It’s been a long, cold snowy winter so far and we still have March and April to get through. This time of year seems to be hard for many folks. I wish I had enough money to close the shop for a week and take my staff to somewhere sunny and warm. But since I don’t, we have been busy doing shop-projects.

This years winter project has been,  re-organizing the parts room. Thanks to one of our part vendors we received  a bunch of shelving. We are organizing  a bunch of the parts that we stock for your cars. We have 3 shelves filled and have 1½ left to fill.  I love organizing things and getting rid of clutter, and this has been a fabulous change in my world!

I also love it that we now have room in the parts room to store all our specialized machines to keep them clean!

My next project is to re-organize all the  shelves and cupboards in the shop!

Winterizing your car is essential to surviving Vermont’s frigid winters. Make sure you can rely on your car to transport you and your family safely in any weather conditions Old Man Winter can throw your way. Why take the risk? Be proactive! Make sure your car is mechanically sound before the temperature dips and the snow starts falling.

9 Steps to Getting You and Your Car Ready for Winter.

1. Clean your vehicle inside and out. Have body of your vehicle washed and waxed. This preventative measure will protect the paint surfaces from snowy bombardments, and it will also make snow and ice easier to brush off. 

Since you will be sitting in your car with the windows up and the heat on for the next six months do yourself a favor and give your car a thorough cleaning ASAP. Remove any debris that has collected over the summer, and vacuum the seats and floor. Dust the dash, wash the windows and clean the upholstery. To prevent that stale air / locker room smell, consider replacing your cabin air filter and then hang up an organic air-freshener.   It’s also a great idea to take out your carpeted floor mats and replace them with a set of water-resistant vinyl or rubber mats.

2. Make sure you can see. A winter storm is the worst possible time to run out of windshield washer fluid or to discover your blades aren’t clearing the windshield properly. Wiper blades usually last for about six months. Since visibility is a key ingredient to safety, so be sure to invest in some new ones if needed. Make sure the washer fluid is good to -20 F. Never use plain water. It will freeze all over your windshield.

3. Ensuring that your heating system is functioning properly should be a top priority. While a functioning heater and defroster are necessary to keep the windshield nice and clear, they also offer you shelter from the cold. Trust me; you do not want to be trapped in a cold car in the months to come. Also check that the rear window defroster is working.

4. Give your battery a little TLC. A battery gives little notice before it dies, and very cold temperatures can reduce a vehicle’s battery power by up to 50 percent. If your vehicle battery is older than three years, have the battery tested when you take your car in to get your winter tires put on. Also have them check that the battery posts and connections are free of corrosion. No one wants to be stranded with a dead battery in the bitter cold!

5. Belts and hoses. While they are testing your battery, make sure they inspect the belts and hoses for wear and tear — even if you’re driving a newer car. The belts and hoses in modern cars lead long lives, but that doesn’t mean they don’t die. Cold weather can do a number on belts and hoses, so they deserve attention too.

6. Tires: Need I remind you that the tire is the only part of your automobile that touches the ground? Having good winter tires on your car is the most important thing you can do to insure the next six months of worry free winter driving. The condition of your car’s tires is critical during the winter. Braking, acceleration and handling are all impacted while driving on slippery roads. Give yourself an edge with great winter tires!

Tire pressure is also important during the winter. Since traction is compromised due to wet or snowy conditions, it is critical to have properly inflated tires. Please remember that with lower temperatures, the air pressure in a cold tire will drop. Why? Because air is a gas, and gas contracts when it gets cold and expands with heat. Plus, having full and balanced tires can save you 2-3 miles per gallon of gas, that’s extra money in your pocket!

7. Get the antifreeze mixture just right. The ideal mixture of antifreeze (coolant) and water inside your vehicle’s radiator is 50/50.  This will prevent the mixture from freezing in those ridiculously cold temperatures that occur every winter in Vermont. Antifreeze is very important to your engine. It cools the car’s engine, protects it from freezing in the cold weather and is the key agent in providing heat inside the car.

