Replacing Honda Wiper Inserts

With all of the dirt, salt and residue from a Utah winter coating my car and increasingly streaky windshield wiping, I knew it was time to get the windshield wiper blades replaced--or at least so I thought.

Evidently, windshield wiper blades constitutes the rubber wiper as well as the metal that encases it.  On Honda's it's rare to need to replace the actual blade, metal included.  Generally, you just need to replace the rubber insert that fits inside the blade.  The nice thing about that?  It's a fraction of the price.  Inserts only cost $7.00 whereas wiper blades range from $15-$25.

Honda wiper inserts are pretty easy to replace.  Javier from our parts department demonstrates here how to do it.

This install method works on the Odyssey, CRV, Pilot and Ridgeline.  The only difference in the smaller models is that the lock is on top rather than underneath the blade and is most easily opened with the end of a key.

There are a few import things to know about Honda inserts.
1) If you replace the blade (metal included) with a non-Honda part, Honda inserts cannot be installed in them.  The only fix is to buy new Honda blades, then you can resume getting Honda wiper refills.
2) If this looks kinda complicated to you.  Just come into the dealership and we'll install them for free.

That is $7 well spent.  And by the way, I'm loving my new wiper inserts.

Seat Belts in Hondas

At the New Car Clinic that I attended recently, Scott West, one of the service managers, explained a unique feature of Honda seat belts.

Scott West

Honda's seat belts have a special feature to make it safe to install carseats.  When you pull the seat belt all the way out, you hear the belt "ratchet" as it rolls back in.  At any point that you stop, the seat belt is locked in place and cannot be pulled forward again.  This was designed so that when you install a carseat, you first lock the seat into the latch system, then roll the seatbelt all the way out and tread it through the back of the car seat.

Once the seat belt is buckled and the slack is ratcheted back in, that seat belt is locked in place and will not move.

That is a great thing for every parent and grandparent to know.  But, Scott mentioned, it's important to know this for non-carseat using passengers as well.  Anytime you pull the seatbelt all the way out, the passenger will now be locked in place.  If you take a breath, the seatbelt moves a bit tighter.  Take another breath and it gets tighter still.  Parents have been know to cut their children out of the seat belt because the child is panicking.

That's not necessary, Scott points out, all you have to do is release the belt and let it all the way back in, the pull it out to buckle again, but don't pull it all the way.

Photo Courtesy: Automobilemag.com

Tips for Winter Driving

My dad grew up in Wyoming.  His first winter in Utah he stood outside and watched, mesmerized, as the snow fell to the ground.

"Never seen snow?" an acquaintance conjectured.

"I'm from Wyoming," my dad admitted.  "I've seen a lot of snow.  I've just never seen it fall down to the ground.  In Wyoming, it usually blows sideways."

Dad had a lot of experience with snow driving along with a few other bits of expertise.  (Dad had us all practice driving as if we suddenly had come on a cow in the road.  His tip?  Let up on the brake at the last second and hit the thing square on.  Evidently, if you do, you're less likely to flip the cow up on your hood.)  One of dad's most important tips for stopping in the snow: pumping your brakes.

Pumping your brakes is one of the most counterintuitive things to do when you're rapidly sliding toward something, in part because it requires you to take your foot off the brake over and over.  'Course, we kids all learned to drive in cars with "standard" brakes, something that's hardly standard any more.

Virtually every car made in the last 20 years (I totally made this statistic up) has anti-lock brakes (ABS), and the bonus is, with ABS you don't need to pump the brakes--they pulse for you.  Probably one of the hardest things for me to learn to do in adulthood was to stop pumping my brakes in the snow and just trust the car.

The other day, as I slid around in the snow with my brakes pulsing, I realized that now might be a good time to offer up some tips on winter driving.

Photo courtesy: Honda Ridgeline Facebook page

1. Know your brakes.  If you drive an older car with standard brakes, follow my dad's tip and pump the brakes.  If you have ABS, a smooth slow braking job will do the trick.  Don't let the pulsing throw you.  Just keep the pressure on.

2. Keep your distance.  When driving in the snow, you need to keep up to three times the distance that you normally would from a car in front of you.

3.  Slow down.  In any kind of inclement weather, it's important to slow down.  Snow can reduce visibility as well as stopping speed.  Even if you slide into something, if you're traveling slowly it's far likely to be disastrous.

4. Don't stop.  It can be hard to get the car going on slick, slushy roads.  If you can just maintain your slow speed and avoid stopping, that's idea.  When you have to stop, say, to turn across traffic, give yourself lots of extra space as you'll be slower getting going than you thought.

