MERRY CHRISTMAS

A Christmas Market in Germany. I know it has nothing to do with cars, (other than that you may need one to get there.) but it does have something to do with Superior Auto Works. You see, Joe (the owner) is from Germany, and I (Dutch) am from the Netherlands. So for us it's just a little bit of home. It's something that's part of our heritage, and also something we would love for everybody to experience. Someone told me once that it was as close as Europe would ever get to a "tailgating party". The atmosphere is wonderful and to stay warm in the snow people gather together around fires and drink Gluh Wein. (a mulled wine that is warmed up.)
We at Superior Auto Works hope that your Holidays be filled with joy, and perhaps a little Gluh Wein with some good friends.
Have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!See More

A LITTLE SNOW HUMOR

One winter morning a husband and wife in northern Michigan were listening to the radio during breakfast. They heard the announcer say, “We are going to have 8 to 10 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even-numbered side of the street, so the snowplows can get through.”

So the good wife went out and moved her car. A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the radio announcer said, “We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the odd-numbered side of the street, so The snowplows can get through.”

The husband went out and moved the car again. The next week they are again having breakfast, when the radio announcer says, “We are expecting 12 to 14 inches of snow today. You must park….” Then the electric power went out. The couple got worried, “Honey, I don’t know what to do. Which side of the street do I need to park on so the snowplows can get through?” The husband said. "Let's ask the neighbor, maybe he knows!"

The couple knocked on the neighbor's door, and asked him if he heard the end of the radio message. "No" he said, but then with the love and understanding only a good neighbor can have he said, “I have watched you guys move your car to either side of the street for the last couple of weeks. Why don’t you just leave it in the garage this time.”

Ice, Ice, Baby

We all know the season's upon us! Snow and ice on the roads. Please be careful and take your time getting to your destination. Just in case you forgot since last year what it's all about. We included this video to serve as a reminder.
Enjoy this Christmas season, try not to make a trip to the body-shop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pV7uKn6S4Y

A motorist runs a red light and is photographed by an automated police camera. In the mail a short time later, he receives a photo of his car committing the infraction and a citation for $60. Instead of paying the fine, the motorist mails the police department a photograph of three 20-dollar bills. Several days later, he gets a letter back from the police department. Inside is a photograph of a pa...ir of handcuffs.

A Texas rancher was visiting a farmer in Israel. The proud Israeli showed him around. "Here is where I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. Over there I built a play set for my kids, next to the doghouse," the farmer said.
The land-size was modest, and the Texan was surprised. "Is this all your land?" he asked.
"Yes," the Israeli said proudly. "This is all mine!"
"You mean this is it? This is all of it?" the Texan said incredulously.
"Yes, yes, this is really all mine!"
"Well, son," said the Texan, "back home I'd get in my car before the sun'd come up and I'd drive and drive and drive, and when the sun set, why, I'd only be halfway across my land!"
"Oh, yes," replied the Israeli farmer wistfully, "I used to have a car like that."

INTERNET DIAGNOSTICS

While zooming along on the information highway in a car called Google, I noticed the incredible amount of so called knowledge, insight and "how to's" when it comes to fixing cars. I eagerly perused through much of this info and came to the conclusion that it doesn't leave one any wiser. Most information can be helpful, if the situation you are experiencing is exactly the same as the person who is ...describing his/her qualms or praises. The likelihood of that being the case is slim to none. There are to many variables that come in to play with diagnosing a car problem. The best answer is: "Have your mechanic check it out" (and by that of course I mean Superior Auto Works:) ). He knows your car's history and quirks, and will be able to diagnose all the problems. It's easy to surf the net for cheap fixes, or short cuts. The problem is, they're typically not!

How To Identify Where A Driver Is From

How To Identify Where A Driver Is From

* One hand on wheel, one hand on horn: Chicago
* One hand on wheel, one finger out window: New York
* One hand on wheel, one hand on newspaper, foot solidly on accelerator: Boston
... * One hand on wheel, cradling cell phone, brick on accelerator: California. With gun in lap: Riverside
* Both hands on wheel, eyes shut, both feet on brake, quivering in terror: Ohio, but driving in California.
* Both hands in air, gesturing, both feet on accelerator, head turned to talk to someone in back seat: Italy
* One hand on latte, one knee on wheel, cradling cell phone, foot on brake, mind on game: Seattle
* Four wheel drive pickup truck, shotgun mounted in rear window, beer cans on floor, squirrel tails attached to antenna: Arkansas
* Two hands gripping wheel, blue hair barely visible above window level, driving 35 on the interstate in the left lane with the left blinker on: Florida.

