Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

Can Car Scent Make You Safer?

by

Can Car Scent Make You Safer?Here’s an important travel tip from Express Car Care that we bet you didn’t know, and it might just keep you safer.

*  The average American commuter spends two and a half hours daily in their car.  The numbers are similar for Canadian commuters.

*  The U.S. government says a hundred thousand auto accidents yearly are caused by drivers who fall asleep at the wheel.

This is from the Canada Safety Council:  ” According to the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, fatigue is a factor in up to 21 percent of motor vehicle collisions, resulting in about 400 deaths and 2,100 serious injuries every year.”

Aggressive driving is the #1 traffic safety concern.  So what does this have to do with how your car smells?  Well, which car scent do you think makes drivers more alert?  Is it:  A. Strawberry  B. New Car  C. Pine  D.  Warm Vanilla Breeze?

It’s C, Pine.  Drivers are more alert and have less fatigue with pine sent in the car, according to AroMetrics.  And drivers were less angry and had an improved overall driving performance with strawberry and pine scents.  And you just thought they smelled nice, didn’t you?  Maybe it’s time you changed out the scent in your car.  Who would ever think  that your chosen car scent can make you safer?  Would you?

Used Vehicle Checklist

by

Used Vehicle ChecklistSo you’ve bought a “new” used vehicle.  How do you know what you’re getting?  It is hard to know what you’re getting because drivers sell cars for different reasons.  Think about why you’ve sold vehicles.  Did you just want something new or were there problems that you wanted to run away from?  Maybe it was a little of both.

Used vehicles in the area with 25,000 to 35,000 miles on them are often lease returns, corporate program cars or vehicles that have done duty in rental fleets.  Drivers feel fairly confident because they’re newer and may still be under warranty.  But how well have they been maintained?

If you plan on owning a car for a long time, you’ll keep up on the maintenance so that you can avoid expensive repairs down the road.  But, if you know you’re only going to have the vehicle for two or three years, you may not be so committed to maintenance.  It would be easy to think that skipping an oil change here and there wouldn’t ruin a brand new engine and it won’t be your problem when it comes time to pay for the damage.

It would be very tempting to skip the 30,000 mile service if you knew you’d be turning in your leased vehicle in a couple of months.

If your used vehicle didn’t come with maintenance records, you need to assume the worst.  Most likely the coolant system and transmission have never been serviced.  The cabin air filter has probably not been changed and a fuel system cleaning may be in order.  These should all be included on your used vehicle checklist.

You’ll also want Express Car Care to check the air conditioning, battery, engine air filter, serpentine belt and hoses.  An inspection at Express Car Care is well worth the cost.

If your “new” used vehicle has more miles on it, an inspection is even more important.  Check your owners manual or talk with your service adviser about what should have been done.  Please don’t forget the timing belt – that can be very expensive if it fails.

Your helpful and knowledgeable service adviser will help you with a plan to take care of critical services and get the rest caught up.  If your budget won’t allow you to take care of everything right away, have your service adviser help you prioritize your needs and get it taken care of over the next several months.  Remember to keep your maintenance records, they’ll help you get top dollar when it time for you to sell.

Wiper Blade Design

by

Wiper Blade DesignWiper blades may not be the most exciting topic for most residents – but they are pretty important.  Most of us Denver residents have had an experience when a sudden snow or rain storm hits while we’re driving…then when we turn on the wipers…nothing but streaks.  This can be distracting, especially at night when the glare of on-coming headlights distorts your vision.

Simple solution…change your wiper blades before they fail.  Check them out every couple of months just to see how they are working.  Of course, the more you use your wiper blades, the sooner they’ll wear out.  Areas with lots of storms or those who drive a lot where there are bugs and road grime, will use their blades more often.

But even when you’re not using your blades, they are exposed to sunlight, ozone, soap, and extreme hot and cold temperatures, which leads to deterioration.  Your blades can just rot away and fall apart before you need them.  Of course, using your wipers when the blades are torn can lead to scratches in your windshield.  You don’t want to risk windshield replacement over the cost of a couple of wiper blades.

Now let’s talk about wiper blade upgrades.  Drivers can upgrade both the design and the wiper material.  Let’s start with the material.  Traditional black rubber blades do a great job of clearing your windshield when they are new.  Over time all of the conditions mentioned above damage them and degrade their performance.  Silicone blades are far less affected by environmental conditions and will simply perform better for a longer period of time.

