Shop Talk- Calendar nominations, road trip tips, and an indestructible kitten

Call for Nominations- 2014 Tom Dwyer Charitable Giving Calendar!

We always feel a little silly this time of year because, even though you’re finally enjoying the sun for the first time in 8 months, we’re about to ask you about New Years. For the last three years we’ve created a shop calendar featuring community-minded non-profit groups nominated by our clients. To have the calendar here by November 1 we have to start in August, which means now is when we have to ask for your nominations. Is there a group you work with, care about, or benefit from that you’d like to see included in our calendar? Nothing against the big national charities, but we’re looking for small, unnoticed, local groups that could benefit from letting Portland know about their existence. If you can think of any, please email our Calendar Coordinator Charles at Charles@tomdwyer.com. Do it now while you’re thinking about it, but if you forget we’ll ask again in the next newsletter.

Our biggest tips for a worry-free summer road trip

You know you’re planning a road trip this summer, so here’s our biggest tip to make it a success… BRING YOUR VEHICLE IN NOW, NOT THE FRIDAY BEFORE YOU LEAVE! We’ve had several clients schedule appointments recently on a Thursday or Friday when they were planning on driving on the weekend or Monday. No problems so far, but there are several reasons this is a bad idea…

Last minute appointments can be hard for us to accommodate– Summer is our busiest time, and we sometimes book a couple weeks in advance. Don’t let that put you on the road unprepared.
Quick turnarounds don’t leave any room for the unexpected– If any unanticipated problems pop up under the hood there’s no time to deal with them without moving your start date.
You’ll need a couple days to make sure the repair worked– No matter how good we are, mistakes can happen. Bad parts, a missing screw, whatever… plan some time to test drive any repair
Advance planning is important, but don’t “risk it” if you see a problem coming– If it’s a choice between calling with not enough time or not calling at all, call us. We may or may not be able to help you, but we’ll do our absolute best to get you in or at least tell you what to watch out for.
Rely on us if you DO run in to problems on the road– If something does go wrong, call us. We have all your vehicle repair and technical information here if needed. Plus, if you’re not sure the local mechanic is giving you good advice, we’d be glad to offer our opinion.
Give us a call if you have ANY questions– We want to be an advantage to you in every phase of your driving life. Please call if you have ANY questions you think we can help with, and our salaried Service Advisors will be glad to talk you through your problem.

FREE Carwash Season

Don’t forget that Free Carwash Season is going on now. To make up for the summer dust in our lot we offer free coupons to WashMan car wash. We don’t do it for just oil changes, but for larger purchases you can count on a clean ride on us.

Miracle Kitten

Last month’s “Rodent of the Month” made for our most popular Shop Talk ever. OK, now we know what you like, so check out this story about what happens to an adorable fluffy kitten that takes a 1000-mile trip… INSIDE a car’s engine. (Spoiler Alert: the story has a happy ending.)

And our newest recurring feature… AUTO RECALLS!

Automobiles are just like any other product; occasional flaws in manufacture or design can cause problems once they leave the factory. When an issue is identified the manufacturers and government work hard to bring the vehicles back in for refit or repair, but not all recalls make the front pages. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a constantly-updated list of recalls from every manufacturer. The last month’s recalls are below, but clicking the button at left will take you to the full list at the NHTSA website.

