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FALL CAR CARE • Fall Maintenance • Car Washes Going Green • Tires become dear as prices rise • What to do when your car reaches 100,000 miles • Generation gap - 5 ways cars have changed

Supplement to the Grand Forks Herald, Friday, October 22, 2010

Grand Forks Herald/Friday, October 22, 2010

Car washes going green, mobile, high tech The Cambridgeside Galleria offers lots of places to spend money, from stores to restaurants to a car wash – the Dr. Detail full-service car wash, which operates out of the mall’s parking garage. “It’s a nice amenity that we can offer our customers,” said Jennifer Rotigliano, senior marketing director for the mall, in Cambridge, Mass. Car washes while you shop. Car washes that come to your home or business. “Greener” car washes. Softer cloths. Better computer technology. These are among the latest developments in the long, sudsy history of the car wash. The earliest car washes were simple affairs – “the days of the sponge and bucket,” as the International Carwash Association calls it. Then conveyers – initially just a chain hooked to the front bumper – pulled the car through the wash. Early conveyer operations still had people washing the cars; later, mechanized operations became the norm. Today’s mobile car washes often mean a return to washing by hand. “There’s no automated system,” said Eric Goodman, owner of Dr. Detail, in Cambridge. Goodman started out with a mobile car-wash van in Miami, then moved his business to the Boston area. Operating out of a mall, he said, was a perfect fit for a year-round operation. His charges range from $14 for the exterior, rims and wheels to $159.99 for the full “soup to nuts.” The vast majority of the country’s 75,000 car washes are either in-bay automatic facilities or self-service ones, according to Eric Wulf, executive director of the International Carwash Association. In-bay facilities are commonly found in gas stations. You pull in and your car remains stationary while the equipment moves around it, Wulf said. At selfservice facilities, you wash the car yourself using the equipment there. About 20 percent of car

washes use conveyers, he said. “The car moves and the equipment remains stationary.” Which type of wash – hand or machine – cleans better? It depends who you ask, and also on a variety of factors including time, convenience and how dirty the car is. “It’s very common for a car wash customer to get a full service, inside, outside and underside, every third wash,” Wulf said. In between, he said, they may opt just for an exterior wash. Steve Harris, owner of the Mr. Wash shops in Washington, D.C., and its suburbs, prefers the machinery “because it’s more consistent.” But Edward Rogers, who has worked in the mobile car wash business in the Atlanta area, disagrees. “A hand can get to places that a machine can’t get,” he said. “You’re able to actually press down and wipe.” Rogers said mobile car

washes provide another advantage: convenience. “It’s time,” he said. “How much is your time worth?” Car washes in mall parking lots allow people to multitask. Goodman said his customers often go shopping and have lunch while their car is being cleaned. Even mechanized car washes

Associated Press

왖 Today’s mobile car washes often mean a return to washing by hand.

CAR WASH: See Page 3

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CAR WASH/ Continued from Page 2 require human beings to vacuum the car or clean the inside of the windshield, among other things. Harris said about 200 people work at Mr. Wash’s eight facilities. That’s nearly three times as many as when the company started 52 years ago with one shop. At that time, he said, “It was all labor and hardly any equipment.” Over the years, car wash equipment and materials have changed to clean better and protect cars’ paint. One significant development, according to Wulf, was replacing nylon bristles with soft synthetic cloths. Computer technology also has helped. “One of the greatest challenges ... is there are so many different types of cars,” Wulf said. “Through using computers and robotics you can profile a car. The equipment can read or sense its outline and shape.” The equipment then adjusts to the size of the car. There also has been a move toward making car washes more environmentally friendly. Wulf said car washes use more biodegradable soaps and chemicals. Some use a closed water system, so the water is recycled. The International Carwash Association has created a WaterSavers program to promote such steps.

What to do when your car reaches 100,000 miles the difference.

