Older Vehicles Archives | Cerified Auto

Keeping Your Older Car Saves You Money!

Prices seem to be out of control these days and new car prices are no exception. I was shocked to read that a few decades ago you could buy a skyrocket for the price of today’s new cars. Is that where the expression, “prices are skyrocketing” came from? Hmmm… It just makes financial sense to keep your current car running well and your bank balance healthier. How do you do that? Here is a list of ways to keep your car for years to come.

Pay attention to the warning lights! They really are trying to tell you something.
Follow the manufacturer’s preventive maintenance schedules.
Keep the oil changed regularly.
Wash and wax to keep the outside looking good.
Clean the inside frequently.
Make sure your tires are properly inflated, rotated in a timely manner, and have good tread.
Vehicle alignment is important…especially if you frequently hit potholes.
Fluids are the life blood of your vehicle. Have them checked and changed regularly. If you notice leaks on your garage floor or on the pavement where you park your car, get it checked out.
To keep your emergency brake healthy…use it!

We are here to help keep your vehicle healthy for miles to come!

Cars 1900-1930

Over the next few weeks I thought I would share with you the beginnings of car production in the United States. I hope you find it as interesting as I do!

Cars Through The Ages: 1900-1930

1900 – 1910

1900 – American manufacturers make 4,192 cars at a purchase price of $1,000 each.
1901 – The Olds factory begins production in Detroit and produced 425 cars that year.
1902 – Louis Renault invents the standard drum brakes.
1903 – Henry Ford raises $28,000 to found the Ford Motor Company and produces the Model A.
1904 – Ford starts exporting cars to Britain.
1905 – The installment finance plan for cars begins in America.
1906 – America produces 33,500 cars.
1907 – The price of the Ford Model N increases to $600.
1908 – The first Model T is built and 8,000 are produced. GM is started by William Durant.
1909 – At the 5th “Indy Car Race” in Indianapolis, Indiana, Louis Chevrolet wins driving a Buick.
1910 – Automobile production reaches 181,000 in the U.S.A.

1911 – 1920

1911 – The electric starter was introduced to replace hand cranking.
1912 – Cadillac’s come equipped with Delco electric self-starters and electric lighting.
1913 – Ford develops the first moving assembly line for cars.
1914 – Dodge introduces the first car body made completely of steel & Ford production workers now make an industry record of $5 per day.
1915 – Cadillac presents the first successful V8 engine in the U.S.A.
1916 – Manual windshield wipers (patented by Mary Anderson in 1903) are replaced by ones powered by vacuum from the engine’s inlet manifold.
1917 – The first Oshkosh four wheel drive truck is introduced.
1918 – Car registrations in the U.S.A. exceed 5 million.
1919 – Henry Ford pays $100 million to buy out all stock holders of the Ford Motor Company.
1920 – Model T Fords make up half of all motor vehicles in the world.

1921 – 1930

1921 – Lincoln introduces their V8.
1922 – Over one million Model T’s are produced by Ford.
1923 – Over 2,000,000 Model T’s leave the Ford production lines.
1924 – Walter P Chrysler begins to produce his own cars after leaving the position as General Motors Vice President.
1925 – General Motors Research Corp leaves Dayton, Ohio and moves to Detroit, Michigan.
1926 – Cadillac introduces shatter-resistant glass.
1927 – The Model T, after 19 years and fifteen million vehicles ends production.
1928 – Chrysler buys Dodge for $175,000,000.
1929 – 26.5 million cars are registered in the U.S.A.
1930 – Economic depression causes car sales to drop.

Certified Auto Specialists is always here to help! Call us today for an appointment or with any questions at 626-963-0814.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

When The Odometer Reads 100,000 Miles

Back in the day it pretty much meant you needed to go shopping for a brand new car when the odometer turned over to 100,000 miles. The components would be completely worn out and the body would more than likely be the worse for wear too. Today’s cars are designed to keep going and going…as long as you take good care of them!

Cars aren’t all that much different than us humans! If you eat right, exercise, take supplements, have regular checks up and get plenty of fluids…they tell us we will be around a lot longer and should lead a long and healthy life.

Your car is the same way. It needs to be given the right fluids on a regular basis (and exchanged periodically), it’s charging and cooling systems checked and the brakes and exhaust system kept in good working order.

