Auto maintenance 101: Local shop offers free clinics
By MELINDA HUDGINS
mhudgins@dnj.com
A Murfreesboro auto shop is offering free monthly clinics to people interested in learning more about their vehicles and how to properly maintain them.
Members of two local Girl Scout Troops attended the first car clinic held Aug. 23 at Master Tech Automotive on Memorial Boulevard.
Shop manager Jeff Ford and ASE technician Johnny Agee shared their expertise in automotive repair and maintenance with the 10 girls from Troops 2430 and 304 of Murfreesboro. Each of the young ladies received a Girl Scout badge for Automotive Maintenance for their efforts.
According to Ford, the Girl Scouts were shown how to check and fill a vehicle’s oil and other fluids, how to check the steering, suspension and brake components, how to check a tire’s air pressure, as well as how to change a tire - and the importance of regularly scheduled maintenance.
Ford and Agee went over general automotive terminology with the scouts, as well, so they would know how to communicate with technicians at automotive service centers.
Although Saturday was the first official clinic, Ford brought his son’s Boy Scout den to the shop earlier this year.
Michael Searcy, who owns Master Tech Automotive with his wife, Felicia, said he was surprised at how interested the girls were.
“They took more interest in what was going on than the Boy Scouts who came back in January,” mused Searcy.
Ford agreed.
“We even had one 17-year-old girl come back the following Monday because she said her car vibrated when she braked. It turned out that she needed new front brake pads,” Ford said.
The concept for the clinic has been in the works for quite some time, according to Ford.
“I’ve been in the automotive industry for 17 years, but mostly with corporate companies, and they wouldn’t allow it,” he explained. “But because Master Tech is independently owned, Michael (Searcy) allowed me to offer it.”
“Originally this program was aimed at women, to inform them about car maintenance so that they wouldn’t be taken advantage of by mechanics,” said Searcy. “Jeff first pitched the idea to me a couple of years ago right before Mother’s Day because he thought it would be great for single-mothers.”
Ford said the clinic’s are great for high school students too. In fact, driver’s education teachers could offer extra credit to their students for attending a free clinic, he suggested.
“I want to start getting some of the teenagers in here, who’ve just started (driving), to teach them how to maintain their vehicle, including safety inspections and general up-keep,” explained Ford. “The school system is offering driver’s ed, and this is something we could give back to the community.”
Master Tech Automotive is located at 1804 Memorial Blvd., in Murfreesboro. The shop’s next monthly car clinic will be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27. The clinics are held regularly on Saturday afternoons. They are free of charge and are open to the general public and other groups with prior approval. For reservations and additional information, contact Jeff Ford at 615-904-7700.
- Melinda Hudgins, 615-278-5131
