Gene's Auto Repair

Gene's Auto Repair We are a second generation automotive repair shop that prides itself in giving our customers the service they deserve.

I'm 50 years old. In those years, I've seen some things. Disappointing things, and amazing things. Let's start with a...
06/14/2026

I'm 50 years old. In those years, I've seen some things. Disappointing things, and amazing things. Let's start with a handful of disappointment.

Dodge Caravan comes in with a host of problems. None of the issues are related to each other, or make sense. Typically you have a number of problems that can be traced back to one point. One thing that causes other systems to malfunction. You fix that one thing, then the rest are in harmony again. This one had me scratching my head.

I'm looking around the engine compartment and spot something that just doesn't look right. A wiring harness that doesn't have factory tape on it. A grab a razor blade and start cutting through the tape. As soon as I see bare wires, I know I'm on the right track. The more I cut, the more disappointed in humanity I become. Laziness is my opponent.

At some point this wiring harness was damaged. Instead of fixing it properly, someone just twisted the wires together, and taped them up. Quick fix and out the door. At a point the the wires rubbed through the tape and caused my issue. Really! Does your life suck that much that this is the best you've got? An extra couple of minutes and some heat shrink butt connectors would have won you the gold medal. Sadly, I see bad electrical repairs frequently.

On the flip side, tonight I saw something amazing.

There were 7 of us under the canopy at the kart track tonight. The last race comes up and we see something flying around one of the flag men. At first we thought it was a bat. It was strange. It just kept flying in to him. I walked down, and discovered something I've never seen in my 50 years on this earth!

Cecropia Moth. Never heard of it, never seen it, had to Google it. Apparently it's common to this area, but the short lifespan makes it hard to find. I was amazed by this thing. A moth the size of a bat. It was beautiful and scary at the same time.

From sheer laziness to God's beauty in a week's time. Just when you're about ready to give up on humanity, a Cecropia Moth appears. Something tells me I haven't seen it all yet.

All dressed up, and nowhere to go!Canopy, wood, and rocket stove ready to load up...then the kart races were canceled ag...
06/07/2026

All dressed up, and nowhere to go!

Canopy, wood, and rocket stove ready to load up...then the kart races were canceled again. I'm sensing a pattern here. Sadly, I had 2 customers that were to join us tonight. They took my passes and planned on meeting us there. I bought the food for the night and checked my phone when I left the store. Canceled! I understand you can't help the weather, but I think it's time for planned rain delay dates.

Second is one I posted some time ago. It has renewed relevance.

We brought this vehicle in thinking an animal crawled in the muffler and died. To our surprise, it was just the fiberglass packing inside the muffler. We pulled out what we could, and sent it on it's way.

Flash forward a few years. I test drove a vehicle that had a strange "whistle" noise coming from the engine at higher r.p.m's. It wasn't scheduled for that, but I looked the engine over anyway. Not seeing anything, I did the work it was scheduled for. A few days later, the customer calls complaining about the noise. I explained that I heard it, but couldn't find the cause. It was scheduled for a deeper dive in to the situation, and that was that.

Later that day, the customer calls again. He's in the hospital, and his wife found a "tail" coming out of the muffler. Thinking back, it all became clear. The noise was caused by the restriction in the exhaust. Exhaust gasses had nowhere to go, so it "whistled" out of the weakest gasket in the system. I told him to have her pull on the "tail", and get as much of it as she could. Apparently it worked, I've heard nothing of it since. Weird issue...simple solution.

Monday morning, I discovered that many of you are listening. My phone blew up right away, and didn't stop for almost an hour and a half. All the dates are full before the 4th of July vacation. I am now scheduling mid July at the soonest. I still have a "drop it off and pray it gets done" policy in effect, but that is getting slimmer.

P.S. The answering machine has become my "Administrative Assistant". If you don't leave a message, I assume it's not that important. I only call back people who leave a message. I'm too busy to keep running to the phone all day. I check the messages before I close.

