Carmentary.com

By Christina VanGinkel

If you own a vehicle, chances are that you occasionally purchase some type of car deodorizer. You know the kind, they are often some type of novelty and made to hang from the rear view mirror, or come packaged in what looks like a small can and are made to slide under a seat or stick to the dash. They come in scents such as vanilla, cherry, pine, seaside, bakery, and new car smell. Some even plug into your vehicles extra power outlet or unused cigarette lighter and with the help of power emit an even stronger smell than what the typical hanging kind do.

If you are an average vehicle owner, you probably do not give a display of these that much thought at all, that is until you are stuck in a checkout line, at the local super center, and notice a rack of them. That is unless you are my husband. Then every single trip to any auto center, discount store, Wal-Mart, or some other similar type store includes a trip to the aisles most likely to display them.

There, he will look over every single package, in hopes of discovering some new scent, a new design, or maybe a unique product altogether that was developed to make a vehicle smell good. We have had everything from poker chips to bears throughout the years hanging from the mirror, or vented contraptions tucked beneath a seat. I do not care if we were just to the store the day before, he will need to check again. They do restock shelves he will relate to you, and who knows what new ones might have been put out.

Why such an ongoing obsession with such a minor detail in the scheme of things I often wondered, but then it dawned on me. He is not a shopper to begin with, and he dislikes wasting money on anything frivolous, yet he has always been somewhat of a fanatic about taking care of his vehicles. We live rurally, so a dusty car or truck is a given, yet each week he takes the time to wash them, and in the winter when salt build up is an issue, he is even more vigilant about making sure the vehicles we own stay clean. He also makes sure to vacuum the insides and to wipe down dashes and condition them once they are clean. Windshields are washed and debugged as needed.

He carries the issue of vehicle care even further, making sure the running of the vehicle is as top notch as the outward appearance, by always making sure the oil is changed as recommended, along with filters, both oil and air. Fluids are checked, and if he hears a noise, identifiable or not, he makes a service appointment and has whatever issue might be at hand, taken care of.

Through the years, his obsession has paid off in numerous ways. We know when we go to trade a vehicle in, we are sure to get top dollar, as the shop knows that it has been taken care of, inside and out. Once, he thought he felt something, just a suspicion, in the front end of his truck, when he turned the wheel. A tie rod was ready to slip right out from premature wear, a fault with the design of the truck part itself. Myself, I would have ignored it if I noticed it at all, so subtle was it, yet he decided to stop at the service shop that does all of our repairs, and had them put the truck up on a lift for a mechanic to take a look. Within minutes, both the technician and my husband realized what the issue was, and a potentially serious problem was avoided.

As to his obsession with car deodorizers, I know that it is his own small way of constantly reminding his self and all of us who frequently ride in or drive the vehicles that he is always taking care of them, to make sure that so are we. It is also a good way for him to spend a few minutes in the store while I most often am shopping for whatever it was I dragged him off to the store for in the first place!

By Christina VanGinkel

I recently had to bring my car, a 2002 economy sized model, in for service. It was for a problem that had been ongoing since almost the very first day that we picked the car up, brand new off the show room floor. The tires were once again wearing in an odd manner, and with approximately seventy thousand miles on the odometer, we were on our forth set of tires. We rotated as recommended, and had numerous full alignments done, yet after a few thousand miles, the car was once again shaking, and one of the new tires from the fourth set, was wearing funny.

In retrospect, we should have been more vigilant early on in our ownership of it, and probed the dealership for why we were experiencing these repeated problems with tire wear. They had gone good for two sets of tires though, claiming that there were issues with the tires, and not the car. After we put on a set at our own expense though, and those went bad too, it became obvious that there had to be some problem with the vehicle itself.

We had purchased an extended warranty through the manufacturer, and with this in mind, we brought the vehicle in one more time, and asked that they go over the car from top to bottom, and even if they did not find anything, I requested that they look a bit further. I also made the request that they waive the fifty dollar deductible that the extended warranty required each time the vehicle was brought in for a concern, as the problem, as far as I was concerned, was an ongoing issue, back from the days when the car had been still under the original manufacturer warranty.

I was polite when I requested these things, and I took the time to remind the service manager of all the times the car had been in for such similar problems, and how they had dealt with them. Good record keeping went a long way towards refreshing my memory of what had been done up to this point.

The service manager was more than agreeable with me, and not only waived the fee, they did find a problem with the car and ended up replacing the stabilizer bar. The car is now running smoothly, with no shaking or shimmying as it goes down the road. I am still a bit reluctant to say that it is repaired and will wait until I have put a few more thousand miles on it and check the tire wear before I pronounce it fixed. In the meantime though, I feel confident that both I and the service center have done everything we could have to deal with the problem at hand.

