A Women’s Point of View: Fuel Additives Can Be Good

A few weeks ago I talked about how to lessen your visits to the dreaded gas station. Additives were briefly mentioned as one way to keep your car running at its peak performance.

I have been requested to write more about these additives, so I did some research. Speaking to the experts on the subject, I have learned that there is good news and not so good news in regards to fuel additives. The not so good news is that most gasoline additives are pretty much worthless. The good news is that there are a couple of additives that actually do some good for your car’s engine. It's a good thing we have auto experts on hand who can tell us which ones!

The first is called Sea Foam. Yes. I agree, it is a pretty silly name for your big strong car that really doesn’t run in or on the sea. But as a gasoline additive it cleans the car’s fuel system and is very stable when used, especially if you are storing your vehicle. Best used at intervals of two or three times a year. Another good additive to use is Stabil, for storing your vehicle. It helps to keep your gasoline fresh. An additive called 44K is something we use at Cars For Keeps to keep gasoline fresh and cleans the fuel injectors.

All of these are helpful for getting the most for your money at the gas pump. Here is the last, but best, hint of all; nothing is better than a knowledgeable, well-trained mechanic looking after your vehicle at regular maintenance intervals. Almost like having a ‘mechanic in a bottle’.

Save driving!

A Women’s Point of View: It’s All In What You Know

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Manager

The other day as I was walking through the garage I stopped to watch one of our mechanics, Leslie, installing a new engine in a car. It was amazing. He had just gotten the engine block bolted in but there were pieces and parts lying around everywhere. Wires and hoses were strewn all over the engine. It looked like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Imagine a plate of cut up cooked spaghetti and then trying to get all the pieces back together again.

I mentioned the puzzle aspect of putting the engine together and he just shrugged nonchalantly and said, “It’s not that difficult.” It hit me then that it’s all in what you know. Our mechanics are going to school all the time to keep their knowledge up to date and to keep pace with all the engineering technologies which are used in new automobiles every year. Just as with any other career, our mechanics have taken a lot of training and expertise to become good at what they do. How many people could step into your job without training and do it as well as you?

It is fortunate that the only thing you and I to know about our cars is where to take them for maintenance and repair. It’s all in what you know - and that knowledge is a wonderful thing.

A Woman’s Point of View: The Secret to Keeping What You Have.

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

In the automotive world these days it is becoming trendy to fix up and keep the car you have. It is the “politically correct” thing to do in today’s economy and trend towards sustainability. This is a great trend in theory, but let’s face it girls, we who change our clothes three and four times a day find it goes against our nature to not change our car every year or so. Fess up ladies, who of you have never bought those ‘must have’, hot new shoes only to get them home, taken them out of the box, thought to yourself ‘what was I thinking’, and tossed them in the Goodwill bag. Hmmm?

Oddly enough, I am different about my car. Once I find a car I really like, I will drive it until it falls apart on the road – no matter how much I want all those new gadgets that are in the newer models. My SUV is going on fourteen years old and is still running strong. The secret is to add new features to your old car. GPS devices like Garmin and bluetooth adapter kits are not that expensive, they're easy to install and hey - they work.

I will tell you another secret – regular maintenance. At Cars For Keeps our mechanics give you a strong once over inspection every time you have an oil change. Just like maintaining good health for the body, an early diagnosis to any problem your car may have results in an easier, and cheaper, fix before the first problem causes a second and third problem. So, dust off that old faithful car, give it regular oil changes, keep those fluids fresh, come to us quickly when you hear a noise and maintain those tires with the right air pressure. Your pocketbook will thank you, and who knows, maybe you will find another pair of ‘must have’ shoes.

A Woman’s Point of View: Car Brakes, Beauty and Functionality

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

The other day I had new brakes put on my car. If you are anything like me the only thing you know about brakes is that you step on the little black pedal and the car stops. Also, if when stepping on the little black pedal you hear a teeth rattling squeal, you probably need new brakes. IMHO, that's more or less all you really need to know about the brakes on your car. The rest of it is what we keep our technicians around for!

Working at a car repair facility I get the opportunity to learn the finer points of car repair. When my brake discs came in, much to my surprise, they were gorgeous. They were the prettiest, shiny silver and had these swirly carvings on them. Being very interested in anything remotely, artistic, I asked why they were so pretty. I was told the swirls have a very practical reason for being there.


Over time, the swirls wear down with use of the brakes and when visually inspected lets you know when you may need new brakes in the near future. I also facetiously asked if they came in pink or lavender, only to be told that there are brake discs out there that are red and even blue, but for odd makes of cars only.

