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OEM? What in the heck is an OEM?
We understand that talking about automotive parts can seem like a drag instead of talking about the accessories. Huh? What? Aren't they the same thing? In our business they are two different things, parts are what makes a car a car, accessories are those extra things that make your car something special. I know we do a lot of pushing for Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts, and aftermarket parts can be just as good as OEM. There are advantages of getting OEM parts, they save time during the repair process and OEM parts are more likely to be re-engineered if there is a change in specification due to general engineering evolution or if there was something more pressing such as recall that required an updated part. It allows your car to be returned to you in a better condition than what it was prior to the accident.
Making sure your car is well hydrated.
Now time for something that most car owners don't like to do, but the reality is that it doesn't take that long and can tip you off about possible problems with your vehicle owners to a problem before it becomes a major source of aggravation. So lets start by checking the oil.
1.Make sure the car is parked on a level surface.
2.Open the Hood.
3.The oil dipstick will normally be located in a central location on the engine block and the handle will be colord (Normally yellow).
4.Pull the dipstick out and clean it with a rag or paper towel.
5.Put the dipstick back in and pull it out.
6.Look at the pointy end of the dipstick. If the oil on the dipstick is below the line marked "full," add a small amount of oil. Many dipsticks simply have 2 lines with a cross hatch design in between. The oil level should be halfway between these 2 lines.
7.Add the oil by unscrewing the oil filler cap, which is about 3 inches in diameter and located on the very top of the engine. It will usually be marked with the words "Engine Oil".
8.Check the oil level with the dipstick after adding oil. Add more if necessary. It's easier to add more oil several times, than to take oil out.
9.Put the oil filler cap back on and secure it tightly
As you were looking at the oil on the dipstick, take note of anything that may seem “off”. If you see metal flakes in the oil or notice a discoloration like green, pink, red, or yellow, then make sure to get your car into the repair shop because this could be a precursor to catastrophic engine failure. So you will want to schedule a service appointment, or if someone else is going to do the work you can make sure the right parts get ordered for your vehicle.
So that looks fine, but now you need to check your transmission fluid to help keep your car in tip top shape.
1.Locate the dipstick for your transmission. It is usually near the back of the engine, and the stick handle is either a T-handle or a ring handle.
2.Start the car engine.
3.Grasp the dipstick handle and pull straight up until the end of the stick clears the housing tube. Wipe the stick off with a rag, and push it all the back down into the tube.
4.Pull the stick all the way out again and hold it so you can see the end of the stick and the film of fluid that clings to it.
5.Look for the level indicators stamped or drilled into the dipstick. You should see two sets of indicators. One set is for checking the fluid when the engine is cold, and the other set is for checking the fluid when the engine is hot. Each set of indicators is marked with a "full" line and an "add" line.
6.Determine whether your transmission fluid is at the proper level by finding the spot on the dipstick where the film of fluid ends. If the film ends near the "full" mark or somewhere near the halfway point between "full" and "add," your transmission has an adequate fluid level.
7.Return the dipstick to the holding tube and push it all the way back down into the tube. Fully seat the dipstick in the holding tube.
Just like with oil, pay attention to anything that doesn't look right, metal flakes in the fluid, color being far darker than what it expected, if there is something that you don't feel right about or you know isn't right, make it a point to get your car checked by a mechanic. For vehicles with high mileage it may be just replacing the filter in the transmission, or it may involve the cost and time of a full rebuild or replacement of the transmission.
Now we've got those two levels checked, lets see how we are doing on brake fluid.
1.Locate the brake master cylinder. It will almost always be close to the back of the engine compartment on the driver's side, it will be a big metal circle with a small reservoir sitting just in front of it. The cap may be labeled.
2.Clean the top of the cap with a rag to prevent dirt from entering the reservoir when you open it.
3.Open the reservoir cap. It may screw off or just pull off.
4.In some vehicles the reservoir cap may have a rubber diaphragm that has been pulled out. If that is the case, then use something like a plastic spoon to collapse the diagram back. You shouldn't allow brake fluid to touch exposed skin or paint because it is corrosive.
5.Check the fluid level. You will see full- and low-level indicators on the side of the reservoir or inside the opening.
6.Add brake fluid up to the full line if needed. Use a funnel to avoid spills.
7.Put the cap back on and close the hood.
These three checks don't take a lot of time and can let you know of problems that may be starting to develop so you can get them fixed before they become problems that incapacitate you at the worst possible time.
1.Make sure the car is parked on a level surface.
2.Open the Hood.
3.The oil dipstick will normally be located in a central location on the engine block and the handle will be colord (Normally yellow).
4.Pull the dipstick out and clean it with a rag or paper towel.
5.Put the dipstick back in and pull it out.
6.Look at the pointy end of the dipstick. If the oil on the dipstick is below the line marked "full," add a small amount of oil. Many dipsticks simply have 2 lines with a cross hatch design in between. The oil level should be halfway between these 2 lines.
7.Add the oil by unscrewing the oil filler cap, which is about 3 inches in diameter and located on the very top of the engine. It will usually be marked with the words "Engine Oil".
8.Check the oil level with the dipstick after adding oil. Add more if necessary. It's easier to add more oil several times, than to take oil out.
9.Put the oil filler cap back on and secure it tightly
As you were looking at the oil on the dipstick, take note of anything that may seem “off”. If you see metal flakes in the oil or notice a discoloration like green, pink, red, or yellow, then make sure to get your car into the repair shop because this could be a precursor to catastrophic engine failure. So you will want to schedule a service appointment, or if someone else is going to do the work you can make sure the right parts get ordered for your vehicle.
So that looks fine, but now you need to check your transmission fluid to help keep your car in tip top shape.
1.Locate the dipstick for your transmission. It is usually near the back of the engine, and the stick handle is either a T-handle or a ring handle.
2.Start the car engine.
3.Grasp the dipstick handle and pull straight up until the end of the stick clears the housing tube. Wipe the stick off with a rag, and push it all the back down into the tube.
