Ford Truck Repair in Denver

Today we're working on a 2005 Ford F250 with the 5.4 engine. We're replacing the cam sensors and the famous spark plugs. This truck has 166K on it with the original spark plugs! Here is one of the broken spark plugs and the tip of the spark plug that stayed in the engine still on the extraction tool. When removing these plugs, they often break leaving part of the plug inside the cylinder head. Then, a special extraction tool is needed to remove the broken off piece. If you need Ford auto repair in Denver, call us today at 303-297-2886 or email us!

Happy Friday! 

Ford Repair in Denver

Our 2005 Expedition is up and running dependably again - FINALLY!!!

Have you ever heard from a mechanic that your car’s problem will have to get worse to be diagnosed? You may have thought that the mechanic was lying to you. You may have even thought that the mechanic was just not very good. We tell people this all the time and often they get mad at us or even doubt our skills.

The truth of the matter is that cars with intermittent problems are the hardest to diagnose - period. Recently, we encountered a car with an extremely intermittent problem that was very hard to diagnose. That car just happens to be our own 2005 Ford Expedition with the 5.4L V8 engine.

At first, our Expedition would randomly not start on the first try, but only on cold mornings. It would always start on the second or third try, but we never knew when it would act up. Any day the temperature was over 35˚ the car would start dependably! Every time we were able to get it to act up, it would run perfect as soon as we hooked it up to test equipment. The Expedition would start and run perfect for up to a week, then just not start on the first try when you least expect it to.

Every time we tested the car’s computer system it passed with flying colors! There were no diagnostic codes to work with. We basically had no idea where to start looking for a problem that only happened once in a while. This is when we knew we would have to drive the car until one day it just wouldn’t start at all or the malfunction was at least reproducible.

After about 3 weeks of driving the car and never knowing when it would leave us stranded, it finally totally quit running! Luckily, it decided to no longer run in our driveway, so we had it towed to our shop. With the Expedition no longer running at all, it only took about 30 minutes to determine the cause.

A Simple Fix

This entire nerve racking time of never knowing if it would just die out any second was caused by a simple little relay. Sometimes the relay worked and sometimes it would not. Unfortunately, this one little relay is built into an expensive central junction box. The central junction box is basically the fuse box for the entire car! In the central junction box there are a multitude of relays and fuses, most relays are replaceable, the fuel pump relay is not. The fuel pump relay that was causing our problem had no visual signs of failure, and tested good every single time we checked it! Now after many weeks of frustration, a $400 fuse box fixed the problem and we have our beloved Expedition back on the road again! Most importantly, I have a happy wife again!

At Mastermind Enterprises Auto Care, we understand why you get frustrated when your car is broken down. We are not exempt from frustrating car repairs, either. Please understand when your car is having a frustrating problem, it is not always the mechanic's fault if it cannot be diagnosed.

Be kind to the mechanic. The mechanic is only there to help you get your car back on the road. Honesty is guaranteed at our shop! We do our best to get you back on the road as quickly as possible! If you are in Denver and need auto repair, call us today at 303-297-2886 or email us!

Be Car Care Aware

April is National Car Care Month and we are celebrating at 

Mastermind Enterprises Auto Repair Shop in Denver. 

If you own a car, it most likely needs some work, even it is minor. All cars need regular oil changes, brake checks, and belts just for starters. At Mastermind Enterprises Auto Repair Shop in Denver, you get a free multi-point vehicle inspection every time your car gets an oil change. We make personalized recommendations based on your car's needs and driving conditions. To keep your vehicle running well during Car Care Month and throughout the year, the Car Care Council has identified the 10 most important car maintenance priorities.

There are important benefits for regular car maintenance and repair. Simple car maintenance can have a long-lasting effect on your car's life and your wallet. Not to mention improving the safety and having a car you can count on when you need it most. Check out our monthly auto repair and auto service specials to save on your auto expenses this month. This is the time of year to give your car the extra attention it has been asking for.

Make sure your car is ready for the spring and summer by 

bringing it in for a checkup this month 

at Mastermind Enterprises Auto Repair Shop in Denver. 

Call us today - 303-297-2886! 

We look forward to serving you soon!

Expensive Car Repair Mistake #3 - Ignoring Vehicle Symptoms

We pay attention to symptoms that our bodies give us when something is wrong. If we ignore these
symptoms, we can end up paying thousands in medical bills. Your vehicle works the same way. Your vehicle has many different ways to tell you if something is not operating as it should in one of its many systems.

When something doesn't sound, smell, or look right, check under your hood first. Your mechanic will thank you for knowing more about your vehicle and you can potentially save a lot of money, too.

Never ignore a constant symptom with your vehicle!

The most important things your vehicle needs are regular oil changes, automatic transmission flushes and brakes. By having these services performed at regular intervals by a qualified technician, your vehicle can also be checked for any symptoms you may have missed or other services needed before they turn into large repairs needed.

In between these services, it is important to listen to what your vehicle is telling you, so you can identify a simple problem before it turns into a major problem! For example, if your is pulling to the left while you are driving, you could have low tire pressure in one of your tires. An easy fix of removing a nail in your tire and having it patched could prevent a flat tire and even an accident.