Is this the start of a new trend? Are manufacturers beginning to understand that women like pretty things? Even if they can’t be seen, it makes a woman feel good just knowing that her brakes are pretty and color coordinated to her personality.

A Woman’s Point of View: Back to School

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

All you parents have probably noticed how your lives revolve around your kids. When they were born, you gave up sleep. When they were toddlers, you gave up any kind of social life. When they started school, you gave up your sporty car for that van. When they reached teen-hood, you gave up your schedule in favor of their schedule. When they started college, you gave up your life’s savings.

Oh but, what you have gotten back is priceless! All the back-talk, all the sass, all the temper tantrums are strangely forgotten when you see them in that cap and gown, or watch them perform in the orchestra, or watch them do what is right instead of what they have a right to do. You parents are truly heroes in this world.

So, once again the circle comes around and it is time to send the kiddies back to school. Whether you are bravely watching them let go of your hand and walk into school all by themselves, or more bravely watching them drive off to college by themselves, you hold panic back by going over the list of everything you have done to prepare them and seeing to their safety and welfare while they are out of your sight. Yes, a lot of it involves your car(s). Picking up, dropping off or sending off, you want that car to be in top condition.

We at Cars For Keeps can help you with that. If you are a Facebook Cars For Keeps Fan, you will see our coupons and specials as they are released, PLUS get Special deals for fans only! Savings on brakes, tires, maintenance, cooling and heating, and more are yours to be had with the touch of a Facebook button.

Welcome Back to School. Is your car ready?

A Woman’s Point of View: The Dog Days of Summer

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

Summers fly by and winters drag. Why is that? I have a theory about that from a woman’s point of view. Winters are cold and silent with the exception of howling winter winds and those pesky ice pellets hitting the window. Then summer comes flowing into our lives with warmth, like embracing arms. The silence of winter turns into bird song, water rippling, leaves rustling and rain whispering on rooftops. The days are long and languid, inviting us outside to read, have picnics, ride our bikes, jog, swim, tend our gardens and to just listen to the sounds of life being created all around us. Summer lifts our spirits and renews our minds.

It can also be really, really hot and muggy, leaving us with delicious problems like how to get that watermelon cold in a hurry, or which bathing suit do I feel like wearing today, or should I go to the beach or the air conditioned mall for the afternoon? Hhhmmmm! Whatever you decide to do, you are going to end up in your car. More decisions. Air conditioning? Windows open, or the top down?

In this age of instant gratification you expect your decision to be carried out with the touch of a button. It would surely spoil your day if you hit that A/C button and get a blast of more hot air in your face, or worse, nothing happens at all. Hopefully this horrible fate never happens to you, but if it does there is a support group to see you through this trauma. Cars For Keeps will correct your unfortunate malfunction quickly and efficiently.

Better yet, at your next oil change, ask us to check your A/C, the windows and make sure that convertible top is performing as it should. Yes, the dog days of summer are upon us and we are so relaxed and laid back that any upset in our lazy days will not be tolerated. So just enjoy.

A Women’s Point of View: A Mid-Summer’s Dream

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

Sitting at my computer and not feeling a bit inspired to write this weeks’ blog, I find my mind wandering further and further from the task at hand. Waiting for inspiration, I admire my new pedicure with a flower painted on each big toenail, I look out the window and watch a harvest moon rising in the east, I listen to the crickets chirping their little hearts out and dream of a big bowl of popcorn washed down with an ice cold glass of pomegranate juice. Aaahhhh!

Summer has a way of slowing us down and forcing us to take a look at what is important in our lives. A time to dream. A time to wish. A time to feel the sun and enjoy ourselves. As my cat turns circles on my lap and sticks her tail in my face, I sometimes envy her the freedom she has by just being a cat.

But, let’s face it, after a day or two of living a cat’s freedom, I would be bored to tears. I would miss the social interaction with my co-workers and our customers. I would miss the satisfaction every day of feeling that I had really helped someone. We are creatures of action and creativity and we need the stimulation of helping someone solve a problem, or accomplish a task, or just doing something nice for someone simply because we can. Something as common as a smile at the right time has a wonderful healing power, so flash that smile today and feel the zap of optimism rise up within you. As I read over this blog, I realize it describes the atmosphere at Cars For Keeps, so stop by for a smile and/or a hug. They are both free!

