Tips archive

Tips Archive

March 2006

I know some of you will say I am wrong and say you always wash from the top down but follow me on this and you might change your mind.

The first thing I do is to place the end of the wand on the floor with the nozzle angled up and slide it under the vehicle sliding it in and out under the vehicle as far as possible and over lap the passes by half each time. I will do this on all sides plus the front and rear rocking the nozzle to change the angle and twisting the wand from side to side. I will do this until the water dripping from the under carriage looks clean. Remember the under side of the vehicle has lots of cavities so this can take some time and effort, also if the engine has been run for a awhile the exhaust will be hot and there will be some steam, be assured you will do no damage.

After you are satisfied the under side is clean start on the body washing from front to rear in sweeping stokes from the bottom and progressing to the top. Then wash from the top down keeping the nozzle at a slight angle to the surface and a few inches away. When washing the moldings and trim back the nozzle a few more inches away, I have seen several molding blasted off from pressure. I always wash this way because if you wash from the top down, the water washing down the body becomes more and more salty and dirty and harder to rinse and more liable to leave streaks.

Be sure to rinse well and if you have a clean Chamois or cloth dry the vehicle. This will remove water spots and leave a dry shiny surface that will stay cleaner longer and if the car wash has a wax setting try it. Some car washes have a better wax setting than others so when you wash your vehicle try different car washes until you find the wash you like.

Good bye for now.

March
2005
I see the snow is melting and the water is running in the street. Now might be the time to remove the winter front, tuck the block heater cord out of the way and prepare for to upcoming warm weather. Some of you changed to a light oil for better starting during the winter and you may be thinking about changing back to a summer grade, something to think about is adding summer washer fluid to the windshield washer tank. winter washer fluid may be used all year long however summer fluid has less antifreeze and more soap so it will not evaporate as quickly during the summer heat and will do more to remove bugs. Have your summer tires checked over and installed saving the winter tires for another season, if you only have two winter tires and they have a third of the usable wear left, think of purchasing another pair the same six when they come on sale and move the old tire to the other axle. More to follow next month.

Drive safely

January
2005

The Holidays have come and gone and I hope they went well for you. Now it seems the cold is bearing down on us to remind us of where we live and who we are. I would like to remind you to make sure you are equipped for winter travel, keep a survival kit in the vehicle not in the trunk or tool box, a lady almost lost her life because she opened a door and them could not close it against the force of the wind and driving snow. When they found her she was huddled in a corner almost completely covered with snow. I said it before and I will repeat it, make sure you have:

Water to drink
high energy food
Blanket or snow suit or better both
warn high top boots
warm high cuff mitts
candles or a can of Sterno
metal container to place the candle or Sterno in
matches or a lighter
flashlight with good batteries, ( I bought a shaker light for my wife it has no batteries to go dead you shake it for a minute and you have about three to five minutes light before you have to shake it again, available at Radio Shack)
cell phone with a fully charged battery

these are some of the things I call necessities if you travel on Saskatchewan winter roads.

Safe travels

December
2004
One of the most neglected parts on a vehicle are the tires, these usually black donut like objects at the four corners of your car or truck are what provides contact with the ground to 1 get you moving 2 get you stopped and 3 to point you in the direction you wish to go. As the vehicles got more complicated and involved so have tires, some vehicles have moved from 15 to perhaps 20 or 22 inch wheels. This means big expense, in both in the purchase and maintenance, however with proper care you can make your tires last longer, save on replacement cost, stay safe and increase fuel mileage. The key ingredients are size and type, inflation, alignment, rotation and balance. If you have the recommended size and type properly inflated aligned and balanced you will reduce cost of operation and insure your safety.

If you have any questions or concerns don't be afraid to ask your local mechanic or tire shop or give us a call, we are all here to help.

Merry Christmas and a safe Holiday

Vern and the staff at
Randall Automotive.

