Spring Driving

It is often said that “April showers bring May flowers”, which is certainly true.  Another thing the April moisture offers us is adverse driving conditions.  Thawing snow can cause icy patches especially in shady areas, on bridges and on overpasses.  Those hazards combined with rain water caused by all of that April inclemency can make driving situations treacherous.  The roads become even more ferocious when rain and melting ice mixes with the oil and grind already entrenched on the streets.  Thankfully there are some things you can do to prepare yourself for Spring driving season so you may enjoy one of the more refreshing times of the year without incident.

One major rule, which is standard for all seasons, is to maintain the proper tire pressure. When our tires are correctly inflated it helps us drive steadier and not slip and slide all over our streets.  Finding the amount of air your tire keeps is easy when you refer to your vehicle's owner's manual.  Speaking of tires, you should never get tired of rotating them every 5000 miles.  That will keep equal tread on them and keep you driving safer.  All tires should have at least 2/32 inch of depth on them to be considered good driving shape.  A good rule of thumb is to have your tires checked at the beginning of each new season, or if you don't put as many miles on your car as most drivers, each time you get your oil changed.  Then you can think of it as taking “your baby” out for a drink and some new shoes!

Large puddles can also make Spring driving disastrous.  Splashing water adversely affects your breaks not to mention it impairs both you and other driver's vision.  It is difficult at times to see these puddles while driving at night in the rain.  That's why it is sage advice to have all of your lights checked before headed out of the garage.  Those lights include headlights, tail lights, break lights, reflectors and turn signals.  In other words, make sure it blinks so you don't sink!  Having your wiper blades in nice working order goes hand in hand with keeping your lights shining.  Any reputable service representative can tell you if your car's blades are acceptable, but basically if you can't see where you are going in a rainstorm you should probably consider changing your wiper blades.  Remember, people are hard to see in rain and fog so you don't need any added obstacles reducing your chances of avoiding a horrible accident.

Not all Spring driving is done in stormy settings.  This season is synonymous with sunshine and warmer days and that means more people are out and about.  Be leery of individuals who are out jogging or walking.  Many neighborhoods do not furnish its friends with sidewalks so the street is the only pavement those people have to trot on.  Although there are beautiful bike paths in a lot of metropolis', bikers still need to get to those private paths or just choose to ride around the block.  Slow down when you see your mountain bike brothers and sisters.  Boys on bigger bikes are also more prevalent in the pretty weather. Make sure you allow motorcyclists the same honors you would any other motor vehicle operator.  Of course, kids come out of their caves once the sun starts shining and they are usually careless when it comes to playing outside.  Be on the lookout for youngsters running into the streets, especially when chasing toys are balls they are kicking around.  All of the early season rain also leads to our lawns becoming lusher so be sure to pay attention to those people mowing their grass.  As is the case for all of the above mentioned groups, lawn manicurists many times where headsets or ear buds to avoid the noise and listen to soothing music.  While those tunes may tickle their fancy they may also put their minds in other dimensions, places where paying attention to cars is unnecessary.  Lawn cutting service trucks and trailers are a staple of the season and are parked in areas that can be dangerous.  Slow down and be extra sure there is no oncoming traffic before moving around these large obstructions.  Be careful to avoid any unwanted flying objects shooting loose from the lawnmower too.  These UFO's don't carry martians, but can carry heavy insurance claims if they strike your windshield.

People are not the only creatures that are crawling around in the Spring.  Animals that have been sleeping all winter are eager to roam the roads in freedom.  That freedom does not include being squashed by our newly inflated tires.  Stay clear of animals big and small so they can enjoy their months of not being in a somnambulist state.  If people and pets are at peace, you can be too as the Spring season saunters into Summer.

Avoiding Potholes To Avoid Large Problems

Most everyone is familiar with that annoying house guest who comes to stay for a few days then ends up staying for months.


To us drivers, those unwanted visitors are the potholes that appear at the end of each winter and never seem to leave until the temperatures routinely reach the upper 80's. Not only are these potholes so ugly they make our streets look like some undiscovered planet from a science fiction movie, they are also very dangerous to commuters. So dangerous, in fact, that drivers appear as if they are playing a real life version of Frogger when avoiding these craters.


