No, this isn’t a commentary on Amy Whinehouse and her problems. Nor does it pertain to any type of professional care for those in need of treatments. Nope, it’s all about a recent trend that we have been seeing at the shop over the past few months. More and more of you are taking what vehicles you already own and putting them through the rehab process. Whether it’s for your personal use, freshening up the hand-me-down for the new driver of the family, or helping another, it is becoming a trend that may last for years to come. More of you are claiming that buying a new car is out of the question and people are becoming less afraid of the dreaded, “100,000 mile curse.” In fact, a vehicle at 100,000 miles is very common today and shouldn’t be a consideration for immediate disposal.

Now what do I mean by rehab process? Let me explain. First of all, rehab for cars is far less intense than the personal kind (I have no experience of any kind with that but I certainly empathize with anyone who has) but can be quite consuming of time and money. So it is absolutely important to make sure you thoroughly understand the process and more importantly, make sure that your vehicle qualifies for a rehab re-investment.

What qualifies a vehicle for rehab? First of all, if you have owned the vehicle for it’s entirety or even a good portion of it’s life, and you have been taking the proper maintenance measures, it’s clearly a no-brainer to add a few items like tires, brakes, fluid change, belts or hoses and other safety items to keep your car rolling right along. In fact, if you have been that thorough, I bet you already have had those items updated. So for a small investment, you now have a vehicle that’s safe, reliable, and ready for the next few years.

Which brings me to the next point. Time. When considering a re-investment in your vehicle, you must, and I mean MUST consider what your time frame will be in your continued ownership of the vehicle. A person that has a long term plan, say four more years, is different from the person who only needs to keep it running for the next six months. The types of repairs suggested and the money spent will vary depending on your time remaining. Here’s an example. If your engine has been diagnosed as having worn valves (they are usually positioned within the cylinder head) and you’ve been presented with an engine repair in the thousands, you would be wise to take a step back and consider your options. Now granted, the vehicle is still running (maybe not perfectly), giving you some grace time to make a wise decision. This would be my choice for you; If you are only committed to keeping the vehicle for up to six months, and you swear on your best friends wallet that you will not be without that vehicle on the first day after six months, than don’t do the repair. Yep, keep your hard earned money and apply it to the next vehicle you bring into the fold.

Now it might seem odd for someone like myself to tell you not to make a repair. It is my livelihood, you know. But I really hate it when people do dumb things with hard earned money and in that particular case, that’s what it would be.

However, if the same repair scenario is presented and you say to yourself, “I’m keeping it until they bury me in it” then things certainly change. Weighing all of the options; the vehicle is a 1996 or later, has an OK preserved body (forgive the dings, dents, minor rust and carpet stains), is still a comfortable drive, and you can’t stand the thought of making car payments for the next 72 months, then the thousand dollars or so you will spend to heal your car is worth it.

Notice that I gave a date of 1996. That’s a very important year for on board vehicle controls and the emission parts they monitor. Starting in 1996, all manufacturers were required to install the next generation of emission controls named, On Board Diagnostics II. It’s acronym is simple, OBDII.

OBDII offers greater control and more information from your engine and emission control pieces. They also allow more in depth testing of these controls through hand held testing equipment. OBDII really does keep emission levels in check. When there is even a minor breach or the slightest of poor performance, OBDII will usually send a failure code to the main engine computer, which in turns illuminates that pesky CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.

I could go on with more OBDII theory and a bunch of more technical stuff, but my point of only suggestion a rehab candidate from 1996 and later is the simple fact that these components and technology is readily available from either the manufacturer parts department or quality aftermarket outlets such as NAPA. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t rule out a really well maintained vehicle from the years 1994 or 1995. But they would have to be really, really, really good makes and models that have been under good care for most of it’s life.  However, I will never suggest any model year earlier because of the lack of safety devices such as seatbelts and airbags. The exception of course is if you are customizing the vehicle or it’s one of those “rare” models that you want to make your daily driver. For those of you that are involved with those two scenarios, well, this article is probably useless to you.

So let’s recap for rehab. The best candidates for the process are:

1. 1996 or later
2. Has been relatively kept in good running condition
3. Minor scratches, dents and rust are o.k. (It gives it character!)

Now see if you are ready to own a rehab.

1. You can honestly see yourself remaining with this vehicle for 2 years or longer.
2. There is no way you are going to give the bank 72 months of your hard earn money!
3. You revel in the fact that you are willing to drive a non-status symbol up to the social and on dates with your loved one.
4. The words, “It’s paid for!” are music to your ears.

Till next time,

Greg Buckley

Drive Safe, Drive Smart.

Recently we have had a few examples of what it means to have your oil changed regularly and what it means when you don’t. The differences are dramatic! These two motors are absolutely identical. Both engines occupy 2002 Chrysler Sebrings. One is a four door sedan, the other is a convertible.

