Daily Globe Car Care Spring 2016

CAR CARE spring 2016

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE

Daily Globe

Car Care

Thursday, May 26, 2016 • C2

Car insurance – an invisible protector ANDREA MAGANA Daily Globe WORTHINGTON — Car insurance is an essential and required part of our lives, from driving on the road to getting covered in case of an accident.

It’s therefore important to understand the ins and out of that invisible protector.

First, who is eligible for car insurance?

“Anybody can get insurance,” said Mike Frank, an agent with Farmers Agency of Avoca. “However, some companies do not want someone who has major violations.”

These violations include speeding tickets, accidents and DWI’s. Some companies prefer not to insure a person who consistently violates the law. Other companies will insure anyone who wants or needs auto

insurance, but they will raise policy rates every time a violation occurs.

The first step before buying car insurance is getting a quote from an insurance agency. A quote is an auto plan specific to the vehicle and its owner that shows everything that will affect the premium.

“Our role is to bring customers in and do a quote for them and explain how all the coverages work for them,” said Jessica Noble, an agent with State Farm Insurance in Worthington. “The quote includes all of the vehicle information including the year, make and model.”

One common myth among many drivers is that full coverage exists. There is not one policy that covers everything for a driver. The term “full coverage” refers to the purchase of various policies that can ensure a

full coverage for a vehicle and its owner.

Car insurance is a requirement in every state. The state of Minnesota requires four different types of car coverages: liability coverage, personal injury protection coverage, uninsured coverage and underinsured coverage.

Liability coverage covers damages made to another vehicle. Personal injury protection coverage covers any injuries made to you or a member of your household no matter who is at fault. Underinsured coverage is used when there is an accident and the other driver does not have enough liability coverage to cover your claims. Finally, uninsured coverage is used when there is an accident and the other driver does not have insurance.

INSURANCE, C3

METRO CREATIVE GRAPHICS

Anyone can get auto insurance, but some companies don’t want folks with major violations.

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Car Care

Thursday, May 26, 2016 • C3

Graham Tire pays attention to details

INSURANCE

Bob Bristow

Lori Bristow

CAMERON JENSON Daily Globe

CAMERON JENSON/DAILY GLOBE

Santos Euceda works on exterior detailing of a vehicle earlier this week at Worthington’s Graham Tire location. A detailing service has been available at Graham Tire for the last five years.

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DETAILS, C4

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WORTHINGTON — Graham Tire in Worthington is known as the place to go for mechanical services such as oil changes, engine repair and — of course — tires.

But there’s another area of automotive maintenance that its employees feel is equally vital: detailing.

Graham Tire opened its detailing facility nearly five years ago, and it has been used every day of service since.

“It’s been a nice addition

to our business,” said manager Rick von Holdt.

The cosmetic process involves cleansing a car on both the inside and outside.

“Along with regular service for a car, it is just as important to have it cleaned,” von Holdt advised. “We have adverse weather all the time, and it takes a toll on the vehicles.”

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“It’s very important (to have car insurance) because it is the law, and it’s illegal to operate a vehicle in Minnesota without auto insurance,” said Jim Nickel, Nickel & Associates Insurance Agency Inc. President.

Minnesota may require a certain amount of auto insurance, but many insurance agents suggest that individuals not simply purchase the minimum requirements.

Nickel advises to purchase higher than the minimum. In the event of an accident, the insurance company will only have to pay for the minimum limits, and the driver will be responsible for the rest.

“The minimum limits are inadequate,” said Nickel.

“You can purchase minimum limits because that’s legal, but that doesn’t mean you will be OK.” Frank advises to “make sure that liability limits are high enough or else you won’t get covered.”

Noble agrees. “The state minimum is not sufficient to cover them,” she said.

Another important term to understand is a deductible. Noble explained that a deductible is an out-of-pocket expense in case of a loss.

A deductible is how much you can afford in case of an accident or damage to you or your vehicle. The more you can afford to pay out of pocket, the lower your premium will be.

“The higher the deductible, the lower the premium,” said Nickel. “If you can afford a higher deductible, than that’s the way to go.”

Other car coverages that a driver can purchase are comprehensive and collision coverages, which cover any physical damages to your vehicle, including fire, wind, hair, flooding and

glass breakage.

With all of these confusing auto insurance terms, it may appear easy to sign up for car insurance online.

The six-minute applications seem more appealing than reading through piles of paper. However, signing up for car insurance online without knowing the details of the coverage you are purchasing can be a dangerous decision.

“A lot of people like to go online, but the person shopping doesn’t know what they’re getting,” said Frank.

