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Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Percussive Car Maintenance vs. Preventative Car Maintenance
by Marjorie, Cars for Keeps Social Media Manager
All of us have been guilty of performing "percussive maintenance" at one point or another. For those of you who don't know what percussive maintenance is, I'll give you a hint: it usually involves hitting things with a hammer.
Wikipedia describes "percussive maintenance" as "the malediction of an ill-behaved device to make it work, that is to say, swear at it and hit it." (Don't you love Wikipedia?) I've performed this countless times on countless items, such as my door lock, my computer (before I bought a Mac), and of COURSE, my car.
True enough, percussive maintenance may work sometimes - like it did for Marty McFly when he needed to start the DeLorean in Back to the Future I, or as it worked for Apollo 12 astronaut Pete Conrad when trying to remove a piece of equipment from the 1969 space shuttle (true story!). But eventually, hitting things with a hammer only ends in having lots of broken things.
When I think about all the things I've sworn at and hit to make work, I realize that they all could have benefited from some preventative maintenance before percussive maintenance was necessary. My computer could have been de-dusted and de-bugged; my door lock could have been greased, and my car could have been better maintained with regular oil, fluid and filter changes.
Percussive maintenance may be therapeutic, but preventative maintenance is effective. So if you've been having to kick the tires or hit the steering wheel lately, try giving them one more kick, then roll on in to Cars for Keeps. We're a percussive maintenance-free zone!
All of us have been guilty of performing "percussive maintenance" at one point or another. For those of you who don't know what percussive maintenance is, I'll give you a hint: it usually involves hitting things with a hammer.
Wikipedia describes "percussive maintenance" as "the malediction of an ill-behaved device to make it work, that is to say, swear at it and hit it." (Don't you love Wikipedia?) I've performed this countless times on countless items, such as my door lock, my computer (before I bought a Mac), and of COURSE, my car.
True enough, percussive maintenance may work sometimes - like it did for Marty McFly when he needed to start the DeLorean in Back to the Future I, or as it worked for Apollo 12 astronaut Pete Conrad when trying to remove a piece of equipment from the 1969 space shuttle (true story!). But eventually, hitting things with a hammer only ends in having lots of broken things.
When I think about all the things I've sworn at and hit to make work, I realize that they all could have benefited from some preventative maintenance before percussive maintenance was necessary. My computer could have been de-dusted and de-bugged; my door lock could have been greased, and my car could have been better maintained with regular oil, fluid and filter changes.
Percussive maintenance may be therapeutic, but preventative maintenance is effective. So if you've been having to kick the tires or hit the steering wheel lately, try giving them one more kick, then roll on in to Cars for Keeps. We're a percussive maintenance-free zone!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
What Women Really Want
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office ManagerListen up guys. This is one answer to the mystery every man is confronted with all the married days of his life. Women want perfection. In everything we do and in everything we are. We want the perfect man, (be honest ladies, haven’t you ever wished you could build your own?), we want the perfect house, the perfect kids, the perfect job, the perfect body, hair, skin, teeth, etc. etc. etc. Every time we go shopping we look for the perfect gift, the perfect sweater, the perfect car. It just has to “feel” right.
I am convinced that we women have an extra gene in us that makes us crave perfection. We are always looking for a perfect world while we live in an imperfect world.
Take heart ladies. There are islands of perfection that we find all the time. The biggies are being in love and hugging our kids. Lesser, but by no means inferior, are friends you can count on, waking up without “bed-head”, and compliments from a stranger.
All of us at Cars For Keeps endeavor to create a small island of perfection for women. When you walk in the door you feel welcome as a friend. You will be treated with respect for your intelligence. Kindness, humor and honesty will be applied to meet your needs. We women want our car to be fixed and ready for us when promised, so we can get on with the pursuit of our next “perfection”. Go Girl!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Enter to Win a Car Care Club Card & Get a Free Oil Change!
Well, we're not exactly giving away free money, but with our Car Care Club Card Sweepstakes, we might as well be.
As part of our effort to get to know our customers better, we're giving away a free oil change to everyone who participates in our Car Care Club Card Sweepstakes. The grand prize winner will receive a Car Care Club Card, a unique product Rob cooked up a few years back to reward dedicated car owners with a bundle of savings. The card contains free & discounted maintenance services worth over $435, and is perfect for the car owner who plans on keeping his or her vehicle for many years to come.
Second and third prize are nothing to sniff at, either. Check out all our auto repair prizes below, and don't forget that everyone who enters our contest gets a FREE oil change. Everyone.
Enter the Car Care Club Card Sweepstakes here.