4.Pull the stick all the way out again and hold it so you can see the end of the stick and the film of fluid that clings to it.
5.Look for the level indicators stamped or drilled into the dipstick. You should see two sets of indicators. One set is for checking the fluid when the engine is cold, and the other set is for checking the fluid when the engine is hot. Each set of indicators is marked with a "full" line and an "add" line.
6.Determine whether your transmission fluid is at the proper level by finding the spot on the dipstick where the film of fluid ends. If the film ends near the "full" mark or somewhere near the halfway point between "full" and "add," your transmission has an adequate fluid level.
7.Return the dipstick to the holding tube and push it all the way back down into the tube. Fully seat the dipstick in the holding tube.
Just like with oil, pay attention to anything that doesn't look right, metal flakes in the fluid, color being far darker than what it expected, if there is something that you don't feel right about or you know isn't right, make it a point to get your car checked by a mechanic. For vehicles with high mileage it may be just replacing the filter in the transmission, or it may involve the cost and time of a full rebuild or replacement of the transmission.
Now we've got those two levels checked, lets see how we are doing on brake fluid.
1.Locate the brake master cylinder. It will almost always be close to the back of the engine compartment on the driver's side, it will be a big metal circle with a small reservoir sitting just in front of it. The cap may be labeled.
2.Clean the top of the cap with a rag to prevent dirt from entering the reservoir when you open it.
3.Open the reservoir cap. It may screw off or just pull off.
4.In some vehicles the reservoir cap may have a rubber diaphragm that has been pulled out. If that is the case, then use something like a plastic spoon to collapse the diagram back. You shouldn't allow brake fluid to touch exposed skin or paint because it is corrosive.
5.Check the fluid level. You will see full- and low-level indicators on the side of the reservoir or inside the opening.
6.Add brake fluid up to the full line if needed. Use a funnel to avoid spills.
7.Put the cap back on and close the hood.
These three checks don't take a lot of time and can let you know of problems that may be starting to develop so you can get them fixed before they become problems that incapacitate you at the worst possible time.
I don't want to spend that much!!!!
A lot of people that go into dealerships and tire stores every day and get a case of sticker shock. Then start to lament about the good old days when tires were only $39.95 apiece.
The first culprit the cost of oil, not just the production costs that have increased over 250% in ten years. Consider that out of a 42 gallon barrel of oil, approximately 37.5 gallons are used for fueling and heating purposes, out of the remaining 4.5 gallons there is competition for that oil to make products that use oil, including computers, perfume and colognes, plastics, petroleum jelly, ammonia, and even bubble gum just to name a few things. So with an increase in cost and an increase in the number of industries that need to use the material, its only natural that production costs increase.
The next thing that increases the cost is designing for individual models, looking back to the early 80s, there may have been as many as 48 different types of tires that covered all makes and models of vehicles from a manufacturer. Today, it isn't even shocking to see a single manufacturer with over 1500 different models that cover a wide array of makes, models, weather, and terrain condtions. Why all this specialization? When a car maker engineers a new model year, those cars are designed from the tires up, the maker gives the tire specifications to the tire manufacturer and the tire manufacturer creates the tire. If there is less of a product and production costs are the same, to recoup the investment at a minimum, the price needs to increase..
Finally, those new tires you get on your new car, they are sold to the car maker at a discount. Because most people want to stick with the same brand of tire that came with their vehicle, so the tire manufacturer gets rights to what is called the OEM (Original Engineered Manufacturer) market for that model to help them recoup the cost.
Are these bad things? Not necessarily, the tires that came on your new car were designed with your make and model in mind, so this helps improve fuel efficiency by providing better traction and handling, lessens wear on your vehicle's suspension keeping the car running and out of the shop. The average life of tires has almost doubled from 24,000 miles in the 1980s to 45,000 miles today. So instead of changing tires every 18 months to 2 years, they are not being changed for 4 to 5 years, there may be sticker shock, but in the long term, you're actually going to be saving time and money using tires that were designed with a specific vehicle in mind.
The first culprit the cost of oil, not just the production costs that have increased over 250% in ten years. Consider that out of a 42 gallon barrel of oil, approximately 37.5 gallons are used for fueling and heating purposes, out of the remaining 4.5 gallons there is competition for that oil to make products that use oil, including computers, perfume and colognes, plastics, petroleum jelly, ammonia, and even bubble gum just to name a few things. So with an increase in cost and an increase in the number of industries that need to use the material, its only natural that production costs increase.
The next thing that increases the cost is designing for individual models, looking back to the early 80s, there may have been as many as 48 different types of tires that covered all makes and models of vehicles from a manufacturer. Today, it isn't even shocking to see a single manufacturer with over 1500 different models that cover a wide array of makes, models, weather, and terrain condtions. Why all this specialization? When a car maker engineers a new model year, those cars are designed from the tires up, the maker gives the tire specifications to the tire manufacturer and the tire manufacturer creates the tire. If there is less of a product and production costs are the same, to recoup the investment at a minimum, the price needs to increase..
Finally, those new tires you get on your new car, they are sold to the car maker at a discount. Because most people want to stick with the same brand of tire that came with their vehicle, so the tire manufacturer gets rights to what is called the OEM (Original Engineered Manufacturer) market for that model to help them recoup the cost.
Are these bad things? Not necessarily, the tires that came on your new car were designed with your make and model in mind, so this helps improve fuel efficiency by providing better traction and handling, lessens wear on your vehicle's suspension keeping the car running and out of the shop. The average life of tires has almost doubled from 24,000 miles in the 1980s to 45,000 miles today. So instead of changing tires every 18 months to 2 years, they are not being changed for 4 to 5 years, there may be sticker shock, but in the long term, you're actually going to be saving time and money using tires that were designed with a specific vehicle in mind.
Myths about those little round things under your car.
Tire myths abound out in the automotive universe, ranging from price to durability to handling. But here are some of the more egregious myths, and when someone tries to sell you it, you can have an answer at the ready.
1.Tires should be inflated to the pressures indicated on the sidewall. No, inflate the tires to the pressures listed on the car information panel on the door or in the glove box or listed in the vehicle's owners manual. Cars are designed from the tires up.