There are two elements to the design.  First, the wiper blade itself.   Some have a single wiping edge…others have multiple edges…similar to a multi-blade razor.  The idea is to maximize wiper power during both swipes of the blade.

The other design element is with the wiper frame.  This is the structure that applies pressure on the blade as it passes over the windshield.  A conventional frame has four to six contact points on the blade.  These apply pressure used to clear water and snow.  A beam frame provides uniform pressure along the entire surface of the wiper.  Their shape catches the wind passing over the vehicle to provide additional force to help get a clean swipe.

So which blade should you use?  Well, always use at least the grade and design that came with the vehicle, then you can always upgrade for better performance and longer lasting blades.  The extra cost of premium blades is a good value for this safety system.

Also make sure you have plenty of windshield washer solvent (use a winter formulation when temps drop below freezing) and that your washer nozzles are working properly.  Talk with your helpful Express Car Care service adviser about upgrading your wiper blades.

What About Airbags?

by

What About Airbags?After they’ve had an accident, some people wonder why their airbags didn’t go off.  Movies and television lead us to believe that airbags go off with the slightest bump.  The reality is much more complicated.  First, airbags come out with great force and speed.  Although getting hit in the face with an airbag is much better than getting hit in the face with the windshield, if the impact of the accident isn’t hard enough that you might be severely injured, the airbags may not be triggered at all….but that’s a good thing because they could do more harm than good.

So what about airbags?   How does your vehicle know when an accident is likely to result in life threatening injuries that would merit deploying the airbags?  Well, there are sensors all around your vehicle that send information to the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) computer that decides when and which airbags should be deployed.  There are impact sensors that measure the direction and intensity of an impact in the front, rear, and sides of the vehicle.  There are seat sensors that determine if someone is sitting there…as well as how much they weigh.  This way an airbag doesn’t go off when no one is in a particular seat and it can deploy with less force for a smaller person.

The SRS computer takes into account vehicle speed and if there is a rollover.  Built into the computer program are the design specifications of your vehicle as they relate to “crumple” zones in a crash.  As you can imagine, the computer program is pretty sophisticated.

When an airbag actually does go off, there are some things you should know…when the driver side airbag deploys, the steering wheel clock spring is usually damaged and should be replaced.  Also, an “airbag worthy” event triggers all the sensors we’ve talked about…so something as slight as hitting a pothole could cause airbags to deploy.  So after an airbag has actually been deployed, all the SRS sensors should be replaced.

Finally, when you start your engine, you will briefly see the SRS dash light come on and then turn off.  This is a system self-test.  If the SRS light remains illuminated, that means the system has detected a problem that could affect the proper deployment of your airbags.  Although we don’t provide all these services at our shop, we thought these were important tips that can help if you’ve had your airbags deploy in a minor incident.

 

Estimates: How They Work

by

Estimates: How They WorkThe purpose behind an estimate is to inform the vehicle owner as well as the mechanic, the kind of work needed to repair the vehicle and provide an idea of how much it will cost.  In order to find out what is wrong, there needs to be an inspection and testing of the vehicle to isolate and identify the problem and then determine what it will cost to perform the repair.

Auto repair technicians can’t estimate a job, and tell you how much it will cost to fix a problem without actually looking at the vehicle.  Without the technician actually inspecting and possibly testing the vehicle all you would be getting is a guess…not an estimate.  Just as we give our doctors an opportunity to examine and test us before they give us a diagnosis, we have to give our auto repair technicians the same opportunity.

An estimate for repair is only one of the factors in the repair process and it actually occurs in the middle of the process and has at least six prior steps that must be taken in order to reach a successful outcome.

First, we must gather data about the vehicle and the problem.  We generally have to drive the vehicle to verify the symptom and to get a physical sense of what’s really going on.  We have to inspect the vehicle and perform whatever tests might be necessary to provide the information we need.  Information that allows us to compare actual performance with desired performance.  Then, we need to analyze that data and evaluate it, which we hope will lead us to an accurate diagnosis.  It is on this diagnosis that the estimate is built.

