B&D Auto Blog

Vent Those Toxins!

Written by Dave McCracken; July 2, 2010 Share

For most people during the heat of summer, air conditioning is one of those creature comforts that are in high demand. To achieve the quickest results when it comes to operating your automotive air conditioning system, there are a couple basic principles we need to consider. First would be to understand the functionality of air conditioning is to remove heat and humidity, not to produce cold air. With that in mind, the inside temperature of a vehicle is substantially higher than the outside temperature after sitting in the sun for extended periods of time. So based on those facts it would stand true to improve the efficiency of your air conditioning the hot air needs to be vented by opening the windows prior to turning on the A/C.

There is yet another underlying reason for venting as much of the hot air from your vehicle prior to operating the air conditioning system which holds the potential of impacting our health. The concern was brought to my attention via a forwarded email from one of our customers, a highly respected individual in the medical field. The topic of the email specified the potential health hazard with respect to automotive air conditioning. The body of the email discusses the toxic chemicals that are released from automotive materials when superheated. After researching the topic further, it was apparent that this was a very important topic to share with our readers.

Many components residing in the interior of your vehicle contain toxic chemicals such as Benzene, which is a known carcinogen that causes cancer, birth defects, kidney and liver damage to name a few. Seat cushions, armrests, dashboards, carpeting, insulation materials, wiring and many more items, when super heated by the rays of the sun and the added effects of UV rays will release those toxic chemicals into the confined air inside your vehicle. When you enter your vehicle, you are subjected to high concentrations of these toxins. It has been estimated that the level of these carcinogens are as much as 40 times higher than the level considered acceptable by the Federal Government.

There are several ways to help reduce or minimize these effects such as leaving the windows partially open, using sun shields on the windows or parking the vehicle out of direct sunlight. Even when utilizing those measures, it would be advisable to vent the air from your vehicle prior to turning on the air conditioning and avoid breathing in potentially high levels of these toxins.

Stay cool while breathing healthier air.

How Old Are Your Tires?

Written by Dave McCracken; Monday June 7, 2010  Share

One vehicle maintenance item that can easily be overlooked is tire degradation. Studies show that under or overinflated tires increase the potential for blowouts which could result in a serious accident due to lost control of the vehicle. I have to wonder how the age of tires factors in contributing to the some of these accidents.

Recently we had a customer’s 1996 Dodge Neon towed in with the left front tire flat. I inflated the tire before moving the vehicle into the shop for servicing to avoid potential damage to the tire. After a visual inspection of the tire for the cause, I removed it and placed it in a tank of water to check for the leak. I found nothing wrong with the tire and further servicing of the vehicle determined the other 3 tires were significantly below the manufactures specified air pressure. There was approximately 41,000 miles showing on the odometer, indicating the car doesn’t get driven much. All of the tires had acceptable tread depth and showed no visual signs of external fatigue.

The owner picked up the car the next day with all tires still properly inflated. Two days later, the customer drove the car from Claymont to the New Castle area and upon their return trip home via I-95; the left front tire blew out. Fortunately the owner had experience in handling such an occurrence and avoided any further distress besides a greatly increased heart rate.

I examined the tire closely to determine what caused the tire to fail. The tire tread had completely separated from the casing and there were no signs of any puncture or impact that may have caused the failure. Somewhat puzzled in my search for the answer, I checked the date of manufacture code to determine the age of the tire. I found the tire was manufactured the same year as the vehicle, making it 14 years old. I then checked the other tires and found that the right front tire was also dated 1996, the right rear tire had been replaced some time in 1997 and the left rear in 2001. Ultimately, I recommended that we replace all 4 tires and the customer agreed.

UV rays, ozone, moisture and temperature are a few factors contributing to tire degradation. Driving on an under or overinflated tire will accelerate this process. The Federal government has mandated that all new cars have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System in an attempt to reduce the likelihood of driving on improperly inflated tires. Since the Firestone fiasco in 2000, there has been a lot of discussion on setting a standard for the useful life of a tire. My research has resulted in the recommended life of a tire placed in service at 6-8 years from the date of manufacture.

If you drive an average of 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year, the concern over tire degradation is minimal since the tires will typically wear out before nature’s effects take hold. One exception to this would apply to tires that were manufactured and have been in stock for a long period of time. So you can not always rely on the age of the tires based on when they were installed on the vehicle.

The date code is either a 3 or 4 digit number following the DOT number stamped on one side of the tire near the bead of the tire which is closest to the wheel. The first 2 numbers refer to the week of manufacture and the last one or 2 designate the year. Three digit codes indicate the tire was manufactured prior to the year 2000 and should obviously be replaced.

CarFax: The Real Facts

Written by Dave McCracken Sunday, May 2, 2010 Share

Recently I was charged with the task of assisting my daughter purchase a used car. The first requirement would be any prospective vehicle would have to pass my stringent inspection process. Making the task even more daunting was the used car market had been stressed by the recent U.S. Government’s “Cash for Clunkers” program that was offered to help stimulate the automotive manufacturing industry.

With a select number of vehicle models to choose from and even fewer color choices the journey that sparked the topic of this article had begun. We visited numerous new and used car dealerships while at the same time spending countless hours perusing the various online auto sales websites. Fortunately, unlike the majority of people in this position, we also had access to a national auto auction network afforded me by a friend in the used car business. The entire process provided a wealth of information over the course of five weeks.

My daughter finally located a car that met her requirements at an upscale used car dealership in West Chester, PA. We searched all of the information available to us via the dealer’s website and the auction network where the car had also been listed for sale. The dealer offered free access to the CarFax report which clearly documented no accidents on record. However, while reading the vehicle description on the auto auction website I found the mention of possible uni-body or frame damage had been previously reported which raised major concern.

After contacting the dealer and learning that they weren’t willing to bring the car to my shop to perform a comprehensive inspection due to their implied insurance company’s distance limitations, we made arrangements to have access to their facilities. The following Saturday morning I packed my truck with thousands of dollars worth of inspection and diagnostic equipment to make the journey north.

Upon our arrival, the salesman brought the car around for us to drive. Rather than doing so, I opted to scan the computer system for any history of faults. None of the system monitors were set in a passing state indicating that any existing faults had recently been cleared. I then requested to check the car on a lift which we had previously arranged. My close inspection found there was evidence the car had been secured to a frame machine and that the car had been completely repainted. The ultimate deal breaker was the engine was full of sludge, clearly indicating poor servicing of the car.

Since the above enlightening experience, I performed a vehicle evaluation for one of our customers looking to purchase a quality used car. My findings were the car had been painted and there were other aspects that indicated there was more history to this car than what was openly being offered. Again, there was no mention of any accident or paint work on the CarFax report.

In summary, my intent in sharing these experiences is to illustrate that not all CarFax reports are 100% accurate. If the previous owner pays for repairs out of their own pocket rather than through an insurance company, that information may not show on a CarFax report. It also strongly reinforces the importance of having a trusted professional perform a thorough inspection of any used vehicle you are considering buying BEFORE you commit to finalizing the purchase.