Cars and rain and mud and snow

I’ve always wished that, in addition to the normal car maintenance required, we could figure out a way to maintain the veerrrryyyyy low sides of the outside of the car – you know, the low side panels closest to the street  that you try to wash at the car wash, but that somehow never get entirely clean.  Could we not have those made out of a different material?  Something teflon-like?  Where the road grit and grease won’t stick?

It gets even worse with the winter weather, of course.  Snow mixed with grit is a pretty awful combination – has a lot of that during the Montana years.  Now in Oregon, it’s rain mixed with grit… and of course, since oil and water don’t mix, the grit tends to win.  I can get my car looking beautifully clean all except for those dang lower side panels.

I know, I know; I should quite being so cheap and take it to a regular car wash which will also wash the car’s undercarriage.  Once or twice a year, I do.  But be serious – it still doesn’t keep that grit away the next day.  The grit finds my car as if attracted by a magnet.   A new order of Teflon – highway-tough Teflon – is needed here.

On to another topic: changing your oil every 5,000 miles.  Yep, that’s what they say now; but the brothers over at Car Talk, my all-time favorite radio program, have this to say as well:

You may want to consider changing your oil more frequently if:

• You drive like a knucklehead: jackrabbit starts, heavy acceleration or high-speed driving
• You live where the climate is extremely hot or cold
• You often drive on dirt roads
• Your engine is old and burns oil
• You frequently carry heavy loads (several mothers-in-law or other cargo)

Well – I drive fast; I frequently drive on less-than-optimal roads; and I carry my dog in my car just as frequently.  Does all that count?  Well, maybe not the dog; but the rest does.

Hope your Friday the 13th is completely free of any problematic incidents with your car!!

Time to winterize your car: how do you choose the right oil?

Well, here goes the weather – a typically unstable fall pattern.  Sunny one afternoon, but chilly and rainy the next; then cloudy and dry, then back to the rain.  I love the title of the new movie, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” and must admit that sometimes fall weather feels that way.  Fall colors are gorgeous in Oregon, though, don’t you think?

Every time we about to head into a strong seasonal change, we have to be checking out our cars.  You can’t take it for granted that things will continue to work just fine during the cold months ahead.  Usually, a lower-viscosity oil is recommended in extremely cold weather.  Here’s the oil guide from the American Petroleum Institute (API):  http://www.burkeoil.com/pdf/oilguide.pdf  – And as you’ll see, the advice is to check your car’s owner’s manual to be sure which is the right oil for you.  And – here are tips for winterizing your car:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15940164/ 

When you bring your car into Pit Stop, we handle a lot of that for you:

• we check your belts and hoses, and will recommend replacements if there is too much wear and tear or a crack or leak someplace;
• we check and replace all of the fluids in your car;
• we check your tire pressure;
• we’ll make sure you have the right kind of anti-freeze;
• and we’ll replace your windshield wipers. 
• Oh -and of course, we’ll make sure you have the right kind of oil for your vehicle, for winter driving.

Speaking of that, there is apparently no small amount of confusion over types and quality of oil and other automotive fluids, both on the part of customers as well as on the part of dealers and distributors in the industry.  I pulled these comments this morning from this web site: 

“Another area of high concern is customers tacitly accepting lower quality lubricant for a lower price. This issue is reportedly a growing concern in today’s economy in that price tends to be a stronger driver when economy is down. As a result, respondents to the survey say some buyers are less willing to challenge quality if they can get a better price.

 “The third area of high concern is uneducated customers. Whereas most in the lubricants industry know what SM GF ‐4, CJ‐4, and other specifications mean, respondents to the survey say customers remain relatively uneducated about these specifications. And rather than asking questions, they assume those who change their oil are doing what is right and best for their vehicles.”

