October 2018 NOLN Magazine

N LN GIVING BACK

FORD’S NEW FA-4 RECS

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inside this issue

Features SPECIAL SECTION: THE INDUSTRY GIVES BACK

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OUT FOR BLOOD Ken Lehman talks about giving back to the community.

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Results from the Prices and Oil & Equipment sections of the annual survey.

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A Monterey Car Week veteran shares his tips for finding and buying your dream car — in your price range — at an auction.

A SUPER WAY TO GIVE BACK A Georgia Grease Monkey crew became real life super heroes.

TRUCKIN’ FOR A CAUSE NHRDA Pro Stock driver Amalee Mueller is truckin’ for a cause — one inspired by her mother, a breast cancer survivor.

HENLEY ENTERPRISES HELPS WIPE AWAY CANCER Henley Enterprises, VIOC’s largest franchisee, is once again raising funds to support the NBCF through the sale of pink wiper blades.

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2018 FAST LUBE OPERATOR SURVEY RESULTS, PART TWO

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SOLID START “THINK PINK” HELPS PROMOTE EARLY BREAST CANCER DETECTION Solid Start/True Brand has partnered with the NBCF to help provide free, life-saving, early detection screenings to women in need.

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FORD CHOOSES API FA-4 FOR NEW SMALL DIESELS

Ford is now recommending API FA-4 motor oil in its newly introduced, smaller diesel engines, such as the F-150 with the 3.0L diesel engine and the Transit Connect with the 1.5L diesel engine.

FINDING AND BUYING YOUR DREAM CAR

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SEMA PREVIEW: JEFF ALLEN V06 BUILD

Jeff Allen is unveiling something special at SEMA — a mix between a 1963 Volvo 122S Amazon and a 2013 Grand Sport Corvette.

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DON’T MISS AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRY WEEK

What’s coming up at AAPEX and SEMA.

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UNDERSTANDING CALIFORNIA’S NEW PRIVACY LAWS

In June, California enacted what has been seen as one of the most far-reaching consumer protection privacy laws in the nation.

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HOUSTON STRONG

We check in with quick lube shops hit by Hurricane Harvey, one year later.

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AROUND THE INDUSTRY TECH SPEC AUTOMOTIVE RECALLS PRODUCTS & SERVICES CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ADVERTISER INDEX

Viewpoints

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FROM THE PUBLISHER The Fourth Quarter

By Steve Hurt

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AUTOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE Common Sense Windshield Wipers — Think About It

By Tim Craig

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TRAIN LIKE YOUR WALLET DEPENDS ON IT Change People, Not Oil

By Lenny Saucier

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ABOVE AND BEYOND i e ou’re nder T ere

By William Nonnamaker

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MAKING IT HAPPEN What Exactly Are You Servicing?

By Kit Sullivan

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ASSOCIATIONALLY SPEAKING AOCA Releases New Weights and Measures Guide

By Joanna Johnson

N LN GIVING BACK

Calendar of Events October 23-24 AOCA Management Certification Course Irving, Texas 800.230.0702 www.aoca.org

October 30-November 1

AAPEX Las Vegas, Nevada www.aapexshow.com

February 21-23, 2019 MACS Training Event & Trade Show Anaheim, California 215.631.7020 x0 www.macsw.org

May 13-15, 2019

FORD’S NEW FA-4 RECS

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iFLEX at The Car Wash Show Nashville, Tennessee 800.230.0702 www.aoca.org

On the cover: NHRDA Pro driver Amalee Mueller is truckin’ for a cause — one inspired by her mother, a breast cancer survivor.

Join the Conversation /OilLubeNews

@OilLubeNews

@Oil_Lube_News

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Fourth Quarter

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Publisher

Steve Hurt

steveh@stevehurt.com

The other day, I was watching my favorite college football team season opener. Like every football fan, I was analyzing the returning starters, the new players and the coaches. At times, I thought the coach made brilliant calls or the players executed a particular play flawlessly. Then at other times, I was questioning if the coach was even watching the same game I was, and why in the world would he call a particular play.

In frustration, I would yell at my TV to tell the quarterback to throw the ball to the open receiver, which I know was helpful, because a few plays later he would heed my advice and find the open receiver as he broke across the middle of the field in full stride. As the game went on, it was obvious to me, the players were getting more in rhythm with each other and that play calls were in sync with what would work best. As the offense and defense started playing as a team, I sat back and began to relax. Then, it happened. The referees blew the whistle, and the third quarter came to an end. The fourth quarter was about to begin.

Of the hundreds of college football games I have watched, I am not sure why this time it got my attention — maybe one of those subliminal moments. I glanced over to the sidelines and watched as the players on the sideline started holding up their hands and waving four fingers in the air indicating it was the fourth quarter. I have been around long enough to know that this gesture is meant as motivation. It is the fourth quarter, team. It is now or never time. We must finish out this game.

Everything that has happened in this game up to now only matters if we can close out this game and put a check in the win column.

Like most of you, I enjoy sports. The analogies of real life are obvious, but they also are worth repeating. It is the fourth quarter for our industry. It has been a good year. Many of the new products we have tried have worked, just as we hoped for. Many of us have implemented new services and new processes. As an industry, we have several new owners who have brought with them new techniques and ideas. We have new managers and new technicians, and we have seen new customers — or at least old customers driving new vehicles. 2018 has been a good year, but it is not over. It is the fourth quarter. It is time to make that final push to the end of the year.

The October NOLN features a buffet of sound advice from expert trainers like Lenny Saucier, who offers instruction on training our staff. Steve Swedberg breaks down the FA-4 recommendations on Ford diesel engines that you might not be aware of. Peter Suciu and Jim Baumer report on how our industry continues to give back to the communities they serve. I hope everyone had a chance to catch up with Kit Sullivan last month as he returned to the pages of NOLN. This month Kit reminds us that people are the customers — take care of the people first and their vehicles second.

I wish you could see me. I am walking around the office holding up four fingers. It’s fourth quarter, team. Let’s finish strong!

Until next time, keep on lubin’. S

ie Operatin O cer

Ragan Holt

ragan.holt@noln.net Senior Director, Creative Team

Tammy Neal

tammy.neal@noln.net Senior Director, Business Operations

Sheila Beam

sheila.beam@noln.net Circulation

Nikki Held

nikki.held@noln.net Advertising Sales & Marketing

Brian Ashley

brian.ashley@noln.net

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Jim Baumer William Lynott Peter Suciu Steve Swedberg GRAPHIC DESIGN



JimNissen.Design WEBSITE DEVELOPER



Tiffany Fowler

PUBLISHER Published twelve times a year (along with an additional Buyers Guide) by NOLN 2721 81st St., Lubbock, TX 79423. Postage Paid at Shepherdsville, KY. Postmaster: Send address changes to NOLN, 2721 81st St., Lubbock, TX 79423. Editorial Information: info@noln.net. Annual subscription rate to U.S. destinations is $39.

Subscriptions to Canada and Mexico are $70. All other foreign destinations are $130 for postage. Prepayment is required on all foreign orders, paid in U.S. funds. ©Copyright NOLN 2018. Reproduction is allowed only with permission of publisher. Views expressed by columnists and guest writers do not imply NOLN endorsement. Every attempt is made to provide accurate and reliable information described or offered herein, nor can NOLN verify accuracy of advertising claims made herein. The purpose of NOLN is to open an active line of communication between lube shop owners and managers and to provide a link between lube shops, manufacturers and suppliers throughout the country.

Authors — We welcome editorial proposals and submissions. Contact Tammy Neal for more information.

Advertisers — Advertising rates are available upon request. Please contact Brian Ashley for display advertising deadlines, Internet advertising and other information.Contact Nikki Held for classified advertising information.

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October 2018 Volume 33 Number 10 ISSN 1071-1260 All correspondence and inquiries should be directed to our business offices: 2721 81st St. Lubbock, TX 79423 Phone: 800.796.2577 or 806.762.4464

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AROUND THE INDUSTRY Valvoline to Acquire Oil Changers, Its Second Quick Lube Acquisition in Canada Valvoline Inc. recently signed a definitive agreement to acquire the business assets of Oil Changers Inc., which has 31 franchised quick lube centers in Ontario. The acquisition is expected to be complete during the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Oil Changers Inc., based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, was founded in 1996 by Dan Marin and is now owned by his three children, who currently operate five locations and plan to remain in the quick lube business as franchisees. All Oil Changers quick lube centers will be rebranded as Great Canadian Oil Change. This acquisition will expand Valvoline’s existing quick lube network to more than 1,250 company-owned and franchised locations across Canada and the United States.

“One of our key business strategies is to grow and strengthen Valvoline’s quick lube network through organic store expansion and high-quality acquisitions in both core and new markets, and we have made excellent progress on this strategy since becoming an independent company,” said Sam Mitchell, chief executive officer. “The acquisition of Great Canadian Oil Change in July provided us with the perfect opportunity to expand our quick lube footprint outside the U.S. Now, with the acquisition of Oil Changers, we look forward to increasing our scale and brand presence in Canada by broadening our retail footprint in Ontario.”

“Oil Changers is an exceptionally well-run operation, with a great base of franchisees and an excellent reputation for customer service in Ontario,” said Tony Puckett, president, Valvoline Quick Lubes. “We are excited that the Marin family plans to remain in the business and grow their base of five stores. We look forward to working with them and all of the franchisees to grow their respective businesses, add more 10

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locations and expand Valvoline’s Great Canadian Oil Change brand in Canada.”

“Oil Changers has been a part of my family since 1996 when our father started the business,” said Tom Marin, owner and president of Oil Changers Inc. “My sister, brother and I are proud that we could continue to build Oil Changers into a business known for outstanding service to our customers in Ontario. We have a lot of respect for the Valvoline Instant Oil Change name in the United States, as well as the Great Canadian Oil Change brand that Valvoline acquired in July. We’re excited to join the Valvoline family as franchisees and look forward to the longer-term growth opportunities that Valvoline can provide.”

Jiffy Lube Teams with MDA for Annual Muscle Up! Campaign Jiffy Lube and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) are teaming up for the seventh annual Muscle Up! campaign, aimed to help transform the lives of families affected by muscular dystrophy, ALS and related muscle-debilitating diseases.

Throughout the month of August, Jiffy Lube customers were invited to make a donation at participating locations of $3 or more to MDA, helping to fund programs for families in their community. In return, customers received Muscle Up! savings books, which contained offers totaling more than $100 from Jiffy Lube and other national retailers, including Men’s Wearhouse, Fuddruckers and Office Depot.

One hundred percent of funds raised benefit MDA and its life-enhancing programs such as state-of-the-art clinics and support groups, as well as MDA Summer Camp, a week-long camp that provides opportunities for kids living with neuromuscular diseases to discover new interests, gain

self-confidence and experience the independence of being away from home in an environment where barriers do not exist.

“Jiffy Lube and its franchisees are passionate about giving back to the communities in which we live and operate, so we are enthusiastic to support MDA for the seventh consecutive year,” said Denny Reiner, director of Marketing for Jiffy Lube International, Inc. “The Muscle Up! program is a natural fit for Jiffy Lube because it draws parallels between the body’s muscular system and a vehicle’s engine structure.”

Since launching Muscle Up! in 2012, the campaign has raised more than $5.5 million in support of research and MDA services and has sent more than 2,750 children to MDA Summer Camp.

“Support from partners like Jiffy Lube makes it possible to accelerate research to find urgently needed treatments and cures for muscle-debilitating diseases,” said MDA executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer Karen Lewis Alexander. “In the past year, four new drugs have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These are milestones that would not have been possible without the generosity of loyal Jiffy Lube franchisees, service center employees and customers.

We are so grateful for our partnership.”

Sign Up for Automotive Aftermarket Riders Club G.O.A.T. Ride 2018 to Support Industry Education If you missed the Automotive Aftermarket Riders Club (AARC) Greatest of All-Time (G.O.A.T.) ride last time, don’t worry.

AARC will take the same legendary route this October when they embark on the annual “Ride for the Future.”

AARC is seeking riders, sponsors and pledges for its ride from Las Vegas to Arizona and back prior to the start of Industry Week.

“Whether on a motorcycle, bike, car, slingshot, Can-am or trike, if it rolls, you can roll with us on our annual AARC ‘Ride for the Future,’” said Bill Maggs, MAAP, treasurer of the University of the Aftermarket Foundation and leader of the pack.

“There were so many great stories from the 2016 ride, we figured we had to travel that

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same route again so those who missed it could enjoy the awesome scenery and camaraderie experienced two years ago. As

always, all proceeds will be donated to the University of the Aftermarket Foundation, so if you can’t join us, please consider supporting a rider or making a donation to the foundation.”

The 2018 AARC “Ride for the Future” will start from the Las Vegas Harley-Davidson dealership on Thursday, October 25, and head to Prescott, Arizona, via Old Historic Route 66 and return north along the Colorado River the following day. On October 27, riders will travel to the Grand Canyon to visit the infamous Skywalk, a

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cantilevered glass walkway extending 70 feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon and overlooking a 2,000-foot drop to its basin, before returning to Las Vegas.

Motorcycles can be rented from the Las Vegas Harley Davidson dealership with an advance reservation. To learn how to become a rider or for more information, contact Mike Mohler, MAAP at mikem@ thegroupaspg.com or visit the AARC Facebook page at: facebook.com/aftermarketriders To become a sponsor of the AARC Ride for the Future or to make a donation to their worthy cause, visit: www.uofafoundation.com, click on “Donate” and reference AARC. Registration Open for MACS 2019 Training Event and Trade Show A/Ccess is the theme of the MACS 2019 Training Event and Trade Show to be held February 21-23, 2019, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California.

Attendees will gain A/Ccess to the mobile A/C and engine cooling service and repair information needed to make accurate diagnoses and reliable repairs; A/Ccess to the experts in the field who design and manu-

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MACS keynote speaker is Jimmy Shine of Orange County, California, the owner of Shine Speedshop and reality TV star from shows, “American Icon: The Hot Rod,” “Hard Shine,” “Weaponizers,” “Car Warriors” and “Rockin’ Roadsters.”

A complete list of events for the MACS 2019 Training Event and Trade Show is available on the MACS website at: www.macsw.org. S

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THE INDUSTRY

Gives Back “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”

– Muhammad Ali

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uhammad Ali hit the nail on the head. Many across the industry have been heeding this advice and have been giving back all year long. NOLN is honored to share some of their stories with you this month.

We know this is only a small portion of giving-back that is being done in our industry. To all who give back and help make this world a better place, we truly thank you.

OUT FOR BLOOD

Ken Lehman, of Virginia Lube, on Giving Back to the Community

By Peter Suciu

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his past August, during the “dog days” of summer, Ken Lehman, CEO of Virginia Lube and operator of the Jiffy Lube locations in the region, opted to do something a little different to draw in customers. Not once, but twice, he worked with the Virginia Blood Services to hold a blood drive and MDA fundraiser at two of his shops.

The first of these was held on August 7 at locations in Lynchburg and Forest, Virginia, while a second one was held a week later on August 14 at locations in Roanoke, Virginia. This coincided with Jiffy Lube’s MDA Muscle Up!, a program to support MDA’s efforts to help kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS and other related life-threatening diseases to live longer and grow stronger.

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(back l. to r.) Wensday Tumulak, Mike Weston, Abbey Hawthorne and Brittany Minard. (front l. to r.) Trish Luger and Ken Lehman, CEO Virginia Lube.

The Forest location, which also hosted a BBQ, maxed out on blood donations — something that made Lehman quite pleased.

“We don’t do enough to make a difference in our communities, and we need to start,” Lehman said. “I hope many franchisees can take away what I have taken away for years. As CEO of Virginia Lube, I’m working with other organizations in the area, and I want to let people know that we’re the place that does as much as it can for our communities.”

Lehman, who has been with Jiffy Lube for 25 years and also worked in the Midas organization for another five years, said it

is his desire to work with the community, not only to provide a reliable and needed service, but to also build trust with customers. Giving back as often as he can is just part of community relations.

“This goes back to when I lived in Milwaukee and was working with Midas,” Lehman explained. “We regularly worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, organized blood drives and supported other charities.”

Roots of Charity While working with Midas, he said his location was one of the top stores in the city supporting the Go Red for Women campaign, the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women.

