It’s the beginning of the travel and vacation season and many of our customers have motorhomes and travel trailers that they will soon be getting out of storage were they spend a great deal of time. You want your weekends and travel plans to be as enjoyable as possible. For that reason they need a good check over before hitting the road this year.

 We can help prevent unnecessary breakdowns by doing an oil and filter change, lubing the chassis and checking all fluid levels. We will also test drive the motor home and run through our motor home check list which includes starting the generator, checking cruise control operation, checking belts and hoses and tire pressure and condition.

In the state that has more boats per capita than any other state we are fast approaching the annual ritual of the fishing season opening. With all the preparation that goes with this, getting the cabin opened up, dock in,  starting the boat motor and so on, why do people wait till the last moment to hook the trailer up and check the lights? This customer was smart and gave us some time to get the problem fixed. Are your lights and trailer wheel bearings all in working order? Let’s check.

April is National Car Care Month. This may help in understanding and recognizing when there is a problem that needs attention.

http://pro-techautorepair.com/car-care-video-gallery.html

Customer satisfaction has always been important to us, but being a select member of AAA’s Approved Auto Repair and their Total Repair Care programs we take our commitment very seriously. And it shows. I am very proud to announce that for the eleventh straight year we have earned AAA’s Top Shop Award. This award is given to the shops that receive a minimum of 60 online completed costumer surveys per year and maintain a minimum rating of 93%. This last year of the 142 participating shops in Minnesota only 17 received the award last year. I am very proud of the dedicated staff we have and their attention to detail and customer care that make this possible. Way to go everyone! See for yourself what our customers have known for years.

Just a reminder that the Monore Strut & Shock special will be ending at the end of the month. If you haven’t had yours checked or think you might need to have them replaced lets take a look and if needed get in on the great deal.

The importance of have your car inspected by a technician from time to time can’t be understated. Finding the small thing and correcting them before they become big problems is key to reducing the cost of owning a car. Last week we did an oil change for a customer. She said that she knew of no problems and the car was working well. Our road test confirmed this. In preforming our complimentary maintenance inspection we found that the air intake hose was brocken. This hose connects the air cleaner to the engine. When this cracks or breaks it allows unfiltered and unmetered air to enter the engine. Unmetered meaning the computer doesn’t take it into account adjusting fuel mixture. This will cause a check engine light to come on and severe drivability problems. By finding the problem when we did we saved the customer money due to poor fuel economy as well as costs involved in diagnosing the check engine light when it would have come on. It’s National Car Care Month, have your car inspected, it will save hassles as well as money.

April is national car care month. Winter is hard on the cars with the cold temps and the rough spring roads. It’s a time to think about making sure the car is in go and safe driving condition as you start planning trips to the lake, vacation and all the running with kids in summer sports. We have put together a few car care minute clinics that I hope will help you.

http://pro-techautorepair.com/car-care-video-gallery.html

We get a lot of phone calls from customers saying they need to get their car in for a front end alignment. To us this statement sends up red flags. I would say that 80% to 90% of the time an alignment is not what is needed. We will proceed to ask the question “why do you think you need an alignment?” The 3 most common answers we get are; the steering wheel shakes as I drive. This is most often the cause of tires out of balance. As you drive and the tire is spinning at 50 to 60 miles per hour and it’s out of round or out of balance meaning there is a heavy spot on the tire, it can start to bounce like a basketball and cause a bad shake. This if left will cause accelerated tire wear and wear other parts. Second common complaint is a pull to one side or the other on flat roads felt in the steering wheel. This might be an alignment problem but at least 80% of the time it’s due to a tire problem. Thirdly wear is noted on the outside edge of the front tires. If this wear is only on the outer tread rib it could very likely be due to infrequent tire rotation. The outer edge gets worn due to high speed turn such as on a freeway entrance clover leaf. If you take your car in and have it aligned for these problems you may leave disappointed because the cars not fixed. All of these problems should be looked at but an alignment may not correct them. Here is a good article that further explains.

 http://www.helium.com/items/217508-front-end-alignment

Gas prices are on the rise and expected to go higher. I think anything that might help save gas is worth passing on. I found this bit of information; it’s basic but can’t be over stated. Hope it helps, and if at any time you might have questions don’t hesitate to call us.

http://www.rockandrollautoparts.com/bay-area-auto-parts-blog/automotive-tips/3-essential-gas-

As the weather starts getting nicer we often think of spring cleaning. How about the car? We should be past the dirty sloppy winter mess, now it’s time to give the car a good spring cleaning to make it look its best. Here’s what our friends at Wizards Products have to say.

 
So spring is finally here and you’re looking to make your baby shine again . . . Wizards Products has the answer.

First wash the car to get all the winter nastiness off with high quality soap like our Wash Concentrate. Once you’ve washed and dried the vehicle, our Shine Master Polish and Breathable Sealant and Mist-N-Shine Professional Detailer are the 1-2 punch for paint. Seal and protect the paint with our Shine Master Polish. The polymer bond is much stronger than a wax and the shine is miles deep — especially with multiple applications. It’s breathable, so it’s safe for freshly painted surfaces too as they need to breathe during the curing process. Shine Master is also perfect for removing those pesky swirl marks too. For added pop, follow-up with our Mist-N-Shine Professional Detailer. It’s perfect to add a quick gloss and shine to paint, chrome and glass. Use it with a good quality cloth like our Multi-fiber. Not all cloths are created equal!

They have great products. Check out their website at www.WizardsProducts.com for their online store, how-to information and customer testimonials. You can also find their products locally at most NAPA, Carquest and Auto Value stores. Call them at 800-356-7223 for personalized product tech support or to find a dealer near you.  

Count on Pro-Tech to keep your car running its best and count on Wizards Products to keep it looking its best.