No matter how you observe this time of year, we’d like to be certain that you’re aware of our gratitude.
This is time for a lot of things, not the least of which is reflection and introspection.
To that end, we’re reminded of the many ways our lives are enriched by having you as a part of them.
So as we prepare to put a wrap (no pun intended) on 2011, know that we are equally thrilled to usher in 2012 with all of you.
We wish each of you peace and joy.
Having the correct person to turn to when you need specific answers, that can often be the difference between efficiency and disaster. You wouldn’t necessarily ask a lumberjack where to buy the freshest pastries in town, right? You could but we’re not sure you’d be likely to receive the best answer. Is it possible that particular man or woman might actually specialize in confectionery arts? Yes. Would your odds improve if you were to ask the same question of a baker? Of course, and for obvious reasons.
OK, so that’s not very challenging logic. Now, what if you were to line up five doctors left to right, all with the exact same lab coat. Could you easily choose which one might be right for you? Are you sure? Tell us, which of the available factors would most determine your final choice? What we all have available to us immediately are physical characteristics. While those may in fact lead us in the right direction, they can also be very deceiving. Play this out with us for a minute…
What if there were 3 females and 2 males, would you have a predisposition with choosing one over the other? You might, or not, but do you know why? Chances are you’ve at some point had a favorable experience with one group more than another. That may be something you find instantly comforting and you wouldn’t be wrong for feeling this way, but would that be enough to know you’ve selected the correct person(s)? Perhaps, but not necessarily. What if you gravitated to one of the males in search of better answers regarding complications you’re feeling in your chest, only to find that both of the men are brain surgeons. What are the odds that scenario would end well? While there may be a small chance one or both of them might know enough to find their way around your heart and the surrounding area (after all, med school these days isn’t small potatoes!), having them tend to your care wouldn’t be your best choice.
OK, so you get the point… you really benefit from knowing a great deal more than what is viewable to the naked eye. But how exactly do you acquire this additional information? YOU ASK. You wouldn’t trust just any run of the mill medical student with your life so why would you potentially do the equivalent with care of your vehicle(s)? Bottom line, you wouldn’t, or at least you shouldn’t.
Just the same as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (yes, yet once again our parents were right), we don’t expect you to know that our automotive technicians are maintenance and repair specialists. There isn’t any way you would reasonably conclude that’s the case unless you ASKED questions. With that said, we encourage you to interview us. Please ask us the questions you would like answers to because we understand the importance of making the right decision. Why do we have such a clear idea of how significant (not to mention sensitive) an issue this can become? Because it’s what WE DO when faced with the very same challenge, and empowering our customers to make informed decisions is what we’ve been about for over 36 years.
We don’t have medical degrees, nor should we if we’re working on vehicles. But make no mistake about it, we approach this science with the same amount of passion, commitment, and focus as new and veteran health professionals alike. It’s what we do and who we are, and the reason for that is because it’s also what we LOVE doing.
It makes perfect sense that you might be preoccupied with comparison and weighing pros and cons of doing business with one party over another. We get that, but we just want to make certain that you’re asking qualifying questions so the service centers you’re considering can be measured equally, and that includes but is not limited to proper discovery of specialties. If a specific practitioner (in the example above) has chosen to emphasize and target one area of their practice, wouldn’t you want to know that? Yes, and not only would this be valuable information but it might immediately eliminate other potential candidates for whom you felt may be equally qualified.
We’ll come back to this theme on the next blog entry, where we’d like to point out some of the noticeable differences between a team that approaches challenges with the mentality of a technician, as opposed to that of a specialist. We believe you’ll better understand (and hopefully appreciate) the tireless dedication and standards we hold ourselves to on a regular basis. It isn’t easy but we’ve accepted to make the necessary sacrifices for your benefit. It’s what we believe you not only deserve but should also expect.
Stay tuned…
As always, in the meantime we’re available via web, facebook, e-mail, or phone (616.774.7048). You decide what medium works best for you and we’ll be here when you need us.
Sometimes it seems we live in such a disposable society. It’s amazing all the things we throw away.
“New and improved” comes out so fast, we just toss the old and move on to the next thing. It seems like when we were kids, our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our belongings. You know, hang up your clothes, polish your shoes, put away your toys. If something got lost or ruined by neglect – tough, we had to do without it.
We couldn’t afford new vehicles very often, so we tried to make them last as long as we could. It’s a good thing that vehicles (generally speaking) are more reliable these days. They just don’t break down as often. And the good news for us penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles with proper care. The engineering’s there and so is the manufacturing quality. The missing ingredient is us making sure we follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule.
