1. What’s In Your Trunk?
   Remember that winter emergency kit you made? Probably not along with the rest of the extra things you may be carrying in your car’s many storage compartments. Be sure to remove any unnecessary items you may have tucked away over time and this will reduce the overall weight of your car, improving fuel efficiency.
2. Check Tire Pressure and Rotate Tires Regularly?
   We are used to stopping weekly, even daily for some to get gas. Why not get in the habit of also checking your air pressure on your tires at the same time? Proper tire pressure and regular rotation of tires (usually every other oil change) ensures there is less resistance for the vehicle on pavement saving you dollars at the pump.
3. Speaking of Oil Changes…
   Be sure to change your vehicle’s oil and filter based on the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance schedule. For most, its somewhere between every 3,500 – 5,000 miles. This will reduce friction on your engine, making it work less hard and conserve on gas.

1. Spray WD-40 or de-icer on the lock. This doesn’t work as quickly as de-icer, but it should work eventually.
2. Heat your car key with a cigarette lighter or match. If you’re not a smoker, maybe you have a grill or candle lighter in your house.
3. Turn the key very gently in the lock and do a happy dance when the car door opens.
4. Get your WD-40 back out and spray the lock, so that it won’t freeze again.
5. Make sure to pick up some de-icer to make your life easier in the future

1. Make sure both cars are off
2. Connect the red jumper cable (positive) to the positive metal terminal on the dead battery (usually under the red cap)
3. Connect the other red jumper cable to the positive metal terminal on the live battery
4. Connect the black jumper cable (negative) to the negative metal terminal on the live batter (usually under the black cap)
5. Connect the other black jumper cable to a clean, unpainted, metal surface on the car with the dead battery (usually the engine block)
6. Start the car with the good battery
7. Start the car with the dead battery and let it run for 2 – 3 minutes
8. Disconnect the cables in reverse order
9. Keep the car with the dead battery running for at least 30 minutes so it can properly recharge

If you notice you need to keep jumping your battery, it may be time to get a new one. Be sure to visit our shop and we can test your battery and alternator to ensure proper charging.

1. Know Your Current Vehicle’s Value: make sure you know how much your car is worth before going to a dealer to maximize your trade-in value. This is the area where you can gain the most in the sale. Use online tools such as Blue Book to get an estimate of your trade-in value.
2. Learn About Rebates: most new vehicles will come with an MSRP that the dealer is set to price the car at. However, each manufacturer or dealer may be offering additional rebates to reduce the final price tag.
3. Watch Fees: most dealers will start to tack on additional fees like delivery, title transfer and other necessary fees for doing business. While fixed, they may be negotiable especially if you can provide other dealer fees in comparison.
4. Visit Multiple Dealers: while each new vehicle may have a standard MSRP, each dealer may have competitive pricing to reduce the overall cost. Be sure to be confident enough to walk away and move on if you need too.
5. Plan Ahead: buying a care takes a considerable amount of time. Be sure to allow yourself 3 – 4 hours per dealer to complete the process. Make sure you always hang onto a key for your car so you can walk at any time.

If purchasing a used vehicle, be sure to use our pre- or post- checkup to make sure you don’t have any hidden issues. Best of luck and happy shopping!

• FREE Battery and Alternator Test
• FREE Heating System Inspection
• FREE Wiper Replacement
• FREE Tire Rotation and Set Tire Pressures

Only one offer per visit and cannot be combined with any other offers, coupons or specials. Hurry, offers expire April 15, 2012. Cost of free car rental (excluding taxes and fees) will be deducted from your final bill. Tire balancing not included as part of tire rotation. State inspection only available to those vehicles expiring in month of service. Miscellaneous shop supplies, hazmat and taxes are extra. Ming’s auto repair is proud to use exclusively Castrol Motor Oils for all our oil changes.

1. Put the transmission into four-wheel drive (if your car has it).
2. Shift into the lowest gear available.
3. If the car won’t go forward, put it into reverse and try backing up.
4. Turn the steering wheel slightly and try driving in a different direction.
5. Grab your shovel and remove as much snow as you can from in front of all the wheels.
6. Determine which wheel(s) are slipping by having a friend look at the wheels while you step on the accelerator. Place sand, salt, dirt, cat litter or a piece of old carpet in front of the slipping wheel(s).
7. Ask friends or passersby to push while you slowly depress the gas pedal. Make sure nobody is standing in front of the car. Be careful–accelerating too much makes the tires spin and heats up the snow underneath, turning it into ice.
8. Be prepared to steer and brake after your wheels gain traction.

Establish clear signals between the people pushing the car and the driver to avoid dangerous situations as you don’t want to accidentally hit someone.

Widely adopted, the proper method is to turn into the direction of skid and correct the car once under control. Additionally, you should immediately take your foot off the gas and brake pedals until the car is corrected. Some even suggest moving the car into neutral (especially in automatics) to keep the car for continuing the force forward.

Proper tire maintenance can only lead to better skid control. If you notice your tires slipping when going up gradual inclines or inability to keep to a turn, it may be time to invest in some new tires.

1. Oil Change: make sure you select the right viscosity, or thickness, for your vehicle at this time of year. Be sure to check your owner’s manual.
2. Change Wiper Blades: keep a clear field of vision with a new pair of wiper blades and don’t forget to make sure your wiper fluid is about 3/4 full with temperature appropriate solution.
3. Check Battery: nothing worse than trying to start your car and nothing happens. Be sure to have your battery checked to ensure enough power to start on those cold days.
4. Review Belts and Hoses: after hot summer months, cold weather can damage some of your key components by cracking rubber or loosening connections.
5. Check Tire Pressure: one of the key ways to improve your gas mileage is to make sure your tires are properly inflated. Check out options to fill with Nitrogen which is less susceptible to cold weather issues.
6. Four Wheel Drive Inspection: before you force your car into four wheel drive, make sure everything is in working order. The system should engage and disengage easily.
7. Check Antifreeze: make sure your antifreeze is temperature rated for our area and meets your manufacturer’s specifications.
8. Prepare Emergency Kit: during the winter months, its important to have  few things at the ready in case you are stranded. Things to include are:
   

   a blanket extra boots and gloves an extra set of warm clothes extra water and food, including hard candies an ice scraper a small shovel a flashlight windshield washer fluid windshield wipers flares

   jumper cables a tool kit a tire gauge a spare tire with air in it tire-changing equipment a first-aid kit paper towels a bag of abrasive material such as sand, salt or non-clumping kitty litter, which can provide additional traction if a tire gets stuck in snow.

9. Keep Gas Tank Above 1/2: with today’s modern fuel injection systems, it’s important to keep your gas tank above 1/2 full. This allows for proper fuel injection and saves you money in the long run avoiding last minute, expensive full fill-ups.

Be sure to visit our shop to have your vehicle winterize and enjoy some of the above services for free. We look forward to seeing you soon!

One of the most overlooked, but an important safety feature of your vehicle is the regular replacement of your windshield wiper blades. A new wiper blade will provide a clean, streak free swipe of your windshield giving you maximum visibility especially as winter driving is about to begin.

To check to see if you need new windsheild wipers, ask yourself:

1. Has it been more than six (6) months since I replaced my wipers?
2. When looking at the wipers do you notice that the blade is frayed, bent or torn?
3. As you spray windshield wiper fluid, do you notice lingering spots, streaks or smears?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it is time to replace your windshield wipers and be sure to have their arms inspected to avoid future problems.

Don’t forget as part of our Fall Auto Package, FREE windshield wiper replacement is included as part of our $185 in free auto care. Be sure to book your appointment today before this offer expires on December 31.