8. Prepare an emergency kit. Even the most meticulously maintained vehicle can develop problems on the road, especially during the winter. That’s when it pays to be prepared for an emergency.

Your Winter Survival Kit Should Include:

• A spare tire with air in it
• Extra windshield washer fluid and paper towels
• Tire-changing equipment
• A bag of abrasive material such as sand, salt or non-clumping kitty litter, which can provide additional traction if a tire gets stuck in snow.
• A flashlight, flares and a first-aid kit.
• Jumper cables, a tool kit and tire chains.
• Blanket and extra warm clothes (scarves, gloves, hats, boots)
• Contact information of people to be called in case of an emergency
• A snow brush with an aggressive ice scraper and snow shovel.
• High protein, non-perishable foods such as protein bars, nuts, raisins, and water.
• All-weather power source that will permit you to jumpstart your vehicle without another vehicle. That can be comforting if you’re by yourself.

Auto Craftsmen is so excited that they finally found a quality non-toxic commercial grade cleaner that that has passed our stringent seal of approval.

We have tested many green products, but have not been happy with the quality of cleaning that they provided… that is until we found ES71 Super H202 CLEANER / DEGREASER made by Enviro-Solutions.

This product does a good job, and for the chemically sensitive, does not leave behind that soapy, chemical smell that most cleaning products do.

It does not equal the cleaning strength of our regular cleaning products, but it does a darn good job – one that we can stand behind and that will “WOW” someone who could not otherwise have their vehicle cleaned.

So now we are able to offer our clients a choice of two types of cleaning products:

1. Super Duty

2. Green and Clean

Enviro-Solutions provides us with our . . . Good Clean Product: ES71
Distributed By: * Reg. TM of:Enviro-Solutions Ltd.
Peterborough, Ontario  K9J 8N4 www.enviro-solution.com

• Multi-purpose cleaner, degreaser and odor eliminator
• Various applications depending upon the dilution rate used
• Great for washroom floors and all other surfaces; carpet cleaning
(spotting, extracting, bonnet); grout cleaning; and more
• Cleaning power of Hydrogen Peroxide & Citrus
• Citrus oil penetrates surfaces and breaks down oils
• Hydrogen peroxide oxidizes soils and stains
eliminate odors, and provides color safe whitening

BIODEGRADABILITY
(Decomposition of organic substances into carbon dioxide, water and other harmless substances.) Rapid biodegradation reduces impact on the environment and food chain. All organic cleaning ingredients in these formulas are readily biodegradable per OECD Test 301D.

NATURAL RENEWABLE RESOURCES
Wherever possible, we use only naturally-based,
renewable ingredients, such as grains, corn oil,
palm kernel oil, coconut oil, sugar cane juice & glucose.

TOXICITY
Acute Oral/Dermal Product considered essentially
non-toxic according to WHMIS regulations.

AQUATIC TOXICITY
Product exceeds recognized acute toxicity standards
for fish, invertebrate and algae at use dilution.

GS-37 CERTIFIED
This product meets the Green Seal™ environmental standard for industrial and institutional cleaners based on its reduced human and aquatic toxicity and reduced smog production potential.

HEALTH & SAFETY
No ingredient found on major regulatory lists.
Non-flammable and non-corrosive at use dilution.

SEAL OF APPROVAL
Carpet & Rug Institute

For more information about our Auto Detailing Service or to make an appointment online, CLICK HERE

“It Only Happens Once Every Thousand Years”

– this year’s October 10th-

10/10/2010

We thought this was soooo cool, we decided to have some fun with the Number 10
and run a special that would be truly special!

With the cold temperatures headed our way,
and windows being rolled up… and you being ’stuck’ sitting in your summer debris,
It’s a GREAT idea to get your vehicle cleaned on the inside.

Rain and sleet, snow and ice, salt and sand,
will be attacking the outside of your vehicle….
It’s a GREAT idea to get a good wax coating to protect the outside!

Be one of the 1st ten callers (223-2253)

and book a Complete Detail with any Service or Repair: Starting at only $110.10

A Complete Detail usually starts at $199.74
If you act quickly you can save $89.64

Call Marc at 223-2253, book your Complete Detail – starting at only $110.10
and we ask that you bring in 4 non-perishable food items for the Vermont Food Bank!

