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Customers often ask how to know when something is beginning to go wrong with
their cars. I always tell them it's a good question and one that deserves a good
answer. The more you can tell us about how your car is acting, the better we can
diagnose and fix the problem before it becomes a more expensive repair.
Naturally, we don't depend you our customers to know everything about their
cars. Our maintenance inspections tell us a great deal about what may be wrong
with any of a car's systems. In many situations, we find problems the drivers
never noticed. But that shouldn't diminish —your role as an owner. You are the best
observer of your car's performance. That's why you may notice things about your car
that we may not notice right away.
One good way to tell us about your car's condition is to use a check list like the one
below. It's a summary of all the things driver's tend to notice about their cars.
Vehicle Checklist |
| 1.
What do you notice about your car? |
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Is it beginning to make an unusual noise? Are you seeing something different? Do you notice an unusual smell? Is it accelerating and stopping differently? Do you notice something unusual in the steering?. Do you notice something different in the ride? |
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Inside car:
Left ____
Center ___
Right ___
Front ___
Rear ___
Seat ___
Door ___ |
Door ___
Window ___
Roof ___
Floor ___
Rear Fender ____
Trunk ____
Instrument Panel ___ |
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Outside car:
Left ___
Right ___
Under car ___ |
Front ___
Rear ___
Under hood ___ |
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When not moving with engine stopped _____. |
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When car is moving:
During braking ___
During a change from acceleration to coasting ____
When shifting from forward to reverse ____
During turning ____
At __ mph ___
On rough roads ___
After a bump ____
While accelerating ___
While decelerating or coasting ____ |
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Mostly when using:
Heater/air conditioning ____
Brakes ___
Steering wheel ____
Rear window defogger ____ |
Starter ____
Radio/power antenna ____
Windshield wiper/washer ___
Other ___ |
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When the engine is:
Idling ___
Hot ___
Cold ___ |
Being started_____
Warming up _____ |
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Car speed ____
Engine speed ____ |
Trunk load ____
Acceleration. ____ |
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| 5. How often does it happen? |
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Always ____
Comes and goes ____
After____ miles____ |
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Precautions:
Before you even begin looking under the hood of your car, be certain that the parking brake is engaged and the car is in "Park." When inspecting under the hood, do it with the engine turned off. If a circumstance arises where you must start the car as you're inspecting it, make sure you aren't wearing jewelry, loose clothing or anything that could catch in moving parts.
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More About How to Save Money on Gas
The best ways to help save money on gas are normal vehicle maintenance and your driving style.
These alone can help improve efficiency by 30 percent. We listed several methods in our last newsletter. This can be seen on our website in the newsletter archive.
Here are a few more suggestions:
Go shopping - As the gas tank hits the halfway mark, begin observing area prices. Another option is to check the Internet; there are a number of web sites that report local gas prices. Check out: http://www.gasbuddy.com or http://www.gaspricewatch.com for a free look at the best deals. Then, when it's time to fill up, pick the local station with the best price. Remember, driving a distance to save a few cents can end up costing more.
Check the Manual - Check the owner's manual regarding the vehicle's fuel requirements. Premium, high-octane fuels don't guarantee better performance. In fact, such fuels don't provide any greater fuel efficiency. Many automobiles are designed to use regular low-octane fuel. If your vehicle doesn't require premium or mid-grade fuel, buy regular unleaded.
Consolidating trips and errands to cut down on driving time can eliminate hundreds of miles - and dozens of gallons of gas. Combine trips to the dry cleaners, bank, gym, grocery store, etc., into one trip.
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Long-time customer Paulette Cesario wrote to us awhile
ago to express her satisfaction with our service. |
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She wrote:
" ... am grateful for the prompt, efficient service my husband John and I receive from Jessup's. We have many choices in the area. We chose the best." |
Thanks Paulette. It was nice of you to write to us. |
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