Portland Best Auto Repair - Tom Dwyer Automotive Services

A client sent me the following note, which I've included because I thought it was important for all of us to consider...

“For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered...in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite class that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This might be a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the Citizens of the United States.".

I think this is an indisputable concept. I would like to see this applied first to health care reform. Let’s make sure that the health care bill that might eventually be churned out of the “slow bake” process we are witnessing, applies to those in the Senate and the House as it will be applied to the American people, 45,000 of which die as hundreds of thousands go bankrupt and lose everything each year that is wasted in argument. Many still claim we have the best healthcare in the world despite our 37th world ranking. Let’s prove we can join the rest of the industrialized rational nations and provide health care as a right not a privilege for our people. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are impossible when you are sick or dying and unable to obtain healthcare. When will we wake up and realize that we are suffering and dying en masse for corporate profit.

I’m neither a Democrat nor a Republican, but I am very concerned for the future of our Democracy, our lives, and the course of this nation. Our illnesses and deaths should not be counted as part of the gross national product.

Why Don't We Do "Oil Changes"?
What's special about our Minor Interval Service?

Last month we told you about our philosophy on Interval Services, and why we don't have pre-packaged service menus for these intervals. This month, we'd like to talk about the closely related issue of "Minor Interval" Services, the service your car gets every 3000 to 5000 miles when you get your oil changed. Most people know the value of regular oil changes and they know that their vehicle needs to be checked at major mileage milestones, so all shops provide for these maintenance basics in some way. We do too, but as you might expect we handle things a little differently than most shops.

At the risk of being redundant with last month (which was a wonderful article, and you're cheating yourself if you don't go back to our archives and read the whole thing), let's quickly review the typical industry policy of "service menus" for major intervals. Manufacturers generally recommend services at 5000 or 7500 mile intervals with the important services every 15,000 miles and major services every 30,000 miles. Parts wear out, filters get clogged, fluids get dirty, and they do so on a fairly predictable schedule based on time or mileage. The schedules are further complicated with regular and severe schedule modifications even though we have yet to see a vehicle that should not use the severe use schedules. Any competent shop knows what to expect at the appropriate intervals- for example an air filter may need to be changed at 30,000 miles, but a timing belt may be good until the 90,000 or 105,000 mile check.

To make things simple (and therefore profitable), dealers and shops have put together menus of items to be addressed at each interval. (These menus vary by dealer or shop, so they obviously aren't all driven by objective vehicle needs.) When your vehicle hits these mileage markers all listed menu services may be performed whether the vehicle actually needs them or not and more needed services may be missed. However, these mileage interval menus are really just guidelines that are not related to a vehicle's actual needs. In fact, the higher the mileage, the less relevant the guidelines will be because the variations in vehicle, driver, and driving conditions start to add up. We don't have service menus (and therefore we can't tell you how much a particular interval service will cost) because we don't think blindly following menu guidelines is the best way to provide good service.

For our interval services we review service history, inspect the vehicle, and compare the results to factory schedules to determine actual service needs. Then we call you to prioritize your needs based on your vehicle's condition and your budget before we do any work. After talking with you we can give exact estimates and delivery times for the work your vehicle actually needs, not just what it's expected to need.

Perhaps the most important mileage interval is not one of the big 30,000 milestones, but the one that comes up when your vehicle is due to have its oil changed. Because this service is so important, we don't consider it an "oil and lube" but treat it as a true interval service in itself. People frequently assume that our Minor Interval Service is the same thing as an oil change, and that they can save a couple bucks for the same service by going to a convenience lube shop. But while our Minor Interval Service includes an oil change, it’s much more. Here are just some of the differences...

Whether it's your usual 5000-mile interval or one of the big 30,000-mile ones, logical, comprehensive service extends the life of your vehicle and actually costs less over time. In order to deliver coherent advice and fact-based recommendations, we need to see your vehicle regularly so we can monitor its changing condition, keep accurate service records, and intelligently prioritize your needs. Our way of doing major and minor interval services both come from the one governing idea: if we provide top-of-the-line quality service in the interests of our clients, then we will keep seeing our clients for many years to come.