2.A tread pattern is needed to provide great traction on dry roads. Not really, traction is a product of how much of the tire is in contact with the road, so ideally the best traction is with racing slicks (tires without tread) given a choice between two tires of the same size.
3.If not for cost, race tires would be ideal for high performance vehicles. No, they would be worse for high performance vehicles because tires used for Nascar are designed with individual tracks, likely weather conditions, and cars in mind. The tires used at the Daytona 500 for Jimmy Johnson's car are different than the tires used at Martinsville for the Goody's 500 for his car, those same tires that are used at Daytona in February are different from the tires that used at Daytona for the Coke Zero 400 in July. So you would end up with a ride that is rougher and doesn't handle as well using those tires.
4.Performance tires wear out because of the sticky compounds. The treadlife for performance tires is nearly identical to tires used on the family van. The real culprit is the aggressive driving: jackrabbit starts, quick stops, and hard cornering that most high performance vehicle owners perform, that will shorten the life of any tire.
5.Wide tires provide better traction. The other great traction myth, wider is better. No it isn't better, because as a tire gets wider, the weight becomes more dispersed, and the less weight bearing down on a section, friction is less so traction is decreased. In the case of snow tires, the tires are not going to dig through the snow and grab the road.
6.Tires are made of a single rubber compound. If the tires on a mountain bike on sale at Wal-Mart aren't made from a single compound, what do you think the odds are that tires are made out of a single compound?
7.A sidewall undulation indicates weakness. An undulation, as opposed to a bulge, occurs when materials overlap in the carcass of the tire. It may not look pleasing but those undulations are the strongest part of the tire. Most manufacturers are starting to use different construction techniques to remove those undulations and retain that same strength.
8.The best way to test a tire on the floor is to dig a fingernail into the tread and kick them. Well that is no and no, unless the goals are to get fingernails dirty and test shoe construction.
1.Tires should be inflated to the pressures indicated on the sidewall. No, inflate the tires to the pressures listed on the car information panel on the door or in the glove box or listed in the vehicle's owners manual. Cars are designed from the tires up.
2.A tread pattern is needed to provide great traction on dry roads. Not really, traction is a product of how much of the tire is in contact with the road, so ideally the best traction is with racing slicks (tires without tread) given a choice between two tires of the same size.
3.If not for cost, race tires would be ideal for high performance vehicles. No, they would be worse for high performance vehicles because tires used for Nascar are designed with individual tracks, likely weather conditions, and cars in mind. The tires used at the Daytona 500 for Jimmy Johnson's car are different than the tires used at Martinsville for the Goody's 500 for his car, those same tires that are used at Daytona in February are different from the tires that used at Daytona for the Coke Zero 400 in July. So you would end up with a ride that is rougher and doesn't handle as well using those tires.
4.Performance tires wear out because of the sticky compounds. The treadlife for performance tires is nearly identical to tires used on the family van. The real culprit is the aggressive driving: jackrabbit starts, quick stops, and hard cornering that most high performance vehicle owners perform, that will shorten the life of any tire.
5.Wide tires provide better traction. The other great traction myth, wider is better. No it isn't better, because as a tire gets wider, the weight becomes more dispersed, and the less weight bearing down on a section, friction is less so traction is decreased. In the case of snow tires, the tires are not going to dig through the snow and grab the road.
6.Tires are made of a single rubber compound. If the tires on a mountain bike on sale at Wal-Mart aren't made from a single compound, what do you think the odds are that tires are made out of a single compound?
7.A sidewall undulation indicates weakness. An undulation, as opposed to a bulge, occurs when materials overlap in the carcass of the tire. It may not look pleasing but those undulations are the strongest part of the tire. Most manufacturers are starting to use different construction techniques to remove those undulations and retain that same strength.
8.The best way to test a tire on the floor is to dig a fingernail into the tread and kick them. Well that is no and no, unless the goals are to get fingernails dirty and test shoe construction.
Huh....what?? I wasn't Driving Distracted
Distracted Driving, sounds pretty straight forward, your driving, but you're doing something else that is taking your attention away from keeping your car on the road. The US Department of Transportation (http://www.distraction.gov/stats-and-facts/) breaks distracted driving down to three main types of distractions.
Visual – Taking your eyes off the road.
Manual – Taking your hands off the steering wheel.
Cognitive – Taking your mind off what you are doing.
We've all been distracted before; eating that cheeseburger, combing hair, fighting with your significant other while driving, talking on the phone, and texting someone or receiving a text.
Some of the distracted driving studies are scary, using a cell phone just for talking gives people the response times of a person with a BAC of .08, and with texting it gets even worse, four times worse to be exact. During a minute of driving, if you are not texting, you're distracted for 6 seconds, if you are texting you are going to be distracted for 24 seconds. To put that in perspective, a distracted person that is driving 30 mph loses about 260 feet that they travelled, texting increases that to over a thousand feet, which dramatically increases the chances you will be in an accident.
Another thing to consider is that states are catching on to the whole texting while driving and are enacting laws against it the fines can range from a slap on the wrist of $20 to being treated as if you are guilty of a DUI. So even if it is a $20 fine, do you really want to be spending your money that way?
So how do you minimize the distractions? A number of different ways.
Turn off the cell phone.
If you have GPS enter your addresses in before you start driving.
For your radio, just set the station before you take off.
Maintain a proper following distance while driving, so if you do become distracted you do have time to react.
Driving is not the time to have a heated argument or a cathartic release of emotions, it takes you away from concentrating on the road.
Just about every place you can buy prepared food has tables, use them.
The car isn't the place to groom yourself while driving (combing your hair, applying makeup, and yes plucking your eyebrows). You can always freshen up after you've parked the car and no one will be any the wiser.
So why rant on texting? Well that has some of the most comprehensive studies currently. The reality is that you should have your eyes and head in traffic and your hands on the wheel at all times. Not only for your own safety, but to create those positive influences for your children when they start driving.