HURRY… this special is only for the 1st ten callers!

*Sorry – you cannot use this in combination with your club card discounts or any other promotions!

DON’T BE THIS PERSON?

Her auto technician told her 3xs that she should get the timing belt changed on her 2002 PT Cruiser.

But she kept putting it off – because she did not want to spend the money.

While driving to work – the timing belt broke… and because this vehicle has an interference engine, the engine is probably toast. The vehicle got towed to Auto Craftsmen.

The only way to find out if the engine survived is to put a new timing belt on the engine (approx. a five hour job). It is will either be OK – or not Ok – It’s about a $500 gamble!  So Sad!

Exercise while you wait for Automotive Services at Auto Craftsmen

You asked for it… and we listened!

We now have an exercise room (air conditioned too) so you can get a work out while waiting for an oil change or other minor service on your car.

If the service or repairs are going to take too long to wait – we have a shuttle service into the greater Montpelier area & five loaner cars available for you to use!

Here in Vermont we have a fairly short season of hot and humid weather. Mostly we can get by rolling down our windows and letting fresh air in to keep us comfortable. But on those wicked hot days most of us really appreciate having the air condition working in our cars to keep us cool.

Trying to explain how the air conditioning system of your car works is not an easy task. This is because it’s fairly complicated and counter-intuitive.

Basically, when you push the A/C button in your car, you are starting a chain reaction that removes the heat from inside your vehicle and transfers that heat to the outside air. Once all the hot air and humidity has been removed the air becomes cooler. It can be a real ahhhhhhhhhhhh moment once the hot air is removed & you’re left with cool refreshing air.

Here is a more technical explanation of how your Air Conditioning works is from Edmunds.com:

There are six basic components in the A/C System:  compressor, condenser, receiver-drier, expansion valve, the evaporator and the life-blood of the A/C system, the refrigerant.

Step One: The compressor is the power unit of the A/C system. It is powered by a drive belt connected to the  engine’s crankshaft. When the A/C system is turned on, the compressor pumps out refrigerant vapor under high pressure and high heat to the condenser.

Step Two: The condenser is a device used to change the high-pressure refrigerant vapor to a liquid. It is mounted ahead of the engine’s radiator, and it looks very similar to a radiator with its parallel tubing and tiny cooling fins. If you look through the grille of a car and see what you think is a radiator, it is most likely the condenser. As the car moves, air flowing through the condenser removes heat from the refrigerant, changing it to a liquid state.

Step Three: Refrigerant moves to the receiver-drier. This is the storage tank for the liquid refrigerant. It also removes moisture from the refrigerant. Moisture in the system can freeze and then act similarly to cholesterol in the human blood stream, causing blockage.

Step Four: As the compressor continues to pressurize the system, liquid refrigerant under high pressure is circulated from the receiver-drier to the thermostatic expansion valve. The valve removes pressure from the liquid refrigerant so that it can expand and become refrigerant vapor in the evaporator.

Step Five: The evaporator is very similar to the condenser. It consists of tubes and fins and is usually mounted inside the passenger compartment. As the cold low-pressure refrigerant is released into the evaporator, it vaporizes and absorbs heat from the air in the passenger compartment. As the heat is absorbed, cool air will be available for the occupants of the vehicle. A blower fan inside the passenger compartment helps to distribute the cooler air.

Step Six: The heat-laden, low-pressure refrigerant vapor is then drawn into the compressor to start another refrigeration cycle

If your car has an A/C problem, it is pretty much one of two things: No cool air or insufficient cool air.

No Cool Air

• Loose or broken drive belt
• Inoperative compressor or slipping compressor clutch
• Defective expansion valve
• Clogged expansion valve, receiver-drier or liquid refrigerant line
• Blown fuse
• Leaking component: any of the parts listed above or one of the A/C lines, hoses or seals

Insufficient Cool Air

• Low refrigerant charge
• Loose drive belt
• Slipping compressor clutch
• Clogged condenser
• Clogged evaporator
• Slow leak in system
• Partially clogged filter or expansion valve

I hope Edmunds.com’s explanation is helpful.