By Melissa Rayworth For The Associated Press

It was once a huge red flag: When a car’s odometer would hit 100,000 miles, “it was almost a magic threshold that meant the car was probably worn out,” says Kay Wynter, who runs an auto service center in Fort Myers, Fla., with her husband, Terry. But thanks to improvements in car design and maintenance, the milestone of 100,000 miles now means something very different. Although some cars are ready for trade-in at that threshold, many others can travel twice as far without major repairs. What allows one car to pass the 100,000-mile barrier with few repair bills, while another is ready for the junkyard? It’s all about preventive medicine. “It’s just like when you get to be 70 and everyone tells you the same thing: Exercise, eat right, take care of yourself,” says Lauren Fix,

Open the book

Associated Press

왖 What allows one car to pass the 100,000-mile barrier with few repair bills, while another is ready for the junkyard? It’s all about preventive medicine. author of “Lauren Fix’s Guide to Loving Your Car” (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008).

Feeding your car the right things and taking it for regular checkups will make all

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The key to keeping your car running smoothly is probably tucked at the bottom of your glove compartment, under the spare napkins and ketchup packets. It’s the owner’s manual, which most people ignore at their peril. “There is a schedule in the manual that runs well over 100,000 miles,” says Fix, and it lists when to replace parts likely to be wearing out. The list will vary for different cars, so check yours and follow it. Newer cars may have the maintenance schedule built into an internal computer. A blinking light or a beep will announce that it’s time to replace certain parts, says autoeducation.com founder Kevin Schappell. “Things like the water pump and timing belt should be changed before you noMILES: See Page 4

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MILES/ Continued from Page 3 tice a problem,” Schappell says. Replacing them won’t be hugely expensive, but “if that belt breaks, it can cause internal damage to the engine, or if the water pump fails, you can overheat the engine and warp the cylinder head.” That’s when things get expensive. “Typically, around 100,000 or 120,000 miles there are some major preventative maintenance things that need to be done,” Schappell says, so it’s a great time to catch up if you’ve been lax until now.

Get fluent about fluids The liquids that go into your car (gas, oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, etc.) are crucial to its survival. To extend the life of your car beyond 100,000 miles, these experts suggest frequent oil changes and fluid checks done at dealerships or full-service auto centers. The staff at a quick-change lube shop, Fix says, isn’t likely to have extensive training. Often, “they don’t have experience,” she says, “so they’ll top

off long-life fluid with nonlong-life or they’ll put powersteering fluid where the brake fluid ought to be.” These mistakes cause damage, but the car owner doesn’t realize it until well after the discount oil-change was done. In choosing oil, Fix advises buying full synthetics. They “actually will lube the engine better. It’s designed for longer life. There are less emissions, so it’s greener. There’s slightly better fuel economy and better performance,” she says. “There are no negatives except it costs a little more.” Whichever oil you choose, Schappell says, be consistent over time. That way you won’t mix synthetics and blends, which can cause problems. Gas also matters: Different cars benefit from different types, so check your manual. “For a Honda which runs really hot because of the compression, if it says run premium, then run premium,” Fix says. “But if it says there’s no benefit from premium gas,” you don’t need it.

Find the right shop

neighbors, and search online for reviews of repair shops. Once you’ve chosen one, get to know the staff and ask questions. “Consumers are smarter now than ever before” about their cars, Wynter says, but many still are uncomfortable asking for details about work that needs to be done. Sticking with your car’s dealer can be a safe choice, because the staff will be trained to work on your car. But over the life of a high-mileage car, regular maintenance at a dealership can get pricey. “Rates at an independent shop may be about $40 to $50 an hour,” Schappell says, “but you’re paying probably $60 to $90 an hour at a dealer.” The cost of repairs can vary widely depending on the brand of car. Parts for some vehicles, including exotic cars and some German models, can be hard to get, driving up their cost. That can be a reason to trade in a car just before the 100,000-mile threshold.

Schappell says. Fix agrees: With local driving, “if you sit in rush hour traffic, tow a trailer, idle outside a school, drive on dusty roads, that’s considered severe duty.” Local driving in colder climates can also cause buildup of ice and snow under the car, which may contain corrosive chemicals. Fix suggests hosing it off on slightly warmer days. She also suggests waxing your car regularly. Sound like a lot of work to keep a car zooming along past 100,000 miles? “It’s your second most expensive investment. You want to take care of it,” says Fix. “With your home, something needs fixing and you get on it,” she says. “With your car, especially one with a lot of miles you have to get on it right away too.” These small investments will add years to the life of your car.