The strongest habits are the ones that we learn when we are young, so if you give your children a strong foundation of good habits while driving they will carry that forward when they start driving even if they tell you otherwise (but your heart attacks won't stop when they pull out of the driveway). When you talk to them about the responsibility of owning and driving a vehicle, they will have all those years of watching you be a safe driver and the pieces will come together making them a safer driver and eventually allowing you relax when they go out in the car.
Visual – Taking your eyes off the road.
Manual – Taking your hands off the steering wheel.
Cognitive – Taking your mind off what you are doing.
We've all been distracted before; eating that cheeseburger, combing hair, fighting with your significant other while driving, talking on the phone, and texting someone or receiving a text.
Some of the distracted driving studies are scary, using a cell phone just for talking gives people the response times of a person with a BAC of .08, and with texting it gets even worse, four times worse to be exact. During a minute of driving, if you are not texting, you're distracted for 6 seconds, if you are texting you are going to be distracted for 24 seconds. To put that in perspective, a distracted person that is driving 30 mph loses about 260 feet that they travelled, texting increases that to over a thousand feet, which dramatically increases the chances you will be in an accident.
Another thing to consider is that states are catching on to the whole texting while driving and are enacting laws against it the fines can range from a slap on the wrist of $20 to being treated as if you are guilty of a DUI. So even if it is a $20 fine, do you really want to be spending your money that way?
So how do you minimize the distractions? A number of different ways.
Turn off the cell phone.
If you have GPS enter your addresses in before you start driving.
For your radio, just set the station before you take off.
Maintain a proper following distance while driving, so if you do become distracted you do have time to react.
Driving is not the time to have a heated argument or a cathartic release of emotions, it takes you away from concentrating on the road.
Just about every place you can buy prepared food has tables, use them.
The car isn't the place to groom yourself while driving (combing your hair, applying makeup, and yes plucking your eyebrows). You can always freshen up after you've parked the car and no one will be any the wiser.
So why rant on texting? Well that has some of the most comprehensive studies currently. The reality is that you should have your eyes and head in traffic and your hands on the wheel at all times. Not only for your own safety, but to create those positive influences for your children when they start driving.
The strongest habits are the ones that we learn when we are young, so if you give your children a strong foundation of good habits while driving they will carry that forward when they start driving even if they tell you otherwise (but your heart attacks won't stop when they pull out of the driveway). When you talk to them about the responsibility of owning and driving a vehicle, they will have all those years of watching you be a safe driver and the pieces will come together making them a safer driver and eventually allowing you relax when they go out in the car.
Accidents will happen
You are driving down the street and someone thinks that a red-light is just a general guide to stop and next thing you know you are in an accident. What do you do?
1.Move your vehicle to a safe place. Keep in mind, that state or local statutes may prevent you from doing this. If you cannot move the vehicle, turn on your hazard lights, to keep other vehicles from piling into the same accident.
2.If necessary, seek medical help for yourself, your passengers, or if necessary the occupants of the other vehicle.
3.Notify the police, give them the location of the accident, any claimed injuries.
4.Take note of all passengers and witnesses.
5.Get the names and badge numbers of any police officers that arrive at the scene.
6.Ask for a copy of the police report. It may not be immediately available, but the responding officer(s) should be able to give you the information to obtain a copy of the police report once it has been filed.
7.Avoid any extensive discussion of the accident at the scene about responsibility. This is to protect you. If the other driver offers you a money settlement and you accept, you may compromise your ability to collect if additional damage or injuries are discovered at a later date.
8.Write a complete description of the accident as soon as possible. Include weather conditions, approximate speeds, and as much precise information as you can provide. If possible, take photographs, not only of the accident itself but the surrounding area.
9.Have the vehicle towed or driven to the collision repair facility of your choice, like this one in Sioux Falls, SD that can take care of the entire vehicle if it was damaged in an accident.
Okay, now you've got the car to the repair shop, and insurance is going to repair the car instead of writing the car off. Here are some questions to help you with getting your car repaired in an efficient manner.
Disclaimer: The following information is designed to aide you in the repair of your damaged vehicle. The material is intended to be general in nature.
Before obtaining repairs, you should contact your attorney to ensure that the information complies with your state laws and regulations.
Q: Must I get three estimates?
A: Unless your policy states otherwise, you only need to get one estimate. However, different eyes looking at the same thing may find different issues. Case in point, a while back my parked car was struck by another vehicle. I went to three repair shops, the first one said only the front quarter panel had to be replaced, but the other two found damage to the suspension that had to be repaired.
Q: I was told I must take my car to a certain repair shop, is this really true?
A: See the reason for the disclaimer at the top? This is a wide grey area, some states have laws that bar insurers from dictating where repair work is performed, others allow the insurer to dictate when and how the repairs are done.
Q: What is the best procedure for me to get quality repairs and get my vehicle back on the road quickly?
A: Take the vehicle to reputable repair shop, leave it with the manager. Instruct the manager to contact the insurance company to advise them of the damage (in the case of larger shops, they may have software they use to write the estimate and submit it to the insurance company which helps speed up and standardize the process). Also, call the insurance company and let them know where the vehicle is at.
Q: Who is responsible for my repair shop bill, me or the insurance company?
A: This ends up causing more aggravation than anything else. You are responsible for the repair shop bill. In most cases the insurance company will pay the repair shop directly, but in those rare circumstances where insurance doesn't pay the shop, you will need to pay the shop and then you will be reimbursed.
Q: Who is responsible for the safety, workmanship, and guarantee of the repairs for my vehicle?
A: This is the responsibility of the repair shop.
Q: Can the insurance company and repair shop make an adjustment and make additional repairs without the owner's consent?
A: Generally no (another reason I started with that disclaimer). You should be present for the estimate so you know what repairs are being made.
Q: Do I have to accept that aftermarket parts are going to be used in the repair?
A: Remember, you are the injured party, not the insurance company, so always insist on having your vehicle restored to a pre-accident condition so if OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts are available have them used to repair the vehicle.
Q: Why are you pushing for OEM parts?
