SUVs: Silent & Deadly

Sport Utility Vehicles or more typically SUVs or Sport Utes and pickups are much like brains, although often not used daily most folks have one. Some SUVs are practical and efficient while others are highly impractical and inefficient but one thing they all have in common is the way they’re used begs for special maintenance.

Designed to allow their drivers to travel under conditions or in places that would be difficult or impossible for a regular car, SUVs and trucks are uniquely different. They’re particularly capable in snow and sand because most SUVs and a significant percentage of “personal-use” pickups are equipped with four-wheel drive. That’s great but both snow and sand lead to negative long-term consequences.

Operating a vehicle during snowstorms leaves a vicious buildup of salt and de-icing chemicals on its underbody. Left in place, this leads to body corrosion, weakened brake and fuel lines, parking brake cables, brake rotors and numerous other rusted parts later in the vehicle’s life. So, as soon as it’s practical, thoroughly clean the outside and more important, the underside of your dirty, salted vehicle.

But perhaps you never drive your 4X4 in the snow, you only use it in the summer and it stays at the beach house. You only go off road for a little beach cruising or surf fishing so there are no salt problems! Aw come on, actually vehicles that stay near salt water, are used on the beach or off road are usually more prone to rust than those from deep in the snow belt.

Salt picked up around the ocean attacks areas of your vehicle never touched by road salt. That’s because there’s a fine mist of salty moisture in the air around the ocean. This salty mist finds its way all over, under, and through your vehicle. It seeps into every crack and crevice throughout the entire car; it finds its way into everything! So cleaning after beach excursions or being parked at the beach is also recommended to help slow the ravages of corrosion. Same with off road mud which holds moisture causing corrosion.

But how do you clean the underside of a vehicle? The easiest way is a professional car wash where they offer high-pressure underbody cleaning as part of their service. Second is a pressure washer but more practical for most drivers is their rotating lawn sprinkler. Position the sprinkler under the front of the vehicle and turn the water on full blast. Allow the sprinkler to thoroughly rinse the underside of the front of the vehicle for about an hour then move it to the middle and finally the rear. Also rinse the engine bay to remove salt residue that devastates aluminum parts and electrical components.

Because doors are not sealed they must also be flushed with fresh water. Doors are designed to allow water to enter around the base of the window, flow through the door, and out through drains in the bottom. If water can get into doors so can salty water from roads or the beach. Using a garden hose aimed at the bottom of the window spend several minutes flushing water through each door to help wash away salt residue. Most rust on doors and body panels happens from the inside out so flushing these areas with fresh water dramatically decreases the possibility of body rust.

SUVs need some special lubrication as well. Door hinges and latches, and hood hinges and latches should be lubricated with white lithium grease. Also don’t neglect applying a liberal coating of marine corrosion inhibitor to brake lines, fuel lines, parking-brake cables and adjusters, and other rust-prone parts under the vehicle. Out of sight is where most salt related damage occurs. Of course all the same rules apply to your car that has been used at the beach or in the snow.

Clean, salt free and well lubricated helps preserve the utility of your Sport Utility.

Brought to you by RWI America, your place to buy car parts online.

This article written by Pat Goss.

An Old Trick

They’re everywhere and they’re nothing but flimflam. They, are miraculous gas mileage improving gimmicks and they don’t work. Oh the claims are impressive but unless their peddlers have done what millions of scientists and engineers have been unable to do, they can’t work. There are no miracle products that significantly improve fuel economy. The laws of physics control fuel economy and can’t be altered.

Although you can’t change the laws of physics you can change the way you drive. Driving style can decrease or increase fuel economy by as much as fifty percent. Unbelievably, no matter how much it costs many drivers stubbornly refuse to back-it-down even a little. For you hard-core go-fast types easing up could save you a bundle.
The harder you drive the lower your fuel economy, which is fine if you don’t have better uses for that money! But don’t ease up too much because accelerating too fast or too slow wastes gas. Just right brings a nice mileage improvement. Everyone knows that foot on the floorboard acceleration is too fast. But creeping away from a stop isn’t good either.

Accelerating at a snail’s pace can keep the transmission in its lower gears too long, which wastes fuel. Best economy comes from accelerating just fast enough to make your transmission shift into top gear quickly.