Is it really that bad to get off schedule? Well, it all adds up and can you really afford to replace a smaller expense with a potentially larger one? That becomes the real question worth considering. Every time you go a couple thousand extra miles between oil changes, you’ve created an opportunity for sludge to form and clog passages. Then some parts don’t get oiled and they start to wear out faster.
Skip a cooling system service, and the corrosion inhibitors become depleted, and the radiator starts being damaged – one step closer to a failure. The same thing is true for transmission service, power brakes, fuel system cleaning – really everything on your schedule.
It’s also even more important for older vehicles. Those engines and other systems have had more time to get dirty, so they’re a bit more stressed anyway. But it’s never too late to get back on track with your maintenance and to hold off further damage.
It’s just another example of our parents being right. (Surprising how often that happens, isn’t it?) And it really does start with the oil change service just like Dad said. When you get a full service oil change we top off all your fluids and check for other items that are on your maintenance schedule. That’s like your safety net; go in for oil changes on time, and let our service experts help you keep track of the rest.
Of course, it’s inevitable that some things are going to wear out along the way, like alternators, water pumps and such. But those are often cheaper than a new car payment. And taking care of problems early means they have less time to cause other potential problems. It’s like having high cholesterol; you don’t want to wait for a heart attack before you address it. Make better sense?
In the table above there’s an example of a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta recommended maintenance schedule. Yours may look similar, or not, but almost always it’s found in the back section of your vehicle’s owners manual. If you haven’t already familiarized yourself with this resource, there’s no better time than the present. Among other things, it will help better acquaint you with all the different elements of your vehicle. You will also thank yourself in the event you ever need to recall this information on a moment’s notice.
Bottom line, we’re not saying we can predict your vehicle will fail if you ignore the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule but we ARE intending to convey that you GREATLY increase the likelihood of necessary repairs, which in turn are often met with higher associated cost. We’re here to help you stay on track and make your investment one that you not only enjoy but also feel good about in terms of overall cost of ownership. Time and again it has been proven that keeping up with your service intervals is the answer.
So, next time somebody may ask you to share the secret (provided you’ve done your part and your vehicle is running exactly as it should), you now have the answer: routine maintenance
…becoming ice in November. It’s much easier to navigate the roads when you’re prepared. This time of year that begins with selecting the correct wiper blades for your vehicle.
If you’re gonna drive, bottom line, you’ve got to be able to see! As this educational piece (generously provided by Rain-X) explains further, having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely important. We’ve all experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to view the traffic in front of and around us during a storm, it’s beyond frustrating!
It seems like your wiper blades are always at their worst when you need them the most. But windshield wipers are like most other vehicle parts– they require regular attention in order to work their best.
You really ought to replace your wiper blades twice a year; in the spring and the fall. If it’s going to be a particularly harsh winter in Grand Rapids, you may even want to get special winter blades in the fall. Winter blades are designed to resist freezing. There’s not much you can do about ice besides prolong the life of your blades by preparing ahead of time. Vision is one of the most important elements of safe driving.
Speaking of winter and freezing conditions, if your car has been sitting for a long time and the windshield becomes frozen, don’t use your wipers to clear off snow and ice. That’ll just tear up the blades and cause them to wear out more quickly. Worse yet, it may even damage the wiper motor.
Over time, wiper blades become hard and brittle, and then tear. They also lose their flexibility and just don’t cover the windshield effectively. Worn wiper blades aren’t just a safety hazard; they can also scratch your windshield. That may require replacing the entire windshield; a big cost for such a little part. Replace worn blades right away.
Of course you also need washer fluid to help your blades do their work. It is a good idea to have some extra fluid at home, or in the car if you are on a long trip. Only use straight windshield washer fluid. Plain water, even that fancy bottled water, may freeze in the fluid reservoir or on the windshield itself, making things worse. Besides, water doesn’t do a good job of cleaning your windows. Also, remember that some vehicles have two reservoirs: one for the windshield and one for the back window – which may be under the hood or somewhere in the back.
Keep your eyes on the road and be sure to contact us if you have any questions. Community Automotive Repair – 616.774.7048
“I used to have a car for no more than 100,000 miles and then trade it in, regardless of how well it might have been running – but I now realize I was stepping into a new risk each time.”
And then, the refrain changes… as they continue with “The first couple times I did this I ended up in the clear but the last two have left me with lemons… sour, bitter lemons.”
First point: Previous results do not always dictate future results. Said another way, just because you may have had an amazing experience with something doesn’t guarantee the same will happen with the next thing, even if the one to follow is identical to the first.