5. Turn into a skid.  The best advice I've seen on this is from an MSNBC travel article.  They said, "If you start to skid, steer the vehicle gently in direction you want your vehicle to go and don't touch the brakes."

The Package Deal

When my husband and I first bought a car from Ken Garff Honda of Orem, one of the first things we did is cancel our AAA membership.  Although, AAA provides a number of different services and benefits, we'd used it largely for roadside assistance.  Thanks to a special Ken Garff program, that assistance was no longer needed.

The program has morphed a bit over the years, but the spectacular service remains the same.  It's called GarffCare and let me tell you, the Garff's know how to care.

When you purchase a car at any Ken Garff dealership you get the GarffCare package as part of the deal.  It's an automatic add-on with no costs or paperwork.  GarffCare provides free towing to any Ken Garff location running from Odgen to Spanish Fork and also in the Park City Area.

They also provide roadside assistance including jumping a dead battery, unlocking your vehicle if you left your keys inside, and installing a spare tire for you if you have a flat.  In fact, they'll even bring you 2-3 gallons of gas if you've run out.  Something, that I'm embarrassed to admit that I've done.  And really, it's no body's fault but my own, still, they'll come right out to save the day!

The GarffCare program insures that you can get on-the-spot car registration, saving you a trip annually. They also provide a patch-and-go service for a flat tire repair at no charge.  Just imagine, you've got a flat tire.  Calling 1-877-222-5887 connects you to a tow truck who changes your tire for you. Then you drive to the nearest dealership and they patch your flat and get you back on the road. The total cost?  $0.  Nothing!  Nil.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  It's just the Garff way of thanking you for your business.

And to sweeten the deal... every service you get at the dealership service department, even if it's just an oil change or tire patching, you get a GarffClean--an executive wash and vacuum every visit.

Don't Get Soaked by Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy blew through last month wreaking a special kind of damage.  As the East coast recovers and we help where we can (donate here or here to get money and resources to victims), it's important to keep an eye on the used car market, especially if you're in the market for a used car.  A recent NBC News report stated that Hurricane Sandy may have totaled as many as a quarter of a million cars.

Photo credit: CNN.com

Flooding a car is much like dropping your cell phone in the bathtub.  It ruins the engine, gauges and especially the electrical components of your car.  It can fill the interior of the car with mildew and mold while simultaneously rusting out the bottom.  Often, however, it takes a few months for the real damage to take effect on the car, giving criminals a window of opportunity in returning scrapped cars to the market. 

So how do flood cars get back in the market?  Unlike a cell phone, it is incredibly difficult to dry out a car after it's been flooded.  So flood cars are automatically totaled by insurance companies.  The car is then taken by the insurance company and sent to an auction where it will be sold for parts or scrap metal.  Unfortunately, there are always a few unscrupulous buyers--owners of chop shops--who are there to buy vehicles at lowest possible prices and return them to the market.

Buy moving the vehicle over a few states, these criminals can "wash" the title eliminating the "totaled" notation from it and presenting to potential buyers a clean-looking title.

If you're in the market for a used car, use these tips to make sure you don't get soaked.

1. Watch for smells.  Flood cars smell molly and old.  Also watch for overly perfumed cars, whose owners may be trying to cover the telltale bad smells.

2. Brand new carpet.  A four-year-old car should have four-year-old carpet.  If the carpet is brand new, it may be a flood car.

3. Check for water signs.  Lines in the trunk or interior of the car or fogging in head or tail lights means that you have a car that's been flooded.  Be wary of dirt or build-up in unusual places.

4. Look for rust.  Check the undercarriage, under the carpet, as well as behind the gas and brake pedals for rust.  A lot of rust on a new-ish used car is a very bad sign.

5. Check the VIN.  At the National Insurance Crime Bureau's website you can check the VIN, at no cost, to see if the car has ever been totaled by an insurance company.

6. Check CarFax. Get a vehicle history report from CarFax.  Ken Garff Honda of Orem provides a free CarFax history on every used car.  You can print it off of the Honda of Orem website or come into the dealership where a salesperson will print one for you and walk you through the vehicle history.

If you are in the market for a used car in the next 3-6 months, it is critically important to go through every step in checking for flood damage before you buy.

10 Must Have Accessories For Your New Car

There are so many different car accessories that deciding which ones to get can leave you puzzled.  If you want accessories that add value and protect your new vehicle, here are the accessories that you must get.

1. All-Weather Floor Mats. Most new cars come with a carpet floor mat.  The all-weather mats are rubber and help protect your car's flooring by keeping it clean and dry.

2. Door edge guard.  This handy gadget slides on the edge of the door preventing you from both "dinging" other cars and from chipping the paint on your vehicle.

