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Our ‘Keep the Car Blog’ continues to be a popular way for us to provide you with car tips, local event news, and stuff that’s just plain fun!February 9th, 2011 | Posted in Car Repair for Women
A Woman’s Point of View: What Auto Maintenance Tasks Are Most Important?
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
The most important maintenance for your car can be summed up in one word: Regular!
For those of you who are very structured in your lives, this is not a problem. For the rest of us who have to put a sticky note on our steering wheels to remind us of our next oil change, this can be a little problem! Here’s a few tips for keeping your car’s maintenance on track.
Most of us have a calendar that we refer to, either hanging on the wall, on our desk, or on our computers or cell phones. Pick a certain date that is usually convenient for you every three months and jot down ‘LOF’ (which stands for Lube, Oil, Filter) to remind you to check the mileage on your car. Check that with the sticker on your windshield and if they are close, gives us a call and we will take care of everything for you.
At Cars For Keeps, regular maintenance always includes the oil change, a new oil filter, topping off the fluids in your car, a visual inspection under, around and in the engine compartment, a recommendation list that is prioritized of potential problems, and checking your tires for air pressure and wear or damage. The oil in each of your vehicles should be changed every 2,000 miles for regular oil, and every 6,000 miles for cars that use synthetic oil, according to our head mechanic. We recommend that you call ahead to make an appointment so we can hold a specific amount of time to give you and your car the time and attention that you deserve. One or two days ahead of time is usually sufficient.
February 4th, 2011 | Posted in Auto Maintenance Tips
Annual Auto Maintenance Schedule: What Do to & When to Do It!
by Marjorie, Cars for Keeps Social Media Manager
So you understand the importance of routine auto maintenance, you’re ready to start treating your vehicle like the potential investment it is, but you don’t know where – or when – to start. What exactly IS routine maintenance, and how often does it need to be performed?
Because not all auto components wear down at the same rate, true “routine maintenance” is a little more complicated than it seems. Routine maintenance for a timing belt, for example, is having it changed every 60-70,000 miles, while routine maintenance for your engine oil requires changing it every 4-7,000 miles. That’s a big difference!
To make understanding routine auto maintenance a little easier on drivers, we’ve put together the following schedule.
Monthly Auto Maintenance
Brake, power steering, transmission, antifreeze and windshield washer fluids. While not all of these may need to be changed each month, it’s a good idea to have them checked to make sure they’re not dirty, sludgy or running low. These fluids – particularly brake, power steering and transmission – are important to your vehicle’s safety, and making sure they’re clean and topped up can prevent far more serious problems down the road.
Tire air pressure. Did you know that under inflated tires can cause your vehicle to not only run less efficiently, but also have unsafe “splashy” steering? Checking your tires for proper inflation is fast, simple and almost free, so monthly checkups are definitely worth it!
Head & tail lights. Sure, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to check to make sure all your vehicle’s lights are working properly – but it still needs to be done! Faulty lights pose safety risks – not to mention the risk of getting ticketed – so it’s a good idea to either check or have these checked monthly.
3 Month Maintenance
Oil changes. Three months is a general guideline, and necessary intervals can vary from vehicle to vehicle. Older autos often require oil changes more often – every 3,000 miles or so – while some newer vehicles may be able to go as far as 7,000 miles before an oil change is necessary. Check your vehicle’s manual, or ask your auto technician about your vehicle model. Of course, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have your oil changed every 3 months – just ask our High Mile Club members!
Chassis lubrication. Again, it may not be necessary to have this performed as often as three months, but it depends on your vehicle’s model and age. Many newer autos are “lubed for life”, while some older cars still require it. The chassis’ steering and suspension components may, however, require periodic replacement to prevent further damage, so it’s a good idea to have the chassis inspected every 3 months just in case.
Engine tuning. Faulty spark plugs and gummed up fuel injectors – both engine components – can reduce fuel efficiency as much as thirty percent; the best way to make sure all spark plugs and engine components are working properly is to have them checked every three months.
Battery maintenance and cleaning. Just because your battery isn’t dead doesn’t mean something isn’t wrong. Dirty or corroded batter cable posts can create a poor connection, causing faulty ignition start or inefficient power use.
