Welcome  to  Beachler’s  Lunch  ‘N  Learn  Car  Care  Workshop  

     

Drive  ‘em  ‘9l  they  drop!  Brett Beachler

 

Vehicle  Costs  •  Deprecia9on  

§  $15,000  cost  v  75,000  miles  20¢  v  100,000  miles  15¢  v  150,000  miles  10¢  

•  Fuel  §  30mpg  @  $3.20=10.6¢  per  mile  §  15mpg  @  $3.20=21.3¢  per  mile  

•  50  yrs.  x  12,000  miles  x  56.5¢/mile=  $339,000    

Email  BreQ  for  Spreadsheet    

Other  Costs  •  Tires  1¢  per  mile  or  less  $600/70,000=.8¢  

•  Insurance  $600/15,000  miles  per  year=4¢  

•  Maintenance  <3.5-­‐4.0¢  per  mile  §  Key  to  high  and  reliable  mileage  §  Consider  maintenance  cost  prior  to  purchase  

 

Maintenance  Schedules  •  Owner’s  Manual  is  the  source  •  Churned  schedules  i.e.  30/60/90    

 ($625  example  in  email)  •  Severe/Normal  Service  •  Good  records  save  $$$$  

§  Unnecessary  work  not  performed  §  Good  shop  reviews  history  of  vehicle  

Talking  to  your  mechanic  •  Write  everything  down  •  Noises  (loca9ons,  etc.),  sounds,  smell  •  Do  not  leave  out  informa9on  you  believe  

to  be  unrelated  •  Do  not  send  your  significant  other  or  tell  

them  to  call  for  you,  or  allow  yourself  to  be  in  this  posi9on  

 

Warran9es  •  Life9me      

(brakes  &  exhaust  most  common)  

•  Extended  §  Pricey  §  See  an  aQorney  first  regarding  exclusions  

•  Dealer  service  is  not  required  to  maintain  warranty  

What  do  the  lights  mean?  

•  Oil  pressure  light/gauge    RED          STOP  IMMEDIATELY  

•  Check  Engine  MIL  CEL  Orange  or  yellow  §  Flashing  or  steady  

•  Temperature  light/gauge  RED  •  Oil  change  reminder  light  

§  Where  is  the  dips9ck?  

Inspec9ons  •  Maintenance/owner/driver/monthly  

§  Fluid  levels,  9res,  lights  

•  Pre-­‐Trip  (but  not  too  close  to  trip)  •  Pre-­‐Purchase  •  If  not  driven,  the  inspec9on  is  not  

complete  

Other  Maintenance  •  BaQery  •  Fuel  Filter  •  Cabin  Air  Filter  •  Wipers  Life  and  Installa9on  •  Coolant  check  

§  Coolant  types  §  Add  50/50  

§  Usually  not  a  need  to  add  between  services  §  Look  under  car  regularly  for  leaks  

•  Transmission  fluid  check  (engine  running)  

Body  Maintenance  •  Wash  vehicle  regularly  •  Keep  “droppings”  and  road  deposits  off  

vehicle-­‐can  permanently  damage  clear  coat  

•  Power  wash  fender  areas  •  Use  regular  car  soap  •  Dish  soap  can  permanently  damage  the  

clear  coat  

Informa9on  sources  

•  Consumer  Reports  April  auto  issue  •  kbb.com  •  edmunds.com  •  cars.com  •  CarTalk  WCBU  Saturdays  

(more  fun  than  substance.  Syndicated  as  of  Oct  2012)  

Tires  

Why  Rotate  •  Brakes  are/should  be  inspected  

§  No  surprise  grinding  and  addi9onal  expense  •  Tires  are  very  visible  for  inspec9on  •  Longer  9re  life  •  Close  inspec9on  reveals  nails,  etc.  •  Easier  disassembly  for  your  friendly  mechanic  •  Quality  9res  should  last  45,000  to  60,000  miles  

Owner  9re  inspec9on  •  Tire  pressure  specifica9on  

(not  on  sidewall)  •  Keep  your  own  gauge  •  Unable  to  tell  pressure  by  looking  •  TPMS  func9on  and  fees  for  some  cars  •  Tread  depth  indicators    

 

More  9res  •  Repair  with  patch  on  inside  only  (No  plugs.  Tire  

Manufacturer  Specifica9ons)  

•  Remember  the  spare  9re  •  Problems:  pull,  uneven  wear,  out  of  

balance    

Exterior  Inspec9on  •  Wiper  condi9on    cleaning  blades  and  reset  blade    •  Wiper  arms  s9cking  which  need  lube  good  shop  will  look  for  

this  especially  rear  •  Dirty  glass  is  a  safety  issue.  Use  newspaper  with  glass  cleaner  

to  clean  glass.  •  Lights:  Easy  police  stop.  Use  garage  door  or  another  person.  