“There is no one there to explain it to them.”

Instead of purchasing insurance online, Noble suggest that one make an appointment with am insurance agent. Agents are able to help with questions, concerns and misunderstandings about auto insurance.

“They can use online to pay their bills and look at their information, but my biggest suggestion is to get to know your company and agent,” said Noble. “This way, they’re getting the best of both worlds.”

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from Page C2

WORTHINGTON

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914 3rd Avenue Downtown Worthington Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10am-7pm Sat. 9am-noon

Car Care

Thursday, May 26, 2016 • C4

DETAILS from Page C3 Although it’s important to have a car washed after it endures the salt and gravel-filled winter roads, Graham Tire stays busy in the detailing shop year-round with about 12 cars each week. Most of the vehicles it services are from regular customers, but it also does work for used car dealerships and individuals who are preparing to trade in or sell their car.

The skilled man behind the meticulous work is Santos Euceda. Euceda has been working on cars in this fashion for most of his life, and previously worked at the Ford and Chevrolet dealerships in Worthington.

Euceda has been Graham’s sole detailer since the service became available in 2011, and his ser-

CAMERON JENSON/DAILY GLOBE

Santos Euceda does detail work on the interior of a vehicle at Graham Tire’s Worthington location. Six different stages of cleaning are available through Graham’s detailing service.

vices range from cars and RVs to boats and motorcycles.

“We clean everything as long as it fits through the door,” Euceda said.

Graham Tire offers six different stages of cleaning, from a bronze wash to a four-hour platinum detail that includes buffing the body, shampooing interior seats and floor and waxing the exterior by hand.

Of the dozen vehicles that go through the shop in a week, most get the complete platinum package.

“People take pride in ownership of vehicles, but they don’t always have time to clean it,” explained von Holdt. “We tailor to whatever their needs are.”

Euceda recommends that cars should be cleaned every six months. Advancing mechanical processes allow owners to keep their cars running longer, and this service improves the vehicles’ appearance.

“It gives them longevity,” declared von Holdt.

The detail shop has a full schedule each week, and advance appointments can be made by calling 3725454.

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Car Care

Thursday, May 26, 2016 • C5

New alignment system a key component of Mick’s Repair CAMERON JENSON Daily Globe WORTHINGTON — Mick’s Repair is busier than ever at its downtown location at the corner of 10th Street and Fourth Avenue.

Brothers Kelly and Terry Eggers co-own the local shop with their father Mick. They moved their business from Nobles Street five years ago.

When they relocated, they installed a new alignment system — something that they take pride in.

“Our alignment rack is a newer system,” stated Kelly. “Not a lot of the smaller shops do it.”

Cory Probst, an alignment service technician at Mick’s Repair in downtown Worthington, places a scope in a tire to be aligned. Probst has worked at Mick’s Repair for 12 years, and has been the primary operator of the alignment equipment since its purchase.

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holes are major contributors to poor alignment. It is critical for a car to be aligned properly because makes driving safer and allows the tires to last longer.

“Tires are so expensive and this helps with tire wear,” Probst explained.

Mick’s Repair has seen growth since moving to its new location. The fourman garage is a full service shop, offering everything from diagnostics and general repair to alignment and suspension work.

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positioning of the scopes and transmits the information to a computer. The system measures each tire in three different directions to identify problems and determine how each tire needs to be corrected. Then, he adjusts the tires until all four are perfectly aligned.

Most of the vehicles that Mick’s Repair aligns are brought in because a customer noticed a problem with its steering or handling. However, the process is also completed when new tires are put on.

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Alignment service technician Cory Probst, who has worked at Mick’s for 12 years, has been the primary operator of the equipment since the shop purchased it in 2011.

“It makes life much easier and saves us time,” said Probst of the one- to twohour process.

Before the procedure can start, the suspension must be examined to ensure that the wheels are accurately tested. Once all of those problems have been dealt with, the car is ready to be aligned.

Probst starts by placing a scope, or target, on each of the vehicle’s wheels. A laser collects data from the

Car Care

Thursday, May 26, 2016 • C6

Stay safe when driving in wet weather Drivers must modify their driving habits when weather compromises their visibility and makes road conditions unsafe. Rain can fall any time of year, but tends to be most problematic in spring.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, wet roadways, and rain in particular, are the main cause of weather-related vehicle crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that, between 2004 and 2013, rain caused 573,784 crashes.

To drive safely in the rain and avoid accidents, drivers should follow certain precautions.

n Maintain windshield wipers. Inspect and, if necessary change windshield wipers regularly to ensure they are working optimally. Always test wipers before driving in rainy weather. n Turn on lights with wipers. Reduced visibility is a major contributor to wet-weather accidents.

