Walter Ford’s Miraculous Recovery

By Bob Cox

The warm spring day started out like every other day for bicycle enthusiast Walter Ford. While his friends were racing in a triathlon, he decided to venture out to the foothills near Auburn, CA. While waiting for his friends at the bottom of Shirland Tract Road, he decided to make the steep climb and descent back down at a speed over 50mph! When his friends transitioned to the bike from the swim at Rattlesnake Bar, he began to ride back up Shirland Tract Road. While on this climb, his front carbon forks snapped off, sending him headfirst into the pavement. He was rushed to the hospital with a laundry list of serious injuries, including a crushed chest, collapsed lung, broken ribs, broken and separated shoulder, broken neck and a clavicle that was torn from his chest. Much to Walter’s shock and amazement, the hospital released him the next day!

I believe the average person could’ve easily been overwhelmed by the number and degree of serious injuries, but Walter has a very unique perspective when it comes to problem solving. One day his younger brother told him that he wished he could be more like Walter because problems didn’t seem to be a problem for Walter.

“You know, there are only two kinds of problems in the world: The one’s you can’t do anything about, so you don’t and the one’s you can do something about. With my bike crash, I never saw it coming and was not expecting it, but in the aftermath, I needed to figure out how I was going to get through it,” explained Walter.

When it comes to problems that can be solved, Walter has another unconventional approach that helped him make an amazing recovery. “I think some people see a tragic event as one huge problem, an unsolvable problem that you can’t get over, under or around. But really, most problems are just a bunch of small problems that you can nibble away at by taking care of the things you can do right away and then let everything else fall into place,” Walter said.

The first few months after the accident were the most difficult for Walter because along with all the injuries, his kidneys failed and he had to summon the strength to get up and visit the restroom every 15 minutes. In those agonizing first few months, just getting out of bed was excruciatingly painful, but Walter persevered by breaking the problem down into small and manageable tasks.

During those difficult early weeks of recovery, Walter also found a tremendous source of inspiration and courage from others that were facing even greater adversities. “In spite all the things that I’ve gone through, I have friends that are going through much worse things and I think about them and how they deal with things and it gives me a lot of strength. I have friends with cancer, so in light of what I’m going through, there’s light at the end of my tunnel,” Walter explained.

Walter’s amazing outlook on life has served him well, both personally and professionally. He owned and operated a very successful auto repair business in Rancho Cordova for over 10 years and his approach to problem solving was something that made many of his customers fiercely loyal.

Just one year after Walter’s bicycle accident, he got the itch to jump back into the business world by filling a glaring need in our community. While he was operating his auto repair business, it was very difficult for him to find a reputable and stable detail shop he could send his customers to. After sharing his idea with several other respected colleagues, who loved his new idea, Walter was encouraged to open up his own detail shop in Rancho Cordova called Gold River Auto Spa.

Q: How did you come up with the business name Gold River Auto Spa?

A: Conceptually, the word spa is very appropriate. When people go to a traditional spa, they feel and look better by rejuvenating themselves. This is the same thing for your car. If you brought your car to us and it is several years old and your paint or interior is a little tired, we can help you by making it look significantly better.

Q: Is there a trend for people to keep their cars longer?

A: Yes, I think people are keeping their cars a little longer now, especially the European models. In many cases, taking it in and making it look new again is well worth the money spent.

Q: What kinds of damage can happen to a car’s interior and exterior during the long summer days in Sacramento?

A: Sacramento is very hot and we have a very intense sun presence here, so tinting the windows, even if it’s visually clear, will block over 90% of UV rays that will crack, fade and heat your interior. So you can make your car more comfortable to drive in the summertime just by tinting the windows.

Q: What makes you different and unique from other detail shops?

A: We are truly a one stop shop. The system we use reclaims all the water back, so it’s very eco friendly. Your car is literally taking a bath in a six inch tall bathtub. The water comes off the car and is pulled into a unit that cleans it, filters it and puts it back through to be used on the next car. The soaps and chemicals we use are all green and organic and no water drains into our sewer systems.

Q: So, your system is a very environmentally friendly and efficient way to clean a car, right?

A: Correct. And we do it inside so we don’t have to worry about getting it done quickly because of drying time from the sun. We can do a better job because we can take our time.

Q: Are you able to take your system directly to the customer?