July 11: 870 BMW F700 GS and F800 GS motorcycles from 2013, Recalled side stand switches that could remain engaged while riding – increasing the risk of a crash.
July 11: 2,250 Monaco RV motorhomes from 2011-2014, Recalled for faulty water tank mounting systems that can fail causing water tanks to fall off while in transit and cause a crash.
July 9: 12,569 Ford vehicles from 2013, including the Taurus and Explorer, Recalled for child safety locks that may deactivate without warning.
July 8: 442,481 Chrysler vehicles from 2011-2013, including the Sebring and Jeep Liberty, Recalled for the active head restraints not deploying in the case of a rear collision.
July 8: 224,254 Chrysler vehicles from 2013, including the Town & Country and Grand Caravan, Recalled for a software error that may cause the wrong airbags to deploy in the event of a crash.
July 8: 70 Spartan Motors Chassis Metro Star and Gladiator emergency vehicles from 2013, Recalled for seat-belt pretensioners and airbags that may inadvertently deploy while in transit.
July 8: Eldorado National-Kansas Amerivan Toyota Sienna vans from 2011-2013, Recalled for possible damage to the fuel filler neck, which could result in a fire.
July 8: GM Chevrolet Volts from 2012, Recalled for the front brakes which make lock up and not release during an ABS, ESC, or traction control event.
July 3: 37 Ford E-150, E-250, and E-350 vehicles from 2006-2012 equipped with Ricon wheelchair lifts, Recalled for potential short circuit that could cause a fire.
July 3: 605 Brammo Empulse motorcycles from 2013, Recalled for a faulty rear tail assembly bracket which may contact the rear wheel while in transit and cause a crash.
July 3: 8,571 Thor motorhomes from 2006-2013, including Valencia and Magellan models, Recalled for potential loss of power due to a failed battery control center.
July 2: 5,200 Hyundai Azeras from 2012-2013, Recalled for air bags that could deploy incorrectly during a crash.
June 27: 3,181 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vehicles from 2011, Recalled for the panoramic glass roof possibly detaching in transit due to a lack of primer.
June 26: 801 Ohlins Racing AB steering dampers for BMW S1000RR motorcycles, Recalled for potential cracks in the brackets, which may cause the steering to lock.
June 24: 1.56 million Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokees from 1993-1998 and Jeep Libertys from 2002-2007, Recalled for fuel tanks at risk for leaking, potentially resulting in a fire.
June 21: 289 Forest River motorhomes from 2014, Recalled for a fire risk from the battery isolation manager which may short circuit.
June 19: 1,228 Tesla Model S electric vehicles from 2013, Recalled for improper welding of the left hand seat back striker, which could cause the seat to not stay mounted in the event of a crash.
June 18: 18,352 Honda vehicles from 2006-2007, Recalled for potential loss of braking power and reduced brake assist due to faulty brake booster assemblies, increasing the risk of a crash.
June 18: 386 Kuryakyn Holdings motorcycle backrests, Recalled for pivot screws that may come loose and cause the backrest to separate from the motorcycle, resulting in the rider losing control or falling off while riding.
June 18: 62 Spartan motorhomes from 2012-2013 equipped with a 1660 independent front suspension supplied by Reyco Granning, Recalled for potential wheel fires due to incorrect wheel bearings in the front suspension.
June 17: 193,652 GM vehicles from 2006-2007, including Chevrolet Trailblazer and GMC Envoy models, Recalled for potential fire risk due to a short in the driver’s door module circuit board.
June 17: 5,617 Chrysler Ram 4500 and 5500 trucks from 2012, Recalled for faulty welding on the front axle carrier, which could fracture the front drive shaft and cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
June 17: 5,479 Stoneridge ignition switches, Recalled for a defect which may cause the engine the start when a key is partially inserted and not turned.
June 17: 218 GTI Runway P235/60 R16 Enduro 816 tires, Recalled for splitting due to a tire mold issue.
June 14: 1,253 Dodge Ram trucks from 2013 equipped with optional premium headlamps, Recalled for improperly functioning headlamp shutters, reducing the driver’s visibility, blinding oncoming traffic, and increasing the risk of a crash.
June 14: Certain Jayco White Hawk motorhomes from 2014, Recalled for improperly grounded A/C to D/C converters, potentially resulting in a fire.
June 13: 30,197 Chrysler Ram trucks from 2013 equipped with optional premium tail lights, Recalled for not alerting the driver to a turn signal malfunction, leaving other drivers unaware of indications to turn and increasing the risk of a crash.
June 13: Mercedes-Benz SLK250 and SLK350 vehicles from 2013, Recalled for not differentiating between a car seat and a light person in the front passenger seat, which would deactivate the passenger airbag in the event of a crash.
June 12: 12,907 Dodge Dart vehicles from 2013 equipped with a 1.4L MultiAir turbo engine and dual dry clutch transmission, Recalled for engine stall when the weather is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler, increasing the risk of a crash.
June 11: 689 Aston Martin vehicles, including the Vantage and Rapide models, Recalled for a manufacturing error that may result in the throttle pedal arm breaking, causing the engine to idle while in transit.
June 11: 107 Lincoln MKZs from 2013 equipped with an engine block heater, Recalled for block heater cords that may become bent and wire insulation that may crack. This could result in exposed electrical wires, increasing the risk of electrical shock.
June 11: 195 BMW dealer-installed accessory luggage racks designed for 2013 BMW C650 GT Maxi-Scooters, Recalled for attachment bolts that may loosen while in transit, falling off and causing a crash.
June 11:Ford Fusions from 2013, Recalled for the steering gears which may possibly be missing an internal retaining clip, resulting in loss of steering control.