- The Club Card includes:
- 4 FREE Oil Changes + Maintenance Services ($180 value)
- FREE Air Conditioning Performance Test ($49.95 value)
- $35 off Transmission Flush & Fill
- $30 off Mile Service Packages
- $50 off Front or Rear Brake Service
- $20 off Radiator Flush
- $15 off Power Steering Flush Service
- 50% off Computerized Wheel Alignment
- Buy one Wiper Blade get one FREE ($19.95 value)Even if you don’t use any of the discounts on the card, the 4 FREE oil changes and FREE air conditioning test are alone worth over $225!
- 2nd Prize
-
Wheel Alignment – FREE ($60 value)
- 3rd Prize
-
New Wiper Blades – FREE ($30 value)
- All contestants:
-
Everyone who enters this contest will be given a FREE oil change!
Antifreeze: Helping Your Car (and You) Stay Cool
by Dennis, Cars for Keeps Customer Service ManagerHi everybody,
Since it seems like it could be warming up sometime soon, I thought this would be a good time to talk about "keeping your cool". What I really mean is keeping your car cool. Not air conditioning, but antifreeze. I’m talking about the vehicle’s cooling system.
As most of you may know, not only does antifreeze keep the vehicle cooling system from freezing, but it also keeps it from boiling over - if the system is working correctly, that is.
Antifreeze has a PH level which, without maintenance, can become corrosive and break down the cooling system. This can cause leaks. It can also create electrolosis. This is when the antifreeze actual has a low voltage electrical charge to it. Electrolosis can cause damage to the engine or cooling system.
By having your vehicle’s cooling system checked regularly (at least every six months), you can help keep your vehicle’s engine cool and running better, longer.
Which in the end helps you keep your cool.
That’s all for now, from you friendly neighborhood Service manager.
Dennis
Friday, April 16, 2010
Clean Car Air Filters Make for Better Mileage & Healthier Engines
by Marjorie, Social Media Manager
As per usual, today's post stems from one of my own (many) misadventures in automotive maintenance. My tiny little Ford Focus often bucks around on the freeway when heavy winds are present, simply because it's a very light vehicle (32 miles to the gallon!!). Lately, however, I've noticed uneven acceleration and bucking even off the freeway. When I noticed weird, asthmatic idling at multiple traffic lights, it occurred to me that something was wrong (duh!).
While it's likely that MANY maintenance issues need to be addressed with my Focus (at my next visit to the shop), these are common symptoms of a particular maintenance problem which is painfully easy - and inexpensive - to fix. As with all car maintenance issues, the cost of not fixing the problem is astronomically higher than the alternative - letting a mechanic pop the hood.
The problem is that the air filter hasn't been changed since...I can't remember when (not good). Air filters are extremely simple yet extremely important components in every vehicle. They filter the air which is taken into the engine's combustion chamber. It's important that this filter stay clean so that the engine can get plenty of clean oxygen with which to power your car - or to "breathe deeply", in other words. A dirty, clogged filter means your car's engine will have trouble breathing. Picture an asthmatic trying to run a marathon. That's my car trying to run on a dirty air filter.
It's a good idea to have your air filter checked routinely. However, if you've left it unchanged too long, here are a few symptoms you can expect:
- Rough or uneven idling
- Engine misses
- Start problems
- Decreased gas mileage
Yes, dirty air filters decrease your car's gas mileage - sometimes quite dramatically. Don't believe me? Have the Cars for Keeps crew swap your filthy air filter for a new one and notice the extra days between fill-ups.
Safe driving!
As per usual, today's post stems from one of my own (many) misadventures in automotive maintenance. My tiny little Ford Focus often bucks around on the freeway when heavy winds are present, simply because it's a very light vehicle (32 miles to the gallon!!). Lately, however, I've noticed uneven acceleration and bucking even off the freeway. When I noticed weird, asthmatic idling at multiple traffic lights, it occurred to me that something was wrong (duh!).
While it's likely that MANY maintenance issues need to be addressed with my Focus (at my next visit to the shop), these are common symptoms of a particular maintenance problem which is painfully easy - and inexpensive - to fix. As with all car maintenance issues, the cost of not fixing the problem is astronomically higher than the alternative - letting a mechanic pop the hood.
The problem is that the air filter hasn't been changed since...I can't remember when (not good). Air filters are extremely simple yet extremely important components in every vehicle. They filter the air which is taken into the engine's combustion chamber. It's important that this filter stay clean so that the engine can get plenty of clean oxygen with which to power your car - or to "breathe deeply", in other words. A dirty, clogged filter means your car's engine will have trouble breathing. Picture an asthmatic trying to run a marathon. That's my car trying to run on a dirty air filter.
It's a good idea to have your air filter checked routinely. However, if you've left it unchanged too long, here are a few symptoms you can expect:
- Rough or uneven idling
- Engine misses
- Start problems
- Decreased gas mileage
Yes, dirty air filters decrease your car's gas mileage - sometimes quite dramatically. Don't believe me? Have the Cars for Keeps crew swap your filthy air filter for a new one and notice the extra days between fill-ups.