November
2004
As I have been shopping for Christmas presents I have seen several items I think would be a welcome gift for any person traveling the highways and byways. At our local NAPA store I found a very complete winter travel kit that had most if not all of the necessities for winter travel, For the craftsman our local Acklands Grainger has a very nice Crescent tool kit with sockets, screwdrivers and wrench's. At Sargent's Auto Electric they have tool bins with some nice additions to anybody's tool box. Check out your local automotive supply store for gifts other than you normal socks, coffee mugs and ties.
Stay Safe and Happy

Drive safely

October
2004
Winter can be cruel and hard where I live with temperatures dropping to -40 something. This is not the time to scrimp on preparing you vehicle for winter. I suggest having your antifreeze checked and adjusted to -40, have all belts and hoses checked and replaced if worn, or old. If plugging in is a problem, consider changing to a 0/30 synthetic or synthetic blend oil and don't forget the block heater, have it checked for both operation and seepage. Some vehicles are hard to start in extreme cold even when every thing is checked and working. This may be the time to install a second block heater, this can be used when temperatures are expected to drop to the -30/-40 region.

Every vehicle you drive should carry a survival kit with food, blanket, candle or Sterno, matches and water. If you buy a survival kit some come with flares and this is something to think about as these kits are packed for long time storage and have a good supply of needed items. Last, but never least, you should have a good spare tire, small shovel, booster cables, a bag of gritty type
kitty litter, short but strong tow rope and a small piece of carpet to kneeling on. If you are ever broke down on the road and you have to start your candle or Sterno for heat, be sure to open a window on the opposite side of the vehicle from the wind, you only need to open it one or two millimetres for ventilation.

If there is something you would like to see here in Tips please e-mail me and I will do my best to get it on for you. Stay safe and well during this season of winter motoring.

September
2004
Winter is fast approaching and now is the time to be thinking of your cooling system. Your cooling system contains a mixture of water and glycol either ethylene or polypropylene either of which have a limited life. Ethylene based coolant has an effective life of approximately two years while the polypropylene based coolant will last approximately five years, if you have not had your cooling system serviced within this period flushing and refilling with fresh coolant will help extend the life of your cooling system and reduce the chance of trouble. While having your cooling system serviced ask to have the thermostat replaced at the same time. This will help the engine to operate at the proper temperature and keep the heater at top efficiency.

Happy and trouble free motoring.

August
2004
Tires should be checked for proper inflation pressure preferably once a month. Low pressure the worst enemy of your tires, causes excessive tire wear dangerous heat buildup which can cause a tire to fail along the highway and also increased fuel costs because of reduced mileage. Tire pressures can be found on the door pillars of your car, in the owners manual or by calling us no charge or obligation.

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March 2006		I know some of you will say I am wrong and say you always wash from the top down but follow me on this and you might change your mind. The first thing I do is to place the end of the wand on the floor with the nozzle angled up and slide it under the vehicle sliding it in and out under the vehicle as far as possible and over lap the passes by half each time. I will do this on all sides plus the front and rear rocking the nozzle to change the angle and twisting the wand from side to side. I will do this until the water dripping from the under carriage looks clean. Remember the under side of the vehicle has lots of cavities so this can take some time and effort, also if the engine has been run for a awhile the exhaust will be hot and there will be some steam, be assured you will do no damage. After you are satisfied the under side is clean start on the body washing from front to rear in sweeping stokes from the bottom and progressing to the top. Then wash from the top down keeping the nozzle at a slight angle to the surface and a few inches away. When washing the moldings and trim back the nozzle a few more inches away, I have seen several molding blasted off from pressure. I always wash this way because if you wash from the top down, the water washing down the body becomes more and more salty and dirty and harder to rinse and more liable to leave streaks. Be sure to rinse well and if you have a clean Chamois or cloth dry the vehicle. This will remove water spots and leave a dry shiny surface that will stay cleaner longer and if the car wash has a wax setting try it. Some car washes have a better wax setting than others so when you wash your vehicle try different car washes until you find the wash you like. Good bye for now.

March 2005		I see the snow is melting and the water is running in the street. Now might be the time to remove the winter front, tuck the block heater cord out of the way and prepare for to upcoming warm weather. Some of you changed to a light oil for better starting during the winter and you may be thinking about changing back to a summer grade, something to think about is adding summer washer fluid to the windshield washer tank. winter washer fluid may be used all year long however summer fluid has less antifreeze and more soap so it will not evaporate as quickly during the summer heat and will do more to remove bugs. Have your summer tires checked over and installed saving the winter tires for another season, if you only have two winter tires and they have a third of the usable wear left, think of purchasing another pair the same six when they come on sale and move the old tire to the other axle. More to follow next month. Drive safely