3. Trunk tray.  The rubber trunk tray is to your trunk what all-weather mats are to your floor.  Among other things, it stops a leaky milk jug from stinking up your car.  Pull your trunk tray out, give it a quick rinse and air dry.  Pop it back in your trunk and you're good to go. 

4. Roof rack and cross bars.  For those with long travel plans.  Also goes along with...

5. Roof-top carrier.  Adds around 13 cubic feet of extra storage, depending on the model you get.

6. Window tint is a great investment.  It lowers the temperature inside the car and protects the interior from UV rays and fading.

7. Tow hitch and wiring harness.  This is a perfect addition on Ridgelines, CRVs, Pilots and Odysseys if you have outdoor toys that you need to get from point A to point B.

8. DVD players keep happy passengers and unbothered drivers.  Perfect for anyone who takes long road trips.

9. Fabric guard or leather guard protects your car's interior from stains and spills.  The "guard" products  protect the fabric from absorbing stains, to they are much easier to remove while protecting against both water and oil based stains.  

10. Undercoating.  Sprayed under your car, it makes your undercarriage rust proof.  This is critical for snowy climates, like Utah where salt is used to make roads drivable under slick conditions.  Undercoating also reduces road noise making your commute that much more pleasant.

What Do You Need To Wash Off Fast? (Tips on Keeping Car Paint Nice)

You never know what will happen Halloween night.  Spooks and goblins (aka princesses, pirates and Justin Bieber) knocking at your door for candy is a given.  But once the little ones are in bed, sometimes hooligans come out to have a little fun, too.

This is the time of night when your jack-o-lanterns are at risk for getting smashed, you house toilet-papered and your car egged.  There are several things you need to know to get off your car paint fast before it ruins the finish and bleaches the color.

Although there are many things that can ruin a car finish (bird poop, sand, UV rays, bug guts, and tree sap) around Halloween, it's important to watch for household products and auto-use chemicals many of which can destroy a car finish is a couple of hours.

Brake cleaner, brake fluid, brake dust carburetor cleaner and gasoline can destroy a car's finish in time.  Wipe spills immediately and don't top off gasoline at the pump.  Of these, brake fluid can ruin a finish fast, so make sure to keep it off the paint or douse with water immediately.

Mustard, fertilizer, shaving cream and eggs are household products that will kill the finish of your car.  Shaving cream and eggs are particularly potent, so if someone pulls a prank, don't let it wait for the next day.

Rumor has it the bologna will ruin a car finish, too.  eHow says no way and argues that bologna only leaves grease spots which are easily washed off.  Answerbag claims that not only will bologna ruin a car's finish, but it will ruin rapidly in the sun.  I'd rather be safe than sorry.  Pull the bologna off quickly and wash with auto detergent.

No matter if you are visited by angels or devils Halloween night, you know how to keep your car's finish in top shape.

TPMS is Totally Different From PMS

Every fall as the air turns chill, a cute little light (with an exclamation point) comes on in my car.  This light is the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and it lets you know when a tire is low on air.

The TPMS light is designed to look like a tire. 

Now why does this light come on every fall?  I mean, that's weird.  I haven't run over anything, my driving is the same, then why am I suddenly low on air?

As the temperature falls, air condenses, including the air in your tires, which leaves your tires a little low. All you need to do is bring your tire to the correct PSI (pounds per square inch) and after driving a few miles, the light will automatically go off.

Besides making the pesky little light go off, why does it matter what your tire pressure is?  The quick answer is that tires are expensive, so you want them to last as long a possible.  To get the slowest and most even wear, your tires need to be at the correct PSI.

There is also too much of a good thing.  It's not a matter of, if some is good more is better, when tires are over inflated you feel every bump and crack in the road.  Like under-inflation, your tires wear out more quickly because they wear out unevenly.  And, if it's over-inflated, you run the larger risk that your tire will pop if you hit something wrong.  (I once watched a driver in a small sudan pop a tire in a parking lot when he hit the curb--something we affectionally call "a curb check.")

To find the correct PSI, the best place to check is your owner's manual.  The tire itself has a maximum PSI listed, but the reality is, that you don't want your tires at the maximum PSI it can handle. Plus, let's be honest, it's really, really hard to find words on your tires that are the same color as your tires.  In order to see it, you need to be in direct sunlight, hold your hand to the level of your eye, say some magic words and do seven squats.  Then, if you're really lucky, you might be able to make out some of what the tire says.   Your owner's manual is quicker, easier and more accurate.

After going through the aforementioned tire reading ritual, my husband said that my tires say that the max PSI is 40.  (I never could see it, but I'm taking his word for it.)  My owner's manual, however, recommended that the front tire PSI be 33 and the rear tires 35 PSI.  For driving comfort, this is an important difference.