A: Yes, we have a truck and a trailer. All the equipment that we use inside the building is portable. We will be offering this mobile service to some of the larger companies in the area that want several vehicles cleaned on the same day. The products we use are the best in the industry and our customers will have the option to purchase them directly from us for future use.

Q: What personal qualities do you possess that will help you excel in the auto detail industry?

A: In my automotive business, I was known throughout the BMW community and the racing world as somebody with a very high attention to detail. I’ve always said that if I like it, I know the customer will like it. And I probably take that to the nth degree in this business because it’s purely appearance.

Editor’s notes: For more information about Gold River Auto Spa, call (916) 399-4198 and ask them about their pre grand opening specials. 

Moving on UP . . . Next Door.

By Dave Trux & Walter Ford

In the course of a life of a business, it grows and needs change. The first shop we had was 6,500 feet and had a nice waiting room but had its limitations and shortcomings. We didn't have a dedicated bathroom for our customers, which is extremely important to us. Our techs did a good job keeping the bathroom clean but not customer clean. We consider the shop an extension of our homes and wanted it to be as clean, nice, well lit, warm and comfortable as you would feel if you were in our house, which this place really is to us.

Our new building, which is right next door, has a dedicated waiting room that’s completely separate from the sales area and the offices. We have a couple of couches now, so when there is more than one customer waiting, they don’t feel so crowded. We have a huge flat screen TV to watch, a coffee maker and it’s now like a really nice living room.

The techs out in the shop work more efficiently and are much happier when they’re not working in temperatures of 110 degrees that feels like a hot box. In our new 9,100 square foot facility, we have a dedicated clean room for building engines and a dedicated lounge area for the techs with their own closets and bathroom. The work space itself has coated floors, which was a great cost that helps keep the shop clean. The coated floor reflects the lights back up underneath the cars, so our techs can see better while they’re working. Most importantly, the building is fully insulated. When the weather outside was in the triple digits, the temperate in the shop was 25 degrees cooler! In a concrete building, when the walls get heated up, it will hold the heat for quite some time. The old building actually shields the new building from the sun, so we don’t have that problem anymore. The work area, even on triple digit days will stay around 78-82 degrees, so it’s really nice.

So, this move will be better for our customers and better for our employees. Better employees’ equals’ better quality work, which again benefits our customers! Our new facility is very nice and clean and looks more like a showroom now. Finally, we are also dedicated to keeping our environment clean by making our business as green as possible. We've always printed our invoices on two sides and this building is much more efficient with respect to heating and cooling, so we’re much happier as well!

Meet the New Owner of Valley Motorwerks

By Dave Trux

Hi, my name is Dave Trux. I recently purchased Valley Motorwerks from Walter Ford and I could not be more excited! I've had a good professional relationship with Walter for many years and that effectively morphed into me buying the business. If you’re a Valley Motorwerks customer, I’m sure you will have some questions, which I will be happy to answer. Here’s a few that publisher Bob Cox had for me.

Q: When did you meet Walter?

A: I've known Walter since 2004 during our years in BMW racing.

Q: Will Walter be around for awhile to help you get off to a good start?

A: Yes. During the transitional period, Walter will still be around and visible. Walter has other business interests in Sacramento, specifically a race car preparation and fabrication shop that he will now have more time to invest in.

Q: Do you have a background in automotive?

A: Yes, I've been in automotive industry for over 20 years; I'm 56 years old and still play with cars!

Q: Why did you choose to buy Valley Motorwerks?

A: The level of service to the customer and the professionalism that I received as a customer at Valley Motorwerks told me that this would be a good fit for me. Truly, Walter’s vision and my vision are one and the same. Going forward, I want to maintain our high level of customer satisfaction, high level of communication and the high level of quality that people have come to know. That is Valley Motorwerks.

Valley Motorwerks Becomes Bosch Certified!

Customers Can Now Get Zero Percent Financing for 6 Months

By Walter Ford

Valley Motorwerks has become one of a handful of shops that has been recognized by Bosch to become a Bosch Certified Service Center. The requirements to become Bosch certified include a well trained and well staffed group of technicians along with a clean and well-functioning facility. You also must employ the Bosch logo on your website and the front of your building. We also send our guys out to Bosch training whenever it’s available.

Bosch is an established company that manufactures electronics and electrical components for automobiles. They make parts like alternators, starters, regulators and more. They also have a line of some of the finest windshield wiper blades in the world. All the new cutting edge technology that comes out with wiper blades, especially what comes original on European cars are typically going to be Bosch. So, whether you know it or not, when you buy a European car (or many American cars), you’re buying a wealth of Bosch products.

