Tis the season when magic happens. All the elves are extra busy making everyone’s wishes and dreams come true, making children’s (and adult children’s) toys, ordinary trees sparkle, wrapping plain boxes in such a way to make us wonder in awe and mystery of what is inside, and filling our homes with smells that make us remember warm and wondrous moments.
Even in the workplace we cannot escape their magic touches. At Cars For Keeps we have elves too. Our main elf has been helping many people easily get those new tires on their cars, since the snow has started to fly through the air. Yes, we have been forced to let go of summer in our hearts and minds, so we may as well gracefully surrender to the romance of falling snow, fireplaces and warm, soft mittens.
Our other elves have been busy helping to rectify the usual cold weather maladies that affect our cars such as dead batteries, broken window seals, heater malfunctions, windshield wipers that leave streaks, and all the other little things that happen when it turns cold. Then there are the major breakdowns and malfunctions that can and do happen. Our elves can do it all on all makes of cars.
Since this is the season for giving here is the tip for the day: Cars For Keeps is giving free oil changes to all active members and immediate family members (spouses and at home children) of all branches of the armed services. It is our way of saying, ‘Thank you for your service’!
by Marjorie S., Cars for Keeps Social Media Manager
We've promoted. We've suggested. We've blogged, tweeted and status updated. We've offered coupons. We've done everything we possibly can to impress the importance of proper winter snow tires on our customers, and you've listened - most of you, that is.
Having been in the auto repair industry for as long as we have, we know that some people are just not going to follow our advice, no matter what we do. Maybe you don't believe you actually NEED snow tires, or maybe you just don't have the money for snow tires in your budget right now. Whatever your reasons for not getting those snow tires installed, this post is for you!
Keep in mind the recommendations below are NOT an encouragement to keep your vehicle unprepared for winter weather. Still, we understand that sometimes "life happens". If you're driving on bald tires for one reason or the other, we at least want you to have the driving knowledge to take what Michigan winters will throw at you.
Winter Driving on Bald Tires
So you're driving on summer tires, bald tires, or perhaps all weather tires. If your vehicle is "compact", it's much more susceptible to skidding around on the ice and getting blown off course by semi trucks. What can you do to drive safely in these conditions?
Slow. Down. It's painfully basic, but it's true. The faster your bald-tired little vehicle goes on slippery snow and ice, the less traction it has. If your car is not equipped for winter, leave yourself more time to get places and drive slowly during inclement road conditions. Sure, it's inconvenient, but it could save your life.
Use lower gears. This especially applies to driving up or down inclines on icy roads; using lower gears can help to give you more traction and maintain a slower, steadier speed.
Never forget road conditions. If you're driving on bald tires during an ice storm, you're probably not going to think about anything else until you've taken the key out of the ignition. If you're driving on old all-weather tires in slushy barely freezing weather, however, you might be tempted to become overconfident and forget about your car's treacherous position. The moment you take your vehicle's traction for granted and brake or steer too hard is the moment you might lose control of the vehicle.
Maintain space between your car and other vehicles. Who cares if you're driving like dear old grandma? Maintaining extra space between the cars around you is an easy way to avoid costly fender benders in town. On the freeway, it's an easy way to avoid a fatal crash.
Don't rely on your brakes. When you're driving on bad tires in bad conditions, avoid the temptation to over-brake at all costs. If your vehicle has little or no traction, braking hard is more likely to cause your car to spin out of control than anything else. At high speeds on the freeway, even braking lightly on ice can cause your brakes to lock and your vehicle to lose control. In these situations, the best way to slow down is to remove your foot from the gas, wait for some deceleration (if you can), then pump the brake pedal slowly and firmly. If you don't have ABS, this can also prevent your wheels from locking.
Drive behind salt trucks. Passing heavy equipment during inclement weather is treacherous in a vehicle equipped with great snow tires. If you're driving a poorly equipped car, do yourself a favor and remain behind salt trucks as long as you can. Sure, you'll probably get where you're going late, and your car will definitely need an undercarriage wash, but you'll avoid a potentially bad accident.
If your vehicle is medium to heavy duty truck with rear or four wheel drive, toss heavy items such as bricks or old summer tires in the back. Even if your tires are bald, the extra weight should help to give you a little much-needed traction.