We get a lot of calls from Toyota owners asking about the state of the recall, and our opinion is still that Toyotas are some of the best cars on the planet in spite of their troubles. However, those troubles continued though February, and March may not be the end of the road yet. Akio Toyoda just finished testifying before Congress, there is still a debate on whether the problems with the stuck accelerators is mechanical or electronic, and no one is sure if the last of the big revelations has hit yet. This month we update you on various aspects of the problem, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Which cars are recalled?
The most frequent question we get is "Is my car affected?" Toyota posted a website to communicate the most current information at http://www.toyota.com/recall/?srchid=K610_p228906387. There is complete information from news about the testimony to videos of Toyota commercials to Akio Toyota's Op Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal. Generally, the problems are with the 2005 and later models and don't extend to older cars, but the list of affected cars as of February 25 is:

There is even a link where you can input your VIN number and see if your specific car is on the recall list. Your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) can be found on a plate on your driver's door jamb, and also on a plate on the driver's side dashboard that's visible from outside through the windshield. A long list of general questions is answered on the Recall FAQ page at http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/customer-faqs-regarding-the-sticking-153495.aspx

What caused the problems?
While Toyota tries to control the public relations nightmare, other entities are attacking the problems from other perspectives. ABC news has interviewed an automotive technology professor at Southern Illinois University who says he has re-created the problem. Toyota points out that it took some electronic jiggering to make it happen, but it still reinforces the possibility that the problem is electronic. Video of the interview (and a response from Toyota) is at http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/22/video-smoking-gun-abc-news-expert-recreates-sudden-acceleratio/#continued

Did Toyota know about the problems?
One of the reasons Congress started investigations is the allegation that Toyota knew about the problem and tried to cover it up. More on this will definitely be coming out, but here's a report on where things are right now: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35510079/ns/business-autos/

Where can I hear good Toyota jokes?
It's said that humor comes from pain, so of course there are jokes about the Toyota situation crawling all over the Internet. Here are two good sites that have collected stacks of them:
http://www.anvari.org/fun/Practical_Jokes/Toyota_or_Toy_Yoda.html
http://www.dailycomedy.com/?cmd=hot_topic&topic=Toyota&sort=mr&timeframe=a&sp=on&alist=on&fofi=on&p=1

And here's a full article that was just too good to pass up...

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — (from the Panama City News Herald)
A former Hooters waitress has sued the restaurant where she worked, saying she was promised a new Toyota for winning a beer sales contest.
Instead she won a new toy Yoda — the little green Jedi master from Star Wars.
Jodee Berry, 26, then a waitress at the Hooters in Panama City Beach, won a contest to see who could sell the most beer in April.
Manager Jared Blair told waitresses that the contest was a regional promotion, according to the lawsuit, and that the top 10 waitresses from each restaurant would be entered in a drawing. The person whose name was drawn would win a “new Toyota automobile,” the lawsuit says Blair told them.
In early May, Berry said, Blair told her she had won.
“I couldn’t believe that out of all the girls who were entered, I was the winner,” Berry said.
She was blindfolded and led to the restaurant parking lot. When the blindfold was removed, Berry wasn’t looking at a new car, but a Yoda doll.
Berry said she looked beyond the $40 toy, hoping to see the car driving around the corner. Blair, she said, was inside the restaurant laughing. But she wasn’t.
“A corporation can’t lead their employees on like that,” Berry said. “It’s not good business ethics. They can’t do that to people.”
Berry quit the restaurant a week later.
She sued Gulf Coast Wings, owners of the restaurant, alleging breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation. She is seeking as compensation, the cost of a new Toyota — the car.
Her lawyer, Stephen West of Pensacola, said he was also looking at false advertising statutes.
West said one other Hooters waitress verified Berry’s story.
Berry said Blair knowingly misled them through the course of the contest by telling the employees he didn’t know what kind of Toyota it would be — whether a car, truck or van. The suit contends that he also told them the winner would be responsible for the tax on the new automobile.
West said those statements would go a long way toward defeating any defense argument that Berry misunderstood Blair.
The restaurant regularly had contests where management would come through with the promised prize, said Berry, who worked at Hooters for about a year before quitting.
Stuart Houston, a spokesman for the company, said it had not been served with the lawsuit yet and he would not comment.

"Your Car Matters" UPDATE:
Because this Yoda story was originally from 2001, we were able to find out how it ended. Jodee settled her case out of court in 2002, and was able to pick out the Toyota of her choice. As Yoda might say, "Done in the end justice was, hmm?"

