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Flat tires are a pain in the rear! They never come at a convienient time. I remember driving down Mckinley in Mishawaka one particularly rainy evening, when my left rear tire decided to become all floppy. I pulled over into a parking lot near a restaurant and got out to investigate. Sure enough, the tire was completely flat. I opened my trunk to get to the spare and found that the spare and the tools had been completely rusted. Evidently the last time I had checked my spare tire and tools was...well...never. I was even working for a repair shop and I knew better. So I bang the rusty jack on the ground a few times to try to get it freed up. It was the style that cranks up by a long, threaded rod. I managed to get it to go up enough to get the tire up off the ground. It required a lot of kicking and banging. At the point I discovered that the lugnut wrench had swelled beyond fitting onto my wheel lugs, I was drenched and fuming. I went into the nearby restaurant to see if I could possibly borrow a lug wrench. Oddly, they quickly produced one from behind the kitchen door. I didn't ask questions. It was a four-way lug wrench and was exactly what I needed. After an hour or so in the rain, and a couple lessons on spare tire preparedness and restaurant security, I finally was able to complete my commute home from work. That was a valuable lesson.
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The recent shooting in the Martins at Cobblestone have shaken our community. We are horrified and confused as to how and why this would happen. Many of us have frequented this location and enjoyed it for it's location in the community. It is a tasteful addition to the Bacon Hill area. It isn't loud or garish. It's a nice store to visit in a nice area of town. That may be part of the reason this is so shocking. Although our society states that profiling isn't fair, we all know that there are certain neighborhoods where crime is already more prevalent. In most cases, low income related areas are a factor in crimes like this. A robbery gone bad.
Not so here. Welcome to the New Year! Also, welcome the storm of the century! High snow accumulations and below normal temperatures. Oh boy! I know that there is a ton of information hitting the news about being safe on the road, and I already did a blog on it, so I think I'll touch on something else. The computing and interface systems of new vehicles. You're clinging to the edge of your seat, aren't you? I promise, I'll make it interesting.
 Well, here we are saying goodbye to another year again. I am sometimes amazed at how many things can happen in just one year. When I first stepped out to do this business, everyone pointed out that the first year is the toughest. I don't know if this is true, but it has been tough. I know that I am not alone. Many have gone before me and blazed the trail.
Regardless of business or personal experience, each year brings all of us varying degrees of ups and downs. This is something that we all know to be true and will be the same in the years to come. Hopefully, as the years go by, we begin to learn how to balance ourselves through the highs and lows. We can't let the hardships cripple us, we have to keep up the hope of a better tomorrow. We also have to remember that in the moments where our lives are soaring, to look down and attempt to pull up those who are not. If we lived in a world where we shared in each others victories and losses, then the pain would be lessened and the joys would be shared even more greatly. I guess what I'm trying to say is, Thank you to those who have supported us and encouraged us in our lives and endeavors. Your help has made a difference. To those we have been able to help in turn, I hope we have made a positive difference to you. For those who have opposed or attempted to teardown, life has a way of repaying. No one has ever lifted themselves up by the tearing down of others. They simply reveal themselves to be small and afraid. This is the birthplace of crimes against humanity: slavery, segregation, prejudice, hate and other maliciousness are the fruits of these small seeds. So for 2014, Jennifer and I, our children and family, would like to wish all of you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year! May God bless you in all things! Well it looks like the first big snow of the year has come to town. After a couple trips out into it, I realized that a lot of people could use some tips for better control on the road. There are a few key things that can make all the difference between staying on the road or spinning off.
First, avoid applying brakes in a turn or curve. You should be slowing your vehicle well before you enter any turns. The momentum of the vehicle should stay constant to help maintain directional control. Applying the brakes gives opportunity for traction to break which can send you sliding sideways or in circles. So that pesky check engine light is on again and they keep telling you its your 'EGR' system. They say this and that, but honestly, it tends to be a bit confusing. Here's the scoop, it's designed to reduce tailpipe emissions.