This past summer’s blood drive was something he said he’d like to see more small businesses supporting, and for that reason offered a free oil change — a nearly $40 value — to customers willing to pay in blood rather than dollars.

“We wanted to support Virginia Blood

Services, because everyone needs blood, and right now there is a terrible shortage,” Lehman explained. “So, you help with the blood, and we’ll help maintain the car.”

He added that the blood drives have taken time to get into high gear. Lehman started the first one about two years ago, and the turnout wasn’t what he had hoped it would be; there were only seven donors the first time, and just a dozen or so the second time.

However, that didn’t deter Lehman from trying again. In August, he opted to focus on just two locations each day — the first from 9 am until noon, and the second from 2 pm until 5 pm. The shops worked with local radio station WRVL, 88.3 The Journey — flagship station for The Journey Radio Network.

“The station did a live remote, and it really helped draw in customers,” Lehman said. “They made it clear that MDA was here and that we were doing a supporting BBQ. It ended up being quite huge, and we maxed out on blood donations, which is October 2018

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so good. We can’t understate the fact that one pint of blood can save three lives.”

Following the second drive, Lehman was told that the very blood he donated during the drive was on its way to the hospital, where it could very well make a difference between life and death.

“I plan to do more blood drives, at least every couple of months while the weather holds,” he said. “And every customer who is able to donate will get a free signature oil change, a $39.99 value — which is just the small way we can reward those customers who help us save lives.”

Beyond the Blood Drives What also set Lehman’s efforts apart this past summer were that, in addition to the blood drives, the locations were also supporting Jiffy Lube’s MDA Muscle Up! campaign.

In recent years, especially since the cancelation of the MDA Labor Day Telethon, muscular dystrophy has not been in the spotlight as much — but that doesn’t mean it has been cured.

“It isn’t in the spotlight, and that’s why we need to support the fundraising efforts. For Jiffy Lube, MDA is very impor-

tant,” Lehman explained. “This is the seventh year we’ve been doing this. This raises money to send kids to camps, as well as to fund research for the cure. We wanted this to coincide with our blood drive and put the whole package together. That was why it was very successful this year.”

The desire to give back is something Lehman has always strived to do. However, it really picked up after his time working with Mark Smith, who runs four Richmond-area Midas car care franchises and uses his businesses to support numerous causes. Those include blood drives, which started after the 9/11 terrorist attacks when blood was in short supply.

Stephen Pugh, manager of store 2975 in Forest, Virginia, and Diane Boardman, director of Business Development, Greater Virginia MDA

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“Mark is very involved in his community, and that has really inspired me,” said Lehman, who added that the service industry can play a key role in these types of activities. “I see this as everybody’s responsibility from service businesses, small retailers and even big box retailers. We can all do more.”

One of the driving motivations for Lehman is that today so many people are hurting. Even with record-low unemployment, there are those who simply can’t make ends meet. This is something he said he sees in Lynchburg, a city that has a poverty rate of 23.1 percent — which is 9.6 percent higher than the national poverty rate.

“It is important to me to raise awareness about the needs of our community,” Lehman said. “These small things that we do can help make things better in the community, and through it, society can be much happier. This is just the type of person I am, and I want to help as many people as I can. I wish more small businesses — really more businesses in general — would reach out and work with charitable organizations to make it a better place.”

That wish may become a reality. Just as Lehman said a colleague inspired him, it is already clear that others are just as motivated by his actions.

“We’ve been doing food drives around the holidays, offering discounts to our customers for helping donate a turkey for Thanksgiving or a ham for Christmas,” Lehman said. “There are so many people just willing to give what they can. We got the store managers excited, and now the techs on the floor are into it, too. Giving back just makes you feel good.” S

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A SUPER WAY TO GIVE BACK

Grease Monkey Crew

Becomes Real Life

Super Heroes

By Peter Suciu

Jake Pate, Matthew Anderson, Jimmy Napier and Marc Campbell

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his year’s top film has no shortage of capes and heroes with super powers.

“Avengers: Infinity Wars” has grossed well over $2 billion at the international box office, while “Black Panther,” another film in the same Marvel universe, became one of the highest grossing films with an all African-American cast, earning nearly $1.4 billion worldwide. In bombastic fashion, the world was saved, and good prevailed.

Yet despite how those spandex and leather clad characters fare on screen, real heroes don’t have super strength, x-

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ray vision or even fancy costumes. A team of four from Grease Monkey’s location in Columbus, Georgia, proved that a simple mask and a cape can put smiles on the faces of young children and make super heroes come to life.

This past August, the fantastic foursome took some time away from servicing cars to visit the pediatric ward at the Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital, where they brought blankets to children.

For the Grease Monkey team — and thanks to the proliferation of super he-

roes across pop culture — giving back was a “super” idea.

“That is exactly the reason we chose to do this promotion with the hospital this year,” said Chuck Davis, managing partner at the Columbus, Georgia Grease Monkey.

There were other ideas, however.

“There was so much hype about royal weddings. We thought about maybe having the guys go as royalty, but kids just love super heroes,” Davis said.

The 20 Minute Men As soon as the four Grease Monkey employees entered the ward, there was tremendous applause. These men didn’t save the world; they did something better. They put smiles on the faces of young children who didn’t get to spend their summer playing in the sun or having fun in the mountains. This included four-year old Parker Beck, a super hero fan who found the four men even more exciting than his plush Spiderman toy.

“The kids didn’t even know who they were supposed to be, but a mask goes a long way,” Davis said.

Of course the four men don’t have super powers — then again, neither do Chris Evans (Captain America) or Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man). Yet, to the kids on that August day, it didn’t really matter. However, the Grease Monkey team could be dubbed the “20 Minute Men,” not for an actual power but a honed skill.

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The 20 Minute Men delivered gifts to children in the pediatric ward at the Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus, Georgia.

“Actually, the theme was based on providing an oil change in 20 minutes guaranteed,” said Davis, who added that a video clip was sped up showing the men zipping around the cars and servicing them.

“I mean, who doesn’t think that doing an efficient oil change in 20 minutes doesn’t require some super power!”

Other Promotions This was the first time that the Grease Monkey shop sent out its super team, but it has been involved in other community programs.

“Last year, we honored veterans on Veteran’s Day,” Davis said. “For this promotion, we offered a free oil change to veterans and active military personnel. More than 200 people showed up, and that was something that we were proud to offer.”

Davis added the Grease Monkey loca-

tion already offers discounts to military and veterans every day, but wanted to do something special.

“We’re home to a large army base, and this is our way to show our thanks to those who served and are serving,” he said.

As part of the greater service industry, Davis agreed that small businesses such as Grease Monkey need to be at the forefront of such efforts.

“We’re looking hard at what other businesses in our area, and even the region, are not addressing,” he explained. “We’re seeing food drives and other efforts, which is really great. But, we decided to make a difference with charities that aren’t getting the same amount of attention.”

These efforts will continue throughout the year, Davis added.

“At Christmas last year, we gave a discount for those who brought in toys for

needy families with children, and I’m happy to report that we had 524 people take advantage of that program and donate toys,” Davis said. “It made the employees feel good to see the kids, who might not have gotten a new toy at the holidays, be able to bring something home. We plan to do this promotion again this year.”

Other days are also noted, and 9/11 each year is a day when the shop gives back to local first responders.

“That is a day we all remember and always will,” Davis said.

But no matter the day or event, Davis added that it is important that small business leads the vanguard when it comes to aiding charities and supporting other causes.

“We need to be the backbone in supporting our communities!” Davis said. S October 2018

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GIVING BACK

Truckin’ For a Cause

By Jim Baumer

NHRDA driver Amalee Mueller (l.) races for a charity inspired by her mother, Robin Artecona, who is a breast cancer survivor (r.).

A

malee Mueller is someone who drag racing fans at National Hot Rod Diesel Association (NHRDA) events have been hearing a lot about over the past few years. This has been especially true during the current 2018 racing season.

In a sport dominated by men, this female has been making a name for herself.

She’s been leading NHRDA’s Pro Stock and Limited Pro Stock sled-pulling class-

es in points all year. She’s also near the top of the leader board in points in the Super Diesel class of NHRDA’s Hot Shot’s Secret Diesel Racing series. But Mueller’s story is much more than girl-races-withthe-boys. This one involves a dreaded disease that many Americans have been touched by, her mom and a unique partnership between Mueller and a product with a story all its own.

In 2008, Amalee’s mother, Robin, was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the beginning of what would become a long journey connected with her mother’s treatment and subsequent recovery, Mueller and her father, Edgar, went to their first truck pull competition. This was also right around the time when she first got her driver’s license and decided that her vehicle of choice wasn’t going to be

Amalee Mueller and the Save the Racks Truck at an event in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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be there was a way to bridge racing with finding a cure,” Mueller said. “Of course, we had a pink lift kit on the truck, which made it stand out.”

From there, the idea of “Save the Racks” came from Mueller’s passion for hunting.

1

“I began hunting at age six. My logo, with the antlers incorporated with the ribbon, came from me shooting a 17-point white tail. The logo and name really caught on. We’ve gotten a lot of love from it,” she said.

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some foo-foo girl’s ride — no, she settled on a three-quarter-ton Dodge Ram with a 5.9-liter twin turbo. Father and daughter also entered the truck in her first pull. She said that “she’s been hooked ever since,” and she’s acquired additional rides.

“I didn’t want to tear-up my daily driver, the Dodge, by pulling with it,” Mueller said. “We ended up finding an old snow plow truck from Ohio with over 300,000 miles on it. This one had a similar engine.

We had to tear it all apart, and this is where I learned a lot about taking a truck apart and putting it back together.”

Mueller told about how at Christmas that year, she got what she thought was a strange gift.

“There was a big box, and I wondered what was in it,” she laughed. “When I opened it, there was a welding helmet and welding gloves. I looked over at my mom, because I thought maybe she mislabeled it and I got my dad’s gift.”

The gift was for Amalee.

“I was going to learn how to weld. I’ve welded nearly all of the brackets and addons,” she said.

Mueller said, as her mother was going through cancer treatment, she was always on her mind. Mueller began thinking of ways that connected racing to her mom’s disease and recovery, as well as something that could help others going through something similar with cancer.

“The first pull we did was at a ‘Pull for a Cure’ event. I began thinking that may-

Amalee Mueller with her father, Edgar Artecona, who helped her get her start in drag racing.

STEP

Amalee Mueller prepares for a race.

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Kyle Fischer, Lubrication Specialties Inc. director of Marketing, awards Amalee Mueller a $500 bonus for winning an NHRDA drag racing event.

The Pink Partnership Mueller obviously has the talent as a driver.

Each year, her results have improved. Being competitive, she’s set goals prior to every season, and in most cases, has hit her marks by the end of the racing calendar.

Lubrication Specialties, Inc. (LSI) is the manufacturer of Hot Shot’s Secret, a brand of specially formulated additives designed for gasoline and diesel fuel systems. In 2017, they joined NHRDA as a title sponsor, and Hot Shot’s Secret Extreme was the circuit’s Official Fuel Additive.

According to Kyle Fischer, LSI’s director of Marketing, the company was looking for ways to increase the visibility of their products during the 2018 NHRDA season.

They began thinking about sponsoring a driver. In seeking out a driver, the company wanted someone who mirrored what they’ve been about as a company.

“We were new to this world, but it was easy to see that Amalee was a draw early on,” Fischer said. “She’s not physically imposing, but she’d quickly become a crowd favorite. The fans liked seeing Amalee kick the big boys’ butts.”

Fischer added that LSI is an Ohio-based company, which owner Chris Gabrelcik launched in the barn behind his house.

“Her trucks were built up here in Ohio.

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We had been forming a relationship with Firepunk Diesel, who had built Amalee’s Pro Stock truck. The partnership began falling into place,” Fischer said.

LSI wanted to support Mueller and her cause with more than just a sticker on her truck.

“At the end of 2017, we’d been talking a little bit — we knew she wanted to get the word out [about Save the Racks] more widely. She was getting some attention, but she wanted to do something bigger,” Fischer said.

From these conversations, a full sponsorship/partnership with Mueller was born. LSI helped her in redesigning the logo. Fischer said they wanted a sponsorship that would “get the crowd’s attention during the whole year.” He didn’t think simply giving Mueller a check at the end of the season was what they wanted to do. That’s also not what Mueller was looking for.

What they came up with was a plan to make a $50 donation every time the pink “Save the Racks” truck went down the track.

“With Amalee, she races in two different classes. When she goes down the quartermile, we make a donation for $50. Then, she races again in a qualifying race, we make another donation,” Fischer said.

So each time Mueller’s pink Super Diesel race truck makes a pass, $50 is donated by Hot Shot’s Secret. This also goes for each pass made by the family’s other “Save the Rack’s” Pro Stock truck, driven by Larson Miller from Firepunk Diesel.

The further Mueller makes it, the more money she earns for Save the Racks. According to Fischer, the “cherry on top” is if she knocks off the entire field. They make an additional $250 donation if she ends up as runner-up and a $500 donation if she comes in first place. In her very first race of the year back in May, Mueller earned $1,000.

All funds are donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Fischer said that halfway through the season, Mueller and LSI have raised more than $4,000.

“Our announcer, Scott, does such a great job building the anticipation by letting the crowd know where Amalee is during that day’s events in terms of sponsorship and promoting ‘Save the Racks,’ and it’s purpose — to raise awareness about cancer,” Fischer said. “For us and Amalee, that’s the main point in bringing attention to this campaign.”

Mueller doesn’t leave her heart for people on the track. She works full-time as a nurse, which speaks to her commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.

“There are so many people who have been touched by cancer,” Mueller said. “Being able to do something positive and help others going through their own personal battles has been meaningful to me.” S

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Copyright © 2018 Exxon Mobil Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries unless otherwise noted.

Amalee Mueller drag racing in Ennis, Texas.

S:10.375”

Copyright © 2018 Exxon Mobil Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries unless otherwise noted.

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GIVING BACK

Henley Enterprises Helps

Wipe Away Cancer

By Peter Suciu

A

ccording to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women, no matter the race or ethnicity. Today, it sadly remains the most common cause of death from cancer among Hispanic women, and the second most common cause of death from cancer among white, black, Asian/ Pacific Islander and American Indian/ Alaska Native women.

Worse still, about one in eight U.S women — more than 12 percent — will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime, and in 2018 an estimated 266,120 new cases of invasive breast can-

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cer are expected to be diagnosed in American women, along with a further 64,960 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer.

Some 2,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer will also be diagnosed in men as well this year.

Nearly 41,000 women in the U.S. are expected to die from this disease this year, but real progress is being made. Beginning in the year 2000, after an increase over the past two decades, the rates of breast cancer actually decreased each year — dropping by 7 percent from 2002 to 2003 alone — and women under 50 have experienced the largest decrease thanks to treat-

ment advances, earlier detection through screening and increased awareness.

But more can be done, and this is why Henley Enterprises, Inc., the largest franchisee of Valvoline Instant Oil Change (VIOC), is once again raising funds and working to increase awareness for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (NBCF).

Throughout the month of October, 10 percent from the sale of pink wipers will be donated to NBCF. These wipers are being made available at more than 175 participating VIOC locations across 10 states, including 75 locations in Southern California alone.

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“The blades allow individuals who have been affected or know someone affected by breast cancer to show their support,” said Don Smith, founder and CEO of Henley Enterprises, Inc. The blades come in both traditional black, with a small pink ribbon and are Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) branded, as well as in full pink for those who wish to make a bolder statement and bring awareness on the road.

These wiper blades fit 98 percent of all cars, trucks and SUVs manufactured after 2003.

To-date, the campaign has raised more than $86,000 for NBCF and is hoping to reach a $100,000 milestone this year.

“This is our seventh year helping to promote awareness via this campaign,” said Ali Rose, Henley Enterprise representative for the Northeast.

“We’re working with AutoTex, which produces the blades, and we have more than 30,000 wiper blades available across our locations,” Rose said.

“This is an important cause for us to get behind, and we want to do our part to give back to the community,” said Jesse Golden, spokesperson for Henley Enterprises, Inc. As breast cancer typically targets women, it is fitting that the auto service industry can be there to help build awareness through this program, as women now make up the majority of automotive service center customers.

