Amy’s Garage

When I thought I was going to have to rent-a-car to get home from my US Air fandango, I followed my own advice and negotiated a $300.00 one way rental car down to $145.00

The Advice I took?

Skip The 800 Number:

If you call an 800 number your call goes to the rental car hub. The operators are hooked into a centralized computer and just hit the buttons. But, if you call directly to the rental car counter - and there happens to be a surplus of cars on the lot then you can play “Lets Make A Deal!”

And that is exactly what I did. I got online and got the phone number for the rental car counter in the Boston’s Airport. The price for any one way rental cars is painful. I only needed the car for 4 hours worth of driving and they wanted to charge me $300.00 dollars. At this point I was desperate to get home and actually thought about spending this outrageous amount of money so I could lay my head down on my pillow.

But then I remembered the last post I did on rental cars and made a phone call and talked the lad down to $145.00. Lucky for me the flight was canceled and Tracy my Hero got me a direct flight to Burlington and I didn’t have to spend and extra $145.00 or drive 4 hours in Boston’s rush hour traffic!

Have you ever negotiated a better price for a rental car?

I was in Cincinnati for a meeting of independent auto repair shops and was scheduled to fly back to Vermont on a Sunday at 9 am. I was flying from Cinn. to Philly to Burlington. Take off from Cinn. was right on time. The trouble began when we got close to landing in Philadelphia. There were multiple thunderstorms and we circled around the airport waiting for traffic control to find a hole in the storm for us to land.

This pilot really wanted to land the plane in Philly. After flying in circles for over an hour he announced that we had about 20 more min. before we ran out of fuel, but he was certain there would be a bread in the storm and we could land. Everyone in the cabin pulled out a time piece and started counting down. When we got to about 10 min. he gave up and headed to Harrisburg to re-fuel.

There was a huge group sigh of relief when the wheels of the plane touched the ground

They re-fueled the plane right away, and then we sat on the runway going nowhere for 7 hours. YES, seven hours and all they gave us was water and a very small overly sweet cookie that just made me really hunger.

The pilot, staff and passengers were just about to mutiny when Harrisburg finally gave they OK for the plane to pull up to a hanger and let us off. We were given less then 10 min. to buy some food and jump on a bus that drove us to Philadelphia.

If I was not starving and had been thinking clearly, I would have never got on a bus to drive to an airport that was shut down all day with hundreds hundreds of people going nowhere.

When we arrived at the airport we were led to a line that I swear was 1/2 mile long. When I finally got to the counter I was told there were no seats on any airline to Burlington for two days. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

So I booked a flight to Boston, rented a car to Vermont and found a quiet corner to get some sleep along with hundreds of other folks stranded in Philly.

The next morning I washed up in a bathroom, ate breakfast and worked at my makeshift office. How did we ever travel before computers?

At 1:00 pm my flight to Boston was canceled. I was feeling pretty low until I found Tracy! She told me she was the Best of the Best airline customer service representatives in the whole airport, and she was not kidding!

Not sure how she did it, but she got me on a flight to Burlington that night at 9:45 pm and it actually took off and landed on time. Took 38 hours but I finally made it home. Tracy, you are my hero!

Yes, the slab got poured and now we are waiting for “Overhead Doors” to give us an estimate for a insulated roll up door before we can continue our project of moving the compressor.

So, while waiting for the new compressor room to get built, we have moved on to giving the outside of the shop a face lift.

This is a before picture of my shop Auto Craftsmen located in Montpelier, Vermont. Notice how plain and boring the beige and black are. Very easy to drive on by and not even notice.

The beige has been repainted and the black trim is slowly being repainted blue. The rest of the shop was not exactly thrilled with my color choice, but it’s growing on them, and we are getting great feedback from our clients.

The job is still in process. The front window has rotten sills and needs to be replaced and my window box is going to be painted blue, put back up and restocked ASAP.

