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| Ten Minutes a Week Saves Thou$and$ By Bill Dougherty When was the last time a gas station attendant offered to check your oil? It was probably over fifteen years ago and in a very small town! Some very crucial, but easy to check measurements go neglected, week after week. Unfortunately this sometimes leads to financially catastrophic results. Low or high tire pressures cause prematurely worn tires and poor gas mileage. Premature replacement of the tires is the worst result from inflation problems. What about low engine oil level? When the dash warning light flashes, it dos not mean low oil level, it means low oil pressure! There is a big difference! If you check your oil regularly and it’s a half or full quart low, it can be corrected immediately – no problem. On the other hand, when the dash light comes on, it means low oil pressure and that means that the oil is so low that there is not enough of it to get to critical engine parts. With out sufficient oil at the proper pressure, serious damage can occur. Immediately turn the engine off and add oil to prevent major engine damage and expensive repair.The modern engines in the cars we service are truly remarkable when you consider the job they perform. They will easily last 200,000 miles and more if they are maintained and not run low or out of oil or other necessary fluids. Almost every engine failure we encounter is due to running out of oil, engine coolant (anti-freeze) or “sludging of the oil” due to infrequent oil and filter changes.We may not look like one, but we will e happy to be your “old fashioned” gas station. When it comes to checking fluid levels, no appointments or phone calls are necessary! We’ll check it while you wait, top it up if needed, and get you on your way. Don’t take chances this winter with that big investment under your hood. |
| Why Do I Need Snow Tires? Five facts about the benefits of snow tire use: added safety, control, traction, confidence and economy. Safety . . . With winter comes treacherous conditions that make it difficult to move from place to place, whether by foot or by car. Safety quickly becomes the greatest concern: personal safety, your family’s safety and the safety of others around you. By being prepared for these conditions, you gain control, whether it is through your choice of proper footwear when walking or the proper tires on your vehicle when driving. No matter which … safety is enhanced by control. Control . . . Having control means being proactive not reactive. When walking you need to concentrate on getting from place to place, not on how you’ll react when you slip and fall. When driving, be the driver, not merely a “passenger” in the driver’s seat; avoid the accidents instead of being involved in them. You gain control of your body through your feet on which you wear specific shoes for specific reasons. Likewise, you gain control of your car via the steering wheel and pedals giving input to your wheels on which there are specific tires for specific purposes. You tell them when to go, stop, and turn. You can’t be in control unless you have traction. Traction . . . Engineers have spent many hours designing systems for cars that give better control through anti-lock brake systems and traction control: but these systems do not improve or create traction by themselves. The performance of brakes, ABS, and traction control is limited by the traction provided by your tires. When you switch to boots to improve your traction in the snow and ice conditions, switch to winter tires on your car for the same reason. Today’s high tech winter tires utilize tread design and features such as multicell rubber compound in the Blizzak, for example, that give traction in the snow far superior than what you can achieve from the all season tires…just like putting on that pair of boots that allows you to walk with confidence. Confidence . . . Don’t let winter weather intimidate you; head out with the confidence that you are comfortable and in control with traction that you are going to get from your winter tires, just like your warm boots. Who knows, you may find that this newly found confidence in winter driving transforms your trips from apprehension into peace of mind … and maybe even … fun! Economy . . . Safety, control, traction, and confidence. What does all of this cost? Well, consider the savings from the additional life you will get from your summer tires since they will be resting in the garage. Or the added security you will now have in the snow. Also, don’t forget the inconvenience, costs and potential for increased insurance rates that occur after a fender bender. . sure makes winter tires seem pretty economical. |
| Young Drivers By Kara Dougherty Sixteen years old – to most of us turning the big 16 means solely one thing – DRIVING! Leading up to that monumental day, we study rigorously for the permit test and force-feed our friends with facts about road signs, blood alcohol levels, and passing procedures. Then comes the big day – we pass the permit test? When it finally comes in the mail, after weeks of keeping vigil at the mailbox, it’s time to actually get out there and drive – yes, DRIVE! I felt like I was doing something illegal. I couldn’t believe I was finally old enough! So you take the test and if you’re lucky, there isn’t enough time for you to demonstrate your parallel parking ability. To those of you who pass the first time, congrats! To those of us who have to try a second time, hang in there! To the rest, keep trying because sooner or later, you’ll join the us out on the road experiencing the pros and cons of driving. These pros include: no more school bus! Feeling mature! Not having to ask Mom or Dad for rides! The cons, well: giving rides to brothers and sisters, paying for gas and taking that last friend, who lives completely out of your way, home. So, check that oil! Check those tire pressures! FASTEN THOSE SEATBELTS and keep on driving (or trucking)! See you on the road! |