Safe driving!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
What Do You Look for In An Auto Repair Shop?
by Marjorie, Social Media ManagerHere at the shop lately, we've been brainstorming ways to keep our customers happy (and get more of them, of course!). In the process, it's occurred to us that our customers aren't always predictable! What we feel is most important in quality auto repair service isn't always the same as what you - the West Michigan driver - feel is most important.
Educating our customers is an important part of our business, because we want you to feel that you KNOW what your car needs and what work is being done on it. In the spirit of a well-rounded education, we recognize that we could stand to learn more about our customers! This weekend we'll be launching a giveaway (with a juicy prize) that will help us answer some of these questions, but in the meantime we figured it wouldn't hurt to open up the discussion here.
To provide better service, we'd like to get into the heads of car owners and find out what's most important to them when it comes to auto repair. For example:
What do you look for in an auto repair shop?
How do you, your friends or your family choose a new mechanic?
What unpleasant experiences have you had in repair shops that you'd like to avoid?
So if you have any thoughts, go ahead and pitch in! Tell us what makes you keep coming back to your favorite auto repair garage or mechanic - or what makes you run. We appreciate any feedback you have to help us provide you with better service.
Don't forget to stay tuned for our giveaway later this week!
Safe driving...
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Luxury Chevrolet Aveo RS Show Car
Damn, this Aveo RS destined for the Detroit floors when it opens in the USA our time tonight is pretty good looking, and its has a suitably equipped powertrain as well.
The Aveo usually has to make do with mundane engines putting out just over a 100 horses but for this Aveo RS, it gets a turbocharged 1.4 liter Ecotec engine making 138 horses and 200Nm of torque, the equivalent of a 2.0 liter normally aspirated engine. It’s mated to a 6-speed manual transmission in this car.
The reason GM developed the Aveo RS is so that it could show that it’s possible for B-segment cars to look good and convey excitement. Americans do not historically touch (relatively) tiny cars like these unless they absolutely have to, but these days even Detroit are pushing small cars, like this new Aveo and the new Ford Fiesta which was just launched in the US not too long ago.
New Luxury Detroit 2010: Granite is the smallest GMC ever
Mention GMC and the mental image for most will be full-sized trucks and SUVs with a mega grille to fit those three alphabets, but as we all now know, even the Americans are now turning to smaller vehicles that are more friendly to the wallet and environment. Which brings us to this, the GMC Granite concept, the smallest car ever to wear the famous logotype.
The Granite is 0.6 m shorter than the Terrain crossover, GMC’s current “baby”, but its interior is spacious and flexible to fit the needs of “active people”. Generous cargo space and flipping/folding seats, for example, enable a mountain bike to be loaded completely inside with the tailgate closed. A decent 2,631 mm wheelbase means the claims are realistic.
“Granite was conceived as a new type of vehicle from GMC – one that could stretch people’s ideas of what a GMC can be,” said Lisa Hutchinson, product marketing director for GMC. “We call it an ‘urban utility vehicle’ and our goal was redefining what the GMC name could mean to a new generation of customers looking for both bold design and functionality.”
It seems to be a must-have these days, so the Granite gets rear-hinged “suicide” doors. GMC describes the Granite as an urban loft apartment on wheels with “urban-industrial design”. It reminds us a liitle of the Kia Soul, although this concept looks more butch, with a lower roof and wider stance. The glasshouse is very slim, but the flanks don’t look slab sided thanks to those deep creases that “cut through” the car. The wheels are pushed out to the extreme ends of the box and wheel arches are prominent. Looks quite cool to us!
Power comes from a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine matched with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. This engine should be the ECOTEC turbo from the Chevy Cruze which makes 138bhp and 200Nm of torque.
Friday, April 9, 2010
What's In A Name? The Aesthetics of Auto Repair Terminology
by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office ManagerIt is pretty common knowledge that women are very sensitive to words. When you hear certain words do you visualize a color? Do you have an emotional response? Do you forget certain words because they are just too ugly to have roaming around in your brain?
Working at Cars For Keeps has introduced a whole new vocabulary. Some words are just too silly to be connected to a powerful machine like a car. Such as, O-Ring, nipple, universal joint, input shaft, tensioner and oxygen sensor, which all sound like words you would hear in a hospital.
Then there are words that have a lovely sound and just sort of roll gently around in your mouth. Such as, actuator, differential, solenoid, accumulator, evaporator, plenum and resonator. Words that are musical like harmonic balancer.
Then there's (this must be a guy thing) the slave cylinder. What is that! Most women don’t really care what the name of such things are, we just know that if it fixes the car – we’re good. The mechanics here at Cars For Keeps know what is in a name, how it works and what to do with it to make your car safe and running well. Like I said, “We’re good.”
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