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December 2018

Philadelphia, PA auto repair shop

Avoiding The Auto Repair Shop In Extreme Conditions

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It’s nice that most of the time when you drive, the roads are in decent conditions. If there were always perfect driving conditions, there would be a lot less accidents and a lot less need for the Philadelphia, PA auto repair shop you use for oil changes. While your auto repair shop is glad for your business, we never want you to get into trouble on the road. That’s why we have put together this outline of various hazardous and extreme road conditions to help you know how to drive in them.  

Rain 

Rain happens and it’s more regular during certain seasons of the year. It might not normally bother you, but wet roads can be slippery and cause hydroplaning. It can also increase fog outside and even inside your vehicle. Stay up to date on your windshield wipers so you have clear visibility and check your headlights to make sure other drivers can see you.  

Ice 

Ice is something that happens more in Pennsylvania than some of the southern states, so you may be more used to it than some drivers. Ice greatly increases your chance of accidents and you’ll want to especially watch out where ice can accumulate, like on bridges and overpasses. Check your brakes and tires for traction so you can handle the slick roads and drive slower than you normally would.  

Mud 

After the rain, sometimes you’ll run into a lot of mud. Mud is slippery as well and makes a car hard to steer. Make sure your steering and brakes are in good working condition and your alignment should be perfect to avoid wheel damage as well. Take things slow, but not so slow that you risk getting stuck.  

Traffic 

Philadelphia certainly has plenty of traffic and if you compound heavy traffic with any of the above road conditions, things can get even worse. Get regular inspections to ensure your vehicle is safe in any road condition and avoid the times of day when traffic is the worse, if at all possible. When you do get stuck in traffic, bring your patience. Yelling at others never speeds things up and can make your stress levels higher.  

You never know what’s going to happen when you drive on the mud, in the rain, or on ice. You never even know what’s going to happen in perfect conditions when you drive in heavy traffic. You can’t control everything, but you can control how well your vehicle can handle those things by keeping up with its maintenance. Visit a Philadelphia, PA auto repair shop for regular inspections and keep everything on the level within your vehicle. It’s hard to say what you will avoid since you never know what will happen, but wouldn’t you rather be on the safe side of any scenario? Contact Schafer’s Auto Center by calling (215) 755-1270 for an appointment. We’re located at 1924 S Columbus Blvd Philadelphia, PA 19148 and we’re here to help you with any vehicle issue you might have. 

Philadelphia auto repair shop

Laws That, When Broken, Cause Auto Repair Shop Visits

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There are many traffic laws that make sense. Speeding, for example, can be dangerous. The speeds are set as safety measures and you know if you speed, you could get caught and a fine could be in your future. Also, if you speed and get into an accident, a visit to a Philadelphia auto repair shop is almost a given. But there are plenty of laws that don’t make as much sense pertaining to vehicles and the roads. Most of them seem to be things that no one would ever do, but apparently someone did or there wouldn’t be a law. Here are a few to make you laugh and make you glad to live in Pennsylvania.  

In Alabama, it’s illegal to drive when wearing a blindfold. Is that something you would want to try? We’re pretty sure anyone that did ended up in the auto repair shop. On the other side, in California, it’s illegal to use the street as a bed. No napping on the street…because you never know when someone from Alabama is near and might be driving blindfolded in a state that allows it.  

In Oklahoma, it’s downright illegal to read a comic book when driving. Perhaps the pictures are distracting. Straight up books with just words must be okay, but comic books are what keep auto repair shops in business. And in Alaska, you can’t tie a dog to the roof of your car and drive around. It’s cold there and that’s just mean.  

In Missouri, you can certainly honk your horn at someone if you own the vehicle, but if you are in someone else’s car, you may not honk. It’s illegal to honk another person’s horn. And in Kansas, you can’t screech your tires or you could get 30 days in jail. On the other hand, you are actually supposed to honk your horn before passing another vehicle in New Jersey, but don’t honk in the drive through after nine at night in Arkansas or you might get arrested.  

Maryland can fine you if you curse from your vehicle, but in New York, they’re more worried about people disrobing while driving because it’s illegal to take your clothes off when in your vehicle. South Carolina can fine you for keeping trash in your vehicle. Perhaps it distracts the drivers as well?  

These laws all have a background, though we have no idea what they are. Perhaps too many people were ending up in auto repair shops after reading comic books while driving? No matter what happens to your vehicle, accidents are accidents. When you need a Philadelphia auto repair shop to help you with your repairs, contact Schafer’s Auto Center by calling (215) 755-1270 for an appointment. We’re located at 1924 S Columbus Blvd Philadelphia, PA 19148 and while we won’t scold you for honking someone else’s vehicle, we will fix whatever is wrong with your car, even if you’ve left trash in it or cursed from it, though we don’t encourage either for your own good. 

