Our Expert Automotive Service & Collision Repair Blog

It is hard to believe it is back to school month! It felt like it took forever to get Colorado's summer weather going and here we are already looking towards fall. It's not all bad though- I know many parents for whom the school year start can't come fast enough. You did well this summer parents. Now, let's take a moment of appreciation for our teachers and get these kids ready for school!!!
Back to school is an excellent time to review car safety as it relates to young kids and car seats, pre-teens, and teens as well as those going off to college.

Over the last year, we have noticed a frightening trend in the auto repair industry. The number of recovered stolen vehicles, attempted thefts, auto parts theft, and vehicle break-in vandalism claims have been on a constant and steady increase. Auto-related crimes have been on the rise in the Denver Metro area for years; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an alarming spike in the last 12 months. With more people working from home and vehicles sitting for longer periods of time than usual, car thieves and vandals have easy targets all over the Denver Metro area.

Many of us have had a tire light come on in our vehicles during the cold winter months. When the air contracts, it causes a drop in the pressure or pounds per square inch (PSI) of your tire, as much as 2 PSI for every -10°F. You may be tempted to fill the tire up on your own (just to get that pesky light off), but you should instead have your tires check out by your local shop to ensure rotations and inflation is done properly. 

Colorado is a top 10 state for a lot of things: seventh in life expectancy, eighth in health, number one for least obese, ninth in outdoor lifestyle, and according to The National Coalition for Safer Roads, seventh in running red lights. Data from the Foundation for Traffic Safety for the period 2008-2017 shows Colorado tied for fifth with Florida for fatalities per 1 million people resulting from red light running. 

Right now, airline travel isn’t attractive. But, NOT vacationing isn’t attractive either! Last year, I wrote about traveling within Colorado and adjoining states. Who knew car travel would be
even more relevant this year! At least we have the good fortune to live in a part of the country so full of the wonders of nature. When Brenda and I moved to Colorado in 1971, we bought a Renault 16 hatchback (picture below) and drove it all over the state, stopping and camping wherever we wanted. A loose air cleaner bolt allowed the sand to get into the engine while driving through a sandstorm in Arizona. We got through the sand storm only to find our engine blowing a smokescreen. After spending an interesting night in Tuba City, Arizona, we continued to the Grand Canyon, and about a case of oil got us back to Denver. It took me about a week of late nights to rebuild the engine. The moral here is to be sure your vehicle is thoroughly inspected before leaving.

No one wants to give up the keys…Staying behind the wheel enables us to maintain our independence and keep our minds sharp and healthy.  With age come additional challenges that impact driving: arthritis, hip and knee replacements, joint pain – just to name a few!  A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that seniors who stopped driving are two times more likely to suffer depression and five times more likely to enter an assisted living center.

Our oldest grandson got his driver’s license a few weeks ago and being the “car guy” of the family, I got involved in his car search. My first obstacle is to convince him that because of his budget, he can only afford something a little older so he needs to look for a reliable and safe vehicle since he can’t afford a lot of maintenance expense. No fast cars. No turbos.

If you’ve been at Addison Auto with your dog you know all of us LOVE your good buddy. As Erin at the front desk always says, “Your dog makes me smile.”

We all know that you need to take special precautions while driving during the winter months.  Here is a quick refresher on some winter driving tips that will help you make it through the season.