When you replace a Bosch part under warranty, that part can be swapped out at any Bosch Certified Center. Most people don’t know this, but if your car is under the original factory warranty and a Bosch component fails, you do not have to go back to the dealership. Valley Motorwerks can swap out your Bosch starter, alternator or whatever it might be under your factory warranty.

Cars are becoming more and more complicated with electronics playing a bigger role. By partnering with Bosch, it allows us to stay on the leading edge of all the technologies being made available in all cars. An additional plus to that is we now offer Bosch credit services. On any purchase over $299, our customers can get 6 months same as cash. So, if you have a large repair coming up, it’s easy to apply and it’s basically free money for half a year!

We just had a customer who had a large repair cost on his car and he’s applying for it. Now he can make smaller payments and have a little more flexibility with his own money. So, I really like to be able to offer something over and above cash, check or charge. Offering a really nice flexible credit plan completes the entire package. 

Check your Factory Warranty

By Walter Ford

Some auto repair shops will perform work on cars that are still under factory warranty, but you should proceed with caution. Why? We recently had a customer come in who had some timing chain work done for around $2,700. She became a customer of ours after she became suspicious of the previous shop she had been going to. One day, I had mentioned that there were some things that were recalls that we may want to do, now that we started taking care of her car. When I mentioned the timing chain, she said just had that done by another shop and she paid $2,700 for it. Come to find out, this was covered under her warranty! The shop owner who ran a specialty repair shop SHOULD have known about it.

Here’s a good rule of thumb when you’re wondering about your warranty coverage. If you have a car that’s less than 7 years of age, it does not hurt to call the manufacturer to see if any proposed repair is covered under your warranty. Most people don’t know that some components of an engine or a car actually carry, by federal mandate, a warranty much longer than what the manufacturer’s normal factory warranty is. Major emissions components carry an 8 year 80,000 mile warranty. So, they may see that they have a problem with a certain component of a car and end up covering it under warranty. If you have any questions or doubts, don’t be afraid to ask!

But don’t just limit this question to your repair shop. Get a second opinion. We make it a priority to know about these things as much as possible. For example, if we have a car that comes in that was built in 2008 that has 70,000 something miles on it and it needs major engine work, I’m going to go back to the manufacturer and say, “Hey, this is a little out of the ordinary, is this something you will cover?” If that does not work, a quick web search will turn up the truth.

We have also had people come to us and say, “I need to replace this timing chain and I heard it was covered under warranty.” From there, we can council them on what to do. I don’t think most people know that there could be things that are covered under a service bulletin that go beyond the standard warranty, especially if it’s a defect in the car’s design. If a component in your car breaks, like the door handle, if it is still under warranty, the manufacturer will have to fix it. If it is out of warranty, they’re not going to fix it. But, if they find that a whole bunch of them are breaking, and they’re all breaking the same way, it may become clear to them that there’s a defect in the design and they will sell an updated component. This actually happened with the Mini Cooper power steering pumps. When you replace a Mini Cooper pump, you get the updated design.    

The Inflated Value of Run Flat Tires

By Walter Ford

Several manufacturers are now supplying new cars with run flat tires. The appeal of a run flat tire is that it can be driven on after it goes flat and can maintain its structural integrity for up to 50 miles per hour and travel up to 50 miles. In other words, if a run flat tire goes flat, it will travel a reasonable distance at a reasonable speed.

How are they able to do this? The manufacturer builds up the sidewalls of the tire with extra rubber. The problem with that is it causes the tire to ride very poorly as it transmits shock through the car. This shock can be so extreme that in some cases we have seen broken wheels. Why does this happen? Because the tire is so stiff, if it hits a pothole or other obstacle in the road, it will actually take that shock and transmit it right into the wheel, causing the wheel to break inside. We have seen this happen in our shop many times and it’s always on run flat tires.

We advocate getting rid of these tires because they cost about 1/3 more than a regular tire and they don’t have any real benefit. Furthermore, a run flat tire will still need to be replaced after you have driven on it after it has gone flat. So, if you’re thinking that a run flat tire will save you money, they don’t. They actually cost more money number one and number two, when you drive on them after they’re flat, they will be completely ruined.

