Way too many accidents happen at night on AZ roads. There are a lot of factors, but a big one is simply visibility: if you can’t see something, it’s hard to avoid hitting it.

There are some things Phoenix drivers can do to make sure they can see as much as possible when they’re driving in the dark. First of all, keep your windshield clean. Glare from oncoming headlights can obscure obstacles in the road. Clean off that film that builds up on the inside of your windshield. And make sure you have good wiper blades and plenty of washer fluid.

Now it could be that your headlights aren’t as bright as they used to be! It happens – the bulbs just dim over time. If it’s been a couple of years since you replaced your headlamps and they aren’t lighting up the road like they used to, get some new ones. They make upgraded headlamps too that give you a brighter light and a larger field of vision so you can see better and further down the road. Check with your knowledgeable Martin’s Auto Repair service advisor if you want to up your headlamp performance.

Another very common headlamp problem is cloudy or yellowed lenses. These days lenses are plastic and they oxidize and discolor over time. Just look at the cars in the parking lot, chances are you’ll see several with cloudy lenses. This is a huge problem because some of the light coming from your headlamps gets trapped before it can even get out and shine down the road.

Replacing a set of headlight assemblies can run hundreds or even thousands of dollars. There’s an alternative that can save drivers big bucks: Headlight restoration. We can remove the oxidized layer from your lenses then polish the lenses until they’re bright and smooth. When it’s all finished, your lenses will be as good as new.

Until Next Time …

We are proud to do our part to help fight breast cancer! For the entire month of October we are offering FREE…

Brake Inspections and Pads (up to an $80 value)

Martin’s Auto Repair will also be donating 10% of the labor cost to Dr. Vincent Tuohy at The Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Research Fund. For more information visit http://giving.ccf.org/

Brakes for Breasts benefits you along with helping to fund the necessary research to fight this terrible disease that takes the lives of so many women and men! We look forward to checking out your brakes!

THE MORE BRAKES WE REPLACE, THE BIGGER CHECK WE WRITE!!!!

Question:
I need new tires. How do I know which ones to get?

Answer:
The most important factors to consider are: Function, Fit, and Value.

Function: This gets at what your needs are for new tires: weather conditions, terrain, temperatures, etc.

Most new family vehicles come with all-season tires. They can be used all year long and do pretty well in most road conditions – but they aren’t ideal at the extremes.

Winter tires have a more aggressive tread for handling snow and ice on highways and they have a rubber compound that helps them have better traction as temperatures drop below 45 degrees. Definitely better stopping and road-holding characteristics for drivers than all-season tires in winter weather. Dedicated summer tires enhance warm weather performance driving for auto owners.

If you drive off-road, there is a spectrum of tires from all-terrain (a good mix of highway and off-road capability) to dedicated off-road tires.

The key is to talk to your tire professional and consider the function you need to get the type of tire, load rating, speed rating and wear rating you need.

Fit: The easiest thing is to select tires in the same size that were installed by the auto maker. If you want a different size wheel or tire profile, be sure to work with your service advisor so you can make sure that your new wheels and tires fit properly and don’t rub in bumps or turns. It’s also essential to make sure that important safety systems like anti-lock brakes, stability control and traction control aren’t adversely affected by the new tire size (the computer may need to be recalibrated to make necessary critical adjustments).

Value: Note, I didn’t say price. The tire that meets all your needs AND has the warranty and tread life you expect will often not be the least costly option – but it may well return the best value for your tire dollar.

Until next time…

Question:

My water pump went out and it cost much more to replace than ones I’ve had replaced in the past, and I was told that it is because of where it’s located. Why is that?

Our Answer:
Some water pumps are driven by the serpentine belt and are bolted on out in the open with the alternator and air compressor and such. Other water pumps are driven by the timing belt. These water pumps take a lot of labor to access and replace. It seems your current vehicle has a water pump that is driven by the timing belt.

Water pumps are fairly easy devices that circulate engine coolant/antifreeze around the engine and out to the radiator. Like any mechanical device, they eventually wear out. Although having a cooling system service done on schedule will extend the life of your water pump and its seals and gaskets – but, it will eventually fail and need to be replaced.

Those water pumps that are driven by the timing belt (the belt that controls when your engine intake and exhaust valves open) are attached directly to the engine block. The timing belt system has an important protective cover. The serpentine belt and all the accessories are located over the timing belt cover. So getting to the water pump requires the service specialist remove a lot of parts – which then need to be replaced.

When the water pump must be replaced, it is a good idea for you to go ahead and also replace the timing belt, timing belt tensioner and idler pulleys. First, because the timing belt may have been contaminated by leaking coolant; second, there is a schedule for replacing your timing belt and you should think of making the modest additional added expenditure while everything is taken apart to avoid the same labor cost down the road.

By the way, the reverse is true as well: When you are replacing your timing belt on schedule go ahead and replace the water pump at the same time. It would be a shame to spend the money on one of these replacements only to have to do it all again in a few months because the other then needs replacement. Do them at the same time and start the clock over for both.
Until next time…

Question:
I need new tires. How do I know which tire to get?

Answer:
Let’s take a look new tires based on these three factors: Function, Fit, and Value.

Function: What are your needs for new tires: weather conditions, terrain, temperatures, etc.

Most new family vehicles come with all-season tires. They can be used all year long and do pretty well in most road conditions – but they aren’t ideal during the extremes.

Winter tires have a more aggressive tread for handling snow and ice on highways and they have a rubber compound that helps them have better traction as temperatures drop below 45 degrees. Definitely better stopping and road-holding characteristics for drivers than all-season tires in winter weather. Dedicated summer tires enhance warm weather performance driving.

If you drive off-road around Phoenix, there is a spectrum of tires from all-terrain (a good mix of highway and off-road capability) to dedicated off-road tires.

The key is to talk to your  service writer and consider the function you need to get the type of tire, load rating, speed rating and wear rating you need.

Fit: The easiest thing is to select tires in the same size that were installed by the auto maker. If you want a different size wheel or tire profile, be sure to work with your service advisor so you can make sure that your new wheels and tires fit properly and don’t rub in bumps or turns. It’s also essential to make sure that important safety systems like anti-lock brakes, stability control and traction control aren’t adversely affected by the new tire size (the computer may need to be recalibrated to make necessary critical adjustments).

Value: Note, I didn’t say price. The tire that meets all your needs AND has the warranty and tread life you expect will often not be the least costly option – but it may well return the best value for your tire dollar.

Always ask question so that you understand what you need and how the tires will perform for you.

Until Next Time…