A Womans Point of View: A Typical Day Heats Up

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

My alarm clock does not ring, or buzz, or play music. It starts off with birds singing and then my very British butler, who lives in my alarm clock, announces the events of the day so far. This morning he informed me that Opray Winfrey would like to luncheon with me today and he took the liberty of only charging her $100,000 for the privilege.

It is hard enough to wake up in the morning, you might as well do it with some silliness and a smile. I was feeling pretty perky until I got to work and walked into a furnace – the air conditioning konked out over the weekend and it had to be 100 degrees in there. Oh, Joy! I do not do well in muggy heat. It only took me five minutes to discover the computer that I work at was the only dead air space in the whole building. The temperature was already well on its way to over the 90 degree mark outside. It felt cooler outside. We were all in that fragile moment of deciding if we were going to give in to this and be grouchy or are we going to make the best of this bad situation.

Then I began to notice something. The customers sitting in our sweltering lounge sporting the most wonderful sheen, were taking it all in stride. We would apologize for the uncomfortable warmth and they all smiled and assured us that, “Hey, life happens.” Because of these wonderful people and their positive attitudes, we adapted.

We slowed down our usual frantic pace, took the time to hand out cold drinks, made sure we were all drinking plenty of water. In other words, everyone looked after each other. We even treated ourselves to some old-fashioned malted milks.

Good things happen at Cars For Keeps even when it starts out looking bad.

A Women’s Point of View: It’s Summertime and the Living is Easy

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

Summertime seems to bring out the ‘anything is possible’ gene in most of us. Slow, easygoing, mind renewing, exciting things that fill our days in the summer. The picnics on the beach or in a meadow; where the ants and flies show up in hordes of happiness. Bike riding to feel the breeze against your warm skin and an occasional bug to swallow. Swimming which soothes the body and the mind in nature’s womb.

Watching those sunsets while holding the hand of someone you love. Meeting someone really interesting over a vegetable stall at the open air market. Giving into temptation to wade in the fountain in the park. Going barefoot through the grass. Watching the local teams practice baseball. Catching fireflies. Enjoying fireworks. Running away from home (which we sometimes refer to as a vacation) to seek relaxation and/or adventure.

Cars For Keeps has had an influx of vacationers with car troubles. Hey - things happen! Just think of it as the adventurous side of the vacation. We know it is irritating to have your car break down when on vacation, and that is why we are experts at turning a negative into a positive.

We have met some new friends from out of town and even ended up having some laughs for everyone. We may never see these wonderful people again, but for a moment, we touched each other’s lives in a positive way. Aaaahhh! Summertime is full of possibilities and the living is easy.

A Women’s Point of View: Let Freedom Ring

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

How often do we consciously think about all the freedom we have in this country? Sometimes we focus on things that we are not allowed to do in our lives, like being able to quit our jobs, getting the kids educated for free, and, gee, let’s not pay our taxes this year. Those are pesky problems in our lives that we all have to deal with, but actually do not have anything to do with our freedoms. I would love to pay a million dollars in taxes - do you know what kind of income that would mean for me?

Let’s focus on the freedom to live where and how we want live. The freedom to marry who we want and have as many children as we want. The freedom to choose any profession, from collecting empty bottles to being the President of the United States, and then the freedom to pursue that profession. The freedom to wear the clothes we want, visit any place we want, handle our own money and to drive the car we want. (You knew I would be getting around to cars.)

No patting Cars For Keeps on the back in this blog, just a moment of remembrance and appreciation for the men and women who have strived and won the victories for the freedoms that we celebrate this past 4th of July. In appreciation to the men and women who are actively serving in the military, Cars For Keeps offers free oil changes for them and their spouses.

Let Freedom Ring!

A Women’s Point of View: The Latest Trend

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

Have you noticed, as you drive around in your dream car, how many vehicles have advertising on them? I am not talking about the big, commercial trucks. No, I mean your every day, ordinary pickups and passenger vehicles.

With a difficult economy comes creative ideas for new start-up businesses from average Joes and Joesettes. What heroes! Like cream rising to the top. It is the best of American Ingenuity, and we at Cars For Keep, salute you.

Anyway, back to this new trend of putting advertising on your car so the whole world can see who you are and what you do. It runs the gamut from a discreet company name and phone number on the door, on up to a complete “Wrap” of the car from bumper to bumper. It’s almost as good as watching television. I saw one the other day advertising ‘wings to go’ with a picture of a chicken strapped into a carseat with a look of panic on it’s face, wildly flapping it’s wings. There are some larger companies that will give anyone a car to use for free, that is completely wrapped with advertising. All you have to do is pay for the insurance and prove that you have had regular maintenance done.