What do you think about the color blue I chose for the trim?

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I last posted. I have been so busy that I just haven’t had any extra time to sit at my computer and write. My business partner needed 2 weeks off to move to a new place of residence, so I was riding solo running our auto repair shop, Auto Craftsmen.

When the cat is away… the mice will play.

• I hired a new employee… that I have wanted for over two months
• I hired an electrician to move one of our electric meter boxes so we could build a room outside of bay 5, where we will put the compressor so bay 5 won’t be so noisy you need to were hearing protection to be in that room. Hopefully soon that bay will actually get used and make us some money!

It have been raining pretty much everyday all summer in VT. So even though it was coming down at a pretty good clip, these boys got the job done in 2 hrs.

My last post was to shout out the great news that Los Angeles County has approved a ground breaking facility that will revolutionize the Biofuel industry. They are going to be making their E85 out of Grass clippings, wood chips, paper products, and cardboard… and not corn.

Then I got a bunch of questions wondering what the heck was E85 anyways?

E85 is a special alternative fuel that is a blend of 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol. This special blend is used to power Flex Fuel Vehicles. You may have trouble finding a E85 fueling station at this time, because there are only about 1500 in the USA, and none in VT, NH, ME, CT RI or NJ. Seems the North East if lagging behind in the E85 arena.

Flex Fuel Vehicles? OK, so there is not a lot of difference in a Flex Fuel vehicle and a regular gasoline engine vehicle. Mechanically, the only difference is the addition of a fuel sensor that detects the ethanol/gasoline ration and the various parts that had to be upgraded to tolerate the ethanol, which is very corrosive.

Making fuel out of ethanol is not a new idea. Henry ford’s first cars were made to run on ethanol, but gasoline was so plentiful and cheap that it became the fuel of the day.

Flex Fueled vehicles running on E85 don’t really get any better gas mileage then their gasoline counter parts, but the advantages to using E85 versus gasoline are HUGE!

• Ethanol burns cleaner and tests have shown reduction in those nasty harmful hydrocarbon and benzene emissions.
• E85 can help reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) that harmful greenhouse gas that is a major contributor to global warming - and causing Vermont rain all summer - which only lasts 3 months if we are lucky.
• Ethanol is like totally renewable! It may be the hero of the day by helping to reduce our dependency on petroleum fuels.
• Manufacturing ethanol out of scraps will help clean up the environment while providing an alternative to straight gasoline powered engines!

I’ve got my eye on this one and will keep you informed when this becomes our new reality!

I have fabulous news!

I read today on gasmilage.wordpress.com, Los Angeles County has approved a ground breaking facility that will revolutionize the Biofuel industry. They are going to be making their E-85 out of Grass clippings, wood chips, paper products, and cardboard… and not corn.

I have been pained watching the “powers that be” push corn down our throats as the best source of making ethanol. Anyone who has ever grown corn can attest to the fact that corn requires lots of pesticides, herbicides and a ton of fertilizers to grow. AND you need to rotate the field every year because it leeches out all the minerals from the soil. I was picturing the next “dust bowl” if corn became the replacement for gasoline.

I am so glad to hear that we can manufacture ethanol out of scraps and help clean up the environment at the same time!

What Is Your Favorite Alternative to Gasoline Powered Vehicles?

According to Peter Greenberg

The Contrarian Traveler:

1. Avoid the Airport:

If you rent a car at an airport your bill will be higher because of airport taxes. He suggests taking a shuttle into the city and rent a car there.

I just went to Enterprise.com to see if this was true.

This is what I found: If I flew in to Boston Mass. and rented an economy car for a day on Wednesday it would cost $80.95. If I took the shuttle into the city to any of the three rental agencies listed and rented an economy car it would cost $ 95.00 on this same day. oooops… his theory doesn’t work in the Bean Town. But, in Atlanta it does. $64.49 for the airport car, and only $36.14 for the city car.

