Gainesville Area Tuffy Car Talk

Winterizing Your Vehicle

2011-12-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone!

WOW! Can you believe it is already December? As we come to the end of another year I would like to help you get your vehicle "Shopping and Traveling" ready. During this time of the year, we all have so much going on, visiting friends and family and wrapping up the year at work. The last thing we need to have is an unreliable vehicle.

If you remember we've talked before about the importance of preventive car care[October is "Be Car Care Aware" Month!]. With the weather turning cooler, there are some key steps you should take to "winterize" your vehicle. Following this advice will keep your engine and other components in top running condition while our usual warm, sunny weather goes on vacation. Having your vehicle winterized is being Car Care Aware [October is "Be Car Care Aware" Month!]. It is an insurance you can provide yourself to help avoid roadside breakdowns. With gifts to buy and dinners to plan, adding one more thing to the already long To Do list for the holidays can seem overwhelming. By having Tuffy Auto Service Center of Jonesville winterize your vehicle for you, you'll get the peace of mind that you have done your best to prevent any vehicle breakdowns.

Performing a coolant flush will remove corrosion, and protect the cooling system from forming corrosion. Many car manufacturers recommend replacing your coolant every 2 years or 24,000 miles. By having Tuffy Auto Service Center of Jonesville perform a professional coolant flush service it will rapidly remove rust and scale, protect against coolant leaks, maintain manufacturer warranty requirements, and protect against breakdown.

Wiper blades should be checked and replaced every 6 months. The Florida weather is hard on wiper blades. We have had many customers come in during the winter months with torn wiper blades due the the ice on the windshield.

Oil changes should be done according to the vehicle manufacturers recommendations. Just a bonus.

It is important to have your electrical system check before it gets too cold.

Because we know your funds are mainly dedicated to gifts and travel at this time of year, for the month of December we are offering $20.00 off a coolant flush, $5.00 off any set of wiper blades, and $8.00 off our Better Oil Change. We will also provide a FREE electrical system check to help.

We have many products that will save you money at the gas pump, and provide you better performance while traveling this holiday season. You'd be amazed at the difference in gas mileage you'll see with a clean air filter and NitroFill in your tires, as well as our Run-Rite fuel service. Our Run-Rite Fuel treatments can save you a lot of money on gasoline by increasing fuel efficiency in your engine. Nitrogen for your tires will save wear and tear on your tires.

Please give us a call 352-332-0500 and set up and appointment so we can save you time and money this holiday season!

Safe and happy motoring to everyone!

J.W. "Tuffy Man" McNeal

October Is “Be Car Care Aware” Month

2011-10-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone!

WOW! Can you believe it is already December? As we come to the end of another year I would like to help you get your vehicle "Shopping and Traveling" ready. During this time of the year, we all

have so much going on, visiting friends and family and wrapping up the year at work. The last thing we need to have is an unreliable vehicle.

Performing a coolant flush will remove corrosion, and protect the cooling system from forming corrosion. Many car manufacturers recommend replacing your coolant every 2 years or 24,000 miles. By having Tuffy Auto Service Center of Jonesville perform a professional coolant flush service it will rapidly remove rust and scale, protect against coolant leaks, maintain manufacturer warranty requirements, and protect against breakdown.

Wiper blades should be checked and replaced every 6 months. The Florida weather is hard on wiper blades. We have had many customers come in during the winter months with torn wiper blades due the the ice on the windshield.

Oil changes should be done according to the vehicle manufacturers recommendations. Just a bonus.

It is important to have your electrical system check before it gets too cold.

Please give us a call 352-332-0500 and set up and appointment so we can save you time and money this holiday season!

Safe and happy motoring to everyone!

J.W. "Tuffy Man" McNeal

A Great Place to Learn About Car Care

2011-09-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Hello, thank you for taking the time to read my blog. My name is J.W. McNeal and I have owned the Tuffy Auto Service Center in Jonesville since we opened our doors in February of 2002.

I have worked in the retail automotive service industry for 32 years and have held several positions to include; Parts specialist, Restoration Specialist at National Parts Depot. Wholesale Parts Assistant, Parts Coordinator and Production Line Foreman at Mark III Van Conversions, Store Manager of a retail parts supplier with sales over 5.5 million dollars. I truly enjoy what I do or I wouldn’t have stayed in the industry as long as I have.

Working with consumers, treating people the way I like to be treated when I’m a consumer, educating my customers about their cars and saving folks money by maintaining vehicles instead of repairing them is what I am known for in the industry. It’s also one of the many reasons I have decided to write this blog and share my expertise and answer your questions. In today’s tough economic times, the high cost of gasoline and our dependency on our vehicles, I felt it was time to share my knowledge so I can save motorists from expensive automotive repairs.

Maintaining your vehicle will always cost less than repairing it!

At our Tuffy Full Service Auto Center we of course repair and fix all types of vehicles and problems that our customers bring in to us. The difference between our store and many other auto service centers is we prefer to take care of problems before they occur! This philosophy has saved my customers hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars over my career.

I have attended numerous training sessions, where I have learned my craft and have became an expert in automotive service. My crew and I are all ASE Certified (Automotive Service Excellence).

I am a firm believer that if you don’t understand something, then you take the time to learn and understand it. I enjoy sharing my knowledge so please ask questions and this blog is a great place for you to do that! “When we open the door of information, we break down walls of not understanding.”

We have all been in that spot of not understanding something. It is an awful feeling. I want to empower you with confidence about your vehicle so that you stay in control when you bring your car into an automotive repair shop.

We all know that there are a few “bad apples” in the automotive service industry. I think the auto service industry in the Gainesville area has a very good reputation. Let’s face it, there are bad doctors, bad restaurants, bad lawn care companies … and the list goes on. My Tuffy Auto Service Center has received many awards for outstanding customer service. It is a great feeling when we receive a letter or a call from a customer letting us know what a great job we have done.

Get to know your mechanic, do some research and ask questions.

My focus, when I opened my Tuffy Auto Service Center, was to give the automotive service industry a facelift and we have done just that serving the Gainesville, Newberry and Jonesville areas. If you have not paid us a visit, stop in and let me give you a tour. As soon as you walk in the front door I believe you will experience a difference. Our waiting room is set up to feel more like a living room in a nice home. We have toys for the kids to play with, videos and a fire place for those cold, cold days here in Gainesville! We don’t use it much but it sure looks good.

You will notice that our entire staff, including the technicians and mechanics, is clean; their shirts are tucked in and they are nicely groomed. You will NEVER find our team members smoking in the shop (I don’t believe we have any smokers anyway). The shop itself is also always clean and we properly maintain all of our equipment. We have even been told by some doctors that we service that our bathroom is cleaner than theirs!

Attention to detail and our image are so important and I believe that “we are a reflection of our image”.

As you can tell, I can carry on. So, with that said, I am ending this first blog. Remember, ask questions, research, and get to know your automotive repair shop. Feel free to stop by our shop, located in Jonesville, between Gainesville and Newberry, and ask me any questions. Or, if you prefer typing out your questions, ask me here — it’s a great place to start. You will feel a lot more comfortable, and it will be a little bit easier having your vehicle serviced.

See you soon and safe and happy motoring to everyone.

J.W. McNeal “TUFFYMAN”

Jonesville, Gainesville and Newberry Florida