Montpelier Auto Repair

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr When the temperatures dip below zero, my auto repair shop starts receiving early morning SOS calls that sound something like this, “Auto Craftsmen? Help! My car is stranded in my driveway and it won’t start! I need to get to work, what do I do?” Most people immediately blame the battery. YES, it could be the battery…. BUT, it’s important to rule out the following before you spend time and money on a new one: Is there corrosion around the terminal connections that is preventing a good connection? Did you leave the light on and the battery was drained, and just needs to be re-charged? Is the electrical system operating efficiently? Is the real culprit the alternator? OR, is the problem with the starter? The Battery Council explains the following; At 32 degrees Fahrenheit, a fully-charged battery has only 65 percent of its available power. When the thermometer reads zero outside, available power drops to 40 pe ... read more

During the Month of October which is ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’, Auto Craftsmen in Montpelier and more than 200 other Independent Auto Repair Shops across the US are once again raising funds for a new breast cancer vaccine. You will receive a FREE Brake Inspection [$53 value] and if you need brake work and have it done the same day, you receive FREE premium brake pads [as long as they are available from our NAPA Auto Parts Store] and then you pay for the labor and any other parts necessary to complete the brake job. We will then donate 10% of your brake job directly to Dr. Vincent Tuohy & the Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Research Fund.  Total donations to date = $940,931.74! To make an appointment call {802} 223-2253, or click here to schedule an appointment now! Dr. Vincent Tuohy has spent the ... read more

There are a ton of really cool 'AutoGirls' that I have gotten to know over the years. From mechanics to women who do body work & restoration, welders, fabricators, painters, race car drivers, writers, consultants, women who work for corporations and shop owners like me. Most of them live out of Vermont, which gives me a great excuse to travel multiple times per year. Every November I travel to Arizona and Bogi and I make our annual drive to Vegas to attend AAPEX & SEMA otherwise know as Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week. Bogi is one of my most favorite AutoGirls. Like me, she owns her own automotive repair business, but she is also an ASE Certified master technician, writer, speaker, educator and has co-hosted the show "all Girls Garage" on Velocity TV for seven years. Bogi is what I call a 'Bad Ass'. Back in 2015 Bogi talked about buying a 1957 Chevy Truck and restoring it. We talked about how much work that would involve, and how she would need ... read more

During the Month of October which is ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’, Auto Craftsmen in Montpelier and more than 100 other Independent Auto Repair Shops across the US are once again raising funds for the new breast cancer vaccine as part of the 'Brakes for Breast' fundraiser. Dr. Vincent Tuohy has spent the past 14 years working on a breast cancer vaccine that would both prevent the disease and keep it from recurring. This preventative measure would use a woman’s own immune system to protect herself from developing the disease. Dr. Tuohy is an immunologist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and will head up the company, called Shield Biotech, as the Chief Science Officer, Shield Biotech, so named because the vaccine it is developing will act as a defense against breast cancer, is a spinoff-company created by Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the commercialization arm of the hospital system. In Spring ... read more

Drop off at least 5 each of Peanut Butter, Jelly &/or Tuna Fish during the month of Feb. and you will get a chance to spin our 'Wheel of Savings'. The Montpelier Food Pantry serves emergency meals to individuals and families in the greater Montpelier area.  They assist people who are in need of life’s necessities and social justice.  They promote self-sufficiency and food independence through food education. Pantry Hours: Tuesday 10-12, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 10-11. Located at Trinity Church, 137 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 Serving the communities of: Montpelier, E. Montpelier, Calais, Middlesex, Berlin, Worcester & Adamant. To make an appointment, call

Help us support the Montpelier Food Pantry!Donate at least 5 non-perishable foods for the Montpelier Food Pantry and receive: 1.  FREE Brake Inspection  ( $47.00 value) 2. If we end up doing brake work on your vehicle, we will install FREE Premium Brake Pads &/or Shoes (if needed) as part of a complete brake job. Is the Brake Repair going to be absolutely Free? Of course not - BUT - this is the Best Deal you will get anywhere! #1) Save $47.00 for a Brake Inspection #2) You get Free Brake Pads &/or shoes #3) You help the Montpelier Food Pantry. Why not totally free?   No Cost Jobs would require us to use cheap parts and to do what we call in the industry                             a “pad slap” = throw on cheap pads as quickly as possible and not look at the rotors, calipers ... read more

In the United States, mechanics are not licensed. Anyone who goes out and purchases some tools can open up an auto repair shop or get a job at an independent shop or at the dealer. A specific shop or dealer may have a great reputation, but most drivers never know which mechanic will be working on their vehicle.  You rely on your car to keep you and your family safe and get to get you to work, school and all those other places that are a major part of your life without breaking down on the side of the road. Plus it’s getting crazy expensive to purchase a car, maintain it and replace any broken or worn out parts. Cars are also so technically advanced, that it makes it nearly impossible for you to be able to work on your car yourself. I call them computers on wheels. The mechanic or auto technician who is working on your car is essentially a car doctor.  You wouldn’t go to a doctor who wasn’t a licensed M.D. So, how can you be sure the car-doctor / a ... read more

You wouldn’t go to a doctor who wasn’t a licensed M.D., so why would you let an un-certified mechanic work on your car?   Before you hand over the keys, ask if your mechanic is ASE Certified in the specific repair or service your vehicle needs.   The National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence or ASE sets the industry standard with their certification program. This includes testing in eight different automotive systems: Engine Repair Certification Automatic Transmission Certification Manual Drive Train & Axles Certification Suspension & Steering Certification Brakes Certification Electrical Systems Certification Heating & Air Conditioning Certification Engine Performance Certification For each specialty exam that is passed, the mechanic receives a certification in that specific area. If all eight tests are passed an ASE Master Technician Certification is awarded. Master Techs are considered experts in aut ... read more

Auto Craftsmen in Montpelier is giving away a brand new set of Cooper All-season tires on 3/31/16! No purchase necessary! Just bring in 10 non-perishable food items for the Vermont Food Bank, and enter your name in a drawing for the new set of tires.   Located on Route 2 West / next door to the Dairy Creme, This side of Waterbury! Open Mon. - Frid. 8 am to 5:30 pm. for more information call 80

I had the good fortune to travel to Hawaii last month and cruise around the beautiful islands on the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America with my good friend Bogi Lateiner. Bogi owns a shop in Phoenix AZ, and is an ASE Master Technician. She is also one of the co-stars on the TV show ‘All Girls Garage’ on the Velocity channel. Somehow the two of us always get into trouble when we get together and on this trip we almost bit off more then we could chew. We decided that we should get a tour of the ship’s engine. Heck, we were both AutoGirls, love engines and Bogi is a TV star. We thought maybe we could leverage all this and get a tour. Every day we asked a different crew member about it, and started leaving letters requesting a tour in the suggestion box at the front desk. We were pleasantly surprised when returning to our r ... read more