Take for instance the picture below. Notice the clean, brushed aluminum. This engine was in for it’s regular 112,000 mile service and we were amazed at how well it is being preserved. This particular instance calls for a big “At-A-Boy” to the client for understanding what maintenance is all about.

Now take a look at the second picture below. This motor has only 21,000 miles more on it (133,000) and you can see how lack of oil changing has taken its toll. In fact, this engine had to be replaced with another unit. Cost to client: $6500.00

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Do you think that an oil change every 3500 miles at $30.00 per service would have prevented such disaster and expense? 

It’s so important to stick with the proper oil change intervals. A little now, can save you a lot later!

See you next time,

Greg

Recently, we encountered a client that had a lower intake situation. He stated that he had an extended warranty policy and sure enough, the repaired would be covered. However, reading the fine print, we found that the warranty only covered certain items in the context of the repair. I needed two gallons of coolant to perform the repair correctly. The warranty company only paid for one. I needed two tubes of sealant and again, the warranty only covered one. It wouldn’t even pay for the oil necessary to place in the engine because the repair didn’t call for it, yet there was no way NOT to avoid draining the oil and refilling it. All of these items that are not covered, will be required by the customer to paid for. So, please read the fine print if you should have an extended warranty package.

We are all experiencing pain at the pump these days. From last year to this year we have seen a dramatic rise in the price of fuel, and where it will stop is anyone’s guess. So what can we do to combat the expense? Start from the ground up. Hey, you know those four round rubber things that just so happen to sit at every corner of your vehicle and go round n’ round? Yeah, the same ones that everyone kicks to see how much air pressure is in them. Or better yet, there the same ones used for curb feelers. Uh, huh. That’s them. They’re called TIRES. And they can be the saint or the sinner when it comes to fuel mileage. Funny thing is, you get to chose which one they are based on your vehicle maintenance skills. Decisions stink sometimes don’t they…

Anyway, keeping your tires UNDER INFLATED creates too much road friction which of course kills your fuel mileage. Not only that, but tires tend to overheat when under inflated and we all don’t need another FORD EXPLORER / FIRESTONE TIRE situation. However, OVER INFLATING your tires will give you a bit more mileage, but the risk is NOT ENOUGH TIRE ON THE ROAD and that can lead to less traction, harsh rides and poor handling.

So what can you do to soothe your conscious? Simple. Open the driver side door of your car, look somewhere on the pillar area (by the door latch striker - it’s that funny little knobby thing that sticks out from the right side when you open the door) and look for your official, manufacturer approved, all federal, TIRE STICKER. This sticker indicates what tires you should have on the vehicle and what are the proper air pressures for the front and the back. READ THEM! This will give you all the info you need to keep your tires healthy while keeping you wealthy and wise.

First off, many past, present and future decades of “Thank You’s” and IOU’s go out to those men and women that have served in our armed forces. From Union soldiers to WWI and WWII through Vietnam, Kuwait, and now Iraq. Imagine if we didn’t have the freedoms of today. It would be a sad place, wouldn’t it.

Of, so the weekend’s here and my wife and I are packing it up and heading downstate for a retreat with some great friends, fishing, and of course, eating. The typical knuckleheads are on the roadway, going 20+ MPH over the limit and constantly weaving in and out to “make time.” You know, why does it seem that the ones who speed are the ones that are the first to complain about the price of fuel today? Or you hear them talking about taxing every known oil company in the world. It makes much more sense to just throttle back, drive sensibly and increase MPG. BTW, if you must know, I drive a 2002 Ford Explorer and I’m happy to report that I am getting 20.2 MPG (highway) and that’s doing 65MPH and the A/C is on. Here is another little secret. I use Super Unleaded and always from a MAJOR OIL COMPANY. Yes, the same oil company that is charging you $3.97 per gallon, I’m giving them another .30 cents per gallon willingly. Crazy? Insane? Stupid? No, not at all and I’ll tell you why next time.

Back to the weekend. Great. Fabulous. Tremendous. What ever superlative you can think of would describe the weekend my wife and I had. Great friends, good fishing (bluefish) and we ate like it was our last supper. So much so, that when she informed me what we are eating for dinner tonight (Monday) all I could say was, “I’ll be happy with crackers and a glass of water.”

See you next time,
Greg

Thanks for joining me and what I hope will be others like yourself who wish to discuss daily drives and all of the experiences that go with it. The purpose of the blog will be to learn from others on topics such as mainentance tips, driving tips, safety concerns and even vacation spots that we travel to via, what else, driving. You may even see a new car review at some point. Who knows.

Stay tuned, I plan on updates regulary as soon as I get the hang of blogging….

Greg