Archive for March, 2009
Will any of the big three survive?
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As I watch the news and read the blogs I wonder if in five years if there will be even one of the big Detroit three still standing…and more importantly, profitable. I wonder how big icons that transformed this country since the early 1900s can be in such dire condition. Is it global competition? Is it labor costs? Is it consumer product choices? Or is it truly the economy? In five years will you still be able to purchase a Ford, GM, or Chrysler vehicle? Or will those names go to the graveyard like American Motors, Packard, Willys, Duesenberg, Studebaker, and hundreds of other defunct automakers?
You Know Cars, They Know YouTube
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Basic Google Site created during the Presentation
Ford Model T, Volkswagen Beetle, and the Tata Nano?
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Tata Nano
Register your tires!
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Go to your Tire Manufacturer's Website to Register Your New Tires
Here is a link on how to read the DOT number – TireRack.com
How to read a tire sidewall Click Here
Register your Goodyear Tires Click Here
Register your Bridgestone-Firestone Tires Click Here
Register your Cooper Tires Click Here
Register your Michelin Tires Click Here
Register your Dunlop Tires Click Here
Register your Pirelli Tires Click Here
Register your Toyo Tires Click Here
Register your BFGoodrich Tires Click Here
Register your General Tires Click Here
Auto Upkeep is for Everyone!
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News-Review Website
Following is link to a great article highlighting the importance of basic car care education for all drivers. DD Bixby from the News-Review highlights Ron Sperry’s class at Roseburg High School in Oregon. Roseburg is one of 300+ schools using the Auto Upkeep curriculum in the US and Canada to teach basic car care, maintenance, and repair. Read the article titled “Girls on the Hood” at the News-Review website.
Are Your Tires Rotating in the Correct Direction?
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Look for the Rotation Symbol on the Side of Directional Tires
Yesterday I accompanied my sister to a well known automotive repair chain to help her purchase two tires for her Honda Civic. We asked the salesperson about the Uniform Tire Quality Grading ratings of Treadwear, Traction, and Temperature and what was included in the out the door price. We wanted to make sure the cost covered mounting, balancing, tire disposal, and new valve stems. After receiving all the information and being satisfied with the price, they began installing the two tires. I asked the service manager if the tire tech was going to torque the lug nuts and he said yes. I also asked the service manager if the tires were directional and he said yes. We stood behind the yellow line and watched the tire tech install the two tires. After mounting and balancing, he put the wheels back on the car, tightened the lug nuts with torque sticks (these are connected to an impact wrench and are designed to only allow the lug nuts to get tightened to a specific lb-ft of torque). He lowered the car to the ground and double checked the lug nuts with a hand held torque wrench. I was impressed! I really appreciate it when tire techs take the extra minute to double check the lug nuts with a torque wrench. My sister received the bill for her tires. As she was paying for the tires I decided to inspect the tires to make sure the tech put the tires on correctly given the fact that they were directional. Directional tires have an arrow pointing in the direction of rotation when the vehicle is moving forward. Surely the tech looked at these before installing the tires? He impressed me so far. Unfortunately the tires were on backwards! They quickly fixed the problem, but I thought how many directional tires are out there that are going in the wrong direction? This facility is a nationwide chain and I was an educated consumer asking many questions. What should you take away from this blog post? Ask questions and don’t be afraid to double check the technician’s work. When purchasing new tires make sure you get new valve stems, the tires are balanced, the lug nuts are torqued to the correct specifications, and finally if you get directional tires make sure they are installed correctly.
“Neat New Curriculum” – Jamin
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Jamin's Website
See what Jamin and her husband have to say about the Auto Upkeep Homeschool Curriculum Kit -
I like how the workbook chapters break down one section of the car at a time. It goes from the most basic to the more complicated. In the workbook each chapter has web links to go to and activities to call around and get quotes and information from different places. I like that it gets the kids involved and getting experience as they use the curriculum.
The manual explains all the different tools you will need to use and what they are for. It explains how to check fluids, the electrical system and what the different systems are. There are a lots of web links so the information will remain up to date. It also talks about being green and recycling things like oil and other fluids which is important.
The manual also breaks up the expenses of having a car. It goes in to expenses such as maintenance, insurance, cost of the car, repairs, etc. It also has information to figure out how many of your work hours will go to paying for your car each week. This will be good for our oldest to do next Fall.
The whole package looks very professional and complete!
Read the complete review HERE
What does it cost to replace ________?
Posted by: | CommentsI often get emails with people asking me, “What does it cost to replace _____?” The quick answer is that it really depends on the vehicle. My best advice is to call around to at least three service centers (dealer e.g., Ford), chain repair center (e.g., Midas), and a local independent repair facility. Below I pasted some “general” price guides.