Jody DeVere, CEO of AskPatty and

founding board member of Women in Automotive LLC, was instrumental in helping launch this initiative. For DeVere, it was very personal.

“I know too many women, including friends, business associates, employees and family members, who have been diagnosed, endured chemo, radiation, mastectomies or, in fact, had their lives cut short due to breast cancer,” DeVere said. “Car owners will all need wiper blade replacements. Why not make them count to help wipe out breast cancer?”

DeVere’s partnership with the AutoTex Pink wiper blades, the BCRF.org, Henley VIOC locations and the many other AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly clients — who also promote this initiative by selling pink wiper blades — was one simple but very effective way that she could “personally fight back” to help fund research to find a cure.

“Through our research with Jody, we found that, unfortunately, breast cancer has touched a lot of our customers and our employees alike,” Golden said. “We wanted to be the facilitator to bring up awareness and support efforts to support breast cancer research.”

Ten percent of all sales of the AutoTex Pink wiper blades will be donated to the NBCF, which is the highest ranked breast cancer charity according to Charity Navigator. That fact is important to DeVere.

“Why? Because 85 percent of all funds

raised go to research for a cure and improved treatment options,” she said. “They also provide free mammograms for women who cannot afford them. Women and men recognize the pink color as support of breast cancer fundraising activities. BCRF research is revolutionizing the understanding of cancer. Research is leading to the core of this insidious disease. Research is transforming lives every day as women and men get the help they need.”

This year the efforts have kicked off early, as the wiper blades started to arrive in shops at the end of September.

“This year to meet our goals we wanted to focus efforts on two days, where we would double our donations,” Rose said. “The kick off on September 29, and then again on October 19, as the third Friday in October each year is National Mammography Day.” No matter when customers make a purchase, they can still show off their support by entering a photo of their car with the new wipers for a chance to win a year of free oil changes, as part of the Pink My Ride presented by VIOC. The photo with the most votes wins free oil changes for a year. (Up to four conventional oil changes over 12 months. Only people who live in a state with Valvoline stores are eligible to win.)

Perhaps the best part of this campaign is that it doesn’t really end in October.

“One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime,” DeVere said.

“Not only in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but also yearround, women and men can recognize the pink color that supports the awareness and fundraising activities.” S October 2018

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GIVING BACK

Solid Start

“Think Pink” Helps Promote Early Breast Cancer Detection

By Peter Suciu

A

s the National Breast Cancer Foundation has noted, breast cancer can’t be prevented, and sadly today, there is no cure. However, detecting breast cancer early can make all the difference in the world — it can literally save lives.

Yet, a rapidly increasing percentage of women simply cannot afford the screening tests.

For these reasons Solid Start/True Brand, a female-owned and operated business, has chosen to partner with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) to help provide free, life-saving, early detection screenings to women in need all across the country. The NBCF partners

with medical facilities across the country and provides free mammograms and diagnostic breast care services.

Solid Start/True Brand is a proud supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. In addition the company offers its Fuel Juels, a specially-branded premium product, in year-round packaging to promote breast cancer awareness.

“We designed the packaging for Fuel Juels around our support of NBCF. This is the same design that we use year-round, and since we’re already advertising the product every month, none of this adds to the costs.”

-Crystal Mathews, Solid Start/True Brand

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Very Personal Cause For Solid Start’s Amber Kossak, chief executive officer, and Crystal Mathews, vice president, cancer is something that has touched them personally.

“This is a very important cause to us,” Mathews said. “We’ve been affected directly. My grandmother passed away from breast cancer, and it is a horrible disease.

We knew we wanted to do something as a way to give back.”

Six years ago, the company reached out to the NBCF, as Kossak and Mathews agreed this was something that could have a great impact on many women today.

“We know there are many great organizations that are working on a cure, but we felt that what the NBCF was doing with early detection was making a difference,” Mathews explained. “Instead of money being spent for a cure that will hopefully be found one day, it pays for mammograms for women who can’t afford it. The truth is, right now the only cure is early detection. We felt we wanted to put our money into helping women now. To us, this is helping save women’s lives now.”

The inspiration to brand Fuel Juels

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year-round in a specialty pink bottle came about for another personal reason.

“We had a sales representative who died 4:10 fromNOLN-AugustIssue2018.pdf testicular cancer, and1 we7/11/18 did think about supporting research into that disease but as a women-owned business we opted to support the NBCF,” Kossak, who has more than 20 years in the automotive service industry, said. “This product has been special to us, and we know there are different products out there that are similar, so we wanted to make this stand out to honor this cause.”

“We designed the packaging for Fuel Juels around our support of NBCF,” Mathews explained. “This is the same design that we use year-round, and since we’re already advertising the product every month, none of this adds to the costs.”

For October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the company is touting the power-

PM

ful message, “Together, we have the power to make early detection for women in need possible.” But even when November arrives and the media and public awareness subsides, the pink bottles remain as a way to continue to spread the message.

Branding Fuel Juels in pink year-round ensures that money isn’t wasted for a Breast Cancer Awareness Month-only promotion by rolling out special packaging or branding. This ensures that instead of spending money on bottles, more of the proceeds can go to those who truly need it.

“We wanted to make sure the money would be well spent,” Kossak said.

“We also believe this is our best product, and we felt it was really worth it to support such an important cause,” Mathews said.

To that end, the company has started a special “Fuel Juels Friday” on social media platforms, including Facebook. Those

who like the promotion are entered for a chance to win a free bottle of Fuel Juels as well as a Fuel Juels trucker hat, and those who share the post automatically receive an additional entry.

In the six years that Solid Start/True Brand has supported the NBCF, the response has been very good, Kossak confirmed.

“There are many men who have been affected by breast cancer, as they’ve had loved ones who have been diagnosed or worse,” she added. “For us, it just makes sense to support this throughout the year.

We pull out the stops in October, but want to remind everyone all year. We hope our customers will also spread the word.”

“Breast cancer, unfortunately, affects women all year long,” Mathews said. “The least we can do is help with the awareness, and help women get screened — because the only cure is early detection.” S

October 2018

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NUTS & BOLTS

The new 2019 Ford Transit Connect Cargo Van packs big work in a small package with ease and efficiency for any business. It features new and exclusive driver-assist technologies and two new drivetrains.

More than 300,000 Transit Connect vehicles have been sold since 2009 when Ford created the segment in the United States. Of those, 97 percent are still on the road. Ford has enhanced Transit Connect’s available technology and powertrains to keep up with what customers need to help improve productivity in the field.

The 2019 Transit Connect Cargo Van offers three different engines capable of running on five different fuels.

A standard 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline direct injection engine with auto start-stop is paired to a new eight-speed automatic transmission to deliver responsive around-town performance and lowrpm cruising on the highway. This engine is E85-compatible and comes with a standard heavy-duty battery and available heavyduty alternator to supply power to even the most demanding of upfit applications.

Transit Connect’s new 1.5-liter EcoBlue diesel engine is targeted to have an EPAestimated fuel economy rating of at least 30 mpg on the highway. The new diesel en28

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Tech Spec: 2019 Ford Transit Connect

gine combines the latest in fuel injection, turbocharging and emissions-control technologies, as well as auto start-stop for reliable performance along with reduced fuel consumption. The new EcoBlue engine is also fitted with the eight-speed automatic transmission. Like the new 2.0-liter, the 1.5-liter EcoBlue comes with EcoMode and EcoCoach, which monitor fuel economy and encourage fuel-efficient driving behaviors.

Exclusively for fleets, a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder with six-speed automatic and CNG/propane gaseous fuel prep package is also available.

The Transit Connect is a modern-day workhorse. With city-friendly dual sliding side doors, a wide and flat load floor finished in durable vinyl, near-vertical walls and integrated tie-downs, it boasts flexible and generous cargo-carrying and towing capability. Loading a 48-inch pallet via forklift is easy with 180-degree swing-out rear cargo doors that can be locked in the open position.

With a 38.3-foot curb-to-curb turning diameter, short-wheelbase Transit Connect can maneuver and park on tight city streets. Transit Connect also provides unsurpassed towing capability of 2,000

pounds when paired with the available tow package.

The Transit Connect has the most driverassist technologies in the segment, including automatic emergency braking. It also offers standard pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection to help avoid collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians who might cross in front of the vehicle’s path; standard side wind stabilization; standard rearview camera; available blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert; available lane keeping system helps drivers avoid lane drift to keep the vehicle centered on the road; available adaptive cruise control makes highway driving easier by automatically slowing the vehicle when radar detects traffic slowing ahead.

Tools like the embedded 4G LTE modem provides Wi-Fi for up to 10 devices, while an available 6.5-inch floating touch screen running Sync 3 helps drivers keep their eyes on the road as they field customer calls and text messages hands-free or navigate to job sites.

Available wireless phone charging keeps compatible mobile devices topped off and ready for service. FordPass helps monitor small fleets, including driver location, fuel level, tire pressure and more. Ford’s

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MyKey programmable ignition key remains standard for Transit Connect XLT enabling owners and fleet administrators to preset warnings and limits for vehicle speed, while restricting the entertainment system’s audio to 45 percent of maximum volume.

Servicing the 2019 Transit Connect The 2019 Transit Connect is equipped with the Intelligent Oil Life Monitor system, which displays a message in the information display at the proper oil change interval. This interval may be up to one year or 10,000 miles (16,000 km).

When the oil change message appears in the information display, it is time for an oil change. The oil change should be performed within two weeks or 500 miles (800 km) of the message appearing. Make sure the IOLM is reset after each oil change.

The following owner checks and services should be performed: Check every month: • Engine oil level • Function of all interior and exterior lights • Tires (including spare) for wear and proper pressure • Windshield washer fluid level • Fuel and water separator; drain if necessary • Holes and slots in the tail pipe to make sure they are functional and clear of debris Check every six months: • Battery connections; clean if necessary • Body and door drain holes for obstructions; clean if necessary

• Cooling system fluid level and coolant strength • Door weatherstrips for wear; lubricate if necessary • Hinges, latches and outside locks for proper operation; lubricate if necessary • Parking brake for proper operation • Seatbelts and seat latches for wear and function • Safety warning lamps (brake, ABS, airbag and seatbelt) for operation • Washer spray and wiper operation; clean or replace blades as necessary The following multi-point inspection is recommended to be performed at every scheduled maintenance interval.

Multi-point inspection: • Inspect accessory drive belts • Inspect battery performance • Inspect engine air filter • Inspect exhaust system • Inspect exterior lamps operation • Inspect fluid levels; fill if necessary • Inspect for oil and fluid leaks • Inspect half-shaft dust boots • Inspect hazard warning system operation • Inspect horn operation • Inspect radiator, cooler, heater and air conditioning hoses • Inspect suspension components for leaks or damage • Inspect steering and linkage • Inspect tires (including spare) for wear and proper pressure • Inspect windshield for cracks, chips or pits • Inspect washer spray and wiper operation SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE The vehicle’s IOLM determines when the

oil should be changed based on how the vehicle is used. The message will prompt based on three different types of vehicle use: normal, severe or extreme. Normal use is normal commuting with highway driving; no, or moderate, load or towing; flat to moderately hilly roads; and no extended idling. The oil change interval for normal use is 7,500-10,000 miles (12,000-16,000 km). Severe use is moderate to heavy load or towing; mountainous or off-road conditions; extended idling; or extended hot or cold operation. The oil change interval for severe use is 5,000-7,499 miles (8,00011,999 km). Extreme use is maximum load or towing; or extreme hot or cold operation. The oil change interval for extreme use is 3,000-4,999 miles (5,000-7,999 km).

At every oil change as indicated by the information display: • Change engine oil and filter • Rotate tires • Perform a multi-point inspection • Inspect the automatic transmission fluid level • Inspect the brake pads, rotors, hoses and parking brake • Inspect the engine cooling system strength and hoses • Inspect the exhaust system and heat shields • Inspect the half-shaft boots • Inspect the steering linkage, ball joints, suspension, tie-rod ends, driveshaft and U-joints • Inspect the tires, tire wear and measure the tread depth • Inspect the wheels and related components for abnormal noise, wear, looseness or drag

October 2018

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EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE THE POWER THE POWER ® OF PENNZOIL® OF PENNZOIL

Every 20,000 miles (32,000 km): • Replace cabin air filter

Every 30,000 miles (48,000 km): • Change automatic transmission fluid

Every 30,000 miles (48,000 km): • Replace engine air filter

Every 60,000 miles (96,000 km): • Replace spark plugs

At 100,000 miles (160,000 km) or six years and then every 50,000 miles (80,000 km) or three years: • Change engine coolant

OPERATING IN DUSTY OR SANDY CONDITIONS (SUCH AS UNPAVED OR DUSTY ROADS) Inspect frequently, service as required: • Replace cabin air filter • Replace engine air filter

Every 100,000 miles (160,000 km): • Replace spark plugs • Inspect accessory drive belt(s) Every 150,000 miles (240,000 km): • Change automatic transmission fluid • Replace accessory drive belt(s) SPECIAL OPERATING CONDITIONS SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE If the vehicle is operated primarily in any of the following conditions, extra maintenance should be performed as indicated. If the vehicle is operated occasionally under any of these conditions, it is not necessary to perform the extra maintenance.

TOWING A TRAILER OR USING A CARTOP CARRIER As required: • Change engine oil and filter as indicated by the information display and perform services listed in the normal scheduled maintenance chart

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Every 30,000 miles (48,000 km): • Change automatic transmission fluid Every 60,000 miles (96,000 km): • Replace spark plugs EXTENSIVE IDLING OR LOW-SPEED DRIVING FOR LONG DISTANCES, AS IN HEAVY COMMERCIAL USE (SUCH AS DELIVERY, TAXI, PATROL CAR OR LIVERY) As required: • Change engine oil and filter as indicated by the information display and perform services listed in the normal scheduled maintenance chart Inspect frequently, service as required: • Replace cabin air filter • Replace engine air filter

Every 5,000 miles (8,000 km): • Inspect the wheels and related components for abnormal noise, wear, looseness or drag • Rotate tires, inspect tires for wear and measure tread depth Every 5,000 miles (8,000 km) or six months: • Change engine oil and filter • Perform multi-point inspection Every 30,000 miles (48,000 km): • Change automatic transmission fluid Fluids and Capacities Motor Oil: SAE 5W-20 synthetic blend – 2.0L; Two different grades of motor oil have been approved for the 2.5L engine: from -20 F to above 100 F (-29 C to above 40 C) SAE 5W-20 and for all temperatures SAE 0W-20; Four different grades of motor oil have been approved for the 1.5L EcoBlue diesel engine: from -20 F to above 100 F (-29 C to above 40 C) SAE 5W-30 FA-4; from -10 F to above 100 F (-18 C to above 40 C) SAE 10W-30 FA-4; from -20 F to above 100 F (-29 C to above 40 C) SAE 5W-40 CK-4; for all temperatures SAE 0W-40 CK-4; capacity is 8.5 quarts (8.0 liters) Coolant: Motorcraft Orange Prediluted Antifreeze/Coolant Brake fluid: Motorcraft DOT 4 LV High Performance Motor Vehicle Brake Fluid Automatic Transmission Fluid: Mercon ULV – 1.5L EcoBlue and 2.0L; Mercon LV – 2.5L; capacity is 9.0 quarts (8.5 liters). S

© SOPUS Products 2018.

All rights reserved. CS13622-08

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Automotive Recalls As a service to your customers, please note the following vehicles that have been recalled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or by their manufacturers.

Note these recalls apply only to items that could affect vehicle occupancy safety.

Items listed under separate manufacturer technical service bulletins are not always covered by warranty.

2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350, GLE43, GLE63, GLE63S, GLS450, GLS550, GLS63 Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC is recalling certain 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 4Matic, GLE350, GLS450 4Matic, GLS550 4matic, GLE43 AMG 4Matic, GLE63 AMG 4Matic, 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS550

The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently.

The loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torquing the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge.

2019 Volvo XC40 Volvo Cars USA LLC is recalling certain 2019 Volvo XC40 vehicles. The rear seats may not have rear seat back lock strikers, allowing the seat back to move forward during certain hard braking conditions or a crash.

