnosing modern vehicles and instill some confidence that our processes will serve people needing this type of service.