At 100,000 miles, Fix says, “it is out of warranty and you’ve got to consider that.” When you do replace parts, there are ways to save money: “A quick oil-change place will charge you $50 for an $18 air filter,” she says, because you’re mainly paying for labor. But an auto-parts store will charge you only the $18 price tag, she says, and “you can buy it and say, I don’t know how to put this on. They’ll do it as a courtesy.”

The type of miles matter It may seem surprising, but highway driving puts less stress on a car that tooling around locally. It requires less quick braking and acceleration, and moisture under the hood has a chance to evaporate. “Cars that do a lot of short trips will require exhaust work a lot sooner than car that travels on the highway a lot,”

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Grand Forks Herald/Friday, October 22, 2010

Carmakers use sniffers to minimize ‘new car smell’ By Dee-Ann Durbin

AP Auto Writer DETROIT – When engineers were getting Ford’s Transit Connect ready to go on sale in the United States last year, some of them noticed an oily, fishy smell in the van. Ford staff in Turkey, where the Transit Connect is made, were stumped. They hadn’t noticed the smell. But a team of U.S. engineers could smell it, and they went to work stripping down the van’s interior until they found the culprit: a sealant used in the doors. Ford has now switched to a new sealant that won’t offend American noses. In the highly competitive auto industry, no detail can be overlooked. That includes odors. Ford, Toyota, General Motors and others have trained teams of sniffers who evaluate smells, and reject or reformulate any unpleasant materials. It’s a daunting task: Car interiors are made of dozens of different odorous materials – plastics, foams, rubbers, carpet, fabric, leather. “The goal is for you to not smell anything, because different people are going to like different things,” said Sandra Edwards, a Ford laboratory engineer who leads a smell-test team at the automaker. “If there’s no scent whatsoever, everyone’s going to be happy.” Edwards knows this firsthand. While many people like “new car smell” and even try to replicate it in air fresheners, she dislikes it and drives with her windows rolled down until it dissipates. Smell tests have taken on added importance with the globalization of the car market: Different cultures have different sensitivities. Ford’s smell panel has international participants to ensure it gets a variety of opinions. “America has such a sanitized atmosphere to it, it doesn’t take much for us to pick up on those odors,” Edwards said. Andrea Sterling, an engineer and smell panel leader for Toyota in the United States, said Americans are more sensitive SMELL: See Page 6

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SMELL/ Continued from Page 5 to “fishy” smells than Japanese, so Japanese engineers have been trained to meet American standards for “fishiness.” On the other hand, Japanese testers found the smell from some natural fibers much more offensive than Americans did. There’s no smell that Edwards can think of that everyone likes. U.S. and European drivers think leather smells luxurious, for example, but Indian drivers don’t like it. Smell tests are run whenever engineers need to make sure a certain part can be used. At Ford, five testers are picked from a pool in Edwards’ department, and they smell samples that have been placed in Mason jars with water or heat, which intensify smells. Testers assign numbers to the smells, from one (no smell) to six (strong and disturbing). Negative tests can force engineers to scrap a part and start over. When Toyota was designing the new Sienna minivan, engineers planned to use a certain foam block as a dampening cushion in the cup holder. But the foam didn’t pass the smell test, so materials engineers worked with design engineers and the supplier to find an alternative. Sometimes, automakers or suppliers will try to reformulate the part to change the odor. In one recent instance, Ford’s team determined that some rubber floor mats smelled unpleasant. The supplier tried adding cinnamon oil to mask the scent. Unfortunately, that was rejected, too. “It smelled like cinnamon and rubber. It was pretty comical,” Edwards said. Sterling said many people

believe that automakers add something to the car to create “new car smell.” But it just comes from chemicals in the materials. Plasticizers, for example, are chemicals added to plastic to make it more durable and easier to mold into the dashboard and other shapes. Eventually, the chemicals evaporate and the smell goes away. “Even the smell of roses comes from the chemicals that the plant releases into the air,” Sterling said. “Just like roses, plastics, adhesives and other materials have some chemicals in them that are released into the air and are recognized by our noses.” The Ecology Center, an environmental group in Ann Arbor, Mich., has warned that exposure to the many chemicals in car interiors – through touching the seats or steering wheel, for example – may cause health problems. In tests, the center has found bromine, a flame retardant that it says has been linked to thyroid problems and decreased fertility; phlalates, which also have been linked to reproductive problems; and lead. Toyota has some concern that the chemicals in cars may cause nose and throat irritation, Sterling said. Currently, there are no U.S. regulations on the chemicals that can be in a car’s interior air, but the Japanese Automotive Manufacturers Association has set some voluntary guidelines that Toyota follows. Sterling said those guidelines caused the company to switch to some lower-emission products in some cases, such as a resin with 80 percent lower formaldehyde emissions. Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said Ford tests all its materials rigorously and hasn’t found any harmful chemicals.