What is up with people pointing out that I like Mt Dew? Someone here like Mt Dew...well yes I dew!Do I come to your hous...
05/31/2026

What is up with people pointing out that I like Mt Dew? Someone here like Mt Dew...well yes I dew!

Do I come to your house, see 26 cats, and ask if someone here likes the smell of p*e? No I don't. Do I comment on the "skunk" smell when I crawl in your car...no I don't. Have I ever told your wife about the picture of your girlfriend I found while looking for paperwork...no I haven't.

I'm just having some fun here folks. I would totally tell your wife!!!

Joking aside, I am looking ahead to the 4th of July shutdown. I only have about 5 days left on my schedule before closing down. I will be closed from July 3rd to the 13th. June only has a couple of spots left to fill. If there's something you need...this is the week to get on my books. After filling those 5 days, my next opening isn't until the 14th of July.

A change I've made recently has led to a much more efficient week. I've stopped scheduling Friday's. This has become my clean-up day. People who can leave their vehicle's for longer terms get worked in through the week, or brought in on Friday. This has been a game changer to my sanity. I haven't worked a weekend since implementing this change. It's a small change with huge benefits.

Back to the Mt Dew. I had a customer walk in at 8 one morning, and he saw my beverage. He says "why do you drink a child's drink"? "I'm a man, and I drink a man's drink". Curious, I asked what that was. "I drink coffee, that's what men drink". Hell of a nice guy, we talk forever when he's at the shop, but the logic just doesn't logic. He does have like 12 kids. Maybe the wife should turn down his dosage! Just saying.

05/24/2026

In my five years at the helm, I've learned that sometimes you need to give a little to get a lot.

Sadly, I've put myself in a situation, that I hope can be resolved with this post. I know both parties are watching, and my hope is that they read this and can solve their differences.

I'm trying to help a customer and a business get back together. The business would benefit from this customer and their friends in the long run. The business just needs to "literally" sit down and talk to the customer. Texting, emailing, and private messaging just doesn't cut it. Two people need to sit down and talk.

In my world, I give things away all the time. It's a calculated bet. I solve an issue, give you advice for free...I now am doing business with your family and friends. It cost me very little, but gained me a new customer base. The short term loss is more than worth the long term gain. Common sense!

Common sense is what's lacking in my current situation. If the business owner makes a short term concession, the benefits will fall into place. It's a win, win situation. Everyone is happy, and the business will grow. Ignore it, and word spreads faster than a wildfire.

I have dealings with both sides of this issue. I can't realistically side with one over the other. I just hope this sends a wakeup call to sit down and talk.

I apologize for this cryptic post. It's something that needed to be done to get a message across. A calculated shot across the bow if you will.

Word of mouth is the best advertising you CAN'T buy. You are only as good as your customers opinion of you. Once that opinion grows dark, close the doors. Buying 100 billboards won't change a thing. This is my high school educated advice to both parties involved in this. Sit down and talk.

05/20/2026

I am much better with the written word than I am on camera! First time recording myself.

Anyway, congratulations to Dan and Heather. I drew this at closing, and 10 minutes later it was picked up and gone. I'm glad it went to someone that will use it.

So...would you like to see more of these types of drawings? Suggestions? I am open to doing a monthly, or quarterly draw for my customers. What would you like to see? Dinner, gift cards, a new car!? Give me some ideas, and we'll see where it goes.

I personally thank everyone that was in this drawing. There were a lot of tickets in that jar. More than I had expected actually. Numbers on a screen couldn't show me as much as what I saw in that jar every morning.

I'm sorry for the day late post, but we just got home tonight. I don't like to post on the interweb when we're not goin...
05/18/2026

I'm sorry for the day late post, but we just got home tonight. I don't like to post on the interweb when we're not going to be around.