If your car’s air conditioning is not blowing cool enough or not at all, make an appointment with Auto Craftsmen and we will make it blow cold or figure out why it’s not working.

Call 223-2253 or email: service@autocraftsmen.com

Check Engine Light:
Why does it come on, what to do, and what happens if you ignore it?

You’re driving to work, taking the kids to a ballgame, or running a routine errand… and then you see it – the Check Engine Light turns on. Ugh. For many people, the sight of a Check Engine Light triggers visions of a costly repair bill and a sense of worry, since most folks don’t really know what it means.

The Check Engine Light turns on when your vehicle’s computer (which monitors your vehicle’s performance) finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t correct. There are hundreds of sensors in your car, any of which can send a signal to your car’s computer telling it that something isn’t quite right.

In your owner’s manual, there will be a section with recommendations on what to do if the Check Engine Light comes on for your car that will give you a better idea of what to expect.

A common question I hear is: how long can I wait to take my car in when that Check Engine light comes on?
My standard answer is:

• If there are no drivability problems then you can keep driving and bring it to your automotive service provider to get the computer scanned in the next couple of days.

• But, if the check engine light starts flashing or your vehicle is having drivability problems (stalling, hard to start, slow to accelerate, black smoke coming out the back, etc.) you should immediately pull off the road, turn off the engine & have the vehicle towed in for repairs.

• If you continue driving when the light is flashing or the vehicle is having drivability issues, you can do catastrophic damage which could require an expensive repair. The longer you drive, the more expensive it becomes.

If you do have your vehicle towed, be sure to take it to your dealer if you’re under warranty. Engine work done by a shop other than your dealer can void your warranty.

In short, don’t panic if the Check Engine Light comes on. The Check Engine Light is really your friend. The car’s computer is working hard monitoring your car’s engine and making adjustments so you can jump in your car and rush off to where ever you need to be without a thought to your car’s performance. So, if that light comes on to tell you there is a problem, don’t ignore it.

Today’s cars are very complex. If the battery of your car dies – you want to be very careful how you get it started up. Here are 4 different ways you can charge the battery to get your car rolling down the road again.

1.  Slowly charge the battery by using a battery charger.

2. Use a booster pack to jump the battery.

3. Call an expert mobile service to jump the battery.

4. If you must use jumper cables then I highly suggest you invest in MICHELIN’S Smart Jumper Cables™.

If you hook up ordinary jumper cables incorrectly it can result in sparking or shorting which could seriously hurt you. This could also produce a power surge that could kill your car’s expensive electrical system. I like to call modern cars – Computers on Wheels. And we all know that computers hate power surges.

This is why I highly recommend  MICHELIN’S new Smart Jumper Cables ™. These idiot proof jumper cables eliminate the guesswork of how to hook them up the right way.

*They cost only $40.00 at auto supply retailers.

*The cable clamps can attach to either the positive or negative connections. How cool is that!

*They have these LED indicators that light up to tell you that the cables are hooked up right and you’re ready to start the cars and jump the battery.

*The textured grips make them easy to handle, especially in cold weather.

*The heavy-duty cable with insulated clamps stays flexible, tangle free, even in the winter’s cold.

Why does a battery die?

*You left something on or connected in the car that drained all the energy from your battery.

*The vehicle has a bad alternator.

*The serpentine belt is bad.

*The battery is old. They only last about 3-5 years.

*You got a defective battery and need to return it for a good one.

*You leave the car idling all the time or you drive the car on short trips not allowing the battery to recharge – so you wore out the battery before its time.

*Your battery is not strong enough for all the add-ons like monster stereo systems etc. that you have had installed.

*The battery has dirty connector/terminals.

*The vehicle has a bad computer.

*The battery was damaged in an accident.

Getting Prepared to Use Jumper Cables!