Popcorn Shorts
Cool and important stuff that's too short for a big article

Illahee 2010 Lecture Series Continues
Our experiment with the Illahee Lecture Series is turning out to be a resounding success. So far we've heard from Jonah Lehrer on the neurobiology of decision making and Richard Heinberg on society's response to Peak Oil. Both were fascinating, in-depth explorations of timely and important topics, but they're only the beginning. Here's who we're looking forward to in the weeks to come...
15 March - Wes Jackson- Power, Change and Food
12 April - Jessica Jackley- Power, Change and Money
26 April - Robert Greene- The Nature of Power: from Ramses to Rove
27 March - Maude Barlow: Water Warrior (At the University of Portland's Confluences: Water & Justice)
18 May - Gary Snyder, Jerry Franklin, and Ursula K. LeGuin- The Power of Nature: Mount St. Helens 1980 – 2010
Tickets for the remaining events are $20 each except for Maude Barlow ($10) and Snyder/Franklin/LeGuin ($35). Tickets are available at www.Illahee.org for all events except for Maude Barlow, where you can find tickets at https://pilots.up.edu/web/confluences.

FREE TREES From BrightNeighbor!
At the BrightNeighbor event in January we heard about some of the unique and innovative programs created by this home-grown Portland company. In March, the BrightNeighbor Adopt-a-Tree program is taking another step forward. From 1pm to 4pm on Saturday, March 27 at the First Unitarian Church, Randy will be conducting classes on care for the adopted (or any other) trees. You can learn the inside scoop about pruning, grafting, and trimming techniques from the people who know all the tricks. These classes are open to all, and previous tree experience isn't necessary. In fact, the blacker your thumb is the more you'll enjoy the day.

You'll want to put your new-found arboreal skills to work as soon as possible, and again BrightNeighbor has the answer. If you'll promise to care for it properly, you can have a FREE FRUIT OR NUT TREE! There are currently 17 trees looking for homes (courtesy of Tom Dwyer Automotive) and they are the first of many to come. These backyard carbon sinks are about 3-4 feet tall, and they are available in just about any variety of fruit or nut you'd like. Trees are provided by sponsors, each of which will be recognized on the growing BrightNeighbor map that tracks each tree's location and condition. Coolest of all, each tree gets its own name! If you'd like to give a deserving tree a good home, sponsor a tree for someone else, or look into this unique sponsorship for your business, then just drop Randy an email at randy@brightneighbor.com.

For a much more detailed story about BrightNeighbor and it's growing list of accomplishments, check out this article from the Portland Tribune...
http://portlandtribune.com/sustainable/print_story.php?story_id=126300217447865700

Brand new Early Bird drop box
If you're one of our clients who uses our Early Bird drop service to bring us your vehicle, we've made things a little nicer for you. There's a brand new drop box located to the right of our lobby entrance. If you're used to pulling your envelopes out of the shoddy little plastic box on the door, then get ready for an adventure! Our stylin' new box is steel, much bigger, power-coated, and has plenty of room for all the pens, envelopes, and business cards that you crave. Your key will still be safe inside our lobby when we start the day. And here's a tip just for our loyal "Your Car Matters" readers ... there are two press-to-click lights that will come in handy on those dark, rainy winter mornings. Coming soon: exciting new envelopes, an awning, and a handrail. We'll keep you posted.

Know thy enemy and know thyself...
Throughout the health care debate, one of the pejoratives that has constantly been flung around is "socialist." Close behind that come "communist", "Maoist", "totalitarian" and others, but those terms weren't as popular when the government was bailing out the insurance and financial companies. Annoying or not, are they right? Are the plans currently in Congress "socialist" in any way?

Whether socialism is a bad thing in itself or whether it is the enlightened wave of the future, it has an actual specific definition, and definite implications. Here's a great quiz that will help you know what it means the next time you are called (or want to call someone) a Socialist.

http://open.salon.com/blog/lpsrocks/2009/03/15/what_the_heck_is_socialism_anyway_a_quiz

Leave the driving to us
(From ZigWheels.com) Imagine that you have to get to work on a Monday morning. You join the highway and meet up with a convoy of cars travelling in the same direction. Your car is then electronically hooked up to this makeshift 'road train', allowing you to take your hands off the wheel while your car automatically drives itself towards your destination in complete safety while saving fuel as well. You spend that time relaxing, catching up with friends over the phone and watching news on your in-car TV. Sounds a lot like something out of a science fiction movie, doesn't it? But SARTRE is a new project that promises to make this a reality in just 10 years from now.

http://www.zigwheels.com/News/Self-driven-cars-Climb-aboard-the-road-train/Climb_20100217-1-4

Mechanical Genius
We used to run a column called "Websurfing with Tom" that was full of amazing videos and websites. Problem was, no one ever read it. Every once in a while, though, we run across something that doesn't fit into any other column but is so cool it really should be seen. Here's a perfect example... a 4-minute video that shows some of the most twisted and unique mechanical engineering genius you'll see anywhere. The song is good, but you'll enjoy it almost as much with the sound off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w&feature=topvideos

It's That Time of Year Again...
Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 2 am!

