Master Tech Automotive- Murfreesboro’s best auto repair shop

We’re open today for your convenience, but we are closed tomorrow for the July 4th holiday so our staff can spend time with their families. Have a very safe and happy 4th of July!

Here’s a fireworks display on Youtube that I really enjoyed. It’s Japanese, but wow- it’s beautiful! Enjoy the show!

Awhile back, Michael was interviewed by the Murfreesboro Post for their business profiles. I thought it would be great to have most of that interview here since it really explains a lot about how Michael is and why Master Tech Automotive is such a reliable and honest auto repair shop. Here it is:

What is your basic business philosophy? My auto repair business will be known as “Your Neighborhood Garage” by being centered in God, assured by faith and prospered by divine love.

Give us a sales pitch in 25 words or less: We are a locally family owned and operated auto repair facility since 1996. We are God centered. We offer customers the most cost effective auto repair service based on the principles of faith, honesty, integrity, and quality.

What is your proudest business achievement? For three years in a row we were recognized by the Better Business Bureau for “Market Place Ethics.” We were a founding member of the BBB and a member of the Rutherford Chamber of Commerce since opening in 1996. The Murfreesboro Magazine and Murfreesboro Sun publications named us “Best Auto Repair” and “Best Oil Change.”

What led you to Murfreesboro? I retired from the nuclear business in 1995 and began a search for a job that would be in alignment with God’s will for me. Helping people by fixing their car with trust and integrity was a perfect fit.

What is your educational background? I attended Seminole Junior College, University of Tennessee and Louisiana State University. I was a certified senior quality engineer and completed the Senior Reactor Operator Program at Gulf States Utilities. I am a certified auto technician and have completed several auto management courses.

Where are you originally from? I came from Sanford, Fla. in 1970 to work for the Tennessee Valley Authority as a quality engineer in their nuclear program. So I call Tennessee home. I have lived in Murfreesboro longer than anywhere in my life.

What do you do for fun? I love to scuba dive and ride my Harley. This year my wife and I rode our Harley into Canada and made the complete circle around Lake Superior. The total distance was about 1,500 miles. I usually scuba dive four or five times a year in the Florida Keys, Panama City or the Caribbean.

Tell us about your family: My wife, Felicia, was a teacher for 20 years prior to becoming the minister of Unity Church of Life eight years ago. I have two daughters, Michelle Searcy and Mellissa Boles. Both are graduates of Tennessee Technology. Michelle is an information technology manager for Accenture in Fairfax, Va. Mellissa is a third-grade teacher at Capshaw School in Cookeville. She is the mother of our two wonderful grandchildren, Hayden, a 7-year-old, second-grader and Allie a 5-year-old, kindergartener both at Capshaw Elementary School in Cookeville.

Who was your mentor? I have three: Ed Monroe, my first supervisor at TVA, who taught me to do the job right the first time because that’s what people remember the most; Henry “Tap” Richardson, engineering supervisor at TVA, who taught me to look at all possibilities and be prepared for the unexpected; President Jimmy Carter, who taught me that being a good person was more important than being right.

What is the most important thing going on now at your operation? We have changed from a maintenance service facility to a true overall auto repair facility. We do everything from oil changes to engine and transmission replacement. We also do exhaust and welding. To sum it up, if it is broke we fix it.

This is the owner of Master Tech Automotive, Michael Searcy. I’ve had a lot of bosses in my life, but there are only two of them that really stand out in my mind, and Michael is one of them. He has taught me more about business and marketing than I ever learned in school. He taught me about good customer service, and when sometimes it’s necessary to cut someone loose. I feel lucky to have known someone like Michael, who has taken the time to teach me so much.

Here’s Michael’s profile:

Are you married/how long have you been married?

20 years

Do you have any kids? How old are they? Boys or girls?

2 girls- Michelle Searcy age 38 and Mellissa Boles age 35.

Do you have any pets? What kind? What are their names?

2 dogs and one cat. Dogs: Gus-golden retriever 7 years old, Gabby-boxer 4 years old. Cat: Meriwether Lewis Clark (Louie)

What are your hobbies?

Scuba diving, especially as deep and with as many sharks as possible. Gardening, and finally work- I love my job.