2019 Volvo XC40

GLE63S AMG 4Matic, and GLS63 AMG 4Matic vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may not have been correctly coated, causing gas to become temporarily released into the rear brake hydraulic circuit, reducing braking performance.

Reduced braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the rear axle brake system, free of charge.

2018 Volkswagen Atlas; 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles.

If the seat back moves forward during hard braking or in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and install the seat back lock strikers if they are missing, free of charge.

kee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle’s brake system, free of charge.

2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS450; 2018 Mercedes-Benz E300, E400, E43 AMG, E63S AMG Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC is recalling certain 2018 Mercedes-Benz E300, E300 4Matic, E43 AMG 4Matic, E400 4Matic, E63S AMG 4Matic+ and 2019 CLS450 4Matic vehicles. The occupant classification system may not be properly calibrated, resulting in the front passenger air bag not being deactivated if a child seat is in the front seat.

2019 Mercedes-Benz E400

If a child seat is in the front seat and the passenger air bag is not deactivated, in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat cushion, free of charge.

2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan; 2018 Dodge Journey; 2019 Jeep Cherokee; 2018-2019 Jeep Compass Chrysler is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey and 2019 Jeep Chero-

2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA250, CLA45 AMG Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC is recalling certain 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA250, CLA250 4Matic and CLA45 AMG 4Matic vehicles. The occupant classification system may not be properly calibrated, re-

2018 Dodge Journey

2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG

2018 Volkswagen Passat

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sulting in the front passenger air bag not being deactivated if a child seat is in the front seat. If a child seat is in the front seat and the passenger air bag is not deactivated, in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat cushion, free of charge.

2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Mercedes-Benz USA LLC is recalling certain 2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Cabrio and E400 4Matic Cabrio vehicles. The child seat anchoring systems (ISOFIX) in these vehicles may not have been properly installed. As a result, in the event of a crash, the ISOFIX console may partially detach from the car body. If the ISOFIX console partially detaches in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury for a child in a child seat.

2018 Mercedes-Benz E400

Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 138, “Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems.”

If the low tire pressure telltale is not illuminated at the correct tire pressure, the driver may have less time to react to a lowtire-pressure situation, which could affect the driver’s ability to control the vehicle in certain situations and could increase the risk of a crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will check that the PSI information on the remote control door lock receiver (RCDLR) and tire placard match, and if the information is different, the RCDLR will be reprogrammed. This repair will be done free of charge.

2019 Subaru Ascent Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2019 Subaru Ascent vehicles. These vehicles may be missing spot welds on, or around, the B-Pillar, compromising vehicle strength.

vehicles may be insufficiently tightened, allowing the bolts to loosen.

If the brake caliper mounting bolts loosen, braking performance may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

TMC will notify owners, and authorized Daimler Trucks service centers will inspect the caliper mounting bolts and tighten them to the proper specification, free of charge.

2018 Newmar Essex, Mountain Aire; 2017-2018 Newmar London Aire; 20172019 Newmar Ventana, Ventana LE Newmar Corporation is recalling certain 2017-2019 Newmar Ventana LE and Ventana motorhomes, 2018 Mountain Aire and Essex motorhomes, and 2017-2018 London Aire motorhomes.

2018 Newmar Essex

2019 Subaru Ascent

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ISOFIX console, and replace it if necessary, free of charge.

2018 Chevrolet Express; 2018 GMC Savana General Motors LLC is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles with certain combinations of front-tire and gross-vehicle-weight option codes. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) may be incorrectly calibrated, causing the TPMS warning lamp to illuminate when tire pressure reaches 37 PSI, not 41 PSI. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal 2018 GMC Savana

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In the event of a crash, the missing spot welds may compromise the vehicle’s strength, increasing the risk of injury.

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle to check for missing spot welds. If the welds are missing, the vehicle will be replaced, free of charge.

2017-2018 Thor Aria; 2017-2019 Thor Motor Coach Venetian Thor Motor Coach is recalling certain 2017-2018 Thor Aria motorhomes and 2017-2019 Thor Venetian motorhomes.

The brake caliper mounting bolts on these

The brake caliper mounting bolts on these vehicles may be insufficiently tightened, allowing the bolts to loosen. If the brake caliper mounting bolts loosen, braking performance may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

Newmar will notify owners, and authorized Daimler Trucks service centers will inspect the caliper mounting bolts and tighten them to the proper specification, free of charge.

2017-2018 Mercedes-Benz Metris Daimler Vans USA, LLC is recalling certain 2017-2018 Mercedes-Benz Metris vehicles.

The drive shaft securing bolts may loosen at the automatic transmission flange. If the bolts loosen and fall out, the driveshaft may separate, causing a loss of drive, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

2018 Mercedes-Benz Metris

2018 Thor Aria

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DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission flange, securing bolts, and clean the shaft seal, free of charge.

2018 Genesis G80 Hyundai Motor America is recalling certain 2018 Genesis G80 vehicles. The occupant classification system may incorrectly detect that an adult is in the passenger seat, even if the seat is unoccupied. In the event of a crash, if a child or infant is in the seat, the front passenger air bag may deploy instead of being deactivated.

2018 Genesis G80

In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag deploys instead of being deactivated when a child or infant is in the front passenger seat, it can increase the risk of injury.

2015-2017 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500 Chrysler is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with a power locking tailgate and either a five-foot, seven-inch or sixfoot, four-inch bed. The tailgate actuator limited tab may fracture and cause the tailgate to unlatch and open while driving.

2017 Ram 3500

If the tailgate latch releases and the tailgate opens while driving, cargo may fall out, creating a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicle, free of charge.

2018 Jeep Cherokee Chrysler is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee all-wheel-drive vehicles. The bearing cage for the right front halfshaft assembly may not have been properly heat

treated, possibly resulting in the bearing cage breaking and causing a potential halfshaft assembly failure.

2019 Jeep Cherokee

2018 Jeep Cherokee

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge.

If the halfshaft bearing cage breaks, the halfshaft may not be able to transmit engine power, causing a loss of drive or it can allow the vehicle to move while in the “Park” position. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front right halfshaft assemblies, free of charge.

2018 BMW M5 BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2018 BMW M5 vehicles. The fuel lever sensor in the fuel tank may become stuck against an in-tank fuel line, causing the fuel gauge to display an inaccurate and possibly larger amount of fuel than is actually available.

2018 BMW M5

2018 hrysler Pacifica Chrysler is recalling certain 2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. The front axle halfshafts may have been incorrectly assembled, preventing the shaft from being properly secured to the constant-velocity (CV) joint.

2018 Chrysler Pacifica

If the axle shaft disengages from the CV joint, the vehicle will have a loss of drive or allow the vehicle to move while in the “Park” position. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left or right halfshaft assembly, free of charge.

2018 hrysler Pacifica 2019 Jeep Cherokee Chrysler is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica non-hybrid vehicles. A component in the transmission may not have been welded properly, possibly causing a transmission to not transmit the engine power to the wheels.

If the transmission weld fails, the vehicle will stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash.

An incorrect fuel reading may lead to the vehicle stalling and increase the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will secure the in-tank fuel line to keep the fuel line from contacting the fuel level sensor, free of charge.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is recalling certain Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles.

The LED module for the panoramic sunroof ambient light bar may short circuit.

A short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the power supply for the panoramic sunroof LED module, free of charge, until a future service action can safely reactivate the feature. S October 2018

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Ford Chooses

API FA-4

for New Small Diesels

By Steve Swedberg

T

he world of so-called “light duty” diesels is getting more complex.

Any auto manufacturer with diesel options either has their own oil, such as GM’s dexos2, or is specifying the oils to be used based on the recommendation of the engine builder, such as Cummins, who specifies API CK-4 for its engines. All of this is the result of the introduction of API CK-4/FA-4 in December of 2016.

Since these categories have been introduced, there have been over 800 licenses granted for CK-4 but less than 100 for FA-4.

It seems logical that FA-4 would be the product of choice since it was developed as a fuel economy version of CK-4. However, the use of API FA-4 oils in heavy-duty applications has been limited by the issue of backward compatibility. The heavy-duty diesel fleet in North America averages 14.4 years in age. The older engines in service require a high temperature, high shear rate viscosity (HTHSV) of 3.5 cP minimum, which CK-4 meets; while API FA-4 specifies an HTHSV of 2.9 – 3.2 cP. Until the older engines in the fleets are replaced and/or new test data is developed showing the lower viscosity will protect

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these older engines, API FA-4 will be a relatively minor part of the market.

Currently in the heavy-duty market (class 7 and 8), only Daimler NA factory fills their heavy-duty diesel products with API FA-4. They also recommend it for engines going back to model year 2010. All other HD engine manufacturers factory fill with API CK-4 (3.5 cP) SAE 10W-30. Cum-

3.0L Power Stroke diesel

mins recommends API FA-4 for certain engines, but not generally. Paccar does not allow the use of API FA-4 in their MX GHG 17 engines at this time. Volvo/Mack has not recommended API FA-4 to-date.

In March, Ford Motor Company put out

a position statement about API CK-4 and API FA-4 identifying proper applications for both. This statement is primarily about the Ford F-150 series of pickup trucks. For those of you who are unaware of it, the F-150 is the single largest selling vehicle nameplate in North America. According to Automotive News, 2018 sales estimates indicate about 900,000 F-150s will be sold, while approximately 5 percent of them will be diesel powered.

Ford noted that beginning on December 1, 2016, the American Petroleum Institute (API) began licensing two new diesel engine oil categories: API CK-4 and API FA-4.

API CK-4 was released to replace API CJ-4. API FA-4 is a low-viscosity diesel engine oil recommended for diesel engines designed for a lower viscosity oil and providing additional fuel economy benefits.

Ford recommends API FA-4 motor oil in its newly introduced, smaller diesel engines such as the F-150 with the 3.0L diesel engine and the Transit Connect with the 1.5L diesel engine. Ford continues to recommend against using API FA-4 oils in larger Ford diesel engines, like the 3.2L and 6.7L diesel engines, as well as the older Ford diesel engines.

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Quoting the position statement: “Ford continues to recommend motor oils meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C171-F1 instead of API CK-4 motor oils in the 3.2L and 6.7L Ford diesel engines as well as the older Ford diesel engines. Testing Ford has done on some API CK-4 formulations have shown inadequate wear protection compared to API CJ-4 formulations developed and licensed before 2016.

Therefore, Ford has included additional requirements beyond API CK-4 in WSSM2C171-F1 to provide additional wear protection. Like many other diesel engine manufacturers, with their own internal OEM specification, Ford is recommending oils that meet an OEM specification, Ford Material Engineering Specification WSS-M2C171-F1. The customer should use an oil showing that it meets this specification. Motor oils meeting this specification are shown on the motor oil tab on http://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubricants. com/main/. To ensure you protect your Ford diesel engine, use an oil meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C171-F1 like Motorcraft Super Duty Motor oil or API

“Ford recommends API FA-4 motor oil in its newly introduced, smaller

diesel engines such as the F-150 with the 3.0L diesel engine and the Transit Connect with the 1.5L diesel engine.”

FA-4 like Motorcraft F-150 Diesel Motor Oil. Please consult your owners guide for the proper application.”

Ford had recommended against the use of API CK-4 in their 3.2L and 6.7L diesel engines because of concerns about phosphorus levels that were too low and which could lead to increased levels of wear.

Instead they recommended the use of API CJ-4 oils. Ford then developed WSSM2C171-F1 that included a 6.7L diesel engine wear test along with API CK-4 credentials. Ford continues to recommend

this specification for their larger diesel engines. The current approval list for WSSM2C171-F1 contains the names of over 300 engine oils in viscosity grades ranging from SAE 0W-40 to SAE 15W-40.

Bottom line: Make sure you know the engine that you are servicing. Most of the online lubricant recommendation services will have the right recommendations, but make sure you have the correct oil onhand. All of the major oil marketers have an SAE 10W-30 API FA-4 engine oil in their product lines. S

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October 2018

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US-DIG-0160-EN ©2018 Valvoline ™Trademark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

11 YEARS OF SAME-STORE SALES GROWTH

SERVICE YOU CAN SEE. EXPERTS YOU CAN TRUST.

SM

Valvoline Instant Oil Change results from 2007-2017, on a fiscal year basis, with new stores excluded until the completion of their first full fiscal year in business.

NOLN

2018 FAST LUBE OPERATOR SURVEY RESULTS, PART TWO GENERAL The Fast Lube Operator Survey is one of the most in-depth studies of the fast oil change industry available. Muchrequested by both newcomers to the fast lube industry and seasoned operators — who use it to evaluate the success of their own operations — the survey contains both current and historical data for many operational metrics. Survey data was gathered from questionnaires, via phone interviews, online and mailed directly to operators. The responses for the 2018 Fast Lube Operator Survey account for 1,700 facilities and include shops operating in all 50 states. NOLN has noticed the industry does not share data like in years past. The majority of this year’s survey participants were made up of owners operating one to three stores. Also, NOLN did not get participation from franchises on a corporate level like in years past. A special thanks goes to Valvoline for sponsoring this year’s Operator Survey.

SHOP PROFILE 2018 Job title that best describes respondent Owner ........................................................................................................................................................................................59% Manager .....................................................................................................................................................................................34% Corporate Official ..........................................................................................................................................................................6% Technician ....................................................................................................................................................................................1% Statements that are true for respondent’s business 50% or more of my revenue comes from oil changes and quick maintenance services (45 min. or less).....................................67% I have a carwash .........................................................................................................................................................................16% 38

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US

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WE BUY QUICK LUBES

399 399 LOCATIONS PURCHASED SINCE JANUARY 2014, AND COUNTING! Valvoline is seeking single and/or multiple locations performing 7500+ oil changes per year. ™

Contact Gayle McMillin

859-357-7303

lgmcmillin@valvoline.com • www.valvolinequicklubes.com US-J-5344-EN ©2018 Valvoline 8/18 ™Trademark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries

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INTERESTED IN GROWING CAR COUNT, SALES AND PROFITS? www.expresscare.com/grow

US-DIG-0160-EN Š2018 Valvoline ™Trademark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

SHOP PROFILE (CONT.) 2018 My stores are independent .........................................................................................................................................................35% My stores are franchised .............................................................................................................................................................57% I buy my products independently ...............................................................................................................................................78% I buy products through my franchise program............................................................................................................................28%

PRICES 2017 2018 Price of oil change with 5 quarts of conventional oil .................................................. $37.99.......................................................$37.32 Price charged for an additional quart of bulk conventional oil ............................... $4.46.........................................................$4.70 Price charged for an additional quart of bottled conventional oil .......................... $5.53.........................................................$5.52 Price of oil change with 5 quarts of semi-synthetic oil ............................................... $43.04.......................................................$47.96 Price charged for an additional quart of bulk semi-synthetic oil ............................ $4.80.........................................................$5.81 Price charged for an additional quart of bottled semi-synthetic oil ....................... $6.81.........................................................$6.27 Price of oil change with 5 quarts of high-mileage oil ................................................. $50.47.......................................................$52.22 Price charged for an additional quart of bulk full synthetic oil............................... $6.03.........................................................$6.61 Price charged for an additional quart of bottled full synthetic oil .......................... $7.41.........................................................$6.90 Price of oil change with 5 quarts of full synthetic oil .................................................. $74.97.......................................................$74.39 Price charged for an additional quart of bulk full synthetic oil............................... $8.49.........................................................$8.61 Price charged for an additional quart of bottled full synthetic oil .......................... $9.51.........................................................$9.71 Price of diesel oil change for GM (2010-2018) 6.6L engine............................................................................. $105.36.......................................................$91.78 Dodge (2007-2018) 6.7L engine........................................................................ $112.61.......................................................$97.21 Ford 6.4L engine ................................................................................................ $114.62..................................................... $108.42 Ford 6.7L engine ................................................................................................ $115.34..................................................... $109.42 Passenger car (entry level) .................................................................................. $65.20.......................................................$74.42 Operators discounting their own oil changes ................................................................. 90%...........................................................92% Amount of discount ............................................................................................... $6.49.........................................................$7.35 Overall discount percentage of sales .............................................................................. 10%.............................................................8% 40

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INTERESTED IN SELLING YOUR QUICK LUBE? CALL GAYLE AT (859) 357-7303

SERVICE YOU CAN SEE. EXPERTS YOU CAN TRUST.

