Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center

Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center Providing affordable repairs, hands-on training, mentorship, and community support for veterans, families, and people in need.

Driven by Service — Built for All.

This 2016 MINI Clubman has been a good example of why diagnosis and parts availability matter just as much as turning wr...
08/18/2026

This 2016 MINI Clubman has been a good example of why diagnosis and parts availability matter just as much as turning wrenches.

Before her trip to California, we replaced a leaking water pump. The A/C already had an issue when she left, but she had to get on the road and make the trip anyway.

The compressor would cool for a few minutes, then stop. These MINIs use a variable-displacement compressor with an electronic control valve, and that valve was one of the first things we suspected. The problem was finding the correct valve by itself.

So now that the car is back, we’re doing the A/C system properly with a complete kit: compressor, expansion valve, seals, and the desiccant bag in the condenser.

Once the compressor was removed, I finally had a clear view of another coolant leak coming from the thermostat housing seal.

Then came the ridiculous part.

You can’t just walk into a parts store or dealership and buy that seal by itself. AutoZone wanted about $749 for the complete housing. The dealership in Midland quoted around $375. I found cheaper options online, but because of how much work it takes to access this area, I didn’t want to install the cheapest thing available and have to do it again.

I went with a name-brand Wahler thermostat assembly from PartsGeek for about $140.

Sometimes helping someone keep an older car on the road means more than replacing a bad part. It means diagnosing the real problem, finding parts that make sense, and trying to keep the repair affordable without cutting corners.

That’s what Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center is about.

Driven by Service — Built for All.

08/16/2026

I needed a ride from San Angelo to Midland to pick up my car. I was hoping to find someone already heading that way, so I reached out to someone I recently helped through Veterans & Community.

Instead, this guy works in the oil field, came home to San Angelo, and then turned around and drove me all the way back to Midland.

He didn’t ask for money. Didn’t ask for gas. He just said he likes what we’re doing, follows the page, and believes in helping people.

Then I learned more about his story.

Years ago, he was in a terrible tractor trailer accident. He was pinned inside his truck with a broken arm, broken ribs, and spinal injuries while the truck was catching fire. He could feel the heat coming through the firewall before someone was able to pull him out. Shortly after, the truck was engulfed.

I can’t imagine carrying that kind of trauma. To this day, he still doesn’t like driving that stretch of road around Midland.

Everybody has a story.

And sometimes the person helping you has already been through more than you could ever know.

Thank you for looking out for someone else. That kind of thing is contagious. At some point in this life, every one of us will need help from somebody we may barely know.

Humanity has a way of coming back around.

Driven by Service — Built for All.

The part cost $35. The repair didn’t.This LeSabre had MAF and TPS codes. The MAF was actually bad, but the TPS problem c...
08/13/2026

The part cost $35. The repair didn’t.

This LeSabre had MAF and TPS codes. The MAF was actually bad, but the TPS problem came from someone installing the wrong connector and trying to make it fit.

I went to Clark’s on Cecil, pulled a throttle body, sensors and the correct pigtail myself for $35. They’ve always been helpful and kind to me.

But the real cost is time. Diagnosing, tracing wiring, finding parts, pulling them and figuring out why the codes were there in the first place.

Older cars aren’t always a fast fix. Sometimes you have to slow it down, diagnose it right, and make the car happy.

Working on this old LeSabre has been a good reminder of what you run into on older cars. Sometimes you’re not just diagn...
08/12/2026

Working on this old LeSabre has been a good reminder of what you run into on older cars. Sometimes you’re not just diagnosing the original problem anymore. You’re diagnosing years of other people trying to fix it.

The wiring is a good example. I’ve corrected and improved quite a bit of it, but I’m still not all the way there. Eventually you have to work backward and ask, what was the original problem someone was trying to fix?

The A/C got a new or***ce tube, evacuation and recharge, and now she blows snowballs. Both power seats are still dead and I’m tracing that wiring. The driver’s lower control arm is bad enough that you can feel the car jerk when you let off the brake. And the headliner needs to be done too.

And I’m guilty of the same thing I want to teach. Sometimes I assume based on past failures, or get in a rush and jump ahead of the diagnosis. The radiator cap on this car was a painful reminder. With a good cap, the cooling system is behaving normally.

Nobody knows everything. Slow down, test it, understand what the car is telling you, and don’t be afraid to admit when your first guess was wrong. That’s a big part of what I want the nonprofit to be about.

The image is an exaggeration.

A safety lesson from the LeSabre.Even if you’ve worked on cars for years, don’t get comfortable around a cooling system....
08/11/2026

A safety lesson from the LeSabre.

Even if you’ve worked on cars for years, don’t get comfortable around a cooling system. The car had been sitting for a good while. The radiator cap was old and rusty, and I suspect it wasn’t releasing pressure correctly. I barely turned it and boom, hot coolant sprayed across my right arm and chest. I ended up getting checked out and thankfully I’m okay.

