Franchisee Spotlight: Bill and Sheri Granger If you have ever looked into franchises and how they work, it’s always interesting to see how one comes together. There’s no one right or wrong way to become a franchise owner. Sometimes people lose their job and then invest their life savings and become a franchise owner. Other times, investors will buy franchises and make all of the franchises part of their corporate mini-empire. Other people have done just fine in their careers but decide they want to be their own boss and so they buy a franchise. That’s where Bill and Sheri Granger come in. They recently opened a Milex Complete Auto Care and Mr. Transmission store in Bradenton, Florida. Bill Granger spent 17 years as a mechanic working for several car dealerships and spent 10 years in the oil refinery industry with BP.  He most recently ... read more

What You Need to Know About Your Car’s Transmission Your car’s transmission can be a complex system.  Unlike other areas of the vehicle such as the engine, fluids, tires, wiper or filters, many people do not know much about the transmission.  Most people do not handle maintenance or repairs on their own and instead leave it up to the experts like those at Mr. Transmission. However, the more you know about your car and how it operates, the better prepared you will be if a problem arises.  Here are some of the basics about a vehicle’s transmission system and what you need to do to get the most out of your car. Your car’s engine creates power, and that power goes the transmission, and the transmission then doles out the power to the axles that turn and rotate the car’s wheels. The automatic transmission is a little like an orchestra conductor, making sure the electric ... read more

What to Do If You Hit a Pothole One of the most common and dreaded hazards of everyday driving is the pothole.  Not all potholes are created equally, of course. You might sail over one without any issues whatsoever, and your car may feel the lingering effects from one for some time.  Those effects can be quite costly, however, as the American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates, drivers spend $3 billion a year on damage to their cars from potholes. If you do hit a pothole, here are some things to keep in mind. Don’t panic. Try to not panic or get too angry at yourself for driving over a pothole. They’re everywhere. In Denver, for instance, the city fills 60,000 to 100,000 potholes a year. Houston h ... read more

Three Ways Your Car is Trying to Tell You Something Sometimes people talk to their cars.  It is often when there is a problem with the vehicle’s performance or an emergency on the road.  Those comments can be loud and not always pleasant. As odd as it may sound, you do want to make sure your relationship with your car isn’t one-sided. There are times in which your car also talks to you. If you listen and look carefully, your car is often trying to tell you something. Sometimes your car seems like it is screaming at you. If your car shakes wildly, makes loud noises when you drive, or leaks everywhere, those are clear messages that you should check it checked as soon as possible. There are other times your car talks to you, and what it says isn’t always obvious. For those cases, here is a car translation guide. Your car has trouble accelerating. If your car occasionally has trouble accelerating, but ... read more

Randy Whitworth is a longtime Mr. Transmission franchisee, owning two stores in Alabama.  It should probably come as no surprise that each of his three children have followed his footsteps into the auto repair business.  Randy’s father was a mechanic and his brother is a builder at his Pelham store, so car repair “is in the family’s blood”.  Randy recalled his children coming into the shop before or after school when they were younger and pretending to fix cars and work behind the desk to talk to the customers.  They were drawn to the business and as an added bonus, they were able to spend extra time with their father and learn from him when visiting the store. Years later, Randy beams with pride when talking about how his children have each carved out successful careers in the auto repair industry.  “I’ve really been blessed.  They are all wonderful children.  I ... read more

Summer vacation season is almost upon us, and many of us will likely be driving a little more. So if you’re thinking of taking a road trip or a vacation somewhere in your car, you may want to do more than pack the sunscreen. Yep, that’s right. You probably should get your car prepared for the trip, too. Fortunately, we have a checklist. Get an oil change. As you probably know, one of the most important things you can do for your car is to change the oil on a regular basis.  If you get your oil changed a few weeks after the date on your oil change sticker, or a little after the mileage count, it isn’t likely to hurt your vehicle.  But if you let it slide and go a year between appointments, you’re really asking for trouble.  If you are planning on taking a long trip across a few states, it’s probably a good idea to get another oil change – assuming you aren’t doing them regularly. Not only will fresh oil keep yo ... read more

Mother’s Day has always had a very special meaning to one franchise owner in the Moran Family of Brands franchise system. Susan Trumble owns the Mr. Transmission/Milex Complete Auto Care store in Florence, Kentucky and has raised her son, Wyatt, around the business all his life.  In fact, she clearly remembers when the challenges of impending motherhood and running the business crossed paths hours before Wyatt was born in 2000. Susan went into labor at the store, but before leaving for the hospital, she told her staff what needed to be done while she would be away.  Susan admitted it was an overwhelming time but credits her dedicated staff that has been there for a long time in helping her get through. Without a center manager, Susan needed to return to the store just two weeks after delivering Wyatt and she brought him with her each day.  She was later able to get assistance from her parents before placing him in daycare when he was six weeks old.  Althou ... read more

Driving a car is sometimes exciting – in a way you don’t want it to be. Maybe you suddenly notice a small fire in your engine. Or perhaps you have a tire blow out. In other words, ignoring certain problems isn’t just a bad idea for your car – it can be dangerous. In the interest of keeping your vehicle running well and making sure you and your passengers are safe, we thought we’d point out a few things you don’t want to ignore when it comes to your car. How to avoid an engine fire. Regular car checkups are imperative to keep your car running well, but do you ever hear a loud sound from your exhaust system? Does your engine temperature occasionally shoot up from normal to very hot? Does your oil leak? You should bring in your car into a Mr. Transmission/Milex to be checked out. Another thing to be aware of – that fires don’t always start in the engine. Do you smoke? Occasionall ... read more

We know cars are not always the most environment-friendly things on the planet. However, in honor of Earth Day, we’re going to do our part and suggest some ways you can care for your car in a more environmentally friendly manner. How so? Well, try these tips. Don’t buy a new car. Keep your car well maintained. This column from Scientific American states: “It definitely makes more sense from a green perspective to keep your old car running and well-maintained as long as you can‚ especially if it's getting such good mileage. There are significant environmental costs to both manufacturing a new automobile and adding your old car to the ever-growing collective junk heap.” There’s another environmental benefit to having your car regularly serviced, though. If you have anything leaking from your car, your ... read more

Minor car collisions unfortunately do happen. The driver behind you wasn’t paying attention and didn’t hit the brakes fast enough. Your car was hit hard, but not too hard. Nothing seems to be initially damaged. Or maybe you were trying to back out of an odd-shaped driveway, and moments later, you’re examining a tree or telephone pole with scuff marks and a car that fortunately appears to be fine. You, your passengers and the care are fine. You may think you don’t need to call the insurance company. Life goes on, and so does your car. Well, not so fast. Maybe your car is in good shape and there is no problem.  But you will also want to consider if there is some damage that will impact the performance of your car.  Just as you’d want to get checked out with a doctor if you ever have any doubt about how you felt after a fender-bender, you should think about getting your car a wellness visit after a minor accident. Rear-end collisions can leave a ... read more