Is it bad to top off your tank? Yes.
Ok, I am done. Just take my word for it, you don’t want to top off your tank.
Well fine, I can give you some reasons. Actually the newest, most shocking reason that I just ran across is because topping off your tank can cause CANCER!
For years we have know that continuing to pump after the fuel nozzle at the station clicks off can damage the vehicles vapor recovery system. It has been happening for years and can cost some money to fix. It has been the reason that we have discouraged the top off trend.
But, CANCER! Well according to the EPA and the President’s Cancer Panel: A small fuel spill or damage to the vapor recovery system can allow toxic chemicals such as cancer-causing benzene to come into contact with your skin or get into your lungs.
Want to read more ways to avoid the big C? The latest is out, just click here.
Taken from ThatCarLady.com blog site
Daylight Savings Time Ends
This Weekend
Sunday, November 6, is the end of daylight savings time this year. Once again we will be driving home in the dark, our kids will be returning from ball practice, choir or studying at the library in the dark. Now is the time to check all of the lighting on your cars. It will only take a few minutes to do a walk around each car and insure that the headlamps, stop lights, turn signals and tail lamps are working as designed.
We are also entering the cooler weather that Houstonians call winter. Thank God we don't live in the frozen north! Even the mild winter we have here can have a damaging effect on our cars. There are some things that need to be checked.
First off check the tire pressure. The cooler weather will cause the air pressure in the tires to drop. If you have a tire pressure warning system the light may come on. This doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the tire, just a change in weather.
Next check the age and condition of your coolant. We don't get many nights below freezing, but we do get some. A few hours below 32 degrees can cause weak coolant to freeze and damage the engine block.
Check the heater and defroster to make sure they will work when needed. You should consider a coolant flush if there is more than 2 years on the existing coolant. Clean coolant will transfer heat better allowing your heater to work better while protecting the engine from both cold and heat related problems.
Of course take a look at the windshield wipers. I know we haven't needed them in recent months due to our drought, but they have sat baking in the sun for months now and the cold weather will only them more brittle and useless.
If you plan to travel to colder climates for the holidays or winter vacation talk to you shop about what other precautions you need to take.
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Odd Problems Encountered
A car came into Young's Automotive shop last week because the customer couldn't get it to shift out of park. The battery was bad.
A Chevy Aveo came into Freedom Automotive because the starter wouldn't turn over. The instrument panel was bad.
The air conditioning and power windows wouldn't work at all on a Ford. The neutral safety switch on the transmission was bad.
While driving down the road a pickup would start running bad, the warning lights flicker and the gauges jitter back and forth. The negative battery cable was bad.
These are actual cases that we have seen in our shop or our friends have had in their shops. They all have something in common; it took detailed information about the vehicles and a technician willing to look beyond the obvious to find the problem.
With the technology on modern cars it is often foolhardy and possibly dangerous to tinker with them. At best it can be an expensive guess. I know a lot of our customers, listeners and readers like to tackle maintenance and minor repairs themselves. I have no problem with that as long as you do it armed with the proper information and tools to do the job.
When I first started repairing cars they were not nearly as complex, but we didn't have the internet then either. Today you can access all the information you need for your car right on your home computer. Time taken before you tackle a job may save you a lot of time and money.
One of my favorite websites, and one we use at the shop all the time is Alldata. Individuals can sign up for all of the information on Alldata for their car for one year for a $26.95. If the information prevents one mistake it pays for itself. Our subscription at the shop runs about $1500 per year. You can find Alldata here: www.alldatadiy.com
We also use the manufacturer's information websites. These are available to anyone for a fee. Some, such as Ford and Toyota, base the fee on a short time usage. You can subscribe to everything that is distributed to their dealer networks for as low as $25 for 72 hours. You can find the list of OEM information sites here; http://www.nastf.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3452
There are also hundreds of forum sites for particular models. You need to be careful when using these amateur sites though. I have found a lot of misinformation on them. I have also found some good pointers and advice. My best suggestion here is not to use a single unsupported source.
Of course you can always call the show on Saturday mornings, or drop by the shop and we will be glad to steer you in the right direction. An informed car owner makes a good customer!
Why is a Car's WINDSHIELD so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small?
Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE.
So, Look Ahead and Move on. |