6 Month Maintenance
Air filters. Air filters essentially help vehicles “breathe” clean air. When these filters become dirty or clogged over time, they make it more difficult for engines to get the oxygen they need, causing inefficient mileage and poor performance. Different air filter brands last for different periods of time, so it’s best to have them checked at least twice every year.
Wiper Blades. Do we need to say it?! Wiper blades inevitably become stiff and cracked over time – typically about six months – causing chattering and streaking, which can cause dangerously poor visibility during inclement weather. Have these replaced twice each year.
Yearly Maintenance
Engine belts. While most engine belts don’t need to be replaced each year, it’s a good idea to have an auto technician take a look at those that are accessible, and to keep tabs on how long less accessible belts have been installed. V-belts typically need to be replaced every four years or 35,000 miles, serpentine belts every four years or 50,000 (or sooner), and timing belts every five years or 60,00 miles – whichever comes first. Over time, these belts become stiff, loose and cracked or worn, and if they break while your vehicle is running, they can cause serious damage.
Shock absorbers and struts. Worn shock absorbers and struts can not only make for a bumpier ride, but they can cause fuel inefficiency, misalignment and a host of other safety problems. For best performance, have these inspected by an auto technician each year.
Of course, the best way to make sure all your vehicle’s routine maintenance needs are taken care of is to sit down with your auto technician(s) and create an annual auto maintenance schedule. We can help you by scheduling maintenance at intervals which are customized to your vehicle’s age and specific maintenance needs.
January 24th, 2011 | Posted in Winter Car Maintenance
8 Facts About Warming Up Your Vehicle in Winter
by Dennis, Cars for Keeps Customer Service Manager
Well, with the cold weather’s return, we’ve had a lot of questions around the shop about winter maintenance – particularly about how to warm up vehicles during chilly mornings. Since we have a lot to say about this topic, we decided it was time to address it here!
Old habits die hard, and one of the oldest — still rigorously enforced by many drivers — is that “warming up” the car for a few minutes is necessary to avoid electrical damage.
The truth is that the majority of the time, idling is totally unnecessary. You don’t really need to idle your car, thanks to the efficiency of modern fuel injection, which eliminates carburetors and chokes.
The only reason drivers have to let the car idle at all is to get the oil circulating, but after 30 seconds that’s a done deal. Anything past 30 seconds is just for the driver’s comfort to getting into a warm vehicle. Even though the warmth may be nice, excessive idling – such as during cold winter months – poses more problems than solutions.
Let’s look at 8 facts about idling that all drivers should know.
1. Driving warms the car faster than idling. If your concern is not the health of the car, but simply your own creature comforts, Bob Aldrich of the California Energy Commission points out that “idling is not actually an effective way to warm up a car — it warms up faster if you just drive it.”
Upcoming electric car models, such as the Nissan Leaf, will incorporate a wonderful feature that allows the owner to use a cellphone to tell the car (which is plugged into the grid) to pre-warm or pre-cool the interior. No idling necessary.
2. Ten seconds is all you need. The Environmental Defense Fund, which produced the Idling Gets You Nowhere campaign, advises motorists to turn off their ignition if they’re sitting stopped for more than 10 seconds.
“After about 10 seconds, you waste more money running the engine than restarting it, said Andy Darrell, deputy director of the EDF Energy Program. “Switch the car off at the curb, and you’ll be leaving money in your wallet and protecting the air in your community.”
3. Idling hurts the car. According to the Hinkle Charitable Foundation’s Anti-Idling Primer,
idling forces an engine “to operate in a very inefficient and gasoline-rich mode that, over time, can degrade the engine’s performance and reduce mileage.”
The Campaign for an Idle-Free New York City points out that idling causes carbon residues to build up inside the engine, which reduces its efficiency.
[ Related: Five secrets to make your car last longer and save you money. ]
4. Idling costs money. Over a year of five minutes of daily idling (which causes incomplete
combustion of fuel), the “Anti-Idling Primer” estimates that the operator of a V8-engine car will waste 20 gallons of gasoline, which not only produces 440 pounds of carbon dioxide but costs at least $60.
5. Idling in the garage can kill you. Idling a car in a garage, even with the door open, is dangerous and exposes the driver to carbon monoxide and other noxious gases. If the garage is attached, those fumes can also enter the house.
