Lowell's

When your car still isn't right

Hi everyone!  Keith here and today's topic is a difficult - but important - one.  

What do you do when there is a problem with your car soon after you pick it up from Lowell's? Do you bring it back or do you take it somewhere else?   

While you may be tempted to take your vehicle elsewhere, we hope that you will bring it back to us so we may address your concern.  If we ever let you down, we ask for the chance to make things right.  

I can honestly say everyone here is dedicated to doing the job right the first time. Sometimes, though, we might miss something or may not communicate something that you need to know.  

As such, we'd like to correct any discrepancy there may be.  We try to resolve any issues with customers -- however large or small.   

If you bring your vehicle back to Lowell's, I can promise we will do our best to make it right.  If we made mistakes during your service, we can usually resolve the problem at no extra cost to you.  If for some reason you still are not satisfied, please contact Rob personally.  

We appreciate the trust you place in Lowell's, and will always work hard to keep it.

Lowell's Black Friday Specials

If you'd rather not fight the crowds in search of a good deal on Black Friday, why not get great deals at Lowell's this year instead?

This Friday, November 25th, we're offering the best prices all year on some of your most important services!

Here's what we're offering:

• FREE brake inspection! (A $43 savings).
• A $5 oil change! (A savings of $15 to $25).
• Save 50% on a transmission flush! (A savings of $83).
• 50% off of a brake flush! (A savings of $69).

That's a potential savings of over $200 on the award-winning service you expect from Lowell's!

Be sure to reserve your slot for this Friday by calling Lowell's at 233-1173 or by making your appointment online today.  We can't wait to see you!

UPDATE: Because so many customers are traveling this weekend, we're extending our Black Friday deals to "Cyber Monday" - Monday, November 28th - as well. 

Share the Knowlege

Hello everyone!  My name is Keith Shelburne. I have been working for Lowells for just over 6 years now, and have been asked by Rob to be a  contributor to the blog. 

I have been turning wrenches (as they say) for over 26 years and am an ASE Master Certified Technician.  

My objective will be to share my knowlege with everyone on the blog.  Things from the write up to service to what we do when we technicians get your car, as well as any specifics on the cars.

I will try to be as informative as possible without being too technical.  I would like to hear any questions about appointments, personnel, write-ups, training,  service work or technical topics.  

Do you have a topic already? Just let me know what you would like to see covered.  Check back soon to see what the first topic may be.

Thanks,  Keith S

"Do You Always Use Genuine Toyota Parts?"

Customers often ask us, "Do you always use genuine Toyota parts?"

No, not always.

Throughout our history, we've consistently used a mixture of genuine Toyota parts and high-quality aftermarket (in other words, "non-Toyota") parts.  

We choose parts based on part quality, availability, and price.  If a Toyota part costs too much or takes too long to get in, and we can offer a high-quality alternative, we will.

On critical categories of parts - such as brake pads, oil filters, antifreeze, and ignition coils - we use only Toyota materials because we think Toyota offers superior quality.

When we do use aftermarket parts, we try to ensure that they are equivalent in quality to Toyota parts - usually by choosing a supplier who also supplies Toyota (such as NGK or Denso). 

We know that our parts quality is key to our customers' satisfaction - and to the future of Lowell's. Without great parts, we wouldn't be able to stand behind our exceptional three-year / 36,000-mile warranty on most repairs (where other shops and dealers usually offer 1-year or 90-day warranties).

If you ever have questions about your parts, please feel free to ask.  We're always happy to explain how we work on your car.

Toyota Tip: "What's a cabin air filter?"

We recommend changing your car's cabin air filter about once a year.  Many customers know about their car's engine air filter, but they aren't as familiar with the filter for their cabin.  

So when we recommend changing the cabin air filter, we're often asked "What - exactly - is a cabin air filter?"

Good question.

Put simply, a cabin air filter helps purify the air inside your car's cabin.  The cabin air filter helps keep dust, pollen, and road particles from getting into your car's heating and air conditioning system, which then helps keep that stuff out of your lungs and out of your car's interior.

Clean, Dirty, and Filthy Cabin Air Filters

Changing your cabin air filter will ensure that your heating and air conditioning system has maximum air flow while keeping the nasty stuff out of your cabin.

The once-a-year guideline is a general one; We really recommend you change the cabin air filter when it gets dirty.  And that depends on your driving conditions.  

If you often drive on dusty roads or over leaf-covered streets in the fall, you may need your cabin filter changed more often.  If you drive in cleaner conditions, you can probably wait longer than a year between changes.

Feel free to call the shop with any questions, and - if it is time for a filter change or other service for your vehicle - to make an appointment for service.

 

Toyota Tip: "What's a flush?"

Every 30,000 miles, Lowell's recommends flushing your car's fluids - including coolant, brake, transmission, and power steering systems.

But when we tell customers that their fluid flushes are due, we often get a quizzical look and a question or two: "What's a flush?" and "Why do I need one?"

Those are good questions.  We'll try to answer them, starting with why you need flushes...

"Why do I need one?"
Your car's fluids tend to break down and get contaminated over time.  How this happens depends on the fluid system.

• The rust inhibitors in your vehicle's coolant (also called antifreeze) break down, causing your radiator and engine block to corrode from the inside out.  These rust particles can clog the very small channels within your cooling system, interfering with its ability to cool your engine.  Ultimately, your engine can overheat.  
• Automatic transmission fluid loses its lubricating and cooling properties as it breaks down, leaving varnish and sludge deposits which can shorten your transmission's life. Plus, transmission fluid gets contaminated with tiny metal shavings, further degrading its ability to lubricate your transmission.

• Brake fluid and power-steering fluid are hydraulic fluids which get contaminated as the systems' seals and internal components break down. As they get contaminated, they lose their hydraulic properties, making it hard to brake or steer.  Also, hydraulic fluids attract moisture, which can introduce unwanted air into your brake and power-steering components.

Changing these fluids every 30,000 miles - or whenever the fluids become dirty - can prevent expensive and inconvenient damage to your vehicle, and can help extend your vehicle's life.

"What's a flush?"
So now you might understand why you need to regularly change the fluids on your car.  But that doesn't explain what a flush is (or why Lowell's recommends flushes instead of other alternatives).

Some repair shops - including some dealers - offer simple "drain-and-refill" fluid changes.  This is faster (and seemingly cheaper) than a flush.  They basically drain the old fluid, and top off the system with new fluid.

In the process, much of the old fluid, contamination, and debris is "stranded" inside the system: old coolant and rust is left in the engine block and radiator, or degraded transmission fluid and varnish are left in the transmission.

These faster and "cheaper" options will degrade the long-term performance of your vehicle and will likely create costly repair issues down the road.

With few rare exceptions, Lowell's doesn't offer these drain-and-refill fluid changes.  

Instead, we perform fluid system flushes designed to remove almost all of the old fluid, contamination, and debris from the system.

While the technical details differ, the elements of a typical flush are pretty similar: 

• We hook up a flushing machine to your system;
• We add a solution which gently loosens debris, corrosion, and other contaminants;
• We let your system run to give the solution time to work;
• Then, we let the flushing machine apply a small amount of pressure to slowly push all of the old fluid and contamination out of your vehicle;
• At the same time, the machine fills the system with fresh fluid, while adding conditioners which will help preserve the components of the system.
• We monitor the process until we see that all of the old fluid is flushed from your vehicle.

That's what a flush is.  

We recommend flushes because we believe that they are the best option for changing your vehicle's fluids.  

Feel free to call the shop with any questions, and - if it is time for a fluid change or other service for your vehicle - to make an appointment for service.