Service/maintenance procedures that are commonly performed when a vehicle reaches the 60,000 to 100,000 mile (5 to 8 year) range include:
- Tires ~ $400 to $600
- Battery ~ $75
- Spark Plugs ~ $75 to $125 (Parts and Labor)
- Serpentine Belt ~ $75 to $125 (Parts and Labor)
- Brake Pads/Shoes and Fluid Flush ~ $200 to $400 (Parts and Labor)
- Fuel Filter ~ $75 to $100 (Parts and Labor)
- Timing Belt (not all vehicles have, some have a timing chain) ~ $500 to $700 (some water pumps are driven by the timing belt, so this is commonly replaced too) (Parts and Labor)
- Struts (when the struts are replaced, you also need an alignment) ~ $500 to $1000 (Parts and Labor)
- Transmission Flush (Fluid and Filter) ~ $150 (Parts and Labor)
- Cabin Air Filter ~ $50 to $75
After 100,000 miles you may also need to replace the following…you generally don’t replace unless they are giving you a problem.
- Starter ~ $200 to $400 (Parts and Labor)
- Alternator ~ $200 to $400 (Parts and Labor)
- In-tank Fuel Pump ~ $400 to $800 (Parts and Labor)
- C-V Joints ~ $400 (Parts and Labor)
- Exhaust (muffler and pipes) ~ $200 – $300 (Parts and Labor)
- Oxygen Sensors ~ $200 to $400 (Parts and Labor)
The disclaimer is that it really depends on the vehicle. Many of the above repairs can be performed for significantly less if you do them yourself…it’s not the parts that generally bite you it is the labor. To save money, online repair manuals are available that can step do-it-yourselfers through the process. The key is to follow the recommended service intervals in your owner’s manual to prevent unexpected (and often more expensive) repairs.
Auto Upkeep Homeschool Kit reviewed by Top Blogger
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APonderingHeart.com
I am pleased to announce that Miss Jocelyn, the top commenter at HomeschoolBlogger.com and publisher of www.aponderingheart.com, recently reviewed our Auto Upkeep Homeschool Curriculum Kit. You can read the review and comments at http://aponderingheart.com/blog/?p=1900. I also pasted the review below:
Auto Upkeep Homeschool Curriculum Kit review by Jocelyn Dixon (17 year old Homeschooler – www.aponderingheart.com)
When I was contacted about reviewing the Auto Upkeep kit I was very excited and pleased to be able to use it. It’s courses like these that people think homeschoolers miss out on, but there is opportunity in everything to learn. The Auto Upkeep curriculum was written by a husband and wife team, Mike and Linda Gray, who both grew up knowing how to handle cars by helping with their family automotive businesses. They wrote this curriculum to enable everyday people to know the basics of car maintenance.
Excerpt from AutoUpkeep.com
“Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care was first published in July 2003, but that date really only represents the starting point for Rolling Hills Publishing. By 2003 Auto Upkeep had already been a work in progress for several years. The author Michael Gray has always been interested in the automobile. He started in the automotive field at the early age of twelve in his family’s service station. In the mid 90s Michael implemented and taught a basic high school automotive program. This program is still a popular elective at that high school.”The kit includes a workbook, textbook, and instruction resource disc. These are sturdy materials with thick pages and large text. The workbook is pre-made to be placed in a three-ring binder and the textbook has a nice hardcover so they can be placed anywhere without being easily damaged.
This curriculum is set up for middle and high school grades, but my 11year-old brother could easily go through it and still I think a younger age could use it. Throughout both books there are over 400 illustrations and drawings to make it easy for the student to understand in given details of text and images. On the disc you will find documents and PDFs of syllabuses, activities, questions, examines, and more to use on your computer or print off.
The student uses this curriculum by reading over a chapter in the textbook and then going to the workbook to complete activities, questions, and quizzes based on each chapter. Both are easy to follow and read. I really liked how there are different signs for different topics of information, in balloons and sidebars, in both books. These not only inform the student, but keep them interested while completing the chapter. They make this a well-rounded curriculum with including information that may not be directly on auto upkeep, but certainly is important. In the beginning of the textbook a history is given of the automotive’s progression and impact on the course of the world since the 1770’s. You don’t often get to read about this kind of information, unless the guy at the mechanics is quite friendly. Ha!
They make this an interactive course. It’s not just reading or writing. It’s getting involved and getting to put into practice what you’ve learned. They have you going out to your own car to find parts that are important to locate and identify. Giving you info on what to look for in a car, buying, expenses, and safety.
Excerpt from AutoUpkeep.com…
“We want to provide you with the best resources possible. We value your input. We are constantly working to develop and improve Auto Upkeep and additional teaching resources to make learning about car care easy and fun. If you have suggestions on how to improve our products, please email us.”This is a curriculum that can be used for a one on one or in a group. You can buy them in sets for co-ops or buy just a replacement workbook to use with the textbook and disc again and again. On their website you can find frequently asked questions, ask a question, visit their blog or watch videos on their YouTube channel. They thought of everything!
Whether you have someone to show how to keep basic auto maintenance or not this curriculum will benefit you. As a young lady this type of job will be something I’ll let the men do, but it is useful knowledge I need if ever I should be put into a position where I have to do it myself. Being prepared for anything, even changing a tire yourself, is one of the best traits of a homekeeper can have.