Learning how to accelerate “just right” can be difficult unless you know about a long forgotten trick. During World War II gasoline was rationed so drivers had to squeeze every mile out of every gallon of gas. To help, many drivers installed vacuum gauges to tell them when they were driving “just right.” They knew that monitoring engine vacuum allowed them to tailor their driving for best fuel economy. High engine vacuum equals high mileage, low vacuum equals low mileage.

With a vacuum gauge there’s no need to concentrate on learning a whole new driving style. Simply drive in a manner that keeps vacuum high and your gas mileage will automatically improve. For good drivers the improvement will be minimal but for you hot dogs it could be an amazing increase. Vacuum gauge driving helps you develop the “just right” touch on the accelerator for most efficient transmission shifting and best gas mileage.

Vacuum gauges are inexpensive and an easy install that most do-it-yourselfers could complete in an afternoon. Professional installation should take about an hour so figure your shop’s labor rate times one hour plus the price of the vacuum gauge and you’re ready to reduce your fuel bills.

To buy car parts online, check out our website today.

Prepare Your Cooling System for Winter

Many people believe that engines only overheat in the summer time; this is not true. If cared for improperly, a vehicle’s cooling system can fail at any time of the year. Here are two tips for preventing overheating during the winter months.

1. Check Your Engine Coolant Level

If your antifreeze and water mixture is properly equalized, your vehicle is protected for temperatures as low as -34 F, which should be sufficient for most places in the world. Your coolant level should be checked every six months, but it’s especially important to check it before the wintertime, when you don’t want your vehicle to break down.

1. Check Your Coolant Hoses

According to Gates Hoses, checking your coolant hoses at this time can save you loads of trouble. Coolant hoses are a vital aspect of your cooling system, connecting the engine, the radiator, and the heater. Gates engineers recommend replacing your hoses every 4 years or if they feel soft at the ends. Now’s the time to check!

For a new Gates Hose, please visit RWI America today.

Brake Winterizing

The days are getting noticeably shorter, the nights cooler, and there’s that Autumn feel to the air. It’s time for Fall car care inspections, but although most inspections cover the strictly Winter items there are some obscure items that are routinely overlooked. Among those overlooked pieces-parts are brakes. Oh I know most technicians check the amount of friction material remaining and do the basics but Winter requires a bit more.

Most important is performing the yearly brake service. Didn’t know there was a yearly service? Yes there is and the best time to service brakes is in the Fall. A yearly brake service and inspection requires checking the physical condition of all the brake parts plus a thorough cleaning and lubrication of moving parts. Here in Goss’ Garage we see far too many cars with binding brake calipers, worn drum-brake backing plates and a host of other maladies caused by nothing more than the absence of a couple dabs of brake lube. For Winter safety the caliper slides should be cleaned, inspected and properly lubricated with synthetic brake lube.
But don’t try to cut corners by using wheel bearing grease or chassis lube which can actually make matters worse. How’s that possible? Easy, most of those lubes are designed to be used in sealed, dirt free cavities. Brake calipers and backing plates are out in the open and exposed to road debris, sand, salt, dust and a host of other nasties.

These mostly gritty particles collect in the sticky grease and slowly work their way into the caliper slides and other moving parts. Once there the contamination does one of two things; causes the moving parts to wear or causes them to stick and bind. Neither is desirable and both lead to questionable brake performance. Brake grease on the other hand has a very high resistance to collecting road grit and therefore keeps the nasties out of moving parts.

Bottom line: make sure every moving part in the brake system moves like it should and has a liberal coating of the proper type of grease for the part being lubricated. I say this because some brake lube suppliers make one grease for metal to metal contact points and another for rubber to metal contact and they shouldn’t be interchanged.

Finally, for a true added value service liberally coat all exposed steel brake and fuel lines under the vehicle with white lithium grease to protect against the corrosive action of the liquid pretreatments they now use on roads at the faintest hint of snow or ice. This stuff is highly aggressive and eats steel tubing like candy. Yearly brake service will keep brakes working better, longer, safer.

If your brakes are too damaged to save, check out RWI America for great deals on new brakes, including Akebono brake pads and the ATE premiumone disc brake.

How Does an Alternator Work?

