Saturday, January 30, 2010
A Woman's Point of View: Black Ice, Heating/Cooling and Mufflers
Going down the list of subjects we should be talking about in our Blog, I find myself thinking about my own past experiences with my cars. For example; Driving On Ice Safely.
Take one teenager driving her father’s car at night on slippery streets. I come to a stop where I either have to turn right or left. Directly ahead is someone’s driveway that leads to the garage. Simple enough except I can’t stop. I am continuing to slide all the way down the driveway where the door to the garage is open, thinking, “I am going to go right through the back of this man’s garage”, “I wonder what is behind the garage? A cliff?”, and “My dad is going to kill me when he gets the bill for this one”. The happy ending was that I stopped inside the garage before reaching the back wall. Whew!
Or the subject of Heating/Cooling System Maintenance. We all know that a lot of heat is generated in a running vehicle. The cooling system is to keep the engine heat down so the engine won’t burn up. Very important. A friend, who was a long distance trucker, once told me that he would wrap a beef roast, potatoes and corn on the cob in tinfoil and cook it on his manifold. He said it would take up to 350 miles in the summer and about 700 miles in the winter to cook it to perfection. I am fairly gullible so I still don’t know if I should believe it or not. I would like some feedback on that one.
And, last but not least, the subject of Cars For Keeps Muffler Shop. I am having this image in my mind of our mechanics, Mike, Robert and Steve, sitting on oil cans out in the garage knitting these long, long scarves (used to be called mufflers) and then wrapping them around the car’s windows and tying them expertly with various knots. To bring out the personality of each car, of course. Color is important. I have to stop my imagination before this turns into a Disney movie.
To finish on a serious note, winter is very hard on mufflers, what with the extreme cold, ice chips flying up under your car and scraping bottom on snow and ice. Tis the season to be a little more aware of what is happening underneath your vehicle.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
How to Drive on Black Ice
by Rob Hopp, Cars for Keeps Owner
If you have ever encountered black ice while driving, you know the pulse pounding, adrenaline pumping, heart dropping "Oh MY" feeling I refer to.
Crying Mommy! might help hold off the panic but won't keep you out of the ditch.
There are several items to be aware of that may help you avoid a near coronary in the first place.
Tuesday morning's drive to Big Rapids gave me a bit more first hand experience. The overpasses & underpasses were extra treacherous. The strong side wind was a significant factor as well. The pavement looked sugary, the right lane was glossy "in the groove", but was just as slick outside the groove.
1. Check the forecast. Conditions for black ice are fairly predictable by the weather services. Identifying it while on the road is difficult at best, unless you are already on it. Pavement with black ice will be a little darker and duller than the rest of the road surface.
2. Be extra aware of the traffic ahead (Uh... NOT by being closer) If you see brake lights, fish tailing cars, sideways cars or emergency flashers, slow down even more. Down shifting gently to a lower gear can help you stay within an engine speed range that will give you more control at lower speeds (if your engine is running at 1,500 rpm's it is much less responsive than at 2,500 or 3,000 rpms).
3. If you don't know how your vehicle responds in a skid, find a parking lot and TRY IT! Try it until your response becomes more natural. Build that "muscle memory". You need to react. Most of the time you won't have time to think about it. Front wheel drive responds differently than rear wheel drive and all wheel drive. All wheel (or four wheel) drive is a wonderful thing, but you can't fight physics. On black ice, we're all about equal. Anti-lock brakes make very little difference on black ice, they rely on at least one wheel having at least partial traction to activate effectively.
4.If your tires are worn, all of the conditions above are multiplied exponentially. I often preach and ALWAYS practice that good tires are cheap insurance.
5. If you hear that black ice is expected, stay where you are if you can.
Black ice can lead to a scary, expensive hard ditch landing or worse. Take the time to know the feel of your ride, look at the forecast and avoid the gottagetthereitis we all suffer from at times.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
What it Means to be an AAA Approved Auto Repair Shop
by Rob Hopp, Cars for Keeps Owner
Fewer than 2% of all Michgan Auto Repair Shops ever become AAA Approved. We are the only one in the area, and being a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility is a proud honor for Cars for Keeps. To be AAA Approved means that we have met the strict quality standards for auto repair and customer service of the AAA Auto Club.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Timing Belt Tuesday Plus! (the "Cats" are away...)
Dennis sends out these Timing Belt Tuesday messages, so I thought we could sweeten the deal a bit with Valentines coming & all.