SM

US-DIG-0160-EN Š2018 Valvoline SMService mark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries. ™Trademark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

OIL & EQUIPMENT 2017 (if available)

2018

Overall breakdown of motor oil sales by weight/grade: 0W-16 ...................................................................................................................... 0% .........................................................1% 0W-20 .................................................................................................................... 18% .......................................................13% 5W-20 .................................................................................................................... 26% .......................................................31% 5W-30 .................................................................................................................... 34% .......................................................36% 10W-30 .................................................................................................................... 6% .........................................................5% 5W-40 ...................................................................................................................... 1% .........................................................3% 15W-40 .................................................................................................................. 10% .........................................................8% Other ........................................................................................................................ 5% .........................................................3% Operators being Paid for their used oil................................................................................................ 1% .......................................................28% Charged for their used oil ....................................................................................... 65% .........................................................5% Neither charged nor paid for their used oil ............................................................. 34% .......................................................67% Amount paid per gallon for used oil .............................................................................$0.23 ..................................................... $0.33 Amont charged per load for removal of used oil .........................................................$43.42 ................................................... $28.33 Amount charged per gallon for removal of used oil......................................................$0.21 ..................................................... $0.73 Operators being charged for used oil filter disposal....................................................... 17% .........................................................5% Amount charged (per load) of used oil filters .............................................................$33.00 ................................................... $19.02 Breakdown of oil changes performed, by type: Conventional ..........................................................................................................................................................................32% Semi-synthetic .......................................................................................................................................................................35% Full synthetic ..........................................................................................................................................................................22% High mileage ............................................................................................................................................................................6% Diesel .......................................................................................................................................................................................5% Main bulk oil Conventional ............................................................................................................ 5% .......................................................47% Synthetic-blend...................................................................................................... 55% .......................................................53%

October 2018

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By Jim Baumer

Finding and Buying Your

Dream Car 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta - 2018 Best of Show Winner, Monterey Car Week

D

o you like cars? By that I mean, do you view your vehicle as something more than mere transportation?

If so, then you probably have that “dream car” that you’d own if you won the lottery or suddenly came into a stow of cash.

Of course, then there are the serious car enthusiasts. They’re the ones who wait all year for events like Monterey Car Week —a week-long extravaganza of car exhibitions, rallies and social events.

Mitch Katz

The entire week takes place in and around Pebble Beach, California, and features many of the world’s finest and most expensive exotic and vintage cars, rare motorcycles and muscle cars. Then, there is the Concours d’Elegance, which is the crème de la crème of the exhibition circuit, where the 200 best collector cars in the world make their way onto the legendary 18th fairway at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Here, a handful are recognized for style, technical merit and historical accuracy.

Monterey is just one of several events for collectors, enthusiasts and, yes — even tire kickers. Whether you decide to make it to Monterey, other prestigious national car shows or a local auction closer to home, there are a few key tips that you’ll want to keep in mind.

NOLN was pleased to have the chance to speak with Mitch Katz, a Monterey veteran, before he flew out for the week-long festivities at the end of August.

I asked Katz about attending an event like Monterey. Are these just for “experts” and car aficionados?

Katz, the founder and CEO of Premier Financial Services, the nation’s leading provider of lease financing for exotic, vintage and luxury cars, has been attending Monterey auctions for more than 20 years. He indicated that Monterey, along with Scottsdale Week (in Arizona) and Amelia Island (Florida), are the three premier events/auctions that car enthusiasts want to highlight on their calendars.

“There are really only a few auction-related do’s and don’ts that people need to

“There are really only a few auctionrelated do’s and don’ts that people need to know, whether they’re at

Monterey or any other auto auction.”

- Mitch Katz

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A 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza was sold for $10,900,000 at Gooding & Company Auction at Pebble Beach.

know, whether they’re at Monterey or any other auto auction,” Katz said.

While this year’s premier vehicle at Monterey — the Ferrari GTO — may fetch $40 million, Katz was quick to mention that there are plenty of options for much less than that. In fact, you don’t have to be a multi-millionaire to attend places like Monterey (or other high-end auto shows).

If all goes according to Monterey previews, the Ferrari 250 GTO may sell for more than $45 million, which would surpass another 250 GTO, which sold at Bonhams in 2014 for $36.65 million.

Katz indicated that there are plenty of buys in the $25,000 to $50,000 range in most categories. Because his specialty is financing these cars, he stressed that leasing is usually a viable option, as well as mentioning the tax advantages of financing a vintage automobile.

Drawing on his experience, Katz offered the following tips for first-timers and for those more familiar with elite car shows, or local auctions, too.

For Katz, perhaps the most important point: know the car you’re bidding on.

“Too often, people buy a car that looks great, but they didn’t do their due diligence,” he said. “Make sure you have your mechanic go over the car.”

He mentioned that the restoration might not have been done right.

“At an auction, it’s buyer beware,” he stressed.

At places like Monterey (in particular), there are plenty of people there who will (for a fee) go over the car and make sure things are on the up-and-up. Failure to do that means “when you go to resell the car, you’ll take a hit.”

Beyond that, Katz warned about getting caught up in the “bidding drama.”

“It helps to be able to be dispassionate.

It’s too easy to get hooked,” he said.

Attending Monterey with someone experienced is a plus.

“It’s okay to go and simply watch,” he said.

If you are serious about finding your dream car, Katz shared these additional tips: • Get pre-approved before showing up — at most auctions, you’ll need to apply for credentials prior to bidding. The auction company will need to review your financial situation. You can get this pre-approval from firms, like Premier, who specialize in exotic and vintage cars.

• Set a maximum bid price and don’t go over it — pros will often write this number on their hand as a reminder to not go over it! There are additional fees beyond the bid, too. These include the auction house commission, taxes, title, insurance and transportation.

Katz shared that staffers who manage the auction process from the floor are often helpful resources. Let them know beforehand that you are planning to bid on a car, so they can help direct the auctioneer’s attention your way. Additionally, these people are great contacts to make during the walk-through, as well as the owners of vehicles you are interested in.

“Owners often have the story on the car, which can be helpful to learn,” Katz said.

With these tips, your own due diligence and your dream car in mind, it’s time to head out: whether you’re planning on Monterey, or another vintage car show or auto auction. Happy bidding! S

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SEMA Preview:

JEFF ALLEN’S

by Peter Suciu

V06 BUILD

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“This one started with one of those crazy ideas that went from bar napkin to a rendering to acquiring the vehicles; then taking them apart and building them up into a really unique car.”

A

t this year’s 2018 SEMA Show, Jeff Allen, automotive celebrity and owner of Flat 12 Gallery, will truly take the concept of “something special” to a new level. That might sound like a tall order at a trade show that has “specialty” in the name (as in Specialty Equipment Market Association), but Allen clearly was up to the challenge.

Allen, who is a true “car guy” from a long line of car guys, announced plans to unveil what can only be described as a “shockand-awe” vehicle — a build that includes a 1963 Volvo 122S Amazon, which offers 85 horsepower, and morphing it with a 2013 Grand Sport Corvette. Truly a oneof-a-kind vehicle unlike any other, it will be on display at the Shell “Pioneering Performance” booth at the upcoming SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

After almost a year, what began as yet another “mad experiment” has shaped up into something truly special, transforming the Volvo 122’s 85 horsepower performance level into a 600 horsepower beast that utilizes Pennzoil synthetics under the hood, along with a Lingenfelter Built LS7, Forgeline wheels and Baer brakes.

“It has been pretty exciting,” Allen told NOLN. “This one started with one of those crazy ideas that went from bar napkin to a rendering to acquiring the vehicles; then taking them apart and building them up into a really unique car.”

A Modern Take on Hotrods Combining a Volvo and a Corvette might not seem like two things that would go together, but without big risks there aren’t rewards.

“I know already some people are going to love it and some will hate it, but I know too that everyone will talk about it,” Allen added.

Whether it is loved or loathed, it probably wouldn’t have happened had Allen not spent some time behind the wheel of an old Volvo.

“I had this Volvo, which was fun to drive and really cool, but it was also a bit under powered,” he noted. “It certainly isn’t as iconic as other cars from that era, but it was special to me. I was thinking how could we give it a modern drive train and modern power train, and basically give it that ‘shock and awe’ appeal.”

One day he just happened to park a Corvette Z06 next to the Volvo, and Allen saw the potential.

“I looked at the wheel base and didn’t realize they’d be so close,” Allen explained.

“Almost immediately I thought, we could do this! I think of the chassis builders from the old days and all those old ideas of using a chassis with a different body from back-then suddenly popped into my head.”

Allen, who has become a noted custom builder and has done work for Tim Allen and Charlie Sheen among other celebri-

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“The Corvette is essentially glued together, but it came together almost seamlessly with the Amazon body. Internally, this meant everything was still pretty much a Corvette.” ties, also knew that he had to up the ante after last year’s build, which resulted in “Ronin,” a 1963 Ford Falcon that was powered by a Roush-supercharged 5.0L Coyote and featured Baer brakes, 305/35ZR18 Nitto NT01 tires and 18x9 Forgeline GT3C Concave wheels finished with matte graphite centers and black pearl outers.

“That car was a huge hit, but we want to take it to the next level,” Allen said. “We want to show the world, and especially the younger generation, that you don’t need a million dollars to build a really special car.”

The Build Process One of the first things that became apparent with this new build was that while the Z06 seemed like a perfect mate for the 1963 Volvo 122S Amazon, that wasn’t to be. The first problem was the Z06 alloy chassis was, for lack of a better word, “vacuum molded,” and that meant it couldn’t be easily modified.

As Allen and the team didn’t want to just drop a body on top of a frame, this led to the decision to go with a Grand Sport Corvette instead. That decision allowed

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for the necessary modifications, so everything fit like a glove.

“We took an inch off of each side, trimmed back the rockers a bit, but we didn’t lose any of the inner structure,” Allen explained.

In fact, the Corvette that had donated its frame had been in a minor accident, one that damaged its body but left the drivetrain intact. Allen stripped the car of its body panels and actually drove it around just to highlight how the chassis of the Corvette was otherwise perfect.

“We had to ‘graft’ the body of the Volvo onto the frame. This did present some interesting challenges, but the result was great,” he explained. “It is just one of those really cool things. The Corvette is essentially glued together, but it came together almost seamlessly with the Amazon body.

Internally, this meant everything was still pretty much a Corvette.”

For those who want luxury, this merging of an old shell onto a modern chassis means there are the power brakes, power steering and traction control. To ensure this build still has that retro look, the interior includes plaid upholstery that Allen said will pay homage to the great cars of the 1960s and 1970s.

“We want this to be a modern hotrod with old-world style,” he said.

Team Work and Giving Back Jeff Allen was also quick to say that this “Franken-Car” couldn’t have come together without the help of his team, which includes the “mad scientist” Eric Ables and life-long car aficionado Meg Baily.

“As a team, we’re tight and have the rule that no one says ‘no’ about our different ideas, but maybe sometimes we should,”

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M e n tio n Y o u S a w T h is A d I n N O L N A n d R e c e iv e Allen joked. “So far, I’m really impressed that our crazy ideas actually come together so well. This wouldn’t happen without a team and a whole lot of enthusiasm.

You’re only a guy with an idea, unless you have a strong team behind you.

“I also have to say the efforts started with Pennzoil and Shell for having confidence in us and knowing that we’ll deliver,” Allen added. “They really stood by us and worked with SEMA so that this car can help give back.”

While the car will be officially unveiled at the 2018 SEMA Show at the Shell “Pioneering Performance” booth, the “V06” will then go on a cross-country tour and ultimately be auctioned with all proceeds benefiting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, which offers financial assistance

to students pursuing an automotive career.

“I’m excited to give this car away to SEMA, as it can show today’s kids there are opportunities out there,” Allen said.

“You can make your own destiny; you can make a good living working on cars and have fun.”

As a car guy, it was also important to Allen that young and old alike could see what a small team can do with some tools and a lot of determination.

“There are lot of people out there who don’t want to build it; they want to buy it.

But this should serve as an example that you can build something cool and have a lot of fun doing it,” Allen said. “We made a car that is versatile, and you can drive it all day long. We didn’t just build a pretty car; this one runs as good as it looks.” S

“I’m excited to give this car away to SEMA, as it can show today’s kids there are opportunities out there.

You can make your own destiny; you can make a good living working on cars and have fun.”

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Don’t Miss

Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week

By Tammy Neal

By Tammy Neal

I

t’s about that time again, when we all get together to see the newest technology offered at AAPEX/SEMA this November.

The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) will take place from October 30 through November 1 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centers in Las Vegas. Whether you’re a first time attendee or a veteran on the scene, you’re sure to be delighted.

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AAPEX

The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) continues to draw crowds year after year with suppliers showing off their newest technology and displaying the most innovative products in the industry.

This year, AAPEX will feature over 2,500 automotive aftermarket manufacturers and suppliers with an expected 47,000 targeted buyers. The AAPEX exhibits are open from 9 am to 5 pm October 30 through November 1. New products are the No. 1 reason buyers attend shows, so be sure to

stop by the New Products and Packaging Showcase to see which products are making their debut this year. John King, CNN’s chief national correspondent and anchor of “Inside Politics” will take the stage at AAPEX 2018 to discuss the upcoming midterm elections and the impact the various outcomes could have on Washington, D.C. His grand opening keynote, “Breakfast with John King,” will wrap up with a Q&A session with the audience.

This show will also feature education sessions to keep attendees up-to-date on what’s going on in the automotive industry. AAPEXedu sessions will be held in the Venetian, Marco Polo Rooms. They are free of charge and open to anyone interested in the latest news and challenges taking place in the market. There will be great networking opportunities throughout the week and even more opportuni-

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ties to boost your business. Attendees have the choice among several educational tracks, such as business management; electric car and alt fuel/energy; heating/ cooling; heavy duty; import/export; paint and body; service professionals program; shop equipment and technology; technology; and young professionals program.

Stay connected with the 2018 AAPEX app that will keep you up to date on what’s happening throughout the week.

For more information, visit: www.aapexshow.com

SEMA

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show is estimated to be the biggest one yet. This year, it will feature more than 2,400 exhibitors, which is sure to keep attendees very busy. This event is the super bowl of the auto industry, with incredible opportunities to see cuttingedge technology on display and in action.

The four-day event attracts more than 160,000 individuals.

The exhibition floor will be open at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Westgate Exhibit locations October 30-November 1 from 9 am to 5 pm and November 2 from 9 am to 4 pm. The New Products Showcase will be open October 30-November 1 from 8 am to 6 pm and November 2 from 8 am to 3 pm.

The SEMA Show includes 1.2 million net square feet of exhibit space and an additional 1.5 million square feet of features and attractions throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center, outside areas and neighboring Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Additionally, attendees can take in more than 3,000 products in the New Products Showcase and see 1,500 feature vehicles in both exhibitors’ booths and throughout the convention center.

As the largest automotive aftermarket trade show in the world, SEMA also attracts industry icons and celebrities. This

year, celebrities slated to make special appearances include: Ian Johnson, of “Big Tire Garage”; Tanner Foust; Bo Butner, NHRA Pro Stock world champion; EddieX, YouTube personality; Leah Pritchett, record-setting NHRA Top Fuel drag racer; Horny Mike, Kevin Mack, Ryan Evans and Shannon Aikau from “Count’s Kustoms”; Richard Rawlings of “Gas Monkey Garage” and “Fast N’ Loud”; Brian and Hailie Deegan; Richard Petty; Hacksaw Jim Duggan; Rutledge Wood, host of “Top Gear”; Mario Andretti; Chip Foose; Jamie McMurray, NASCAR driver; Jessi Combs, the “Fastest Woman on 4 Wheels”; Joey Lagano, NASCAR driver; Curt LeDuc, Baja Racing champion; and Chase Darnell, Joe Giamanco, Justin Kramer, Merlin Johnson, Steve Darnell and Travis Deeter of “Vegas Rat Rods.” Keep your camera close by for this event and check the SEMA website for a complete list of celebrity appearances.