Never assume a cooling system has depressurized just because it’s been sitting.

This is part of what Veterans & Community is about. Teaching people how to work on their own vehicles also means teaching them how to do it safely. Experienced or not, mistakes happen, and sometimes the best lesson is sharing one so someone else doesn’t make it.

Learn. Teach. Stay safe. Help each other. 🔧❤️

Sometimes the best thing you can do is get out and see the country.I finally made it back to Texas after nearly 2,800 mi...
08/05/2026

Sometimes the best thing you can do is get out and see the country.

I finally made it back to Texas after nearly 2,800 miles on the road.

The trip started with taking my son back to Tennessee. Flights were expensive, so I decided to turn it into a road trip instead.

A couple of days before leaving, my car wasn’t happy. The engine light came on, and there just wasn’t enough time to figure it out before the trip. Thanks to a lot of help from family, I was able to rent a car and keep the plans alive.

I’m really glad I did.

Driving across Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and into North Carolina reminded me how different every place is. Every town has its own personality, every person has a story, and there are good people everywhere if you’re willing to slow down and talk.

One stop that stood out was Kebab House in Little Rock. Great food, friendly people, and an awesome homemade spicy sauce.

The Smoky Mountains were everything I’d hoped for. Beautiful mountains, winding roads, and views that photos just can’t capture.

I was also impressed with Tennessee’s roads. They were well maintained, and when someone was broken down, crews were already there with cones out, helping keep everyone safe. I also noticed the lane discipline. The farther east we drove, the more people stayed in the right lane and only moved left to pass. It made for a much more relaxed drive.

I still think we could do with fewer billboards. Maybe it’s just me, but they feel like visual pollution. When you’re surrounded by mountains, forests, rivers, and open skies, nature is all the view you need.

This trip was a little bittersweet. I’m tired after the drive, but grateful for the time with my son, the people I met, and the chance to experience a beautiful part of this country.

Now it’s time to get back to work helping veterans, families, and neighbors keep their vehicles on the road.

Driven by Service. Built for All.

07/26/2026

It’s been a busy few days at Veterans & Community. I replaced a starter and a water pump on a 2016 MINI Cooper right in the customer’s driveway.

We started by diagnosing the no start condition with a Power Probe. The starter had power, but all we got was a small click. Voltage dropped way down when trying to crank, so the starter wasn’t able to turn the engine over. After getting that fixed, I noticed coolant leaking from the passenger side. It turned out to be the water pump, so I came back the next day and replaced that too.

Mobile repairs aren’t really what I want to do long term, but if I can help someone get back on the road, I’m happy to do it.

Jobs like this are also a reminder that my body isn’t what it used to be. Between military service, a stroke, and chronic pain, I definitely feel it after work like this. Today is a rest day, and I’m learning to be okay with that.

The mission hasn’t changed. Keep helping people, keep building community, and keep moving forward, one repair at a time. 🇺🇸🔧❤️

Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center. Every dollar for this repair will go directly toward these parts. If more is do...
07/23/2026

Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center. Every dollar for this repair will go directly toward these parts. If more is donated than needed, the remaining funds will stay with the Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center to help the next veteran or community member who needs a hand.

I’ll continue posting updates and receipts so everyone can see exactly how donations are being used.

Sometimes changing someone’s life isn’t about buying them a new car. Sometimes it’s making sure the one they have gets them to work, home, and through another week.

Thank you for believing that neighbors still take care of neighbors. ❤️🔧🇺🇸

Community Repair UpdateToday I’m asking for help for a local community member whose vehicle I’m repairing through the Ve...
07/23/2026

Community Repair Update

Today I’m asking for help for a local community member whose vehicle I’m repairing through the Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center.

She recently lost her grandmother, is trying to keep getting to work, and her vehicle still needs several maintenance items after an emergency field repair.

If you’d like to help, you can donate here. For this repair, donations will first go toward the remaining spark plugs and other basic maintenance needed to make the vehicle reliable. Any funds beyond what’s needed for this repair will stay with the Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center to help the next veteran or community member in need.

I’ll continue posting updates so everyone can see how donations are used. Thank you for helping us build a stronger community.

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML1P9KZJKVBSW/checkout/EU4U7KFXOWKT6H3VQJCP5RTD?fbclid=IwdGRjcATPDb9wZG9mAWZkaWQWULEX-NFncTn-Fq1ZqxNOytM8-Ly3KWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7o26m-Zv5V9EXYA0onUf9xfR6KOzPFG7cN9HoXZ3WFFH2v3x5Ic-ILzI1eew_aem_WdqJR6wQVzhkuZ6zWEfbGQ

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San Angelo, TX
76905

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+13252127612

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