How much will this cost?: Why we can’t give an estimate over the phone

 

Imagine waking up one morning with a stomach ache. You pick up the phone, call the doctor’s office and say, “I’ve got a really bad tummy ache. How much will it cost to make me feel better?” Of course, you wouldn’t do that. You know that there could be a lot of reasons for your symptoms and that the doctor will have to examine you, ask some questions, and probably run some tests before she can tell you what’s wrong and give you treatment options.

This same scenario plays every day at auto repair facilities. When the cause of the concern isn’t obvious, the vehicle will need to undergo a diagnostic process. The typical vehicle has about 30,000 parts, including several networked computers and miles of wiring. Finding exactly what is wrong can be very complicated and take some time. The most experienced technicians at the shop are the ones that tackle the difficult diagnostic jobs. Once they have determined the cause of the problem, they can work out the plan for how to fix it and tell you how much it will cost.

When you look at it this way, it makes perfect sense that the Service Advisor cannot provide an estimate before the diagnosis is done. At Petty Motorworks we provide a free courtesy inspection on all vehicles. Consider this equivalent to a nurse checking your vital signs and doing a visual inspection of all your body systems. At this stage, we are able to determine if your car has any glaring issues that may change your decision about future repairs. For example, you wouldn’t want to spend money on an expensive repair if your car is reaching the end of its lifespan. If we see any serious issues we will keep you in the loop. Sometimes we are able to make a diagnosis during the courtesy inspection. Other times, we might have to do more digging. Once the diagnosis is made, we will reach out so you can approve our plan of action.

We know it can be frustrating when something is wrong with your car and you aren’t sure what is going to be involved in getting it fixed. We’ll do everything we can to help you through the process; communicating with you at each step along the way. We have highly trained diagnostic technicians and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment to uncover the cause of your problems. We use quality replacement parts to help make sure you stay on the road after the repair is done. That’s our prescription for automotive peace of mind.

Petty Motorworks LLC

462 ROUTE 9

WARETOWN, NJ 08758

(609) 339-2939

www.pettymotorworks.com

All About Air Conditioning at Petty Motorworks

The refrigerant in the air conditioner contains a special oil that lubricates and cools the A/C parts. When enough refrigerant leaks out, your air conditioner still makes cold air, but the parts don’t have enough oil to protect them and they wear out faster than they should, so it’s important to service the air conditioner as recommended.

Replacing old refrigerant has another benefit: refrigerant tends to gather moisture and become corrosive. That causes leaks in the system which can be expensive to repair. Fresh refrigerant protects the air conditioning components and keeps the system operating at peak efficiency, so it doesn’t have to work as hard to keep you cool.

Even with regular service A/C parts can just wear out. Normal wear and tear eventually gets to all moving parts. Addressing early problems can save on more extensive repairs down the road. For instance, a common failure is the clutch that turns the compressor on and off. If you can take care of a bad A/C clutch when it first starts having problems, you may be able to save the compressor. Wait too long and you’ll have to replace both.

Check your owner’s manual or ask your service advisor for service recommendations. And if you’re hearing strange sounds when your air conditioning turns on, or if it just isn’t as cold as it used to be, have us give it the once over to see what it’ll take to keep you cool.

Give us a call

Petty Motorworks LLC
462 ROUTE 9
WARETOWN, NJ 08758
(609) 339-2939
www.pettymotorworks.com

Spring is Here: Is Your A/C Working?

 

Most car owners don't service their air conditioning until after it fails. Maintaining your vehicle air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can't cool the air as well.

Along with the refrigerant, a special oil circulates in the system. The oil lubricates air conditioning components and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and we all know that air conditioning repairs can be costly.

Air conditioning service at Petty Motorworks starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it's inspected for cracks or wear.

The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation by your Petty Motorworks service advisor. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it's repaired and the vehicle system is retested. Your Petty Motorworks technician will also perform a temperature drop test.

If needed, the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the air conditioner is working, and you're on your way.

How often this should be done varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your vehicle owner's manual will have the manufacturer's recommendation and, of course, your friendly and knowledgeable Petty Motorworks service advisor can tell you. It's typically every two years.

Give us a call have your air conditioning inspection done BEFORE the weather gets too hot.

Petty Motorworks LLC

462 ROUTE 9

WARETOWN, NJ 08758

www.pettymotorworks.com

Will Proper Auto Maintenance Really Save Gas?

When it comes to reduced fuel economy, there are two culprits: increased friction and inefficient fuel combustion. That means that anything you can do to decrease friction and increase the efficiency of your engine will translate to savings on fuel. 

Friction increases the amount of energy it takes to move something. So if we can reduce friction, we can decrease the amount of fuel it takes to run our vehicles. Engine oil is usually at the heart of friction problems in an engine. Too little oil means parts are not getting lubricated, which increases friction and dirty oil doesn't lubricate as well as clean oil. So one secret to good fuel economy is to stay on top of oil changes. Don't skip them and don't procrastinate. The same auto advice applies to transmission fluid. Keep it full and keep it clean, and your vehicle will run with less friction and better .

If your tires are underinflated, it increases the friction between the tire and the road. Again, there is increased drag, and it takes more fuel to move your vehicle. You should check their tire pressure every month and keep your tires properly inflated.

Alignment and brake problems can also increase friction. Besides saving fuel, keeping these systems in good repair has the added benefit of saving you on tires and brake pads. These items wear out more quickly when the alignment is off or when the brake system isn't in good working order. Talk to your friendly and knowledgeable Petty Motorworks service advisor.

