Stadium Automotive

The upcoming weather will be miserable for driving if it’s like past years. These tips will help make the journey more safe and comfortable. Make sure all windows are clear before driving. Sight is about 95% of your input to drive. Scrape all windows of ice before driving. Wipe the fog off all inside windows too. Make sure that the “fresh” air mode is selected on vehicles that have the choice, mostly Japanese vehicles. Putting on the Air conditioning will help “dry” the air during moist winter month so the defroster will work faster. Most newer cars put on the A/C automatically when “defrost” is picked. The only time I ever will recommend warming up your car before driving when you needs to get the ice thawed on the outside and inside to clear the fog off. Note, don’t leave your car unattended, thieves can drive away. It is a waste of fuel though. Coat all your door weather stripping with a thin coat of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) to prevent ice from sticking your door closed. Do NO ... read more

Studded tires are allowed on vehicles for November 1st to April 1st. The date of April 1st has been moved to later dates in the past. The question is which tire should you use when you plan get ready for the winter in Oregon. One thing for sure, be sure to use your choice on all four wheels for consistent handling and safety. Both tires have good news, bad news. The good news about non studded tires as compared to studded tires is they handle better in most situations, like dry and wet payment. Non studded tires also are more quit and turn in better fuel mileage that studded. Studded tires do have an advantage in some ice conditions, most when the ice is close or just raising about the freezing point. The bad news about studded tires is that they do about forty to fifty million dollars damage to the roads according to Oregon Department of Transportation. Whatever your choice is, do it before it is needed so you will be safe. Make sure you tires are in good shape, they are the most ... read more

Tips by George In winter, driving in the dark is much more common. Vision is over 90% of the input to where to go. 1.Make sure you headlights work and are adjust properly. If you headlights are clouded, get them repaired of replaced. That “fog” can reduce over 70% of your light available. 2.Replace your wipers every fall. 3.Clean your windshield, inside and out. 4.Make sure your heater and defrost is working well. 5.Scrap all the ice off your windows before driving

As vehicles get more complicated, the diagnosis of problems is as always, very challenging. It has always been challenging but new twists and more advanced multiplexing and technology adds to the complexity. Somewhere, in the world of diagnosis, some customers don’t think that the perceived valve of diagnosis is worth the money. Throw in the fear of unknown and trust into this equation, it get some customers looking elsewhere for answers. Our shops, as some in the automotive business, spend weekends and evening in classes to learn about the new technology. In these specialty classes, just learning how to use new scanner and all the capabilities is time consuming. In the past two weeks, four of techs spent Saturday and Sunday in classes. Newer vehicles are the most complex object that most people own. We had a customer bring in his European import with a check engine light on and running poorly. We scanned it (hooking up a specialty scan tool) and found a P0301 code, misfire #1 cylin ... read more