Posted on 9/5/2012
Florissant drivers know that underinflated tires wear out more quickly. Underinflation is also a major cause of tire failure for Missouri auto owners. More flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances are all results of underinflated tires.It's hard for many Florissant drivers to tell when a radial tire is underinflated. If your owner’s manual recommends 35 pounds of pressure, your tire is considered significantly under-inflated at 26 pounds. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds.Uncle Sam to the rescue! A recent U.S. federal law required vehicle manufacturer’s to include a Tire Pressure Monitoring System - or TPMS system - in all vehicles. Many Canadian vehicles have them as well. The system is a dashboard mounted warning light that goes off if one or more of the tires falls 25% below its pressure recommendations.Obviously, all of this doesn't come free for Florissant car owner ... read more
Posted on 8/28/2012
When accidents occur in Florissant, Missouri, the victims' emergency contacts are extremely important. Too often, those involved aren't able to provide rescuers with phone numbers and medical information.When Missouri police and rescue workers must sift through pockets, glove compartments, wallets, purses and cell phone directories, they waste precious time.In the unfortunate event that you are involved in an accident, you have people in the Florissant, Missouri, area who you'll want to be contacted to arrange help, give consent to treatment and inform Florissant paramedics of medical conditions, allergies or medications.A brilliantly simple solution is now spreading through Florissant and around the globe: ICE. ICE – standing for In Case of Emergency – is a way to identify emergency contacts in your cell phone directory.Simply put 'ICE' before a contact name in your cell phone, like 'ICE – Dad,' 'ICE &ndash ... read more
Posted on 8/23/2012
There are some things drivers should know about Florissant car service and repair. First and foremost, garysautorepair cares about you and your family's safety. And we really appreciate your business. garysautorepair in Florissant wants to build a trusting relationship that becomes the foundation for a mutually beneficial experience for years to come.Building on that foundation, there are some things that would help you understand the auto service and repair business better. First, it can be really hard to fix vehicles. The days of shade tree mechanics are long gone. The majority of automotive systems are computerized. It takes a lot of training and very expensive equipment to diagnose and repair modern vehicles. The pros who work for garysautorepair need extensive computer training – not just how to run the diagnostic systems, but also searching for the right parts, networking with other technicians to help them with a difficult problem and pullin ... read more
Posted on 8/14/2012
If you're reading this article in Florissant, Missouri, then you probably care about your vehicle and how it runs. Even though you care, there is still that moment of dread when your professional service advisor at garysautorepair tells you the manufacturer recommends some additional service. Your heart beats a little faster, your blood pressure rises. You worry about spending more money than you had planned. And you worry that if you say "no," you might be harming your vehicle or risking your family's safety. At the risk of sounding like your dad, you really should have done your homework. Service recommendations are in your owner's manual. But it is not like you want to keep your vehicle auto maintenance schedule on your nightstand for bedtime reading.Vehicles are complicated machines and it takes some effort for Florissant residents to keep them running well. That is why they have maintenance schedules that explain how to keep your vehicle performing effic ... read more
Posted on 8/9/2012
We live in a disposable society. Everything from elaborate packaging to our clothing. Even cell phones are disposable. When replacement is cheaper than repair, the term "built to last" goes by the wayside. An exception is our vehicles. They're still a very big investment and Florissant drivers want to make them last as long as possible. We also want to make keeping them running as cheap as possible. When talking vehicles, it's all about preventive maintenance. There is an old saying that says, "A stitch in time saves nine," and that is really true when it comes to taking care of your vehicle. A great example is coolant service in Florissant.Your coolant not only protects your engine from overheating and freezing, it must also protect cooling system components from corrosion. Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. That's why you need to have your cooling system serviced on a regular schedule.The same is true for your ... read more
Posted on 8/1/2012
There's a segment of the Florissant area population that's not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Now, the ignition system in your vehicle is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers). So tune-ups used to force you in to garysautorepair for service, and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new vehicles in Florissant have been leased. These folks plan on turning the vehicle in after two or three years, so they haven't focused on the maintenance that helps a vehicle last longer.Given all that, what's the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy.Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that major repairs are preve ... read more
Posted on 7/27/2012
Today at garysautorepair we want to talk with you about a very important safety issue. This automotive safety warning is coming from a very unusual source: fire fighting experts. You've probably heard of E-85 gasoline being offered in the Florissant area. Some newer vehicle models are specifically built to run on E-85 – the rest are not. Does your vehicle use E-85 gasoline? Bring it down to garysautorepair at 1779 N Hwy 67 in Florissant, Missouri 63033, to find out, or give us a call to make an appointment by calling 314-831-5843. E-85 gasoline has been developed to fight air pollution and reduce oil consumption. E-85 fuel is a mix of 85% ethanol, a grain-base alcohol, and 15% gasoline. So-called Flex-Fuel vehicles are designed to use either normal gasoline or E-85 gas. The result is lower exhaust emissions to our local Florissant community.All gas engines can run with up to ... read more
Posted on 7/18/2012
At garysautorepair we get a lot of Florissant drivers asking about vehicle trip preparation. That's a big deal. You could be driving through mountains and deserts in some pretty lonely areas around Missouri, so it's important to know that the vehicle is up to the task and won't leave you stranded.Smart Florissant drivers plan ahead for a major road trip – and there are a lot of things to get ready. Where should you start? You could start with the tires. Look them over for tread wear and check to see that they are properly inflated. Take a quick test drive around Florissant to see if you can feel any vibrations: Are the wheels in balance? Is the car tracking straight? Is the alignment ok? Come to garysautorepair for a peace-of-mind trip inspection.1779 N Hwy 67 Florissant, Missouri 63033 314-831-5843 The next thing is a full service oil change to make sure all of your fluids are topped off and ... read more
Posted on 7/12/2012
Did you know that most of the cars driving around Florissant, Missouri, carry more computer power than the Apollo 121 Lunar Module that landed on the moon in 1969?New cars sold in the Florissant area have as many as 12 networked computers and over five miles (eight kilometers) of wiring. In fact, for the last decade or so, auto computers have been controlling about 85 percent of your vehicle's functions.Cars have sensors for manifold air temperature, coolant temperature, manifold air pressure, airflow, throttle position, vehicle speed and oxygen content. All of this electronic wizardry is pretty complicated. So how do Florissant drivers know when there is a problem?It's simple; the Check Engine light comes on. The computer monitors all the sensors and uses that information to decide what to adjust such as the fuel mix, spark timing and idle speed. In addition, the computer monitors its own circuits. When it finds a fault, it turns on the Check Engine light and stores a trouble cod ... read more
Posted on 7/5/2012
There's not much we can do about the price of gas in Florissant, Missouri, but we do quite a bit about how much we use as we're driving on our Florissant streets.Our driving habits can dramatically affect our fuel economy.The first thing we can do is watch the 'go-pedal.' Hard acceleration just sucks the gas. Gently leave stop lights and plan lane changes so you don't need to floor it. That can save you hundreds of dollars a year.Go a little slower on the freeway. Once you're going more than 65 miles an hour (105 kilometers per hour), your fuel economy starts to drop dramatically. Leave early so you don't need to rush to be on time. And cruise control is your friend – steady speed uses less gas.Plan errands ahead. Make fewer trips by combining errands.Hey at current gas prices, a lead-foot might as well be a gold foot. garysautorepair 1779 N Hwy 67 Florissant, Missouri 63033 314