January 2005		The Holidays have come and gone and I hope they went well for you. Now it seems the cold is bearing down on us to remind us of where we live and who we are. I would like to remind you to make sure you are equipped for winter travel, keep a survival kit in the vehicle not in the trunk or tool box, a lady almost lost her life because she opened a door and them could not close it against the force of the wind and driving snow. When they found her she was huddled in a corner almost completely covered with snow. I said it before and I will repeat it, make sure you have: Water to drink high energy food Blanket or snow suit or better both warn high top boots warm high cuff mitts candles or a can of Sterno metal container to place the candle or Sterno in matches or a lighter flashlight with good batteries, ( I bought a shaker light for my wife it has no batteries to go dead you shake it for a minute and you have about three to five minutes light before you have to shake it again, available at Radio Shack) cell phone with a fully charged battery these are some of the things I call necessities if you travel on Saskatchewan winter roads. Safe travels

December 2004		One of the most neglected parts on a vehicle are the tires, these usually black donut like objects at the four corners of your car or truck are what provides contact with the ground to 1 get you moving 2 get you stopped and 3 to point you in the direction you wish to go. As the vehicles got more complicated and involved so have tires, some vehicles have moved from 15 to perhaps 20 or 22 inch wheels. This means big expense, in both in the purchase and maintenance, however with proper care you can make your tires last longer, save on replacement cost, stay safe and increase fuel mileage. The key ingredients are size and type, inflation, alignment, rotation and balance. If you have the recommended size and type properly inflated aligned and balanced you will reduce cost of operation and insure your safety. If you have any questions or concerns don't be afraid to ask your local mechanic or tire shop or give us a call, we are all here to help. Merry Christmas and a safe Holiday Vern and the staff at Randall Automotive.

November 2004		As I have been shopping for Christmas presents I have seen several items I think would be a welcome gift for any person traveling the highways and byways. At our local NAPA store I found a very complete winter travel kit that had most if not all of the necessities for winter travel, For the craftsman our local Acklands Grainger has a very nice Crescent tool kit with sockets, screwdrivers and wrench's. At Sargent's Auto Electric they have tool bins with some nice additions to anybody's tool box. Check out your local automotive supply store for gifts other than you normal socks, coffee mugs and ties. Stay Safe and Happy Drive safely

October 2004		Winter can be cruel and hard where I live with temperatures dropping to -40 something. This is not the time to scrimp on preparing you vehicle for winter. I suggest having your antifreeze checked and adjusted to -40, have all belts and hoses checked and replaced if worn, or old. If plugging in is a problem, consider changing to a 0/30 synthetic or synthetic blend oil and don't forget the block heater, have it checked for both operation and seepage. Some vehicles are hard to start in extreme cold even when every thing is checked and working. This may be the time to install a second block heater, this can be used when temperatures are expected to drop to the -30/-40 region. Every vehicle you drive should carry a survival kit with food, blanket, candle or Sterno, matches and water. If you buy a survival kit some come with flares and this is something to think about as these kits are packed for long time storage and have a good supply of needed items. Last, but never least, you should have a good spare tire, small shovel, booster cables, a bag of gritty type kitty litter, short but strong tow rope and a small piece of carpet to kneeling on. If you are ever broke down on the road and you have to start your candle or Sterno for heat, be sure to open a window on the opposite side of the vehicle from the wind, you only need to open it one or two millimetres for ventilation. If there is something you would like to see here in Tips please e-mail me and I will do my best to get it on for you. Stay safe and well during this season of winter motoring.

September 2004		Winter is fast approaching and now is the time to be thinking of your cooling system. Your cooling system contains a mixture of water and glycol either ethylene or polypropylene either of which have a limited life. Ethylene based coolant has an effective life of approximately two years while the polypropylene based coolant will last approximately five years, if you have not had your cooling system serviced within this period flushing and refilling with fresh coolant will help extend the life of your cooling system and reduce the chance of trouble. While having your cooling system serviced ask to have the thermostat replaced at the same time. This will help the engine to operate at the proper temperature and keep the heater at top efficiency. Happy and trouble free motoring.

August 2004		Tires should be checked for proper inflation pressure preferably once a month. Low pressure the worst enemy of your tires, causes excessive tire wear dangerous heat buildup which can cause a tire to fail along the highway and also increased fuel costs because of reduced mileage. Tire pressures can be found on the door pillars of your car, in the owners manual or by calling us no charge or obligation.


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