Timing Belt Tuesday Plus! (the "Cats" are away...)

Mike sent this out to our email contacts, but I wanted to make sure all our bloggers knew about this super secret special. Looks like next Tuesday is a good day to get that timing belt replaced. The mice at Cars for Keeps are some hard working critters! Don't forget to read Mike's sharing disclaimer at the bottom, and make sure you call 616-846-1986 to book this offer. - Marjorie

Hi, this is Michael from Cars for Keeps.

We found out that Dennis and Rob are going to an all day meeting next Tuesday, So I thought we could surprise them by showing how much we can get done, while running a smooth shop all day.

Dennis sends out these Timing Belt Tuesday messages, so I thought we could sweeten the deal a bit with Valentines coming & all.

If you drive a car with a timing belt, you'll need to have us service it sooner or later. To urge you to service it sooner, we'll give you an instant rebate equal to 20% of the total cost of your bill (even including other services) up to $200.00!

Now, we are known to be a fun loving group out here in the shop, but now we are extending this to ANY work done this coming Tuesday January 26th, 2010 (Rob will want to whip me, but I'll just blame it on Congress or someone nearby).

One note; I can't offer this discount on oil changes, tires or batteries, otherwise Dennis might make me work on all the French cars & Yugo's from now on.

If you are one of the first two clientsto take advantage of this offer, we will throw in aBONUS, FREE rental car for the day ($26.00 value). Or -A FREE pair of Bosch Evolution Wiper Blades(up to a $38.00 Value!)

This offer is only sent to our valued clients. It is NOT offered to walk-in customers or through any other advertising, so it is indeed a unique and valuable deal, however feel free to forward this to any of your friends & family that might be in need of this service. We always appreciate your kind referrals. Now, To take advantage of us, just reply to this e-mail if you need the free rental, or to be extra certain you are one of the first, call us at (616) 846-1989 right now!

When and How to Use 4 Wheel Drive (Including a Red Green Demonstration)

by Marjorie, Social Media Manager

Four wheel driving was a mystery to me until I started driving on the dunes. There's no better place to learn about the mechanical ins and outs of four wheel drive than Silver Lake Sand Dunes - preferably NOT on Memorial Day weekend.

But since it's not summer, using four wheel drive for snowy and icy conditions is a far more pressing topic. Let's review a few facts about four wheel drive, including when and how to use it.

When to use 4 wheel drive (all wheel drive). Four wheel drive works best when trying to maneuver through a deep or sludgy substance - like sand dunes, or heavy snow. Please keep in mind that all wheel drive is not a cure-all for bad conditions; it simply gives you more power during situations when you need it the most - like when we're having an all Michigan 15 inch snowstorm. Just remember: 4 wheel drive is the much-loved vehicle setting for off-roaders. Are you driving in off-road-like settings? If not, don't use it. Deep snow, slush and sand are the best times to turn on your all wheel drive.

Four wheel drive limitations. It's important to note that all wheel drive helps you gain more traction and power, but inversely does NOT help you stop. When going downhill on icy or slick surfaces, all wheel drive can actually make a situation worse if you're not careful with your speed. Take it from the girl who nearly banked an old F150 full of maple sap on icy backroads. Momentum causes your vehicle to go faster, and having rear (or front) wheels disengaged from the engine can actually help you slow. So if you're cresting a particularly icy hill in 4 wheel, shift back into 2 wheel if you can. If you can't, follow the cardinal rule of inclement weather and take it slow.

Return to 2 wheel drive on dry pavement. If you have to lock your hubs, pull over in a safe place and unlock them once you're back on dry pavement. Same goes for driving on dry roads before you get to deep snow or sand (as any dune driver would know, we only let the air out and lock hubs immediately prior to entering the dunes. Wooo!). Driving on hard, dry roads in four wheel drive can cause damage to your vehicle's driveshafts, transfer case or differentials. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'm sure it would send Rob, Dennis and Bobby into fits.

Those are the major points we'll cover for today. Now, a "bit of fun" by Red Green. Please, please don't try this at home.

Cars for Keeps Welcomes a New Crewmember (and gives away some stuff)

by Dennis Sweet, Customer Service Manager

The New Year brings some exciting changes to Cars for Keeps.

First, we welcome Steve Stefanits to our Crew. Steve brings twenty years of experience in American and Asian automotive service to our lineup. Steve has developed his skills over the years through conventional training along with factory training in Subaru, General Motors and Chrysler products. We first talked with Steve about joining us in 1993. We are proud and grateful to have him as part of our team. Welcome aboard Steve!