This is where I make a confession.  I am a 36-year-old mother of five and I have never put air in a car tire.  Period.  Ever.  I grew up the middle of three girls.  My dad traveled a lot when I was a teen, so when he was home, he prided himself on helping out with the things he could.  Car maintenance was definitely his baby.  I got married at 21 and happily handed car related issues to my husband.  He has done a fantastic job keeping everything running.  I think the last time my TPMS light came on, I only called him 14 times* before he had that baby to the gas station and the tires filled.

But, with the patience of Job, this very day, my husband taught me how to check my tire pressure and fill the darn things.  In case you, like me, have never checked air pressure or filled a tire before I'll explain how to do it, so you won't feel as dumb as I did.

1. Unscrew the lid off the tire valve stem.

2. Push your air pressure gauge on the value stem securely.  Check your reading.

3. If your tire is low, go to the gas station and pull your car up next to the air pump.  (It's usually around the edge of the gas station.)

4. Snap the air hose onto your tire.  If you hear air leaking, then it's not on correctly.  Fill and go through steps 1 and 2 to check your air pressure again.

5. If you overfilled the tire, or find that it's overfull when you checked your pressure, release air by pushing on the valve stem.  Check the pressure again and--voila!--you're done.

*This may be a slight exaggeration.

10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Trade-in

When it's time to buy a new car, there's a lot on your mind.  After all, you've researched, done test drives and finally arrived at "the one." It's easy to forget about your old car, so I've put together a few quick tips that will help you get the most from your former ride.

1. Keep your car clean. Many of us live in our cars.  In time, that lived-in feel can be a bit much.  Keeping up with regular car washes and cleaning the interior of the car can add life to the car that will show up when you get your car appraised.

2. Detail your car.  I know that this tip a close relative of tip #1, but it can be a money maker when it comes to trade-in time.  A good detail will cost between $100-$150.  The detailing process means going over the car with a fine-toothed comb.  When your car is done, the outside will shine, the inside will smell delicious and the manager appraising your car won't even be able to find a stray crumb.  You're guaranteed to get your money back on the detail, but the reality is your car's value will rise hundreds of dollars if it looks impeccable.

Photo Courtesy: ocnissanirvine.com

3. Get regular oil changes. Pay attention to your vehicle's maintenance minder system, which alerts you when your oil is dirty and needs a change.  If your vehicle is 10 year's old or older, you may want to stick with the 3000 mile recommendation, but newer vehicles don't need the oil changed that often.  If your car doesn't have a maintenance minder system, check your owner's manual for details. Even with improved lubricants and tighter tolerances in the engine itself, oil does eventually gets dirty which can clog the engine and devalue your car.

4. Get all factory recommended maintenance done, including any replacements for manufacturer recalls.

5.  Bring records of what work you've had done on the vehicle.  This process is simplified if you bought the car new and always had it serviced at the manufacturer's service department since they keep records on your car for you.  But even if you've taken your vehicle elsewhere, bring receipts of the most recent work.  Have you already replaced the timing belt and water pump?  Now the dealership won't have to and that's money back in your pocket.  Did you get new tires or brakes recently? Providing receipts of the work you've had done shows you care about your car and will translate to a higher value.

6. Don't crash.  Or at least get the damage fixed right.  A $99 paint job is going to show badly at trade-in time.  Take your vehicle to a reputable repair shop and request OEM parts.

7. Fix rock chips in the windshield.  Like getting your car detailed, making sure your windshield is free from cracks and dings guarantees you your money back, plus some.

8. Bring in all keys, remotes, owners manuals and floor mats.  These are things the dealership will have to replace and will cost them time and money.  Having everything in order to hand over assures you the most money for your car, partly by reducing the headache the dealer has to go through.

9. Buy a car that holds its value. One of the reasons that Honda vehicles hold their value so well is that Honda refuses to sell fleet vehicles to car rental companies. Car rental companies generally get brand-new cars and resell them in a year.  Because these are high-milage, heavily used vehicles, they sell significantly below a true resale value, but because virtually all car rental companies resell vehicles at the same time, the market becomes flooded with devalued vehicles, thereby making your car lose value just by association.

10.  Don't get a trendy color.  Trendy colors are great for purses, jewelry, and home decor--not for cars.  A trendy color (think pea green) can make a car sale-proof and devalue a car thousands of dollars as compared to non-trendy counterparts.  White and silver may be boring, but they also appeal to a broader range of consumers making it easier for the dealership to resell and that difference goes to your wallet.

Photo Courtesy: alserrablog.wordpress.com