Potholes are caused by relentless freezing and thawing of water under pavement. Those continuous actions weakens our roads. Combine the freezing and thawing with the weight of the vehicles driving over the streets and the age of those streets and you have a recipe for driving disaster. Making matters even worse is that potholes come in more sizes than a pie from your favorite local pizza joint. There are tiny, small, medium, large, extra large, double extra large and some that are so big you expect them to have their own zip code. Unfortunately, these potholes don't discriminate either so it doesn't matter if you are driving a clunker or a $75,000 luxury auto......if you nail one of these holes your car is in big trouble. Potholes have been known to
cause structural damage to your tire(s), alignment problems, tire blowout and axle problems. Amazingly a pothole can cause as much damage to a car as a car crash at 35mph. Sometimes the impact can be so great it triggers the release of the car's airbags.


If you recently nailed one of these pains in the road and think that nothing has happened to your vehicle, don't be fooled. Your car may act normally the rest of that drive, but the next time you need to hit the road, the residual affect of the pothole damage may hit you back. If your car pulls (indicating alignment problems), if you have uneven tire wear, if the tire pressure is consistently low, if your tires bulge or blister, if you find dents in the wheel rims, if your car sways when making turns or if you feel excessive bouncing on clean roads, a pothole may have attacked your car.


Although it may seem as if there is no hope once you've been bitten by one of these monsters, there are steps you can take before you take to the road that may act as protection for your vehicle. The most important safety tip is to keep your car's tires properly inflated. That will help your rubber friends make enemies of the potholes. Look inside your front car door or refer to your owner's manual for proper inflation weight for your tires. Slowing down when approaching a huge hole is another helpful tip and when you are over the hole do not break because that can only lead to more damage. Make sure to hold your steering wheel firmly when hitting a pothole so you don't lose control of your car. Another sage piece of advice is to not be fooled by a puddle of water. Many times, those puddles are just masking those pesky potholes acting as Sirens luring your car to a rocky shipwreck. Finally, make sure to leave proper distance between you and the car in front of you so, just in case that car suddenly stops at the sight of a pothole, you don't end up with front end damage and an insurance claim to add to your troubles.


Speaking of the insurance companies, they usually do all they can to help you if your car has been hurt by a hole. Read over the fine print in your coverage documentation to see how much if any you need to pay and how much damage is covered. As far as recovering the cost of repairs from the city, county or state in which these potholes preside.....good luck! It is not a sure thing that any aid will be afforded to you. It all depends on where you live. Before filing a complaint, be positive what governing branch is in charge of the road where you hit the hole so you don't waste time complaining to the state when it's the county's jurisdiction for example. By the way, don't assume that if you drive on the opposite side of the road to avoid a pothole and a police officer stops you you'll escape without getting a ticket. In most circumstances, riding on the wrong side of the street is still a driving offense so you better find a very compassionate cop that will let you go free of a fine.


Thankfully, many of these holes are starting to be filled so flip a tip of your cap to the local city/county/state worker who is out there sweating behind a truck full of very hot patch. Meanwhile, to the potholes that still linger and await to cause headaches to both you and your beloved vehicle, flip those beasts something else.

Tips on achieving the best possible gas mileage for your car

Local gas prices were hovering a few pennies above $2 per gallon during the last week of February.

As we entered March, the price of fuel came roaring in like a lion moving up to almost $2.50 per gallon in some places. With Spring quickly approaching, one would figure that the sub $3 per gallon price may seem like a pittance compared to how high it may ascend. That's why getting the most gas mileage out of our cars is extremely important.

Prudent shoppers list gas mileage at the top of their agendas when purchasing a new car. The only proof we have of how much gas your potential vehicle will use is either by word of mouth from the salesperson or by looking at the EPA's fuel estimations on the window sticker. Although you may be satisfied with the numbers you were told or read, those figures do not always match the actual gas mileage you get after making that car your own. Is this a case of being betrayed? Not really. It's just that a myriad of factors can alter the numbers you once believed to be gospel.

With limited resources the EPA does not have the time nor essentials to monitor the gas mileage of every single car in circulation. For that reason, the EPA have entrusted each individual auto maker with the task of testing their vehicles and presenting buyers with their findings. The reality is, however, that if one car is said to get 30 miles per gallon, but only gets 25 and another one is said to get 20 mpg, but only gets 15, you will still be getting better gas mileage out of the one that is higher.

Usually, the gas mileage on the window sticker or what is told to you by your salesperson is used as a comparison against other cars - not as a guarantee. Technology was modified in 2008 to keep up with the advancement made in vehicle production, especially with the abundance of hybrids that have hit the road, but it isn't perfect yet. Results can vary depending on the driver who is operating the car, the type of vehicle (for example is it the standard class of that particular car or is it the top model) and driving conditions. Also, the extra features your car possesses such as a luggage rack, a bike rack or extra cargo can skew the printed gas totals.

