Mobile mechanic FAQ

Yes. We are a mobile mechanic. We come to your home, your work or the roadside in San Jacinto and nearby towns. There is no shop to drive to.

Yes. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call any time and someone answers.

It depends on the car and the job. We give you a price range on the phone and a written price before any work starts. Nothing gets added without your OK.

Engine and transmission rebuilds, alignments, new tire mounting and smog tests need a shop. We tell you up front and point you to a good one.

Yes. We work on Cummins, Duramax and Power Stroke trucks for diagnostics, sensors, glow plugs, DEF parts and regens.

San Jacinto, Hemet, Valle Vista, Soboba Hot Springs and Winchester. Call if you are a little farther out and we will tell you straight if we can get there.

Because it leaks. Refrigerant doesn't get used up. If it is gone, it leaked out. Recharging without fixing the leak wastes money. Let us find it and fix it once.

It depends on the car and the type of refrigerant. If there is a leak, we quote the repair first. You get the price before we start.

It depends on the car and the parts it needs. We check the brakes first and give you a written price before we start any work.

Not always. If your rotors are thick enough and not warped, they can stay. We measure them first. We don't assume.

There are three common causes. A small leak outside that a pressure test will find. A leak inside the engine, like a head gasket. Or a heater core leak inside the car. We test for all three.

Distilled water will get you home in an emergency. Then call us. Plain water hurts the cooling system over time. Most cars need a 50/50 mix of the right coolant.

No. Federal law bans removing or disabling emissions parts on road vehicles. We fix and service them the right way.

Common causes are lots of short trips, a bad DPF pressure sensor, or a problem upstream like a bad injector that sends too much soot. We find the cause, not just clear the codes.

It could be either. It could also be something that stays on after you turn off the car. We test all three and tell you which one it is.

Most likely not. Many lights at once usually means a bad ground, a failing module or low battery voltage. We find the root cause.

Call us. We give you the price on the phone before we head out, so there are no surprises.

Sometimes. If the problem is clear, like a misfire we can hear, we can start there. Codes give us a head start, so we always scan first.

It depends on what the car is worth, how good the rest of it is, and what the repair costs. We give you the numbers and let you decide. We won't push a repair that doesn't make sense.

It depends on the job. We give you a time estimate with your written quote.

Two vehicles is a fleet to us. A landscaper with two trucks or a plumber with a van and a service truck both count.

Call us and we will talk it through for your business.

We give you a flat trip price on the phone before we head out. Repairs are quoted in writing before we start.

Call us and we give you a time window on the phone. Roadside calls get moved up when we can.

Most take about 30 to 45 minutes once we arrive. If we find something else, like a worn brake pad, we tell you and quote it first. You decide.

Regular oil is about every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Synthetic blend is about 5,000 to 7,500. Full synthetic is about 7,500 to 10,000. Short trips, towing and summer heat mean you should change it sooner.

It depends on the vehicle. Trucks, big SUVs and diesels take longer. We give you a flat price on the phone before we come out.

Most take about 90 minutes to 2 hours.

No. Only a licensed smog check station can test your car. We find and fix the problem so your car is ready to pass.

Some cars get both tests. You can pass the computer part and still fail the tailpipe part. That means the engine is running dirty or the converter isn't working well, even with no code.

Yes. Front pair or rear pair. A new strut on one side and a worn one on the other makes the car ride uneven and handle oddly.

Yes, after struts, control arms, tie rods or anything that changes the angles. We don't do alignments. Get one at an alignment shop soon after.

No. An alignment needs a rack. We tell you if your tires show you need one, and you can get it at an alignment shop.

No. That needs a tire machine and a balancer. A tire shop can do it. We can put your spare on to get you there.

If the fluid is in good shape and you are on schedule, yes. Fresh fluid helps it last. If the fluid is already burnt and the car slips, new fluid may not help and can sometimes make it worse. We check first.

Sometimes. Slipping from low fluid, a bad sensor or a bad solenoid can be fixed without a rebuild. Slipping from burnt clutches can't. We test first and tell you straight.

Many iridium plugs are rated for 100,000 miles. Short trips and heavy traffic can wear them out sooner. Coils often last longer but can fail one at a time.

Sometimes. If the light is from worn plugs or coils, yes. If it is something else, like a vacuum leak or an O2 sensor, no. We test first.