Okay, they already told you that and it doesn't help. Flashback to pictures of cars from an era where they would puke black smoke from the tailpipe. Standards were set on car manufacturers to reduce that...a lot. So the first and most obvious plan was to pull some of that back through the engine and burn it again. Unfortunately, not all of the fuel that goes into your engine gets burnt. Some of your precious dollars were flying out of the tailpipe. By burning the same air a couple times, more material was burnt up and fuel economy increased. Both are big bonuses. The problem is, already burnt and sooty air is pretty dirty. These systems get filled with this soot and before long the valves and tubes get clogged or won't work. The car tells the valves to open at certain times and it just sticks because its all...well, sticky. This valve is called an 'EGR valve'. This is the most common point of failure. As engine efficiencies increase through new technologies, less waste flows through the exhaust air. Newer systems tend to foul out less often, but ultimately, burnt air is dirty and will cause problems. If you have any question or comments, please let us know. Have a check engine light? We scan at your door for $35.00. Call us. Windshield wipers streaking in the rain are pretty annoying, but when they can't clear a snow and ice covered windshield, they can be dangerous. It's kind of like the guy who tries driving down the road with just a patch of the windshield cleared. Of course it would only take him a second longer to clear the rest of the windshield, but somehow he's in too much of a hurry to do that. Sometimes we can be like that about maintaining our cars. Usually, it's simple if we take a minute, but we normally put it off and put ourselves at risk.
Wiper blades come in wide varieties. I recommend bracketless wiper blades because they won't get packed with ice and snow. Wipers usually won't clear well because the pivoting brackets in standard blades get iced up and won't allow for proper contact on the curve of the windshield. A straight edge won't clear the glass, and the brackets are supposed to help maintain contact. The bracketless blades maintain contact through tension and wind. They are usually designed with a curve that allows the wind to create additional pressure while driving down the road. This helps create a clean sweep. Quick note, regardless of what type of blades you use, free the rubber from ice BEFORE you turn on the wipers! I don't know how many blades I've replaced that were completely torn because the rubber was stuck to ice. It takes a second and will save you time and money. If you would like someone to help you out, give us a call! We would be happy to come by and put wiper blades on for you wherever you are! I know, it sounds like a cheesy title to an old school education film. I promise to do my best to make it a bit more interesting and no black lines from a jacked up film reel.
As the cold weather sets in, the most common thought from people is, "Are my tires okay for snow?". While that is a good question, you should also ask yourself if they are ready for the cold air. Cold temperatures affect tire traction because tires harden up in cold weather. Think, rocks for tires or sticky bubble gum. Both are extremes, but essentially, a happy place in between both is what tire manufacturers go for. A soft tire creates greater traction because it allow for greater friction between surfaces. The downside is, too soft a tire and too much friction means tires wear out fast. So, tire manufacturers have developed ways to help a tire last longer with more traction, but it is still limited. Happy Fall to everyone! Ahhh the season of cool evenings and warm days. The sights and smells of fall are always enjoyable, however, vehicle concerns are not! We have recently acquired diagnostic tools for servicing check engine lights, abs lights and airbag lights. Perhaps you've already done the work and you need someone to clear the light? We do that too!
Did you know that you are more likely to experience a check engine light or service engine soon light in this type of weather? The reason is, the cool air can cause things like egr valves, iac valves and other emission sensors to stick. They get coated with carbon that becomes sticky when cold. This affects the performance of these parts. When they don't perform properly, malfunction lights come on. Hello everybody! I hope you've all had a wonderful summer! The Labor Day holiday is the first signal that fall is coming. That's right, temperatures cool, leaves begin to change and children go back to school. It's all so bitter sweet. For just a little while, we cut back on a/c and heat use. The air around is perfect for comfortable living. Then it happens, a cold snap. We go out to our cars and find out if our batteries are okay. Not consciously, mind you, but when we go start them and they make that dreaded, 'vrump, vrump...click,click,click' sound. It sounds funny now, but it's not when it happens. How old is your battery? It's best to think of these things now, before it happens. Give us a call! We'll come out to your car, change your oil and check the battery. What about the wipers? A good winter set keep ice and snow from building up and creating the un-wiped streak that always seems to appear on the drivers side right in your line of sight.
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AuthorErik and Jennifer are the owner/operators of Mobile Service Pros. We enjoy working with our customers and community. Archives
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