As to them claiming that there was a problem with the tires back when the car was new, and not the car itself, their company did have a major recall on several tires, of which the ones on my car were included. I feel this worked against us, masking the underlying problem. If I had not been persistent, even though it was over a long span of time, I do not think I would have gotten any sort of resolution though. There was not a record of problems with tire wear, because of the recall. I had made a note on my copy though, that the reason the tires were being replaced was due both to a tire recall, and that I had brought the car in before the notice was even sent, due to tire wear.

If you have a vehicle with any type of issue that requires you to take it in for service, no matter how benign it might seem, such as for a front or all wheel alignment, tire wear that is more than it should be, keep a log of it. Issues even as small as wipers not working as you expect, a door lock that sticks, a funny noise that just cannot be identified, ask for a slip showing what the concern was, and what, if anything, was done to resolve the issue. No matter the concern, be it big or small, record keeping can give you the knowledge to talk to the repairperson with confidence down the road, if the problem keeps coming back and hopefully, get you the resolution, that you are entitled too.

I remember it from when I was a teenager and my brother had just started driving. He always had to have the newest copy of the humungous JC Whitney catalog. He had a white car and it had red, orange, and yellow flames painted over the sides. We affectionately referred to it as "Flaming Fenders." I felt so important when he agreed to take me somewhere in that car!

I think the JC Whitney catalog was to my brother what the Sears Christmas "Wish Book" always was to me; a way to dream of things we wish we had. He wanted to do so much for that car and everything he could possibly want to buy for it was available at JC Whitney.

Way back just three years after the Titanic disaster (1915), an immigrant to Chicago from Lithuania, Israel Warshawsky, decided that with more and more autos appearing on the roads, it would be a good idea to save working parts from cars that were broken down and not operational any longer. His scrap yard for metal was called The Warshawsky Company.

It wasn't long before Mr. Warshawsky started buying auto companies that had gone out of business and suddenly he had a lot more new parts to offer his customers. Not long after, he had his own retail store. Israel's son Roy took over the business at his father's death in 1943 and the rest is the history of the JC Whitney catalog and company.

Today many of Whitney's customers prefer ordering their automotive "goodies" online and not dealing with the catalog. Whether or not a customer chooses online ordering, the number of things available to buy continues to grow year after year.

If you are looking for exterior parts for your vehicle (no matter what it happens to be!) you will be able to find everything from tailgates and hitches for trucks to things to repair scratches, car covers, mirrors, tires, etc. Then there are also the "fun" items like ornamentations, decals, graphics, and basically anything else that you think you may want to pamper your baby (the vehicle!) with.
As far as the interior is concerned, you will be able to find organization items for your console, glove compartment locks, carpets for the floors and all kinds of floor mats, seat covers, and so on. This isn't just "add-to's" for "decorating" a vehicle, by the way. You can do more than buy a seat cover from the JC Whitney catalog or web site; you can actually buy replacement seats themselves!

If you will be doing more than just "fancying" up your vehicle and have a problem with its performance, Whitney offers those types of things, too. There are sections for brakes, heating and air conditioning, engine items, exhaust, fuel system items, and transmission items. Tools such as jacks and diagnostic tools are available as well as manuals for many kinds of vehicles and videos for some of them.

When your "baby" is looking and driving the perfect way you want it to be, you may consider some of the extras such as some kind of security or alarm for the vehicle. Whitney offers such items as well as exciting and fun navigation systems. While you are shopping or browsing through the catalog, don't forget to look the stereo systems over. You should be able to find a system that meets any needs you may have in that area.

While I was looking through the JC Whitney inventory to do this article, I was surprised to find that it goes even further than vehicle parts of all kinds now. If this was available when I was a teen, I don't remember it or I may have been a little more apt to want to "borrow" my brother's catalog! But there is even a section now for apparel and it's going to make Christmas shopping easier for me this year, I think!

So what types of things are in this section? Start with wallets, jewelry, key rings, and patches. If that is not the type of thing you are looking for, try the sections for jackets, vests, pants, boots, and shirts. The shirt section alone is divided into Hawaiian shirts, long sleeved shirts, and T-shirts with many options under each section. There are also accessories like belts, gloves, and goggles.

By Christina VanGinkel

When I opened my mailbox a couple of days ago, there was an envelope from Toyota inside. It contained a letter in regards to an older model, 1989 to be exact, Toyota 4-Wheel Drive truck that my husband owns, and drives for work. There was a recall on the truck, something to do with a steering rod, and the truck was to be brought to the closest Toyota dealer for repair. The repair would be done at no charge to my husband, as it had nothing to do with how he or any previous owner might have used the vehicle, but was for a repair to a part that the company had determined was defective in some way.

That the vehicle was over fifteen years old was not an issue either. As with most recalls, the decision is made entirely on whether the company or some other agency determines that the repair, if not handled correctly, could cause harm or undue financial stress to whomever own or is driving in or near the vehicle. For example, the letter that we received gave the detail that the steering could become compromised if the wheel were to be turned in a certain manner.