Generation gap: 5 ways car culture has changed By Beth J. Harpaz Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – Not long ago, I gave a ride to a kid in an old car with no air conditioning. It was a warm day, so I told him to roll down the window. He had no idea what that meant. Having grown up with power windows, he’d never seen a crank handle and didn’t know how to use one. (He’d probably never been in a car without air conditioning, either.) It got me thinking about all the things today’s kids take for granted when it comes to cars that either didn’t exist or were far less common when their parents were growing up. Here are five ways in which kids experience cars differently, starting with those windows.

Windows and doors You can still find crank handles on old cars and “very, very low-end cars,” according to Art Jacobsen, automotive industry veteran and director of business development for CarMD.com, a company that offers handheld products and services to diagnose car problems. The cheapest, most basic models of the Nissan Versa and Smart Fortwo cars, for example, lack power windows. But on most vehicles, power windows are a standard feature. “Manufacturers found it was cheaper in the long run to eliminate the hand-crank window option and make all their cars with electric windows,” said Jeff Bennett, an associate professor at Northwood University in Midland, Mich., who’s written textbooks for the automotive industry and also worked for years as a Chevy

This photo shows LCD monitors inside a Pontiac Vibe at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. For kids on long car rides, DVD players and video games have replaced 20 Questions, GHOST, license-plate math and Geography. and Toyota dealer. Another thing that’s increasingly rare: manual locks. Locking each door separately seems like a lot of work compared to one click from the key chain.

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These conflicts haven’t completely disappeared from car rides, but there are more entertainment options than ever before. “Most cars now have an audio jack where you can plug in an iPod or any other MP3 and play it over the car stereo,” said Jacobsen. And if the passengers don’t like the driver’s taste in music, chances are they have their own iPods with head phones. For kids, DVD players and video games have replaced 20 Questions, GHOST, licenseplate math and Geography. “Kids don’t want to play ‘I’m Thinking Of...’ or ‘I Spy’ anymore,” said Karen Brocoff, a member of the Car Care Council Women’s Board and mother of two. “They just watch movies and play with their electronics.” Other entertainment options include satellite radio and even satellite TV. Bennett says it all adds up to a huge shift in the way families travel. “It’s not so much that your car has no more crank-down windows that’s the big difference,” he said. “It’s that Charlie and Millie are in the back seat watching something and not talking to mom and dad – ever.”

Remember bouncing around the back seat when you were a kid or sitting on a grownup’s lap? Maybe you rode shotgun in front while mom or dad drove, or even got to bop around the bed of a pickup truck. All that’s forbidden now, thanks to rules and recommendations on child safety. All 50 states require the use of car seats for children, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also recommends that children under 13 always sit in back. Not only can front-seat air bags injure small passengers, but back-seat passengers are less likely to be hurt in head-on collisions. Once kids have outgrown car seats at age 4 or 40 pounds, the NHTSA says they should use booster seats until they are 8 years old or 57 inches tall, whichever comes first. That means some kids will be big enough to ride the tallest roller coaster in the world, Six Flags’ Kingda Ka in Jackson, N.J., which has a height requirement of 54 inches, before they can ride in a car without a booster seat. The rules have had a dramatic impact on safety. Although car accidents remain the leading cause of death for kids ages 3 to 14, the number of auto-related fatalities among children under 13 has dropped from 3,643 in 1975, to 1,045 in 2008, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Getting lost

Looking under the hood Generations of 20th century kids grew up working on the family car with their dads. No more, says Jacobsen. “It’s not by accident that manufacturers have designed these computer systems,” he said. “You have to bring the car to them to get even simple things done. Everything is computerized and it’s very difficult without access to the proper tools and information.” On the other hand, says Bennett, “cars are so much more reliable, so much safer, and so much less maintenance is required. The average individual is much better off today.”