How long have you been working on cars?

I helped my next door neighbor change his oil in 1962 that would be 47 years

Why did you get into the auto repair business?

I always worked on cars and motorcycles to see how fast I could make them go. I continued this as a hobby until I opened Master Tech Automotive in 1996.

What’s your dream car?

1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car

What’s your favorite car to work on?

Any car prior to 1973.

What’s your least favorite car to work on and why?

Toyota Previa. It is next toimpossible to get to the engine since it’s under the front seat and there is no room to work on them.

Tomorrow, I’ll post an interview Mike did awhile back about the business- it’s pretty fascinating. Stay tuned!

Dear Master Tech Automotive,

What is the difference between 10W30 motor oil and 5W30 motor oil?

Signed,

Confused

Michael Searcy says:

In 10W30 oil, for example, the two numbers (10 and 30) mean it’s a “multiviscosity’ or “multigrade” oil that’s effective over a range of temperature. The first number, 10, is an index that refers to how the oil flows at low temperatures. The second number, 30, refers to how it flows at high temperature. The W means the oil can be used in a winter.

A popular belief is that 5W30 oils were to thin to protect vital engine parts when they get hot and 10W30 caused harder starting on those cold winter morings, but numerous studies have concluded there is essentially no difference between  5W30 oils and their 10W30 brand mates. There is no visable way to tell the difference.

A larger number of automakers now recommend 5W30 as the “preferred” oil and even identify 5W30 on the oil filler cap. However, in most cases the manufacture also provided a chart with various temperature ranges and the acceptable viscosity. In our region the temperature ranges usually allow the use of either 10W30 or 5W30.  Most consumers in the state of Tennessee use the 10W30 because it is the most availabile and usually the least expensive, while maintaining quality and your manufacturer’s warranty.

The purpose of oil is to help protect the engine’s moving parts. But motor oil does much more than lubricate. It helps cool the engine, keeps it clean, prevents corrosion, and reduces friction to improve fuel economy. The worts mistake you can make is to put a single grade oil in an engine that was design to be run on a multigrade oil. Viscosity grade is important to the life of your engine, so be careful. Recommendations vary with the make, engine, and model year of the car, so check your owner’s manual and ask your mechanic for the proper grade of oil.

Instead of doing one big long vacation,I like to do several little mini-vacations spread throughout the year. Prior to going on vacation, I always get a little worried about my car making it all the way to where I’m going and back, so I like to have the guys at Master Tech take a look at my car before I go.

There’s an easy and inexpensive way to do this- just get a premium service oil change for the low, low price of $26.90 and mention to manager Jeff (or Klint if he’s running the desk in Jeff’s absence) that you’re heading out of town, you need a premium service oil change, and you just wanted to make sure everything was looking to be in good shape before you leave. The guys will check out your belts, hoses, tires, and other stuff for you, and you should be good to go.

Now, naturally if you’re having an actual problem you might need a pinpoint diagnosis to see what’s going on, but if your car is running fine and you just want to make sure everything looks OK, the premium service oil change is the way to go.

Incidentally, I just got back from Holiday World. If you’d like to read my thoughts on Holiday World, take a look right over here. Where are you going on vacation, Murfreesboro? Will you go somewhere, near or far, or are you just hanging out around the house?

I have a special affinity for Jeff, the manager, since his job was once my job and I know exactly what it’s like to be in his shoes. It’s a tough job some days, and other days it’s a complete blast. Jeff is far better at the job than I ever was- he has an amazing ability to remember people that I have never had, and he has a ton more patience than I ever had and ever will have. He’s just very well suited for the job.

So, you’d like to know more about Jeff? Here’s his profile:

Are you married or single? Do you have any kids?

I’ve been married for 17 years. 3 kids- a 14 year old son, an 11 year old daughter, and a 6 year old son.

Do you have any pets?

2 dogs- a mutt named Booboo and a puggle named Turner.

What are your hobbies?

Right now I’m restoring an old Ford truck with my son. I also love skeet shooting, golfing, camping, hiking, canoeing, and riding dirt bikes.

How long have you been working on cars?

Since I was 15.

Why did you go into the auto repair business?