Having dealt with several minor recalls on a Ford Focus that I own, I new the routine would be simple. Phone the dealer, give them the number off the letter that we had received, and then just bring in the vehicle for the required repair.

What surprises me is when I hear someone say that they just do not have time to bring in a vehicle for such a repair. What many do not understand when they get a recall notice such as this, is that even if the repair is a minor one, it should still be done. If you sell the vehicle sometime in the future, it is only fair to future buyers that any recall be handled in a timely fashion. While most times, a recall is open, which means that it can be done at a y time, even years down the road, it only makes sense to schedule the maintenance repair as soon as possible. Not only will you be saving yourself any risk that might be involved, even small recall issues can lead to bigger problems if not dealt with.

For example, we owned an older model full size truck several years ago. There happened to be a recall on it for a support of some sort near the gas tank. While the gas tank itself was not under recall, we felt that being that it was even close to it, that we should take the recall seriously, as one should with any sort of recall. Without my husband's knowledge of the truck itself though, we might have just glanced at the recall, and tossed it aside as it did not clearly state that the part had anything to do with the gas tank.

Vehicle recalls are issued for a variety of concerns, both big and small. From window mechanisms, to door trim, engine parts, to cosmetic problems, and all of them are always done at no charge to the consumer. If you feel there might be an issue with a vehicle you own, but that somehow, you fell through the cracks, missing notification, there are ways to find out. You can phone up the nearest dealer for the make of vehicle you own and ask them, or you can search online. A search for 'vehicle recalls' will provide you with several options to locate any recalls you might have missed. The NHTSA or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for example, keeps a running list of all recalls that relate to any vehicle that travels the road. The database is searchable by make and model, so checking the vehicle you own or might be considering purchasing is a simple task.

With these thoughts in mind, the next time you have an issue that you feel might be resolved by a repair, check to see if the problem could potentially be covered through a recall. In addition, if you receive notice in the mail, follow through with the repair, and do not put it off for some time when you are not so busy. That time will become more elusive the longer you wait, and you risk forgetting about it!

By Christina VanGinkel

Extended warranties on used and new vehicles can be a large expense when added to the cost of the vehicle itself, yet many people blindly choose to purchase them. For others, they may not even know what is or is not included in the warranty, so are not even sure if there is any value in buying such an add on, yet they make the decision to never purchase an extended warranty. Both of these scenarios are ones you want to avoid. There are merits to be found in the added cost of an extended warranty, but only if you know what it is you are paying for. By not choosing to add one ever, you may be missing out a much-needed service, or buy always buying the first one offered, you may be paying for a supposed service that you will never use.

I would like to note here, that oftentimes, third party companies may approach you to sell you an extended warranty after you buy your vehicle. While dealing with the company that you purchase your vehicle through is probably the easiest way to add an extended warranty, there are deals to be had via these other companies. Be sure to do your homework though. Know the length of time the company has been in business, their track record with customer satisfaction, and their pricing in comparison to other companies for the same features. If you are at all concerned whether you will have problems having the vehicle serviced via the warranty, approach the service center where you would most likely plan to have any service done, to inquire if they work with such a company. Otherwise, you might find yourself having to pay for a repair out of pocket, and then waiting for reimbursement.

An extended warranty is often offered upfront at the time you purchase a new vehicle, and sometimes a used one. For a set cost, an extended warranty will cover specific parts and labor costs for an extended period beyond that offered up front with the purchase. A common factory warranty provided with a new vehicle purchase, for example, is good for the first 36,000 miles or three years, whichever comes first. Some manufacturers do offer longer factory warranties, but those are not as common. If you plan to own your vehicle longer than the specified factory warranty, or put on excessive miles, it may be to your advantage to include an extended warranty at the time of purchase.

An extended warranty is often sold in tiers. This means that depending on the service you choose to add, certain repairs may or may not be covered. When choosing an ultimate package, the coverage is usually almost identical to that of the original warranty. As the tiers drop, so does the pricing along with the benefits. The make and model, who you buy the extended warranty thorough, and the length of time you buy it for, will all affect the cost of the service upfront. Other common benefits of an extended warranty often include services such as roadside assistance, rental vehicle if a covered repair is going to mean your vehicle will be in the shop for any length of time, the option to transfer the remaining warranty to another owner if you do decide to sell, or money back on the unused portion of the warranty if you cancel. One concern that you might want to take issue with is if they charge you a fee in addition to the warranty for a repair. Some warranties may require you to pay $50, even $100 deductible for a covered repair, on top of the fee you paid upfront for the warranty. If you know about such an issue, before you buy, you may be able to negotiate with the dealer to waive this future possibility of a fee, but if you do, be sure to get it in writing.

If you are considering adding an extended warranty to the purchase of your next vehicle, be sure to read the fine print and know what it is going to cost you, what it is going to cover, and if there are any additional fees if you do use the service, and how much they are.