The timing of replacing your timing belt.

You are one lucky camper if you have a timing chain and not a timing belt that tells your valves when to open or close.  Some Mercedes, Nissans, Toyotas and BMW’s run on chains which last for almost the lifespan of the engine.  Your timing belt however must be replaced anywhere from 60, 90,  thousand miles.  If not, if your engine  is an ‘interference’ type, you can say goodbye to that engine if your timing belt breaks.  If it’s a non-interference type engine, your engine will stall and we may be able to fix it.  Nevertheless, when we replace the timing belt, we recommend that you replace the tensioner and the water pump ’cause they would be as old as the belt itself and the cost accessing the water pump will be taken cared of by the timing belt replacement instead….so you don’t have to spend the same labor hours necessary to replace them later on.  This portion of your engine will be good for another 60k miles or so.  When you go for a check up,  let us tell you when you need these jobs done ’cause we have the data for your specific car.  It’s not healthy on your pocket to take any risk on this.  You don’t want to be in the middle of a cornfield in the dead of winter with a stalled engine.    That would be a bummer.

Winterize Early

Despite recent advances in technology, we still advice you to come visit us for an oil change every 3k miles or 3 months whichever comes first.  If you are using synthetic oil, 5-7K miles is tops.  They may not burn and deteriorate as much as regular petrol based oil but they still get dirty.  Your engine doesn’t tolerate dirt nicely hence, our oil changes are our biggest giveaway.  We start you at an unbeatable price of $8.00 for labor with our 33 points visual inspection included.  This free service will let you ‘winterize’ early without much cost and give you that much confidence with your car during this gloomy months.

In very cold weather conditions, we advice you spend a minute or two to warm up your engine.  You probably notice your gasoline fed engine sounds like a diesel engine knocking on your eardrums during those early winter mornings.  The top portion of your engine, which houses your tappet valves, could be as dry as the Sahara.  You need to let your engine warm up so they can nurture those tiny parts with the much-needed liquid.

As you are warming up your car, turn the heat and the fan up high directing it on your windshield to thaw out the ice off your wiper blades before switching the wiper on.  A lot of blades get torn off or worse, windshield wiper motors burn out in the wintertime.  We know this as fact because most of you come to us after the damage is done.  LOL.  Better yet, I have an idea to share with those of you who don’t have garages.  Pull your wiper blades up and leave them up as you park your car at night.  Thereby you will not have to contend with broken windshield wiper blades or motors.  It will also make your scraping the ice off your windshield procedure much easier.

Some of you have experienced skidding, sliding, spinning while driving on ice and asked us advice on what to do to avoid mishaps.  Jokingly, we probably advised you to stay home as our law enforcement agencies do, but we are serious about this.  No one is ‘good’ on ice except penguins and ice skaters because they have some kind of traction and lots of practice.  You don’t.  In the winter time, when cold rubber meets that icy road, even if you have the genes of Michael Schumacher or Danica Patrick, you would be like a duck trying to do a Holiday On Ice Show.  Ouch.  Aloha!

It’s Autumn Guys and Gals

It’s TIME to take advantage of our FREEBEES:

1. For every oil change at Aloha, you get a 33 point inspection for FREE

2. If it squeaks or squeals, you don’t have a mouse in your car.  Let us check your brakes for FREE

3. If your car’s ‘purr’ turns into a ‘roar’, let us check your exhaust system for FREE

4. Check engine light on?  No sweat, we’ll scan your car for FREE

5. Do you know when your timing belt was replaced?  (You can liken this most important part of your car to a pacemaker, if it breaks, you could muerto). Come in to Aloha to find out if it’s due to be replaced and we’ll give you an estimate for FREE

PS.  To our patrons:  we highly advise you to join what is known as the Triple A/Hoosier Motor Club.  Click on this link, www.AAA.com

Get the A ‘plus’ membership because you have no idea how much it will save you in towing fees alone.

This saving will allow you to enjoy more of Indiana and the surrounding states’ picturesque autumnal falling leaves, the browning trees of Brown county, etc.

Aloha

Spring-time Tips

Just like what you do at home when the birds start to sing, you put on your gloves, whistle your favorite tune and start the spring-cleaning routine. (You’d probably want to get your husband, friend or neighbor help you clean your car).

In most part of the country, some of you may have done this already but not here in good old Hoosier land where we had snow on our cars last night and it’s already Holy Week.

Regardless, this is how you may want to start. Wash the salt out of your car’s undercarriage as you get the exterior washed. Clean all of the interior, and bring your car for an oil change, fluids and filter inspection.  Replace your winter tires with regular ones if you aren’t using all-weather tires and make sure you have them all inflated according to what your car manufacturer recommends. Go to your favorite repair shop that would give you a full 16-22 point inspection for free whenever you go for an oil change. If you feel anything different, like a pull to the right or hear a sound that wasn’t there before, share these with your favorite mechanic to give him/her a heads up on what to look for. They may be experienced and great at what they do but there are really a million things that can go wrong in your much-used and abused machine. They can use all the help they can get, specially from you who drive your ‘beauty or beast’ everyday with no regard to it’s make up.

You do all of these because you want to be trouble free when you flap your wings to your favorite destination through spring and summer just like the birds you see around you.

jfs