Everyone has seen a vehicle along side the road, hood up with smoke rolling out from the engine compartment.
Ever wonder what happened?
Ever been in that situation?
Recently a vehicle rolled up to our front door with so much smoke coming out that we were sure it was on fire!
Everyone ran for the fire extinguishers.
By the time a tech reached the car the customer had raised the hood,
(Note this must be done very carefully as you can be burned if the fire flashes when all the Oxygen hits it!)
Fortunately no flash, no fire!
The smoke slowly cleared and after about ten minutes,
we were able to inspect the engine compartment to see what had happened.
So what do you think caused all the smoke?

Thank you! We are deeply honored!

Have I got one for you!

It seems that the summer has just flown by, Labor Day has passed, Kids back at school and everyone is so busy and stressed. Some so stressed that they miss meetings, lose keys, and forget things.
So I have a question for you. What is the worst thing you have forgot?
We will compare notes and see if it can beat mine!
Look forward to hearing from lots of you!

~ Harold Wood

I’m asked all the time how long wiper blades should last.  The answer is, of course, that it depends.  Wiper blades are affected by ultraviolet rays, heat, acid rain, road salts, and debris.  And of course just plain use.   On average, we recommend that you change out your wiper blades twice a year.  At the end of winter, you should replace your wiper blades because of all the road debris, ice, cold weather, etc.  By the time summer ends, you have been through a lot of heat and sunlight, and it is time to change them again to prepare for the upcoming rains.

One additional key to maintaining good wiper performance is to not just change out the rubber insert, but change out the whole blade. This will help ensure that your wiper blade is making proper contact with your windshield.

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Today a customer learned a very difficult lesson!

The story starts last night when the customer came home, parked the car in the garage and went to spend time with the family. Just one little mistake, the customer had turned on the headlamp override switch. This bypasses the automatic shutoff feature! Of course the next morning while in a hurry to get to work, the customer found the battery “Dead as a door nail!” The customer jumped to action and connected a standard 10amp battery charger and rushed off to the daily grind. At lunch time the customer got a ride home from a coworker expecting the battery to have been recharged and ready to go!

Surprise!!! The engine still would not crank!

Now assuming that the battery was bad the customer had the vehicle towed into my shop. Remember what they say about ass/u/me! Whoops should not have said that!
Our technician charged and tested the battery, which passed with flying colors!
Guess what? The car engine cranked over just fine but would not start! Further testing revealed that the computer would not communicate with our scan equipment, nor would it turn on the fuel pump, injectors or anything! After replacing the computer or ECM (Engine Control Module) the car started and performed perfectly!

So what happened? Any guesses?

Hope this keeps the brain cells busy!

Harold Wood
President
Harold’s Quality Auto Repair Inc.

PS: I let you know next time!