Letter from the Owner
Dear Valued Customer,
It’s road trip season! This month Honest-1 Auto Care would like to cover our Comprehensive Inspection℠. This is our signature inspection at Honest-1, and it contains literally dozens of check points to ensure every major issue is covered and checked thoroughly. This inspection is an ultra-beefed-up version of the standard car shop’s 21-point inspection! Here is a list of a few things we check:
- windshield wiper blades front and rear
- windshield washer fluid front and rear
- all exterior lights (front, rear, and side)
- vehicle front to rear for any fluid leaks of all systems and components
- brake fluid level and condition
- power steering fluid level and condition
- transmission fluid level and condition
- antifreeze fluid level, condition, strength, PH test, and electrolysis
- cooling system radiator, pressure cap, hoses, clamps, water pump, thermostat, and heater core
- all drive belts, belt tensioner, and pulleys
- air filter, breather filter
- horn operation
- battery, cables, terminals
- differential fluid level and condition
- shocks, struts, torsion bars, suspension components, bushings and joints
- CV Joints, boots, drive axles, drive line universal joints
- brake friction material front, lines, hoses, fittings
- brake friction material rear, lines, hoses, fittings
- all tires tread depth
- all tires condition
- all tires air pressure set to manufacturer specification
- we also check your vehicle manufacturer’s scheduled preventive maintenance services and perform inspections on components and evaluations of fluids as needed.
This month we are offering this inspection free of charge with any appointment. So why not be on the safe side this month and add our Comprehensive Inspection℠ to your to-do list? As always, we want your road trip to be safe, happy, and worry-free. Give us a call today and let’s get this scheduled.
See you soon!
Tucker & Kristi Seiber – Owners
Summer 2015 Blockbusters
Has it been awhile since you’ve been to the movie theater? The summer movie madness is just around the corner, and we have been talking about our favorites at the shop lately. Are there any movies you are looking forward to this summer? Here are a few you won’t want to miss!
- Minions
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Disney’s Tomorrowland
- Jurassic World
- Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Spring Car Care Tips
Ever Heard of the Serpentine Belt?
You know that long belt that snakes around the front of your engine? It's called the serpentine belt. The belt is driven by the engine as it turns. It powers your alternator, air conditioning compressor, and power steering pump. On some vehicles it also runs the water pump, radiator fan, and power brakes. Sounds like a lot of important stuff doesn't it?
If your serpentine belt were to break, your battery would die in a few miles. If it runs your fan or water pump, your engine could overheat. And steering and braking could be more difficult. Obviously, the best thing is to replace your serpentine belt before it breaks.
Check your owner's manual for when it's recommended to replace your serpentine belt – or just ask your Honest-1 service manager. He can inspect the belt as well to see if it's in trouble. You may have been told to look for cracks in your belt to see if it needs to be replaced. Of course, cracks are still a concern, but modern belt material doesn't crack as often as old belts did.
What we look for these days is the thickness of the belt. We have a special little tool that measures the depth of the grooves in the belt to see if it needs replacing. A worn belt can slip or be misaligned, putting undue stress on the accessories it runs.
Now you can imagine it's important for the belt to be tight, so there's a tensioner pulley on your engine that puts pressure on the belt to keep it at the right tension. The spring on the tensioner wears out over time so we recommend replacing the tensioner pulley at the same time as the serpentine belt. Replacing your serpentine belt on schedule, or when an inspection warrants it, will keep you from an unexpected breakdown.