A written estimate protects both the mechanic and the customer from potential problems.  When you sign off on an estimate, you are agreeing to pay reasonably within the figure you’ve been quoted.  If a mechanic perform the repairs included in the estimate and charges you around the same amount as the estimate, you can’t insist that you didn’t know how much the repairs would cost.  Likewise, mechanics are held to the amounts listed in the estimate.  This is how estimates work.

Customer Detective Work

by

One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician in Denver is diagnosing a problem before it can be fixed.

All cars today are made up of many complex systems.  There usually could be a number of reasons for any given symptom.  So it’s challenging to track down and actually diagnose the car’s problem.  And it can be frustrating for the vehicle owner because it can take time and money to get to the bottom of the problem. If it’s not something obvious, it’s easy for the customer to focus on the fixing and not the diagnosing.

Let us at Express Car Care introduce you to something we’ll call ” Customer Detective Work”, that is helping the technician find clues to what is wrong.

We’ll start with the detective basics:  What, Where and When.  Play along with me; You come in to Express Car Care and your car is making a funny sound…

  • Where’s the sound? – “Around the right front wheel”.
  • What kind of sound? – “Kind of a clunk, clunk, sound”.
  • When do you hear the sound? – “When I turn and accelerate”.
  • Right and left? Forwards and back?

You see where we’re going?  You’re gathering additional information to help your technician know where to start.  Based on your customer detective work, your car and the tech’s experience, we’ll know where to look on your vehicle and can start with the obvious suspects.

You can see how that would be more helpful than dropping the car off with a note that says “making a funny noise”.

When you think you need to bring your vehicle in, make some notes about the problem it’s having.  Rather than just saying “it’s leaking”, tell the tech the color of the fluid, and approximately where under the car you see the puddle.

Things like “the car is stalling or sputtering” are often very hard to diagnose because they’re intermittent.  They may not happen every time you drive and may not be happening when you actually bring the car in for service.  So it’s a big help for you to describe what’s happening in as much detail as possible.

Your technician at Express Car Care will need to be able to duplicate the problem if possible, so he needs to know details, for example,” it stalls after it’s been driven for about 20 minutes and when I go over 50 miles an hour.”

If a customer does their detective work than the technician is  better able to make a diagnosis and repair.  And then test to see if the repair has solved the problem.

The Express Car Care Guide to Buying a Used Vehicle

by

The Express Car Care Guide to Buying a Used VehicleUsed vehicles are certainly an economical choice for budget-conscious Denver car owners.  But how can we know we’re getting a good used vehicle and not just inheriting another person’s problems?

Cars are sold when families grow and need a larger car or when they downsize and want a smaller one, or even when someone just wants a new car.  So the used vehicle may be just fine.  But some used car owners sell vehicles because they don’t want to deal with developing or existing problems.

When you’re considering buying a used vehicle in Denver, or anywhere else, ask for service records.  Check to see if the recommended schedules for critical preventative maintenance have been followed.  If so, you probably have a great used vehicle on your hands.  If there aren’t any service records, then assume the worst.

Check the vehicle for obvious signs of problems.  Kick the tires if you want, but make sure you check them for uneven tread wear.  This can indicate alignment problems, worn shocks or suspension issues.  Listen to the engine for unusual sounds and pay attention to unexpected odors.  Take the vehicle for a test drive and make a list of any concerns you might have.

If the used vehicle you’re looking at is a late model vehicle with under 35,000 miles on it, take it to Express Car Care for a full-service oil change.  This vital inspection will reveal many basic or developing problems.  Talk to your helpful Express Car Care technician about the concerns brought to light by your test drive, so you can get ahead of needed repairs or important maintenance.

Previously leased vehicles are often tempting to used vehicle buyers because they are generally newer models with low mileage and have been factory cleaned.  Be cautious, however, many residents that lease vehicles don’t bother with preventive maintenance because they know they’ll be turning the vehicle back in.   Again, ask for vital maintenance records, take the vehicle in for a full-service oil change and consult with your service specialist about any possible problems.

Older used vehicles are even more problematic for used car buyers.  Older vehicles simply come with more maintenance and repair issues than newer ones.  Take these vehicles in for a used vehicle inspection at Express Car Care.  Usually a seller will let you do this before you purchase the vehicle.  These inspections are very thorough and will help you know what you’re getting into  and  enable you to make an informed decision about your purchase.  That peace of mind will make the cost of the inspection more than worth your while.  It’s always good advise for car owners to purchase a Carfax report on any used vehicle.  This report will let you know if the vehicle has been in a major accident and will give you a title history.  You’d be surprised what has been learned from those reports.

