Amy’s Garage

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By Amy Mattinat

According to the National Safety Council, the number of traffic deaths is three times greater at night than during the day. Since ninety percent of a driver’s reaction depends on visibility, it is extremely important that your headlights are aimed correctly, and the lenses are clear enough to let the light go through.

Did you know that headlights lenses used to be made out of glass and now are made out of plastic?

Glass headlights only came in a limited number of sizes and shapes. If they cracked or broke, they had to be replaced. Approximately 10 years ago, automakers started using plastic headlight assemblies. The plastic material is easier to mold and the auto designers love it because the plastic lends itself to unlimited styles and reduce drag because of better aerodynamics.

Unfortunately the plastic headlight lenses become yellow and cloudy overtime. In only 2-3 years the light output can be cut by 75 percent, which may make it unsafe to drive at night. What happens is that the sun’s harsh UV rays, acid rain, harsh weather conditions, and chemicals all wear on the lenses. Plus, while driving, the lenses pick up dirt and grime. When the lights are on, the plastic gets hot and expands. After you are done driving you turn them off and the plastic cools and contracts. This can trap the dirt and grime on the lenses.

When the headlights get cloudy and yellow, they will not pass the yearly Vermont State Inspection. Now a days, there are ways to repair cracks, repair leaks and even clean plastic headlight lenses. Consider having them restored at a fraction of the cost. When you have your headlights restored, you be able to see again! Plus, your car will pass state inspection, will look almost brand new, be safer to drive and give you piece of mind.

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To help slow down yellowing and clouding of headlights you can clean the headlights once a week and more often if necessary. Don’t forget to clean the parking lights, back-up lights and turn signals too.

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How Clean are Your Headlights?

This Saturday my shop Auto Craftsmen, Pleasant Street Auto, Mike Martin’s Auto Repair (all NAPA AutoCare repair shops) + First Class NAPA Auto Parts stores from Waterbury and Morrisville all worked together to put on a Car Care Safety Fair at the Copley Hospital in Morrisville Vermont.

The Hospital was having their 13th annual Health Care Fair and the Hospital and I thought that a Car Care Fair was a perfect match for a Health Care Fair.

Seriously. If your car is not healthy and it has an accident… your body could end up at the hospital.

We had 13 NAPA AutoCare helpers to work the car care safety lanes. It was very easy for the motorists. The motorist would pull up to the first station and two auto technicians would check the tires to see if they had the proper air pressure and make sure all the lights were working. They would check over the windshield wipers to make sure they were working correctly and to make sure they were not worn out.

Then the vehicle would pull up to the second station and two more technicians would open the hood and check the belts, hoses and the fluids. (oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, windshield washer fluid). They would hook up a special tool that would tell how well the battery and starting system of the car was working.

All this information was marked down on a special inspection sheet that was given to the driver and explained. Folks were given a free vehicle safety kit and in less then 10 min. the driver had a very clear understanding of how safe their vehicle was driving down the road that day.

Number one problem we found on the vehicles we inspected was that they had incorrect air pressure in the tires. This went for older vehicles and brand new vehicles. Some had too much air in them and some were under inflated.

If you have the wrong air pressure in your tires you are loosing gas mileage (money) and wearing out your tires way quicker then you need to (more money!). Takes just a bit of effort on the part of the motorist to check their air pressure… and if you just don’t want to, then swing by my shop and one of my techs would be glad to come out and make sure your tires have the correct amount of air pressure.

We also found a lot of worn wipers. Windshield wipers are relatively cheap for what they do – keeps the windshield clear of water when it rains so you can see the road. Very important to be able to see where you are going when driving a car.

There were also too many vehicles that needed oil added to the motor and a couple that had too much oil in the engine. Having too much oil is also very bad for your engine.

We checked over 62 cars in less then 3 hours. The crew was very efficient and the motorists were thrilled with the great FREE service advice on their cars.

Big thanks to Bo, Raechal, Mike, Charlie, Gary, Jill, Scott, Marc, Kevin, Chip, Mark and Nina for taking time out of your weekend to make this Car Care Safety Lane so successful!

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?

by Amy Mattinat

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?

When a teenager gets their drivers license it gives them and their parents freedom! The kids get to experience the freedom of driving themselves and friends wherever and whenever they please (to the extent of the family rules) and parents gain freedom from having to drive their teenagers to the many activities that tie up their day.

To keep the new drivers / teenagers safe from harm, it is wise for parents to use balance, caution and risk in all the decisions they make concerning their child and their car.

To put this all in perspective, here is some results from a ton of research on new drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• New drivers are more likely to have an accident in the first two years of driving then at any other time in their lives.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds. This accounts for 40% of all teen deaths.
• Only about 20% of 16 to 19 year olds drive at night, but 50% of the fatal accidents occur during these hours.
• 43% of teen motor vehicle deaths occur between the hours of 9:00 pm and 6:00 am.
• 54% of teen motor vehicle deaths occur on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• About 36% of crashes that kill young people involve alcohol.

OK Moms, avoid giving your teens the keys to the car on Friday, Saturday or Sunday night between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am and you have done a lot to keep them safe!

