Oil changes/tires/mechanics (Taylor, Mart: buy, maintenance, price)

[becky76]

As you may know from some of my topics, I'm new to the area. I am looking for a good mechanic that does oil changes, tires, etc. Does anyone have any recommendations around the 410/90 area?

[TexasRedneck]

For tires, find yourself a local Discount Tire shop. Hands down, one of the best and most fair places you can find. They offer lifetime road hazard & balancing, and fix your flat for free. Been using them for years!

[ggeorgie]

There are oil changing places on Culebra outside loop 410. Also, there are decent mechanics on Culebra one block north on the left just past Culebra and Ingram. I don't remember the name of the place but they are decent.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Discount Tire at 410/Marbach is a good place to get tires.

We got our oil changed at Jiffy Lube on Marbach today and we were pleased with the service.

For real repairs, we use Taylor Automotive at 1604 and Big Mesa (1604 between 90 and Marbach, just past the EZ Mart). They've done really good work on our cars and never try to talk us into anything unnecessary.

[Rapscallion]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom

Discount Tire at 410/Marbach is a good place to get tires.

We got our oil changed at Jiffy Lube on Marbach today and we were pleased with the service.

For real repairs, we use Taylor Automotive at 1604 and Big Mesa (1604 between 90 and Marbach, just past the EZ Mart). They've done really good work on our cars and never try to talk us into anything unnecessary.

Really have to agree regarding Taylor Automotive. I knew Paul Taylor's father, outstanding man and the son is his equal.

Discount is a great company to work with, but keep in mind they have a low price guarantee. So, if you or a friend have a Sams Club card, get them to print out a quote and take it into Discount and they'll beat their price. Last week I saved $40 on an already great price.

[Azure110]

Just make sure those Discount Tire folks actually balance your tire/wheel assemblies. Many times they just check the weights on the balancer, slap the weights on and take it off the balancer without checking to see if they zero out on the inner and outer plane both. This is because they pressure their employees to get cars in and out as quickly as possible for those "free" rotation and balance only jobs. This happens on "free" flat repairs as well as they are supposed to re-balance the assembly after the repair is done.

I don't work there anymore and it has been years since I have, but I still see them do this whenever I go in for service. They always act surprised when I call them out on it.

[steve807]

I like DT as well, but with at least 4 cars under new tire purchase and maintenance there (mine and kids) for the past 15 years, about 1 out of 5 visits results in a return for them to fix something they did not do at all or fouled up. These return visits do not include air pressure and lug nut tightness which I re-do after every visit there. Why can't they get all 4 tires air pressure set at least consistent with each other even if not "right"? And some lug nuts are so tight that you would never get them off with normal car tools. I don't know how they keep from shearing off the lugs. I had one set at least to 130lb/ft.

Took three visits to get a slow leak fixed last winter. That's life in the modern world I suppose.

[KM1174]

Originally Posted by TexasRedneck

For tires, find yourself a local Discount Tire shop. Hands down, one of the best and most fair places you can find. They offer lifetime road hazard & balancing, and fix your flat for free. Been using them for years!

they OFFER lifetime road hazard and balancing and flat fixing, but it most certainly is not free.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoCertificate.do

you gotta buy a warranty on the tires for them to fix them and you have 30 days from the purchase of the tire to do so.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by KM1174

they OFFER lifetime road hazard and balancing and flat fixing, but it most certainly is not free.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoCertificate.do

you gotta buy a warranty on the tires for them to fix them and you have 30 days from the purchase of the tire to do so.

Not true. The store I worked years ago at would fix flats for free even if the person did not purchase "certs" aka warranty or new tires and sometimes even R&B was thrown in. It was what we called going above and beyond standard customer service. Many other stores also did this, but it was up to the store manager.