Shhh!  I’m going to let you in on a secret. I’m going to give you a tip on how to lose 2 feet of stopping distance every year. As a bonus, I’m going to wear out your tires more quickly. (Btw-have you bought tires recently?  Lots of bucks!) If I did this to your car, you’d probably be calling your lawyer. But, you won’t get mad at all!

Well, the secret is that you are already doing it… all by yourself … without any help from me. I’m willing to bet that you don’t know the last time that your shocks and struts were replaced. No BS…worn shocks eat your tires up!

This isn’t the place for the technical stuff about ride control. If you want to know how shocks and struts work, here’s a website that can do a better job than me… http://www.checkyourshocks.com

All you need to know is that every year that you drive your car, you lose about 2 feet of stopping distance. Your struts slowly lose their ability to recover from driving on our pothole-ridden roads and your regular stop and go driving.

Next time a kid or dog runs out in front of you, will you be able to stop in time?

Just saying…

Years ago car makers gave us “idiot lights” on our dash instead of gauges to warn us if there was a problem with our car. At first, there was the only the oil pressure, water temp and battery lights. Slowly the carmakers added more diagnostic systems with more lights. Then the  EPA forced them to add emission systems which added more lights. The idea was that the car’s diagnostic system would monitor the engine and tell us if there was some sort of engine malfunction. Over the years, we slowly did less and less preventative maintenance on our car and depended more and more on the idiot lights. We are at the point now that if there is a problem, most people have no idea what to do with their vehicle.

One of the most misunderstood lights is the “check engine light”. It started out as a warning that you were getting low on oil. Now it has a much more complicated meaning. As you drive, you car or truck is taking thousands of measurements in as many as a dozen computers in your car. Your vehicle stores that activity in another computer. When there is a problem with your vehicle, the diagnostic system records that problem and turns on the “check engine light” on your dash. It stores a number that translates to the recorded problem.

Finding out what the computer stores is easy. You can buy a gizmo to tell you what the computer says. The challenge is figuring out how to fix the car. The code just gives you the symptom. It doesn’t usually give you the exact repair. You have to guess what the REAL problem is!  The funny thing is that a national auto parts chain will read the code for you (free of charge), but can’t tell what is real problem is with your car. They will sell you the parts for the symptom, but not the malfunction. (Think about a pharmacist selling you aspirin for your broken arm!)  I’ve heard lots of stories about people buying $150 oxygen sensors when the real issue is an unrelated part.

Remember, usually you get what you pay for!

If you have had an experience (good or bad) with your Check Engine Light, let me know.