You also need to be good role models. That teenage child still watches your every move! So buckle up, slow down, don’t drink and drive, don’t tailgate and don’t talk on the phone while driving!

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It also helps to have clear expectations for the new driver and clear consequences for their mistakes. Check out my New Driver Contract. Print it out and spend some time filling it out with your new driver. Positive, clear communication will go a long way to keeping them safe and reduce your stress.

by Amy Mattinat

What tips do you have for New Drivers?

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So, have decided that you’re ready to clean out the inside of your car. First things first: open the windows, doors and trunk of your car, let in the fresh air and chuck out all the debris from the floor, what’s buried in the seats, tucked in the ashtray and thrown in the back or in the truck. It always amazes me the nooks and crannies my daughter finds to put her empty gum wrappers in.

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Once you have cleared the decks, pull out the floor mats and set them aside on the driveway. Before you vacuum the interior carpets, take a stiff brush and sweep the floor to loose the dirt and debris clinging to the carpets. You may want to alternate between the vacuum and stiff brush to get all those little stones that hide in the nap of the carpets. When vacuuming the seats, make note of any stains.

Use the long neck attachment of the vacuum to reach under the seats, between the seats and around the pedals. Use a soft brush attachment to vacuum the dashboard and doors. Be gentle on any knobs, vents and stereo parts. Be especially careful if you have leather seats. They can be easily scratched by using the wrong attachment when vacuuming.

Once the whole inside of the car has been vacuumed, it’s time to tackle the floor mats. Start out by shaking out as much of the loose dirt, dust and salt as possible. Then vacuum them thoroughly. If you really want to get them clean, power-wash them with the garden hose. You can add carpet cleaner to stains, work it in with a brush, then wash it out. Make sure your mats are completely dry before you put them back into the car.

I like to wash the windows next. Use any alcohol-based glass cleaner. If you use a paper towel to clean the window and wipe the solution around, use a newspaper to dry the window. You will get crystal clear windows every time!

Clean the dashboard, console, door handles, etc. with a slightly damp cloth. (Always use lint-free material when cleaning your car!) You can use a very small amount of laundry detergent to remove any stains. Rinse well and then dry with a clean, soft cloth. If you want your dashboard to shine, apply a small amount of furniture polish to a clean cloth and wipe away. (Do not spray directly onto the dash or it will splash on your clean windows and be difficult to remove.)

To clean out those hard-to-reach cracks and crevices like vents and buttons, use a cotton swab or a mini paintbrush. You know your car is really clean when the vents are sparkling!

Stain Removal:

Getting rid of those annoying stains is the key to making your car look new again. The sooner you attack the stain, the more likely it will disappear. Hot water will cause the stain to set. Be sure to use cold or room temperature water.

None of these tips apply to leather seats. Some soaps, oils, detergents and furniture polish can do damage to leather!

Before using any soaps or mixtures to remove a stain, test it on a small out of the way spot to make sure it doesn’t bleach or stain the material.

Do not soak the carpets or seats with soapy water. You could make the stain larger and cause mold and musty smells to inhabit your car.

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Scrape away any residual gunk with a blunt knife. Mix together 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup white household vinegar. Wipe the stain away with a damp sponge and let dry, or use mild soap and water. Let sit for 15 minutes, then wipe again with a damp sponge and let dry.

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For soft drink stains:

Dab up any remaining liquid. Put 3 cups water and 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. Spray mixture on the soft drink stain and let sit for 10 minutes. Mix together 3/4 cup cold water and 1/4 cup white vinegar and use this to rinse. Dab the stain away with a damp sponge and let dry.

To remove Chocolate stains:

Once the chocolate has dried and hardened, scrape off as much as you can with a blunt knife. Put a small amount of carpet shampoo on the stain and use a soft-bristled brush to gently work the soap into the fabric. Dab the foam and stain away with a damp sponge and let dry.

To remove gum from your car seat:

The first thing you want to do is harden the sticky mess. If you put some ice in a plastic bag and apply it to the gum, it will harden quickly. You can then gently scrape it off the seat with a dull knife.

For greasy stains:

Greasy stains like lipstick or crayons you may need some extra help. Purchase a solvent cleaner and make sure you read the instructions carefully.

You spend so much time in the car that keeping the interior clean is good for your health and your mental attitude. Plus, as a bonus it will increase the value of your car when you’re ready to sell it or trade-it-in.

by Amy Mattinat

When is the last time you cleaned the inside of your car?

According to Sid Kirchheimer (author of “Scam-Proof Your Life) thieves are targeting cars parked at gyms, soccer fields, parks and other recreational facilities to steal the credit cards of the folks (like me

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) that leave their wallets, hand bags or back packs locked in the car because they don’t want to carry it with them.

These thieves are pretty smart, they break in the car and just slip out a credit card or two so you won’t notice anything amiss when you jump back in the car to take off to the next event. The thieves immediately run out and buy high-end electronics to resell, or store gift cards that are difficult to track.

Sid suggest that for your protection:

• Don’t keep valuables in your car
• If you do, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by throwing a jacket or towel over them. {OMG this is what I do. If they can’t see it, then no one will take it, right?}
• When you get a new credit card, write “Ask for ID” instead of your signature on the back.