A: The cynical andswer would be that is how we make our money. And we do, this is a site run by a parts department at an auto dealership. But even if we don't get a penny we would make the same push for two reasons: 1) OEM parts are designed for that vehicle, instead of a range of vehicles and 2) the OEM part is manufactured with up to date specifications that may have occurred during the normal engineering process or if there was a recall you were not able to bring your vehicle into the dealership to get corrected, that updated part is going to be installed.
1.Move your vehicle to a safe place. Keep in mind, that state or local statutes may prevent you from doing this. If you cannot move the vehicle, turn on your hazard lights, to keep other vehicles from piling into the same accident.
2.If necessary, seek medical help for yourself, your passengers, or if necessary the occupants of the other vehicle.
3.Notify the police, give them the location of the accident, any claimed injuries.
4.Take note of all passengers and witnesses.
5.Get the names and badge numbers of any police officers that arrive at the scene.
6.Ask for a copy of the police report. It may not be immediately available, but the responding officer(s) should be able to give you the information to obtain a copy of the police report once it has been filed.
7.Avoid any extensive discussion of the accident at the scene about responsibility. This is to protect you. If the other driver offers you a money settlement and you accept, you may compromise your ability to collect if additional damage or injuries are discovered at a later date.
8.Write a complete description of the accident as soon as possible. Include weather conditions, approximate speeds, and as much precise information as you can provide. If possible, take photographs, not only of the accident itself but the surrounding area.
9.Have the vehicle towed or driven to the collision repair facility of your choice, like this one in Sioux Falls, SD that can take care of the entire vehicle if it was damaged in an accident.
Okay, now you've got the car to the repair shop, and insurance is going to repair the car instead of writing the car off. Here are some questions to help you with getting your car repaired in an efficient manner.
Disclaimer: The following information is designed to aide you in the repair of your damaged vehicle. The material is intended to be general in nature.
Before obtaining repairs, you should contact your attorney to ensure that the information complies with your state laws and regulations.
Q: Must I get three estimates?
A: Unless your policy states otherwise, you only need to get one estimate. However, different eyes looking at the same thing may find different issues. Case in point, a while back my parked car was struck by another vehicle. I went to three repair shops, the first one said only the front quarter panel had to be replaced, but the other two found damage to the suspension that had to be repaired.
Q: I was told I must take my car to a certain repair shop, is this really true?
A: See the reason for the disclaimer at the top? This is a wide grey area, some states have laws that bar insurers from dictating where repair work is performed, others allow the insurer to dictate when and how the repairs are done.
Q: What is the best procedure for me to get quality repairs and get my vehicle back on the road quickly?
A: Take the vehicle to reputable repair shop, leave it with the manager. Instruct the manager to contact the insurance company to advise them of the damage (in the case of larger shops, they may have software they use to write the estimate and submit it to the insurance company which helps speed up and standardize the process). Also, call the insurance company and let them know where the vehicle is at.
Q: Who is responsible for my repair shop bill, me or the insurance company?
A: This ends up causing more aggravation than anything else. You are responsible for the repair shop bill. In most cases the insurance company will pay the repair shop directly, but in those rare circumstances where insurance doesn't pay the shop, you will need to pay the shop and then you will be reimbursed.
Q: Who is responsible for the safety, workmanship, and guarantee of the repairs for my vehicle?
A: This is the responsibility of the repair shop.
Q: Can the insurance company and repair shop make an adjustment and make additional repairs without the owner's consent?
A: Generally no (another reason I started with that disclaimer). You should be present for the estimate so you know what repairs are being made.
Q: Do I have to accept that aftermarket parts are going to be used in the repair?
A: Remember, you are the injured party, not the insurance company, so always insist on having your vehicle restored to a pre-accident condition so if OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts are available have them used to repair the vehicle.
Q: Why are you pushing for OEM parts?
A: The cynical andswer would be that is how we make our money. And we do, this is a site run by a parts department at an auto dealership. But even if we don't get a penny we would make the same push for two reasons: 1) OEM parts are designed for that vehicle, instead of a range of vehicles and 2) the OEM part is manufactured with up to date specifications that may have occurred during the normal engineering process or if there was a recall you were not able to bring your vehicle into the dealership to get corrected, that updated part is going to be installed.
Choosing a car seat?
There are people that say looking for a car seat is like choosing a dentist or is an exercise in aggravation. Should people that say those things be the ones to give advice on choosing a car seat? That is like going to Bernie Madoff or an Enron executive to learn about ethical business practices.
Some basic rules about car seats:
The vehicle is going to play a role in the car seat purchase. If you own a smaller car like a Mazda 3, give up the dream of buying the Eddie Bauer car seat unless a cranky child and sore back is in the future.
Expensive does not equal better. Yes, Brad and Angelina supposedly have the most expensive seats for their kids, but that doesn't make those seats right for your vehicle. This is not a license to be cheap, which leads to:
Don't buy a car seat at a garage/rummage sale, or eBay for that matter. You don't know how old the seat is, if any parts or labels are missing, if the seat was part of a recall or was involved in an accident.
Not your first child? Be willing to purchase a new car seat. The maximum lifetime for a seat is between 6 and 10 years due to parts fatigue and evolving safety standards. In other words, the seat purchased in 2002 is obsolete by now.
Purchase the infant seat before the child is born, that way time is spent in the hospital forming a bond with the little one instead of running around trying to find a car seat and get it installed.
If you can't easily operate the seat, simple rule. DON'T BUY IT!!!! Car seats that are not operated properly not only lead to an increased danger to the child, but also to other passengers and drivers of the vehicle.
Understand the return policy where your car seat is purchased. If your child isn't comfortable in the car seat, don't be afraid to return it to get one your child is comfortable in.
If you are involved in an accident, even if it is a “minor” accident, get a new car seat. Most insurance policies will pay for a replacement, but even if the policy doesn't, you should replace it. Because damage isn't seen, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
Do your homework, one of the best sites is the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety site (http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9f8c7d6359e0e9bbbf30811060008a0c/), they have reviews on car seats that cover how easy a certain car seat is to use, how safe it is, and they keep an up-to-date recall list.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to one thing, keeping the child safe. Using all the tools and a little bit of common sense, picking the right car seat and keeping your child comfortable and safe, and you sane will be a lot easier and not as aggravating as you think.
