WBC E 3 WOMEN S CONFERENCE

Transcription

1 WBC E 3 WOMEN S CONFERENCE MARCH 3, 2018

2 Speaker Bio: Michael (Mike) Nix is 57 years old, married 32 years to Cheryl, and dad to David (29). Mike has been a WBC member for 34 years, and is a degreed Mechanical Engineer working in the Aerospace industry. Mike has a lifelong passion for all things automotive, and a desire to encourage others whenever he can. He may or may not have a sarcastic sense of humor. Here s the test Are his lips moving? If you are friends with him on Facebook, you may know him as the Daily Morning Chuckle guy.

3 The goal of this workshop is to review various aspects of personal vehicle care that fall into two categories: 1. Facts about cars, trucks and SUVs that everyone should know. 2. Routine maintenance tasks that anyone can perform. James 1:5 tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask the Lord for it. Sometimes, the Lord provides that wisdom through the person right next to you. My goal is to convey information that helps you. Your feedback is critical to reaching that goal and improving future editions of this workshop.

4 Contact Info: The limited time we have together severely limits the time for Q & A at the end. I will try to answer questions as we go. Since I encourage your questions, and want to get you the best available answers, please send me your questions via one of the following methods. Either way, please identify yourself. If clairvoyance is a spiritual gift, I do not have it. 1. me at mwnix1@att.net 2. Text me at If you would like a copy of my presentation, it is available on the Wedgwood Baptist Church website at:

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6 Knowing the vehicle you either have or want Cars, trucks and SUVs drive, steer, accelerate, stop, and react to emergency situations very differently. Rear-drive, front-drive, AWD handle emergencies differently.

7 Knowing the vehicle you either have or want (continued) Your Owner s Manual is the best way to know about vehicle features, maintenance intervals, restrictions, etc. It should be in glove box. If not, replacements are available. Many Owner s Manuals are available online.

8 Knowing the vehicle you either have or want (continued) What is the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and where can you find it? VIN Plate Tire Pressure Plate Driver s Side Door Frame VIN Plate How can you find out if your vehicle has any outstanding safety recalls? Hint: You ll need to know the VIN first.

9 Knowing the vehicle you either have or want (continued) The VIN is useful for vehicle recalls, warranty extensions, parts matching, paint color matching, obtaining radio and nav. system codes, and vehicle history. The handout addresses handling characteristics of different vehicle types and drivetrain approaches. You can match these to your requirements. Things to check for on new vehicles: Does the vehicle have a spare tire and a jack? Some don t. On which side of the vehicle is the fuel filler? Which side is safest?

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11 Fill Er Up! - Know on which side of your vehicle your fuel receptacle and door release are located. The fuel gage gives you a hint. The driver s side for the receptacle is safer, especially for ladies. Fuel Gauge Fuel Door Release Fuel Receptacle Door

12 Fill Er Up! (continued) - Although Running On Empty was a big hit song for Jackson Browne in the 70s, it s not something you want to do with a modern fuel injected vehicles. Almost all modern vehicles are fuel injected. Here s why. The system requires a pump in the fuel tank, and the fuel dissipates heat generated by the pump motor. Letting your fuel injected vehicle run down to empty exposes the pump enclosure to air in the tank, which may shorten the pump s life. Fuel pump replacement is expensive. So, when the fuel light comes on get some gas! Due to the above, most vehicles have a couple gallons left when the light comes on.

13 Fill Er Up! (continued) - You don t need to warm up a modern vehicle. Modern fuel injected vehicles don t benefit from warming up and idling for extended periods. These practices are a hold over from the days of vehicle engines having carburetors and not much emission control equipment. Modern vehicle systems can actually be damaged by excessive idling. One very expensive-to-replace item that may be damaged by excessive idling is the vehicle s catalytic converter.

14 Fill Er Up! (continued) - All the pump colors! What do they mean? Assuming you drive a gasoline-powered vehicle, here s what you need to know about other fuel choices at the gas station: The yellow handle pump dispenses E85 (85% Ethanol), also called bio-fuel or flex fuel. Unless your vehicle has a Flex Fuel badge on it, use of E85 will damage your gasoline-burning engine. Unfortunately, the pump spout design does not prevent this.

15 Fill Er Up! (continued) - The green handle pump dispenses Automotive Diesel Fuel. Vehicle engines are either set up to run on gasoline or diesel, never both. Unlike Flex Fuel, there is no unified symbol for Diesel. Introduction of Automotive Diesel Fuel into your fuel tank, even just once, will damage the fuel system of a gasoline-burning engine. This is a very expensive and time-consuming repair. Unfortunately, the pump spout design does not prevent this.

16 Fill Er Up! (continued) - Your owner s manual will tell you what Octane (a fuel additive to prevent engine knocking) rating your vehicle requires. Using the right one is the best balance between fuel cost and engine protection. Using fuel with an Octane Rating too low for your vehicle s engine permits knocking, which can cause internal damage to the engine. Knocking will most likely occur when the air temperature is hot, and you are accelerating.

17 Fill Er Up! (continued) - Knocking sounds like a large number of ping pong balls being dropped on an empty gym floor. Piston damage caused by knocking Conversely, using fuel with an Octane Rating too high for your vehicle s engine causes more money to be extracted from your bank account.

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19 Under (and Around) the Hood - There are many fluid reservoirs in and around the engine of your vehicle to check. Let s lift the hood and see what s under there. Oil Your Owner s Manual defines what oil your vehicle requires. The handout provides background about what oil does when it sits around too long. The handout also discusses conventional / synthetic / blend / high mileage options and benefits. My recommended oil change interval to best balance cost and risk is around 5-6,000 miles, the same interval recommended for tire rotations, Time for the Dipstick Demo!