And here's a great little article from About.com with history about one of our most annoying Spring traditions...

Every spring we move our clocks one hour ahead and "lose" an hour during the night and each fall we move our clocks back one hour and "gain" an extra hour. But Daylight Saving Time (and not Daylight Savings Time with an "s") wasn't just created to confuse our schedules.

The phrase "Spring forward, fall back" helps people remember how Daylight Saving Time affects their clocks. At 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March, we set our clocks forward one hour ahead of standard time ("spring forward"). We "fall back" at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November by setting our clock back one hour and thus returning to standard time.

The change to Daylight Saving Time allows us to use less energy in lighting our homes by taking advantage of the longer and later daylight hours. During the eight month period of Daylight Saving Time, the names of time in each of the time zones in the U.S. (map) change as well. Eastern Standard Time (EST) becomes Eastern Daylight Time, Central Standard Time (CST) becomes Central Daylight Time (CDT), Mountain Standard Time (MST) becomes Mountain Daylight Tome (MDT), Pacific Standard Time becomes Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), and so forth.

Daylight Saving Time was instituted in the United States during World War I in order to save energy for war production by taking advantage of the later hours of daylight between April and October. During World War II the federal government again required the states to observe the time change. Between the wars and after World War II, states and communities chose whether or not to observe Daylight Saving Time. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act which standardized the length of Daylight Saving Time.

Daylight Saving Time is four weeks longer since 2007 due to the passage of the Energy Policy Act in 2005. The Act extended Daylight Saving Time by four weeks from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, with the hope that it would save 10,000 barrels of oil each day through reduced use of power by businesses during daylight hours. Unfortunately, it is exceedingly difficult to determine energy savings from Daylight Saving Time and based on a variety of factors, it is possible that little or no energy is saved by Daylight Saving Time.
Arizona (except some Indian Reservations), Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have chosen not to observe Daylight Saving Time. This choice does make sense for the areas closer to the equator because the days are more consistent in length throughout the year.

Daylight Saving Time Around the World
Other parts of the world observe Daylight Saving Time as well. While European nations have been taking advantage of the time change for decades, in 1996 the European Union (EU) standardized a EU-wide European Summer Time. This EU version of Daylight Saving Time runs from the last Sunday in March through the last Sunday in October.

In the southern hemisphere where summer comes in December, Daylight Saving Time is observed from October to March. Equatorial and tropical countries (lower latitudes) don't observe Daylight Saving Time since the daylight hours are similar during every season, so there's no advantage to moving clocks forward during the summer.

Kyrgyzstan is the only country that observes year-round Daylight Saving Time. The country has been doing so since 2005.

Drew’s Kitchen
Corned Beef and Cabbage

One of the things to look forward to in March is St. Patrick's Day, and the wonderful Irish dishes that go with it. Our own little leprechaun, Drew, looked deep into his Irish side to come up with this recipe for this centerpiece of any proper Irish bash.

Like the man says, "If you're not furious you're not paying attention." This time we'd like you to pay a little attention to your neighbors. You know the nice company down the street that's denying your health insurance? It's a person. The friendly defense contractor that's embezzling money 'round the corner? Person. The chemical company dumping toxic sludge into your drinking water? It's a person, too!

Too long have corporations languished on the political sidelines, their needs unheard and their lobbyists ineffective! Yes, they've stood aside as laws were written for the benefit of the people with a stake in the society, by the taxpayers, and by the people who fought and died for the right not to be oppressed. No longer! The Supreme Court has reached down to correct an egregious wrong, and led these shackled victims into the bright light of freedom. Don't worry, though, these generous corporations won't hold our past behavior against us. They've decided to take the onerous task of participatory government off our plates, and will just write all our laws for us in the future!

We at "Your Car Matters" would like to be the first to welcome our new corporate overlords by presenting this tour through some links about our newest human neighbors and how they came to be. Enjoy!