Some basic rules about car seats:
The vehicle is going to play a role in the car seat purchase. If you own a smaller car like a Mazda 3, give up the dream of buying the Eddie Bauer car seat unless a cranky child and sore back is in the future.
Expensive does not equal better. Yes, Brad and Angelina supposedly have the most expensive seats for their kids, but that doesn't make those seats right for your vehicle. This is not a license to be cheap, which leads to:
Don't buy a car seat at a garage/rummage sale, or eBay for that matter. You don't know how old the seat is, if any parts or labels are missing, if the seat was part of a recall or was involved in an accident.
Not your first child? Be willing to purchase a new car seat. The maximum lifetime for a seat is between 6 and 10 years due to parts fatigue and evolving safety standards. In other words, the seat purchased in 2002 is obsolete by now.
Purchase the infant seat before the child is born, that way time is spent in the hospital forming a bond with the little one instead of running around trying to find a car seat and get it installed.
If you can't easily operate the seat, simple rule. DON'T BUY IT!!!! Car seats that are not operated properly not only lead to an increased danger to the child, but also to other passengers and drivers of the vehicle.
Understand the return policy where your car seat is purchased. If your child isn't comfortable in the car seat, don't be afraid to return it to get one your child is comfortable in.
If you are involved in an accident, even if it is a “minor” accident, get a new car seat. Most insurance policies will pay for a replacement, but even if the policy doesn't, you should replace it. Because damage isn't seen, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
Do your homework, one of the best sites is the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety site (http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9f8c7d6359e0e9bbbf30811060008a0c/), they have reviews on car seats that cover how easy a certain car seat is to use, how safe it is, and they keep an up-to-date recall list.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to one thing, keeping the child safe. Using all the tools and a little bit of common sense, picking the right car seat and keeping your child comfortable and safe, and you sane will be a lot easier and not as aggravating as you think.
Tire care and why its Important
There are a number of checklists for tires, but they really don't explain why to check items, its more like a parent saying “Do it!”. We're going to do that, if you have questions, concerns or comments you can always contact us.
Maintaining your tire pressure and checking tire pressure at least once per month:
A lot of people laughed at the President when he said this to help improve fuel economy of vehicles. Here's a secret, its true, and the savings are not small. If you can lower the amount of money you spend on fuel by up to 12%, wouldn't it make sense to take the minute or so to take the cap off the valve stem and put a tire pressure guage on the tire? Keeping your tires properly inflated helps minimize the risk of failures such as tread separation and side-wall breaks. The last thing anyone needs is a tire to fail when traveling down the road at 75 miles per hour.
Why a month? Normally a tire will lose 1 psi of pressure every month due to natural leaking of air or nitrogen through tire membranes. Also for every loss of 8 degrees of ambient temperature you will lose 1 psi of pressure. As seasons change from summer to fall and fall to winter, it is important to be vigilant about checking tire pressure. Before any long trip (over 250 miles) check tire pressure before even hitting the road to help save money.
Inspect tires regularly for wear and damage:
This can be done while checking tire pressure. Most issues are caused by underinflation and can be rectified by properly inflating the tires. If the tire is damaged, consider replacing the tires . Here is what you will want to look for:
Uneven tread wear. This could be something as simple as being under or overinflated to having a problem with steering, suspension, or alignment.
Cracks or bulges in the sidewalls or tread tread. This normally indicates a failure of the side wall constructions and needs to be replaced immediately.
"Chunks" of tread missing from the tire. This is tread separation and the tire needs to be replaced immediately.
If a puncture is found, do not use an external plug, they don't hold consistently and further compromise the integrity of the thread. When the puncture is repaired from the inside, the tire, rim, and valve stem can be inspected and repaired or replaced. If you use a sealant to repair the tire, it is only meant to be a temporary way for you to move your vehicle to safety.
Rotation and balancing:
This will help with normal tire wear. By rotating the tires according to vehicle manufacturer's guidelines it will even the wear. A good rule of thumb is to rotate tires every 6,000 miles if there is no vehicle manufacturer guideline. Maintaining tires in balance not only saves on tire wear, improves the ride, spares wear suspension and steering helping extend the life of the vehicle.
Overloading and overheating:
Overloading the tires is the second leading cause of tire failure. If the truck is hauling a load of 2,000 lbs, trouble is brewing if the tires are only rated for 1500 pounds. When calculating the load, makes sure to include the tongue weight of any thing that is towed.
Overheating can occur when tires are overloaded, it can also occur with aggressive driving: sudden braking, high speeds, and hard cornering. Road conditions vary, if the driving style changes to meet the road conditions, overheating is minimized.
Selecting tires for your vehicle:
All-season tires are so good that snow tires are never needed is a great myth out there. The depends on location, for places where snow is removed often or not so consistent, then all-season tires are probably the better investment, but if the location is a rural area or a place with a lot of snow, then getting snow-tires is a better investment because they will have about 25% more traction than all-season tires.
Replacing tires in pairs or complete sets:
Besides the fact that its going to cost more per to replace tires individually, it can also upset the handling of the vehicle and also affect ABS if only one tire is replaced. If the budget only allows two new tires, when installed place on the rear axle to help maintain maximum traction and reduce the chance of oversteering on front wheel drive vehicles.
Rules for replacing tires:
Extreme uneven tread wear, also while this is being done have the steering and suspension checked also.
Cracks or bulges in the sidewalls and tread.
"Chunks" of tread missing from the tire.
The tire was punctured and cannot be repaired satisfactorily.
Any portion of the thread is worn to the indicator bars, these are small metal strips that will appear once the tread is down to 20% of the new tread depth, or 1/16th of an inch deep whichever is greater.