Of course, as with most things in life, you should focus on what you can control. Sometimes Lady Luck may seem on your side, while on other days you’d rather kick her in the shin. Regardless, you shouldn’t ever place stock in things outside your control without understanding the risk(s) involved.
Final point: Unless you’ve been living underground, you must have heard by now that you get what you give.
When was the last time you neglected to properly care for something? Anything at all? Did you happen to notice the amount of time it took for said thing to stop working to its designed specifications? Vehicle care is definitely NO exception. While you may get lucky on occasion common sense will tell you that you must pay attention to the small details, unless of course you enjoy the potentially expensive gamble. Do you prefer life on the edge? Are you what most would consider a risk-taker? In either event, don’t depend on us to help you find reasons to see misuse/abuse as a wise investment.
Systematic care of your vehicle doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor. Use your owner’s manual as a guide for what the manufacturer suggests and plan accordingly so your financial commitment doesn’t need to be one you feel in your pocketbook months later. Any one of our team of trained professionals would be happy to assist this planning process. Each of us here at Community Automotive Repair already make it a point to inform you regularly of what service(s) your vehicle may need, but we welcome any additional questions you may have, too.
This is Back To School time (we sent a courtesy reminder that it was coming) so all of us should become astute vehicle owners and keep these two very valuable lessons in mind. Once again, most things come FULL CIRCLE but don’t depend on it entirely and be aware that you GET WHAT YOU GIVE.
Enjoy the fall colors!
Summer is here but fading fast. You may find it hard to believe given our latest heat wave, but it’s true – August is right around the corner. Before long you might be ushering your young ones to school or child care, stopping on low traffic side streets to take in the majestic colors of the season, and dare we say it – grabbing your sweaters and overcoats in preparation for that other season (of which we won’t mention by name) that immediately follows. Bottom line, if you were to close your eyes for too long you might find the need to shift that thermostat from C to H. Don’t worry, for everyone’s sake, we’re also hoping those temperatures stay at bay for as long as possible in 2011/12.
What does all this mean? Among other things it’s meant to illustrate just how much time passes before you may have even realized it. We understand some of you are planners and as such may find yourself immersed in a well designed agenda for each day you face. For the less than 10% of you that manage this way, we salute you! We believe you may have a thing or two to teach us. To the remainder of us who have a seemingly endless flow of projects, assignments (some of which are time sensitive), interruptions, distractions, etc. – we may wake up one morning feeling as if it’s still July and August will have invited itself into the fold.
Do you find yourself absent minded when it comes to proper auto care? Wouldn’t it be just as easy to put off or completely forget to routinely service your vehicle? The answer we hear the most (and it’s rather unanimous) is YES. What might be the consequences for overlooking important work that’s needed? The short answer is we have no specific way of knowing, but we can say history has shown time and again that failure to maintain a vehicle may lead to more necessary repairs, and of course that often means a significantly higher expense.
To close this entry, we’d like to focus on the important difference (there’s more than one but we believe you’ll understand our point) between repair and maintenance. The former is most commonly associated with something happening that requires service to your vehicle. We’ll refer to this as reactive. The latter, however, generally consists of measures you’ve taken to keep your vehicle running smoothly before a major problem arises. This approach is definitely proactive. It has been our experience and we have twenty or more (and counting) detailed accounts from long-time loyal customers to substantiate that “$200 now is far better than $2,000 later.” Of course, there’s a chance (however small it may be) your vehicle will survive just the same even when neglecting to properly care for it over time, which is why we have no intention or desire to use this information as a scare tactic. No, that’s not where our heart is at all. We simply wish to make certain that you understand the gamble you’re taking.
Ask yourself what risk you’re willing to take and how much is too much when it comes to potential problems. Your vehicle’s manufacturer has gone to the extra effort to spell out (some more than others) what suggested service intervals will keep your vehicle operating as designed, just locate your owner’s manual. We understand these are read and paid attention to quite infrequently but we’re not willing to passively accept this fact, nor do we encourage anyone to write them off as unhelpful. Fact of the matter here is nobody knows that vehicle better than the company that’s responsible for its production, period. If for one reason or another you take a pass on our advice, we would at the very least recommend you listen to them.
If you may be due for any specific services or have questions about routine maintenance, we’re here to help. We love what we do and we’re committed to doing it right the first time. Feel free to call (616.774.7048) for an appointment, or take full advantage of our online scheduling. You can even do this right from our facebook page if you wish. Either way, we look forward to serving you soon.
|