*** Read your owners manual*** It will give you information you need, like – where the battery is located. Some vehicles have the battery under the hood, some behind the cab, under the seat or even in the trunk. ALSO, find out if there is an   anti-theft system. Some alarms will activate whenever the battery is low or disconnected. That would be very annoying!

VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure that both the dead battery and the rescue battery have the “same” voltage. Car batteries are usually 12 Volts. Trucks may operate on a 24 volt system. Do not attach 12V to 24V.

DANGER! Never jump a battery that is frozen or has insufficient battery acid in it.

*Wear eye protection. Wear gloves.

*Make sure both cars are close enough for cables to reach BUT the cars are NOT touching.

*Set an auto transmission vehicle in “Park” position.

*Set a manual (5 speed) transmission in “neutral”.

*Set the emergency brake on both cars.

*Turn off the headlights, wipers, radios, and all accessories on both cars.

*Unplug anything that is connected to the cigarette lighter.

*Leave on the emergency flashers if needed.

*Turn off both cars’ engines.

*Open the hood of each of the cars and secure them.

Jumping a Battery using MICHELIN Smart Cables™

1.Connect one set of clamps to the assisting vehicle’s  battery.   Put one clamp to each battery  terminal – polarity doesn’t matter

2. Then go to the disabled vehicle: Connect the first clamp to the Positive Battery Terminal (red). The other clamp is attached to some metal on the dead vehicle’s engine block or frame. Painted, oily, or rusted metal will not work. Nuts, bolts, or other protruding shiny metal is best.

3. Both green indicator lights should be lit on the MICHELIN Smart Cables Center Module. If not – re-adjust the clamps until they do. If the green LED lights still do not glow after you have firmly connected the clamps, then your battery  is damaged, completely drained or has less than the 6 residual volts required for boosting. Don’t try to jump  this battery – you could do damage to your car or the  assisting vehicle. Time to call the tow truck!

4. Start the assisting vehicle and let it idle at least 1 minute.

5. Then start the disabled car’s engine. Chances are that if there aren’t any other problems, the car will start easily.

6. Once the disabled vehicle is running, disconnect the clamp attached to the engine block first, then disconnect the remaining clamps in any order.

How is that for EASY!

Please Note:

If the vehicle does not start after cranking for 30 seconds. STOP! Call a tow truck!

Once you get your car running, drive it somewhere safe and secure before shutting off the engine. You will want to get the battery tested to see its  condition, starting and charging voltage. If it was really dead, then you should have it slowly and completely charged using a battery charger.

If you haven’t experienced it, I’m sure you have passed someone who has.

You’re on vacation and the car is packed to the gills with all you need to make a home away from home.

It’s 97 degrees outside and the humidity is thick and heavy. You notice the car’s temperature gauge is creeping higher than it normally does. You feel your heart begin to race and you beg your car not to overheat now. It’s a weekend and the road is jammed with bumper to bumper traffic.

If the car overheats you will have to pull over to make multiple phone calls and wait for a tow truck to take you to a garage. Being a weekend you know it’s highly unlikely a garage will be open. Who knows how long you will be stuck in some dinky little town, and you may get taken advantage of, and the icing on the cake is… this is your vacation. You will be wasting precious vacation time getting the car repaired.

Remember

NEVER, NEVER EVER remove the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled! The coolant in the radiator is under pressure and you could get seriously burned if it sprays out at your. Be Patient! Let the engine and coolant cool down so much that you can touch the engine without burning your fingers. This will take at least 45 min. to an hour.

IF the radiator is full of coolant, there is not much else you can do except call a two truck and have a professional auto technician diagnose why your vehicle overheated.

There are a number of different reasons a car will overheat. The most common ones are:

• Radiator hoses or fan belts breaking
• Clamp coming loose on one of the radiator hoses
• Malfunction of the cooling fan
• Radiator cap that is not sealing correctly or is worn out.
• Broken thermostat
• Worn out radiator

I highly recommend that you bring your car in for a “Trip Check” before you head out on the road. Then you can be sure your car will be safe and reliable while you relax and have a vacation!

CLICK HERE if you would like a coupon for a FREE Trip Check and $25.00 off any service or repair!