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!

An Interview with Michael: About Brakes, Part II

by Colette Cooley, Cars For Keeps Office Manager

Last week Michael told us about all the extra service he performs each time he installs brakes on a car. When asked what each of us can do to get the optimal performance from our brakes and make them last, this is his surprising answer.

“Worn out suspension – struts and shocks in the front play a major role. Most of the braking comes from the front brakes. When you have a hard stop the front of the car does a ‘nose dive’, causing the front brakes to do most of the work. Cars are set up now so that 75% to 80% of the pressure is on the front brakes and 25% on the rear brakes. So the front brakes wear out faster than the rear brakes, and a worn out suspension can cause warpage from heat build-up on the brake rotors.

Also, the way we use our brakes can make a difference in the longevity of our brakes. A ‘hard stop’ is when you press down hard on the brakes for a quick stop. A ‘soft stop’ is when you lightly apply pressure to the brakes for a longer, slower stop. ‘Soft stops’ cause less friction on the suspension and rotors and help the brakes and suspension have a longer life.”

In conclusion: Having a lead foot on the gas is not only bad for us at the gas station, but can also make the investment in new brakes come sooner than we would like.

Thanks to Michael for his expertise and helping us do what we do best at Cars For Keeps!

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE: Fact & Fiction

You might as well face it, snow is on the way. The clocks have been set back to winter, there is frost on the lawn nearly every morning, and it’s only a matter of days before we wake up and see that first snowfall. You’ll know it when it happens; it’s when you hear the screaming and laughter of the neighborhood kids as they dive into their first snowball fight, signaling that winter is officially here.

Every year we celebrate the change of seasons, and it seems that every year we need to relearn how to drive in the snow. Without fail, the first storm sends a car or two off the road.
It seems that it takes a fender bender to wake drivers up, refreshing their memories to, “Oh yeah, it’s snowing, I need to slow down.” Have you ever noticed that the majority of these “victims” are driving 4-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles? Fact: 4-wheel or all-wheel drive does not mean you are invincible.

In reality, 4x4 does nothing for winter driving other than to get the vehicle moving. If you are stuck in a drift, or you need to get up your driveway before you snow blow, 4x4 can help. Once you are underway, it does nothing. In fact, most all-wheel drive systems disengage once slippage stops, or when the vehicle reaches a certain rate of speed. Once the vehicle is underway, it’s your tires and your driving habits that keep you on the road.

Quality tread, deep and wide enough to grab the snow and throw it away is what gives you traction in snow. Also, tires made of proper winter rubber that is designed to grip the road in low temperatures helps to keep you on the road. The rubber of summer tires is too brittle to adhere to cold, slippery surfaces, proving down right dangerous in winter conditions.

However, nothing helps more with the challenges of winter driving than just slowing down. Whether you are driving with rear wheel, front wheel, 4x4, or all-wheel drive, the vehicle’s ability to stop is determined by its weight in relation to its brakes, not by how the wheels are driven. Basic physics: an object in motion wants to stay in motion, especially if it’s on ice and snow. In the best of conditions, a heavy full size SUV with extra weight and momentum will take longer to stop than a small car. In winter conditions, the stopping distance is even longer, with an even higher risk of slipping. Of course if it’s icy, even the best studded tires may not help. If you are going too fast for conditions, you will crash. Slow down, and at least you have a chance of avoiding a problem.

I for one can’t wait to drive in the snow again. This will be my first winter with an all-wheel drive vehicle, the Toyota RAV4. Even though I won’t be invincible, I still look forward to enjoying the artificial safety and security of a vehicle with higher clearance and all-wheel drive. Regardless, I will slow down when the snow flies. You should too!

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Independent Auto Repair vs. Dealership Auto Repair: 5 Things to Consider

by Marjorie Steele, Cars for Keeps Social Media Manager

"Your dealership alternative" is becoming a familiar slogan among independent auto repair shops. To be sure, independent auto repair shops - like Cars for Keeps - would like to drink some of that warrantied service milkshake, but it's not just a ploy to steal business from auto dealerships. More and more vehicle owners are actively looking for better customer service, better prices and more comprehensive repair service than auto dealerships offer.

There are many factors to weigh when choosing between auto dealership repair service and service provided by independent repair centers. In some cases, the similarities between the two may be very close, making it difficult for vehicle owners to choose. To make matters worse, a lot of misinformation has been spread to consumers about warranties, cost and parts availability.

If you, a friend or family member is struggling to choose between auto dealership service and independent repair service, we encourage you to take the following into consideration:

Vehicle warranty. Contrary to popular belief, vehicle owners have the legal right to choose anyone to be their auto repair service provider to perform services not covered under warranty, without risking losing their warranty. There will always be some services and recall-related repairs which auto dealerships can offer at a lower cost (or for free) under warranty, but these are limited, especially as the vehicle ages.

Additionally, standard dealership warranties usually expire after 12 months or 12,000 miles; highly certified independent auto repair centers (like Cars for Keeps) can often offer extended parts and labor warranties which cover terms as long as 3 years.

OEM parts. Quality independent auto repair shops like Cars for Keeps have access to the same original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts auto dealerships do; independent repair shops are often able to get OEM parts from less expensive suppliers than dealer direct, passing those cost savings down to the customer. Also, OEM parts may not always be the best solution for auto repair, and they are certainly not always the most cost-effective, yet OEM parts are the only parts auto dealerships offer. Independent dealerships offer car owners a range of parts brands, allowing car owners to cut expenses by choosing non-OEM parts, if they need to.