The only advantage of a run flat tire is getting the short term convenience of not having to change your tire after it has gone flat. The trade off of temporary convenience versus much higher cost and poorer ride in my opinion is not worth it. Another disadvantage of run flat tires is they don’t last as long as most conventional tires. We have seen them go up to 30,000 miles but you can get a conventional tire that’s got a guarantee of 60,000 miles. At the end of the day, I believe you’ll be miles ahead by investing all the money you will save and getting a superior standard tire. 

Treating Your Family Like Our Family

By Walter Ford

When I hire somebody, one of the things that I do is tell them about our basic business philosophy. The first time anybody walks through our front door, they’re a friend. It doesn't matter if they’re a customer, an inspector from the state of California, somebody that runs parts or a process server serving papers. It doesn't matter.

The second time they walk through that front door, they’re family. You treat them as such and if a delivery person comes in and we have pizza or other food we’re sharing, if they were a family member, wouldn't you invite them to sit down and have a soda and something to eat?

I do this because it sets the tone and ultimately determines the personality of our business. If you visit a family that doesn't really help or look out for each other, you’re not going to get a warm and fuzzy feeling from those people. If I have a customer in the waiting room and they see me run to the door because the delivery guy has his hands full and then welcome him in, it makes everybody feel better.

I feel my personal philosophy on running any kind of business, especially when it’s service oriented, is that you want to exude that feeling of contentment and happiness. People don’t come to us because they want to. They come to us because it’s a necessity. When a customer first walks in, they’re likely going to be in a negative space. I think it’s our duty to do our best to put them at ease and make them feel comfortable.

Treating a person like family is probably the fastest way to get there. If there’s any question about how I should handle something, all I have to do is ask myself, “If they were a family member, what would I do?”

We had an incident where we had a problem with a car on Friday, and I came in the following Monday at 10:30 am and it hadn't even been on the rack yet. I looked at my manager and said, "Not only is this a good customer, he’s a personal friend. He’s been here more than once. Is this how you would treat your family?" When you set the goal of treating everyone like family, if you do fall a little bit short, you’ll probably be okay.

The goal is to show my employees how I expect to be treated. My hope is that this attitude will eventually come as naturally to them as it does to me. I truly like my customers and enjoy speaking to each and every one when I'm in the office.

Safety First for our Newest Drivers!

By Walter Ford

With kids now back in school, parents have good reason to be concerned with safety. Safety is especially important for our new drivers, so now is a good time to have an overall safety check of your vehicle before you hand over the keys. First of all, a teenage driver is a new driver, so they are inexperienced. They tend to be more inattentive when compared to more seasoned drivers. You want to make sure that your car is in good overall health. Kids have enough challenges operating a car on a public highway, so you don’t want to throw them any curve balls. A good place to start is to make sure that the brakes and tires are in really good condition.

When inspecting your brakes, be sure to have plenty of life on your brake pads and the rotors are in good shape. You really want to check the rotors to make sure they don’t have any ridges, even though the pad does not run across the whole face of the rotor. You want to look at the edge of the rotor, because that’s a clear indication of how much has been taken off. With most cars nowadays, the old rotors are tossed out and new ones are put on. They are relatively inexpensive now compared to what they used to be. As for the brake pad itself, you probably want 3/32 of an inch or more. The issue with the brake pads is the more material it has, the more heat can dissipate, so the less likely it will stay under pad in stopping conditions.

When you inspect your tires, make sure you have a decent amount of tread on them, especially now that the rainy season is here. In the old days, people used a penny as a guide and measure to the top of Lincoln’s head, which is 2/32 of an inch. In the state of California, you’re allowed to have a minimum of 2/32 of an inch on your front steer axle. The rear axle must be a minimum of 1/32 of an inch of tread. A word of caution is that these are minimums.

Most new cars now tend to be a little sportier, with tires that are more of a summer tire. So, I would take my car to someone who really knows what they’re doing and ask if the tires will be good for the winter time. If you are driving a vehicle with a sports package, you’ll likely have a tire that is a performance summer tire. If you only have 2/32 of an inch, it’s pretty useless in the rain. So, be sure to examine not only the trend depth but also the tread design. 

Women in the Auto Repair Industry

By Walter Ford

A generation ago, less than 1% of all mechanics in the United States were women, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In 1989, there were 880,000 automobile service and repair technicians and only 6,000 of them were women.
Just 10 years later, there were 43,000 fewer technicians but twice as many women (12,000) and the ratio appears to be growing as more and more auto repair shops look for reliable and competent help from both genders.