6. Block heaters beat remote starters. Lori Strothard of the Waterloo Citizens Vehicle Idling Reduction Task Force in Canada says, “Remote starters can too easily cause people to warm up their cars for 5 to 15 minutes, which is generally unnecessary.”
A block heater, which is designed to heat the engine and can cost under $30, on a timer set to start one to two hours before driving, does the trick in very cold climates.
7. Quick errands aren’t quick enough. Natural Resources Canada points out that leaving your car idling while you’re running into a store on an errand or going back into the house to pick up a forgotten item is another way to waste gas and pollute both your town and the planet.
“Leaving your engine running is hard on your pocketbook, produces greenhouse gas emissions, and is an invitation to car thieves,” the agency (PDF) says.
8. Idling is bad for your health (and your neighbor’s health). According to Minneapolis’ anti-idling ordinance, “Exhaust is hazardous to human health, especially children’s; studies have linked air pollution to increased rates of cancer, heart and lung disease, asthma and allergies.”
Isabelle Silverman, who runs EDF’s anti-idling campaign, says that car idling “is the second-hand smoking of the outdoors. One of the problems is that cars idle close to the curb, where pedestrians are walking. And when you have a child in a stroller, they are particularly
close to the tailpipe. Studies show that children’s IQ levels are lower when they live near major roads with lots of traffic.”
Alex Scaperotta, who created an anti-idling campaign with a classmate when he was in fifth grade in Wilton, Connecticut, came up with a slogan that was used on bumper stickers and websites: “If you’re stopped for more than 10, turn it off and on again.” Sounds like
good advice.
Have a great day from your friendly neighborhood Service Manager!
January 18th, 2011 | Posted in Winter Driving Tips, Woman's Point of View
A Women’s Point of View: Winter Thoughts
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
The excitement of the holidays is over. Other than looking forward to the first signs of spring (which may be three months away), we find ourselves staring at a long winter of going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. Or, going through last year’s files to gather all the data together to have our income taxes done. Or – and this is always a favorite – losing that ten pounds you put on over the holidays. Have I cheered you up yet?
All of us at Cars For Keeps understand the “mid-winter” mindset, which is the strong urge to just curl up with a good book in front of the fireplace for the winter. All of nature wants to hibernate when it is cold, right? But, as responsible humans we must attend to those things that need our attention. Your car(s) are one of those things and we will make your experience with us as pleasant as we can while your car is being cared for. From hot coffee for you to the play area for the kids to checking your email on the complimentary computer with Wi-Fi to the baby changing area, we always consider your comfort and convenience.
Consider counter measures to lift your spirits. Take an after dark walk, even if it is only around your back yard. Enjoy those great big snowflakes gently falling or how the snow looks on a moonlit night. Get together with friends/neighbors, build a bonfire and roast some hotdogs. Visit someone who can’t get out and laugh over the silly things both of you have done in your lives. Do whatever it takes to make you smile.
January 10th, 2011 | Posted in Woman's Point of View
A Woman’s Point Of View: New Beginnings
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager
It’s a brand new year and we are all filled with hope, optimism and excitement over the possibilities that the new year brings to our hearts and minds. We make New Year’s resolutions that, somehow, are soon forgotten or given up on, but not in vain! The process of resolving to change the way we do things stirs our imaginations and helps us to remember dreams and goals we may have forgotten. Why not take those dreams out, dust them off and reconsider them in the light of your current circumstances? You have more of life’s experience under your belt now to help make your dream come true. Why not go for it?
We at Cars For Keeps are pursuing some dreams of our own. Yes, we are experts in car repair, but it’s people who are the number one concern and priority to us. Our dreams are to benefit our customers – whether you have been using our services for years or you are coming to us for the first time. Watch for some pleasant surprises coming your way from us soon.
The free tip for the week is this: That charming little drawer in your car that used to be called an ashtray is actually an under utilized treasure, especially useful to women and small children. It is a handy place to throw all those little things like change, paperclips, thumb drives, candy, gum, pieces of toys, business cards, ear pieces, SIM cards, etc., etc. This little drawer should be cleaned out once a year. This might be a good time to do that.
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