Gene's Car Tips - certifiedauto.com

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!

Renewable Vehicle Materials Attracts Wildlife

To be “greener”, car manufacturers are using soy-based (and in some cases cannabis) on the wiring covers in vehicles. Some manufacturers are even using soy in the foam of their car seats.

It seems mice, rats, squirrels, and other wildlife classified as rodents, enjoy it. Now, we know that rodents chewing on wiring in cars is nothing new, but since soy has been introduced in wiring components, there has been an uptick in the problem. Why are they attracted to wiring? Rodents’ teeth continue to grow, much like our fingernails, and they chew sticks, branches and yes, wiring, to file them down.

Chewed or bent wiring can be a very expensive and difficult repair and service. The best plan of action is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here are a few suggestions:

Peppermint Oil – Spray it on the wiring. Wildlife do not like the smell or taste. You can find it online or at auto parts stores.

Keep Your Car Clean – We see a lot of vehicles and can tell many people eat in their cars. If crumbs are dropped, it is an open invitation to animals to “come and dine!”

Drive – Cars that aren’t driven for long periods of time are sitting targets for rodents. They like to build a cozy nest under the hood.

If you find debris under the hood of your vehicle from rodents, be very careful when trying to clean out the mess. An airborne disease called Hantavirus is caused from rodent urine and feces. Always wear gloves and even a face mask to protect yourself.

Most insurance companies will cover this problem if you carry comprehensive. They may have a deductible though. It is a good idea to check with your insurance company just in case. When it comes to your car, prevention, as always, is the best solution!

What Do the Best Auto Repair Shops Do?

They go the extra mile, of course, to offer the very best service for your vehicle! The goal is to:

Keep your car safe and reliable.
Inspect your car every time you are in for service to prevent unexpected breakdowns.
Create a complete list of services and/or repairs due now for your review…and those that aren’t needed right now, but in the future.
Educate you on the process of how and why services/repairs are needed. This helps you schedule future appointments and enables you to budget for those services/repairs needed.
Make your experience as convenient as possible!

How do the best auto repair shops make this happen?

A questionnaire is given to customers to determine the goals each customer has for their vehicle.
Manufacturer recommended service intervals along with experience and scientific tests are used.
Original equipment parts or aftermarket equivalents are used to ensure the best possible service.
Offer the best warranty possible to give you peace of mind (3 years or 36,000 miles).
Send reminders when services are due and work with your schedule.

Beware – Your Car Can Spy on You!

Cars can do a lot for us these days. They tell us how to get someplace, let us know when we need the oil changed, update us on tire pressure, remote start, and even let us know if we are stressed and have high blood pressure! Voice commands are great as it keeps our eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. This is all good…or is it?

Our cars, like our smart phones and other devices, collect an amazing amount of data on us. They even share this data! Just like all our connected devices, it can be hacked. Most people don’t even think about this, and many aren’t aware that their car can upload data to the cloud and other servers.

What can you do to protect your privacy?

*Before purchasing a car, always review the privacy policy. Knowing what and how the information is collected and how it is used goes a long way to secure your information.

*When purchasing a used vehicle, make sure the previous owners’ information is wiped clean by requesting a factory reset.

*When selling your vehicle, make sure your information is also wiped clean.

Think of your car as a smart phone on wheels. That will help you make intelligent decisions on what software to download, which online services to access and how to minimize the data collected on you. We all must be more aware these days. We hope this article helps you maintain your privacy.

What’s Stopping You?

Imagine driving along and suddenly pushing down on the brake pedal and “yikes!” … you don’t stop! That is something I hope you never experience. Another very scary experience is this; you do stop but not until you slammed the pedal to the floor. This indicates a brake line leak and you need to have this taken care of immediately. Today, most cars are equipped with a brake “warning light” that will illuminate when you have a leak in your system. This alert should not be ignored or you may find yourself unable to stop at all.

Here are some signs that your brakes need attention. When you apply the brakes, you experience:

The pedal pulses or vibrates
A scraping noise
Squealing occurs
A jerky feel
The pedal goes to the floor

Your brake system includes the following:

Pads and shoes
Rotors and Drums
Calipers (disc brakes)
Fluid
Hardware
Hoses and steel lines

These components work in perfect harmony to make your vehicle stop when you need to. Generally, these components don’t all fail at once but need to be maintained individually to keep them working well together. If left unattended though, the consequences aren’t good. Our technicians are here to make sure you can stop when you need to. Contact us today!