Now, the industry is making a comeback. The nation's demand for auto mechanics is expected to grow about 17% from 2010 to 2020, adding 124,800 jobs for a total of 848,200, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. So, there’s never been a better time for more women to enter this male dominated industry.

Walter Ford, the owner of Valley Motorwerks in Rancho Cordova is pleased and excited to see more women entering the industry. Valley Motorwerks is a shop that specializes in the service and repair of BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Mini Cooper vehicles. Walter believes that women add a variety of important skill-sets and perspectives to auto repair shops that lack a female presence.

When Walter decided to expand his business, he hired Jane Schwarzbart, a seasoned veteran in the auto repair industry to manage his shop. I got a chance to speak with Walter and Jane recently. Here’s how our conversation went.

Q: Walter, can you tell us about your history working with Jane?

Walter: Well, I have known Jane for several years now from the racing side of our business. She ran a very successful shop in the bay area and also fielded a race car and took a championship. That’s not a simple thing to do and it takes a lot of team building skills and management ability. When I found out that Jane was living in the area and was looking for an opportunity, I looked back on that season they had won and thought it would be advantageous to have someone with those skills manage Valley Motorwerks as I move on to some other things.

Q: Jane, what’s your background in the auto repair industry?

Jane: It started out with my father in the industry when I was growing up and he worked at a dealership here in Sacramento. I moved to the bay area, married into it and ran a business from then on, so I don’t know anything else.

Q: How many years have you worked in the auto repair business?

Jane: Many years – 18 years in the business.

Q: As a manager, you’re responsible for running the business from the front counter …

Jane: From the front counter to the back counter to parts, customers, marketing, keeping the doors open and insuring total customer satisfaction.

Q: Where was the shop you owned?

Jane: Albany, California.

Q: How did that shop compare with Valley Motorwerks?

Jane: The same car lines, just a different area.

Q: What brought you to Sacramento?

Jane: I needed a change. Sacramento is where I grew up. It is home to me.

Q: What were some of the biggest challenges that you found when you first came into the industry – being a woman in an industry that’s predominately male?

Jane: Getting used to being around males and cleaning up the language (laughing). However, Walter has done an excellent job at maintaining a professional environment.

Q: Would you care to expand on that?

Jane: No (laughing)!

Walter: I will though. I think this industry, since it’s male dominated, tends to run free a little bit with a lot of sexist behavior and disregard for customers in general because; unfortunately, when you have a group of men working together there is a certain us vs. them mentality. That is something that we don’t have here and absolutely can’t have. I think that having Jane here brings a unique perspective, a woman’s point of view.

Q: What are some of the things you’re looking forward to having Jane manage this shop?

Walter: I think despite Jane growing up in the industry, just being a female in a male dominated world gives her a unique perspective and it’s good for us. It’s advantageous to show the guys to see what it’s like to see through her eyes. We have a great group of guys. They’re fun, don’t use foul language, relatively clean – well I thought they were until Jane got here and made them clean the bathroom and the kitchen… and then the bathroom again!

Jane: A woman’s touch needs to be added.

Walter: Absolutely and that’s the sexist part of me that says women are different than men, not necessarily better or worse, but different, and I think we should have a full 360 degree view of what the customer is experiencing and what they need.

Q: Do you think your female customers will appreciate a woman in this business?

Jane: Yes and it helps them feel comfortable. It adds a level of comfort knowing that they are coming to a shop managed by a woman. Sometimes, when the repairs are explained in a technical way and possibly over their head, they may not say anything about it. It is my hope that they are more apt to ask when I’m at the front counter.

Walter: I think that’s important because… and here it is with the female perspective, if I am sitting at a counter and a guy comes in and I tell him, “Hey look, this is what’s wrong with your car… if he understands, cool. If he doesn’t understand, then he’s going to ask. I think Jane pointed something out that is very important, that a woman may feel reluctant to ask for explanations.

Jane: Right, because they don’t know so they don’t know what to ask.

A: So, you have found it to be more common for a woman to avoid asking for an explanation. Is that right?