 

At Pit Stop, we want you to ask questions.  We want our customers to be educated about what’s happening with their vehicles.  So if you have any concerns whatsoever about the fluids we are using in your car – or the best way to completely prepare your car for winter – just ask.  Call us at 541-686-2507, or, as always, just drive on in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash for Clunkers is OVER

. . . and I for one am glad.  I’m glad for those who got new, more fuel-efficient cars; but I’m a little appalled at the fact that the old cars were destroyed rather than re-used in some way, or donated to those who have no transportation.  Seems like, as with so many government programs, Cash for Clunkers had its good points and its bad points, and you have to wonder what the overall effect on the economy will turn out to be.

I recorded a new commercial for Pit Stop a couple of weeks ago that said, in part, “Don’t TURN your car into a clunker.”  Of course, that means get your oil changed on a regular basis.  But it also means get your engine tuned up; get ready for winter when the time comes, get ready for summer when the time comes.  I think more and more people are being more and more careful about taking care of their cars in this recession.

It’s one more thing, isn’t it?  A necessary thing; but here we are, all of us, trying to maintain (and pay for) homes, cars, computers, cell phones, and all of those material things in our lives.  Then most of us also try to eat right and get some exercise.  We take care of our pets – most of us.  We take care of our kids and grandkids – most of us.  We take care of our jobs and careers – most of us.  We work to hold it all together.

And lots of days the whole mix can feel overwhelming.  But it gets into that realm Kahlil Gibran wrote about so many years ago with this:  “You shall be free indeed when your days are not without a care nor your nights without a want and a grief, but rather when these things girdle your life and you rise above them….”

I worry about the things in my life during this recession the same way anybody does.  But when I worry about my car and my house and my yard and my home office equipment and all that…. I end up being glad I still have those things to worry about.

Happy 4th of July! – and be careful out there.

Tomorrow begins the 4th of July holiday, and here in the Northwest, it’s blazing hot.  I’m sure the beer parties have already started; and I’m sure that there are any number of people who will be pulled over for DUIs this weekend.  Don’t be one of them.   Remember that we’re all connected, all of us; that each of our actions ripples out there in the universe some way.  I know that sounds touchy-feely, but it’s true.  If you hit someone with a car this weekend because you weren’t quite sure what you were doing — how many people will that affect?  Not just you, certainly; also the person you hit; that person’s family; that person’a employer, best friend, neighbor, and the charity he or she may have helped out, the club or organization he or she joined.  Then you can start on your own family and friends, your own employer, your neighbors… The ripples go on – you rend the fabric of the universe. 

So be conscious; live consciously. 

And remember what the 4th of July is about.   We declared our independence and our willingness to start a new kind of government, one that had never been tried in the world before – we put power in the hands of the people, not in the hands of kings or dictators or despots.  If we don’t like how this country is run, we have choices.  We have choices.

Memorial Day Weekend

This Memorial Day weekend, I’m remembering – and hoping others will remember – those who never made it home.  War, to me, is one of the most horrendous things we human beings engage in… one of the most stupid, the most idiotic, the most tragic things.  War – as Eisenhower said once – has never accomplished anything.  Yet we have to be prepared for war, just as we have to be prepared for a lot of things in life.  I have ancestors who found in every war this country has ever fought, starting with the Revolutionary War; and my Dad, former husband, and son were all in the Air Force, and I was proud of all of them.  But – and they say any battle-hardened warrior will tell you the same thing – war is the worst of all nightmares.  So on this weekend, pause for a moment and reflect upon those who never made it home, and what such a deliberate, knowing sacrifice might mean.  We cannot let these men and women be forgotten; we can’t forget what war really is if we are ever to try and find a better way to live.

Oh….. that awful car maintenance. And in a recession.

I really hate car maintenance.  Sometimes I don’t even admit to the guys at Pit Stop how much I hate it.  But jeez, it seems there is so much to keep track of and to know about.  Long years ago, I made a decision that there were two major things in my life I would always hire out: one was car maintenance, and the other was computer programming (including web site design).