Aaahhh yes, regular maintenance. It can mean the difference between a well running car with a long life and a car that always has problems and dies before the last payment is made. All companies that deal with cars, from fleet cars for private companies to professional car rental companies know the critical importance of regular maintenance. Cars For Keeps is always ready to help you with regular car maintenance.

A Women’s Point of View: Need vs. Want = Having

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

I was talking with a customer the other day about blogs and I asked her to give me any three words and I would create a blog around them. She gave me ‘need’, ‘want’, and ‘having’. So, watch out, here it comes!

Every person who comes into our car repair facility has a need. Our business is to supply car repair and maintenance needs and we are very good at it. Simple. Right? Let’s go on to what people want.

Sometimes, this is more difficult, and sometimes it is impossible. The impossible only takes a little longer. When the impossible comes through our door, we immediately go into “this-is-a-challenge mode”. It keeps our job from becoming boring and mundane. Diagnoses are made and discussed. Faxes of questions and schematics start flying back and forth. Telephone calls go out to old-timers and young automotive geniuses. Creative heads huddle together. Plans are made. Assignments are carried out. The “can do” attitude is at its peak. High energy and excitement are bouncing off the walls.

Everything comes together and someone rings the cowbell. There are high fives and belly bouncing. Words like “Yes!” and “Sweet!” and “It Works!” are heard. And everyone is smiling. And for the customer this equals Having. Aaaahhh! Just another normal day at Cars For Keeps.

The principles in this blog can be applied to any need vs. want = having situation in life, and are not the exclusive property of Cars For Keeps. They are free to use for everyone.

Save driving!

A Women’s Point of View: The Savvy Bargain Hunter

by Colette Cooley, Cars For Keeps Office Manager

Sometimes, previously owned items are a better buy with better value. For example: that soft, leather handbag with the designer label and an original price tag that could put your child through college versus the house you drool over every time you drive past it which finally has a ‘For Sale’ sign in the front yard. You know the signs: your eyes get big, your heart rate triples and you’re breathing in happy little gasps.

The same thing happens when you go to buy a used car. Let’s face it ladies, we fall in love with a car first before we consider the practical side of the purchase. We are emotional creatures, which occasionally leads us into buying something we regret later. Mine was a used Cadillac that turned into a money pit.

At Cars For Keeps, we can help you keep yourself from making unwise purchases with objective, level-headed mechanical expertise. For $99 you can bring in the car you are considering buying to have a complete bumper to bumper inspection done. It is a small price to pay to know exactly what you are getting into when buying that car.

One customer brought in three cars for inspection. The first car turned out to be such as mess it was a mystery why it was even running. The second car needed a new transmission, which would cost more that the car was worth. After looking at the third car, which the customer actually liked the best, we were happy to announce, “You have a winner”! It cost him $300 but it saved him several thousand dollars in the long run. As a woman, I would call that being emotionally savvy.

Safe - and savvy - driving!

A Women’s Point of View: Remember When…..

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

I was listening to a song on the radio while driving the other day that started me thinking about how life was when I was growing up. Sometimes it restores the soul to visit our childhood.

Remember when the only lock in your house was a hook and eye on the screen door? Or, when a cup of coffee cost 10 cents? Or, when everyone paid their bills with cash? Remember Roy Rogers, Gene Autrey and Hopalong Cassidy? Do you remember what life was like before television, and then TV came along and a little puppet called Howdy Dowdy had everyone enthralled? How about all those summers we endured without air conditioning? And, living a full life, somehow, without computers.

Little did we know that having to learn how to type would become such a necessity in all our lives. Remember Superman comic books, fresh farm grown food on the table every night and being called home for the night by a yell or a whistle? Or, having only one phone in the house and pulling it into the closet for a private conversation with your friends? Remember having to actually do hard work for that 25 cent a week allowance? A penny from the Tooth Fairy? Swimming in a lake with fish, ducks and an occasional snake? Newspapers without inserts?

Remember being able to change the oil and doing repairs on your car yourself?

For most of us those days are long gone and we have wonderful places like Cars For Keeps to keep our cars running smoothly. Stop in for a Pit Stop Inspection for free, just like service stations used to do for you way back when service was still important.

What is your favorite modern convenience?

A Woman's Point of View: Black Ice, Heating/Cooling and Mufflers

by Colette, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

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.