About Tommy’s

As the colors start to change all across Pennsylvania, a new danger may be lurking around the corner for many drivers. In our area, deer are aplenty. Not only do they blend in with the fall colors, but deer have a tendency to jump out in front of vehicles when they get startled. In addition, if they are running from predators they can come out of nowhere, even for the most attentive drivers.

You may think that winter is the most dangerous time to be on the road, but autumn can prove to be just as treacherous. Here are some things to know about deer on the road that could help you prevent an accident.

Avoiding a Deer Collision

• While you should be alert any time you are driving, the most common time for deer to be on the roads is early mornings before 8am or right at dusk up until midnight between October and January.
• If you see a deer in the ditch, don’t assume it is alone. Most deer travel in packs, which means just because there is a deer on the side of the road doesn’t mean another isn’t about to jump in front of you.
• Deer used to be mostly seen out in the country or on rural highways. Now, due to urban sprawl and the growing deer population, it is not uncommon for them to be seen in suburban areas or even on city highways.

Tips for Driving Safely

• During all seasons, keep distractions to a minimum. Because deer are so fast, if you take your eyes off the road for a minute it could spell disaster. Put your cell phones down and avoid eating while driving. If you have passengers, ask them to assist you with directions and with looking out for deer.
• In good weather and when oncoming traffic is minimal, use your high beams to increase visibility.
• Always wear your seat belt. Hitting a deer isn’t just fatal for the deer – sixty percent of fatal animal accidents occur when the driver or passengers were not wearing their seat belts.
• If you notice a deer on the road, break firmly and be careful not to swerve. Honk at the deer and try to get it to run away from the road to help other drivers.
• If you do hit a deer, do not approach it. Call the emergency response number so they can handle it.

At Tommy’s Automotive, we are here for you after an accident. If you hit a deer, we can help get you back on the road. Contact us today to schedule auto repair.

It’s time to go back to school! Whether you are sending your child to school on a bus or letting your teen driver take a turn at the wheel, it is important to prepare them for the journey. According to the CDC, 258,000 teens were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes in 2019.

While taking the bus tends to be a safer alternative, teaching your children these basic safety tips is vital in helping them arrive at school safely.

Teen Driving Safety Tips:

• Remember that safety starts in the home. Setting household guidelines when it comes to driving habits is important when your kids begin driving. Points of discussion would be cell phone use, music and other distractions, passengers that are not family members, etc.
• Remind your teen of the 5 basic rules of safe driving: no phones, no extra passengers, no speeding, no alcohol, and no driving or riding without a seat belt.
• Know that the main factor in teen accidents is that teens are inexperienced drivers, which makes them the MOST dangerous demographic on the road. They have trouble determining breaks in traffic, turning safely, selecting appropriate speeds, and tend to make a number of other poor decisions regarding nighttime driving, alcohol, and seatbelt use.

Tips for Helping Children Board the Bus Safely:

• Keep all belongings in a backpack to prevent dropped items. If a ball gets dropped and rolls near a school bus, your child should know to alert the bus driver before going to get it. Under no circumstance should your child pick up a dropped item.
• Groups of children are easier for drivers to spot. Walk younger children onto the bus and have older students walk in one group.
• Encourage students to make eye contact. The NHTSA recommends children arrive at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the bus arrives and to stand at least 10 feet away from traffic.
• Remind children to never stand or walk behind a bus. If your child needs to cross the street, encourage them to wait until the bus has left or teach them to communicate with the bus driver directly about crossing in front of the bus at a safe time.

Even though school buses are among the safest vehicles on the road, if not the safest, it is imperative that your student know best practices when it comes to keeping it that way. If you’ll be driving your child into school (or they’ll be driving), this is also a good time to make sure your car’s inspection is up-to-date. If your car is in need of a service, be sure to contact Tommy’s Automotive.

You no longer have to worry about picking up your car before the shop closes! Tommy’s Automotive now offers a text-to-pay method. This system sends a text containing payment links allowing customers to easily and conveniently pay for their service from their phone.

This user-friendly service is a safe and secure way to send payments. It allows customers to pay for their service without needing to be at the office to process payments. Try it out next time you visit Tommy’s Automotive!

Belts and hoses are some of the most overlooked parts of your engine, but they are essential to the engine doing its job properly.  Belts and hoses are typically checked every time your car goes in for a tune-up (every 30,000 miles), but checking them is easy and can save you a lot of hassle.  In fact, nearly a third of all cars and light trucks have belts or hoses that should be replaced, according to a recent survey.