The thing is, just the way my car is beginning to look after 4 years of ownership is bad enough.  A ding here and there, a scratch here and there, so that now the question is “How long will it be before I have to spring for body repair and a whole new paint job?”  The inside is a bit worse for the wear, since I take so many long-distance driving trips and since on many of those trips, my dog comes along.  Actually, Bear (well, that’s what he looked like when he was a puppy  – like a bear cub) isn’t really the problem.  The problem is more in the driver’s seat, with all grit I seem to drag into the car.  It’s the fact that I eat meals all the time in the car.  It’s the fact that I almost never get the time – or perhaps take the time – to do some of the detailing on the interior of my car myself, and at least for now, I have no intentions of having someone else do it. 

I really hate car maintenance.  I don’t understand anything under the hood, and never have.  I know simple, stupid stuff – like how to change a tire, how to check the oil level, how to refill the washer fluid. Well, I do know not to open the radiator on a hot afternoon.  Otherwise – sheesh.  I always need to take my car to people I trust.  Since I moved to my new home last summer, I have to find a whole different place now to buy tires, and that’s coming up fairly soon.  I have no idea who a good mechanic would be around here should I need one. 

I can avoid some huge repair bills and some inevitable deterioration if I get the little stuff done every three or four months, though. That’s about the only thing I’m doing right these days; last time I got my oil changed, I got the differntial and power sterring fluids changed, too.   They even re-inflated my tires, which were low.  I could tell the car felt better; it definitely drove a bit differently, a little easier.  So all those voices inside my head are quieter.  Until something big happens; but even then, the guys will warn me.  The check things and they’ll warn me.

All kinds of oil

I was reading about oil this morning – not automotive oil, but extra virgin olive oil. More to the point, I was reading about the Mediterranean Diet, and the fact that it can reduce pain – and being in fairly continual back pain, it got my interest. As one might expect, the normal cooking oils were mentioned in a pretty negative light; they’re not all necessarily good for you. But extra virgin olive oil? You just about can’t go wrong.
I know, it seems like a stetch, but if you ask me, the same principles apply to the oil you put in your car. You don’t want the low-grade stuff just because it’s cheap; that’s not necessarily the best for your engine. You want oil that works for your car, that comes recommended by oil techs you can trust – like the guys at Pit Stop.
I don’t know if the proper motor oil will stop pain – well, it might stop the pain in your pocketbook if you have to pay for repairs that could have been avoided, I guess. Anyway, the point is that not all oil is the same. And it’s important to get the good stuff.

April 24, 2009 – almost tourist time

Spring hasn’t gained quite the foothold I’d like to see yet, but you can tell it’s just about here.  The flowers are in bloom, the Rhodie Festival is taking place soon on the Oregon Coast, and the everyone is gearing up  for the Rose Festival in Portland.  Pretty great!

As we continue to deal with this down economy, more and more of us are taking a lot of additional time to maintain our cars and keep them in the best possible working condition.  Yeah, you know what I’m going to say – keeping your oil changed, your fluids checked and being sure we’ve done a good safety check on your car are all things we recommend that you do.  But hey, I’ve got  resources that back up what I’m saying.  Check this out, for example:  Car Maintenance – A Must in Economic Recession

I don’t know about you, but I’m not in a position to buy a new car anytime soon.  It’ll be at least 2-to-3 more years before I can seriously consider it.  So in addition to relying on the guys at Pit Stop to keep my car in running condition, I rely on them to let me know of any problems they see lurking around – perhaps a belt that is coming loose or is cracked, perhaps a light that is out.  They check all of that.

As the weather warms up and you head out on the road, be sure you take those ten little minutes for an oil change and lube.  And even if you think you’ll save money doing it yourself, please don’t – you’ll end up being so much harder on the environment.  Why?  Because what are you going to do with your used oil and used oil filter?  Did you know there will probably still be about 3 or 4 ounces of oil left in your used filter?  Did you really want that to go into the Lane County land fill?  Didn’t think so.  At Pit Stop, not one drop of oil EVER goes into the land fill.  I’ll explain why next posting.

