Auto Care Pulse

Auto Wash Sales and Services

2011-11-23T12:06:00.000-06:00

Headquartered in San Antonio, TX, we service Austin, San Antonio, and the DFW area, offering a broad range of competitively priced products and services. Focused attention to quality and detail are paramount to our company. With over 56 years combined experience, our experts meet the needs of new and seasoned customers alike. Specializing in the specific needs of our clients, we assist in all aspects of design to maximize any size property and budget.

About Us

Billy Tye : Billy has over 39 years experience in the car washing industry and has constructed over 150 wash sites nationally. With his vast knowledge and experience, he specializes in site evaluation, design, equipment sales, installation, and service. Billy’s ability to understand the customer’s needs has vaulted him to one of Sonny’s top distributors. Customizing layouts and design to maximize the client’s car-washing ability and budget is his top priority.

Steve Stallard : Steve Stallard has developed and operated car washes for six years and has developed expertise in evaluating potential sites and developing financial projections for individual sites. Steve is a certified public accountant in the state of Texas.

Lee Davis : Lee entered the construction industry after spending ten years in the US Army. Lee has spent the past eight years in multi-site car wash operations and maintenance and is current in the latest technologies and trends in our complex industry. Lee recently retired from the Texas Army National Guard and has now dedicated himself to bringing twenty years of leadership and organization to Autowash Sales and Services resulting in knowledgable, organized leadership to guide our customers through what could otherwise be the complicated process of constructing, opening, and operating state of the art car wash facilities.

Dan Bradley : Dan Bradley has been in the carwash business for over 12 years. It's taken him from the Midwest, to the East Coast, and finally to Texas. He's spent that time as an Express and Flex-Serve operator, Service Technician and now, as your Chemical Solutions Representative. This wide range of experience has given him a vast amount of knowledge and a unique perpective that allows him to serve both potential investors and seasoned operators alike.

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Family-run oil company growing from one garage to 12 locations

2011-11-06T06:08:00.000-06:00

Bolton Oil Company is getting ready to open its 12th location on 19th and Milwaukee in about two weeks, but the two Bolton brothers are in no rush.

Slow expansion and a focus on quality have been hallmarks of their company, and why they’ve been around since 1949.

Charles and Scott Bolton said this is their first new ground-up location since 2000, and it’s bigger than any of their previous locations.

Charles said they need a little recovery time after they finish each new location, and they move a little slowly with expansion, not wanting to get too extended “It’s different,” Charles, 67, said. “We have something with a little more room than what we’ve had lately.”

Scott, 60, said they wanted to be in that area of town and not cramp their other locations, and it’s going to be a test case for them to see if they like it. Charles agreed that this one’s an experiment, and said it has taken ...

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2011 Shell Rotella SuperRigs Calendar is Available

2011-11-01T09:15:00.000-05:00

The 29th anniversary edition of the Shell Rotella SuperRigs calendar is available for free with the purchase of a minimum 10-gallon heavy-duty oil change of Shell Rotella T Triple Protection, Shell Rotella T5 or Shell Rotella T6 from Nov. 1-30 at participating service facilities. Also included is a dashboard mini calendar to keep in a truck.

The 2012 calendar includes many of the winners from this year’s Shell Rotella SuperRigs, which took place at the Kenly 95 Petro in Kenly, N.C. The cover and month of May feature the 2011 Peterbilt 389 of Joe Rondeau, and October features the 2003 Peterbilt 379 of “Best in Show” winner Jerry Heiderscheit. Other trucks photographed in scenic locations near Kenly include a 1994 Kenworth W900, a 1991 Mack Superliner and 1989 Ford LTL.

The Shell Rotella SuperRigs competition is a truck beauty contest for actively working trucks. The 2012 Shell Rotella SuperRigs calendar will be available for order at www.rotella.com beginning Dec. 1 for $10 plus shipping and handling.

Express Oil Change partners with Susan G. Komen

2011-10-26T04:46:00.000-05:00

To celebrate breast cancer survivors and to contribute to finding a cure, both the Towne Lake and Village Centre locations of Express Oil Change and Service Center will donate $1 for every oil change performed this week, through Saturday. The donations will be made to the Susan G. Komen foundation in Atlanta. For additional information about breast cancer and the Susan G. Komen foundation, visit www.komen.org.

