Dealer vs. Independent

There are a small number of great independent Prius repair facilities. Three that I have heard great things about are:

• AutoBeYours - Just south of Indianapolis
• Luscious Garage- San Francisco, California
• Art's Automotive- Berkley, California

I have not found an independent locally and of the three dealers I have used, only one does a good job and that's only because I usually have done my research before going to them.

Good luck, JeffD

 

To Jeffery's list, I would add this one from an article published earlier this month:

Preferred Independent Hybrid Car Repair and Service Shops | Hybrid Cars

Now there was some question about Craig Van Batenburg . . . who is he and why should we care?

Craig runs an independent, hybrid training school. I first learned about his "Up The Voltage," 5-day seminar years ago from good Prius friend Hobbit. But the distance, time and expense worked against my being able to take this seminar. Happily, he has started 'distance learning' by using Web based seminars so I decided to try one:

REVIEW: Online Hybrid 101 Part 2 "What Makes a Hybrid different from a conventional car? An Overview"

One of the best ways to find out if somebody is worth listening to is to listen to them, to try their stuff, and see if it is credible. So I paid $50 to take 'Hybrid 101, Part 2" and don't regret a single penny. I've spent more and gotten less and throughly endorse this lesson and the whole of this training course designed for anyone planning to go into the hybrid repair business.

CONTENT AND PRESENTATION

The first part of this eleven part series deals with safety, "Who makes Hybrids? Safety and Equipment Needed." Since apparently this first session ran over, the second session workbook did not include the relevant slides for the first 10 minutes(*). Still, the discussion of safety aspects of hybrids was terribly relevant. For example, he discussed the NHW20 thermos bottle which I did not know would activate on its own to maintain cylinder head temperature and the periodic, unpredictable brake system activation of the Ford Escape. These are scalding and finger crushing hazards and the $50 fee compared to a hospital visit and medical leave is well worth every bit paid.

The course outline is organized and broadly covers different hybrid systems and characteristics without going down a technical 'rat hole.' So I gained insights about the Honda IMA, GM two mode and BAS systems, Prius NHW20, and even BMW without having to travel and living expense for the hands-on, "Up Your Voltage" week long session.

The production values could be better as there was the continuation of the first session and some audio cutouts. But to its credit, this was obviously a recording of a live session. Compared to 'studio' presentations, I prefer recorded talks that avoid artificial and stilted styles that can put one to sleep. The production values could be solved by doing two live sessions and editing the best into the recorded session and updating the workbook.

CONCLUSION

If someone wants to be a hybrid generalist, this class is the place to start. My interests are narrower, pretty much the two Prius we own and I have a $50, used NHW11 inverter pump next to my left elbow versus the $50 session. Still, I don't regret this class and may elect to try one of the "live" sessions. But online training requires high-speed bandwidth, say a WiFi hotspot and backup with a phone.

As for whether or not Craig's recommendations have any merit, yes they do! Good Prius friend Hobbit had participated in Craig's "Up Your Voltage" and this week-long, $3,000 session ups my interest. Having sampled Craig's training, I'm a fan.

Certifications are a funny thing as I've gotten some not worth the paper and ink wasted and others that were for me, a money printing machine. Craig's training is in the 'money printing machine' class.

I respect his certifications,
Bob Wilson

* - Curious there was over 5 minutes of 'dead air' at the end of this lesson with the screen frozen on a Honda IMA image. Hopefully the missing material will be covered in the next lesson.