If you drive a car with a timing belt, you'll need to have us service it sooner or later. To urge you to service it sooner, we'll give you an instant rebate equal to 20% of the total cost of your bill (even including other services) up to $200.00!
Now, we are known to be a fun loving group out here in the shop, but now we are extending this to ANY work done this coming Tuesday January 26th, 2010 (Rob will want to whip me, but I'll just blame it on Congress or someone nearby).
One note; I can't offer this discount on oil changes, tires or batteries, otherwise Dennis might make me work on all the French cars & Yugo's from now on.
If you are one of the first two clientsto take advantage of this offer, we will throw in aBONUS, FREE rental car for the day ($26.00 value). Or -A FREE pair of Bosch Evolution Wiper Blades(up to a $38.00 Value!)
This offer is only sent to our valued clients. It is NOT offered to walk-in customers or through any other advertising, so it is indeed a unique and valuable deal, however feel free to forward this to any of your friends & family that might be in need of this service. We always appreciate your kind referrals. Now, To take advantage of us, just reply to this e-mail if you need the free rental, or to be extra certain you are one of the first, call us at (616) 846-1989 right now!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
When and How to Use 4 Wheel Drive (Including a Red Green Demonstration)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Cars for Keeps Welcomes a New Crewmember (and gives away some stuff)
At Cars for Keeps, we use the term Pit Stop to explain our strategy of making sure your ride is ready for another round of safe, reliable driving with the unique challenges of the next season. Cold, Slick, Hot or Rainy, you'll be ready.So in order to make sure you aren't sacrificing your safety, reliability or budget, we offer our clients the Seasonal Pit Stop.
The Cars for Keeps Pit Stop simply allows us an opportunity to check your vehicles lights, tires, wipers, belts, hoses and fluids. We analyze all the fluids, including the engine oil to make sure they are fully capable of protecting their related systems.
The best part of the Cars for Keeps Pit Stop is that it's absolutely FREE for our clients. All it takes is your participation in pre-scheduling your pit stop, allowing us to contact you via e-mail for your reminder and then coming in at the scheduled time or re-scheduling if the original time does not work out for you. Call us at 616-846-1989 to schedule your free pit stop.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A Women’s Point of View: Cars vs. Computers
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
Here’s a thought. What has had the bigger impact for life on earth? Cars or Computers?
Mankind lived for thousands of years without either, and then within 125 years we have both. Which says a lot about our adaptability and survival.
I personally think cars have the bigger impact. It takes about 10 minutes to walk a mile. It takes about 60 seconds, or less, to drive a mile. Sitting down! Automobiles feed our egos, save us time and satisfy our need for speed. They transport the food that feeds the nation, the goods that keep us working and the toys that we play with. We have cars that entertain us with movies and music from all over the world. We can make and receive phone calls. We have cars that keep us from getting lost, unlock our doors and start our cars for us. We have cars that comfort us by locating and contacting us when we have an accident, sending help and keep us from panic by talking to us.
Sometimes our cars are the only place where we can be alone, free and in control. They keep us warm in the winter, cool in the summer and we can have the wind blowing through our hair. Someone, somewhere, will come up with something that will make us tan, give us a physical and cut and style our hair while we are driving. Our cars give us so much and all they ask for in return is a little gas, a little oil and a little regular maintenance.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
5 Tips to Help You Speak "Auto Tech" to Your Car Technicians
Monday, January 11, 2010
Pardon me, but is that your snake lying on the ground?
The big black rubber band looking thingy, the black strip of rubber you see lying in the middle of a traffic lane, is not a snake; it's a "serpentine" belt.
Every time you see a broken drive belt lying on the ground at a stop light, you see the evidence that someone’s not going to get where they’re going today without some surprises.
When you see a belt on the ground do you wonder what would happen on your car? Do you wonder if your belt (or belts) are getting ready to do the same thing?