My Oil Is Obsolete

All cars have a specific oil that needs to be used or damage will occur. This is why some car engines have 200,000, 300,000 or even 400,000 miles on them while others only get half that many. The use of incorrect oil dramatically lowers fuel mileage, causes damage to systems that result in the increased emissions of toxic substances, and damages emission control systems, including catalytic converters and oxygen sensors.

The use of obsolete oil is not something consumers think about when they get an oil change, even if they change their own oil. Lately though, this concern has been brought to our attention. Modern cars are designed with much tighter internal engine clearances than in years past so using the correct oil is critical.

If your starburst symbol oil label does not specify GF-5 SN it is not suitable for most cars newer than 2011. The labeling on the oil contains “obvious and unambiguous language” regarding its intended and appropriate use. I am sad to report many shops don’t understand the consequences of incorrect oil labeling.

If you have heard the term “Sludge” and I hope you never do regarding your own car, it is caused by two things – waiting too long to change the engine oil or using incorrect oil for your specific application. European cars have even stricter additive packages that if not adhered to, will really wreak havoc on the internal parts of your engine.

I recommend a clear label for which oil is required with your car and asking questions when you arrive at your trusted automotive shop to make sure they intend to follow the label instructions.

The above precautions are not necessary here at Certified Auto Specialists – when it comes to oil, “we know the drill!” AAA shops have to adhere to higher standards and are held accountable for their actions. Be an informed consumer, not one with a broken car.

Keeping Your Vehicle’s Air Cooler and Fresher!

Most all vehicles have a recirculation button with the AC controls. It is the picture of a car with a U-turn arrow on it, but many of us are unsure when to use it. Well, the easy answer is to use it in the summer and turn it off in the winter. The recirculation button simply takes the air from inside the car and recirculates it in the cabin instead of pulling fresh air from outside.

On days when it is miserably hot outside, the recirculate button uses the cooler air in the cabin, which will keep the inside air cooler, instead of pulling hot air from outside and trying to cool it. Using the recirculation feature will get your car cooler and will decrease the wear and tear on your AC system.

Here is something that is good to know! If your car has been baking in the sun all day, it’s better to roll the windows down and turn the recirculate off for the first minute or so to get rid of the super-hot air inside the car before turning the recirculate on.

Also, any time you are stuck in traffic (summer or winter) be sure to use the recirculate. If you are pulling air from outside, then you are pulling in all the pollutants and carbon monoxide from all the traffic. Studies show that recirculating your AC can cut down on the pollutants entering your vehicle by 20% when stuck in traffic!

Don’t forget your cabin filter! This will also ensure smooth and quite blower operation and keep out dust and pollen! Have your cabin filter inspected every 15,000 miles.

Certified Automotive Specialists
“Always Glad to Help”
Vermont – 626-963-0814 or Route 66 – 626-852-0908
or visit our website www.CertifiedAutoCa.com
Hometown Service You Can Count On!

It’s Kind Of Like…

Your vehicle’s health systems are a lot like our own personal health. Really!

Clogged Filters – When your filters get full of debris, they can’t do their job. Like how a person with asthma must feel. Cabin air filters protect you and your passengers from contaminants such as pollen, mold spores, dust and other small and annoying particles. Oil filters extend the life of your engine, transmission and differential fluids.

Sludge – This is actually a gooey, tar like substance that deposits itself inside your car’s engine, similar to a clogged artery. Motor oil, in addition to lubrication, protects your engine from excessive heat. When engine oil fails, sludge deposits are the result. Some engines have more trouble than others due to poor design. Their passages are smaller and oil actually bakes inside the engine.

Smoke – We all know by now how bad smoking is for us. When your car has a smoking issue, it is actually sending you an SOS – “Help me!”

Black exhaust smoke means the engine is burning too much fuel. The first thing we check is the air-filter and other intake components like sensors, fuel injectors and the fuel-pressure regulator.

Blue smoke is a clear sign that the engine is burning oil. Likely the valve guide seals or piston rings are worn out, and oil is penetrating beyond the moving parts being lubricated, into the combustion chamber where it’s being burned up with fuel.

Gray smoke can mean that your car is burning oil or suffering from a bad turbocharger. With older cars, automatic transmission fluid can get sucked into the engine through the vacuum modular or could simply mean a stuck PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve.

Certified Automotive Specialists
“Always Glad to Help”
Vermont 626-963-0814 or Route 66 626-852-0908

Hometown Service You Can Count On!