As you can see, Kristine and I spent another awesome week in Springfield. Antiques for days! This has truly become another tradition for us. 3 days of nonstop walking throughout the Clark County Fairgrounds. If you've never been there...it's a sight to behold.

Over the years, we've learned the tricks, and workarounds of this place. We used to wait like everyone else in a mile long line of cars to get in. By a freak accident, our navigation took us the wrong way one day. That accident has resulted in us finding the "back door" to the place. We now skip the line and drive right in every time. Instead of parking a half mile away...we park inside the show.

We also buy our tickets well in advance. This gives you the entire show for less than half the price, and also gets us in 2 hours earlier than general admission. We see the good stuff before everyone else. Yes, you have to be there at the a$$ crack of dawn, but you beat the crowds.

Rain is a part of the experience. You plan on it. We always have a contingency plan for rain. As you see in the pics, there are massive indoor antique malls to spend the day at. When the rain stops, you just drive 5 minutes back to the show.

Food! Yeah my mouth is still watering. Over the years we have found our spots. I'm definitely not a foodie, but I know what I like. Mundy's for breakfast will ruin you forever! We were with them when they were just a tiny little diner in the middle of Springfield. You fought the competition for a table every morning. Now the have moved, and grown into a restaurant by day, club by night.

Anyone interested in our knowledge, and info, just ask. The show happens twice per year. It's worth it just to see how many crazy antique people are really out there. You will be amazed.

Now on to my giveaway. Tuesday I will draw the winner of the Hauler Grill. If your invoices are paid, you'll be in the drawing. I will add the last tickets of the day before the draw. If you win, you can take the grill and griddle, or I will put $160 credit on your account. If the credit is taken, the set will be up for sale. As much interest as there has been around this thing, I don't think I'll have it long. Good luck to all.

This time away was definitely needed. Kristine and I rented a house for this trip, and it just felt like home. Other than Ohio's crappy hard water, we fully enjoyed our getaway. You may go to the beach, take a cruise, or see the Grand Canyon. We buy dead people's stuff...and enjoy every minute of it.

05/10/2026

This week brought 2 different levels of frustration. The first damn near broke me, the second showed me why I'm here.

Tuesday I'm working and get a call about a job I did a couple of weeks ago. A window regulator. I told her to bring it by and I would have a look. Upon inspection, I found it had destroyed itself. She patiently waited while I got a new one and replaced it. No big deal. Soon after, I get a text from a customer that I had just done some MAJOR work for. His text said he's leaking antifreeze, and on his way in. Again, I inspected it, and found a part I had just replaced had failed.

This was my breaking point. I stayed until 7:30 putting this one back together. I don't buy cheap parts. Both of these jobs had been fixed with the same parts I would put in my own cars. I was so frustrated with these two issues that it sent me to a dark place. Kristine stopped by the shop after work, and she knew right away that things weren't good. The shop is too busy to deal with comebacks for something that is out of my control. I needed some time to process this properly.

Then comes the other frustration. Dealing with incompetence!!!!!!

A current customer walks in with an estimate. He knows how busy I am, so he went to a dealership in Somerset to have his truck diagnosed. He's going on a trip and needed it dealt with quickly. They "diagnosed" it, and handed him a bill for $160 for that diagnosis. The quote was $1200 to fix his problem. He stopped by to see if it could do it cheaper within his time line. Considering I had just recently done a state inspection on this vehicle, I was suspect to their "diagnosis". 4 ball joints and 2 wheel bearings is what the quote was for. I asked what his issue was, and knew right away they were dead wrong. We hopped in the truck, drove about 100 feet, and I confirmed my suspicion. He had a frozen axle joint. $400 later, he's on his way to his destination down south.

The second was a person that Kristine sent to me. He was told that he needed major repairs done. This quote was so high that he dropped it off at my shop knowing it was going to the scrap yard. He completely cleaned the vehicle out knowing I was going to condemn it. $400 later, he is a very happy, new customer. He just needed a frigging wheel bearing! He was so happy, we now have his son on the books.

