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New service aims to help commuters fix cars

New service aims to help commuters fix cars
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Local drivers continue to be plagued with this dilemma: Auto repair shops only seem to be open when people are at work. 

But a new service aims to solve this hassle across the county. 

Alex Moen recently launched automatedoilchange.com. He envisions it as an Uber for car repair. Moen will come to someone's work, pick up their car, take it for an oil change or any other repair, and bring it back when it's ready. 

"People want to save their time," he said. "They don't want to sit around for an hour or two at the auto shop, so we handle that for them."

Moen arranges for the service through several independent shops around the county. It's $50 for a standard oil change, and $100 for synthetic. He also offers memberships at $60 a month - those include synthetic oil changes, tire rotations, monthly washes, and an annual detail.

"We want to be the middle man that takes care of all the car care needs, saving you the time and hassle," he said. 

Victor Banuelos, owner of Centric Auto Repair in San Marcos, one of the shops that Moen takes cars to, said most people come to drop off their cars in the morning for routine maintenance so they can get to work on time. 

"When they're showing up during the day, it's an emergency, it's on a tow truck, something's going on with the car," he said. 

Moen plans to launch a smartphone app later this year, in an effort to expand the service.