An alternator is an essential car part, providing energy to the electrical system, which powers everything from headlights, ignition coils, engine cooling fans, the radio, and the air conditioner. The name is derived from AC, or ‘alternating current’. The main purpose of the alternator is to convert gasoline to electrical energy. This is achieved by harnessing the power of the crankshaft, which turns the alternator with a fan belt, often referred to as a serpentine belt.

If an alternator goes bad, electrical power is derived from reserve power in the battery, so you may not notice a broken alternator for some time. If your alternator is broken, you can increase the longevity of your battery by turning off electrical parts such as the radio and rear defroster.

How can you tell if your alternator is failing? By using a voltmeter, which can be purchased at most parts stores, and hooking it up to the battery. Rev your engine and read the volt output, if its less than 13 volts you may need a new alternator. Another way to tell your alternator is failing is the noise that it creates. Sometimes, failed alternators create a grinding noise.

Need a new alternator? Stop by RWI America today.

Delphi Supplies Car Parts for Hybrid Vehicle Market

In the automotive electronics business for over 70 years, Delphi has established itself as a premium car parts supplier.  Now, Delphi maintains its status as a leader in its industry by providing electronics for a new breed of vehicles: hybrids.  Since 2000, Delphi has had more than 100 patents issued in power electronics and advanced energy systems.

According to Ron Pirtle of Delphi, “we recognize that a growing number of consumers will be looking to hybrid vehicles to provide better fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions as compared to conventional internal-combustion-engine-powered vehicles,” as a result, Delphi has taken great interest in hybrid technology.

With its new hybrid-friendly car parts, Delphi provides vehicle electronics such as battery pack systems, hybrid controllers, high-voltage inverters and DC/DC converters.

Delphi’s innovative hybrid controller provides simultaneous control for internal combustion and electric motors. The company’s rugged high-voltage inverters provide variable frequency AC power from the high-voltage DC battery pack to the electric motor(s). Delphi’s DC/DC converters supply power for accessories, climate control systems and power steering.

Another key element in the movement towards hybrid technology is preparing the service industry to safely and accurately diagnose and repair complex hybrid vehicle systems. This hybrid technology represents a fundamental paradigm shift from mechanical to electronic for garages.

With this in mind, Delphi continues its forward-thinking and, by addressing the new challenges posed by hybrid vehicles, Delphi maintains its status as a car parts leader.

To buy car parts online, including a wide variety of Delphi products, please visit RWI America.

Monroe’s “Save a Squirrel” Promotion

Fall is coming and Monroe shocks and struts has just announced a new promotion celebrating the fall vehicle repair season, they call it the “Save the Squirrels!” promotion.

According to the North American programs manager, “This is a great opportunity for motorists to have their shocks or struts checked and replaced, if necessary, while receiving exciting savings on future automotive repairs.”

The campaign encourages consumers to monitor their shocks and struts and replace them at 50,000 miles.  The Save a Squirrel campaign rewards consumers for purchasing premium Monroe products by awarding up to a $60 comeback certificate by mail for future automotive services.

The “Save a Squirrel” campaign advises consumers that vehicle steering, stopping and stability characteristics depend on the “Safety Triangle” undercar system of shock absorbers, struts, brakes, and related parts. When Monroe shocks and struts are worn out, they could lose their ability to hold the tires against the road surface, potentially degrading steering and stopping performance. Monroe shocks and struts also play important roles in promoting vehicle stability by helping to control weight transfer in hard-stopping situations and tight turns.

To buy car parts online and for the latest Monroe shocks and struts, visit RWI America today.

The Advantages of Ceramic Brake Pads

As technology has improved, manufacturers have consistently experimented with new brake materials in order to reduce noise, improve braking, and reduce the amount of brake dust.  Testing countless materials, manufacturers have gone from asbestos to organic to semi-metallic brake pads in search of the most efficient brake pad material.  Unfortunately, these materials have caused problems; asbestos pads caused health issues and many organic compounds don’t meet braking requirements. Steel strands used in semi-metallic pads create additional noise and increase rotor wear.  That being said, after countless tests manufacturers such as Akebono brake pads have developed the newest and most successful brake pads: ceramic brake pads.