Maintaining your tire pressure and checking tire pressure at least once per month:
A lot of people laughed at the President when he said this to help improve fuel economy of vehicles. Here's a secret, its true, and the savings are not small. If you can lower the amount of money you spend on fuel by up to 12%, wouldn't it make sense to take the minute or so to take the cap off the valve stem and put a tire pressure guage on the tire? Keeping your tires properly inflated helps minimize the risk of failures such as tread separation and side-wall breaks. The last thing anyone needs is a tire to fail when traveling down the road at 75 miles per hour.
Why a month? Normally a tire will lose 1 psi of pressure every month due to natural leaking of air or nitrogen through tire membranes. Also for every loss of 8 degrees of ambient temperature you will lose 1 psi of pressure. As seasons change from summer to fall and fall to winter, it is important to be vigilant about checking tire pressure. Before any long trip (over 250 miles) check tire pressure before even hitting the road to help save money.
Inspect tires regularly for wear and damage:
This can be done while checking tire pressure. Most issues are caused by underinflation and can be rectified by properly inflating the tires. If the tire is damaged, consider replacing the tires . Here is what you will want to look for:
Uneven tread wear. This could be something as simple as being under or overinflated to having a problem with steering, suspension, or alignment.
Cracks or bulges in the sidewalls or tread tread. This normally indicates a failure of the side wall constructions and needs to be replaced immediately.
"Chunks" of tread missing from the tire. This is tread separation and the tire needs to be replaced immediately.
If a puncture is found, do not use an external plug, they don't hold consistently and further compromise the integrity of the thread. When the puncture is repaired from the inside, the tire, rim, and valve stem can be inspected and repaired or replaced. If you use a sealant to repair the tire, it is only meant to be a temporary way for you to move your vehicle to safety.
Rotation and balancing:
This will help with normal tire wear. By rotating the tires according to vehicle manufacturer's guidelines it will even the wear. A good rule of thumb is to rotate tires every 6,000 miles if there is no vehicle manufacturer guideline. Maintaining tires in balance not only saves on tire wear, improves the ride, spares wear suspension and steering helping extend the life of the vehicle.
Overloading and overheating:
Overloading the tires is the second leading cause of tire failure. If the truck is hauling a load of 2,000 lbs, trouble is brewing if the tires are only rated for 1500 pounds. When calculating the load, makes sure to include the tongue weight of any thing that is towed.
Overheating can occur when tires are overloaded, it can also occur with aggressive driving: sudden braking, high speeds, and hard cornering. Road conditions vary, if the driving style changes to meet the road conditions, overheating is minimized.
Selecting tires for your vehicle:
All-season tires are so good that snow tires are never needed is a great myth out there. The depends on location, for places where snow is removed often or not so consistent, then all-season tires are probably the better investment, but if the location is a rural area or a place with a lot of snow, then getting snow-tires is a better investment because they will have about 25% more traction than all-season tires.
Replacing tires in pairs or complete sets:
Besides the fact that its going to cost more per to replace tires individually, it can also upset the handling of the vehicle and also affect ABS if only one tire is replaced. If the budget only allows two new tires, when installed place on the rear axle to help maintain maximum traction and reduce the chance of oversteering on front wheel drive vehicles.
Rules for replacing tires:
Extreme uneven tread wear, also while this is being done have the steering and suspension checked also.
Cracks or bulges in the sidewalls and tread.
"Chunks" of tread missing from the tire.
The tire was punctured and cannot be repaired satisfactorily.
Any portion of the thread is worn to the indicator bars, these are small metal strips that will appear once the tread is down to 20% of the new tread depth, or 1/16th of an inch deep whichever is greater.
Safe and Stylish
You are driving down the road and see a Winnie the PoohTM sun visor pulled down with a little kid in the back seat, and you say to yourself, “I'm never going to be 'THAT PERSON' when I have a kid.” Then a couple years down the road, you become “THAT PERSON” and you wonder where your style went. Guess what, those cool extras: window tinting, DVD systems, remote start and keyless entry, back up camera and object sensors, suspension, tires, brakes, projector and LED lighting; not only makes the vehicle look better, but will make it safer.
Replace that pull down shade with window tinting. That's right, tinting is not for high school kids and guys with mullets anymore. Tinting windows not only improves the look of the vehicle, but blocks as much as 99.5% of all UVA and UVB rays. During an accident there isn't going to be a metal tube flying around the cabin. Not only helping keep yourself and passengers safe in event of an accident, you are helping them stay healthy. Since we are looking at the inside the cabin of the vehicle, lets take a look at the entertainment system.
We've all seen the DVD systems in big box stores selling for as little as $100, tethered to the backseat by over-glorified rubberbands. If you're going to have a DVD system, why not have it professionally installed? Once again it comes down to having one less thing flying around the cabin. Touching on aesthetics, its going to look neater if you have professionally installed screens. Some systems such as the ones offered by INViSiON have a warranty that follows along with your vehicle if installed when you purchase the vehicle, so if you have a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty, you get the same warranty, if purchased after you paid for the vehicle, you still have a one year warranty and it doesn't cost extra.
The next two items are for convenience, but allow additional safety, remote start and keyless entry systems. With a two-way remote start system you can be wrapping up your shopping, hit a button, get the car started and warming up or cooling down before you even step foot out of the store with the kids, you can put the kids in the car and the shopping into the trunk or cargo area. If the child is an escape artist and thinks its fun to lock the car. Hello keyless entry!! He can lock the door, you hit a button and the car is unlocked which helps keep your child out of danger and out of mischief. If you find yourself in an area that doesn't seem so safe, the keyless entry helps you get in your car that much faster.
The last thing to look at on the inside of your vehicle is a backup camera or a object detection system. Stories on the news about a child being run over because he was playing behind a car show up more often it seems. The more likely scenario the kid left a bike or toy in the driveway and it is run over. Now you have a destroyed toy, a distraught kid, not to mention possible vehicle damage. Save untold aggravation and money by having at least an object detection system installed or something more complete, have a back up camera system installed. Back up cameras don't run all the time, they run when your vehicle is in reverse and in most cases the display is placed in the rear-view mirror so you can still back up properly and see anything in the blind spot behind your vehicle. Now that we've made it outside the car, lets take a look at the suspension.