Walter: That’s right. We do have some female customers come in who are very mechanically inclined. We have a lady who comes in that is pushing 70 years old, grew up on a farm and she will talk to you about almost every car model and make made for the last 45 years. She is a blast to talk to. You have to treat every customer as an individual. When we tell her what’s wrong with her car, she understands. In those instances where we have somebody that we need to do more explaining towards or who is afraid to ask, I think with Jane here they are more likely to ask.

Q: Jane, have you been able to spot that tendency in your female customers who have a blank look in their eyes?

Jane: The deer in the headlights, yes!

Q: Whereas a man might feel like he’s done his job and explained it to them. Do you find that to be the case?

Jane: A lot of times yes. When it comes to walking through that door, they just have a different outlook on what to expect. Most women, because it gives them the feeling of I don’t know if they are going snowball me or not because I won’t understand. An educated customer makes better decisions.

Q: What are some of the biggest changes you have noticed with women in the auto repair business?

Jane: I have been seeing more women in the industry, which has been a big plus. They are actually getting out of those typical office jobs and getting more into the industry.

Q: Do you see more women at the service counter or more technicians?

Jane: I have seen more at the service counter. I have seen technicians too and they love it. I did have a hair dresser in the bay area and she went to work for a dealership. I was impressed. She did both and she liked the challenge of both but she preferred being a technician. You would have never thought that very small petite woman would, but she loved the challenge.

Q: Walter, can you tell us about your newest expansion?

Walter: Yes, at Valley Motorwerks, we started a racing series back in 2006 and that is the series that Jane and her company were involved with. They were some early adopters actually and that part of the business has grown. We have leased a 15,000 sq. ft. shop off of Power Inn Road and 100% of all racing and performance stuff is going to be offloaded to that shop. The workflow here will be unimpeded and Jane won’t be calling me and yelling at me about all the race cars around her shop. The goal of having Jane here – because I've been an absentee owner here for awhile now because I've been taking care of very ill parents, is to get the business back on track. 

Collision Repair at Valley Motorwerks

By Walter Ford

From time to time, we’ve been able to help our customers with collision repair. How this all started was when I would take my cars to the body shop and they would look good on the outside but as soon as you looked underneath the car, a lot of details were left out. Part of the issue is that these cars (BMW’s) are very complicated, like jigsaw puzzles underneath. They require little fasteners. So, you can have four fasteners in a row, and the two in the middle can be completely different than the two on the outside. A lot of non-German shops will use any generic screw. Well, there’s a reason why a car’s interior is a certain way.

What I found was the best thing for everyone was for us to do the tear down, send the paintwork and framework out and then we do all the assembly. We make sure that all the fasteners are properly installed and that all the T’s are crossed and all the I’s are dotted with the insurance company. We actually act as a buffer. The customer never has to interface with either the body shop or the insurance company beyond the initial filing. We are their advocate with the collision repair. We’ve always partnered with collision repair facilities that know they will be held to a higher standard, that the car must look absolutely original or they’re going to do it again.

We started doing this as a soft service about a year and a half ago and we’ve completed about a dozen cars. We haven’t advertised it until now. When a customer calls and says, “Hey, I’ve had a fender bender”, we let them know they can drop it off with us and we’ll make sure it all gets taken care of. We do all the detail finish work and handle all the interface for the customer, so they’re not left with having to deal with all the little things they may not be familiar with. Most people don’t come in contact with this sort of process very often, so when they do, they tend to be a little lost.

Not long ago, we took in a car that was literally shorter than the front. The insurance company didn’t want to fix it and the owners didn’t want a car with a salvaged title. The value of the car wasn’t very high, but the value of the car to the customer was high because it had been in the family a long time. So, we were able to affect a good proper repair that would withstand the test of time. The repair was completely undetectable and the customer now has a car that can be passed down to the children and he feels completely comfortable knowing that the car has been repaired properly.

1 Year after Expansion

By Walter Ford

When we started our business several years ago, our goal was to be the premium facility for BMW service and repair. Once we achieved that goal, we listened to what many of our customers had been asking for: To expand our scope of service to include Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. We decided to go for it; however, we would not have done it unless we were able to hit the ground running by doing it right.

One year later, we’re proud to announce that this expansion has worked out great for everyone. Not only is our business up, we’re also in a great position to help more of our current customers and new customers too. More than once, we have heard our customers say that they had been going to the Volkswagen or Audi dealer but now they would bring the car to us and get the same level of expert care and cost savings. For the last year, with every work order, we’re handing our customers a flyer to give them an additional price break on future service or repair work.

