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Planning a Car Repair? Don't Forget the Library! - I often wonder if my son's generation will even know what a library is. A library holds books, and who needs books anymore? If I need to look something up, Google will guide me. If I want to read a novel, Kindle is there to accomodate. So where does that leave our neighborhood library. Even the most illiterate in computerese have some sort of Internet connection nowadays. But don't dismiss the library just yet. There are gobs of resources hidden in those walls. History buffs still pile into the reference room to pore over the years of archived newspapers that may still contain uncovered references to their favorite studies. But what's in there for auto repair? Lots! Many libraries have a more than decent collection of automotive reference books that range from the general "how it works" type of book to specific repair manuals you can use to fix your car! If you're into saving money, take advantage of your local library. Planning a Car Repair? Don't Forget the Library! originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 23:18:39. Permalink | Comment | Email this
More Aftermarket Parts Pondering - I recently received this message from Tracy, a body man with more than 20 years in the business. He had some interesting things to say about the aftermarket body panels many insurance companies are forcing on their customers. Check it out:
I have been a autobody repair tech for the last twenty three years and have had to use many aftermarket parts from headlights to body panels. Some fit, some don't. In the last ten years or so I have seen a huge jump in the use of aftermarket parts on newer cars and trucks that should be getting OEM parts. It's not just the fit and finish on these parts it's the lonjevity of them. Look at your insurance policy and most state they will use the least expensive parts they can, aftermarket.
If you're having insurance work done on your car, be sure you're ok with the parts they're using. As you can see, the impact can be lasting.
More Aftermarket Parts Pondering originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 23:12:04. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Update! Rat Scam Couple Sentenced! - Back in May of last year, you may remember my mention of the couple who were arrested for using dead rats to scam customers and their insurance companies at their auto repair shop. Well, they've now been sentenced, and I was surprised to read that they were hit pretty hard by the courts! The husband received a well-deserved four years in prison for bilking customers out of an estimated $1.2 million. The wife received six months for her involvement. On top of it all, they will be forced to pay more than $875,000 to the insurance companies they scammed. Read about it in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Update! Rat Scam Couple Sentenced! originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 22:47:50. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Introducing Product Reviews! - In the spirit of full disclosure, and stating the obvious to those of you who are regular readers of this site, I have to admit that product reviews are nothing new to About.com's Auto Repair site. We've been reviewing products as we came across them since I joined the team back in 2006. The difference is that now all of these product reviews have a new home. Not only that, we're ramping things up to bring you lots and lots of new product reviews every month! We'll talk about real auto parts store finds that can make your life much easier, and we'll talk about useless gimmicks that clutter the shelves at This-Mart and That-Mart. We'll even make fun of them together. Check back weekly and you'll be sure to find some great stuff!
Introducing Product Reviews! originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 21:14:41. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Great Reader Tip! - I love getting tips from readers. In response to my blog entry, Are Your Wipers on a Smear Campaign? one Mustang driver had this tip:
Here's a quick trick that the wiper companies don't want you to know. when your wipers just start smearing, it's not always the wiper that's wearing out.
It's an accumulation of oil, exhaust fumes and other things that have attached themselves to your wiper and windshield. So get out the window cleaner and not only clean your windshield, also spray some onto a paper towel and wipe your wipers off.
Watch how much black gunk comes off and how much better the wipers work!
Have a tip you think people need to hear? Send it to autorepair.guide@about.com!
Great Reader Tip! originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 13:37:23. Permalink | Comment | Email this
More Car Owners Waiting on Car Purchases - It seems more drivers are trying to squeeze some extra miles out of their cars and trucks before they re-up. This isn't exactly news -- since the recession hit we've seen this trend grow and grow -- but a recent survey conducted by AutoMD.com put some interesting figures out there for us to chew on. They found that "nearly 50% of survey respondents indicated that their current vehicle had over 100,000 miles. A combined 69% reported that they planned to drive their current vehicle for 150,000 or more miles (13%), or until their vehicle dies (56%)." Those are some interesting numbers if you ask me. And with all of these cars driven longer by responsible, maintenance-minded owners, there are a lot more do-it-yourself mechanics popping up. Great!
To see the full report on this survey, check it out at AutoMD.com
More Car Owners Waiting on Car Purchases originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 11:47:55. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Toyota Not Alone in Recalls These Days - Toyota has really been suffering lately. Things are so bad around there that Toyota's president is schedule to speak to Congress about their response to earlier complaints of things like stuck accelerators. Some are saying that they waited far too long to issue a recall. It's been my experience that all carmakers wait far too long -- sometimes as long as never -- to recall faulty systems. Of course this isn't always the case, but take the Toyota Tundra brake disc warping problem or the Infiniti M30 engine self-destruction problem of the early '90s as examples of times something probably should have been done, but never was. With Toyota taking so much heat, it was smart of Honda to reverse an announcement Feb. 10 saying they would not be recalling Hondas with bad airbags. They announced they are expanding an existing recall to include 2001 and 2002 Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, 2002 Acura TL. There are also some Honda Pilots and Acura CL included, so please check with your dealer to see if you are involved. This brings the total number of airbag recalls for Honda to just under 1 million units. Toyota Not Alone in Recalls These Days originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Monday, February 15th, 2010 at 11:40:36. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Are You Stuck in a Guessing Game? - When diagnosing a problem your car is having, it can be easy to lead yourself down the wrong path. There's often some element of guessing, even to good diagnosis, but if you find yourself playing a game of paper/scissors/rock to decide which part to replace next, it might be time to consult a higher power. Do you have a proper repair manual for your car? If not, you should get one right away. And don't get so stubborn that you refuse to take your car to a trained mechanic. I'm a strong supporter of doing it yourself, but if you're in the dark you can waste a lot of time and money replacing parts that aren't bad. Sometimes a trained ear is all it takes to set things straight in no time at all. Of course, you should already be taking advantage of my Troubleshooting Guides to help you with your problem!Are You Stuck in a Guessing Game? originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 23:09:50. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Are Your Wipers on a Smear Campaign? - Is it time for a mid-winter wiper refresh? If you live in a snowy climate, you know how valuable your windshield wipers are. For those that don't have to deal with the white stuff much, let me explain. It's not so much that you need wipers to whisk away snowflakes as they land on your windshield. They tend to blow right past as you're cruising down the road. It's the salt, that darn salt! Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for the work road crews put in to keep the roads from freezing over. But I still curse when I see it all over the windshield. That's why your wipers must be in top shape this time of year. Salt spray is impossible to see through once it covers your windshield, so you need to be sure your wipers can make a clean swipe across the windshield. It's a matter of safety, really. If your wipers are launching a smear campaign, install new wiper blades today.
Are Your Wipers on a Smear Campaign? originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 23:46:27. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Every Garage Needs a Six Pack - 
Do you keep a six pack in your garage? We've never had a six pack in our shop before, but were excited when we saw that they were selling six packs right in the auto parts store! We snatched one off the shelf and headed back to work. Ok, it is a six pack, but we're not talking about beer. We're talking about the Liquid Wrench Six-Pack. The Liquid Wrench Six-Pack contains six cans of potentially useful lubricants and related products bundled together and priced nicely. But the question remains -- do you need a six pack in the garage? Check out our review to find out how useful we found the stuff and what you get in the pack!
Every Garage Needs a Six Pack originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 00:30:38. Permalink | Comment | Email this
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