For more information on tickets, discounts and travel arrangements visit: www.semashow.com

Global Tire Expo

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) and SEMA have teamed up once again to provide a tire exhibition and conference that serves the unique needs of the tire dealers and the tire business community, targeted to all segments of the tire industry, including light-duty, medium-duty, heavy-duty, retreading, recycling and more.

Product categories you’ll find here are tires for passenger cars, trucks and offthe-road equipment, recyclers, retreaders, suppliers and affiliated organizations.

At educational sessions, attendees will hear experts discuss topics like “Puncture Repair Facts,” “TIA’s 2018 Legislative Review,” “Servicing the Next Generation of Consumers and Vehicles” and much more.

If you’re in the tire industry or have considered adding this service to your business, you don’t want to miss this.

For a full list of TIA-sponsored educational sessions and a schedule, visit: www.tireindustry.org/global-tire-expo S

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Understanding CALIFORNIA’S New

PRIVACY LAWS

By Peter Suciu

I

n June, California enacted what has been seen as one of the most farreaching consumer protection privacy laws in the nation. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which goes into effect on January 1, 2020, was signed into law on June 28 by Governor Brown as a response to a growing concern

that consumers need stronger means to protect their personal information — in part due to recent data breaches as well as other privacy incidents that have affected millions.

The CCPA will impose a range of new requirements on businesses with the end goal being to ensure consumers enjoy

How the European Union’s GDPR Could Affect You CCPA may not be the only new privacy law on the books that operators should be concerned with when it comes to customer data. In May, the General Data Protection Regulations — or GDPR — went into effect in the European Union. First approved in April 2016, this new legislation has radically changed how companies can do business online, even if the company has little to no presence in Europe.

GDPR was approved in April 2016, and European authorities gave companies two years to comply with the new sweeping measures that replaced the previous Data Protection Directive in the 28-nation EU bloc. The goal of the law was to give consumers greater control of their respective personal data that is collected by companies online. This includes not only organizations that are located within the EU, but also applies to any companies outside the region if they offer goods or services to, or even have a digital footprint with, consumers in the EU bloc.

Many American businesses might not think GDPR will ever apply to them, but just because these companies don’t do business in Europe — and have maybe never visited Europe — they shouldn’t think they are in the clear.

“No, they are not,” said Chris Olson, CEO of The Media Trust. “Any business, regardless of where they are located, with an internet presence that can be accessed by EU citizens is not off the hook. Websites and mobile apps tend to collect information on visitors and users, re50

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“choice and transparency” when it comes to their personal information.

“This California Consumer Privacy Act creates important and new obligations to businesses — regardless of where they are located — that serve California residents or whose websites and mobile apps draw from California residents and collect

spectively. Whether website/mobile app owners do this knowingly or through their third-party code suppliers, they will be liable for any unauthorized collection of personally identifiable information belonging to EU citizens.”

This can be quite costly — far more than the level of fines California is imposing under CCPA. Under GDPR, those companies that are not compliant face serious fines of up to 4 percent of annual global revenue or 20 million euros ($24.6 million), whichever is larger.

The other part of this is, if a shop in the United States even has customers from the EU, the issue of GDPR could come into play.

“If you have any customers who are EU citizens, whether they are visiting or working here, you might need to be concerned,” warned Michael Priem, CEO of Modern Impact.

“Even more than CCPA, this is about the collection of data,” Priem said. “This is why we’ve been seeing retailers in the United States updating their privacy policies. Many large brands have strived to become GDPR compliant.”

In many cases, experts agree that the EU probably won’t come after small mom-and-pop businesses. But now, with CCPA on the horizon in California, privacy and customer data is going to become an ever bigger issue — one that no company will be able to ignore for long.

“The best way they can avoid any unauthorized activity is to continuously scan their digital assets in real-time, so they can identify and root out bad actors,” Olson said. “Because the real problem for most website owners is that they don’t know they’re collecting information, and, in most cases, they don’t know who their third-parties are and what information their third-parties are collecting.” S

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their information,” said Chris Olson, CEO of The Media Trust, a digital vendor risk management firm.

“In the digital economy, that could be most businesses with an Internet presence,” Olson said.

For those in California, or who do business with clients and/or customers in California, this is a truly big deal, and not something any business should think they are above.

“To stay compliant, enterprise websites and mobile apps will need to provide a separate track for users who are California residents,” Olson added. “And when requested by any California-resident users, they will be required to provide within 45 days whatever types and pieces of personal information they’ve gathered. Moreover, this act makes it easier for consumers to sue companies following a data breach, so companies will need to put in place better security practices and procedures to prevent those breaches from happening, or at the very least minimize their impact.”

User Control CCPA has already been somewhat controversial, as many critics contend it was a hastily-passed law that only came about as part of a deal brokered by the state’s Legislature and Governor as a way to avert what could have been a costly fight over a proposed ballot initiative. That proposal, which was backed by the state’s privacy activists, could have resulted in an even more stringent measure appearing before California voters in November.

As passed, CCPA grants residents in California the right: (1) to know what personal information is being collected about them; (2) to know whether their personal information is sold or otherwise disclosed and to whom; (3) to say no to the sale of their personal information; (4) to access their personal information and request deletion under certain circumstances; and (5) to receive equal service and price, even if they exercise their privacy rights.

So far, it is unclear how this will actually be enforced but those violating the law could face fines ranging from $100 to $750 per consumer per incident. More importantly, CCPA also empowers the state’s Attorney General to pursue cases against businesses for damages of up to $7,500

per violation for what has been described as “intentional violations.”

The question, of course, becomes whether all California-based businesses need to be worried about CCPA? The short answer for quick lube operators is probably not to worry, but it is something that experts say they still need to think about.

“This isn’t really bad for business,” said Michal Priem, CEO of Modern Impact, an analytics research firm. “Most honorable brands — and that includes most major national companies — typically have good intentions about how they collect consumer data.”

This data can include phone numbers and email addresses and other personal information, and CCPA is about making sure this data isn’t sold to third parties.

The law also makes it clear how companies notify or contact the customers that provide that data.

“CCPA is simply about what data is being collected,” Priem said. “Consumers already have good reason to be worried about how their data is being collected and then used.

What this law is really about is ensuring that consumers are given the ability to opt in or out, and about providing fair lan-

guage and not a lot of legal terms consumers may not understand.”

On the surface, it might sound like most businesses might never be affected

by CCPA, but as has been seen with many regulations, what starts in California has a tendency to migrate to other states.

“Given consumers’ growing wariness of data breaches and leakage, businesses only have to look to a myriad of emerging state initiatives to understand what’s coming,” Olson said. “It’s possible that the CCPA could set the stage for federal data privacy legislation if staying compliant with 50 different laws becomes too cumbersome for businesses.”

For those businesses in California, it is simply a matter of ensuring that consumers understand how their data is used.

“As we’ve seen, most national chains across industries understand this, and this is why we’re all seeing those new user agreements in our email inboxes,” Priem said. “For those smaller businesses, it is just making sure that the data is protected and not used in ways consumers don’t want. This is a law everyone should understand.” S

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HOUSTON STRONG

Quick Lube Shops Hit by Harvey Harvey…One Year Later

By Peter Suciu

O

ne year after Hurricane Harvey made landfall, many parts of Houston are still recovering. The storm, which formed in mid-August 2017 and made landfall in Texas on August 29, is now tied with 2005’s Hurricane Katrina as the costliest tropical cyclone on record.

The Category 4 storm inflicted $125 billion in damage, much of it from the catastrophic rainfall-triggered flooding.

It was the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Wilma in 2005, and in a four-day period, many areas received more than 40 inches of rain, making it the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the United States. The resulting flood affected hundreds of thousands of homes and displaced more than 30,000 people. It also claimed the lives of 106 people in the United States.

Given the damage and devastation, it might have appeared that Houston would have a long and slow recovery. But this city, which is the fourth most populous in the United States and also the ninth most expansive city, isn’t one you should expect to easily keep down.

“There are still visual signs of the storm a year later,” said Brian Johnson, franchisee for Honest-1 Auto Care in Houston.

“Our shop recovered last fall, but the area

was really hard hit. There are still businesses that are shut down, but we turned a corner. Most of the demolition is done, and everyone seems to be in a reconstruction phase now. The remodeling is still going on, but that is a good sign.”

That sentiment has been shared by others in the industry.

“Since last fall, the recovery has been steady, and we’re

seeing business at many of our locations growing again.”

-Lionel Sosa, Allied Lube

“The recovery has been really good,” said Lionel Sosa, district manager for Allied Lube, which operates more than 80 Jiffy Lube service centers in Texas. “A few locations were down for a while, mainly due to heavy rain and then the flooding.”.

Particularly hard hit was the Jiffy Lube located on Fuqua Street in the South Belt/ Ellington neighborhood that is about 20

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miles southeast of downtown Houston.

The middle-class area was truly devastated and experienced massive flooding.

“We were closed for weeks straight,” said Alex Zeyala, general manager for the Fuqua Street Jiffy Lube. “It was a disaster.

We couldn’t even get to the shop for the first few days after the storm hit.”

However, while many businesses were closed for well over a month due to Harvey, Zeyala said good planning ensured the shop was up and running as quickly as possible.

“I’ll be honest; we were surprised we were able to restore it back up to operation as quickly as we did,” Zeyala said. “We made sure when it was clear that Harvey was going to make landfall near Houston that we locked everything down tight. All the fluids were properly stored, and we moved what we could off the floor, as well. We prepped for the storm, and that paid off.”

Zeyala also credited the shop’s employees, who showed professionalism following the storm. Instead of complaints everyone pulled their weight.

“The whole team really came together, including some brand new hires,” Zeyala said.

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The Road to Recovery Outlying areas of Houston were also affected by Hurricane Harvey. Heavily hit was the “Golden Triangle” area between the cities of Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange.

“While we were very blessed and the shop didn’t flood, and my home didn’t flood, we were cut off as the water from the flooding was too deep to travel,” said Julie Smylie, owner of a Meineke Care Car Center in Beaumont, and resident of Lumberton — about 70 miles east of Houston.

“The flooding certainly impacted our business,” Smylie said. “For a few weeks, we took a big dip before we started to see a recovery.”

Even as the region began its cleanup in the days and weeks following Harvey, business wasn’t quick to return to many quick lube operators. In fact, the storm took an immediate economic toll on the auto service industry and resulted in a downturn in business, simply because so many cars were “totaled” as a result of Harvey.

“We did see a pick-up in business last fall,” Zeyala said. “There were not only those people who were worried about how their cars fared in the storm, but also others who bought used cars after the storm

and wanted to make sure those were in good running order. We changed the fluids and made sure these cars were good to go.”

This uptick in business has been seen at all of Allied Lube’s Jiffy Lube locations in the Houston area.

“Since last fall, the recovery has been steady, and we’re seeing business at many of our locations growing again,” Sosa added.

The same has been true for the Golden Triangle area, as well.

“We saw a surge in business in the weeks after the storm as people came to have their cars serviced,” Smylie said. “And now, almost a year later, it is more or less back to normal — I would say more normal than not. However, there is still a long way to go for people’s lives to return to what they were.”

With life returning to normal, business is coming back for operators.

“We’ve seen an increase in business in the past few months,” said Honest-1 Auto Care’s Johnson. “Car counts are up, and life is getting back to normal.”

Johnson said that one take away from the storm has been the need to think about disaster preparation.

“That is all you can do; you have to protect your business,” he said. “We live where we do, and hurricanes happen. So, the most you can do is prepare for them and hope it wasn’t necessary.”

As the one-year anniversary of the storm approached, the efforts by businesses across Houston continued to speed that recovery. It also allowed Texas Governor Greg Abbott to note the efforts of those who put it all on the line during and immediately after the storm.

In July, Governor Abbott was joined by the South Belt/Ellington Chamber of Commerce at a gala that honored Hurricane Harvey heroes and first responders, and the Governor thanked everyone involved in the recovery efforts, as well.

“A storm the magnitude of Hurricane Harvey could’ve ripped us apart — but instead it pulled us together and proved that no force is more powerful than the Texas spirit,” Governor Abbott said.

Many quick lube operators have also shown that Texas spirit and proved they, too, are Houston Strong!

“We were Houston Strong,” Allied Lube’s Sosa said. “Yes, sir.” S

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Automotive Maintenance

VIEWPOINT

Common Sense Windshield Wipers — Think About It

By Tim Craig

It is 1980 and I have just started a job with an auto parts manufacturer who provides a variety of parts — one being windshield wipers. Since that time, I have been involved in wiper sales, marketing, development, testing, distribution and trouble-shooting. Thirty-eight years later, installers sometimes ask me what to look for in a high-performing windshield wiper, and my answer is, “Please take a moment to think about it.” Then, I explain what I mean.

Wipers are a compromise. Think about it — most aftermarket wiper suppliers offer one wiper blade in a package that usually has a number of connectors, or sometimes a connector that fits a variety of wiper arms. This blade fits numerous different applications, each with different windshield curvatures, body aerodynamics, wind-lift effects, wiper arm pressures and wiper system linkage components — even the operating direction and park positions of the wiper blade can vary. Most times, this one blade is listed for cars, SUVs, vans, light trucks and medium- to heavy-duty trucks. One blade is supposed to work perfectly on every application? I have not found one that will. You stand as much chance of winning the Powerball lottery than one blade working perfectly on all of these different types of vehicles.

Your best option is selecting a wiper blade that most closely resembles the design of the original wiper blade that was engineered for the vehicle.

Recently, a number of wiper marketers have presented the beam blade wiper style as solving or improving wiper performance on all applications. It is possible to experience an improvement on select applications, but it is more likely that a new problem is created when an original standard frame blade is replaced by a beam blade. Think about it — the profile of the standard frame blade is straight, and the beam is curved. To ensure rubber-to-windshield contact the entire length of the wiping edge, the beam blade can require more downward arm pressure than a standard frame blade. To further compound the 54

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problem, standard frame blades are found on all older cars (over 15 years old), and wiper arms naturally lose spring tension over time. An older weakened wiper arm coupled with a blade that requires more pressure than the original blade is a formula for possible wiping problems.

“Besides the blades themselves, the windshield can have a tremendous effect on wiper performance,

especially when it comes to friction.”

Some aftermarket wiper manufacturers offer styles of wipers that have never been used at OE and tout the design as an “improvement.” We have always contended that if a design or material is not used at OE, it’s generally not an improvement, but rather a gimmick. The most drastic

design variation is the multi-edge rubber where more than one wiping edge is contacting the windshield during the entire sweep. We also witnessed wiper performance problems when the original blade is replaced by a blade just a little longer.

The wiping system, including the motor, is designed to operate with a certain amount of friction between the rubber and the glass. Friction can increase even if the blade is two or three inches longer than the original. If that rubber wiping edge is doubled or tripled, the friction is doubled or tripled, and increased friction increases the strain on the system — especially the wiper motor. Stick with the original length blade and one wiping edge to minimize wiping problems.

Think about it — just because a wiper works on your vehicle does not mean it will work well on every other. A number of years ago, I was involved in a project designing a blade that worked well on a Dodge Caravan, because preventing windlift at higher speeds was a challenge on this model. We settled on a design that incorporated molded “wind channel ports” in the frame of the blade. These ports did an outstanding job of using the wind to increase pressure on the blade, keeping the rubber on the Caravan’s windshield at speeds over 70 miles per hour. This would be a great wiper advancement for all vehicles, right? Wrong. We tried the same style blade on the two most popular passenger cars at the time, and the results were disastrous. During operation, the aerodynamics of the Ford Taurus actually lifted the blade off the windshield, and it

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smacked back down on the glass. Pretty scary experience while driving in the rain!

The Honda Accord presented a different problem — noise. Not squealing or chatter, but a whistle produced by the oncoming wind going through the wind channel ports. Needless to say, we had to go back to the drawing board and change the design of the frame to one that was not so drastic.

In other words, a compromise. Wiper design is always a compromise. When looking for a wiper blade that will cause you the least amount of problems, you would do well in testing them on as many different vehicles as possible. You cannot try all vehicles, but a test on different popular vehicle styles would be advisable.