Philadelphia, PA auto repair

Auto Repair Everyone Needs Eventually

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When you buy a new (or even a used) vehicle, you want it to last in the condition it’s in right now for as long as you want to drive it. Wouldn’t that be nice? Life (and cars) just don’t work that way and that’s why you need a trustworthy Philadelphia, PA auto repair shop in your address book. No matter how much attention you pay to your vehicle, it’s going to need certain auto repairs at some point. Here are a few things every vehicle needs eventually.  

Oil Changes 

This is more of a maintenance item than an actual repair, but it still has to be done. If you don’t take care of your oil changes on a regular basis, it will become a very expensive repair to the engine. You certainly don’t want that so oil changes are highly important.  

Brake Repairs 

Brakes are something you use each and every time you drive and they are highly important to your overall safety. No matter how gentle you are with them, they are going to wear out eventually. If you pay close attention, you’ll start to notice the signs and you can get new brake pads without too much expense. If you let it go for too long, more will go wrong and you’ll need larger repairs that cost much more.  

Battery Replacements 

No battery lasts forever and after you’ve had your vehicle for 5 or more years and have drive it thousands of miles, you’ll likely need a new battery. With any luck, it won’t conk out on you while you are away from home, but if it does, you can get a new one installed without too much trouble and you’ll be on your way.  

Windshield Wiper Replacements 

The windshield wipers are under heavy use during certain seasons of the year and while they won’t impact how your car operates, they do impact how well you can see. They’re important and they’re inexpensive to replace so when you see them starting to streak, get new ones right away.  

Tire Change Outs 

Tires, like brakes, are something that is going to wear out eventually, no matter how good you are about rotations. Keep an eye on the tread and start looking into new tires when it gets low. You might be able to find a good deal if you watch ahead of the time when you really need them badly.  

The professionals at Schafer’s Auto Center are here for you when those inevitable Philadelphia, PA auto repair needs pop up. You can call us for an appointment at (215) 755-1270 or visit us at 1924 S Columbus Blvd Philadelphia, PA 19148. SAR loves taking care of maintenance on vehicles because we know the better condition your vehicle is in, the longer it will last you between repairs. We can also often predict when certain repairs are going to be needed when we see your vehicle often enough. It’s nice to have warning when you might need new brakes or tires, so you can plan ahead. 

auto repair shop in Philadelphia, PA

Have An Auto Repair Shop In Mind

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As much as you’d like to avoid something happening to your vehicle, cars don’t last forever. Even if you but top-of-the-line, high-quality vehicles, they are going to wear down and eventually break down. You’ll need regular maintenance on any vehicle, but some things, even you can’t predict. When something happens to your vehicle, whether it’s a strange noise, an overheating engine, or a complete break down at the side of the road, you want to have an auto repair shop in Philadelphia, PA in mind. Here are a few things you can avoid by having a quality shop in mind.  

Overcharging 

If you really need work done on your vehicle, and you visit the wrong shop, you might get overcharged. Some shops know that you need certain work done and they can tell that you are desperate to get things taken care of. They might take advantage of your need and push you towards a fix at a higher price than is necessary. When you choose a shop you trust and already have in mind, you can avoid that extra expense.  

Less Than Quality Work 

When you have something go wrong with your vehicle, you want it fixed and you want it fixed right. You don’t want to be back at the shop a week later with the same issue. When you have an auto repair shop in mind already, it’s people you know will do a quality job. You’ve checked them out and you have read their reviews. You may have even visited the shop before for something simple like an oil change. You can avoid that sub quality work by choosing a shop in advance and checking things out.  

Time-Consuming Incidents 

When you choose a random shop, it’s possible they don’t fix what you need taken care of or perhaps they don’t work on your vehicle at all. These little things are time consuming and you’re already taking up a lot of time to get things fixed in the first place. Choosing a shop in advance ensure that they are able to take your type of vehicle and deal with whatever issue you might have come up in the future.  

Schafer’s Auto Center is a Philadelphia, PA auto repair shop that is more than happy to be your chosen shop of choice. We’ve been in the business for decades and we know just what to do with your vehicle troubles. You can call SAR for an oil change at (215) 755-1270 and stop by 1924 S Columbus Blvd Philadelphia, PA 19148 to check us out. We’d love to have you as a regular customer so we can get to know both you and your vehicle. Then, if anything out of sorts occurs with your car, you know just where to come. You can trust us to tell you what’s going on and only fix what needs to be repaired…at a fair price. We’re here for maintenance, repairs, replacements, and whatever else you need. We want you to be safe on the road at all times.

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