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Dave's Dittys


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Wiper Replacement
Ever notice that the windshield wiper that doesn’t clean properly is always the one on your side? The windshield wiper was invented by Mary Anderson in 1915, as solution to trolley motormen opening their windshields while driving in the rain. According to Brad Dee of TRICO, blades are damaged by the sun’s UV rays and winter use. Wiper blades should be replaced every 6 months. They are a safety item and require more attention than they are currently receiving. Have your blades inspected and replaced as required. 

 

Motorama
Recently in Phoenix at the Barrett-Jackson auction a vintage GMC Futureliner “Parade of Progress” tour bus sold for over 4 million dollars. You might think that’s a lot of money for a tour bus, but there’s more to the story than that. This bus was a specially designed and modified by famed designer Harley Earl. This unit was part of GM’s “Motorama”. Back in the 50’s General Motors had a fleet of these buses, touring with latest offerings off the factory floor. “Motorama” would travel from city to city bringing the “Parade of Progress” to the great unwashed. The” Motorama” eventually developed into the extravaganza we now know as the Autoshow.

 

Crank It
A century ago with the auto industry in it’s infancy most motorists were men. Women were not considered “mechanical enough” to operate a motorized carriage (motor-car). Charles Kettering’s invention changed all that. General Motor’s new Cadillac division hired Charlie’s company Dayton Engineering Laboratories ( DELCO… still a division of GM ) to develop the electric starter. This device opened the world of motoring to women. The electric starter freed the driver from having to hand-crank the engine. Interestingly, we still use the phrase “crank it over” today. 

 

Tire Number
P205/70/R15. What is it?....... Actually it’s a common size if you’re buying tires. “P”? this tire is designed for passenger car use. “15”? Well that means the diameter of the rim is 15 inches. “205”, is the measurement of the cross section of the tire at the widest point in millimeters. “70” is the aspect ratio. The aspect ratio defines the relative height of the tire in respect to the width. “R”? it’s a radial. Tires affect a car’s handling, ride height and safety. So when it’s time to replace tires take time and ask questions. Remember, if the rubber on your ride is more than six years old it’s due for replacement. 

 

Seat Belt History
Nils Bohlin has saved thousands of lives and I bet you have never heard of him. In 1958 while working for Volvo, as the director of their automotive safety and interior design department, he perfected the lap/shoulder seat belt assembly. His design allowed the driver to connect both lap and shoulder belt with one connection, keeping the lap belt low across the hips. Bohlin’s seat belt was to be come one of the top eight most significant patents issued in the last 100years. 

 

Alloy Wheels
Lately I noticed how many of the newer cars on the road are fitted with alloy wheels. Not only do they look good the have definite advantages. Manufactures are always trying to reduce unsprung weight, (weight not carried by the suspension). The use of alloy wheels give the vehicle better handling and acceleration. The open design also helps in heat dissipation which improves brake performance. Down side is that they require more maintenance and don’t really do well in the “salt bath” we call winter driving. 

 

E-Brake Work?
Does your emergency brake work? When was the last time you actually applied the system to check it’s function. On some vehicle’s regular application of the E Brake actually adjust the regular braking system and keeps it functioning properly. Putting safety aside for a moment “does the emerg system work?” usually the second question the cop asks just before he calls the towing service. Vehicles with a non functioning emergency system are considered unfit for road use. Just a thought. 

 

New Old Car
I purchased my first new car in 33 yrs. Now that the kids have moved out it seems I have a little extra at the end of the week. Turns out, my new car wasn’t that new. I had been in stock for almost a year. Sitting around caused a few complications, the brakes had rusted, the wipers had dried out and some of the bulbs had failed. Moral of the story, Try and find out how new your new car actually is , was there any damage that was repaired during shipping. By the way all my problems were easily resolved. Now……. even my wife is happy. 

 

When Should I change my Oil?
If I was asked once, I was asked a hundred times…How often should I change my oil? Oil does a remarkable job. Not only does oil lubricate the inside of the engine it cleans and cools at the same time. At high rpm oil circulates at 80 to 90 psi. No one could argue that modern engines work oil extremely hard. So when do change the oil? I recommend every 4 months or 5000kms (8000 if you’re running synthetic). I short change the oil every change of season. Installing fresh oil is the best thing you could do for your engine.