Read more: Cherokee Tribune - From the Briefcase

Calgary Herald Reader's Choice Award - Minit Lube

2011-10-25T09:13:00.002-05:00

"We're a small business, and we continue to be a family business," says Paul Robinson, vice-president of operations. "We were the first in this business in Calgary, and we've earned our place by word of mouth."

Being a family-owned business, rather than a big chain, means the owners and staff are able to be more hands-on when it comes to making sure customers get the service their vehicles need.

"As an independent, we can choose our offerings from all the major oil brands," Robinson says. "We have a house oil — Petro-Canada Supreme — but we also carry other big brands, like Mobil 1, and we put a name-brand Fram oil filter on all our cars."

Minit Lube is about more than just oil changes, however; its service staff provides everything from engine flushes and coolant replacement to windshield chip repair ...

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Bad oil change led to hood flying off

2011-10-25T07:15:00.002-05:00

A customer who went to the Jiffy Lube on Highway 1-38 in Conyers said their service caused her hood to fly off in rush hour traffic.

Kristian Belton said she has been fighting with Jiffy Lube since the July incident.

"They were the last people to touch my car," said Belton. "I don't deal with my car. I have no reason to. Those were the last people who touched my car and it wasn't broken before I got the oil change."

A company spokesperson, Michael Davis, told CBS Atlanta News one of their appraisers checked the car after the hood flew off and found that there was significant rust and damage to the front part of the car before they performed the oil change.

Entire story here

Is Too Much Filtration a Bad Thing?

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

"A customer of ours is using an external engine oil filtration device designed to remove contaminants down to the 1- to 3-micron range while not affecting the additive package. The customer now believes he can extend the recommended oil change interval from 250 hours to 1,000 hours. My question is if you remove all the normal wear particles, how can you determine or trend the wear in the engine."

By sampling after the pump and before the filter, we can still see an increased rate of wear generation with oil analysis.

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Charging Stations Outrun Electric Cars - WSJ.com

2011-10-17T08:29:00.002-05:00

... "Fewer than 15,000 all-electric cars are on U.S. roads, says Plug In America, a group promoting the technology. The Obama administration hopes one million such cars will be zipping around in 2015, reducing oil dependence, although others expect it will take longer to reach that level.

Why invest in chargers now? "We wanted to be the first mover," says Menno Enters, Walgreen's director of energy and sustainability. He says people are likely to shop while they recharge." ...

Entire article here

Lifetime oil change customers: 'Who is responsible?'

2011-08-19T16:23:00.000-05:00

Dozens of Roseburg customers are outraged after finding out that a lifetime oil change service they've already paid for won't be honored.

On July 27, Dave Gilbert sold Horizon Honda to Dan Woodruff. Gilbert's dealership had offered lifetime oil changes, for which customers paid anywhere from $250 to $500.

Woodruff, the owner of the newly named Roseburg Honda, is not honoring lifetime oil change packages the previous owner sold.

Dan Woodruff refused to go on camera for this story, but stated in a press release that, "these agreements were between Horizon Automotive Group and it's customers, not affiliated with Honda, nor Roseburg Honda."

Several customers who bought the service called KPIC News, saying they were very angry. "We've got the kids and their sports and everything else to pay for, and then to find out that something that we paid for isn't going to be honored, I just think the guy made a bad choice," said Shelly Watkins, who had purchased the lifetime oil change. "He's going to have a lot of people not do business with him."

To find out who is really responsible, KPIC News spoke to attorney Jessica Wingler. She says that it all comes down to the deal struck between the new and previous owner.

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Survey says economy driving motorists to wait out repairs

2011-08-08T06:03:00.006-05:00

The economy is making drivers slow down on their repairs and may be inflicting long-term damage to their vehicles and their finances.

One quarter of drivers surveyed by AAA said they are saving money this year by waiting out less expensive repairs and maintenance on their vehicles.

“This may save money at first, but neglecting vehicle maintenance greatly increases the chance of a serious on-the-road mishap and the likelihood of costly repairs ...

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How to Start a Quick Lube

2011-08-06T06:31:00.000-05:00

The task of changing the oil in a car is one that every car owner will have to undertake at some point. While it is a relatively simple process, many car owners do not want to take the time to do it or do not want to get their hands dirty. Because of this, many car owners are willing to pay someone else to do it for them. Starting your own quick lube business can provide a way to help customers and charge a fair price for the service you give.