OIL CHANGE

Women
1: Set appointment at Superior Auto Works when the mileage reaches 10000 miles since the last oil change and free tire rotation. (and free rotation every 3 months)
2: Arrive and Relax in the waiting area
3: 45 minutes later, write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.

... Men:
1: Go to auto parts store and write a check for 50 dollars for oil, filter, oil lift (AKA kitty litter), hand cleaner and scented tree.
2: Discover that the used oil container is full. Instead of taking it back to parts store to recycle, dump in hole in back yard.
3: Open a beer and drink it.
4: Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
5: Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
6: In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
7: Place drain pan under engine.
8: Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
9: Give up and use crescent wrench.
10: Unscrew drain plug.
11: Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil; get hot oil on you in process.
12: Clean up.
13: Have another beer while oil is draining.
14: Look for oil filter wrench.
15: Give up; poke oil filter with Phillips screwdriver and twist it off.
16: Beer.
17: Buddy shows up; finish case with him. Finish oil change tomorrow.
18: Next day, drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car.
19: Throw oil lift (AKA kitty litter) on oil spilled during step 18.
20: Beer. No, drank it all yesterday.
21: Walk to 7-11; buy beer.
22: Install new oil filter making sure to apply thin coat of clean oil to gasket first.
23: Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
24: Remember drain plug from step 11.
25: Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
26: Hurry to replace drain plug before the whole quart of fresh oil drains onto floor.
27: Slip with wrench and bang knuckles on frame.
28: Bang head on floor board in reaction.
29: Begin cussing fit.
30: Throw wrench.
31: Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench hit Miss December(1992)
32: Clean up; apply Band-Aid to knuckle.
33: Beer.
34: Beer.
35: Dump in additional 4 quarts of oil.
36: Beer.
37: Lower car from jack stands.
38: Accidentally crush one of the jack stands.
39: Move car back to apply more oil lift (AKA kitty litter) to fresh oil spilled during step 23.
40: Drive car.

TIP OF THE DAY: Parts.

TIP OF THE DAY: Parts. Well folks, the Thanksgiving holiday is over and undoubtedly we all ate more then we should have. This guy did, that's for sure.
I hope everyone had a wonderful time off and found themselves without any car troubles. I know I've talked about the importance of the regular maintenance, however I want to bring up a common problem. In today's economy we all want to save where w...e can. This is a smart thing to do. One can save so much however, that it will cost more in the long run. Take for example the ever returning oil change. You can get your oil changed pretty cheap these days. Unfortunately that means that the parts that are used are typically cheap also. A cheap oil filter for instance can do a lot of damage. There's a lot of responsibility that weighs on the shoulders of the oil filter. If the filtering is sub-par, the oil going through your engine is not clean enough. This can cause the oil to sludge, or blockage of certain oil passages and therefor could cause internal damage to your engine. A cheap filter is prone to leaking. You can imagine what happens when your engine runs out of oil.
Speaking of oil. What kind of oil is put in your engine when you pay $19.99 for your oil change. Oil is not cheap for any body these days, including the shop that puts it in your engine. Under no circumstance am I implying that every shop that offers an inexpensive Oil change uses cheap parts. I am only trying to make everyone aware that there are questions you can ask about what parts are put on or in your car . After all, can anyone really afford to have the extra expense of unnecessary repair costs. I know that talking about spending "a little more", right before Christmas, is probably not very popular. But the old adage
"you get what you pay for" normally does run true.

