When vehicles were more a collection of mechanical linkages back in the day, many automotive service and repair facilities used the phrase “good, better or best” with customers to describe an array of options to fix or service a car or truck. Depending on the vehicles usage and driver’s style, the adage provided consumers with a quality-durability-performance array to choose from.
Like drum brakes, points and carburetors, that adage is well past its time. If you’ve moved on to drive more modern, software-defined vehicles — especially European makes and models or electrified automobiles — that have advanced technologies onboard, such as direct injection, electronic controls, high-pressure pumps or high voltage components, precision matters. Automobiles are now designed, engineered and built to far more stringent performance tolerances, and specifications are much more exacting. Good or better isn’t close enough for motorists who expect the improved performance, interior comfort and fuel economy they paid for.
That time-honed know-how that has evolved with technology is why Denver area motorists bring their cars, trucks, and SUVs to Mancinelli’s Auto Repair Center. It’s also why they refer their family, friends, and associates to our experienced crew of auto mechanics. We don’t cut corners with low-quality parts and supplies. Nor do we take service shortcuts. And we will have discussions with you to inform you and ensure you understand how to own the lowest long-term cost of auto repair. Think of it as vehicle service and auto repair without compromise.
Here are a few examples that might surprise you. They’re a bit “techy,” but they might also help explain issues why you had at dealerships or other independent auto repair shops before you chose to rely on the expertise you get at Mancinelli’s Auto Repair Center:
Fuels — Fuel quality is lagging behind the advanced technology featured in today’s engines and drivetrains. They are also inconsistent in chemical composition. Refined, raw fuels arrive via pipeline to distribution terminals from refineries and loaded into tanker trucks, after which additives such as ethanol or winter/summer packages are poured in on top, then “splash-blended” as the trucks roll down the road making deliveries. Fuel mixing is far from uniform, not does the blend remain stable, which leads to drivability problems, regardless of vehicle brand. Some are of the instant variety — your vehicle just stops; others take longer, as premature damage to fuel delivery and ignition systems accumulates over time. Uniform high-quality fuel availability affects all of our vehicles, but it can be mitigated somewhat with consumer awareness and the professional service advice Mancinelli’s can provide you.
Motor Oils — Let’s talk about synthetic motor oils. If you drive a European model that the manufacturer specifies a certain quality synthetic motor oil for, or you drive a domestic model and prefer synthetic motor oil to take advantage of longer oil change intervals some automakers recommend, here’s a few things you should know. The phrase “full synthetic” is an American marketing term only, not a performance-based one. Current U.S. motor oil manufacturing standards do not meet the more stringent European specs, which explains why European makes and models driven there don’t have the expensive engine problems that the same makes and model have here, typically after the vehicle warranty period expires. For example, poor quality fuel and motor oil lead to poor, incomplete engine combustion. As a result, over time carbon deposits can build-up on engine valves, cylinders and pistons can lose their efficiency, fuel economy and response can slip, and overall engine performance can suffer. In the short term during warranty periods, dealerships are insulated from the long-term damage being done, but your vehicle is feeling the pain, and at some point, so will your pocketbook. Engine induction service performed as a maintenance item by Mancinelli’s Auto Repair Center can address carbon build-up in engines, the decreased performance of high-pressure pumps and direct injection fuel and lubricant systems, as well as help prevent even more costly and inconvenient major engine failures. Let Mancinelli’s tell you what you deserve to know now, so you can make informed transportation decisions.
Steering and Suspension — The proliferation of electronics and software have reached deep into the control and operations of virtually every part of your vehicle. This includes the chassis system — the handling, comfort, and feel of your ride. Steering subsystems, for example, have become more electrified and software-controlled. They also interact with the shock absorbers, boots, ball joints and other hardware that comprise your vehicle’s suspension. Here again, quality matters. For example, your electronic steering may feel off. When checked with a diagnostic scan tool, a trouble code may be registered that points to the torsion bar in the steering system, an expensive fix, if that’s true; a more expensive fix, if it’s not. The auto mechanics at Mancinelli’s know that regardless of the trouble code, it’s worth checking the suspension hardware as well. For instance, high-quality boots generally feature a low-resistance Teflon tube that a metal rod slides inside of more freely. A lower quality boot doesn't have Teflon, so the metal-on-metal movement that results has more resistance. It’s that increased resistance, over time, which can sometimes set the trouble code. Replacing the less costly boots may be the correct fix, and it’s substantially less expensive than the wrong fix would have been. And given our harsh winters, annual chassis inspections can head off a lot of trouble at the pass.
Providing the lowest cost long-term auto repair is a tough challenge. Few talk about it because they don’t know how to deliver it. It takes a mix of new age diagnostics and old world experience — which is the savvy wisdom that separates Mancinelli’s Auto Repair Center from others in the Denver market. Call us, schedule an appointment online, or visit us at 375 Logan Street, Denver, CO 80203. Let us share that experience with you!