 

Lock at the Pump
When you purchase gas at the self-serve and walk over to the kiosk, do you lock your car? I do, simply because I have so much stuff in the car I can’t afford to loose. The other day I ask the attendant “do cars ever get stolen while folks are paying for gas?” “Yup…more times than you think”, was his answer. Seems women are more diligent then the guys. First off they like to pay at the pump, especially if there are kids on board. Secondly; they lock up. The fellows, well, we’re more lax. More testosterone I guess.

 

New Car Warrenty
Cars are hi-tech and complex. Yet, they have become increasingly reliable. Industry warranty rates are at an all time low. However; complicated repairs are time consuming and expensive. Take care of your valuable new car warranty. Read the terms and conditions that apply make sure you fully understand what your responsibilities are. The back of a tow truck is not the best place to find out you’re not covered…..

 

Potholes
Potholes are a fact of life. At this time of the year they the major cause of suspension, wheel and tire damage. As a mechanic, I think they’re a great source of business, however; here’s some helpful hints in avoiding damage. Try to avoid hitting a pot hole with the steering turned. If possible drive through with the wheels straight. Again if possible don’t apply the brakes. Hitting the brakes will load the front suspension and reduce the amount of travel available to absorb the impact. One more piece of advice…..make sure your tires are inflated to the proper pressure. Low pressure reduces the tire’s ability to absorb shock. 

 

Gas Mileage
Rough asphalt, pot-holes and gravel-surfaced roads can increase fuel consumption up to 35 percentThis is a direct quote from the Transport Canada. In the 15 years I spent as a New Car Service Manager “what’s wrong with my mileage” was the biggest concern voiced by owners. As gas prices continue to rise mileage concerns are a fact of life. Don't get depressed...no one ever reaches advertised fuel mileage figures. 

 

Talking Cars
Your car is always talking. Unfortunately most people have problems understanding the language. Understanding the controls, the feel, the wear patterns and noises your car is making are vital in the proper operation of any vehicle. For example; if a dash light is red in colour, the situation requires immediate attention. Failure is imminent. The orange colour indicates attention is required; however; damage is not imminent. A green light is a go. Every car come equipped with a wealth of this type of information as standard equipment. It’s called the owners manual. Read it.
DRIVE LONG AND PROSPER. 

 

No Water in the Car
Every time I open my car’s window (after a rain storm), water drips on my knee. It may sound crazy, but water should never enter a car. Why does this happen? The answer…. the drip rail is missing. The drip rail acts much the same as an eves-through does on your house. It ducts the water away from the open window. So what happened to it? Well; in an effort to streamline the body, designers have removed the rails. I assume this also was done to relieve wind noise on the highway. The drip rail was a convenient way to hide the welds that held the roof down during assembly. As manufacturing techniques advanced this practice became inefficient. Some vans still sport them, but for the most part the drip rail has gone the way of the dodo bird and the “no-draft vent window”. Just a thought. 

 

Ban Smoking in Cars
A warm spring day, were on the freeway, I roll down my window to get some fresh air…What to I smell…Smoke. The guy in front of me is working over a stogie. He’s smok’n a cigar and I’m smelling his fumes……You heard it here first, I predict that smoking in cars will soon be outlawed, just as it is in all buildings. (at least in this town it is). Several leasing companies have already instituted conditions that limit smoking in their vehicles. Smoke damaged upholstery and head linings greatly reduces the value of the lease return. I wonder if my cigar smoking friend bought his car or leases it? Just a thought.

 

Little vs. Big
In praise of the large car. Alot of my duties are performed in big city, downtown traffic. I’m the first to admit in this environment the subcompact is king. Easy to handle, easy to park and easy on gas. But, get that sucker out on the open road and hold on. All the inner city virtues are “blowing in the wind”. Literally! The subcompact is lethal on big city expressways and the surrounding highways. Face it the thing is light and small. There’s nothing more exciting than being able to count the number of insect hits, on that 18 wheeler’s license plate, as he fills your mirror or performing an involuntary lane change as a bus goes by. It just adds to the excitement. My solution? Two cars, little one for the city, BIG ONE for the hwy.

