February 2011 ~ Craft Collision Center

Thursday, February 24, 2011

How to wash your car like the pros

Posted by Billy Craft Automotive on 11:28 AM

A good, thorough car wash involves more than simply running your car through a machine. I visited Mothers, well-known manufacturer of car washing and detailing products, to learn how to wash a car the way the pros do it.

What you will need:

1. Car wash soap. Don't use dish soap! Dish soap is hard on rubber components, plus it can remove your car's wax coat.
2. A wash mitt made of sheepskin or microfiber cloth. Both materials are designed to pick up and hold dirt. Sponges work too, but a wash mitt makes the job easier and is kinder to your car's finish. Don't use towels; they merely push the dirt around rather than pick it up.
3. Two buckets.
4. A drying cloth. Chamois (natural or synthetic) is the traditional choice, but it can scratch your car's paint. An absorbent waffle-weave drying towel makes the job faster and easier. You'll also need a few extra microfiber detail towels.
5. A shady location. (Direct sunlight will dry the car prematurely and leave spots.)
6. A dirty car.

Read more: http://cars.about.com/od/adviceforowners/ss/howtowash.htm

Winter Auto Maintenance Checklist

Posted by Billy Craft Automotive on 5:07 AM

Winter is upon us, and winter driving comes with it. While safety is an important consideration all year long, there are certainly some auto maintenance jobs and safety checks that are specific to chilled air and winter driving that are a good idea to check into before we're knee deep in the season. To be sure you don't end up a road popsicle, or even worse end up with your holiday budget on ice thanks to unexpected repairs, have a look under the hood to be sure things are ship shape. As with any change of season, you should go to your regular maintenance log to make sure you are up to date on the maintenance items that should be taken care of throughout the year. The change of seasons is a great time to go through some once-a-year or twice-a-year auto maintenance tasks.

Winter Specific Maintenance
In addition to the added perils of winter driving, the change in weather can bring peril to your car's systems. Freezing temps, salted roads and wintery precipitation can gang up on your car if you don't give it a baseball-bat sized maintenance session. These winter maintenance jobs will keep you out of trouble:

Check your antifreeze
Your antifreeze (the juice that goes in your radiator) is an essential part of your car's winter protection. Your car contains a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze. Make sure the level is full and the mixture is close to 50/50. Many service stations and repair centers will check this mixture free, or you can buy a tester for around $5. You did remember to perform a radiator flush last spring, didn't you?

Read more: http://autorepair.about.com/od/regularmaintenance/a/winterchecklist.htm

Winter Car Tips and Tricks for Easier Winter Driving

Posted by Billy Craft Automotive on 5:04 AM

Winter is a tough time of year where vehicles are concerned. Iced windshields, frozen locks, and getting stuck in mud and snow are all too common winter automotive realities. Follow these simple tips and tricks to make winter driving life a little easier.

Warming Up

A good general rule to start with - always warm up your car or truck before you go driving in the winter. Revving a cold engine causes additional wear, and a warm car with cleared windows is much more safe and comfortable to get into.

Windows

Ice covered windows are not only a pain, they are unsafe. Prevent ice from covering your windshields during a storm with these tricks. Put a large, flattened piece of cardboard or the floor mats from your car over the windshield, securing them under the wipers when parking during a storm. When it’s time to leave again, gently crack the wipers free and remove the covering; your windshield will be clear and ice-free, without any scraping. Large garbage bags taped together and laid across the windshield, closed in the doors, protects from ice build ups, too.

Keyless entry systems vulnerable to high-tech car thieves

Posted by Billy Craft Automotive on 11:06 AM

Remote keyless entry has been around for a while – since the late 1980s, in fact – and today it’s almost standard on all new cars. But the pervasiveness of this feature is not without consequence. As researchers in Switzerland point out, the technology can make vehicle theft a breeze for a savvy thief. Remote keyless-entry systems use radio waves that typically are specific to a manufacturer, and the signals are usually encrypted. When your vehicle’s key fob is within 20 feet of the car, you’re allowed to transmit a signal to unlock the doors, pop the trunk, remote start your car (when equipped) or activate the car alarm. Researchers at ETH Zurich discovered that these encrypted signals are easy to intercept and trick.

The theft works by setting up two antennas, one near the targeted vehicle and one near the holder of the key fob — be it in a purse, bag or pocket. This equipment can usually be purchased for $100 to $1,000. The person with the antenna aimed at the owner of the key fob needs to get within 26 feet of the target. In a store, this could be a few aisles away, so as to not arouse suspicion.

Read the full article: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1690/keyless-entry-systems-vulnerable-to-high-tech-car-thieves/

74 Tips To Extend the Life of Your Car

Posted by Billy Craft Automotive on 10:30 AM

Care and Maintenance Tips Keep Your Car Running in Top-Notch Condition
We’ve compiled our best expert advice, surprising tricks, and car care tips to prolong the life of your automobile!
1. Be patient during the break-in period
You’ve bought your dream car and now you want to make it last at long as possible in top condition. Here are some things to remember as you pull it out of the dealer’s lot:

During the break-in period, typically the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km), keep your speed under 55 mph (88 kpm) or to the speed recommended by your car’s manufacturer.
Avoid heavy loads on the drive train, such as towing trailers, and loading the roof rack or trunk with heavy construction materials.
Do not allow your new car to idle for long periods — this is good advice for the life of your car, but especially during breakin. The oil pressure generated by doing so may not be sending oil to every part of your engine.
Use only light to medium acceleration, keeping the engine rpms below 3,000 for the first few hours of driving.

Read the full article: http://www.rd.com/money/74-car-care-tips-to-keep-your-automobile-in-topnotch-condition/

Great tips!

Posted by Billy Craft Automotive on 12:12 PM

Check out our new commercial

Posted by Billy Craft Automotive on 12:09 PM

Tips to avoid Deer collisions

Posted by Billy Craft Automotive on 12:09 PM

Now that fall has arrived, deer and drivers are sharing the highways of the wooded south. Allstate's Southern Region cautions motorists to be more aware of their surroundings so that they can avoid deer collisions.

"Once the first frost arrives, male deer activity increases and we generally see more auto and deer collisions," says Allstate spokesman, Michael Brewer. "Drivers need to be extra cautious when driving to make sure that they don't hit deer running across the road. Not only can the deer be harmed, but it is also a dangerous situation for the passengers in the vehicle, not to mention the potential damage to an automobile."

November is typically deer mating season. This means Whitetail deer will be more active, and more likely to be involved in a car-deer crash. Allstate estimates these crashes cause American drivers at least $130 million in damage each year, or $2,000 per vehicle. Allstate recommends installing deer whistles or other associated devices to protect drivers in rural and/or wooded areas.