Safe driving and happy travels!

Hello world! March 5, 2009

March 5, 2009:  Hi, and welcome to the Pit Stop Blog.  I’m blogmistriss Kathy Hubbell, the same person you hear in our radio commericals saying “Hi, this is Kathy, speaking for Pit Stop U.S.A.” 

I’ve long wanted to start a blog for Pit Stop, so here we are with the first attempt.  I was browsing the Internet earlier today looking for ideas, and found a blog where a woman described in great detail how insecure she felt going to get the oil changed in her car.  She was sure she looked and sounded stupid, because she didn’t know what questions to ask and wasn’t even sure of what type of oil to put in her car.  And she was treated in a condescending and rude manner.  Here is what I told her (of COURSE I chimed in, how could I not?):

1. If ANY quick lube technician ever treats you in a condescending manner, complain to the management immediately and leave the shop immediately. The front-line people in any business are just doing as they are told; hold the management accountable. There is usually someone on site.

2. Ask all the questions you can think of – if they can’t or won’t answer them, leave the shop. You should ask how often your transmission fluid needs to be flushed (not often; it’s probably in your car’s manual, which I’ll bet is in your glove box); ask exactly what fluids they check in the car besides the oil. They should be checking transmission fluid, brake fluid (a lack thereof could cause no brakes), power steering fluid, gear boxes and washer fluid. Make yourself a checklist if you have to, but ASK them if these things are included. They also check hoses and belts; ask them. They can actually save you an accident on theroad if there’s a belt that wearing quite thin and might snap; you and anyone else who drives your car might not have been aware of it. They should also be checking filters. Again, if they treat you condescendingly or can’t or won’t answer your questions, leave the shop.

3. You are not in any way foolish or stupid or uneducated for asking questions. Cars today are a LOT more complex than they were 30 or 40 or 50 years ago. They run on computer systems now; everything is more complicated and, in some designs, harder to reach under the hood. A lot of guys I know no longer work on their own cars, either, for exactly these reasons.

4. If they try to “upsell” you, i.e., if they try to sell you more expensive things and just more things in general, and you feel pressured by it, leave the shop! You may have gone in for a simple oil change costing somewhere between $31.95 and $35.95, depending on where you are in the country. If you find yourself driving out of that shop with $200 more of stuff you weren’t at all convinced you needed, complain to the management and never go back to that shop again.

5. ASK before the techs start work what the system is for the guys in the lube bay, where you are sitting with your car, to communicate with the guys in the pit, who are the ones unscrewing your oil filter, replacing it with a new one, and checking everything under the car. They should have some kind of a system where they guys in the bay call out a checkpoint list to the guys underneath; so that “oil filter!” is answered with something like “off!” and so forth – so they know exactly when the old oil filter has been removed, have another set of commands for when the new oil filter is put on and it’s safe to fill the car back up again with oil. ASK about how they know when the job is done correctly.

7. ASK how long the lube techs have been working there and what kind of training they’ve received.  If it’s under 18 months (the normal rate of turnover) consider going to another shop. At the shops I work with, the guys have been there between 5 and 28 years, for the most part; they know their customers, they know the cars. The point is that the training and experience the lube techs get makes a big, big difference.

8. Don’t wait so long to get your oil changes done; it’s not good for the life of your car or for your mileage, and these days – I don’t know about all of you – but buying a new car is certainly not in the cards for me. I want to make my 2003 Toyota last as long as it possibly can. It’ll be a while before I shake loose with any car-buying dollars.

9. Finally, go over your receipt – that’s the part you sign at the end – with the technician before you leave the shop. If you don’t understand any item on it whatsoever, ask.

So – bottom line – don’t be afraid to ask anything, stand up for your rights, and hold any quick lube you patronize accountable. Most of all, don’t sit there and put up with a condescending attitute, ignorant or rude behavior, or upselling. None of that is necessary to get good service for your car.