Ever consider lowering the suspension on your vehicle? Most models do have enough clearance where you can lower suspension to decrease “body roll”, that feeling that the vehicle is going to tip over when cornering, you can also get stiffer sway bars. This will help two ways, the first being more comfortable cornering, and for children that have a propensity to get car sick, the lessened body roll reduces chances of needing to have the car detailed.
The next thing to look at are brakes. You aren't going to skimp on shoes for yourself or your kids, why do that for the vehicle? Now we are not saying to go out and spend 30 grand on a new brake system or 20 grand on tires. However, when you go to replace your brakes, take a look at ceramic instead of semi-metallic pads. Ceramics have the same stopping power with a fraction of the heat, this will not only extend the life of rotors, but will also make the drive more pleasant because you don't hear squeaking when you use the brakes.
Tires should be replaced when tread indicator bars (small metallic strips embedded in the tires that show when the tread is down to 20% of the original thread depth) are seen, or when the tread depth is 1/16” deep (you can tell this if you put a penny in the thread head first and you can see the top of Abe Lincoln's head), whichever is greater. When replacing the tires, always try to replace them as a set, if the budget only allows for two, place the new tires on the rear and move the least worn set of used tires to the front of the vehicle. That way the newer tread will help provide better traction; in front wheel drive vehicles, this reduces the chance of oversteering.
Finally, make sure you can see the road and others can see you, you can get Light Emitting Diode (LED) running lights and brake lights so people will be able to see you coming or stopping from further away; LEDs are brighter than their incandescent counterparts. Upgrading normal head lights to projector headlights that allow more of the road and shoulder to be seen without blinding oncoming traffic should always be considered when thinking about lighting.
Don't sacrafice substance for style. But if the car is not tuned up, the tires properly inflated, or not changing fluids according to the owner's manual, all the additional things are just expensive little things instead of making your vehicle more enjoyable or safer.
Replace that pull down shade with window tinting. That's right, tinting is not for high school kids and guys with mullets anymore. Tinting windows not only improves the look of the vehicle, but blocks as much as 99.5% of all UVA and UVB rays. During an accident there isn't going to be a metal tube flying around the cabin. Not only helping keep yourself and passengers safe in event of an accident, you are helping them stay healthy. Since we are looking at the inside the cabin of the vehicle, lets take a look at the entertainment system.
We've all seen the DVD systems in big box stores selling for as little as $100, tethered to the backseat by over-glorified rubberbands. If you're going to have a DVD system, why not have it professionally installed? Once again it comes down to having one less thing flying around the cabin. Touching on aesthetics, its going to look neater if you have professionally installed screens. Some systems such as the ones offered by INViSiON have a warranty that follows along with your vehicle if installed when you purchase the vehicle, so if you have a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty, you get the same warranty, if purchased after you paid for the vehicle, you still have a one year warranty and it doesn't cost extra.
The next two items are for convenience, but allow additional safety, remote start and keyless entry systems. With a two-way remote start system you can be wrapping up your shopping, hit a button, get the car started and warming up or cooling down before you even step foot out of the store with the kids, you can put the kids in the car and the shopping into the trunk or cargo area. If the child is an escape artist and thinks its fun to lock the car. Hello keyless entry!! He can lock the door, you hit a button and the car is unlocked which helps keep your child out of danger and out of mischief. If you find yourself in an area that doesn't seem so safe, the keyless entry helps you get in your car that much faster.
The last thing to look at on the inside of your vehicle is a backup camera or a object detection system. Stories on the news about a child being run over because he was playing behind a car show up more often it seems. The more likely scenario the kid left a bike or toy in the driveway and it is run over. Now you have a destroyed toy, a distraught kid, not to mention possible vehicle damage. Save untold aggravation and money by having at least an object detection system installed or something more complete, have a back up camera system installed. Back up cameras don't run all the time, they run when your vehicle is in reverse and in most cases the display is placed in the rear-view mirror so you can still back up properly and see anything in the blind spot behind your vehicle. Now that we've made it outside the car, lets take a look at the suspension.
Ever consider lowering the suspension on your vehicle? Most models do have enough clearance where you can lower suspension to decrease “body roll”, that feeling that the vehicle is going to tip over when cornering, you can also get stiffer sway bars. This will help two ways, the first being more comfortable cornering, and for children that have a propensity to get car sick, the lessened body roll reduces chances of needing to have the car detailed.
The next thing to look at are brakes. You aren't going to skimp on shoes for yourself or your kids, why do that for the vehicle? Now we are not saying to go out and spend 30 grand on a new brake system or 20 grand on tires. However, when you go to replace your brakes, take a look at ceramic instead of semi-metallic pads. Ceramics have the same stopping power with a fraction of the heat, this will not only extend the life of rotors, but will also make the drive more pleasant because you don't hear squeaking when you use the brakes.
Tires should be replaced when tread indicator bars (small metallic strips embedded in the tires that show when the tread is down to 20% of the original thread depth) are seen, or when the tread depth is 1/16” deep (you can tell this if you put a penny in the thread head first and you can see the top of Abe Lincoln's head), whichever is greater. When replacing the tires, always try to replace them as a set, if the budget only allows for two, place the new tires on the rear and move the least worn set of used tires to the front of the vehicle. That way the newer tread will help provide better traction; in front wheel drive vehicles, this reduces the chance of oversteering.
Finally, make sure you can see the road and others can see you, you can get Light Emitting Diode (LED) running lights and brake lights so people will be able to see you coming or stopping from further away; LEDs are brighter than their incandescent counterparts. Upgrading normal head lights to projector headlights that allow more of the road and shoulder to be seen without blinding oncoming traffic should always be considered when thinking about lighting.
Don't sacrafice substance for style. But if the car is not tuned up, the tires properly inflated, or not changing fluids according to the owner's manual, all the additional things are just expensive little things instead of making your vehicle more enjoyable or safer.
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