Remember  the  high  brake  light.  •  License  plates  are  oqen  two  bulbs.    •  Day9me  Running  Lights  •  Fogged  headlamps  •  Look  under  for  leaks  or  watch  as  you  leave  

 

Serng  your  mirrors  so  you  have  no  blind  spot  

•  Set  your  seat  in  a  normal  posi9on  •  Set  your  rear  view  mirror  •  As  for  the  driver’s  mirror,  lean  your  head  against  the  

leq  front  window  and  set  the  mirror.  •  As  for  the  passenger  mirror,  lean  to  the  far  right  and  

set  your  mirror  •  Recommended  by  AAA  (American  Automo9ve  

Ins9tute)    

Finding  a  Quality  Auto  Repair  Shop  

•  Are  they  AAA  Approved?  •  Member  of  BBB  in  good  standing?  •  Are  the  Technicians  ASE  Cer9fied?  •  Is  the  shop  an  Alcohol  and  Drug  Free  Environment?  •  Warranty  at  least  12  month/12,000  miles  parts  and  

labor?  •  ShuQle  Service?  •  All  records  retained  in  computer  files?  

 

Finding  a  Quality  Auto  Repair  Shop  

•  Email  appointment  confirma9ons?  •  Text  when  es9mate  is  prepared?  •  Email  an  itemized  es9mate?  •  Email  pictures  of  faulty  part?  •  Save  old  parts  for  “show  &  tell”?  •  Educate  you  on  the  repair  completed?  •  Perform  follow  up  phone  call?  •  Call/text/email  to  schedule  a  future  appointment?  •  Shop  Tour?  •  Offer  a  Lunch  ‘N  Learn  Car  Care  Clinic?  

 

Fuel  Saving  and  Vehicle  Life  Sugges9ons  

•  Gentle  start,  stop,  cornering  •  60  mph-­‐31.7  mpg;  90  mph-­‐21.7  mpg  •  Keep  it  out  of  the  sun  and  in  a  heated  garage  •  Consider  manual  transmission  •  Minimize  weight  in  vehicle  •  Fix  the  liQle  stuff  as  a  problem  arises  •  Rent  a  car  for  a  trip  for  miles  and  mileage  reasons  •  Secure  gas  cap-­‐17%  of  vehicle  on  roads-­‐caps  missing  or  loose.  Es9mate  

147  million  gallons  of  gas  vaporize  •  Inflated  9res-­‐can  cost  you  up  to  1  to  2  mpg  

 

Fuel  Saving  Tips  •  Spark  plugs-­‐4,  5,  6,  8,  or  10  per  vehicle.  Can  fire  as  

many  as  3  million  9mes  every  1,000  miles.  Misfire  and  arcing  causes  more  $$  damage  

•  Alignment-­‐best  rolling  resistance  •  Windows  in  the  up  posi9on  •  Maintain  brakes.  Malfunc9oning  calipers  

 

When  do  I  sell?  •  Body  integrity  •  High  mileage  •  Vehicle  history  •  Frequency  of  repair  and  Consumer  

Reports  informa9on  •  Major  component  replacement  or  

overhaul  •  Replace  with  hybrid  or  diesel?  

