Not too long ago, I had a somewhat whiny review regarding our car, a 2006 Saturn Ion. Let me tell you exactly what steps led up to that post, as well as what steps have been taken since:
1. The car started shifting very hard last Saturday. The vehicle in an automatic, but as you increase speed, the car will suddenly kick/shudder. Sometimes, it is violent enough to make me wonder if the car was safe to drive.
2. After calling him in a state that could only be described as angry panic, my father advised us to check the transmission fluid, but neither Mark nor I were capable of doing so. He told us of some other possible culprits, but they were beyond our ability to repair ourselves.
3. After seeking counsel with my father, we consulted the almighty Google to seek further solutions. There, we were advised to unplug the battery for twenty minutes to reset the system.* We went the simpler route and pulled a particular fuse that would yield the same results. The car ran okay for about ten minutes worth of driving before returning to its broken state.
4. Mark had joined some forums specifically for Saturn owners and was told to replace the battery, as that could cause this type of problem. He was told if that did not work, it would be best to take it to a dealer. We took the car to Sam's Club to have the battery checked. They told us it needed replaced. It was still the original battery, so they were surprised it lasted as long as it did. $87 later, the car was running fine!
5. Travel into the future 24 hours, and the car is behaving worse than ever. At this point, the check engine light decides to come on.
6. Today, the light went back off again, and the car wasn't shuddering anymore.
Realizing that this was a problem that had to be fixed, not one of those awesome ones that goes away if you ignore it, I had decided it was time to seek help. Would you believe that I happened to run into the gentleman from Burkholder Automotive? As I had spoken with him previously, I decided to ask him what he thought it might be. I'm not used to having to trust other people with my car,** so it was a big step for me on a personal level.
He listened to me describe the problem and provided a possible solution. As we continued talking about his hours, he offered to just diagnose my car on the spot. He had the diagnostic tool with him! We strolled over to my car, got the error code off of his little tool, and he told me exactly what the problem was that my vehicle was suffering from. He told me he would look into the cost for the part and the labor and call me later that afternoon.
True to his word, he called shortly thereafter. He gave me good news about the cost, telling me my cheapest option, as well as the quickest one. After further consultation, I decided to go with the cheaper part, even though it would mean I had to wait until next week to have the car fixed.
About an hour later, he called again. He had found someone to price-match the part, so he got it today! Continuing his awesomeness, he told me he would come to where I work tomorrow to put the part in!
Let's review how awesome Burkholder Automotive is:
1. Mr. Burkholder diagnosed my car in the parking lot at no charge. This alone has earned him my business.
2. He took the time to explain what the code meant, what wasn't working, and how it would be fixed. He even told me where the cam shaft actuator/sensor is located. He treated me like an intelligent human being.
3. He went out of his way to find me the cheapest option and the quickest option so I had choices.
4. He continued to pursue a quick option at the cheap price when he didn't need to.
5. He set up a time to fix my car at my place of employment so I don't have to worry about it.
Seriously, that is too much awesome for one man! If you find yourself in need of automotive help in the Myrtle Beach area, don't hesitate to visit Burkholder Automotive. They'll take good care of you. For example, he also gave me the code that came up on the diagnostic tool, so I could look it up if I wanted to. It turns out that the amount he charges for labor is far below the average. I really can't say enough good things about his service. Now, I just have to hope that this actually fixes the problem. I hope my car decides to co-operate.
*Yes, their advice was to turn it off and on again.
**That's what my dad and brother are for.
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