In preparation for our expansion early last year, I hired two people, one in management and one out in the shop. Our office person has a lot of experience in that field, so he takes care of all the daily tactical decisions. Our newest mechanic is an Audi and Volkswagen certified tech, so our current customers continue to enjoy the same level of great service they’ve received on their BMW’s.

So far, it is been a great financial decision as well. Our business is up 40% when compared to the same time last year. Some of that is due to the Audi and Volkswagen work, while the rest is growth from our BMW customers. So, the goal was to add volume in car count and that’s exactly what’s happened. On top of all that, we’re also getting more value out of our advertising. Before, when we were targeting only BMW owners, we were reaching a very small percentage of people who owned that particular car. When we added the two car lines, there was no increase in our advertising budget; however, we’re getting a higher percentage of potential customers, so we’re very pleased we decided to go for it

Can your car stand the heat?

By Walter Ford

An AC service starts out with a function test to make sure that the fan operates at each speed setting and the temperatures of the air vent is also measured. In cases where we don’t get adequate temperature, we perform a vacuum test and draw all the freon out of the system. The vacuum test is our way of making sure that the system is not leaking. It is against EPA regulations to put refrigerant into a system is. Basically you are just pumping it back out into the environment.

It’s more important nowadays with new refrigerants because they are not as efficient, they have to operate at much higher pressures. We find that because of the higher operating pressures, it’s even more important to make sure the system is sealed and working. Refrigerant is not the only thing in the system; there is also oil. Oil is used to lubricate the pump. If you just keep adding refrigerant and not drawing it down making sure it’s not leaking and doing a proper service, you could burn up your pump because you don’t have adequate oil in your refrigerant system.

It’s a good idea to have your entire AC system inspected before the weather gets any hotter. Make sure your mechanic does a comprehensive function test. If the system doesn’t function properly, the next step is to go back and perform a vacuum test. If they don’t do that test and merely add more refrigerant without adding additional oil, then you will likely end up with a system that will fail because the pump could burn up.

We offer a free basic function test and inspection. Based on the results, we’ll determine whether we will move forward with a vacuum test. If we do see a leak, then we will add dye to the system and use an infrared light to see where the leak is located.

How would You Like Your Car Cooked?

By Walter Ford

The goal in our shop is to always shoot for 100% customer satisfaction, because if you fall a little short you are still okay. I know I harp on customer service all the time, but I came up with an analogy for our staff that compares the auto repair industry to the restaurant business. I have been in the restaurant business before, so I know how demanding it can be.

I recently had a long conversation with Alex, our service writer. I try to help my staff understand what their role is in the shop and have tried different ways, but it never really sunk in. I realized that I needed to come up with an analogy that they could understand.

I basically told him we need to act as though we were a restaurant. The restaurant business is the hardest business in the world because it’s completely subjective. You can have the cleanest restaurant, the best food and the greatest service, but if there is a little bit of wine running down the glass when you set it down, that could completely ruin your customer’s evening. Even the ambience of background noises and sounds from the street are going to make the difference whether the customer will have a good experience or a bad experience.

I explained to Alex that our business was no different than a restaurant. I said, "Alex, you are just like a waiter. If a customer comes through the front door and say's I want steak and eggs but you write on the board hash browns and potato salad and then hand that back to the chef (the techs), what do you think the customer is going get?

It's very important that “our waiter” not only listens to the customer but writes down what the customer wants and gets it exactly to the letter. When the customer says, “I want steak medium rare, potatoes on the right and all the condiments on the side, the waiter must go back to the kitchen and convey exactly what the customer wants. When our techs are done and they deliver the order back to the front, it is incumbent upon the waiter to check the plate, which means it is incumbent upon our service writer to check that car before it’s delivered to the customer.

If a customer brings in their car and says it pulls to the right, has a slight shimmy and the oil needs to be changed, then when the customer comes in to pick up that car, our service writer is responsible to check to make sure each service has been completed. Same as a waiter needs to assure that the meal is plated and prepared correctly. Our service writer's job is complete quality control, the same as a waiter. If he test drives the car and still feels a shimmy, then he’s not going to call the customer and tell them it's done.

I told our entire shop the same story by saying that you guys are the chefs, so if Alex comes back here and gives you a request and it doesn’t make any sense, you need to say something. Everybody is responsible for quality control and everybody is responsible to the customer for delivering a complete and final product. Then and only then can you deliver the product.