In Honor of Steve's favorite car brand, Cars for Keeps is offering an additional 10% off any Subaru service. Just call and mention you read our blog!

Second, we roll out our newest customer benefit; Seasonal Pit Stops! In racing, a "pit stop" is where quick, minor services are performed to get racers back in action as fast as possible with the best odds of making it the maximum distance before another pit stop is required. The "pits" are a spot just off the race track. Our goal is be there for you, at YOUR convenience to make sure your race continues without car grief.

At Cars for Keeps, we use the term Pit Stop to explain our strategy of making sure your ride is ready for another round of safe, reliable driving with the unique challenges of the next season. Cold, Slick, Hot or Rainy, you'll be ready.So in order to make sure you aren't sacrificing your safety, reliability or budget, we offer our clients the Seasonal Pit Stop.

The Cars for Keeps Pit Stop simply allows us an opportunity to check your vehicles lights, tires, wipers, belts, hoses and fluids. We analyze all the fluids, including the engine oil to make sure they are fully capable of protecting their related systems.

The best part of the Cars for Keeps Pit Stop is that it's absolutely FREE for our clients. All it takes is your participation in pre-scheduling your pit stop, allowing us to contact you via e-mail for your reminder and then coming in at the scheduled time or re-scheduling if the original time does not work out for you. Call us at 616-846-1989 to schedule your free pit stop.

Safe driving!

A Women’s Point of View: Cars vs. Computers

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

Here’s a thought. What has had the bigger impact for life on earth? Cars or Computers?

Mankind lived for thousands of years without either, and then within 125 years we have both. Which says a lot about our adaptability and survival.

I personally think cars have the bigger impact. It takes about 10 minutes to walk a mile. It takes about 60 seconds, or less, to drive a mile. Sitting down! Automobiles feed our egos, save us time and satisfy our need for speed. They transport the food that feeds the nation, the goods that keep us working and the toys that we play with. We have cars that entertain us with movies and music from all over the world. We can make and receive phone calls. We have cars that keep us from getting lost, unlock our doors and start our cars for us. We have cars that comfort us by locating and contacting us when we have an accident, sending help and keep us from panic by talking to us.

Sometimes our cars are the only place where we can be alone, free and in control. They keep us warm in the winter, cool in the summer and we can have the wind blowing through our hair. Someone, somewhere, will come up with something that will make us tan, give us a physical and cut and style our hair while we are driving. Our cars give us so much and all they ask for in return is a little gas, a little oil and a little regular maintenance.

We at Cars For Keeps can make that a fun and relaxing experience for you.

5 Tips to Help You Speak "Auto Tech" to Your Car Technicians

by Marjorie, Cars for Keeps Social Media Manager

Have you ever brought your car into a repair shop only to realize you have no idea what to tell the technicians? Or - perhaps more commonly - to realize that you have no idea what your car technicians are telling you?

Well, first off, we take pride at Cars for Keeps in making sure our customers understand exactly what's wrong with their autos, and how we plan to fix it. Ok, well maybe not EXACTLY (that would be a long, boring visit indeed), but a well-informed car owner is far more capable of keeping their car healthy, which is what we're all about.

If you're anything like me, you might tend to say things to your car technician like, "Um, it's not working. I know something is wrong with the...car. Fix it!" Here are a few ways to prepare for your next visit to the repair shop, impress your technicians and make sure you're getting the best service for your car:

1) Take a moment to write down your car's symptoms and/or performance issues. Sloppy steering? Any rattles, vibrations or unusual smells? Does it have trouble starting? Weird sounds? Does the steering pull? Even if you don't know what these symptoms mean, this information can help your technician more accurately diagnose your car.

2) Bring the paperwork from previous repairs, tire changes, oil changes et cetera with you. Think of these as your car's "medical records" - and who doesn't ask for a diagnosis from the doctor without first giving him or her your medical records?

No surprises here!

3) Use the terms "passenger side" and "driver's side" instead of "right" and "left" when describing what's wrong. This will help clarify what you're describing; it turns out, "left" and "right" are subjective to where you're standing!

4) If there's any jargon, process or problem a technician describes that you don't understand, ask him or her to explain it more thoroughly. We pride ourselves on keeping customers well informed, but we can't answer questions you don't ask!

5) Read over the repair order thoroughly and ask technicians to explain any parts you don't understand. If certain parts are vague or not clear, ask they be rewritten so there are no surprises later on.

Safe driving and healthy cars!