 

Maintenance Cost by Country
One of the biggest issues facing the motoring public today is paying to maintain the all high tech stuff which has become the norm in modern cars. I always say “don’t buy a car that will own you”. The following is a short list of what maintenance costs you can expect (listed by country) :
German = very very very expensive, Italian = very very expensive (with attitude),
Sweden = very expensive, Japanese = expensive, French = made of unobtainium,
Korean = who knows, Canadian/ American = kinda expensive. Just a thought. 

 

Tire Maintenance
Six years and 6.5 million tires after the fact, theFirestone tire company is back in the news. It seems that after Ford and Firestone voluntarily replaced all those defective tires, on all those Explorers, they forgot to swap out the spares. That means there are still 10’s of thousands of biodegradable tires out there. The fallout of this event triggered several changes in the tire business. Manufacture’s shortened the service life of tires to 5 years and the government mandated that vehicles be equipped with low tire pressure warning devices. Good stuff. However; if the tire is under inflated, your on your own. Check your tire’s pressure at least once a month or prior to any long trips. For information: Contact (800) 465-1904 to or go tohttp://www.firestone.com".

 

Hybrid Cars
Hybrid cars are all the rage. You know those gas/electric wonders that are going to save the planet. Everybody agrees that saving fuel is a good thing. However; saving fuel in a vehicle that doesn’t use that much in the first place is really not that efficient. Saving fuel in vehicle that consumes vast amounts more sense. Long distant truckers are buying over 9000 dollars worth of “motion lotion” every month. That’s what a trucker buys on average. Now imagine if you could save 10-12 percent. That would certainly help the bottom line

 

On-Board Nav
Every so often an accessory comes along that isn’t appreciated until you start to use lt. To name a few: remote door locks, channel seeking radios, blue tooth, power steering. The latest… On-board Navigation. We just returned from a week on the road without looking at a map. The unit guides you right to the front door. No fuss, no arguing (wife can’t read maps), no trying for the exit you just missed. It’s just safer. Look into ON-board Navigation when it’s trade-in time. My friend Ron says
“I don’t have an excuse for being late anymore”.

 

Scams
How come we never see this headline? Yet it happens every day. Bad cheques, credit card abuse, abandoning cars after authorizing repairs, accusations of damage, stealing repaired cars at night. Believe me, after 40 plus years in the biz, I have seen most of it. Although I’m sure there are some scams I haven’t come across yet. There are plenty of consumer laws on the books to protect customer. Who’s looking out for the shop?
Oh…. by the way, I didn’t bring any money, can I get back to you? Ya, right. 

 

Mechanical Problems
Mechanics have car problems too. For years I have lived with the fear that my wife’s car will break down. Money was tight when we started off and we drove old cars. Heaven help me if that sucker ever let her down. I would never hear the end of it. Funny thing, I noticed early in my career, how break downs are always the mechanics fault. I didn’t design it, build it or sell it. It was me, who didn’t have the time to service it, and it wasn’t me, that broke the thing in the first place. Cars do wear out. So, how’s that my fault? One more thing “Why do most customers ask for a discount”. I tried asking for a discount at a local big box store, they threw me out! By the way I bought the wife a new car. Now she has the dealer to blame. 

 

Error Light Color
When that little light on the dash comes on, your car is trying to communicate with you. The colour of the light has a direct relationship to it’s importance. Green or blue signifies that things are normal. Usually these lights are an indication that something is on or engaged. Orange signifies attention is required. Red, look for trouble, red signifies that a severe failure is imminent. Best example, a lack of oil pressure, or a lack of coolant etc. Be prepared to pull over and check the engine. It’s always amazes me how many times I see a piece of tape covering a warning light, because it’s glow is bothering the driver. When it comes to warning lights it’s just like kinder garden “red says stop, green says go”.

 

Ask Before You Buy
Although they all come from a common source every car out there is different. Different as the folks that own, drive and maintain them. Have a trusting relationship with your service provider is paramount in keeping your vehicle on the road economically. A good service provider should be supplying safe, reliable and economic transportation. Here’s a thought, ever talked to a mechanic before buying that next car? Might save you a lot of grief in the long run….just a thought.