Premium Gas vs. Regular Gas

By Walter Ford

The fuel that comes into the state is from a single pipeline. The factors that differentiate fuels between the different refineries are the additives that are put in. Some additives are better than others. Unfortunately, we’re running into fuels that have additional corn based ethanol, which is not good for our car’s engine. It destroys the fuel lines and makes engines less efficient. Instead of using something like saw grass, which grows on its own and is inexpensive to cultivate, we’re forced to use corn because it’s a little bit cleaner. My personal opinion is to get away from that and go back to using good high quality fuels with good additives.

Back in 2004, we had a problem with some engines having an issue with poor acceleration around 4,000-4,500 R.P.M.’s. I started playing around with some fuels and went to no name gas stations with low grade quality fuel. What I discovered was anytime I used anything less than 91 octane, the problem would return within a half a tank. If I used Chevron gasoline, the problem went away and did not return unless I was driving very aggressively.

About a month later, B.M.W. came out with a recommendation, stating that if you had a drivability issue with a B.M.W., the first thing they did was equip their dealerships with ethanol sniffers. If they sniffed a high concentration of ethanol in your fuel, they would tell you to stop using that fuel, go to Chevron and run two tanks through. If you continued to have a drivability problem, then come back. What B.M.W. did was parallel to what I was doing here at our shop. They determined that the high levels of ethanol in the fuel, along with lower quality additives were contributing to the problem. What would happen is the ethanol, when under the pressure of acceleration would have a wide fluctuation of octane ratings. Under medium to hard acceleration, an octane of 91 purchased at the pump tested as low as 84!

If you want to get better mileage, use the highest quality fuel. 

Number 1, it’s going to be more efficient. 

Number 2, it will have better detergents, so it’s going to keep your engine and fuel system cleaner. And Number 3, it will extend the life of the engine. If you’re experiencing ping and knock, the engine will pull the timing back and make up for that. Over a long period of time, this will become a problem.

No matter what kind of car you drive, I recommend that you do these two things: 

1. Get the highest octane gas possible. You can visit a website called top tier gas.com. Only buy gas from the stations listed on this website. 

2. Never let the fuel go below a quarter of a tank. With new cars, the fuel pump is in the tank and the fuel helps keep the pump running cooler. We’ve seen failures in engines of newer cars when our customers say they commonly run it on empty. Furthermore, if you have any particulate matter floating in the gas tank, the concentration increases as the tank gets lower in fuel. Your engine will last longer and run cooler.

Same Job at Twice the Price, Value?

By Walter Ford

Recently, a customer had his 2000 540i in the shop for a window regulator. He’s recently married and has a baby on the way. Consequently, he had purchased an aftermarket regulator and had a person local to him install it. I did counsel him against the aftermarket regulator as we’ve seen them fail very regularly and will not use them at Valley Motorwerks. His regulator immediately acted strangely and whined badly, prompting a visit to us to install the correct part, well, correctly.

What chaps my behind is that, in most cases, the customer was never made aware that the part was not original BMW. We got the door apart and the lack of quality was immediate and heartbreaking. After looking over the original invoice, it was clear that the other shop had installed it at the FULL retail BMW list price. We only have two cases where we installed the aftermarket unit. One was brought to us after an online purchase, the other; the customer demanded it due to the low price. Both failed within the week. As a matter of fact, the online regulator lasted about 2 blocks. I believe that this happens more often than not at non BMW specialists. They have little to no experience and only see dollar signs when a car rolls into their shop.

The customer with the 540i needed some regular maintenance work on the intake seals etc. We wrote him a quote last year, but due to the reasons above held off. In the meantime, he had taken his car elsewhere to have the oil changed since we are far from his home. The “shop” saw the oil leak that we had diagnosed the previous year and wrote him an estimate. They were charging just about double, the difference was staggering. It was so much more that my friend thought that maybe WE had missed something so he emailed the quote to me.

I asked Alex, our service writer, to go over the other estimate… almost line by line it was the same work we had recommended. When you perform this work, there are a few things you should do maintenance wise and it will save you money. It’s what we call crossover labor. The other “shop” listed everything out and in some cases double charged for labor. Additionally, the auxiliary water pump in the estimate was being sold for $1,000, double what we were charging. The attempted fleecing of my friend continued down the estimate line by line. Needless to say, after explaining this to him and going over the line items he could see what was going on.