2. Skip The 800 Number:

If you call an 800 number your call goes to the rental car hub. The operators are hooked into a centralized computer and just hit the buttons. But, if you call directly to the rental car counter - and there happens to be a surplus of cars on the lot then you can play “Lets Make A Deal!”

3. Bring A Digital Camera:

In reality, this should read Use Your Digital Camera / Phone. Just about everyone has the capabilities to take digital pictures. Anyways, use your camera to take pictures of any dings, dents, stains, scrapes, ect. BUT, make sure you turn on the date / time option so you have proof that the pictures were taken before you pulled out of the lot. Then if they try and charge you for repairs you can show them the picture to prove the ding, dent, stain, scrape, etc. was not on your watch!

4. Be Fuel Savvy:

If you pay upfront for a full tank of gas, then bring it back as empty as possible. But, if you agree to fill the tank before bringing the vehicle back, don’t forget. The rental agency will often charge up to $8.00 per gallon. OUCH!

5. Rent On Saturday:

If you only need a vehicle for one day/one night, then Saturday is usually the cheapest day.

I tested this at Enterprise.com too! If you rent a car in Atlanta on a Saturday at the airport the price drops to $33.00. But you could not rent a car in the city on Saturday, because the rental companies where not open on Sunday.

6. Watch For Falling Prices:

In Peter’s experience, car rental prices can rise and fall 10 to 20 times a day based on supply and demand. Even though you have a reservation you can still get the lower price. A few days before picking up the car, check the prices online. If they are lower, call the direct line to the counter you are picking up the car at and ask them to match the price online.

For more tips about rental cars from Peter Greenberg: Unlocking The Mysteries Of Renting A Car.

Do You Know Anymore Tips To Saving Money When Renting A Car?

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeal!

When you hear it from another car it’s annoying. But when you hear it coming from your own car it’s frightening!

The trick is to determine when it is just a natural mechanical sound of brakes doing their job or when it is a sign of serious mechanical failure. A little detective work on your part will keep you going (or in this case stopping) for countless miles to come.

When should you consult a professional to inspect your brakes?

1. Drip, drip, drip…

If you see a stain or small puddle of fluid that doesn’t look like oil or coolant you best take notice ASAP! Motor oil will be brown or black and feel slimy to the touch. Coolant will be green in color and feel watery. Brake fluid can look like fresh motor oil, but doesn’t feel slimy.

If you suspect you are leaking brake fluid you can open the hood and check the brake fluid reservoir. If you don’t know where that is, look in your owner’s manual to get a photographic map of your engine and find it. If the brake fluid is low! DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR! If you don’t have enough brake fluid you may not have full stopping power or you may have none at all! Tow it to your favorite shop and have them check it out ASAP!

2. Squeal, squeal, squeal….

If the noise from your brakes is constant your car needs brake work. Have a trained automotive technician check the brake calipers, pads, shoes, drums, cylinder, etc. The cost of the repair will vary according to the problem and also to the kind of car you drive, year and model.

3. Scrape, scrape, scrape….

This is one sound you don’t want to hear from your brakes. It means that metal scraping on metal sound is exactly what is happening. The brake pads are worn away and the brake pad holder is grinding against the rotors to stop your car. Not Good ! If you ever hear an unpleasant metallic scraping sound when you step on the brake pedal, call a tow truck and have them take your car to the shop for you. The money you spend on the tow will be nothing compared to the amount of money you might have to spend on an entire new brake system.

4. Brake Pedal Feels Funny:

What I mean when I say “feels funny” it that when you press down on the brake pedal it feels spongy or goes lower than normal. It may seem that you have to step longer and harder on the brake pedal to get the car to stop. Anther “feels funny” is when you step on the brake pedal and the car pulls to one side of the road.

If you have any doubts about your brakes get it into the shop so the automotive technician can determine if your brakes are working properly and safely.