Step 1
Make a business plan for your quick lube business. In the business plan, you should include information about what type of services you plan to offer and what will separate you from the competition. You should also include information about any other oil change businesses in the area and how they will impact yours. Make some financial projections such as a sample income statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows. You should also include information about whether you will buy into a franchise or start an independent quick lube business.

Step 2
Get the money you need to get started with your business. Borrow the money from a commercial lender, bring on investors in the business or both. You can talk to your friends and family members to see if anyone is interested in investing. Investors and lenders will need to see a copy of your business plan before making a decision, in most cases. ....

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Offer of oil change for political candidate support said to be OK

2011-08-05T07:41:00.000-05:00

A flyer offering a free oil change to people who voice support for Puyallup City Council candidate John Hopkins doesn’t appear to violate state election law, a state election official says.

It’s illegal to offer a bribe, a reward or anything of value in exchange for a vote, but the door hanger doesn’t do that, said Katie Blinn, co-director of elections for the Office of the Secretary of State.

It offers those who say “Vote for John Hopkins” a free oil change at Ben’s Quality Lube & Tune in Puyallup. That could be interpreted as compensation

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Ohio may expand sites for vehicle emissions tests

2011-08-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

The state is considering expanding the locations for its E-check vehicle emissions tests required only in northeast Ohio so inspections would be done at oil-change outlets and neighborhood garages.

Motorists must now take their vehicles to any of 23 testing centers within a seven-county area that includes Cleveland and Akron. The Akron Beacon Journal reports (http://bit.ly/oBBbC6 ) Ohio Environmental Protection Agency staffers told regional planners in a Wednesday conference call that the EPA expects in the next few months to seek proposals for decentralizing the program.

The new state budget requires changes in E-check by next June. Northeast Ohio Republican state Sen. Tim Grendell (grehn-DEHL') says up to 200 garages and oil-change centers could participate in the testing, which is free ...

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Auto shop adds oil change service

2011-08-04T11:42:00.000-05:00

Brownsboro Auto Service not only offers new and used tire services, air-conditioning services, and state inspections, but now they also offer oil changes to customers.

“We started doing oil changes on July 18,” owner Dustin McLean said. “We painted the building at the end of June. That was the first step in the process. We still have just a few more things to do.”

McLean said he spent right at $9,000 to get the lift installed to be able to offer oil change services.

“Counting the concrete, electrical, lift, and supplies, it totaled right at $9,000,” he said. “I had the concrete poured, and I imagine after the day they came and poured the concrete, it took me about three weeks to get the lift up ...

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NAPA Auto Parts Launches New Family of Filters

2011-07-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

To better serve the growing do-it-yourself oil change customer, NAPA Auto Parts is launching its new NAPA Filters family of filter brands to meet the needs of all types of drivers, including those with luxury, classic and everyday vehicles.

The line-up includes the new PlatinumNAPAFilter, an ultra-premium oil filter designed for vehicles using synthetic oil. The original GoldNAPAFilters, a line of premium filters for drivers who maintain their vehicles based on the original equipment (OE) recommendations or individual driving conditions and SilverNAPAFilters, NAPA's standard line of filters for the DIYer who prefers a more traditional oil change interval. All three brands of new filters will be available at participating ...

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ConocoPhillips video receives national award

2011-07-30T06:53:00.001-05:00

The video, titled “Sounds Like an Oil Change,” was acknowledged by the ADDY committee for sound design. ConocoPhillips Lubricants produced the video to highlight the brand’s offerings and to complement the two preexisting digital videos, “Precision Burnout” and the nationally recognized, Silver ADDY Award-winning “Metal on Metal.” Shot in one take, the 90-second video features automotive technicians creating a melodic tune from make-shift instruments found within a lube shop while completing an oil change using Kendall GT-1 Motor Oil with Liquid Titanium.

“After the success and viral buzz generated by our first two digital videos, we wanted to keep the momentum going to support Kendall GT-1 Motor Oil with Liquid Titanium,” said Marshall Cohen, director, Brand Management at ConocoPhillips Lubricants. “We developed ‘Sounds Like an Oil Change’... More Here - Video Below

Don't Let Your Vehicle Get Heat Stroke!

2011-07-28T05:46:00.000-05:00

The sight alone gave Tanekka Webb chills. "Last Friday my notch for the temperature started going up," she said. That brought her and her ride to the Express Oil Change and Service Center on Birmingham's southeast side. It was there she met manager Doug Pike.

