Auto Repair in Huntington Beach with Val Schepens, Mike’s Auto Repair

 

I’m Val from Mike’s Auto Service and Mark and I established our business back in 1994. So that’s about 18 years we’re going on. We are a family owned business. We’re actually hands on, family owned. Mike an I are there every day. This summer we’ve had our son there as he waits to hopefully get a teaching job this fall, but he’s been a great asset to us. I want to go back I keep talking about this about technicians and why it’s so important when you choose a auto repair facility. You want to know the quality of technicians that they have. Today’s auto mechanic cant just be mechanically inclined. They have to be savvy in computer diagnostics, electronics. They need to be able to read wiring diagrams. And importantly they now need to be able to take credential tests. The other thing they need to do is be willing to continue their education with automotive seminars and training.

Big changes are happening right now in our state with the bureau of automotive repair on which I’ll touch on in just a little bit. Your vehicle is an investment and lives are at stake everyday when you drive that car. Statistics state that about 93 motorists are killed everyday and the main cause is brakes and front end suspension parts that fail. The second is tires. So, why would you want to take your cars anywhere other that a AAA approved facility with certified ASC auto mechanics. People think that car repair needs are simple. I get that all the time. It’s so simple, it’s just a light or it needs to be inexpensive. I love the phrase that Eric has shared with me.

You pay it for price, you pay for it twice. Another factor to consider is that cars are so sophisticated today with the computer engine components and they’re so compact that that also affects the cost. I have seen technicians when we work on Sebrings that actually when they are working on them their hands will get scraped just trying to remove some of those parts. In regards to the check engine light, it could be so many different factors and so many different things involved with that. Importantly, you have got to realize that auto repair doesn’t really need to be that expensive. If you routinely take care of you car, your car is going to take care of you. What you need to do is do your regular maintenance, do your oil changes, listen to the technician.

A lot of times be pro active when they see things starting to fail. You want to take care of it before it breaks and it will cost you a lot less in the long run. In our area just here in Huntington Beach where our shop is located the competition is massive. I think there are more auto repair facilities there than anywhere in Orange County. There is a lot of good competition There are a lot of good shops. In fact we are in touch with a lot of the shops. We do have a good report with them. People asked are we competitively priced. In comparison with other shops I definitely have to say yes. In comparison to a shop that I compare to our quality, our standards and our ethics. Again we’re AAA approved, we have ASC technicians. I have two that are master technicians. Our technicians continue their education and training. We pay for that. I have one technician who is getting certified now so he can be certified through the bureau of automotive repair. Another one taking AC classes. Mike and I now have to be certified so I’m studying like a mad woman right now.

Things are changing in auto repair they want quality technicians out there and quality service advisors. Importantly we have all the insurances you need to run a business. From workman’s comp to garage keepers to health insurance for our employees. You know even the best mechanic in the best facility in town, if that car fails, a failure on a part. You want to make sure that shop is covered because things happen and if the shop is covered you’re going to be covered. They are going to take good care of you. We only you proven quality parts and good suppliers, because when a part fail happens and it does, I know I can stand behind that and take care of you. We have our warranty of 24 months for 24,000 miles and we update our equipment constantly. My joke is I don’t have a diamond ring because it’s in the back of the shop. Every time I turn around we have to by this software or this machine. It’s massive. Another thing is that we subscribe to all the technical service bulletins so we can work on your newer cars. So when there is an issue that maybe shouldn’t be, we can check the technical service bulletin and find out if it is a warranty or an extended warranty situation for you. Our shop includes all that I mentioned but in addition we are a Napa peace of mind facility and a confidence plus warranty repair shop. So that means if we put in for example a radiator and you drive to Vegas and the seam came apart on that and you break down. You are going to be able to get your car towed and repaired at no expense to you. You have that insurance. So you are taken care of anywhere in the U.S.A.

Our goal is to fix your car right the first time because nobody likes coming back. One thing we do if it’s something in regards that we did. We check that the repair that we did, the part that we put on are correct and then go from there to see. If it’s something that we did it’s covered under warranty. Mike is personally involved in each and every repair. Like I said we’re family owned and operated. So every scheduled maintenance and every repair he’s there. We provide a shuttle service. That’s me. A lot of times if needed we pick up and deliver cars. Our oil changes are a really good value. They have been compared to a service at a dealership, because not only do we change the oil and the oil filter, we also rotate the tires and check and measure the brakes. We give you a measurement. We top all your fluids. We test your battery. You get a full inspection sheet. We prioritize the work so we can work with you budget and if it’s something serious we can let you know right away. We can also work on your new car without voiding out your new car warranty.

A lot of dealers will tell you that if you bought the car from them you need to get it serviced with them and this is not true. You can got to any auto repair shop that you choose and still it will not void out your new car warranty. Mike and I are also available for any vehicle emergencies. On every invoice we have our cell phone on there, so if anything does happen you can give us a call it’s on our answer phone. Especially if we did a recent repair. We want to know and we want to help you and we want to solve you problem immediately. We are now an official brake and lamp inspection repair facility. We just got our certificate and what that means is that if you are required by the DMV to get authorized certificates we now can do the inspection and repair so you can get the car registered. We will soon be a certified smog repair inspection station and repair station. We will not be doing smogs but we will be licensed to repair any smog issues.

Everyone here in California everyone drives a car on the road. Mike and I know what’s out there and it’s scary. People come in and they’ve got their budget for their hair. They are going out to dinner, they are going on that Las Vegas vacation and they have no brakes. So I just want you all to know that auto maintenance should be a priority when you’re budgeting things. You have to think of your car as a machine that’s constantly going in the environment. The pollutants. Your fluids get contaminated and start deteriorating your car parts. So you got to change these parts out and you got to take care of them. They don’t last forever. It’s like our bodies, we got to take care of our bodies. With that we are Mike’s Auto Service. We are located in Huntington Beach on Metzler our hour are 7:30 to 5:30, Monday-Friday and hope to see you.

Why do you have to be certified if you don’t work on these cars?

Because at the shop it’s for service advising and since I talk with the customers and have to sometimes sell parts to them. It’s going to be really difficult for me because it has a lot of product knowledge. I need to know what the cam shaft and the cam sensor and what piston rod and this and that so it’s going to be interesting I may have to take this test a few times. All the service stuff .I’m great at. 100%

714-375-3145
Fax: 714-375-3160
17662 Metzler Lane #A
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
val@mikesautohb.com
www.mikesautohb.com