"Why do tires cost so much these days?" Many people get sticker shock when they buy tires these days. Because our Motor Works, Inc. clients deserve a clear explanation, we investigated on our own and found some interesting (and somewhat disappointing) data

Okay, so we're not the only ones that are annoyed about the annoying television ads screaming and promising to stop your auto repair bills. These companies aren't even actual warranty companies, they only set up the prospective customer with the sales staff of an insurance company who are trained to sell you a policy.  Most of the time, they tout  how "comprehensive" their coverage is.   Our reality is a little less dramatic...

  Hi there folks...Greg here,
It's no secret that our area has some of the highest fuel prices in the country and we all share in this strain, so as fuel prices travel north of $4.00 per gallon, I figured I would share some ideas that might help you avoid wasting money. Please feel free to share this with your friends and family.
I hope this helps, Greg Skolnik   

FOGGED GLASS? It's amazing to see crazy drivers with the insides of all the windows completely fogged, isn't it?

This is a question that we hear just about every day. Certainly if you want to buy another car to have and enjoy a "new" car, than go ahead. Ultimately, this decision really IS up to you. If you feel that you need our blessing?... go ahead... 

Have YOU ever hit a deer? Happens in a split second.  Experts say if you can't easily avoid the collision, (most of the time) it's best to hit the deer straight on...Don't swerve...it's the swerving that more than likely results in losing control, driving off the road and hitting something much harder than a deer. Let the car's mass protect it's occupants. 

So here's a tip you might not have heard before...ESPECIALLY in colder weather...sometimes we might need to move a cold car, say out of the driveway to unblock your other car. You start your car up, back it out of the driveway and park it by the curb in front of your house and shut it off. You take the other car to work. The NEXT time...

 Routine and regular maintenance is the best way to extend the life of your Honda or Toyota product. By following the manufacturer's servicing schedule, your car will last for many years and cost less to repair by catching the small problems before they become large ones.

Four-cycle internal combustion engines use a "camshaft" to open and close the intake and exhaust valves. This shaft has an egg-shaped "cam" for each valve that pushes open the intake and exhaust valves in the proper sequence.

This image shows the scoring that occurs on the sides of the pistons as they slide up and down in the cylinder when lubrication is not adequate. Note the vertical lines.

On front wheel and all wheel drive cars, the axle shafts are what connect the transmission with the wheels, driving the vehicle along.

This image was taken looking down into the catalytic converter which is located in the exhaust system.

An upper radiator hose from an Acura about to blow. This was a first-time client and boy, were we surprised when we opened the hood for the first time! Whoo!

Mice can find their way into just about anywhere.

The little red finger is pointing to the area of this exhaust valve that has burned away.

Here is a spark plug comparison. On the left, please note the severely worn electrodes as compared to a new ones on the right.

Sometimes, if the client keeps driving an engine with a burned valve, the heat buildup in the valve head can get so hot that the valve head melts and breaks off. You are looking down the cylinder to the top of a piston that has met this untimely fate. Yes, that's a big hole in the middle..."stick a fork in it...she's done!".

Here is an image of a torn rear Trailing Arm Bushing. This little puppy is mounted midway along the rear trailing arm (part of the rear suspension - one on each side in the rear) and helps maintain the proper rear wheel alignment geometry as the wheels move up and down over bumps and holes in the road.

Another first-time client... Odyssey that ran out of oil... caused the camshaft to seize and break into two pieces. The camshaft is responsible for opening the engine valves. The upper left image is what the bearing surface is supposed to look like and the upper right is what this one looked like. The bottom picture is clearly showing the camshaft broken off. This engine was replaced. Don't ask the price... a new Odyssey was more expensive.

Please note the angle with which the tire tread is worn towards the insides. These came off the rear of a Civic that hit something hard enough to bend a rear control arm and radically changed the wheel alignment. The tires were ruined in a very short time. They scrubbed the pavement because they were both steering away from each other.

This is a magic trick... 1st - Take one cast aluminium engine from a Honda Civic. 2nd - Remove most of the engine oil by using a poor quality oil filter that leaks.

Weird fix of the month - A first-time client was referred to us for our diagnostic abilities. His Odyssey was giving him grief with a reoccurring check engine lamp and the same evaporative system trouble codes. After 3 (or more) visits to the dealer (some of which included payment, I am told), we diagnosed this vehicle.