Hoses in your engine are designed to keep the engine cool.  This is a pretty important job, but as hoses get older, they can leak or deteriorate.  A faulty hose is a very easy (and inexpensive) fix, and if it is left alone, it can result in much more serious and expensive repairs to the engine.

Belts do a lot of different jobs within the engine.  As with hoses, belts start to deteriorate over time (especially with cold temperatures) and can fray or even snap.  If a belt snaps while you are out on the road, the only way to get the car moving again is a tow truck.  Avoid the problem altogether and simply have your belts checked regularly and replaced as necessary.

Contact us today and learn more about our other repair services.

It’s a difficult time to be a tire. Our neighborhoods are all becoming 1 giant pothole, and it’s difficult to avoid them. All of this is quite annoying, and if that weren’t enough, it also affects your car.

Changing winter temperatures aren’t just a pain for you. As the temperature drops, so does your tire pressure, so be sure to keep your eye on the PSI. Luckily, warmer weather will soon be here (knock on wood). So go ahead and take the time to give your tires some extra TLC.

Rotate Your Tires

Not sure if it’s time to rotate your tires? Many people like to have their tires rotated when getting an oil change. Generally, they should be rotated every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. At around 40,000 miles it’s time to think about tire replacement, which is where our fancy machinery can help.

Potholes, Potholes Everywhere

We’ve all been seeing it. Those gosh darn potholes are literally everywhere, and there’s nothing we can do about it. To avoid any tire damage, be sure to slow down on roads that aren’t well paved.  Sure fixing a tire problem is one thing, but running over a deep pothole can actually bring up a host of other problems, including:

• Premature wear on shocks
• Suspension damage
• Steering misalignment
• Exhaust system damage
• Engine damage

Within the first two weeks of the new year, Philadelphia alone had over 500 reported potholes. And it’s only getting worse.

While some people have received money towards repairs from filing insurance claims, it can often cause more of a problem, further increasing insurance rates. Learn more in this Philly.com article.

If you think your tires need a little extra winter TLC, stop by Tommy’s and we can make sure your car hasn’t been damaged by excess pothole driving.

Between Christmas and New Year’s Day, more Americans are on the road and are likely to drink beyond their limits. This is a recipe for dangerous driving. In order to reduce the risk of accidents this New Year’s, follow our tips for keeping yourself and your loved ones safe.

Start the New Year With Safe Driving

Monitor Your Alcohol Intake: New Year’s Eve parties tend to be associated with heavy drinking. Know your limit, and keep track of how much you drink. Make sure you hydrate your system by drinking lots of water.

Have a Designated Driver: Ask a sober friend or family member for a ride. With services like Lyft and Uber, there is no excuse for getting behind the wheel after having too much to drink.

Take the Keys: If your friend has had too much to drink, take their keys so they won’t be tempted to drive.

Stay off the Roads: Avoid driving, especially between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., when drunk driving is most common. If you must drive, do so defensively. Make sure you maintain awareness, avoid distractions, and buckle up.

New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous nights for driving. Follow our tips to stay safe. On behalf of all of us at Tommy’s Automotive, have a great new year!

Now that it’s the beginning of a new year, it’s a great time to reflect on all of the changes that happened at Tommy’s in 2015. We had a great year of growth, which included our first full year in our bigger (now 8500 square feet) and better location in the Matlack Industrial Center in West Chester. Thanks to all of our new space, we were able to service 1,000 more cars in 2015 than in 2014. It was also our first full year with Peyton as our resident guard dog. Although there were times when her bark was certainly worse than her bite, we found that a quick treat and belly rub sweetened her right up.

Perhaps the biggest change to happen in 2015 is Tom Sr’s decision to retire. This decision comes after 40 years of dedicated service in the auto repair industry. In addition to being a career mechanic, he taught his son everything he knows and made Tommy’s Automotive possible. Although we’re sad to see Tom go, this is certainly a well-deserved accomplishment. Still, his son admits he’s looking forward to finally being the big Tom on campus. We wish him all the best in his post-mechanic life.

Although we lost one member of the team, we did gain two more. See below for more information about Blair and Alex.

Did we provide great service to you in 2015? If so, let us know on our reviews page! Happy New Year!