If your car won’t start, well that can be very inconvenient, but if your car won’t stop… that can be deadly!

How Safe Are Your Brakes?

I personally think it’s a bit foolish to ever purchase a brand new car. Why not save thousands of dollars and buy at least a two year old vehicle with at least 15,000 miles on it.

Today I purchased a 2004 Toyota Corolla LE with 98,000 miles on it for my husband. It was a one owner vehicle and was very well maintained. We should be able to get 5 yrs out of it, and hey…. we don’t need a monthly car payment.

We always put a bit of money aside every week in a special account to purchase our next vehicle. We sold the old Corolla for $4000, so we only paid $4000 for this beautiful 04 Corolla.

A lot of folks are afraid to purchase a used vehicle, especially if it has over 50,000 miles on it, and rightly so. You need to have help to purchase a good used car.

1. You need to know what your wants, needs and budget is before you even think about looking in the paper and on the streets for a used car.
2. Then once you know what you are looking for you need a good walk about checklist & a good test drive checklist so you can “Pre-Qualify” a used vehicle.
3. But you mostly need a trained automotive technician who knows the make and model you want to purchase, and who can do a Thorough Used Car Inspection to determine if this vehicle is worthy to buy.

You want to know the real shape the vehicle is in. I don’t care if the dealer says it is “Used Car Certified”, you still need to have a trained automotive technician do a thorough used car inspection. I want you to remember: Almost All Used Cars Need Something! And, when I say thorough I’m talking about the technician taking 2 to 2 1/2 hours. You want them to take the vehicle on a test drive and do an inspection that includes going up on a lift and taking the tires off the vehicle.

“But what are the Secret Words”? Hang on, I’m getting there…

If the technician feels that this is a solid vehicle and worth buying, have them take pictures with your digital camera of any repairs the vehicle needs: a picture says a thousand words! Have the shop work up an estimate for all repairs and maintenance service the vehicle needs to be safe and reliable.

Pictures and a real estimate are the tools you need in hand to negotiate a good deal on a used car. You are going to use these facts about the car to turn the tables on the sale and become a salesperson.

Give them the information you have in hand and then say The Magic Words: “What Can You Do For Me?” Then “shutupa you mouth”!

Private owners and Independent Used Car Dealers without a service department are more likely to lower their price. BONUS: You were going to buy the car anyways, so any amount they take off the sales price you can use to repair and/or service your new rig.

Dealers or Independent Used Car Dealers that have a service department are more likely to offer to do the repairs and maybe even some of the service work. It is cheaper for them to do the work in-house then to lower the price and have you to take the work elsewhere. BONUS: you would of had to have the work done anyways and now you won’t have to spend the time or money.

Do You Have Any Additional Secrets To Negotiating A Used Car Purchase?

Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle is riding on a layer of water instead of the road. This can occur when going through a deep puddle or driving through a big rain storm. The vehicle can loose traction and have trouble steering, braking and accelerating.

When there is a lot of water on the road you should be Slow Down! Think of how you drive on an icy road and you’ll know just what to do!

If your vehicle starts to hydroplane Do Not slam on the brakes. Take your foot off the gas to slow down.

• If you need to brake and you have No-ABS Brakes (anti-lock brakes):lightly pump the brakes until you slow down.

• If you do have ABS Brakes, then brake normally and your car will automatically pump the brakes for you.

Don’tt be take any sharp corners either. Try and drive slow and steady until you can feel your tires grip the road again. Remember your tires have no contact with the road when hydroplaning, so if you start over-steering you could end up off the side of the road.

Good tires are key to safe driving in the rain. The water on the road needs to go somewhere and the tires with good tread will channel the water from under the tire so the tire can grip the road. Less Tread = more chance of hydroplaning.

Increase the distance between you and vehicle in front of you. This gives you more time and distance to stop your car if the vehicle in front of you spins out of control or stops suddenly.

Have you ever experienced driving a Hydroplaning Vehicle?