20 Under (and Around) the Hood (continued) - Oil Dipstick Oil Dipstick Readings

21 Under (and Around) the Hood (continued) Engine Coolant (Antifreeze) The Engine Cooling System is a closed system, meaning under normal circumstances, there s no maintenance required other than to have the coolant replaced at required intervals. Your Owner s Manual defines the required coolant-to-water mixture ratio and replacement intervals. The handout explains why coolant should be periodically replaced, and why doing so is not a good DIY candidate. There is no such thing as Blinker Fluid

22 Under (and Around) the Hood (continued) Radiator & Overflow Reservoir (Reservoir allows hot fluid to expand) Engine Coolant / Antifreeze

23 Under (and Around) the Hood (continued) Battery Battery (+ on left side of vehicle) Battery (+ on right side of vehicle)

24 Under (and Around) the Hood (continued) Modern batteries are sealed, requiring no maintenance aside from occasional terminal cleaning with an old toothbrush. Owner s Manual defines jump starting requirements. Jumper Cables Rechargeable Jump Starter Time for the Jump Start Demo!

25 Under (and Around) the Hood (continued) Brake Fluid Brake Fluid absorbs water over time, tends to turn brown, and should be completely replaced when it does. Your Owner s Manual defines what fluid type(s) can and cannot be used in your vehicle. Low fluid level may indicate a leak, however more likely indicates a brake pad replacement is required. A pad replacement job may include fluid top off, but will not include complete fluid replacement. Brake pads have audible wear indicators that sound like a squeal or whistle when you apply the brakes. If you hear this, have your vehicle checked out professionally.

26 Under (and Around) the Hood (continued) Brake Fluid Reservoir Brake Fluid Range Marks

27 Under (and Around) the Hood (continued) Windshield Washer Fluid Washer Fluid comes in both Summer and Winter mixes, differing only by higher alcohol content in the Winter mix to impede freezing. For most vehicles, the single under-hood reservoir supplies fluid to the windshield washer heads, as well as a rear hatch washer if your vehicle has one. The only washer fluid product I cannot recommend is the Rain-X brand. It contains their proprietary water repellant in solution that, if left in the small system supply lines, thickens and plugs up the system.

28 Under (and Around) the Hood (continued) Windshield Washer Reservoir (pop the lid and look inside, some have floats)

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30 Tires, Tires, Tires! Tires represent the most expensive replacement item during the life of your vehicle. Getting the maximum life out of your tires is dependent upon two actions: 1. Maintaining proper tire inflation 2. Periodically rotating your tires - swapping the vehicle position at which each tire is mounted Most modern vehicles have some form of Tire Pressure Measuring System (TPMS). Most of these are programmed to warn you when your tire pressure dips more than 5 PSI below the vehicle manufacturer s recommended tire pressure level. How do you know what that level is?

31 Tires, Tires, Tires! (continued) Right next to the VIN label we earlier found on the driver s side door frame, there s a sticker like this. It tells you the recommended pressure for the primary and spare tires of your vehicle. One place you never want to look for recommended pressure is the tire itself. This is the maximum test pressure, and will likely lead to a blowout on a hot day if you inflate your tires that high.

32 Tires, Tires, Tires! (continued) Use THIS Never THIS (51 PSI!) Time for the Tire Gauge Demo!

33 Tires, Tires, Tires! (continued)

34 Tires, Tires, Tires! (continued) Even the best-maintained tires eventually wear out. Modern tires actually tell you when the end is near with built in wear bars that appear when the tires have about 1/8 tread left. Wear Bars (Directional Tread Tire)

35 Tires, Tires, Tires! (continued) Tire Damage Video

36 Tires, Tires, Tires! (continued) Eventually, you ll get a flat tire that you have to deal with yourself, so it s best to be prepared beforehand. Here s what you ll need: 1. A rubber headed mallet to help loosen the wheel lug nuts 2. The spare tire your vehicle came with* 3. The jack that your vehicle came with* 4. The lug wrench your vehicle came with* 5. A portable inflator *Assuming your vehicle came with these Coming Soon A series of short videos about dealing with a flat tire. Stay tuned to the WBC site!

37 Tires, Tires, Tires! (continued) Jack Lug Wrench Extension (pairs with Lug Wrench to operate Jack)

38 Tires, Tires, Tires! (continued) Donut-type Spare Tire

39 Tires, Tires, Tires! (continued) Rubber-Headed Mallet and DC-Powered Inflator

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41 How-To Videos Coming Soon! How to change windshield wiper blades

42 How-To Videos Coming Soon! (continued) How to change gas-filled hood and hatch struts

43 How-To Videos Coming Soon! (continued) How to change the engine air filter and cabin air filter

44 How-To Videos Coming Soon! (continued) How clean and condition the dashboard

45 How-To Videos Coming Soon! (continued) How to clean and condition leather seats

46 How-To Videos Coming Soon! (continued) Before How to restore headlight lenses After

47 How-To Videos Coming Soon! (continued) Pictures coming soon Cleaning vehicle glass - inside and outside

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49 Recommended Service Providers 1. Don Perry s Garage: a. Major Maintenance Intervals b. Oil Changes c. Transmission Work d. Coolant Changes e. Brake Work and Complete Fluid Replacement 2. Discount Tire Company: a. New Tires b. Tire Repair c. Tire Rotation

50 Recommended Service Providers (continued) 1. CarMax: a. Gently-used vehicles in a no-haggle environment 2. Automotive Touch Up: a. Paint matched to your vehicle based on the VIN