Ceramic brake pads offer numerous advantages over other types of brake pads, including reduced abrasion as a result of copper, rather than steel, strands in the pad.  Also resulting from the use of copper strands, ceramic pads can handle high brake temperatures, have less heat fade, recover faster after a stop, and create less dust.  Because they use ceramic material, these brakes also make less noise, as a result of a higher material frequency that is beyond human perception.

Most ceramic brake pads exceed standards for durability, stopping, and noise.  Also having a longer life, ceramic brake pads are a great improvement over typical pads.

To buy car parts online, such as Akebono ceramic brake pads, please visit our online store.

Winter Ready Radiators

As cooler weather approaches you’re hopefully thinking about your radiator. But one would also hope that you do more than think. Yep, I sure hope you actually check your radiator and all the parts of your vehicle’s cooling system to make certain everything is up to the task that lies ahead. These days all cooling systems are highly engineered to keep engines and transmissions from running too hot or too cold. Running too hot can kill an engine or transmission while running too cold can greatly shorten both
engine and transmission life. But too cold also guarantees reduced gas mileage. On some cars that reduction can be as much as forty percent. Ouch, that bites!

Helping to keep the not too hot, not too cold process balanced is having the proper mixture of the correct type of coolant in your cooling system and that the coolant is in good condition. So you
need to test multiple factors: the coolant’s pH or its degree of acidity, its freeze point, and its cleanliness. Also make sure your radiator cap is absolutely air tight as air in a cooling system guarantees internal corrosion.

If the coolant fails the pH test, the freeze protection test or the cleanliness test have the cooling system flushed and refilled with a 50/50 mix of coolant that meets your car’s specific requirements. But
be wary, although one-size-fits-all coolants sound wonderful and convenient they can’t possibly be best for all vehicles. Tip: a 50/50 mix of quality coolant and water gives a freeze protection level of around minus 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

Speaking of that 50/50 mix, for longest cooling system life do not use tap water. Tap water is full of methyl-ethyl nasty stuff that can cause substantial long-term damage. This is even more of a concern if you have a water treatment system. Although water treatment systems make your glassware sparkle and your shampoo lather like crazy they add salts to the water that are bad for radiators. To prevent damage always use distilled water and always mix the water and coolant before installing to maintain proper balance. In other words never add plain coolant or plain water to your cooling system, it should always be mixed before using. And last but definitely not least. An inexpensive way to ensure your radiator cap
is always working properly is to replace it every two years.

To buy car parts online, check out Radiator Warehouse today.

Pat Goss is President/Owner of Pat Goss Car World, Inc.

I’m Impressed

I don’t impress easily but every once in a while something really impressive comes along. Such is the case with ATE PremiumOne™ brake rotors. As long as I can remember I’ve been struggling with how to guide my techs through those ridiculous brake specification manuals.

Brake specification manual loosely interpreted:

A hundred or more pages of nearly microscopic print with line after endless line of across-the-page specifications for brake parts. Full featured with plenty of variables to identify like package options, production dates, who made the original brake parts, etc. One of the most troublesome parts of specification books are brake rotor thickness allowances. When do we tell the customer to replace? When
do we suggest machining? And why?

It’s all there but sniffing it out can be a chore. It’s really easy to make a mistake by reading up or down a line as your eyes cross the page. That innocent mistake can be costly because it could lead to a refund or much worse, a lost client.

But, the ATE PremiumOne™ brake rotor has a machined-in groove that not only helps brake performance
but includes a visual wear indicator.  So, in addition to providing my clients with high quality rotors I can
later show them rotor wear in an easy to understand manner. If the groove is gone the rotor is worn out and needs to be replaced. It’s just that simple. No more micrometers. No more confusing specification books.
No more trying to find the most worn spot on a rotor. No more guessing about option packages, dates and all the other problems associated with measuring rotor wear.

The ATE PremiumOne™ rotor makes an excellent choice for shops and for do-it-yourselfers. Everyone can benefit from the clear, understandable, visual wear status indicator. No more expensive micrometers and confusing specification books. Plus it gives quality with lots of features and benefits. So yes, every once in a great while I actually am impressed.

To buy ATE PremiumOne rotors or for auto parts for sale online, please visit us.

Pat Goss is President/Owner of Pat Goss Car World, Inc.