Blind Spot Be Gone!

Driving with a blind spot is something we don’t think about too often until we realize we narrowly missed having an accident when a nearby vehicle swerves around us to avoid contact!  Whew!  Saved again.  We may be shaken up for a minute or two but we get busy and time passes and we don’t think of it until it happens next time.  Allstate Insurance’s comical, Mayhem commercial also makes us think.

With today’s latest vehicles many people think they don’t have to worry about blind spots any more.  Not true!  Car manufacturers have come a long way to help in this area with added technology but the human element is still needed…for now.

The best way to avoid this problem is to use all three mirrors!  The rear-view mirror attached to your windshield should show a straight, wide view out the back window.  Adjust the right and left side mirrors to give you maximum vision.  You may have to practice to get it just right!  Of course, we expect you to practice in your driveway and not on the highway!

Learn to depend on your mirrors instead of turning and looking fully over your shoulder.  A quick glance over your shoulder is all you should need.  Turning completely for a longer time sets you up to rear-end a vehicle in front of you who decides to stop when you wouldn’t expect it.

Don’t assume that every vehicle you get in is mirror ready.  Adjust accordingly.  Here is what I find most helpful and remember to adjust these while sitting in the driver’s seat.

1. Rear-view mirror gives a full, straight out the back view.
2. Left-side mirror can be adjusted by leaning your head until it almost touches the driver side window.  Move the left mirror until you can just barely view the side of your car.
3. Right side mirror can be adjusted by leaning your head to the right and middle of the car.  The right side of the car should just be slightly visible.  When you sit up straight you should not be able to see the side of your car at all.

An added bonus is with your side-view mirrors properly adjusted, it tilts them out further so you won’t have a bright light glare at night from other drivers’ headlights.

When you learn to trust the mirrors I think you find that you are also more conscious of staying out of other driver’s blind spots.  Large trucks usually make a point of using signage to say “If you can’t see me, I can’t see you!” to let you know you are in their blind spot.  It is a good idea not to ignore this.

Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds so I’m sure before too long we won’t have to worry about blind spots.  Can you imagine a vehicle with a full rear-view windshield monitor that lets you see a perfect, uninterrupted view of all that is going around your vehicle?  It is in the works using special cameras.

Meanwhile, remember that the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the blind spot so practice adjusting those mirrors and safe travels!

Happy Motoring,

 

 

 

What Is Happening With Alternative Fuels?

Ethanol Production Is On The Rise
Ethanol seems to be in and out of the news.  For those of you who may have forgotten just what Ethanol is, it is an alcohol based fuel created by fermenting and distilling corn or other starchy crops and other cellulosic biomass plants.  The production of Ethanol was up in October mostly due to the abundant corn harvest.

E85 which is 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol is used in flex fuel vehicles.  Many manufacturers make these vehicles and you often see this signage on them as you are driving down the highway.  There are approximately 6 million E85 compatible vehicles on the roads in the USA today and there are filling stations that sell E85. If you are considering a flex fuel vehicle, visit http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/stations.html to find a station near you.

Ethanol is “home grown” so it does reduce our dependence on foreign petroleum and it produces less pollutants.  You can’t use it if you don’t have a flex fuel vehicle, you do get fewer miles per gallon, it is expensive to produce at this time and you won’t find it available at every gas station.

There is, at this time, a concern that with the tax benefits and other subsidy programs set to expire the future of ethanol is uncertain.

Natural Gas
Natural gas is another alternative fuel. We have a plentiful supply of natural gas in the USA. The air-polluting emissions are almost non-existent, greenhouse gases are low, it costs $1 to $2.50 per gallon currently, and it is clean burning.

Like the E85, there are limited filling stations available unless you use natural gas at home in which case you can install a pump in your garage, attach the pump to the car at night and it will be filled by morning. It does have a limited range of about 200 miles per full tank.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next ten years. Will we be all electric, hybrid, bio fuel or a combination?

I’ll keep you posted!

 

 

Extensive Computer Skills Necessary

With a scanned image of your license plate  I can, through a third party company, notify you via text or voice mail that your vehicle is due for service.  It also works if your vehicle has a recall notice.

Dealers and lenders have been looking for a way to make sure they get their payments on time.  They have found it using GPS and Starter-Interrupt Devices.  As we know already, GPS allows a vehicle to be found anytime, anywhere. If you forgot to make your last car payment, with a little help from a starter-interrupt device your vehicle can literally be shut down until payment is made.  Once you have made the payment, you will be given a new start code.

Toyota is working on a technology that lets your car access your mood so if you are driving distracted or angry the car will give you safety reminders.  How does it do this?  By registering your facial emotions based on 238 points on the driver’s face.  They claim wearing sunglasses or having a beard won’t prevent the technology from determining your mood.

