Olympic Athlete Killed

Through the years we have learned that solid mounted structures along highways can cause severe damage to anything contacting them at high speeds. Efforts have been made to remove or set back any structures that could be a hazard to drivers. Olympic luge racer Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed when he struck a pillar right next to the track when his sled became unstable at 80 MPH. You would think the Olympic committee would have known if someone flew off the track it would be safer if there was no structure above the track. Let’s hope the next luge track considers this before allowing these athletes to risk their lives.

Saturn Shutting Down?

Well, I heard through the grape vine some or all of Saturn will be shutting down. This comes as a surprise to me because Saturn cars were in general pretty sound and maintenance cost were reasonable, the perfect family car. I owned a Saturn for many years with very little repairs to report. It seems the recession will take its toll with no mercy for anybody in its path. There is a bright note though, Saturn was an industry innovator and many advanced production procedures that will be adopted by competing car companies. I hope they can hang in there through the economic downturn.

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Getting the Most from your Gas

It is no secret gas prices are up and putting a big pinch on our pocket books. Car maintenance and driving habits significantly affect fuel economy. Here are a few tips to help you get the most for your buck. First, check the air pressure in your car's tires. Most vehicle tire pressure recommendations are located on a sticker in the driver's door jam or on the side wall of the tire. While tire and car manufacturers recommend a prescribed tire pressure, it has been shown that slightly more tire pressure is optimal for achieving higher fuel economy by reducing rolling resistance. Some hybrid cars are manufactured with tires that can hold up to 55 P.S.I. as compared with the usual 32 P.S.I. For safety and better gas mileage always keep your tires properly inflated. Next, analyze your driving habits. Do you take off quickly from a stop? Try easing into the throttle and allow the vehicle to accelerate slowly. Observe the traffic and signals in front of you. If a stop is imminent release the gas pedal and allow the car to coast the remainder of the distance before using the brakes. Proper maintenance of your car's engine is essential for optimum performance. If your engine is misfiring it will decrease mileage. If the engine oil and filter changes have been neglected it will cause additional friction inside the engine and hinder the performance and gas mileage. Finally, remove all un-necessary objects from the car, added weight can decease mileage also inspect your engine service records and perform a tune up or oil change as recommended. Following these gas saving tips can increase your mileage and save you money.

Having Problems with Your New Car?

A new car can be great, but sometimes a new car can have problems. The dealership may not be as helpful as they should be once you drive the car off the lot. If you have problems with a dealer that you can't resolve you do have some recourse. Contact the manufacturer of the vehicle. All major manufacturers have a customer help line that will put you in contact with a company representative. Most dealerships are independently owned and operated and sometimes they aren't always responsive. Your involvement with a manufacturer's representative will help you get the leverage you need to resolve the problem promptly.

Rebuilt or Refurbished?

What is the difference? A rebuilt: replacement part, engine, transmission or differential means the unit has been disassembled and the "wear" items have been replaced such as bearings, brushes or guides etc. A rebuilt part will sometimes have individually painted parts. A refurbished unit is basically cleaned, painted and then resold. Obviously you are better off with the rebuilt unit than refurbished, some repair facilities will try to pass the refurbished unit off as a rebuilt unit so be sure you are getting what you ask for. If you are unsure of the integrity of the repair shop ask to see the part or unit before it is installed. Most dealerships and high end repair shops will only install new parts. New parts are optimum for best performance and longevity, rebuilt is the next best thing. You should only agree to a refurbished replacement part as a last resort.

Flat Tire on Freeway

A flat tire on the freeway or any other busy highway can be very dangerous. There are mainly two kinds of flat tires, either the tire is very low on air or the tire is already flat and beginning to fall apart. In the first condition (tire very low on air) you have a chance to get off the freeway to a safe place where you can change the tire or wait for service. In the second case (flat and falling apart) it is best not to worry about saving the tire, your main objective is to get to the freeway off-ramp or to a safe place where you can change the tire or wait for service. The car will have more rolling resistance but it will continue moving on the flat tire, proceed very slowly and use caution. When pulling off the road to a safe place make sure your car is as far off the road and away from traffic as possible. Most of the time when a tire is run very low on air the inner layers of the tire will breakdown and render the tire useless anyway. If there isn't an off-ramp nearby or a safe place to stop, pull the car to the side of the road as far away from traffic as possible, when you can safely exit the car, walk as far away from traffic as possible to a more protected area. Don't get hung up on the idea that you need to save the tire. Far too many times people try to save a sixty five dollar tire and end up getting seriously injured or worse in the process.

Don't be fooled by the "low ball bid"

Some repair shops and dealers practice the low ball bid method of business to get you in the door this is how it works. Let's say you call in for a radiator replacement and you get a low bid, it sounds good but what is really happening on the other end of the phone is the service writer is planning on hitting you with job add-on's. EXAMPLE: The phone is ringing... Mrs. Johnson... I have bad news, your cooling system needs to be flushed, the thermostat is shot and your water pump is leaking... I'm sorry your car is already in pieces so I can't put it back together... The conversion goes on to include more problems not relevant to the issue you wanted fixed and you know the rest. You can see the cheapest estimate is not always the best way to go. To safeguard yourself get several estimates for the same repair, if one is much lower there might be something wrong. Most garages know what it takes to stay in business and stay competitive. For the most part you are safer taking it to the middle to upper end repair shop.

Change Your Oil!

I had a new customer come in with a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier with 82,000 miles on it. She had never changed the engine oil and filter, but always checked the oil level and added oil when needed. The engine now has a bad camshaft, cylinder head and two failed cam followers. The engine oil broke down and failed to lubricate the bearing surfaces on the valve train components. This repair is going to cost close to $1450.00 for a new cylinder head, camshaft, gaskets, cam followers and labor. That's a lot of oil changes! Just like my Dad (Bob) always says: "Change your oil and filter, its cheap insurance".

Full Throttle Car

Toyota and their gas pedal problem seems scary. There is one thing to remember, if any car suddenly goes to full throttle simply push the gear selector to the neutral position. This with disengage the engine from the transmission allowing the brakes to work. It will be loud and the engine will rev up but it is better than having an accident or worst. If you are wondering if the engine will suffer damage the answer is no in most cases. The manufacturers have built in a failsafe that will not the engine rev high enough to suffer damage.

Window Defrosting

Window defrosting is a big problem because when it occurs it can impair vision of the road and other obstacles. If the defroster in your car stops working but you still need to drive the car simply roll down the windows on both sides about one inch. This allows air to circulate and remove the moisture from inside the car effectively clearing the windows.