Once you purchase a used vehicle, keep regular preventative maintenance schedules, because a little TLC can help your used vehicle last a long time.

Visual Blind Spots When Driving Around Denver

by Leave a Comment

Visual Blind Spots When Driving Around DenverWhen we drive on our Denver streets, we encounter blind spots.  We can greatly reduce our blind spots by properly adjusting our mirrors to give the widest coverage possible.  Make the adjustments to your vehicle before you start to drive.

First, adjust your rear view mirror to give the best possible view directly to the rear of your truck or other vehicle type.  You don’t need it to get a better view of either side of the car, the kids in the back seat or your dazzling smile.  The rear view mirror should look to the rear.

Next, lean your head until it almost touches the driver’s side window.  Adjust your side mirror so that you can just barely see the side of your car.

Now, lean your head to the middle of the car and adjust the outside mirror so that you can barely see the right side of the car.

With your vehicle mirrors adjusted this way, you’ll have maximum coverage.  Of course, driving in Denver is a dynamic process – things change every second.  So it’s wise to take a quick look to the side when passing to make sure that another vehicle hasn’t moved into an area you couldn’t see in your mirrors.

As you drive in the Denver area, avoid staying in other driver’s blind spots.  You can’t count on them to be watching their mirrors and looking out for you.  Pass large trucks and buses on the left whenever possible.  A trucks’ blind spot is much larger on the right.

Be attentive and wear your seat belts, and thank you for reading!

 

Car Survival

by Leave a Comment

Car SurvivalSince we have been experiencing a lot of extreme weather here in Colorado, it’s important that we prepare for the unexpected as we drive around our cities and our state.  We need to be ready for anything.  With the unpredictable nature of our weather, you never know when you might have a road close down or wash out and leave you stranded in your car longer than you intended.  Our last two summers have been filled with either fires or floods and both of these forces of nature are capable of cutting off our roads.   Are you prepared for car survival?

When it comes to packing a car for an emergency, adventurer and Expedition Wild host, Casey Anderson says he’s “like a turtle, practically carrying my entire house on my back.”

People spend a lot of time in their cars, and there are a few essentials we all need.  Anderson recommends having at least a gallon of drinkable water in your car – crucial if you are stranded for a long time.  It also has many other uses, such as first aid and putting out fires that are not chemical or electrical in origin, to name just a few.  You should also toss some energy bars in your glove compartment, along with some hard candies to pass the time and give you energy to keep a clear mind if you need to wait a while for help.  In any emergency, communication is very important.  So it’s always a good idea to keep an extra cellphone battery and a fully charged external charger in your car.

We want you to be safe in your car, so take a few steps and prepare for the unexpected.

 

Looking Down the Road in Denver: Wiper Blades

by Leave a Comment

Wiper BladesIt’s said that 90% of our driving decisions are based on visual information.  Our wiper blades play an important role in this.  Most Denver, Englewood and Littleton drivers know that a dirty or streaked windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it nearly impossible for us to see.

Most busy car owners deal with their wiper blades from a failure perspective.  They address them only when they no longer function.  Instead, Denver drivers should think about wiper blades as an important safety system that they should maintain, rather than repair.

And let’s not get the wrong idea and think that your wiper blades will last longer because you don’t use them very often.  Remember, they live outside in the harsh sun, freezing cold, as well as ice and wind.  They will just dry out and crack over time because of these conditions.

At Express Car Care in Denver, we recommend that motorists change their wiper blades twice a year, in the spring and the fall.  That way you have functional blades for those spring showers and Colorado winter storms.  You should also consider a windshield treatment to help repel water and make it easier to clean off bugs and road grime.

Like everything else in the automotive world, there have been some big advancements in wiper blades, both in terms of the design and the materials from which the blade is made.  We can help you get the same type of blades that came with your vehicle, or if you have a need for better than average windshield wipers, you can pay some more for an upgraded wiper.

And if you live where there is a lot of snow and ice, they make special winter blades that don’t clog up and freeze like standard blades.

Give us a call for more information about wiper blades or any other automotive parts or service.

Brakes Service

Oil Change

Suspension

Transmision Service

Engine Service

Auto Tips & Tricks