Besides the blades themselves, the windshield can have a tremendous effect on wiper performance, especially when it comes to friction. Think about it — wiper manufacturers test the wiping performance on glass, not wax, not windshield treatments, not bugs and road tar. They only test on glass. So, when wiping problems occur, make sure your blade is wiping glass. While road tar and bugs can present wiper problems, the most common culprit is the wax that is applied by automatic car washes. You would think that wax would create a slicker surface and decrease friction, but usually, wax on a windshield will increase friction and could lead to squealing and chatter. In order to remove the wax or road tar, you can use a very mild cleanser like Bon Ami (not standard cleanser), but I have found that to be messy. I use what we used in the wiper test labs, #0000 steel wool and standard windshield washer fluid. MAKE SURE IT IS #0000 STEEL WOOL! Any coarser grade, and you will scratch the heck out of the glass. Rub in swirling motions; it could take two or three cleanings to get heavy wax buildup, but it does come off. Bottom line — wipers are designed to clean glass.

I am asked how long wipers should last.

There is no answer to that question, because wiper life is mostly determined by its environment. I have seen wipers that baked on the windshield in Phoenix for six months and were shot. Others in the Northwest have been used (almost daily) for two years and still have life. The good news is that auto manufacturers have provided a wiper wear detection device on every vehicle since wipers were developed

in 1903 — it’s called a windshield. How does one know when they need wipers?

Look at the windshield! If there are any streaks, smearing or you cannot clearly see through, it is time for new wipers.

But that does not mean all approach this subject with common sense. One wiper manufacturer put an indicator on the wiper blade that changed color over time telling the consumer they needed new wipers. In reality, this indicator changed color with light over time, and it had nothing to do with the actual wear of the rubber.

Other wiper manufacturers advise you to change wipers every six months to ensure you always have good wipers. This would be like replacing all the lighting on your vehicle each year to ensure you will never have a bulb burn out. Think about it — checking wiper performance is easy; just look at the windshield for an answer. If you cannot see clearly, replace the wipers.

One more “think about it.” Choosing the right wiper to install on your customer’s car could be one of the most important

Tim Craig, a 40-year veteran of the automotive aftermarket, is a special consultant to Mighty and a partner in R/T Marketing. Craig can be reached at: timcraig@comcast.net

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decisions your business could make. How many parts or products do your customers see in operation after you have installed them? Every time it rains and the wipers come on, the quality of wiper performance could be a direct reflection on how a customer perceives your entire business.

A poor performing wiper could lead your customer to wonder what type of oil or filter you used on their vehicle. They can wonder if the flush service you performed was done properly and completely. They can wonder if the new battery you installed will meet their expectations in frigid weather. The best scenario is that the wipers you installed operate quietly and the driver sees clearly, so the driver does not even notice them.

After 38 years, I finally realized the key to operating a successful windshield wiper service is common sense. Think about it. S

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Train Like Your Wallet Depends On It

VIEWPOINT

Change People, Not Oil

By Lenny Saucier

Lifechanging words were uttered during a conversation many years ago, as I started my time with a small company called Rapid Oil Change. The company was just starting their ramp-up to greatness.

While young, there were many great leaders from the top-down that were being assembled and put in positions to expand the legacy-in-the-making. These words were spoken and repeated time and time again throughout their success: “It’s about changing people, not oil.” Mr. Monty, the majority shareholder, looked at our group and said we could do anything. To prove this, we were tasked with coming up with ideas on what else we could do. Although I completely get the exercise now, the room was filled with quick lube ideas. The true idea is to realize that we were not an oil change company — we were a company

that achieved great things by developing great people. It just so happened the thing that was done great, was changing oil.

But it’s not about changing oil; it’s about changing people.

I remember this phrase so well, as it was the first time that I turned my attention away from procedures and toward legacy. Most of us started out as technicians and worked our way up through the chain, burning our forearms on a Honda flex pipe while fuming up the service bay with the distinct smell flowing out of the tail pipe from that two-step. We prided ourselves on the hard work, or some call it, “blood, sweat and tears” — although I only cried when I jammed my fingers in the pit grates. It’s so hard to realize that as a manager, you are not paid on your quantity of work (as such the early contributors

“The true idea is to realize that we were not an oil change company — we were a company that achieved great things by developing great people. It just so happened the thing

that was done great, was changing oil.

But it’s not about changing oil; it’s about changing people.”

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do) but rather on your quality of work. To increase your wallet, you must develop not only a training program that is solid but also adopt the idea that it is not about changing oil; it’s changing people. This is a cultural pulse that must exist to expand your team, company portfolio or your personal legacy.

Start Your Team Out Right Simon Sinek is a well published business and leadership guru that I highly recommend reading, listening to and catching any video cast you can find on him. One of his famous books “Start with Why” poses a simple statement: “People don’t buy what you do, but why you do it.” Go back and read that again. This is not only important in selling to your customer, but also selling to your employees. And yes, you must sell your employees on your business (rough thought, I know).

I can see the chests poking out right now and shaming me for giving the employee so much power of your business. In the current culture, employees will buy into what you are doing more because they believe in it. When they believe in and truly understand why something is done, they are extremely valuable to your team and your wallet. Throwing money at them and saying, “Do this or pound sand,” will only produce workers. Workers clock in and do a task until they clock out. You have stared at that tech, wondering where he went wrong in is his life. Did his momma not teach him? Did his daddy paint his room with lead paint? Just think for a minute.

Is it him, or your leadership? Gut check.

Employees should know from the beginning that they are here to learn, refine their skills and take their team to greatness. Think about someone who stuck by

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“To start off a management class, particularly new recruits, I would ask them the simple question: ‘What business are you in?’”

you and didn’t fire you because you didn’t do something right the first time. Mine is Pete Frey. To some, I was their Pete Frey.

The compassion that was given to me was a valuable lesson on people changing.

There were so many times that I could have been fired for my stupid failures I blessed the company with. There were times that I called on him to terminate someone for not doing the right thing right away. He refused; he taught; he made them and me understand; and he changed them. In doing that, he changed me. He shared his opinion enough for you to want to change yours. He took time to make personal connections with you. Good times and bad, he attended the weddings or the funerals. If you walked into his office with a problem (personal or professional), he would listen, coach and pray — even if you were not a believer. May you all have a Pete Frey in your careers and learn to be a little more like him. (Happy retirement, boss!)

What Business Are We In? To start off a management class, particularly new recruits, I would ask them the simple question: “What business are you in?” The normal answer of “quick lube” was expected, and some would blurt this out quickly and proudly. Some would just sit back and ponder on the seemingly trick question. You would get mildly inventive phrases: automotive aftermarket, retail and the ever-clever customer service.

These are the norm of future leaders who view their careers as procedures.

And why not? Fitting inside procedures and exceling is how most of them got to the table. Leaders who started at the bottom of the organizational structure were given a set of directions, commands and

tangible goals to meet. Being that a quick lube technician may have only had this job or some other procedure-based job, they are not used to asserting their talents and growing their strengths. They were told to do “x” to receive “y,” and they did it — most of the time.

But in our business, we must change people. We change our customers to adapt better maintenance practices, to only go to you and to get off their phone when you are performing a service review. We must teach them that there are many different places to maintain their vehicle, but your team will not only do it better than the rest; they will also perform to the best of their abilities. To do this we must change our employees to not look at this as a J.O.B., but as an opportunity for them to learn and grow. We must teach them there are certain procedures that are written in stone and some that were written with the understanding that they don’t necessarily adhere to every customer. Each employee you bring on to serve has the unique ability to sway your shop’s moral, car count and ticket average. As soon as you truly realize this and respect the power of your individual team members, you will be ready to start developing your training program.

Homework My challenge to you this month is to write down what a successful trainer looks like in your mind. Is he/she fulltime or a dual-role employee? It doesn’t have to be a huge project — the trainer can even be you. What do you want them to train? You may want someone to teach procedures and safety, while you teach culture and theory. In the next article, we will talk about picking out the right person to spread your “why” to the team.

Decide that you can really make a difference in your team, and then read my next few articles. Or, think your people skills are top-notch and watch your people go to the competitors and succeed. It’s your wallet after all. Until then, be great! S LENNY SAUCIER has spent the last 17 years developing future quick lube leaders for one of the fastest growing quick lubes in the nation. His procedural and development consulting has brought him around the world to spread knowledge in the United States, Canada and Saudi Arabia. His experience has placed him on many boards and committees with the AOCA, Take 5 and MAP/AMRA. Saucier can be reached at fmgventures@gmail.com for comments and consulting requests.

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Above and Beyond

VIEWPOINT

While You’re Under There…

by William Nonnamaker

Quick lube shops, by their very nature, have unique opportunities to provide value-added services to their customers in an environment where speed, efficiency and value are the hallmarks. And nowhere is this more evident than in under-car service.

Obviously, every customer who lines up at your service bay doors is there for an oil and filter change, and you are expected to check other fluids and systems in the process. This is standard procedure in quick lube shops and can provide needed services to customers while generating add-on sales that boost the bottom line for the shop.

The two keys are: such services must provide value and peace of mind to the customer, and they must also contribute to the viability of the shop.

Standard operating procedure (SOP) in quick lube shops always includes checking the level and condition of various fluids, — brake fluid, power steering fluid and windshield washer fluid — and, typically, wiper blades, various filters — such as cabin air filters — tires and brakes.

But don’t overlook other under-car opportunities in the process. With front(FWD) and four-wheel drive (4x4) vehicles the new standard, be sure to examine C-V joint boots for tears or thrown-off grease that indicate a cracked or torn boot. It has been reported that as few as eight driving hours with a torn C-V boot can lead to irreparable damage to the joint within.

Split boots are quickly and easily installed, and even half shaft replacement can be performed quickly. A quality brake parts cleaner will help clear grit and debris from the area, so you can determine the level of service needed.

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Transmission flush and fill is an important service. Sure, you can just drop the trans pan and replace the filter and fluid. But if the pan shows substantial debris or still smells like dinosaurs, it’s best to thoroughly flush the transmission using a dedicated machine to do so. Such machines can connect via the dipstick tube or in-line and can quickly purge harmful contaminants from the transmission. Complete the service with quality ATF, a new filter and a suitable supplement/fortifier, and your customer’s vehicle will be good for many more thousands of miles.

Similarly, power steering systems are usually neglected until a belt or hose breaks, but you owe it to your customer to recommend flushing or fortification, as needed. We and other manufacturers offer power steering flushing systems that quickly and efficiently purge these critical safety-related systems, allowing them to be renewed with fresh fluid and a fortifier to extend the life of the fluid and components even longer.

Speaking of neglected systems, when was the last time your shop serviced a differential? While FWD cars lack a conventional differential, 4x4s typically use conventional-looking differentials for the front and rear axles. And there are still more rear-wheel drive cars on the road than you might think.

Repairing or replacing differentials is a costly and time-consuming task. Gone are the days when you could just pull out axle shafts and load a “pumpkin” out the front of the rear axle housing. Virtually all of today’s differentials require removal of the pinion and rear cover plate for differ-

ential repair. This disturbs crush sleeves and gear mesh settings, and requires precision and tedious re-assembly.

You owe it to your customers to, at the very least, drain and replace the differential oil. With torrential rain and flooding so prevalent in recent history, it is likely that many differentials have been in water deep enough for it to enter through the vent on top. In such case, if you suspect water intrusion into the differential, you owe it to your customer to use a dedicated differential cleaner to purge water, gum, varnish and sludge from this drivetrain workhorse. It may well be the only time the vehicle will ever receive this important service and will help preserve it, so it may never need performing again. This oncein-a-vehicle’s-lifetime service should be an easy sell to any motorist who plans to keep their car for a while.

In these cases, as in so many other instances, scientifically-blended chemicals and additives can go a long way toward forestalling expensive repairs. S

I o a

WILLIAM NONNAMAKER is senior VP Sales and Marketing at Penray Inc. For 67 years Penray, Inc. has been recognized and sought after by the quick lube industry for helping professional technicians grow their businesses through innovative chemical products covering repair, maintenance and solution services.

Penray, Inc. is part of the PLZ Aeroscience Corporation family of companies. The PLZ family of companies formulate, blend, fill and package more than 2,500 brand and private label products. Since 1947, PLZ has specialized in the development, manufacturing, packaging and distribution of a comprehensive line of products. Penray is a leading manufacturer and supplier of chemicals, additives, and functional fluids for the automotive, heavy duty and marine aftermarkets providing innovative chemical products covering repair, maintenance and solution services since 1951.

More information on these and other innovative Penray products can be found at: www.penray.com

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Subscript

It’s not just about oil changes, anymore

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Making It Happen

VIEWPOINT

What Exactly Are You Servicing?

by Kit Sullivan

If someone were to ask you what you do for a living, what would you tell them?

Would you tell them you are a technician?

A mechanic? Manager of an automotive service center? Or maybe, would you simply tell them you perform oil changes for a living?

Actually, your job is customer service.

Everything you do to the customer’s car is done as a service to the customer. Never forget, the car itself is an inanimate object.

It does not know anything — least of all what maintenance is done to it, who’s doing the maintenance, if the maintenance is done correctly or why it is done at all.

Customers are ultimately the most important aspect of our entire service model. And as such, it is vitally important we communicate to the customer exactly what needs to be done to their vehicle, why it needs to be done and, after the service, that it was actually done efficiently and effectively. If the customer has no knowledge of the work we have done to their vehicle on their behalf, the effect is the same as if we did not do it at all. This is called customer perceptions.

Here is a mantra I want you to never forget: The customer’s perception is our reality.

That simple statement confuses many

throughout the entire customer service industry. However, it is actually a very simple concept to understand and embrace.

During every customer interaction, you must make sure the customer leaves the business fully understanding everything that was done to the vehicle on their behalf and why those things ultimately benefit them, the customer.

In today’s world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to grab and hold the customer’s attention while they are in our shops. It seems if the professional, hardworking executive is not constantly on his cell phone moguling and completing business transactions while you are working on his vehicle, then it is the young person with their cell phone who is texting their friends or playing the latest version of whatever game is popular.

The key to commanding attention from your customer during the service presentation is to let them know you will be talking to them throughout the entire service process. You do this by talking to the customer as soon as they get to the location and engaging them in meaningful conversation.

For many years, serious professionals have known that the surest way to get someone’s attention is to call them by

their name. As soon as you meet your customer upon arrival, introduce yourself by telling them your first name, and then politely ask them what their name is. When they repeat their name back to you say, “I’m glad to meet you, _______, and welcome to our location!”

Use the customer’s name a couple of times while you are greeting them at the beginning of the service experience, and they will then be prepared for your full service presentation only a few minutes later.

Another aspect of customer service that many have failed to capitalize on is to let the customer speak.

By “let the customer speak,” what I mean is, if you ask the customer a question, let them fully answer the question without interruption from you — even if you think you know what they’re going to say.

If you have not asked them a question and the customer is simply relaying some information to you, let them speak completely and finish what they are saying, even if you think you know where it is leading to.

The No. 1 complaint from customers about mechanics or service writers is that the service writer did not listen to what

“Everything you do to the customer’s car is done as a service to the customer.

Never forget, the car itself is an inanimate object.”

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“The No. 1 advantage to letting your customer completely finish their sentences is that it gives you much more time to contemplate how you are going to answer the customer, choose your words and develop your responses for the best effect.”

the customer was trying to tell them. This happens because, let’s face it, most of us actually do know what the customer is going to say and our patience will sometimes get the better of us. We then cut the customer off or complete their sentences, because we know where they are going.

While this might be technically accurate, it is the worst thing for making the customer feel like they are not being heard by the professional. (That’s you!)

The No. 1 advantage to letting your customer completely finish their sentences is that it gives you much more time to contemplate how you are going to answer the customer, choose your words and develop your responses for the best effect.

The odd part about taking your time with the customers is that it actually speeds up the entire process. You don’t have to go back and keep talking about the same thing over and over again with the customer. They will typically get it much faster — often the very first time you explain it to them.

What is a Benefit?

That may seem like a simple question, and one that typical technicians think they know the answer to. Many service technicians, however, are confused about what the specific benefits of the products they are recommending actually are. Benefits must be described in such a way that it brings a positive effect to the customer, not the vehicle.

For example, a new set of windshield wipers may seem to have the benefit of: “cleans the windshield.” While this is true, it is not directly the benefit to the customer.