Google is already demonstrating a self-driving car in our state, and Nevada is issuing rules regarding self-driving vehicles! I guess when this becomes common place we won’t have to worry about drivers being distracted and our lawmakers can take on a different set of problems.

At this time our automotive technicians have to have excellent computer skills in order to diagnose vehicle problems and then to repair them.  As the technology in cars changes our technicians have to stay current so they never complete their education…it is ongoing!

Thankfully we are able to keep up with it all.  Today’s technicians have to be even more high tech than today’s vehicles and those that are coming to us in the near future.  We are ready.  You can count on us!

Happy Motoring!

 

 

Car Repair Through The Consumer’s Eyes

Consumer Reports just came out with their latest, Annual Auto Survey, on car repairs.  Consumers who were not completely satisfied with their repairs gave these reasons!

• 38% – Price of repair was too high
• 28% – Did not fix the problem properly
• 21% – Took longer than expected to complete the work
• 18% – Had to bring the car back because the repair did not hold up
• 11% – Price was more than originally estimated

When it came to price, dealerships got the biggest complaints at 42% while independents came in at 32%.  The problem of the vehicle not being fixed properly was equal for dealerships and independents.  Over all, consumers take their vehicles to independents instead of dealerships as has been the case for several years now.

When consumers decide to take their business to another shop it is because of the following:

• 50% – Vehicle wasn’t fixed properly
• 34% – Price too high
• 23% – Repair didn’t hold up
• 19% – Treated poorly by staff
• 19% – Repair took longer than expected
• 19% – Price was higher than originally estimated

Where did they have their negative experiences?

• 1/2 at a dealership
• 1/3 at an independent
• 1/5 at franchised chains

What did Consumer Reports recommend to consumers? Explain to your car care provider your vehicle’s symptoms in detail; do not come in to the shop with a self-diagnosis you got from an Internet search; go on a test drive with the technician, get an estimate before work is performed, ask to see old parts, document the repair(s) and if you have to keep coming back for the same problem you may be covered under the Lemon Law statute. The final recommendation is this; if you have found a shop that does the job right the first time at a fair price, hang on to them.

For more information visit our website: www.fairwayautorepair.com.

Happy Motoring!

 

 

The Estimate

Today automotive service and repair shops are getting more calls than ever asking for an estimate.  We understand that this is mostly due to the economy and people are understandably searching for the best value plus they want to make sure they can afford to pay.  Many consumers are asking exactly how we arrive at the estimated price so I thought I would take a moment and explain.

An estimate consists of three parts:

1. The labor rate
2. Parts and supplies
3. Overhead

An automotive service and repair shop estimates the labor rate by how long any given service or repair should take. There are guidelines set down by the manufacturer of each vehicle estimating the time it takes a trained technician to perform any given tasks.

Parts and supplies are included in the estimate, of course. We use two categories of parts, OEM or “Aftermarket.” The parts manufactured by the original car manufacturer are known as Original Equipment Manufacturer or OEM parts. Aftermarket car parts include parts for replacement, collision, performance, and appearance. These parts are usually cheaper than the new OEM parts.

Shops such as myself make sure we use quality parts as they last longer and we feel save our customers more money down the road. These parts also come with a warranty so if the part for whatever reason fails or doesn’t perform as it should, we can replace it without the consumer having to pay for it all over again.  My shop has a 24,000/two-year warranty, for example.  Supplies include such things as replacement fluids and disposal fees.

Overhead includes such items as the cost of the building lease/mortgage, the constant training that we must take to keep up with technology, utilities, diagnostic and scanning equipment and staff benefits.

The goal of independent service and repair shops is to provide quality parts and labor with an excellent warranty.

I hope this helps clarify how we arrive at an estimate.  To find out more information, visit our website at www.fairwayautorepair.com.

Happy Motoring!

 

 

Top 5 Breakdowns

I just read a report listing the top car breakdowns in Arizona and I can vouch for them that these are the top five problems when a vehicle is towed to our shop.

The Fuel Pump
With the high cost of fuel these days, people are waiting until they hear the “beep” to add gasoline.  This is causing a lot of fuel pumps to fail. When you go below a quarter of a tank, the fuel pump is not completely submerged in fuel. This causes undue heat to be generated, the fuel acts as a coolant. We also recommend changing the fuel filter about every 30,000 miles to keep your pump healthy.

Batteries
Batteries should be tested twice a year.  Our heat in Phoenix absolutely destroys batteries.  When you have it tested you have a better chance of replacing it when it is weak instead of breaking down because it completely fails.  When we service vehicles we also clean the terminals because build up on the terminals weakens their strength.

