Auto Repairs & Service

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Auto Repair

An automobile repair shop (also known as a garage) is a repair shop where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and electricians.

Types

Automotive garages and repair shops can be divided into following categories:

  • The auto parts stores or motor factors who also maintain service operations. This is not common in the United Kingdom but more common in the US.
  • Automobile repair workshops that are independently owned and operated businesses. These may also include regional or national chains and franchises including OEM car dealership sites. In the United States, these sites are commonly certified by their respective manufacturer to perform warranty and recall repairs by that manufacturer or distributor. Independent automobile repair shops in the US may also achieve certification through manufacturer sponsored programs.[1] In the European Union a recent law (The EC Block Exemption Regulation 1400/2002 (October 2003[2])) allows motorists more flexibility in selecting where they can get their car serviced. Due to this legislation, maintenance and service work does not have to be done by the main dealer as long as the garage uses Original Equipment ‘Matching Quality’ parts, and are recorded as such, and the garage follow the manufacturer’s service schedules. The Block Exemption Regulation (BER) covers service and maintenance during the warranty period and prohibits vehicle manufacturers’ warranties from including conditions that require normal maintenance to be provided within the vehicle manufacturer’s network or that all parts used must be the manufacturer’s original spare parts. This means that motorists benefit from open market competition in aftermarket parts, repairs and services thus reducing the cost of servicing through better labor rates and competitively priced parts. Also, some auto repair shops provide additional towning services.
  • Specialty automobile repair shops are shops specializing in certain parts such as brakes, mufflers and exhaust systems, transmissions, body parts,automobile electrification, automotive air conditioner repairs, automotive glass repairs and installation, and wheel alignment or those who only work on certain brands of vehicle or vehicles from certain continents of the world. There are also automotive repair shops that specialize in vehicle modifications and customization. Oftentimes, various specialized auto repair shops will have varied infrastructure and facilities (for specific jobs or vehicles), as well as technicians and mechanics with different qualifications.
  • Online automobile repair shops providing doorstep repair services and home delivery of new and used auto parts of different late model and classic cars whose parts are not widely available in the market. Such kind of organizations are predominant in US with wide acceptance and high growth in UK also.[citation needed]

Auto body repair

Automotive repair shops also offer paintwork repairs to scratches, scuffs and dents to vehicle damage as well as damage caused by collisions and major accidents. Many body shops now offer paintless dent repair, which is done by pushing the dents out from inside. OEM Certified Collision Centers have the highest standards.

An auto mechanic (automotive technician in most of North America, car mechanic in British English and motor mechanic in Australian English) is a mechanic with a variety of automobile makes or either in a specific area or in a specific make of automobile. In repairing cars, their main role is to diagnose the problem accurately and quickly. They often have to quote prices for their customers before commencing work or after partial disassembly for inspection. Their job may involve the repair of a specific part or the replacement of one or more parts as assemblies.

Basic vehicle maintenance is a fundamental part of a mechanic’s work in modern industrialized countries while in others they are only consulted when a vehicle is already showing signs of malfunction. Preventative maintenance is also a fundamental part of a mechanic’s job, but this is not possible in the case of vehicles that are not regularly maintained by a mechanic. One misunderstood aspect of preventative maintenance is scheduled replacement of various parts, which occurs before failure to avoid far more expensive damage. Because this means that parts are replaced before any problem is observed, many vehicle owners will not understand why the expense is necessary.

With the rapid advancement in technology, the mechanic’s job has evolved from purely mechanical, to include electronic technology. Because vehicles today possess complex computer and electronic systems, mechanics need to have a broader base of knowledge than in the past.

Due to the increasingly labyrinthine nature of the technology that is now incorporated into automobiles, most automobile dealerships and independent workshops now provide sophisticated diagnostic computers to each technician, without which they would be unable to diagnose or repair a vehicle.

Spokane

Spokane (Listeni/spoʊˈkæn/ spoh-kan)[7] is a city in the state of Washington, in the northwestern United States. It is the seat of Spokane County, and the economic and cultural center of the Spokane Metropolitan Area, the Greater Spokane Area, and the Inland Northwest. It is located along the Spokane River west of the Rocky Mountain foothills in eastern Washington, 92 miles (148 km) south of the Canada–US border, approximately 20 miles (30 km) from the Washington–Idaho border, and 280 miles (450 km) east of Seattle along Interstate 90. The city, along with the whole Inland Northwest, is served by Spokane International Airport, 5 miles (8 km) west of downtown Spokane. According to the 2010 Census, Spokane had a population of 208,916, making it the second largest city in Washington and the 102nd largest city in the United States.

The first humans to live in the area, the Spokane people (their name meaning “children of the sun” in Salishan), arrived between 13,000 and 8,000 years ago, living off plentiful game. Known as the birthplace of Father’s Day, Spokane is officially nicknamed the “Lilac City”. David Thompson explored the area with the westward expansion and establishment of the North West Company‘s Spokane House in 1810. This trading post was the first long-term European settlement in Washington. Completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1881 brought settlers to the Spokane area, and that same year it was officially incorporated as a city with the name of “Spokan Falls”. In the late 19th century, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Northwest. The local economy depended on mining, timber, and agriculture until the 1980s. Spokane hosted the first environmentally themed World’s Fair at Expo ’74.