Well… Here are a few facts:
a. No belt is impervious to damage from a foreign object. Modern belts are much tougher though and have a more predictable life span. It’s worth noting that most modern vehicles also utilize protector panels keeping out sticks & stones & worse. If a minimum wage quickie lube guy left one off, would you know?
b. Due to the need for cooling, charging and most critically, power steering, most vehicles can’t run for long without a drive belt. The power steering pump is driven by a belt on the vast majority of vehicles, leaving the steering very stiff if the belt fails. Note that your steering won't fail, but to feel the difference, try turning your steering wheel without the engine running… Other reasons are cooling, as usually the water pump stops turning (all the hot coolant just sits still) and charging, because the alternator is no longer being driven, meaning all of the electricity your vehicle is coming directly from the battery which typically won't last long.
c. The belts are one of the more critical items we inspect during your regular pit stops. We follow clear performance and wear specifications to determine if the belt system has the best chance of reliably performing through till the next seasonal pit stop.
What could you expect if the same were to happen to you? The first thing you would probably notice is the battery or alternator warning light on your instrument panel, steering will suddenly become stiff, requiring significantly more effort to turn and the engine will start to run warmer than normal. While each situation is unique, the old standard of continuing the same direction as much as possible, finding the nearest place to pull off the road safely and then turn you heater up all the way before the temperature gets out of control (in winter to give you some cabin warmth you may need for a few minutes). Keep in mind, when the engine temperature gauge goes into the red, damage is occurring, the longer in red, the more lifespan is consumed. Too long and engine replacement is the only option. Don't hesitate to call for help, if you are unsure who to call, we hope you'll think of us (that card in the glovebox?) we'll be glad to guide you in getting the help you need.
The best thing to keep this from happening to you? Get regular maintenance inspections (not just a quickie lube). Our clients get our Seasonal Pit Stops free!
Friday, January 8, 2010
A Women’s Point of View: Turn Up The Heat
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
I am sure everyone has noticed that it’s cold out there! This is easily explained; it’s January in North America. Most of us are not ‘winter people’, so in our hearts and minds we are basking on a warm beach somewhere in the Caribbean. Take a moment to think about that and go “aahhh”. OK, back to reality.
Just like people, cars need a little extra TLC in cold weather. The phrase ‘cold start’ takes on a whole new meaning. Batteries that are old and weak give out a lot in cold weather. Temperature sensors become overworked and stop functioning as they should. Windshield wipers get frozen to the windshield and when forced to let go, have bits of rubber break off and you get streaks on your windshield. Car doors and door handles get frozen shut. Power windows freeze and won’t work. That is the one that makes me bang my head on the steering wheel.
Anyway, there are some things that could help these situations. A heated garage, an electric blanket for your car, a block heater that you plug into an electrical outlet are just a few suggestions. Robert’s blog covered some helpful preventive measures so I will not go over them again. Life happens to all of us and everyone here at Cars For Keeps is here to help you in the big and small things to keep your veheicle in good working order. We are at your service.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Distracted While Driving - the New DUI
Monday, January 4, 2010
5 Ways to Prevent Costly Ice-Induced Car Damage
by Robert, Cars for Keeps Technician
The cold weather is upon us. The cold wreaks all kinds of havoc on vehicles. Any problems that you may have had in the warmer months seem to be multiplied by the cold. What are some basic things you can do to protect your vehicle?
1) Marjorie talked earlier about washing away the salt that accumulates from roads. This is great preventative maintenance. It can help minimize any rust from the salt that may form. Not only on the body of the vehicle, but many other parts such as your brake lines or fuel lines.
2) Drive slower. This one should be a no brainer. Driving slower can reduce your chances of being caught in a ditch or worse in an accident.
3) You should also drive slower when your cars engine is cold. This will prevent any premature damage internally to the engine. Many people do not realize the other fluids in your vehicle are also cold, such as transmission fluid, power steering fluid and differential fluids. So avoid high revving your engine and fast cornering until you have at least some drive time to warm those up too.
4) Turn off all accessories when you shut your vehicle off. This includes your lights, blower motor, wiper blades, ect. These extra accessories are not needed when you start your vehicle for the first time and only add an extra draw on your battery when starting your vehicle. Only after your vehicle is started should these be turned on. And don't start the wipers until they are no longer frozen to the windshield!
5) Do not force your windows down. Manual windows are, of course, more resilient to this over power windows. When your windows are frozen shut you should not force them down with the window switch. If they do not go down right away they are frozen shut. You should press up on the switch and wait for them to thaw out. You can speed up the process with a de-icer spray. Many of these motors, just like wiper motors, have plastic gears internally and plastic mounts. They are prone to break especially in the winter, often with costly repairs!
With a few basic steps you can minimize any headaches in the winter and enjoy the holiday season. I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year and a Happy Holiday season.
Drive safe and until next time!