Radiators and Transmissions
The desert heat will wipe them out. The engine has a gauge in the dash so you can monitor the temperature. Most cars and trucks do not have a transmission temperature gauge. Fluids are the life blood of your vehicle. We recommend fluid exchanges to give these two components a long life.  Using the correct fluid at the correct levels is vitally important.

Hoses and Belts
We inspect these to make sure they don’t feel brittle or mushy or are cracked, frayed or bulging.  We also recommend replacing them according the manufacturer’s suggestion.

Tires
Keeping tires rotated and replacing when they lose tread is very important to the safety of motorists.  Keeping them properly inflated extends their life!

For more information visit our website: www.fairwayautorepair.com.

Happy Motoring,

 

 

Easy Steps to Annihilate Your Car

Manufacturers have come a long way in the last few years.  They make vehicles that last if they are taken care of.  We have customers who are driving cars well over 300,000 miles because they get them serviced regularly. I still remember when cars seemed to be ready for the junk yard as you made the last payment and that was when the payments were for three years.

Some people though, seem determined to destroy their vehicles. They certainly don’t intend to drive them thousands of miles or even keep them in good shape to trade them in. I don’t know what the vehicle has done to them to deserve this so I’m not out to judge here, I am just sharing what I have been observing.  It is certainly easy to destroy a car and it doesn’t take a car crash to make it happen.  Being a guy who loves cars, I think they should be turned in for vehicle abuse but that is just me.

Drive it Gently- The quickest way to annihilate your car would be to drive it hard, we are not on a racetrack. Jackrabbit starts, quick stops, turning the steering wheel quickly, all will wear out a car faster than if you take off slowly, stop slowly and turn slowly.

I have two cars I drive. One is driven gently… it seldom needs repair, or any real maintenance. I have another that we drive some on the street, but also run at the track (road course, autocross, and drag race). This car needs a lot of maintenance… oil changes every 500 miles,  brake flush every month, brake pads every 6 months, tires every year.

This is with the same driver, basically the same car, just a major difference in driving style. There is a huge difference in the cost of maintenance.

Hold the Oil – We in the industry have said for years that oil is the life blood of a vehicle.  Keep it changed and your car will have a happy life and an oil change is kind to your budget.  I don’t know if some are seeing just how far they can go without changing the oil before the engine dies or if they just don’t understand the importance.  Either way, a car won’t last long without regular oil changes.

Let Metal Grind on Metal – Brake pads are essential to your car’s braking system.  They are also inexpensive compared to a full brake job.  Neglect them long enough and your car will suffer from brake failure.  I’m amazed how many people will drive along hearing the squealing, hissing or grinding noise from their brakes and not give it a thought.  Sadly, when the brakes fail not only will the vehicle be in danger of a crash, so will the driver and other motorists on the road.  Some people do like to live on the edge of danger and this is certainly one way to accomplish that.

Ignore the Knock for Help – Cars do make certain noises trying to get their driver’s attention.  When it makes a knocking or pinging noise when accelerating or climbing a hill, it is saying that the gas and air mixture in the car’s cylinders isn’t burning properly. The sound is the result of the fuel and air mixture combusting unevenly in the cylinder. Pinging or knocking does reduce the efficiency of the engine and over a very long period of time it will cause damage.  Keep ignoring it and sure enough, destruction will occur.

Let it Blow off Steam — Steam rising from under the hood accompanied by a sweet, sickly smell alarms most people. They would stop driving as severe overheating can damage the car’s engine. This is antifreeze or coolant leaking from the cooling system.  For those who like to gamble with chance though, they just add a little coolant from time to time just to see how far they can push the envelope.  Of course if they lose the gamble, the engine goes but those are the stakes!

Hear That Roar! – I know some think it is really “cool” to have a car that roars! If your exhaust system has a leak, you will hear a roar coming from under your vehicle that is loudest when accelerating. This of course means the exhaust system needs repairs. The dangerous part is if the leaking exhaust gases, which contain carbon monoxide, get inside the passenger compartment. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a silent killer. It takes only a small amount of carbon monoxide inside the passenger compartment to affect alertness, ability to concentrate and react to changing driving conditions. A very small amount can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, and bring on stupor in two hours. A one percent concentration of carbon monoxide can kill a person in less than three minutes! This would certainly damage the car if one was driving it while this occurred!

Now you know what it takes to destroy a car…neglect.  Personally, I like to see cars get all the tender loving care they can so if you have been guilty of neglecting your vehicle, please reconsider before it gasps its last breath.  Rush it to a car care facility today!  They may be able to save it!

For more information, visit our website: www.fairwayautorepair.com.

Happy Motoring,