NORTHBROOK (847) 849.1898

WESTMONT (630) 570.0204

   

DO I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?

While we perform work by appointment only, you are always welcome to visit our shop during business hours. Keep in mind that if we are busy, we will be tending to customers who have placed an appointment first, but if we have time free, we will be glad to discuss your vehicle and service needs. If your vehicle is not able to be driven safely, please contact us to arrange a tow-in so we can ensure your vehicle arrives safely.

DO YOU PROVIDE ESTIMATES?

We are always happy to provide an estimate of the work needed. For repairs and diagnostics, we require to see your vehicle in person in order to provide you with the most accurate estimate. This cannot be achieved over the telephone. We operate on a full transparency policy, once we see your vehicle, we will contact you and get your approval BEFORE any work is begun.

Do not be misled by other shops estimating repairs or providing quotes over the phone. The vast majority of the time, it simply isn’t possible to give an accurate repair estimate without seeing the vehicle and having it diagnosed by one of our trained technicians. You want an accurate assessment of your vehicle, MPC is here to provide you with along with the best solutions. Call us today to schedule your appointment at 312-736-7483.

WHAT IS YOUR WARRANTY?

We warranty all work that we perform for 3 years and 100,000 miles. Normal wear items such as fluids, brake pads & rotors, tires, and batteries are not warrantied unless we can determine them to be defective. We are YOUR advocate, if a wear item can be found defective, we WILL replace it. For all non-wear items, if the part that we installed fails during that time or mileage period, we replace it with no cost for parts or labor. All warranty work must be performed by Midwest Performance Cars.

WHAT KIND OF PARTS DO YOU USE, AND CAN I PROVIDE MY OWN PARTS?

We use Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Original Equipment Supplier (OES) parts, straight from the dealer network or other professional parts suppliers. We will not install parts provided by the customer. The only exception to this would be a specialty part needed due to a special circumstance (out of production, unavailable, or customer-specified parts which meet our quality standards), or an aftermarket performance upgrade from a supplier that we have worked with or previously vetted. Please contact a member of our team for further details or questions.

CAN YOU DO MY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE?

Yes! We can perform any of your necessary regular, scheduled, and preventative maintenance for your vehicle. Your scheduled maintenance must be performed to maintain your warranty, but you are not required to go to the dealership for this service. Your receipt from MPC is proof of service performed in case of any manufacturer warranty claim.

WHAT IS A TIMING BELT AND CAN YOU SERVICE MINE?

Yes, if it is due for replacement, we can perform this service. Many vehicles are fitted with an engine timing belt that requires replacement between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. A timing belt breakage can be costly and create engine damage. If you have purchased your automobile used and do not have records of the timing belt being changed, we can inspect your vehicle and determine its condition.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE MY CAR’S WARRANTY STAYS IN FORCE, DON’T I HAVE TO GO TO THE DEALER TO KEEP IT?

Absolutely not! Vehicles owners and lessees are completely within their rights to use an independent repair facility for their vehicle’s maintenance and repair.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, states that it is illegal for a dealer to deny your warranty coverage simply because you had routine maintenance or repairs performed by someone else. Routine maintenance often includes oil changes, tire rotations, belt replacement, fluid checks and flushes, new brake pads, and inspections.

HOW OFTEN DO I REALLY NEED TO CHANGE MY OIL?

The general rule of thumb is for conventional oil (most frequently found in older vehicles), you should change oil every 3000 miles, and for synthetic oil every 6000 miles. Best practice is to adhere to the maintenance schedule in your owners manual and change oil by the mileage or time interval specified. Some manufacturers have begun to claim that oil life can be stretched to 10,000 miles, however, if the oil has not broken down, become saturated with contaminants, or lost viscosity, you are still circulating through the same dirty oil filter without an oil change.

Oil life is dependent upon each individual’s driving conditions. When compared with the cost of an engine repair due to poor lubrication, regular oil changes are an inexpensive maintenance, necessity.

HOW MUCH SHOULD AN OIL CHANGE COST?

Conventional oil changes can range from $40 to $80, and synthetic oil changes can range from $70 to as much as $250. Cost factors also include how many quarts or liters is the engine oil capacity and what grade oil the manufacturer specifies for replacement. We at MPC believe it is much more important to use a shop that you trust, who knows the brand of car you have and will be using the proper oil and parts required for your vehicle. We have seen vehicles come into our shop for the first time, with incorrect oil filters and wildly incorrect oil levels, all of which can result in major engine damage. Do your vehicle a favor and don’t skimp on oil service just to save a few dollars. It is a very important part of extending the life of your vehicle.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CAR NEEDS SYNTHETIC OIL?

You should always refer to your owner’s manual for the factory recommended oil type. The only exception to this rule is: Even if your car only requires conventional oil, but has been changed to synthetic, DO NOT change back to conventional. Once you’ve gone synthetic, you should stay with it for the life of that vehicle.

HOW MUCH SHOULD A WATER PUMP COST ME?

Prices can vary based on model of car and type of engine in your particular vehicle. This also depends on your locations driving conditions such as, are you in the “rust belt” part of the country, or are you in a corrosion-free, sunny and warm climate? All of these factors go into the price of the part and amount of labor involved in replacing the water pump. In order to provide an accurate quote, we require to see your vehicle. We will perform a 36-point inspection of your vehicle free of charge, and provide you with a digital inspection form detailing the condition of your vehicle. In addition, we provide you with a written estimate of the recommended services.

SHOULD I KEEP MAINTAINING MY CAR OR SHOULD I GET A NEW ONE?

In general, it is more cost effective to properly maintain your existing vehicle than purchasing a new one. A new vehicle experiences immediate depreciation the second it leaves the dealer lot. Generally, a new car will cost more to insure, and will require roughly the same expenditure on all wear items such as brakes, tires and fluids (which are not covered under warranty), that your existing vehicle requires. For a real-life cost comparison, we have 2 videos, “BMW cost comparison” and “Porsche cost comparison” that breaks this down further:
View it here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuGVPB7p62R9a2ytNBcyNdA

HOW OFTEN SHOULD WIPER BLADES BE REPLACED?

We advise to replace them if they are: chattering, streaking, smearing, squealing, or outright broken. If yours last a full year, great! It is pretty easy to tell if your blades need replacing, you’ll see it (or not see anything) right in front of your face! A lot of places will tell you that you need to replace wiper blades every 6 months. Keep in mind, Wiper blades of vehicles that live on the street and are exposed to the sun or other conditions daily, will not last as long as a garaged vehicle . We recommend, you should always have your repair shop check your blades when you go in for an oil change.