Evening star., 1933-02-26
OFFICIAL SERVICE
MOTOR REQUISITE
Factory Cooperation Helps
Dealer In Aiding the
Public.

Now that the new cars for the new
day in motoring have been launched.
all motordom Is turning to ways and
means Of keeping these superior models
superior. Ofic:sl service Is the answer.
Never before in the history Of motor
dom have tho service plants Of Auto
mobile Row been geared to such Z high
pitch Of efficiency. New equipment has
been added and factory developed plans
for precise and speedy work adopted.
Flat rates were never lower.
Many motorists have held Of 20 long
on the purchase Of new cars that they
are not familiar with the changes that
have transpired around the of!icial serv-
ice plants. Unless there Is q willing.
ness to face the facts 1t Is feared many
OF them will invite troble with their
new possessions this year because OF
failure to appreciate the need for seek
ing servicesfrom those who specialize in
the particular make. The 1882 cars
are highly individual, 50 that it is only
the most skillful mechanic with q jack
of-all trades complex who Is able to
tackle more than one or two makes
with equal facility.
Fiat Rate Bargains.
Fiat rates are down to what amount
to bargain prices, but where offered by
the Official service stations carry guar
antees Of good workmanship. In fact,
the atomobile dealer cannot afford to
give anything but the most preventive
service to customers cars, because he
knows that eventually he must buy the
car back when the time comes for pur-
chasing q later years series. Here are
some OF the striking advantages now
offered by the firms that have beauti-
ned the city with attractive show rooms
and eficient service plants:
To tow a car for l mile one firm can
not charge its customers more than 30
cents. This is the dat-rate charge
worked out by the Detroit factory, and
Is IN effect throughout the United
States.
Valve grinding and carbon removal
OF a four-cylinder car that is not now
IN production is scaled down to 1920.
The average owner who has this sort Of
work done would be entirely satisfied
to let any self-styled mechanic do the
JOB for IS, even more.
The public, thinking perhaps In terms
OF boom periods, has false impression
true Of cars in the higher priced bracket,
yet the facts today do not Justify any
such belief. Valve grinding on a IIo
horsepower straight eight, to cite q
typical case, is scaled to $ll.50. This
includes . complete tune-up Of the
motor.
Mystery Taken Out.
Even the mystery has been taken
OUT OF BODY work. Previously it was a
difficult matter for service men to an
ticlpate how much even the simplest Of
BODY Jobs would cost. Factories went
into the subject and discovered sim
pier ways OF handling this sort of work.
As result the service manager TODAY
is able to tell a customer exactly what
IT Will cost to remove such elusive trou-
oles as body squeaks and groans. On
one OF the popular priced cars doors
are rehung and all door noises cast
into the discard at q cost Of sass.
Rates charged are by no means sug-
gestlve OF the amount of work or skill
involved. Frequently an individual Job
Will cost much more than what the
service station receives for it, Snags
develop with annoying regularity. On
the average, however the service plant
Is supposed to be able to show sufficient
profit to keep the plant well manned
and to be able to make the investment
IN new equipment to meet the new
problems. One dealer tells the writer
that he is prepared to scrap q $700
brake testing machine Just as soon as
he can flnd better one.
1t Is the knowledge Of the particular
make Of car that enables the oflcial
service station to perform work at the
present low rates. Just as soon as a
new condition develops the factory
notifies all Of its dealers. Campaigning
Is going on continually. Virtually all
Of this is done without the customer
being obliged to pay cent for the i'm
provements made in htA car.
Up to Motorist.
The motorist who does not take his
car to the ofiicial service station with
fair degree of regularity, especially
when it is new, is very apt to forfeit
the opportunity to have has car oper-
ate still better Often when q car Is
in the service station for a greasing
one of the service men will make a
slight adjustment or substitute newly
improved part. 1t is all such routine
and so definitely part OF the i'll
dustry'S policy OF trying to cut costs
for the motoring public that the service
man seldom says anything about it.
But the customer knows 1t eventually
through greater satisfaction.
Looking over typical fiat rate chart
reveals a surprising amount Of work
which an official station will perform
without charge. A Scotchman figured
out that he could take his car to the
service station once a month, have it
tinkered with all day, and owe the
dealer nothing whatsoever Many Of
the service stations make no charge
for cleaning spark plugs. for adjusting
the clutch, for adjusting headlights or
many other things that take time and
skill.
Keep your new car new in the mod
ern manner. It's too good q car to
risk on second-rate service.
{copyright. 1889