Thankfully there are a few things you can do to better your gas mileage and get it as close to the sticker numbers as possible:

1. Try to keep your car free of excess baggage (that doesn't mean to leave your significant other at home)
2. Avoid fast accelerations in your car (it uses 3 times the amount of gas)
3. Keep all 4 tires at proper pressure
4. Make sure to keep the spark plugs clean
5. Use an octane booster every so often (1 ounce of booster per 1 gallon of gas)
6. Do routine oil changes (usually every 5000-7500 miles)
7. Try to pass cars only on flat surfaces or down hill (never pass going up hill) and attempt passes while on the move not from a dead stop
8. When traveling at speeds above 55 mph, have the side windows up because wind can hit the back glass slowing your vehicle down (I know right??!!)
9. Do not allow your car to idle for long periods of time
10. Once you hit your desired speed maintain it (using cruise control on long trips is helpful too)
11. Route your trip (especially when running errands around town) so you are not making several trips to same area or stopping a lot at traffic lights
12. Do the normal engine maintenance

A trusted salesperson most likely would have gone over a lot of these suggestions if he or she was asked. That same person wants to make your buying experience an excellent one and wants you to return so it's a good bet that deceiving you about the gas mileage you'll be getting is not part of the selling strategy.

If you follow some of the provided tips it's safe to say you won't be getting gassed the next time you look for a fuel efficient vehicle.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact Fred Martin's service department at 330-793-2444.

Warranty Scams: What you need to know

You may have recently received a letter, a postcard, an email or a phone call that looks or sounds very important concerning "your expiring auto warranty."

That eye-catching correspondence usually has the words "final notice" attached to it aimed at forcing you into a panic. When we are harried like that a lot of us tend to make irrational decisions. In this case, that bad move is to shell out our hard earned money on something that really doesn't help us at all.

Car warranty scams are something that have increased greatly over the past few years. The Better Business Bureau reported last year that over 1200 complaints were made to its company about predatory extended auto warranty companies. Those evil outfits are especially on the prowl during income tax refund season because they know most of us have extra money to spend. The last thing you want to do in February or March is fork over the federal money you banked in the previous 11 months to sleezy scam artists. If you don't want that to happen, read the next few paragraphs carefully so you can recognize when a warranty is warranted.

The best warranties to purchase are the extended ones offered through your local car dealership or a another reputable party who works in conjunction with your car dealer of choice. Later, you can read the factors that make up the best extended warranties, but first let's seize these scammers.

A third party scammer has no direct business relationship with the product it covers....namely your car! A manufacturer's warranty uses original parts on your car and factory trained technicians to tend to it. There is no such attention to detail by these third parties. When a telemarketer calls you about extending the warranty on your vehicle please excuse yourself from the call. Telemarketers should never be calling on behalf of a warranty company and in some instances they may be breaking FCC rules. The caller should always provide his/her name, the name of the business they represent and the number should appear on your caller I.D. If a message is left, the caller must identify the business represented and leave a return phone number. In the case of a warranty scam artist, these steps are grossly skipped. If you do choose to talk to these "helpers" please never provide any personal information. If you get a letter or post card in the mail that has the looks of something official you can either use it to help keep the flames roaring in your fireplace or you can call the sales associate or dealership you bought your car from and ask them about it. If you bought your car from a private dealer then you know for certain that this piece of mail is junk. An email from a scamming company like this usually will fall into your junk mail where it actually belongs, but in the case it doesn't, there is no reason to respond to it unless it came from your sales associate or dealership. Also, be leary of any company that provides "limited time offers" or trashes another company's reputation on its advertisements. That's not only tacky, but it also screams scam!

As mentioned previously, the best extended warranties are bought at the dealer or through an organization that your dealer recognizes. The average cost of a warranty is between $700-$2000 depending how in depth you want to go. If you want the extra protection, make sure you know just what is covered by it and what isn't. There are six things to look for that are vital to have if you are buying an extended warranty. That sensational sextet are: using a company that allows repairs at any ASE certified shop, choosing a warranty that pays the entire bill for you up front and doesn't make you pay for it first then wait for reimbursement, make sure the warranty is transferable if you sell your car, demand that the warranty takes effect the day you purchase it, check that the company you buy from is highly insured and uses a top rated insurer for their "claims reserve account" and be positive that you can cancel your warranty within 30-60 days if you decide to and receive a 100% refund.