I have an uncle that owned California Customs and I enjoyed watching and helping I then went through Ford Asset program and worked as an auto technician for several years, but the money would be good one week and bad the next which was a little hard to deal with, so I became a service writer and manager.

What’s your dream car?

1968 Shelby Cobra

What’s your favorite kind of car to work on?

So far, the best thing I’ve ever worked on was a 1971 Corvette convertible I helped my father-in-law restore.

What’s your least favorite kind of car to work on, and why?

Chryslers. Why? Well, they’re Chryslers.

Come on down and see the hardest working guy in auto repair today!

(Pictures are currently being held hostage by my missing camera cord. They’ll be uploaded soon.)

Saturday we had quite a few people come out in the heat to take our Maintenance 101 class. We’d like to thank them- it was pretty miserably hot, but I think it was a great class anyway! Jeff and Johnny were on had to teach the basics of maintenance. There was a lot to learn from tires to alignments to all sorts of other maintenance items.

One thing I learned from the class was the importance of making sure your tires aren’t too old. After several years, tires can dry out and crack, causing them to come apart. This creates a major blowout hazard. That’s one of the reasons it’s important to buy tires new instead of used.

Want more great information on maintenance? Keep an eye on this blog, or sign your group up for a Maintenance 101 class. Contact manager Jeff for more information at 904-7700.

Kind of an amazing wreck here. The video is titled “Worst Woman Driver Ever” but as a woman driver, I happen to think this is kind of amazing. I don’t know a dude that could duplicate this, even a stunt driver.

When I polled my kids as to who their favorite people at the shop where, my daughter’s instant response was that “Mr. Kevin” was her favorite. This was unsurprising to me as Kevin’s good with kids. Heck, he’s got two of his own.

He’s also a generally all-around good guy. I’ve known him since I started with the shop umpteen bazillion years ago, and we’ve stayed friends pretty much throughout. One of the things that has always impressed me most about Kevin is his ability to stay calm in situations that would have me completely freaking out.

Here’s Kevin’s profile:

Are you married or single? Do you have any kids?

I’ve been married for 6 and a half years. I’ve got two kids- a 7 year old boy and a 4 year old girl.

Do you have any pets?

2 dogs, Sparky and Lady and 2 cats Lucy and Tasha.

What are your hobbies?

I love (and own and ride) motorcycles. Old cars. And I’m really into music, especially from the 60s-80s.

How long have you been working on cars?

I’ve worked in a shop for 20 years, but I’ve been working on cars my whole life. [Ivy's note: Yep, this is the most common answer for this question, by far. I believe it's true, as well. I just find it funny, picturing all these dudes as toddlers, turning wrenches, ha]

Why did you go into the auto repair business?

It runs in the family: both my dad and grandpa were mechanics.

What’s your dream car?

1965-66 Mustang Fastback

What’s your favorite kind of car to work on?

Nothing stands out as a real favorite, but I do tend to prefer American cars.

What’s your least favorite kind of car to work on, and why?

European cars (vw, bmw, mercedes, saab, volvo, jaguar, etc.)- they’re harder to find parts for.

I’m having some work done at the shop later this week when I can find someone to watch my kids. Yes, it’s the dreaded AC work that I posted about earlier. It turns out I need a compressor and possibly more. Ugh. But at least I can trust that when Jon says I need a compressor, I really need it. Reliable mechanics are always able to show you why you need the work you need done. In my compressor’s case, Jon hooked my car up to a machine and showed me what it should do when the compressor was working normally. My car was doing the exact opposite. Fun.

Some parts are more readily available than others. In the case of my compressor, it needed to be ordered. When you have a part that needs to be ordered, unless your car can’t run without it, the best thing to do is have it ordered and make an appointment to have it repaired when the parts come in. It’s funny to me that other shops don’t always do this when a part needs to be ordered. I one time had to leave my car at a shop for 5 days while they waited for the part to come in. It’d be fine if I had an extra car, but I don’t!

You can always find out if the service you need requires a part to be ordered by calling Master Tech Automotive at 904-7700 during regular business hours and telling them what service you need and your car’s details, and asking if that part is something that would have to be ordered or if it is a part that can be gotten easily.