By Barry Shlachter McClatchy Newspapers

FORT WORTH, Texas – Sticker shock has broken out at tire stores, with retailers saying higher wholesale prices combined with tight bank credit and limited supplies are making restocking a challenge. Overall, consumers are paying about 12 percent more for blackwalls than a year ago, said Bonnie Moreland of Texarkana, Texas-based Golden Star Tires, adding that the jump would be even higher if he didn’t absorb some of the waves of price increases imposed by manufacturers. Dealers who advertised specials like four “economy” tires for $99 three years ago are selling them today at $299 to $340 – if they can find the product, said George Salinas, co-owner of G&M Tires, which has two locations in Fort Worth. The higher cost makes it harder to stock tires that are available. “I used to carry 300 tires,” Salinas said. “Now I have less than 100 in stock because I can’t afford to have them sitting on the shelf.” Jim Smith, editor of Tire Review magazine, which covers the retail industry, said: “Dealers are terribly frustrated. They’ve always complained about prices, but this is differTIRES: See Page 8

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How often did your parents get lost, and then get in an argument with each other about being lost? That’s probably something your kids experience far less often than you did growing up, thanks to GPS technology. Some folks get turn-by-turn directions and traffic updates from their cell phones, some have portable GPS devices, and some spring for a navigational system built right into the dashboard of their vehicle, though that’s still a luxury option. But Jacobsen notes that navigational technology hasn’t entirely eliminated the experience of getting lost. “A lot of times my GPS has taken me around in circles, so you still get to have the heated discussions with your spouse,” he said. And when your car breaks down, you still have to wait for the tow truck or AAA to show up. But thanks to cell phones,

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TIRES/ Continued from Page 7

ent from historical grousing. This is a real-world, dollarand-cents issue for them right now. They can’t get customers in the door because of the prices.” Sam Timmons of Fort Worth Tire, which sells used and new tires, says it’s harder finding road-worthy tires for resale because they’re being driven longer and come in bald. “Because of money problems, people are running them until they’re as slick as pavement,” said Timmons, who laid off five employees in February 2009 and hasn’t been able to replace them. “We spend $20,000 a year getting rid of the junk tires. We just get a trickle (of good used tires), and they’re sold within days.”

Why? A convergence of foreign and domestic factors has created a crunch for tire retailers and wholesalers, who are passing at least some of the pain onto consumers. A year ago, the Obama administration responded to U.S. union complaints by imposing a punishing 35 percent import duty on Chinese tires because of allegedly illegal state subsidies. That compounded the effects of rising rubber prices and sharply crimped production by U.S. tiremakers, which responded to the recession by laying off workers and closing plants. Cooper Tire, for example, shed 1,400 workers by closing a Georgia plant; Goodyear has trimmed its work force by 5,500 the past two years. While retailers complain mostly about the Chinese tariff, industry analyst Saul Ludwig discounts it as the major reason for the current situation. “Very simply, tire demand is strong, especially (for original equipment tires on) both cars and trucks,” said Ludwig of Northcoast Research in Cleveland, explaining why manufacturers are raising prices. “Raw materials are 25 to 30 percent higher than one year ago, thus the primary need for higher tire prices,” he said by e-mail. “A small amount of the higher tire prices was due to the tariff (on Chinese tires), but that component of the price hike took place in September

2009.” What’s clear is that tire dealers are facing a double whammy in terms of cost and supply. “This is my 35th year in the tire business, and it’s the worst I’ve ever seen in terms of availability and price increases,” said Moreland, who is both a retailer and wholesaler. “We only get 30 to 35 percent of what we order. “There have been at least three price increases this year and a couple last year,” he said. “I got a call ... saying Cooper will have another price increase on Nov. 1 of ‘up to 7 percent.’ “ Goodyear earlier announced increases of 6 percent for passenger car tires and 8 percent for truck tires.