No matter which warranty you choose it will still behoove you to do the routine maintenance on your vehicle as scheduled and to keep proof of that work. Some companies, even if they are trustworthy, will use the excuse of a lack of maintenance as a way to weasel out of doing repairs.

If you feel you have been the victim of a warranty scam by a telemarketer and want to file a complaint you may contact the FCC at: fcc.gov/complaints or call 1-888-callfcc (225-5322). You may also contact your local Better Business Bureau to investigate any info you receive in the mail.

Getting your oil changed at your local dealership versus your local quick lube

Going to the dentist is a biannual event that most of us despise doing.

The automotive equivalent of getting your teeth pulled is taking your beloved vehicle in for an oil change. One of the main reasons this task inflicts so much pain on us the consumer is that we really aren't sure what is best for "our babies" when it becomes time to make that change. There is a small percentage of car enthusiasts who are very adept at, and find it very enjoyable, to do their own oil changing. For the rest of us who are not so mechanically savvy, there are questions that need to be answered before sinking our hard earned money into lubing our cars.

Years ago, about the only place to take your car for a complete oil change was the dealer where you purchased your prized possession. Over the past couple decades more and more quick lube shops have popped up offering ten minute service while you sat in your car and, more importantly, discounted prices. It's hard to determine which avenue is the better one driven, but there are some things you should consider before choosing between the dealer and "Mr. Quickie."

Money, as is usually the case, is a great place to start this conversation. A normal oil change will cost anywhere between $19.99 and $39.99. Now there are exceptions such as the sensible shopper who clips coupons that may save them as much as 20%, to the paranoid person who always seems to think what they are receiving in service is never enough and tends to buy "add ons" that increase the final total. For argument's sake let's assume the average cost for an oil change will be $30.

So what should I expect for that decent sized fee? No matter where your oil change is done, it should always include a few standard procedures. The mechanical metamorphosis will start with draining the old engine oil. Removal of the old oil filter and replacing that dirty part with a new one will be the next step. A new crush washer should now be installed followed by proper torquing of the drain plug. One important detail to remember is that the new oil that is poured into your engine should always be filled at proper weight. We are now out with the old and in with the new.

While staying strapped in your seat and spending less time getting your car serviced than it normally takes to get through a Starbucks drive-thru may sound appealing, waiting at the dealership does have its advantages. First off, most dealerships are equipped with state-of-the-art waiting rooms that offer big screen televisions, comfortable leather chairs and free wi-fi. Secondly, complimentary refreshments are on hand to keep you satisfied. While your sipping a soft drink and checking the internet, your vehicle is going through a thorough examination by someone who is trained to take his or her time. The specialist at the quick lube is proficient at changing oil and filters and filling tires, but the mechanic at the dealership is certified to find other things that may be happening to your car that is totally unbeknownst to you. If a part is needed to fix that unforeseen ailment, there's a great possibility it's in stock at the dealership and you won't have to come back to get it serviced again. Also, these same mechanics get paid and graded by the job meaning their performance may be taken more seriously.  Some dealerships also offer free car washes with each oil change, a discount on tire rotations and a "discount card" that has you pay for a certain amount of oil changes before receiving a free one.

If managed well, the quick lube shop is still a viable option too.  Although, a lot of dealerships offer no appointment oil changes you still may have to wait up to an hour before your car is completed. There is a lot to be said for cruising into the quick lube at lunchtime, getting the oil changed and still having time for a sandwich and fries before heading back to work. Just make sure that quick lube establishment you choose is reputable, the service technicians are knowledgeable and you get the complete service you are supposed to be getting without any up-sale.

That leads us to our final piece of advice on oil changes, which is avoiding a rip off. We all work too hard to spend our money foolishly. Spending too much when you are falsely advised it is necessary is downright aggravating. Whether you go to the quick lube or dealership, there is usually a basic oil change and a signature oil change offered. On most occasions the basic one gets the job done, but if the signature satisfies you more make sure it is worth the extra money you are spending. 

It is important that a new filter replaces the old one so before you go for the oil change put an X on the old filter with a sharpie. If the "replacement" filter still has that mark on it, make sure you speak up. If you are paying for extra services that are not part of the basic plan, get proof that those services are performed. 

The good thing these days is that, unlike in our father's time, our new cars don't need to have the oil changed before 5000-7500 miles. In most cases that cuts our trip to the quick lube or dealership's service department down to twice a year. A lot of vehicles even alert us when our oil needs replaced giving us something that is valued by us all.....one less thing to worry about.

Fred Martin's award winning service department is here to answer any additional questions you may have about your car.  Feel free to call us at 330.793.2444.