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AOCA Presents iFLEX 2011 in Dallas, TX

2011-07-27T12:05:00.001-05:00

AOCA brings you the premiere event for the fast lube industry - iFLEX, the International Fast Lube Expo, which will take place in Dallas, TX, from Tuesday, August 9 through Friday, August 12. iFLEX is a dynamic conference dedicated entirely to the fast-lube industry. Headquarters is the Hyatt Regency Dallas, with a comprehensive ...

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Proper tire inflation is key to road safety

2011-07-27T10:55:00.000-05:00

When was the last time you checked your tire pressure? Perhaps it was during your last oil change or trip to the service bay. What you may not know is that tires need to be inspected far more frequently than your vehicle may require regular service. Sadly, many Canadian drivers are unaware of this important fact and as a result, put themselves and other road users at risk by driving on ...

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Jiffy Lube owner says compensation insufficient

2011-07-27T08:52:00.002-05:00

For 11 years Hong Lee has owned and operated the Jiffy Lube oil change shop in Coquitlam along Clarke Road.

He and his four employees have known for four years about the possible expansion of the SkyTrain, and with the new Evergreen Line plans in motion, the idea is quickly turning into reality.

"I co-operated with all TransLink requests for my business evaluation," Lee wrote in a letter to The NOW. "I believed that I would be treated justly in this matter as I have given [my] co-operation to [the] Evergreen Line project."

But Lee recently heard back from TransLink and was shocked at the amount he said he was offered: $50,000.

"I almost invested $300,000 in that business," Hong explained. "I was embarrassed when I heard

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Castrol pack drives new facility design for Walmart tire and lube

2011-07-27T07:48:00.000-05:00

Castrol, a leading provider of motor oils and lubricants, has partnered with Walmart Tire and Lube Express to revolutionize how oil change facilities are built and operated with its Castrol Enviro-Pack (e-Pack) and e-Dispense system. Instead of putting in costly bulk tanks that turn inventory slowly, the new prototype shop for Walmart Tire and Lube Express has a smaller footprint and runs solely ...

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Auto Repair Specialists - Media

2011-07-26T11:00:00.003-05:00

"Auto Repair & Service Mission Viejo. When your Auto isn’t working properly, stop by your neighborhood repair experts at Auto Service & Repair Foothill Ranch. We will provide you with a professional inspection, complete with a written estimate. We have over 75 years of combined experience to make sure your repairs are completed right the first time, every time! Our goal is 100% customer satisfaction and we go above ..."

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When an oil change leads to a ruined engine

2011-07-26T07:56:00.000-05:00

"My wife had the oil changed in her 2010 Camry at Walmart. A week later, she noticed a noise coming from the engine while she parked the car. When she restarted the car, the sound was much worse. She had it towed to the dealer, who said the oil-filter cartridge was installed incorrectly, so the oil ran out and the car’s engine is probably a total loss. How do I ensure that Walmart will make good on this?" ...

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When an oil change leads to a ruined engine | Tom and Ray Magliozzi - Car Talk - Business News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

Mechanic has seen industry change

2011-07-25T06:36:00.000-05:00

"I started the business in 2000 and have grown the business to a nationally awarded complete automotive service repair facility employing 12 people. We offer 10 service bays, complete automotive repair, the latest in diagnostic services, tires, towing, shuttle service, national account service, oil change service, and all repairs are backed by a nationwide warranty. I proudly boast 7 Master ASE technicians on staff and a superior service experience."

"The Automotive industry has changed greatly in the last twenty years from not only the advanced technology of today and safety features in the vehicles but the way they are repaired and maintained as well. I see more miles driven, more reliable vehicles on the road and huge advancements in emissions, performance, and ergonomics as well. The customers have changed as much as the vehicles have, what was once a man driven industry has turned into and equal man and woman industry. We see just as many female customers as males" ...

Doug McAllister - Under the Hood

2011-07-24T05:24:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed it’s been hot lately! So what does this mean for your car? Generally when the weather goes extreme, either hot or cold, we see anything on your car that is marginal can fail.

Maybe a battery was fine one day and junk the next. How about all of the sudden a water pump or a gasket starts leaking. And in these temperatures, for sure you know by now if your air conditioning is functioning well or not.

Some items that I would take care of when it is this hot would be ...

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