Today’s cars do go longer between service visits than the previous 3,000 miles that we all adhered to, but you still need to visit your automotive repair shop at least three times a year. There is a seldom read book in your glove box…take it out and look at it. Notice that it has recommendations for certain items to be taken care of each time you fill up with gas? Other items are to be checked monthly? I can tell you from looking at my customer’s cars that these items do not get checked between visits to my shop! That is why those that put off service for 1,000 miles or longer are pushing the envelope!

Newer vehicles have a friendly built in alert system that tell you when services are due to be taken care of. This is good because ignoring your car is not as easy as ignoring your owner’s manual or your mailed or emailed service reminder!

When your vehicle celebrates 100,000 miles treat it to some major preventive maintenance. It would be like giving a friend a day at the spa for rejuvenation. Look at it as a birthday gift for your car. Even though they are built to go many miles these days…reaching 100,000 miles is still a major milestone and should be treated as such. Then…wish it 100,000 more miles!

Please call us with any questions at 626-963-0814 or visit our website at www.CertifiedAutoCA.com.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

Odometer Rollback On Your Glendora California Auto

Well, back in ’86, Congress passed the Truth-in-Mileage Act to protect California consumers against mileage fraud. It says a California seller must certify the mileage reported is the Actual Mileage.

To have your odometer checked in Glendora California, stop by Certified Auto Specialists:

Certified Auto Specialists
Glendora, California 91741 626-963-0814

If it isn’t, the seller must say why; like maybe the odometer is past its mechanical limits. Some older odometers only go to 99,999 miles and then start over at 0. Or, the odometer has been tampered with, broken or replaced.

If the seller tells you the mileage isn’t accurate, there’s not much chance of putting a good number to it; And there’s the unscrupulous seller who claims the reading is true, but it’s not so. What can Glendora motorists do?

First, you can go to www.CarFax.com, where for a small fee, they’ll give you a comprehensive vehicle history search on your sedan, showing local Glendora, California ownership history, accident reports, total-loss events, manufacturer buybacks, Lemon reports and warranty status.

Glendora drivers can get a mileage history by checking with the local California DMV (or wherever you happen to be) and other verified sources looking for inconsistencies in the mileage reported when the car’s bought and sold. If there are signs odometer rollback, now you’ll now.

If so, proceed with caution. Or, negotiate a lower price. Or just walk away. There’s always another.

What To Do After You Buy a Used Vehicle in Glendora

So you’ve bought a used car in the Glendora area. How do you know what you’re getting? It is hard to know what you’re getting because people in the Glendora area sell cars for different reasons. Think about why you’ve sold cars. Did you just want something new or were there problems that you wanted to run away from. Maybe it was a little of both.

Used cars with 25,000 to 35,000 miles on them are often lease returns, corporate program cars or vehicles that have done duty in rental fleets. We feel pretty confident because they’re newer and may still be under warranty. But how well have they been maintained?

If you plan on owning a car for a long time, you’ll keep up on the maintenance so that you can avoid expensive repairs down the road. But, if you know you’re only going to have the car for two or three years, you may not be so committed to maintenance. It would be easy to think that skipping an oil change here and there wouldn’t ruin a brand new engine. Then it’ll be someone else’s problem when it comes time to pay for the damage.

It would be very tempting to skip the 30,000 mile service if you knew you’d be turning in your leased vehicle in a couple of months.

If the vehicle didn’t come with maintenance records, you need to assume the worst. Most likely the coolant system and transmission have never been serviced. The cabin air filter has probably not been changed and a fuel system cleaning may be in order.

You’ll want Certified Auto Specialists to check the air conditioning, battery, engine air filter, serpentine belt and hoses. An inspection at Certified Auto Specialists is well worth the cost.

And if your “new” used vehicle has more miles on it, an inspection is even more important. Check your owner’s manual or talk with your service advisor at Certified Auto Specialists (call 626-963-0814) about what should have been done. Please don’t forget the timing belt; that can be very expensive if it fails.

Certified Auto Specialists will help you with a plan to take care of critical services and get the rest caught up. If your budget won’t allow you to take care of everything right away, we can help you prioritize your needs and get it taken care of over the next several months. And remember to keep your maintenance records. They’ll help you get top dollar when it’s time for you to sell.

Certified Auto Specialists
476 Vermont Avenue
Glendora, California 91741
626-963-0814