Winners It’s not bad news for everyone. Winners include: ■ U.S. manufacturers, who profit by charging and selling more. ■ The United Steel Workers, which pushed for the tariff on Chinese tires and now attributes new hiring and increased shifts to the trade action. ■ Countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand, which doubled tire exports to the U.S. in the first half of 2010 after the tariff on Chinese tires made their wares more price-competitive. U.S. salvage yards, which say they are taking more tires from junked cars and selling them directly to budget-minded consumers instead of marketing

them to used-tire shops at a lower price. Citing improved marketing conditions, Cooper Tire said its North American sales climbed 35 percent during the first half of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009. It reported net income of $44 million during the second quarter, compared with a $13 million loss for the year-ago quarter. At its Texarkana, Ark., plant, Cooper moved production from five days a week to 24/7, CEO Roy Armes told analysts in August. “The three factories we have are really ramping up to unprecedented levels,” Armes said. “We’ve been hiring and training some new people for production, and these have all really strained and stretched our manufacturing operation,” he said, adding that soaring demand prompted Cooper to ship equipment from its closed Albany, Ga., facility to plants in Arkansas, Mississippi and Ohio. Cooper is operating at 90 percent capacity, but, Armes told the analysts, it “feels like 120 percent.” That’s music to the ears of the United Steelworkers, the union that represents tire plant employees. “There is no doubt that the relief authorized by President Obama has reversed the massive decline in domestic production,” Tom Conway, a USW vice president, said in a statement that the union released on the anniversary of the tariff. The union said China was not

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The stalled car syndrome, more noticeable on our roadways than in our driveways, has been with us for generations. But it becomes more critical with increased population. Beyond missed appointments or being late for work it also results in the condition known as road rage. Not only can a disabled vehicle have an annoying “ripple effect” that goes beyond the immediate scene; it can be disastrous for the driver who is left vulnerable to roadside crime or to the elements. “Don’t blame your car,” says Rich White, a Car Care Council spokesperSTALLED: See Page 9

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harmed because its tiremakers switched focus from exporting to the United States to selling more on home turf. But it remains far from certain whether the tariff has had a greater impact than possibly overzealous plant closings and layoffs before demand picked up. Tire Review’s Smith says higher prices on U.S. tires reflect an automatic adjustment to keep a clear price differential from lower-end imports, which have arrived costlier because of the tariff on Chinese tires. Chinese makers reportedly have passed on only part of the tariff to customers. Meanwhile, auto recyclers and salvage companies have found their own silver lining in the tight tire market. American Auto Salvage on Fort Worth’s north side raised tire prices to $35 from $10 or $15 a few months ago, General Manager Mike Kunkel said. “Tires have moved up (among salvaged items) both in value and number sold,” Kunkel said. “We used to wholesale a lot of tires to the corner shops. Now the customers who went to those stores come to us.”

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ASE: ‘Don’t scrimp on vehicle maintenance’ Car Care News Service

Today’s consumers are looking for value as the economy slows and families grow more concerned about their finances. People are eating in more, avoiding exotic vacations, cutting back on discretionary spending, and are keeping their vehicles longer. The average age of today’s vehicle has topped nine years.

The cost of neglect “It’s tempting to avoid car maintenance in tough economic times, but that’s pennywise and dollar foolish,” notes Martin Lawson, editorial director for the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). “Surveys of our certified technicians show that a well-maintained vehicle lasts longer, retains more of its resale value, pollutes less, and gets better mileage than one that’s been neglected; to say nothing of being safer to operate. According to the pros at ASE, neglect causes components to wear out faster than

they would otherwise (poorly aligned tires, for example) and can result in minor problems growing into more expensive repairs (worn brake pads damaging more expensive rotors). ASE suggests motorists, whether they are do-it-yourselfers or not, become familiar with their owners manual and follow the service schedules. “The owners manual is under utilized; it summarizes systems to check and provides schedules based on normal or severe driving,” notes ASE’s Lawson. While some people relish a weekend of tinkering with the family car, today’s technological advances under the hood and busier lifestyles find more consumers shopping for automotive service and repair.