The second culprit that stealthily steals our fuel economy is inefficient fuel combustion, which depends on the engine getting the right amount of clean fuel to the right place with the right pressure at the right time in the right pattern. The key to peak engine performance is to keep the fuel system clean. Varnish and gum can build up in a fuel system, which will interfere with the fuel injectors. The fuel injectors are responsible for all those “rights” we spoke of. If they're dirty, amounts, timing, pressure and spray patterns can all get out of whack. The result? Reduced fuel economy. A fuel system cleaning at Petty Motorworks can get your injectors back on track, improving performance and efficiency.

There are a few other maintenance items that can improve your fuel economy. One is to replace your PCV valve when it gets sticky. This valve allows unburned fuel in your engine exhaust to return to the engine. We can also replace worn spark plugs and dirty fuel filters. A well-maintained vehicle will require fewer repairs and save money at the gas pumps.

Petty Motorworks LLC

462 ROUTE 9

WARETOWN, NJ 08758

(609) 339-2939

www.pettymotorworks.com

Q&A: When do I need to get my car's battery replaced?

 

 

All batteries wear out and need to be replaced – but some are replaced before their time.

Look, if your battery is dying and you need a jump-start, it could very well be that you have a bad battery. But drivers should have Petty Motorworks test the battery first to see if it's actually bad. The problem could be parasitic drain or a bad alternator that's not properly charging your battery.

And drivers in this situation also need to have their service advisor check their alternator and have it tested. A surprisingly high percentage of “bad” alternators brought into Petty Motorworks are actually just fine: the problem is a worn serpentine belt and/or belt tensioner. If the belt is slipping, it's not spinning the alternator properly so it can't fully charge the battery.

Hopefully, you can see that a dead battery can be the result of a chain of events: a worn serpentine belt, a worn belt tensioner, a bad alternator or a bad battery. If you don't check the belt, tensioner and alternator, you can just end up replacing batteries that are still good. Talk to your friendly and knowledgeable pros at Petty Motorworks.

That brings us back full circle to when batteries do fail. There's a chemical cycle that takes place inside your battery: the battery is discharged when you start the vehicle and is recharged by the alternator when you drive. Short trips around the area with frequent stops and starts may mean that your battery is never fully recharged. When a battery isn't fully charged, parts of the battery harden and are no longer available to “store” electricity. Over time, your battery just can't hold enough charge for the needs of your vehicle. This is demanding on your alternator as it tries to keep up, causing it to wear out prematurely.

Batteries last longer in colder climates and wear out faster in warmer climates. We want to remind drivers that, on average, 70% of batteries fail within four years. Many NJ automotive experts recommend replacing your battery every five years. This will reduce the chances of being stranded on a local street with a dead battery as well as prevent undue wear on your alternator.

Stop by Petty Motorworks on National Battery Day (February 18th 2026) for a free battery check. We are here to from 9-5, closed for lunch between 12-1. 

 

Petty Motorworks LLC
462 ROUTE 9
WARETOWN, NJ 08758
(609) 339-2939
www.pettymotorworks.com

 

Auto Repair Ethics

 

     Automotive Ethics  

    We're going to be talking about the ethics of automotive repair. Unfortunately, every profession has some bad actors that hurt the reputation of everyone else. It's no different in our area.

 

    In the automotive world, industry associations and NJ professional licensing organizations are very committed to high ethical standards.Yet some people are still uncomfortable with automotive service and repair.

 

    If we understand what's recommended and the benefits of taking care of the work – and the pitfalls of putting it off – we'll have more trust in the recommendation. So communication is key. It's like going to the doctor. If she's using medical jargon and takes a lot of basic medical knowledge for granted, we have a hard time following her train of thought. We understand It can be like that with your service advisor at Petty Motorworks, too. He's so familiar with all things automotive, he may forget you don't know a PCV from an EGT.

 

    If you don't understand what your doctor's talking about: ask some questions. If you don't understand what your automotive advisor at Petty Motorworks is talking about: ask some questions.

 

    Let's go back to those ethical standards. When we hear a repair recommendation, we always ask ourselves, "Is this really necessary?" Well, here's the industry standard:

 

If one of our auto technicians tells you that a repair or replacement is required, it must meet one of the following criteria:

1. The part no longer performs its intended purpose

2. The part does not meet a design specification

3. The part is missing

 

    For example, it you take your car in for a grinding noise when you step on the brakes, you may just think you need new brake pads. After the inspection, the technician says that you have a cracked rotor and need to replace it. If you tried to get him to just put new pads on, he would say that if you didn't want to replace the rotor, he would ethically have to refuse the repair. To just put pads on a cracked rotor would have been very wrong. The brakes could've failed at anytime: they needed to be repaired – not just have a band-aid slapped on them.

 

Now, looking at something not so serious, Petty Motorworks may suggest repair or replacement:

1. If the part is close to the end of its useful life – just above discard specifications or likely to fail soon

2. To address a customer need or request – like for better ride or increased performance

3. To comply with maintenance recommended by the vehicle's manufacturer

4. Based on the technician's informed experience

 

    Of course, Petty Motorworks has the burden of making ethical recommendations and properly educating their customers. For the customer, if you are uncomfortable with a recommendation, ask some questions. More information is always a good thing.

 

Petty Motorworks LLC
462 ROUTE 9
WARETOWN, NJ 08758

 

 

 

 

 

We encountered a strange hopping noise in this Chrysler...and got an adorable surprise.