Cleaning the windshield helps the customer to see better, which increases the safety of their driving, so the benefit of new wiper blades should be explained as: “Helps you see better and drive safely.”

That benefit description has much more of a personal impact on the customer as opposed to “cleans the windshield.”

Each of the items you recommend to your customer should have clear benefits attached to them, so the customer can clearly understand what each is doing for them. This will help encourage them to agree with your service recommendations, because they will want to receive the benefits you explained to them.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that you can just “wing it” and come up with the benefits during the service review.

Sit down and figure out the exact benefits for each product or service you offer. Then, memorize those benefits so you can clearly explain them to customers. By not trying to choose the correct words on-the-fly, your customer will sense that you are knowledgeable. Therefore, the customer will feel confident in what you are recommending.

All of this will help the customer have an overall better service experience. They will know exactly what was done for them, by you, on their vehicle.

This concept is amazing because it provides a great opportunity to increase customer satisfaction, return rates and overall sales numbers. At the same time, it’s the least expensive method to increase those items. That is a win-win scenario.

Put these ideas and methods into your daily practice immediately, and make it happen! See all of you next month. S

KIT SULLIVAN has more than 25 years of experience in all facets of the quick-lube arena, which have made him one of the most respected and sought-after experts in the areas of customer service, operations and sales. Sullivan’s colorful and unique perspective on all aspects of daily lube shop activities have made him a favorite speaker and consultant with many lube shop owners and operators from around the country, as well as many of the industry’s top vendors. Sullivan is available for consultation and speaking engagements and will show you how to “Make It Happen” for your business. Sullivan can be reached at: quicklubekit@aol.com

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PRODUCTS & SERVICES No Adaptors Required Trico Products Corporation recently released their all-new Trico Pro premium beam blade line — designed specifically with vehicle service professionals in mind.

The new line features an innovative one-fit connection system, eliminating the need for adaptors.

The new blades are engineered with the latest in beam blade technology to deliver the all-weather performance customers expect from Trico. With a minimal SKU count for full, on-hand stock, the Trico Pro line is available in 15-inch to 28-inch sizes, delivered in easy-to-open packaging.

Additionally, the complete line stocks in just 2.5 square feet of space.

Trico Pro wiper blades fit the most popular arm styles, including hook, side lock, push button and pinch tab.

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New Standard in Cabin Air Filters With the improved FreciousPlus 2, MannFilter claims to set new standards in cabin air filtration. The new filter not only separates ultra-fine particles, but also binds other harmful gases from outside and within the vehicle. The new filter continues to provide protection against allergens, bacteria and mold.

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thinner than the fibers of conventional filter fleeces. Like a spider’s web, these fibers cover the underlying filtration layers consisting of coarser fibers, allowing them to trap ultra-fine particles. This results in significantly enhanced performance of the new filters compared to the previous filter model. This means that, in addition to the PM10 and PM2.5 particle classes, the FreciousPlus 2 is able to filter out up to 90 percent of the even finer, class PM1 particles (particles with a diameter of less than 1 micrometer, which is 0.001 cm). FreciousPlus 2 also removes up to 80 percent of ultra-fine particles, which are smaller than 0.1 micrometers. By way of comparison: These extremely tiny particles are roughly 700 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

The enhanced FreciousPlus 2 also significantly outperforms the predecessor model in the reduction of harmful gases and odors: Nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and ozone are trapped more effectively. The new filter line absorbs more than 200 times as much ammonia, compared to the previous model, and also protects from volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde, which can be released by vehicle passenger compartment materials.

The new filter line filters allergens, as well as bacteria and mold, to the same high degree as the first generation. It binds allergens almost completely and prevents bacteria and mold from penetrating into the vehicle passenger compartment through the ventilation system.

The Mann-Filter FreciousPlus 2 will be available for selected passenger car applications on the independent aftermarket from early 2019. The existing range will be progressively replaced by the new generation filters.

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With its angled contour, the socket wall grips damaged fasteners more closely for 50 percent more turning power. An optimally chamfered lip on both the hex and drive ends of the socket allows for a better grip and more turning power, especially for shallow-headed fasteners and fasteners with limited top clearance. FDX sockets feature grooved, grippable outer walls, a unique design feature that makes them eaiser to move. FDX sockets also feature easier identification and improved readability with large, distinctive markings on the socket exterior.

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Heavy Duty Wheel Balancer Ergonomic and easy-to-use, the new John Beam 9800 Heavy Duty Wheel Balancing System is perfect for shops that perform multiple heavy-duty balancing jobs day-in and day-out.

The new John Beam 9800 meets the heavy-duty wheel balancing needs of today’s shops. Featuring an intuitive user interface, the John Beam 9800 is operator friendly and designed to balance truck, bus, RV and automobile wheel and tire assemblies quickly and easily.

New Socket System Snap-on recently introduced its new Flank Drive Xtra (FDX) socket system. The first redesigned Snap-on socket since the patented Flank Drive system developed in 1965, the FDX takes the brand’s innovative socket and makes it even better, offer-

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Capable of handling wheel ranges from 12 inches to heavy-duty sized wheels as big as 24.5 inches, plus super-single tires, the 9800 has all the tooling included for cars through light trucks and even heavyduty trucks. Some other key features include: a pneumatic wheel lift, which aids in proper wheel mounting and reduces strains caused by lifting heavy tires; semiautomatic data entry, which makes setup easy and eliminates errors as it inputs diameter and distance utilizing the inner input arm; and self-calibration by operator, where the operator can recalibrate the balancer in two easy steps ensuring accuracy, while saving on costly service calls.

For more information, call 877.482.4866 or visit: www. johnbean.com

Protect Surfaces, Improve Safety, Reduce Cleanup A new solution from 3M offers a removable, efficient and economical way to protect surfaces from fluids and debris, trapping these contaminants in the fabric for easy cleanup. 3M Self-Stick Liquid Protection Fabric provides a temporary, conformable surface covering that adheres to most surfaces, but removes easily and leaves no residue after the work is completed.

soggy, slippery and leak to surrounding areas. By holding out fluids and trapping debris, the product allows for easy cleanup and removal of industrial contaminants. The low-tack adhesive backing keeps the material secure on smooth surfaces for improved traction. This may help to reduce the likelihood of slips and falls. In addition, it also protects surfaces from light impact and abrasions from tools and equipment.

A key feature of 3M Self-Stick Liquid Protection Fabric is its nonwoven surface, which traps contaminants rather than just allowing them to land. This keeps them from spreading around due to sweeping or foot traffic, and keeps particles out of workspaces and off of the work itself.

The 3M Self-Stick Liquid Protection Fabric is available in 300-foot rolls in widths of four inches, six inches, 14 inches, 28 inches, 36 inches, 48 inches and 56 inches.

Available magnetic dispenser and wall and floor applicators make applying the material fast and simple.

For more information, visit: 3m.com/surfaceprotection

Access to Free Planning Tools Anyone planning to build a new vehicle repair shop or expand an existing facility now has more accessibility than ever to Rotary Lift’s assistPro — a free professional facility planning assistance that

to the BIMsmith Market, customers can find all Rotary Lift BIM files, including cut sheets, spec documents, installation manuals and real images of each lift. This resource provides faster product access and the ability to compare Rotary Lift specs side by side.

Customers can use the resource to determine the optimal number, placement and arrangement of vehicle lifts for a new or remodeled facility. Rotary Lift’s inhouse assistPro team works with customers and their architects to create custom facility layouts. The assistPro service allows customers to include the appropriate lifts in their shop layout from the beginning — before construction — to help avoid common shop design mistakes like not considering lighting placement, overhead clearance and door size.

After determining a facility’s intended use, the assistPro team draws a floor layout with lifts placed for maximum productivity. Turning radii and traffic flow are matched to the types of vehicles serviced, so technicians will be able to quickly pull into and out of the bays. Rotary Lift provides assistPro layout drawings in CAD or PDF electronic formats or as color prints, based on customer preference. Turnaround is fast (usually seven to 10 days), so users can get to work on their new spaces as soon as possible. S For more information, call 800.640.5438 or visit: rotarylift.com/home/support/assistPRO/

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The 3M Self-Stick Liquid Protection Fabric replaces paper-and-tape or other surface coverings that frequently become

helps maximize shop efficiency and technician productivity, while avoiding costly mistakes during shop construction or renovation.

Customers can now access the Rotary Lift Building Information Modeling (BIM) Library directly from Rotary’s website at: rotarylift.com/home/support/assistPRO/ After creating a log-in

If you have a product or service release you would like published, send it to: info@noln.net October 2018

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Classified Advertising employment opportunities

fast lubes for lease

DISTRICT MANAGERS AND STORE MANAGERS WANTED Super-Lube is looking for experienced district and store managers for our Florida, Wisconsin and Illinois locations. We are looking for motivated people who are self-starters with experience in managing people. Salary and benefit package available based upon experience. If you are interested in joining the Super-Lube team, please send resume to Tom Chambasian: fax 850-222-5152 or email tchambasian@superlube.com

NATIONAL OPERATIONS MANAGER WANTED

We are expanding and looking for an experienced candidate to oversee company field operations. Proven track record of store management success in quick lube industry is a must.

Ability to manage multi-unit chain with both district and store level management is a requirement. We have a competitive salary and complete benefit package available for the right candidate. Send resume to qopsjob@gmail.com

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS. Director of Operations desired to take control of a Jiffy Lube Franchise Group with 11 stores in Central Virginia.

Excellent opportunity for the right candidate. Candidate must be self-motivated, possessing strong operation and organizational skills.

Outstanding customer service and people skills are also a must. Salary package and benefits are negotiable. Please send resume to 434-974-4605 or email to tchapman@valube.com

fast lubes for sale CENTRAL TEXAS FOR SALE: 3-store independent quick lube chain in Central Texas area. Real estate included. $1,850,000. For more information, contact: lube.shop@yahoo.com

WESTERN COLORADO Quick Lube - Includes Real Estate EBITDAR: $215k; Down $250k Beautiful Facility!

WESTERN WISCONSIN 2 Quick Lubes with Car Washes EBITDA: $150k; Down $100k Sales increases for the past 2 years!

BIG O TIRES SB COUNTY, CA Net: $85k; Down $70k Owner looking to retire.

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ADVERTISERS/PRODUCT INDEX October 2018

Auto Data, Inc. _________________________________________ 7 ____________800.767.7580 _____________ www.autodatainc.com BayNets Safety Systems (Pit Covers) _________________________61 ___________800.331.0731 ___________www.incord.com/baynets BendPak, Inc. ___________________________________________37 ___________800.253.2363 ________________ www.bendpak.com Comgraphx (Formerly Communication Graphics) _______________52 ___________800.331.4438 ______________www.comgraphx.com Devon Industries ________________________________________47 ___________800.468.1970 _______________www.devonlube.com eGenuity, LLC - eLube.net _________________________________33 ___________800.296.0177 ________________ www.egenuity.com ExxonMobil L&S Co. ______________________________________23 ___________800.667.6680 ____________________www.mobil1.us Herkules Equipment Corporation ____________________________49 ___________800.444.4351 __________________ www.herkules.us Integrated Services, Inc. - LubeSoft - Modulube ________ Outside Back Cover ___800.922.3099 _____________________www.ints.com Kafko International Ltd. - Oil Eater/Degreaser __________________12 ___________800.528.0334 _________________ www.oileater.com Lubrication Specialties Inc. ___________________________________ 21 ___________800.341.6516 ____________www.hotshotsecret.com M & M Service - Deep Blue Windshield Washer Concentrate __________57 ___________800.657.9834 www.windshieldwasherconcentrate.com Mighty Distributing System of America _________________________ 9 ___________800.829.3900 ___________www.mightyautoparts.com NOLN _______________________________________________ 53, 59__________800.796.2577 _____________________ www.noln.net Penray Companies ______________________________________11 ___________800.323.6329 __________________ www.penray.com PM Attendant, Inc. _______________________________________13 ___________866.576.8957 ____________ www.pmattendant.com Roth Industries _________________________________________51 ___________888.266.7684 ____ www.rothlubetanks.com/benefits Sage Microsystems, Inc. - Quicktouch ________________ Inside Front Cover ____800.724.7400 _______ www.sagemicrosystems.com Samson Corporation _____________________________________27 ___________828.686.8511 _______www.samsoncorporation.com Service Champ __________________________________________ 5 ____________800.221.0216 ___________ www.servicechamp.com Shell - Pennzoil Filters __________________________________ 30, 31__________800.237.8645 ________________ www.pennzoil.com Shinn Buildings _________________________________________46 ___________855.879.9995 ___________ www.shinnbuildings.com Smart Blend Synthetics/Phillips 66 Spectrum Corporation ________ 3 ____________888.422.9099 ______________ www.smartblend.com Solid Start – True Brand ____________________________Inside Back Cover ____877.290.3950 ________________www.solidstart.com StokAir Tire Inflators _____________________________________55 __________________________________________ www.petroy.com TOTAL Specialties USA ____________________________________17 ___________800.323.3198 __________ www.totalspecialties.com Unilube________________________________________________43 ___________800.326.1711 _________________ www.unilube.com Valvoline ________________________________________39, sponsorship _____859.357.7303 ______ www.valvolinequicklubes.com October 2018

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VIEWPOINT

Associationally Speaking

AOCA Releases New Weights and Measures Guide

By Joanna Johnson

As the fast lube industry’s national representative for the past 30 years, the Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA) strives to provide its members with unparalleled service in regulatory, legislative, educational and professional networking support.

AOCA currently represents over 4,000 automotive maintenance centers throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada and many other countries around the world.

AOCA’s mission is to provide its members in the automotive services industry with the business tools, resources and education to professionally and successfully deliver convenient automotive oil changes and other preventive maintenance services. One way of ensuring excellence in the industry is through AOCA’s Management Certification Course, which will be taking place in Dallas on October 23-24. (You can find more information at: ww.aoca.org) AOCA is also dedicated to enhancing the competency of fast lube owners, educating the public about the benefits of preventive automotive maintenance and maintaining a favorable business environment for the industry.

Members of AOCA adhere to a Code of Ethics and a standard of service excellence. Members provide “Professional

Service at Your Convenience” to the motoring public, helping to extend the life and safety factors of their motor vehicles through quality maintenance. In addition, AOCA provides counsel on legislative and regulatory issues, represents the industry on Capitol Hill, develops research data on the convenient auto service market and makes available a wide variety of business products and services to help members improve business operations.

The Weights and Measures Guide is another crucial compliance tool in the evergrowing AOCA member toolbox, which includes the only fast lube-specific SPCC Plan for aboveground storage of engine oil and the Fast Lube Superfund Defense Kit. This is the only state-by-state guide to regulations affecting transmission fluid label and receipt requirements, and it was created with support from the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association and Lubrizol. Violations of weights and measures regulations amount to fraud, so installers must be sure to comply in their states of operation. AOCA’s guide also contains information on weights and measures regulation of engine oil labels and receipts.

Is your state covered? The majority of states follow the 2018 National Insti-

tute of Standards & Technology (NIST) Handbook 130’s new requirements for engine oil and transmission fluid labels and receipts that recognize the suitable for use fluid standard. Six states follow an older version of the NIST Handbook 130 requirements for transmission fluid labels and receipts, which are potentially stricter in application. Only a handful of states have no applicable regulation. In those states, allegedly fraudulent labels and receipts may be handled under general state deceptive acts and unfair practices laws.

AOCA members can download the Weights and Measures Guide from the Resources tab at: www.aoca.org Not a current member? Contact the AOCA office at 800.230.0702 or info@aoca.org to take advantage of the exclusive resources AOCA has to offer. S Joanna L. Johnson has represented AOCA since 1991 as both general counsel and currently, policy advisor. She is the President of Johnson Policy Associates, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in federal and state environmental, transportation, competition, safety and automotive repair regulation. Formerly a partner in the law firm of Harris, Johnson & Stonecipher in Bozeman, Montana, which specialized in federal regulation and legislation, she started her career in Washington, D.C. as in-house counsel for multi-national trade associations.

“The Weights and Measures Guide is another crucial compliance tool in the ever-growing AOCA member toolbox, which includes the only fast lube-specific

SPCC Plan for aboveground storage of engine oil and the Fast Lube Superfund Defense Kit.”

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