New Tire Update - GreenHybrid

McGyver · #1 (**permalink**) 03-08-2008, 11:11 AM

For anyone in Southern California I can whole-heartedly endorse "America's Tire Center" for all your Hybrid tire/wheel needs.

I'm a former dealer technician and as an amateur I've worked on cars for 30 years. These guys know what they are doing. They run a clean shop and they are very professional.

I've been out of the business, moving up the ladder in the transportation industry, fixing only my own cars lately. These guys gave me a full lesson in TPMS sensor maintenance. Apparently, in addition to age and material degradation, the sensor gaskets and attachment hardware can be damaged during normal tire mounting and dismounting. For $5 bux a wheel they rebuild them with new everything.

They quoted the tires about 10% under list, but still a bit high by my research. Sensitive to the fact that they had to send a guy to Michelin's Ontario DC to pick up my tires I counter offered for an additional $10 off on each tire. The sales man quickly agreed to that.

Understandably they wanted a CC deposit before they sent a driver, no problem.

They told me to come back at 4pm. I did, exactly at 4pm. Parked the car and they told me to give them half an hour. So I took my kids over to Target, across the street.

At 4.25pm we were walking back. While waiting at the signal light to cross the street I observed a technician backing my car out of the service bay and very carefully parking it along side the building. Almost unbelievably... he took a clean shop rag from his pocket and wiped his paw-print off my door. Wow. Just then, my phone rang. They were calling to tell me my car was ready.

So now I've got all new, proper MXV4 S8's. Installed by guys who speak perfect, educated English, guys who actually cleaned the inside of the wheel before installing tape weights, guys who stood up to my pointed and tricky questions.

Honestly... no one technician is allowed to torque your lugs. One guy SIGNS-OFF on the pre-torque and a second guy SIGNS-OFF on the final torque. The place reminded me of a cross between a military mechanized field maintenance detachment and a NASCAR pit crew.

NO! I am not a shill or a "viral marketer". I'm a geek, a nerd, like many of you. I'm very particular about technical matters and I typically complain a lot about the practices of auto repair centers.

THESE GUYS impressed the hell out of me.

CJO2007CamryHyb · #2 (**permalink**) 03-08-2008, 12:03 PM

As a former Air Force Avionics craftsman/technician, i can relate to the two-man concept. I signed off thousands of red"x" inspections on F-16 aircraft for over 12 years. I could not sign-off my own maintenance, even being an expert in such. The only way to do that was to get certified as a master mechanic(CMM) that only one or two of the hundreds of technicians i worked with had. The Air Force actually stopped the program after only a short period.......too much responsibilty for one person...... especially when you're dealing with a jet fighter with only one engine and no margin for error!! That's the way ALL maintenance should be done, even on vehicles.......!!

jbollt · #3 (**permalink**) 03-08-2008, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McGyver

For anyone in Southern California I can whole-heartedly endorse "America's Tire Center" for all your Hybrid tire/wheel needs.

I'm a former dealer technician and as an amateur I've worked on cars for 30 years. These guys know what they are doing. They run a clean shop and they are very professional.

I've been out of the business, moving up the ladder in the transportation industry, fixing only my own cars lately. These guys gave me a full lesson in TPMS sensor maintenance. Apparently, in addition to age and material degradation, the sensor gaskets and attachment hardware can be damaged during normal tire mounting and dismounting. For $5 bux a wheel they rebuild them with new everything.

They quoted the tires about 10% under list, but still a bit high by my research. Sensitive to the fact that they had to send a guy to Michelin's Ontario DC to pick up my tires I counter offered for an additional $10 off on each tire. The sales man quickly agreed to that.

Understandably they wanted a CC deposit before they sent a driver, no problem.

They told me to come back at 4pm. I did, exactly at 4pm. Parked the car and they told me to give them half an hour. So I took my kids over to Target, across the street.

At 4.25pm we were walking back. While waiting at the signal light to cross the street I observed a technician backing my car out of the service bay and very carefully parking it along side the building. Almost unbelievably... he took a clean shop rag from his pocket and wiped his paw-print off my door. Wow. Just then, my phone rang. They were calling to tell me my car was ready.

So now I've got all new, proper MXV4 S8's. Installed by guys who speak perfect, educated English, guys who actually cleaned the inside of the wheel before installing tape weights, guys who stood up to my pointed and tricky questions.

Honestly... no one technician is allowed to torque your lugs. One guy SIGNS-OFF on the pre-torque and a second guy SIGNS-OFF on the final torque. The place reminded me of a cross between a military mechanized field maintenance detachment and a NASCAR pit crew.

NO! I am not a shill or a "viral marketer". I'm a geek, a nerd, like many of you. I'm very particular about technical matters and I typically complain a lot about the practices of auto repair centers.

THESE GUYS impressed the hell out of me.

Thanks for the report! I believe the same company is known as "Discount Tire" in other parts of the country, and I have had similar satisfaction from them.

McGyver · #4 (**permalink**) 03-08-2008, 07:07 PM

Jeff, You are exactly correct. "America's Tire" and "Discount Tire" are co-branded. I saw both names on their sign.