It’s official. The Holidays that we all know and love are in full swing. The cooking, the cleaning for all the company, the shopping, the chauffeuring, the decorating, etc., etc., etc. You are Woman! We hear you roar!
I notice every year at Cars For Keeps that we see fewer women this time of year. We do get to meet their husbands, their teenagers, even their fathers and brothers. Good recruiting and delegating ladies. Our hats are off to you for knowing that your car’s mechanical health is very important this time of year when you are running here and there and everywhere. You think and plan ahead to have that oil change, those brakes checked and fixed and those inspections done to head off any potential trouble. There is nothing worse than getting up at 3AM to get to that store for those great bargains and then finding out your battery is dead. You get ten points for stress reduction.
Winter driving tip for the day: steering wheel covers. Get the kind that have material and bumps on them. The material keeps your steering wheel from getting so cold that your hands ache and the bumps give you a good grip when turning corners. How many times have your hands slipped, especially if you are wearing mittens? Oddly enough, the bumpy parts do not get that cold, so you can take off those bulky mittens with the hand warmers and stay comfortably in control of that steering wheel. The only bad part is getting the cover onto the steering wheel, but it is worth the trouble. Oh, and be sure to color coordinate.!
Well, as anyone who was traveling in West Michigan over the Thanksgiving holiday knows, winter weather driving is officially here! We may not all love the snow, but it's here to stay, and our vehicles need to be prepared.
Some drivers may opt to only put snow tires on two wheels - front or back, depending on where the drivetrain is located - in an attempt to save money. While this may seem like a good idea from a non-mechanic's point of view, the truth is that only using two snow tires instead of four may barely improve your vehicle's handling in inclement positions. In rear wheel drive vehicles, using snow tires only on the back end may actually cause less control than no snow tires at all.
But don't take our word for it. Take a look at these two winter tire demonstration videos put out by the Automobile Protection Association:
Rear Wheel Drive Snow Tires
Front Wheel Drive Snow Tires
So which brand of snow tires is best for your vehicle? We carry many brands winter tires which fit a range of budgets. Of course, we prefer the performance of some brands and models more than others, but the important thing is to HAVE snow tires on all four of your vehicle's wheels. To price out snow tires for your car, give us a call at 616-846-1989 or stop by the shop.
At Cars for Keeps automotive repair shop, we combine preventive maintenance and customer education with the best service money can buy. ASE Master Mechanic and owner Rob Hopp and his small, dedicated team are veterans in making accurate recommendations and quick repairs. From Hondas to Mercedes, we make sure you and your car run happily for many miles, wherever the road may take you.
I wanted to thank you for the prompt, courteous, and friendly service provided to my wife and I last week. I didn't know quite what to expect when we pulled in to your shop with the outside pad missing from our right rear brake.
We were pleasantly surprised. You...somehow worked us in, ordered parts, and had us back on our way in less than 2 hours with a very reasonable bill.
What could have been a major disruption of our trip, was reduced to a minor glitch because the efforts of you and your staff.
Thanks again.
- Gary and Gayle(2002 CR-V) ---------
From rides home to personal touches...like being called by name when you walk in the door.
The honesty that comes when a price can't be beat, why would anyone leave and go down the street?
How many places stand behind their work 100% of the time, not ever giving excuses or saying "it's fine". [With Cars for Keeps,] it's more like, "I'm sorry, we¹ll fix it right now" and then get it done quick.
No slick sales tricks, just good honest work.
Gentle reminders of work that needs to be doneand warnings of little things that might eventually not run.
I cannot say that it is one single thing, but it is the whole package put together, built on honesty and trust. Backed by personality and good work.
Thanks Cars For Keeps! Paula D.
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I am no expert with cars.They could have easily called me up and told me that the car would need an extensive repair, and I would have had to pay it.
I think other shops would have tried to get some money out of me. However, the crew at Cars For Keeps did the honest thing, and did not take "advantage" of me when they easily could have.
My car has been running fine since that event several thousand miles ago.The staff at Cars For Keeps have always provided me with top-notch customer care and quality car repairs, and this is especially helpful for someone who knows so little about cars.
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