I know from owning a repair shop, that with the right tools it takes just seconds to open a car door.

Now I also know not to leave my backpack in the car because I don’t feel like carrying it around.

I was walking through my shop the other day and I noticed Kevin, one of my technicians looking at this really oily – oil pan.

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It’s really important that the oil pan is full of oil. The Engine oil lubricates, cools and cleans the internal combustion engine. The oil pan is constructed of steel. Oil pans very rarely leak, unless the vehicle is driven over something that cuts into the steel. It’s the gasket that is prone to leaking.

See the edges by my fingers are all oil soaked? That is where the gasket had worn and the main reason this particular oil pan was leaking.

This is a brand new oil pan with the new gasket just sitting o top of it. See the baffle (hole) in the bottom. This is so the pick-up-tube will always be submerged in oil even when the vehicle goes around a sharp turn or up or down a steep hill. Can’t be running out of oil… engines hate that!

That piece of pipe on the bottom left is the pick-up-tube. It sucks the oil into the oil pump and it flows through the engine block, falls down the sides of the crankcase in a never ending cycle… until you have an oil change and exchange the oil for fresh oil!

To get the gasket on so well as to guarantee no leaks, Kevin glues the gasket onto the oil pan before bolting the pan back to the vehicle. The gaskets kind of wiggle all over the place and its near impossible to get a snug fit without taking the extra time to secure the gasket.

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He bolts and clamps it for about 20 min. before mounting it back on the vehicle. It takes some extra time and effort to glue the gasket, but we have found on some vehicles it is the only way to get a seal that won’t leak.

When you bring your car into the shop for service and you are told the Cabin Air Filter needs to be replaced, they are not trying to pull the wool over your eyes. This once a year / 12,000 to 15,000 service will save you a ton of money in the long run, help keep good air quality in your car, and maybe prevent you from dying of Hantavirus.

OK, this is an extremely dirty cabin air filter. It was also the home of mice. This is where the dying part comes to play, because mice dropping, urine or saliva can cause a deadly respiratory illness called Hantavirus.

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I knew someone who’s husband cleaned out their shed (with lots of mice droppings) and developed flu-like symptoms that were so severe that he ended up in the hospital. His breathing progressively got worse while the doctors scratched their heads and wondered why. (This would have been right up Dr. House’s sleeve). Lucky for this guy, one of the Doctors had encountered Hantavirus and had him tested and treated before he died.

Don’t freak out, it’s unlikely you will contract Hantavirus from a dirty cabin air filter. The filters are very well designed. Here is the backside of the same extremely dirty air filter. You can see that it was doing it’s job of keeping all that “stuff” out of the ventilation system.

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But, if the mouse had chewed a hole in the filter… and this does happen, some of the “stuff” would have entered the ventilation system and could create havoc with the blower motor, heater core and the air doors in the vent.

In English, this means it could burn out a bearing in the blower motor (expensive to replace), and/ or plug up and restrict the air flow when you use your heater, defroster or A/C. This would be a nightmare job. It would require a technician to take apart the dash of the car to remove the “stuff” blocking the air.

When they build a vehicle, the heater box is one of the first parts installed in the dash. So, to clean out the debris, they have to work backwards and take everything out of the dash to get to the heater box. This could easily turn into 12 to 15 hours of labor.

This job is very expensive because it is not be a labor of love. The technician spends a great deal of time laying down on the floor to take out various parts and will have to spend a great deal of time laying down on the floor to put it back together.

Preventive maintenance is the best way to avoid a extremely dirty cabin air filter!

Does your vehicle have a cabin air filter? Best way to find out is to look in your owner’s manual under “air filter”.

Is it easy to change so you could do it yourself? This will all depend on where it is located and how hard it is to get at.

Having a sunroof in your car is a beautiful thing… except when you forget to close it and it rains inside your car.

Once a summer I rush out of the house, jump into my drowned car and get soaked across my back and bottom. UG! I hate that!

Not only is it a horrible way to start the day, if you don’t get the car dried out properly you can start a mold factory and make you and your family sick.

If your car has had a overnight soaking and you act fast, it will save you a ton of trouble in the long run. If you procrastinate you will have BIG trouble and may have to take out the seats and rip up the carpet.

Quick Action

1. If it is still raining, get the car under cover ASAP!
2. If it is sunny, park it in the sun!
3. Don’t close the windows or you will create a mold factory.
4. Take out all the wet floor mats and hang in the sun to thoroughly dry.
5. Use lots of towels to soak up as much of the water as possible from the seats and floor.
6. If you can get your hands on a wet/dry shop vacuum cleaner, suck up as much of the water as possible.
7. Get a dehumidifier and put it in the car for the rest of the day.
8. Sprinkle baking soda over the floor and seats of where it got wet. Work it into the fabrics with your hands and let sit overnight. Vacuum in the morning.

I know this sounds like a hassle, but hey, your the one who left the sunroof open in the rain! Seriously, if you take the time to follow these few simple steps you will save yourself a moldy headache in the future.

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