LMC Complete Automotive

01/22/2025

We are now fully open for all services

01/20/2025

WINTER STORM
Due to the winter storm approaching, LMC will be closed on Tuesday January 21. We will evaluate road conditions and add an update on whether Wednesday's hours will be affected. Stay safe and please stay home if roads are icy.

06/23/2023

POWER OUTAGE UPDATE: WE ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER, WE WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL MONDAY THE 26TH. SORRY FOR THE INCONVIENCE.

05/04/2021

Check Engine Light Diagnosis

We’ve all seen them and some have had them show up in the dash board of our cars, the dreaded Check engine light. While not the end of the world they can be a costly problem for some people.

With that in mind, it is important to be accurate with the diagnosis because replacing the wrong parts will cost even more and you will still have the same problem.

A seemingly popular option is to go to the local auto parts store, Autozone, O’reilley etc to have them scan the codes and guess at a repair and supply the parts. Notice I said guess, that is because it basically is that, a guess. Check engine light diagnosis is not something that is guessed at with any certainty.

How do you diagnose a check engine light?

We often compare a check engine light diagnosis to a medical doctors diagnosis. The reason we do this is because we can get a better idea of what’s needed to diagnose a check engine in comparison to us going to the doctor, it seems easier to understand. For example, if we don’t feel good and we go to the doctor, he will begin the “diagnosis” process with questions about how we feel etc. Then may use testing to help determine the cause and could even look up a possible prognosis. Diagnosing a check engine light is similar to that, we ask questions on the symptoms, if there are any, we will run tests and utilize repair information to perform a diagnosis of the problem. Seems easy enough, but it’s not always that easy. Most automotive components have testing procedures to find fault in a part, which the manufacturers create for the technicians to use to diagnose a problem. Some of these repair procedures can have over 20 different steps!

Isn't there a machine that tells you whatever is wrong?

There is no machine in the world that can print out what part to replace. That’s right, there has never been such a machine. What we see when we hook up the scanners is a code or codes. That is where the diagnosis begins, with that code we then look up the diagnosis procedure to determine where the fault it.

What the Autozone’s and O’Reilleys are doing is a guess at what could be wrong as they have no ASE certified technicians diagnosing the problem.

Trust me, we too wish there was a machine that would tell us all the problems with the cars, it would save so much time and money. The technology simply does not exist or is too expensive to be able to build a car and machine to diagnose its own problems.

04/15/2021

Jump starting your car can be something that saves you money, time and headaches if done safely and properly. People often ask, how do i jump start my car? The first thing you need to do is have the proper equipment. A set of jumper cables, a pair of gloves and a pair of safety glasses.

Once you have the equipment you need to know when a jump starts warranted. There are allot of misconceptions on when a jump start would actually start your car. For example if you were driving your car and it stopped running, a jump start typically won’t do you any good, this usually means something other than the battery is wrong. But if you came out of your house or from work and the car won’t start then jumping it or giving it a boost may work.

Can I safely jump start my car?
First thing you need to do is to make sure jumping your car can be safely done. You will need to look at the area in front of your car and make sure it has enough room to have another car in front of it and that it is in a safe area to do so away from traffic and other dangers.

Next you will need to position the car that will jump start your car in front of it, nose to nose. Next you can release the hood or “pop” the hoods on both vehicles and gather your cables and safety equipment.

Once you have put on your gloves and safety glasses you are ready to attach the cables to both cars.

Now you need to connect one end to the car that is jumping off the dead battery, make sure that the opposite ends of the cable are not touching each other and not touching either car. Connect the positive (Red) end to the positive (Red) on the battery. Then connect the negative (Black) to the negative.

Now, carefully pick up the other end of the jumper cables making sure not to touch the ends together, they will spark. Connect the positive (Red) to the positive (Red) on the dead battery. Next place the negative (Black) to a metal bracket somewhere on the engine, do NOT connect this end to the battery. Finding a spot needs to be a heavy metal like a bracket and ensuring the cable will not interfere or touch any moving part when you start the engine.

At this point you can go to the car with the dead battery and start it up.

Once the engine is running you now need to remove the jumper cables. To do this disconnect the negative on the car that was just jumped off (the dead battery) first. Then disconnect the positive cable remember to not let them touch together or parts of the car. Once done you can disconnect the negative on the other car followed by the positive.

Congratulations, you’re done, put your tools away, close the hoods and be safe. Now, you have answered the question, how do I jump start my car?

Remember to bring your car in as soon as possible so we can check your battery and offer a solution. You can call, come by or schedule your visit.

02/18/2021

Update on business opening. We hope everyone is managing the weather ok and wanted to inform our customers we are open today with normal business hours, 7a - 6p.

02/15/2021

Due to the inclement weather now and for Monday, we will be closed thru out the day due to Icey road conditions. We will reevaluate the conditions and decide if Tuesday yields better conditions for opening. We are available thru social media and some telephone thru out the day.

03/24/2020

COVID-19 UPDATE
With the announcement from the County Commissioner today and the upcoming stay at home order, LMC Complete Automotive would like our customers to know that our industry is considered by the Department of Homeland Security to be an essential business and therefor we will be open our normal hours so that we can keep your vehicles maintained and ready for any eventuality. We ask that if you are feeling symptoms as noted by the CDC that you refrain from bringing in your vehicle without first contacting us for further instructions and also with consultations with your doctor.
Most of us are in a situation we have not been thru before and we must work together smartly to bring about change in the current event.

We are monitoring our social media accounts and can be reached thru those as well as calling us or even texting us at our phone number 281-651-7766 for mechanical repairs and 281-651-0966 for the collision center.

03/16/2020

Your pets can't drive themselves. Let your dogs experience the nomadic lifestyle alongside you! Where to next?

03/13/2020

Don't go on a drive without music. Keep your mind busy with this 101-song playlist!

Have a look at this playlist with the 101 best road trip songs ever: a great mixture of new songs and classics, different genre and sentiments.

03/11/2020

Reminder! Be sure to have your brake and brake pads checked at least once a year. This is an important step to ensure the safety of your vehicle and we want to keep our customer family safe!