Is your check engine light on? It could be a simple problem such as a bad oxygen sensor or just a loose gas cap.

You should be checking the following regularly without any abnormal symptoms from your vehicle:

• air filter
• wiper blades
• fluid levels (brake, power steering, coolant, oil, transmission)
• Battery terminals (Are they corroded?)   
• Belts (Are there any visible cracks?)

If one of the above items are mentioned when you bring your vehicle in for service, ask the mechanic to show it to you or to keep the old parts if you approve the repairs when given an estimate. If you want to wait to have the repairs or service completed, ask the shop these questions: 

• What are the downsides of waiting for the repairs? 
• Does it need to be completed right away? 
• Is it a safety issue? 
• Will the part fail and leave me stranded if I wait?

Mastermind Enterprises Auto Repair in Denver will offer you suggestions of what the most important service your vehicle will need in the next 10,000-20,000 miles. We want to give you time to decide how and when you want to service you vehicle. By offering you recommendations, you can make the best plan for repairing your vehicle. We realize every vehicle has different needs based on driving conditions and the driver, that's why we customize a plan that works for you and your specific vehicle needs.

It's true that noises are part of operating a vehicle, 
but not all noises are normal.

If you have a question about your vehicle, we are happy to help. Sometimes the answer will be, "We will need you to bring your vehicle in for a diagnosis before we can give you an accurate estimate." If you already know what is wrong with your vehicle, we are happy to provide you with a free estimate on repairs.

Abnormal Vehicle Symptoms to Pay Attention To Right Away

• Check Engine Light On
• Vehicle Dash Warning Lights On
• Abnormal Sounds (See List Below)
• Unusual Smells (including a maple syrup smell)
• Unusual Visible Symptoms (Leaks, Smoking)
• Lack of Power
• Intermittently Starting Vehicle
• Incorrectly Marking Gauges (Temperature, Gas, Speedometer, etc.)

Abnormal Vehicle Sounds to Pay Attention To Right Away

• Loud bang or Thumping 
• Flapping or Whining
• Any sound when turning a corner
• Clunking when braking 
• Scraping, Grinding or Squealing wheels when applying brakes
• Grinding manual transmission when shifting
• Hissing or sizzling under the hood
• Knocking, Popping, Tapping, or Clicking from the engine compartment
• Low-pitch humming or Rattles from under the car
• Squealing, Chirping or Roaring that increases with acceleration

Ignoring your vehicle's abnormal symptoms will not make them magically go away. Fixing the problem as soon as you notice something is wrong can save you from bigger, more expensive repairs down the road.

Call Mastermind Enterprises Today at 303-297-2886 with questions you have about your vehicle or bring your vehicle in anytime using our 24 Hour Key Drop! 

Thank you for your business!

Factory Scheduled Maintenance & Preventive Maintenance

At Mastermind Enterprises we believe the best way to avoid expensive auto repairs is -
to keep up with regular scheduled maintenance.

Most auto owners change their car's oil every 3,000 miles or so, but overlook or are unaware of some important areas of their car's auto service needs. In fact, the most expensive maintenance task is an oil change. At around $35 every 3,000 miles you would spend $350 in oil changes for every 30,000 miles. On the other hand, a transmission service is around $175 and should be done every 30,000 miles. That is only half of what your costs are for oil changes in the same time frame.

Most maintenance items are under $150, that's a lot cheaper than the average auto repair. Let the professionals at Mastermind Enterprises go over or recommend what maintenance items your car needs most.

Mastermind Enterprises features BG Products & Services.
We insist on the best for your vehicle! 

To learn more about the benefits of BG Products and 
auto maintenance services by Mastermind Enterprises, 
click here to visit our website or watch the video below. 

80 Customer Testimonials & Counting!

Alexander ‎ - Jan 10, 2012

A huge THANK YOU to Norm & Heidi!!! I've needed some work done on my Honda Accord and I am fearful of taking it to a dealership. I found Mastermind and am glad I did! They are HONEST, STRAIGHT FORWARD, UNDERSTANDING, EASY TO WORK WITH, and TRUSTING. I had a list of issues with my car. Norm helped me to prioritize them. He worked within my budget to make sure that all my vehicles issues were resolved. They're not out to scam you out of your hard earned money. They do understand the value of a dollar and for that I am grateful for. 

Thank you very much for your kind words, Alexander! It's good friends and customers like you that help make our work enjoyable!

Read more auto repair customer testimonials for Mastermind Enterprises.

Happy Friday!!

It's Friday and we are so thankful for that and so many things!!

We posted new pics of our current vehicle project. Just click on the link - The General - Our 5 Ton Tonka Truck :) We also posted our oil change coupon for January on our facebook page.

Thank you for supporting and loving our family auto repair shop in Denver!! Have an great weekend!

We get to work on really cool cars!!

Check out the 1967 Dodge Charger Fastback we worked on in our auto repair shop, Mastermind Enterprises this week!!
Click Here to see more pics on Mastermind Enterprises' facebook page!