This week had me on a roller coaster of emotions. Tuesday, I truly was not good. Things have been building, and that was almost my breaking point. Then redemption. I saw how happy two customer's were when they found out they had just been dealing with incompetence elsewhere.

This is not a perfect shop, I am not a perfect person. I know what I know, and I know what I don't. Today my mind is in a much better place.

This week has been one of oddball situations coming through the door. These 3 stuck out as issues to address.The first ...
05/03/2026

This week has been one of oddball situations coming through the door. These 3 stuck out as issues to address.

The first one deals with brake pads. Zoom in on the picture of the pad, and you will see it is separating from the backing plate. This is moisture intrusion. It creeps in between the pad and the backing plate. Over time, rust forms, and weakens the bond. Eventually, the braking material will fall off, and you will lose your brakes...literally!

This happens, but rarely. I typically will catch it during oil changes and inspections. I always look at brake pads when changing oil. I would say one in every 200 vehicles I see has this issue. I inform the customer, and we get it taken care of.

The second was one I wasn't expecting. Customer dropped off the vehicle and told me he thinks the water pump is shot. Fix it when you can. This one set the gold standard for failed water pumps! When I started the truck I knew instantly we had a problem. I pop the hood, grab the pump pulley, and it moves around freely.

Friday i had time to tear into it. This thing had gotten so bad, I found pump bearings laying on the frame. Once removed, I found the impeller had shattered, and was just sitting in the timing cover. Luckily, it was a plastic impeller. Had it been a metal one, it would have eaten through the timing cover, and we would be in a different place right now! What you see in my hand is what's left of the impeller.

Lastly is one that just kinda torques me off. Simple oil change...or is it? This vehicle calls for 2 different oil filters. You have to read the markings on the oil filter cap to know which one you need to use. One filter is $4, and the other is $25. Of course, this is the expensive one. I remove the cap, pull out the filter, and the last pics show you what I found. The last shop to change oil used the wrong filter. It had broken, and sent plastic into the engine. I don't know if it was a mistake, or just trying to save money. Wrong is wrong no matter how you look at it. Luckily, no permanent damage was done.

You know...as I've posted before, my work is always interesting. From mistakes to outright neglect, I thoroughly enjoy seeing what people do to there vehicle's. I have customers that are religious in their maintenance to the point of madness. I have customers that let some things go for a little while. The customers I love the most are the ones that wait until that moment they know they've gone too far! They hear that one noise that makes them say it's time to call Gene's.

Even better, and more commen than you know, is when the wife calls. When I get that call, you might as well just open your wallet and bite the bullet. You have just been outsourced!!!

Thursday night I worked late. I was leaving the shop around 8 and as I passed my wall, I noticed something. I backed u...
04/26/2026

Thursday night I worked late. I was leaving the shop around 8 and as I passed my wall, I noticed something. I backed up, and just started laughing.

So...it's now wall 3...cars 0! For the 3rd time, someone hit the wall, and never said a word. The wall is fine, but I bet your truck isn't. That's a lot of rubber, and I'm assuming a big scratch on the wheel.

This wall is like a massive white whale. You're not going to miss it. It screams "here i am"! It didn't just jump out and say boo! Funny thing, when it was just a dirt bank, no one bothered it. I don't know of a single incident when it was just a bank full of weeds. Maybe it has now transformed into the "Bermuda Triangle" of Meyersdale. It now attracts wayward vehicles.

Just for giggles, I have installed a "bullseye target" to direct people where to hit it properly. If you can make the turn at the monument doing about 90 m.p.h., you might be able to knock a chip off of it. If you're in a coal truck you might actually get a chunk! Other than that...good luck...it's not gonna budge.

As you can tell, I've got nothing to really report this week. I'm back to summertime booking...even though the weather doesn't seem to agree. May 22nd is now the soonest you will get to see me. Yes, May 22nd!