 

Curb Diagnosis
I call “curb diagnosis”; trying to resolve a customer’s issues without properly diagnosing the vehicle properly. Servicing a car at the curb is a “non happening”, just as “non happening” as having a mechanic come out and fill your tank when you pulled up at the pumps. Actually, when I was younger, a lot younger, when you pulled into the station, the guys would come out and check the fluids, the belts, hoses etc. while the car filled. Service stations actually fixed cars, sold tires, brakes oil. Coming out the pump was a great way to meet clients and sell service, simple. What unique idea. Too bad, all gone with the introduction of self-serve and computerized cars. Need a can of oil? back wall next to the freezer, below the Pringles.

 

Do It Yourself
In the last 15 years everything has changed as far as the DIY owner is concerned. Due to government mandated regulations regarding emissions standards and limits set on the cost of vehicle maintenance, manufactures have embraced the computerization of their offerings. To the do it yourselfer this trend has been the catalyst that has all but brought to the end the “shadetree mechanic” era. The repairs that the handy owners can now perform are basically limited to small maintenance jobs. Even changing the oil is a hassle due to the requirement to environmentally dispose of the used oil and filter, besides most shops offer this service so inexpensively even this service doesn’t make sense to do it yourself. In some jurisdictions washing your car in the driveway is a no no. Give me a break! In short there is not much left for the DIY’r to maintain. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

 

Body Maintenance
In the last 15 years everything has changed as far as the DIY owner is concerned. Due to government mandated regulations regarding emissions standards and limits set on the cost of vehicle maintenance, manufactures have embraced the computerization of their offerings. To the do it yourselfer this trend has been the catalyst that has all but brought to the end the “shadetree mechanic” era. The repairs that the handy owners can now perform are basically limited to small maintenance jobs. Even changing the oil is a hassle due to the requirement to environmentally dispose of the used oil and filter, besides most shops offer this service so inexpensively even this service doesn’t make sense to do it yourself. In some jurisdictions washing your car in the driveway is a no no. Give me a break! In short there is not much left for the DIY’r to maintain. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

 

Dodge Transmission
A while ago we answered a reader about the transmission on his Caravan. I recommend contacting a tranny shop and having the pan removed and the bands adjusted. Well I was wrong. What do expect I’m a Honda mechanic? I received a note from Arie of ARDAL Transmissions that a A604 tranny does not have bands available to adjust. Arie was right I wasn’t (sorry). I also received this email from Heather who used to work for Dodge. “When I worked at Dodge, I saw many TSB's about the clunk into 1st when come to a light. The cheapest was using the proper fluid(most people and trans shops don't), second was re-flashing the PCM (computer), 3rd was new solenoid packs, etc. All were a fraction of the cost of rebuild. Heather sent along this link for tech assistance. http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html.”

 

New Stuff
Every so often an industry grabs on to technology and goes nuts. Look at the cell phone / camera / minicomputer. The cell phone started out as an outstanding idea. A simple easy to use device that gave most of us freedom to travel and yet stay connected. Today, it’s more entertainment centre than phone.Complicated, expensive and unrepairable. The same thing is happening in the car industry. In the ongoing fight against car theft, industry introduced the chipped key. The car’s sensor recognises the presence of the chip and signals the computer that the key is authorized, allowing the car to start. Great. Today, that simple key has morphed into this thing that opens and closes doors, locks and unlocks the car, calls for help and….Oh ya, allows the car to start. It doesn’t even have to be inserted into the ignition, everything is electronic. Well alls fine when it’s shiny and new. I needed a key for my Crossfire. Chrysler had to send the order to Texas no less to have it cut. Cost? $200 wholesale. This new stuff? Look out, could be to up to $1000 for a replacement. They guy’s it’s just a car! Let’s get real.

Over the past decade the car industry has gone through a major revolution. Making full use of the flexibility of computers manufactures have slowly morphed the modern car to what can be best described as a “computer on wheels”. Things that used to operate mechanically are now run by modules, activating servos, completing the desired function. Here we have a simple issue of not being able to hit all the speeds on the heater. Had this vehicle been equipped with “climate control” the repair would start with diagnosing the BCM (body control module). These units control most of the car’s interactive functions: interior lights, HVAC, seats, dash board functions, door locks, etc. are all controlled by BCM’s. Not a simple or inexpensive fix when something goes wrong. Yes, today’s cars are better, more reliable and safer. My question is why so complicated? After all it’s just a car.