TIP OF THE DAY: STEERING

TIP OF THE DAY: Steering. We can't drive a car without steering, how would we get where we want to go without that steering wheel? When driving a car that's in good shape, it's easy to forget that there's more to the steering system than just that steering wheel and the tires that you point in the desired direction. Life is good; not a care in the world. (related to the car that is)
Sooner or lat...er however we will be introduced to a struggling steering system.
Most of the time the the signs come in the form of some sort of noise. Such as the famous whining noise when you turn the steering wheel. This is typically a sign that the power steering fluid is low, and an indication of a possible leak. This will result in damage to the pump unless addressed. Then of course there is the ever annoying clunking /knocking noise. Knocking and clunking noises normally mean that something is loose and/or worn out. Sometimes there is that "loose" feel in the wheel, a delayed reaction when turning the wheel, also a sign of worn parts. When you hear these noises, your car is "talking" to you! Listen! Have these things checked out,before it becomes a big problem.See More

TIP OF THE DAY: Wiper Blades

TIP OF THE DAY: Wiper blades. There is nothing worse then the combination of worn wiper blades, road salt, and a low sun. Simple care can lengthen the life of your blades. Just wipe the blades clean occasionally and make sure to use some washer fluid from time to time. Wiper blades are easy to replace and relatively cheap. There are some different style blades available. Frame blades, snow blades,... (which are frame blades with a cover over the frame so it won't freeze) or the beam blade (which is frame-less, and a good option year round). When winter hits and your car is parked outside, pull your wipers off the windshield so they wont freeze to the glass. Wipers that are frozen to the glass and then activated when we get in the car, can damage more then just the blades themselves. They can cause damage to all the linkages, and even the wiper motor. Please, don't get caught with bad wipers in the winter time.See More

TIP OF THE DAY: SUSPENSION

TIP OF THE DAY: Normal driving puts a strain on your vehicle. When the engineers designed the suspension components on your vehicle these conditions were factored in, so a comfortable ride would be attained while the vehicle is in constant motion. Consequently, many suspension parts are moving on a certain plane and for compensation, while other suspension parts move in an opposite direction. These constraint and calculated push and pull factors keep your vehicle within specified limits to create that comfortable ride you so love. However, there are road bumps, hills and dips, road curves, or road shifts of up, down, and sideways which after many miles wear down your suspension parts. Worn suspension will cause your vehicle to bounce or sway. This is an indication that some parts are not doing their job and at the same time, are creating undo stress upon other parts. A failing suspension system can cause real problems in the handling (i.e. steering and stopping) of your vehicle. This is why you need to have your suspension system checked periodically. Anytime to have this done is a good time, however the easiest time is normally when you have your oil changed, since the car is in the shop and on the lift already anyway. It only takes a few more minutes.

TIP OF THE DAY: DRIVE BELTS

TIP OF THE DAY: On most newer vehicles there is one belt that drives multiple items, such as your alternator and power steering pump and air conditioner compressor. This belt is commonly referred to as the serpentine belt. One can understand that if this belt fails, these items will not operate anymore. So make sure that the belt is in good shape, and not cracked and ready to break. A belt that snaps at high RPM can do a lot of damage.

TIP OF THE DAY: SURVIVAL KIT.

TIP OF THE DAY: We had our first snow last night, what a joy!
Please make sure that you have a "survival kit" in each of your cars!
These can be purchased at most automotive parts stores.
Of course the emergency in the snow wouldn't be because of mechanical failure, because you will have your car checked out first at Superior Auto Works....right? :)

TIP OF THE DAY TIRES

TIP OF THE DAY TIRES: Let's talk tires. The better the tread is on your tires, the better grip you get on the road. (especially true for snow and rain) This is a fairly obvious statement that makes sense to all of us. Look at it this way; the stopping power of your car is only as good as your tires, not just the brakes! Even when you are on a on dry surface! Tires that are old and dry and have been on y...our car for over 6 years are in need of inspection, even when the tread is still deep. Rubber deteriorates over time and dries up causing cracks and deformity which can lead to blow outs which automatically comes with unwanted time spent on the side of the road. Please make sure that your tires are in good shape this winter season. Many headaches can be avoided if your car has a new set of "shoes"

TIP OF THE DAY COOLANT

TIP OF THE DAY: The coolant in your engine should be flushed every 2 years. This prevents the fluid from turning acidic, which would cause problems with your coolant system from the inside, and damage things like seals and even the heater core (expensive repair on any car!) Also, the coolant's effectiveness can deteriorate and therefor freeze up during the winter months. (also not a good scenario). If it hasn't been done, get it checked.

Battery Care

Hi everybody. Well here it is. The first Post on our new Blog.
Tip of the day: Get ready for the winter months. Make sure that you have your car in good working order. Get your Battery checked. There is nothing more frustrating then having to jump start a car in 4 feet of snow.
If you would like to know how a battery works click this link.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_battery