Drivers’ views may be hampered by falling precipitation and glare from wet roadways. Cloudy conditions and fog also compromise visibility. When using windshield wipers, turn on your headlights as well. This makes your vehicle more visible to other motorists and improves your own ability to see the road and pedestrians. n Recognize changing

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road conditions. Roadways accumulate oil and engine fluids that can float in rainwater, creating slippery road surfaces. This is usually a problem during the first few hours of a rainstorm or in areas that receive little precipitation and then are subjected to downpours.

These fluids make rainsoaked roads even more slippery. Slow down, leave more room between vehicles and try driving in the tracks left by vehicles ahead. n Reduce speed. The automotive group AAA says hydroplaning, when

the tires rise up on a film of water, can occur with as little as 1/12 inch of water on the road. The group goes on to say that tires have to displace a gallon of water per second to keep the rubber meeting the road. Drivers should reduce their speeds to correspond to the amount of water on the roadway.

New tires can still lose some contact with the roadway, even at a speed as low as 35 mph. Therefore, reducing speed and avoiding hard braking and turning sharply can help

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keep the rubber of the tire meeting the road. n Rely on the defogger.

Use the car’s windshield defroster/defogger to improve visibility. Turn it on early and keep it on until the rain has stopped and visibility has improved. n Recover from a skid.

Skids can be frightening, but when skidding, resist any temptation to slam on the breaks. Instead, continue to look and drive in the direction you want to go and slowly ease up on the accelerator. n Skip the cruise control.

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It’s important to maintain control over the vehicle in rainy conditions, so avoid using cruise control. n Maintain tires. Proper inflation and tire tread levels can improve traction.

AAA recommends checking tread depth by inserting a quarter upside down into the tire groove. If you can see above Washington’s head, start shopping for new tires. Check tire pressure on all tires at least once a month. Get an accurate reading when tires are cold and adjust air pressure accordingly.

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Car Care

Thursday, May 26, 2016 • C7

Four ways to make your vehicle more eco-friendly Many new vehicles are made with the environment in mind, as more and more drivers are embracing eco-friendly features that reduce the carbon footprints of their vehicles. But motorists need not purchase new cars to make their driving habits more environmentally friendly. The following are a handful of steps drivers can take to protect the environment regardless of how new or old their vehicles are.

1. Maintain your vehicle.

Even if your car or truck has no eco-friendly features designed to reduce fuel consumption and cut down on emissions, that does not mean the vehicle cannot be more fuel-efficient or produce fewer emissions.

Adhering to the maintenance schedule recommended in your vehicle owner’s manual can conserve fuel and cut back on potentially harmful emissions. Well-maintained vehicles burn less fuel, as

they don’t force engines and other components to work as hard during operation as vehicles that have not been taken care of. Replace worn down or dirty spark plugs, which misfire and waste fuel, and fuel and air filters once they are no longer operating at peak capacity. Address any issues that arise with your vehicle’s emissions systems immediately, visiting your mechanic if the vehicle seems to be sputtering or emitting any abnormal fumes.

2. Slow down. Driving above the speed limit is not just dangerous but potentially harmful to the environment as well.

According the United States Department of Energy, each five miles per hour drivers drive over 50 miles per hour is akin to adding an additional $0.14 per gallon for gas. That’s because driving above 50 miles per hour is far less fuel-efficient than driving below that figure.

So slowing down when posted speed limits mandate

driving 50 miles per hour or slower is not just safer and more eco-friendly, it’s better for your wallet as well.

3. Keep cargo off the roof.

When you must haul cargo, keep that cargo in rearmount cargo boxes or the backseat or trunk of your car rather than the roof. Rooftop cargo boxes make vehicles less aerodynamic, reducing highway fuel economy by as much as 17 percent according to the U.S. DOE. By comparison, rear-mount cargo boxes reduce highway fuel economy by just 2 to 5 percent. If you haul cargo in your trunk, remove items

when your trip is complete, as excess, unnecessary weight in the car will reduce its fuel efficiency.

4. Inspect the gas cap. Few drivers may think to examine their gas caps while filling up at the pump, but such an inspection may reveal cracks or other damage that are wasting fuel. When gas caps are cracked, loose or damaged, fuel can escape gas tanks as a vapor, wasting fuel and contributing to emissions. If the cap is in need of replacement, consult your mechanic, the dealer who sold you your vehicle or the vehicle manufacturer.

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C8 • Daily Globe • Thursday, May 26, 2016

Car Care

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