Purchasing  a  Vehicle  •  Set  your  Budget  •  Encourage  purchasing  a  used  vehicle  •  www.kbb.com  Side  by  side  comparison  of  vehicles  •  www.autobytel.com  Recalls  and  bulle9n  history  •  www.nada.com  Check  the  retail  price  •  www.carfax.com  Check  9tle  history  using  VIN#  •  www.edmonds.com  Cost  of  owning  a  vehicle  •  By  all  means,  have  a  pre-­‐purchase  inspec9on  

completed  •  Quality  inspec9on  can  reveal  aspects  beyond  

“kicking  the  9res”  

Unnecessary  Items-­‐Wallet  Flushes!  •  Nitrogen  in  your  9res  •  Fuel  injec9on  cleaning  •  Gas  and  Oil  addi9ves  •  Extended  Warran9es  (See  Page  below)  •  Gas  saving  contrap9ons  •  Power  steering  or  brake  fluid  flushes  •  3,000  mile  oil  changes  •  Plugs  in  9res  •  Midgrade  and  premium  fuels  •  Overzealous  air  filter  replacement  •  PCV  valve  replacement  •  Ethanol  in  your  fuel  

 

Ethanol  •  10%  blend-­‐expect  to  lose  3%  to  5%  fuel  

economy  •  Trucked  to  terminals-­‐no  efficient  pipeline  ride  •  1.3  units  of  fossil  fuel  to  produce  1  unit  of  

ethanol  •  40%  corn  produc9on  set  aside  for  ethanol  •  For  every  $1  sales  tax  revenue-­‐pure  gasoline,  

only  $.80  is  collected  for  10%  blended  ethanol.    •  Can  our  state  afford  20%  tax  revenue  loss?  

 

Extended  Warranty?  •  Readers  of  Consumer  Reports  were  surveyed.  65%  spent  

more  money  on  the  price  of  the  warranty  than  they  received  in  benefits.  

•  A  $1,000  warranty  would  yield  an  average  benefit  of  $700  ($300  loss)  

•  Only  20%  reported  a  net  savings  beyond  the  cost  of  the  warranty-­‐would  you  plop  down  $1,000  in  Las  Vegas  for  a  1  in  5  chance  of  increasing  your  bet  (investment)?  

•  Most  extended  warran9es  are  a  waste  of  money  that  is  beQer  spent  on  performing  factory  scheduled  maintenance  that  increases  the  probability  of  reaching  200,000  miles  or  more  on  your  vehicle.  

 

Nice  to  Have  in  Your  Car  •  BaQery  jumper  box  •  Towel  •  Fix-­‐a-­‐Flat  •  Ice  scraper  •  Gloves  •  Sand  •  Rug  

•  Tools  •  Cell  phone  •  Gas  can  •  Flashlight  •  Blanket  •  Tire  gauge  •  First  aid  kit  

Winter  Driving  •  Tire  check  before  cold  •  Winter  wipers  maybe  •  Uns9ck  wipers  using  hands  not  wiper  motor  •  Wind  chill  is  meaningless  to  car  •  Consider  baQery  life  (test  is  a  snapshot)  

Summer  Driving  •  Bugs  on  the  grill,  radiator,  and  

condenser  •  How  is  the  engine  and  passenger  

compartment  cooled?  (Recirculate  air)  •  Tire  pressures  are  even  more  important  •  Windows  up  or  down…  A/C  on  or  off  

§  A/C  off  when  nearing  des9na9on  

 

The  Future  of  Transporta9on  

•  Peak  oil  is  looming  •  Prices  of  all  forms  of  energy  will  increase  •  There  are  no  scalable  alterna9ves  •  Future  lifestyles  for  the  younger  set  •  Buses  and  mass  transporta9on  •  Avia9on  will  be  hit  (1929  flight)  •  Lighter,  smaller,  and  closer    

To-­‐Do’s/Setup/Handouts    Handouts  

•  Handout  bags  organized  and  with  names  

 •  Fuel  cost  calculator    •  Consumer  Reports  ar9cle    •  Maintenance  

spreadsheet    •  How  Not  to  Get  Ripped  

Off    •  Drawing  sign  up  cards    •  Business  cards  

 

Setup    

•  Rent  chairs    •  Card  tables  and  

table  cloth    •  Container  for  cards,  

basket    •  Cars  on  liqs  and  

ready    •  Shop  or  paper  

towels    •  Tools,  gloves  as  

needed    •  Tires  with  various  

problems  and  visible  wear  bars  

   

Tasks    

•  Sign  up  list    •  Clean  shop    •  Flip  chart  and  

markers    •  Parts  filters,  

brakes,  oil,  an9  freeze,  9re  gauges,  9re,  junk  9re  with  wear  bars  exposed  

 •  Coolant  samples  

for  color    

Take  With  Props  •  Temp  spare  •  Tire  Gauge  •  Dips9ck  •  Worn  9re  sec9on  •  Calculator