This week I've received an unprecedented amount of calls for last minute inspections. I feel like everyone was hibernating, and just woke up. There is nothing I can do. If it's expired...it's expired. I can't preach enough about getting in 2 months early for your inspection. A lot of you definitely have listened to this. My followers are amongst the first to schedule early. Pass this message on to the people you know who wait until the last minute. It doesn't matter if they are a customer of mine, or another shop. Knowledge is power. Knowing this keeps all shops from getting desperate, last minute phone calls.

Have a great week. Now that the Maple Festival is behind us, the weather should start to calm down. We just got our first hummingbird yesterday. He had a "Meyersdale Maple Festival" flyer with him. He knew better than to come back before it was over!

This one's long, technical, a little confusing, but it highlights the need to have a used car checked out before buying....
04/19/2026

This one's long, technical, a little confusing, but it highlights the need to have a used car checked out before buying. This is a buyer beware nightmare.

Phone rings, I answered. New customer telling me his boy heard a bang, and the car stopped moving. He thinks it's the transmission. After some questions, I told him the axle broke. Explained to him how to verify my hunch. He did, and the car was towed to my shop.

Once there, I was told they just bought the car, and had only driven it 500 miles. I was also told that they purchased an extended warranty. I will not even post the details of dealing with the warranty because it went just as expected...nowhere.

The video shows the "inner" joint turning, but the axle isn't. The inner "tripod" joint broke. NOT TYPICAL! Usually it's the outer joint. I notice a zip tie on the axle boot which tells me someone has been here recently, and just did a quick fix. I order both front axles, because they both have zip ties on the boots. Something isn't right, so we decided to replace them both.

Tear the axles out and grab the new one's to replace them with. I immediately notice the splines on the new axles aren't the same as the one's I removed. I check to make sure I ordered the correct parts. I did. I go back to the car and that's when I noticed the "inner" joints were new. They didn't belong to the original axle shaft. They both had part numbers on them, so I looked them up. Here's where my headache began.

I'm working on a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The joints that are installed are from a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. I spend the entire day trying to find an axle match between the 2 cars. Then it stretches into the weekend. Hundreds of axles, and nothing works between the 2 cars. My head is throbbing! I then decide to take a closer look at the "tripod" joint. It is encased in grease. You can't see it until it's cleaned up. There it was!!!

Once cleaned, I saw that it was Frankensteined! Someone ground down the existing shaft to fit the proper "tripod" joint. They then poorly welded it into place. It was a half assed attempt for a fix. Now knowing everything, I realized the full scale of what took place.

The seller replaced the transmission. They used one from a 2014 Cruze. It bolts up just fine, but with different gearing, the axles are different. Realizing this after the job was done, they came up with a plan to modify the axles to fit instead of putting the correct transmission in it. Upon selling the car, they pushed an extended warranty, because they knew it wouldn't last. Have the warranty company pay for their mistake. It worked great...until it didn't!

Charges have been filed against the seller. He is defiant, but doesn't have a leg to stand on. In the ad he placed, he stated that he put new axles in the car. OOPS! He also told the customer that the mechanic that told him all this doesn't have a clue. OOPS!!! It took me an entire weekend, but I am proud that I was able to decipher what took place.

This was a used car lot that sold the vehicle. The customer was given a false sense of security by going this route. I don't care where the car comes from, it needs to be checked over before buying. This is becoming commonplace. People are getting more and more desperate for a cheap car. They are buying on the outside appearance and not what matters. If they won't let you have it looked over...run away!

In full disclosure, I wouldn't have known the full extent of what was going on just by checking the car out. The zip ties on the axle boots would have been a red flag though. I would have told the customer about it, and explained that someone had done work there, but there was no way of knowing how deep it was going to get.

Address

110 Clay Street
Meyersdale, PA
15552

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 3:30pm

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