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son. “It can’t drive itself to the shop and ask for an oil change or new spark plugs. Considering how dependent we are on our cars, it’s surprising how we take them for granted. An old battery or badly worn tire has its way of forewarning us that it’s going to let us down, but we tend to wait for the inevitable. “Nearly eighty percent of the thousands of vehicles driven through our check lanes during National Car Care Month fail inspection. Most discrepancies are due to owner neglect and can be corrected at little or no cost.” The Council stresses the value of periodic checkups. This not only helps prevent traffic jams due to mechanical breakdowns, but also ensures the optimum safety and efficiency of our vehicles.

currently certified professionals, the ASE program is national in scope and has industry-wide acceptance and recognition. ASE-certified

technicians and parts specialists can be found at every type of repair facility, from dealerships, service stations, and franchises to parts stores, independent garages, and even municipal fleets. ASE certifies the technical competence of individual technicians, not repair facilities. Before taking ASE certification tests, many technicians attend training classes or study on their own in order to brush up on their knowledge. By passing difficult, national tests, ASE-certified technicians prove their technical competence to themselves, to their employers, and to their customers. What’s more, because the ASE program is voluntary, ASE-certification becomes a self-selecting credential. And while ASE does not certify repair shops or police business practices, it stands to reason that those shop owners and managers who support their service employees’ efforts to become technically certified

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ASE/ Continued from Page 9 will often be concerned about the other aspects of their business as well.

How certification works About 100,000 technicians take ASE’s traditional written tests each May and November at more than 700 proctored locations, while thousands more opt to test at secure computer centers in the summer and winter months. Regardless of test delivery system, technicians who pass at least one exam and fulfill the two-year work experience requirement become ASE-certified. Those who pass a battery of exams (and fulfill the experience requirement) earn Master Technician status. The tests have been developed by industry experts with oversight from ASE’s own inhouse pros; they are administered by ACT, the same group known for its college entrance exams. There are specialty exams covering all major areas of repair. There are nine tests for auto technicians alone: Engine Repair, Engine Performance, Light Vehicle Diesel Engines, Electrical/Electronic Systems, Brakes, Heating and Air Conditioning, Suspension and Steering, Manual Drive Train and Axles, and Automatic Transmissions. (There are also exams for collision repair technicians, engine machinists, parts specialists, bus techs and others.) All told, over 50 exams are offered. ASE requires technicians to re-test every five years to keep up with technology and to remain in the ASE program. All ASE credentials have expiration dates.

Finding ASE-certified technicians Repair establishments with at least one ASE technician are permitted to display the ASE sign. Each ASE professional is issued personalized credentials listing his or her exact area(s) of certification and an appropriate shoulder insignia or lapel pin. Technicians are also issued certificates that employers often post in the customer-service area. And employers often display the blue and white ASE sign as well. Businesses with a high level of commitment to ASE are entitled to a special “Blue Seal of Excellence” recogni-

Find your auto tech now, before you need them Car Care News Service

Moving into a new area, who’s the most important professional you seek out? Your family doctor, of course, a dentist, your pharmacist and, somewhere down the road… your auto mechanic. The decision on your car care professional, while not a critical as selecting health care professionals, nevertheless is important. Further, that should be made when you’re in control of the situation, not when the car breaks down and can’t be driven. Whether you’re a college student headed to a strange town or a senior citizen moving to a retirement community, finding the right service shop warrants research. Making that selection sooner rather than later helps. Most car owners, being concerned about repair costs, want to deal with facilities in which they have faith. The problem arises when “blind” faith gets in the way of good judgment. The answer, of course, is to know your car and its needs, a message that long has been espoused by NASCAR and strongly supported by the Be Car Care Aware program – an educational campaign that has established National Car Care Month. “You don’t have to know how to fix your car,” says a Goodyear Gemini automotive technician and member of the NASCAR Performance Network. “You just should know something about things like brake pads and air filters and other parts that need periodic attention. If your mechanic says you’re overdue for an air filter, it’s good to know what he’s talking about.” So how should you go about finding this “good” mechanic, the honest guy who will help you through the maze of car care? There are many ways to begin the search, but NASCAR offers a shortcut: Just log on to http://www.nascar.com/auto. Here, the NASCAR Performance Network lists of more than 8,000 repair shops that can be helpful to any motorist seeking maintenance and repairs. Simply enter your zip code to find a quality repair shop in your neighborhood. Beyond that, your neighborhood welcoming organization, such as Welcome Wagon, may offer a list of local business contacts that usually includes automotive service facilities. Because most of us tend to pro-