Labor cost. Auto dealerships and independent repair shops track their technician's hours differently; dealerships tend to standardize allotted work time, offering technicians incentive to finish jobs more quickly. Independent repair shops typically track technician work by actual hours, passing along cost savings to the customer. Independent repair shops as a whole generally offer labor at 20% less than dealerships.

Technician experience. Last but not least, auto technician experience is a very important factor when it comes to auto repair. Auto dealership technicians receive highly specialized training specific to the auto brands the dealership sells. This gives dealership technicians firm expertise on a handful of auto brands, but it also means that technicians lack expert knowledge of other brands, hindering their breadth of expertise. Highly qualified independent auto technicians are cross-trained to work on a wide spectrum of vehicles, and for technicians who work at AAA approved, Bosch and NAPA Certified independent repair centers, their level of mechanical training and knowledge is quite extensive. Experienced independent repair technicians often develop better problem solving skills as a result of their diverse experience, allowing them to fix vehicles faster, more permanently and more thoroughly.

Of course, we at Cars for Keeps are biased towards independent auto repair, so if you're still skeptical, we encourage you to try making the comparison yourself. If you do, be sure to drop us a line and tell us about your experience!

Electronic Module failures

We are seeing a disturbing trend with many high end cars built in the 1980s and 1990s. Their auxiliary control modules are failing, and replacement parts are not available. You can still buy engine control modules for Jaguar, Land Rover, and Rolls Royce cars, but many of the other electronics have been discontinued.

We can fix some issues on these controllers, but one thing we can't fix is extensive corrosion damage from failure of the "permanent" backup batteries many of these modules carry inside.

If you have a collectible European car, and it's 12-15 years old, it's time to pull the modules apart and address this issue BEFORE you have irreparable damage. As much as it may cost to fix something that's not broke, it will cost way more once it is broke . . .

An Interview with Michael: All About Brakes, Part I

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

Michael Chan is our head mechanic at Cars For Keeps. It has been noted and commented on that Michael makes a few extra steps when he's doing a brake job, so I asked him what he does special when replacing the brakes on a car. His first reply was, “I do them fast”.

He also said, “These days when a cars brake pads need replacing, the rotors are usually down to their minimum specifications and the cost of replacing them versus the cost to have them turned is fairly close anyway, and it is good to put new to new together so both surfaces are correct." Michael went on to explain that when he's doing front brake pads and rotors, the hardware really should be changed out for new as well, but if the customer declines, "I will clean them up to get the corrosion off, then put a special lubricant on the slides and hardware to make sure it slides free and clear. "










When Michael takes the rotors off the hub, they are almost coated in corrosion, so he uses another special corrosion hub cleaner on it that gives it "a nice and true surface to mount the rotors, which cuts down on premature wear on the rotors." According to Michael, if the incorrect lubricant is used you may as well not bother cleaning the hub. "You must make sure all the caliper pins are lubricated correctly so as not to get uneven wear on the brake pads. We make sure the tire pressure is at spec on all brake jobs.”

I asked him what people can do to get the optimal performance life out of their brakes, and he came up with a surprising answer which will be covered in next week's blog - so stay tuned!

Car Headlight Cleaning: Improving Nighttime Driving Visibility on the Cheap

by Rob Hopp, Cars for Keeps Owner

As the days grow shorter and nighttime driving increases, I figured it was the right time to discuss night vision.

Did you know that the headlamps on your car, truck or SUV fade over the years and miles? The sand and other debris they are constantly blasted with create layer upon layer of tiny scratches over the years, causing the headlights to be glazed with a haze that impairs the light output. In other words, your car's headlights inevitably become duller - and less safe - over the years. Dull and hazy headlights are dangerous for nighttime driving, and they're also unattractive on your vehicle.

When the automobile was first invented, early headlamps in the late 1880s were fueled by acetylene or oil, similar to the standard household lamps of the time. The first electric headlamps were introduced in 1898 on the Columbia Electric Car by the Electric Vehicle Company of Hartford, Connecticut, and were optional.

Today's automotive headlights are much more effective. The old, relatively flat glass headlight styles that were introduced in 1940 remained relatively unchanged until about 1983, when the U.S. Government first allowed the use of plastics in headlamp design. Plastic headlights combined with newer electric technology allowed the more powerful light output we're used to today. Not only do our modern plastic headlights improve car headlight durability and light output - they're also much easier to maintain.

Many drivers continue to drive as their ability to see in low light or dark conditions is degraded more and more as the plastic erodes. The loss of vision is so gradual, it is easy to ignore. Car owners who do inquire about replacing the lamps or lenses are shocked to find that they often cost over four hundred dollars EACH!

Maintaining a safe level of nighttime visibility shouldn't be out of the average driver's budget range. That's why Cars for Keeps offers an inexpensive solution. Using a patented four step restoration process, we can restore most dull headlamps to a like new condition in about an hour - at a fraction of the cost of headlight replacement.

If you’re vehicle's headlamps aren’t crystal clear, give Cars for Keeps a call today to see how we can help you keep the car!

Happy & safe driving!