Most car owners, being concerned about repair costs, want to deal with facilities in which they have faith. The problem arises when “blind” faith gets in the way of good judgment. crastinate on auto repairs, much less the search for someone to do them, you may find yourself rushed into this discomfort zone. It’s a case for researching early. Even old timers in a community may benefit by learning what’s new in the car care business. When the time does arise, how do you know who’s the best shop to call? Your phone directory may help, especially if it lists the shop’s certifications and affiliations. Word of mouth at community get-togethers usually provides excellent feedback. Another excellent source is via listings on the Internet. Among sources are ASE (National Institute For Automotive Service Excellence) and Automotive Service Association. Additionally, the Car Care Council provides a listing of more than 60,000 auto parts retailers, repair facilities and body shops as well as engine installers.

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Grand Forks Herald/Friday, October 22, 2010

Questions every vehicle owner should ask their automotive technician Taking your vehicle to get worked on can be intimidating, especially if you’re not familiar with the lingo associated with vehicle maintenance and repair. However, next to your home, your vehicle is most likely the second most expensive investment you’ll make, so it’s important to make sure you leave it in the right hands when something goes awry. “Some customers are afraid to ask questions because they feel intimidated by technicians, says Bob Arlotta, NAPA 2008 Technician of the Year. “But it’s your right as a customer to ask as many questions as you want. Any auto care center not willing to answer your questions is probably not a good choice for your vehicle maintenance needs.” Whether you need a problem fixed immediately or are simply searching for an auto care center that can perform routine maintenance, there are a number of important questions that all vehicle owners should ask before turning their keys over to an automotive techni-

왖 Don’t be afraid to ask the right questions of your mechanic. cian: 1. Are you ASE certified? A common indication of quality service is a certificate of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). ASE’s mission is to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service through the testing and certification of re-

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pair and service professionals. Arlotta recommends checking with your local repair shop to ensure the establishment and its technicians are in fact endorsed with an ASE certificate. This certificate confirms the quality of work you can expect from the facility is high. If no ASE certificate has been awarded, it’s probably a good idea to take your vehicle elsewhere. 2. What payment policies and guarantees do you offer? Before approving any work to be done, it’s important to ask about the facility’s labor rates, warranties and payment policies. Auto care centers willing to provide this information up front, in writing, traditionally produce high-quality work because they know they’re accountable for it. Also, before letting a technician inspect your vehicle, it’s important to find out the cost involved. Not all auto care centers provide free estimates, and you don’t want to be stuck paying a costly inspection fee you didn’t approve beforehand. 3. What is your used parts policy? Some garages have

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Maintaining that ‘new car’ look Car Care News Service

You’ve invested time and effort in flawless bodywork and a pristine paint job. With proper care, you can keep that showroom look for a long time. One of the most important efforts you can make is to maintain a good wax job. Of course wax will maintain a glossy look and keep your car looking sharp, but it also makes it easier to wash off the contaminants that collect on the surface over time. Good wax coverage causes water to bead up on the surface and simplifies the task of wiping down the car. Most paint manufacturers suggest that once the paint on a new car or a repaint job has cured for 30 days it should be waxed. However, new, uncured paint can also be coated with a final glaze rather than wax. Quality Certified Auto Repair Guaranteed

This can be done by hand or with a DA sander and a foam pad. The glaze will cover the surface without sealing or interfering with the cure process. Once the cure period has passed, a good automotive wax can be applied. Once the paint is cured you can use either a liquid automotive wax – which can be applied either by hand or with an orbital polisher – or a handapplied paste wax. Choose a quality product, and either a liquid or a paste wax will give long-lasting results on new and repainted vehicles and make it easier to wash and dry the vehicle without damaging or scratching. Waxing can also provide some surface restoration for older paint jobs. There are combination products that re-

move fine scratches, oxidation, swirl marks and minor stains and leave a durable waxed finish in a single process. A new material – gloss enhancer – is available to add gloss to your wax job and help it last even longer. This is a Carnauba wax based formulation that adds a little wax to the paint surface with each use. After washing and rinsing your car, simply spray gloss enhancer onto one panel at a time as you dry the surface, using a soft terry cloth towel. The Carnauba component rejuvenates your wax finish slightly as you wipe it. A proper wax job takes a lot

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