Keep Your Children Safe on the Road This School Year

School Bus Stop SignIt’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.

Summer: Beating the Heat with A/C

Car air conditionerRoad trips are a family favorite for many, and now that the heat is rising, it’s essential for any summer road trip to have optimal air conditioning.

We rely on our auto air conditioning every single day, yet many of us don’t know how it works. Even if your A/C unit appears to be working, it could be running inefficiently, meaning either you can’t quite get cool or you might be losing a lot of gas mileage.

AC Problems May Be Caused By Low Refrigerant

A common problem with an air conditioner is it may have a low level of refrigerant, which can happen without a visible difference. If your refrigerant levels are off, your car will be using an abundance of gas to cool itself down, causing you to lose gas mileage and money. Because of routine problems like this, we recommend that you have your A/C serviced at least once every two years (if not more often), especially before the summer months. This will ensure that everything is working properly.

Is Your Car More Efficient With the Windows Rolled Down?

In addition to having regular maintenance on your A/C system, there are a few ways to save fuel while still staying cool. Of course, there is the dilemma of whether to roll the windows down or run the cool air conditioning. Although there is some debate among the experts, the general consensus is that at lower speeds (under 45 mph), having the windows down is more efficient, while at higher speeds (above 45 mph), having the windows down causes too much air drag, so running the A/C is the better option. A final way to save gas that is not commonly known is to run your A/C on re-circulate because it takes significantly less energy to cool down the already cooler inside air than the hotter outside air.

As you get ready for the hottest months of the year, or your road trip, consider taking your car into the shop to make sure everything is running at peak efficiency. Contact us today!

Text to Pay Available Now

Text to PayYou 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!

 

Replacing a Radiator on a 1957 Chevrolet

Antique cars hold a special meaning to their owners. Their doors hold memories of a lifetime and keeping the vehicle in perfect shape is necessary.

We recently received a call to replace a radiator for a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. After a few hours, we were able to return this beautiful blue car to its owners. We are excited that we were given the opportunity to work on such a unique car. Check it out:

What Tommy’s Has Been Up to This Summer

Most haven’t been using their car as much due to COVID-19, making this the best time to get your car serviced. Cars that have been sitting for some time may experience problems starting, with the tires, fluids, and more. We will ensure your car is in safe conditions for any of your commutes with our preventative maintenance.

We’ve been keeping busy the past few months at Tommy’s Automotive.

Head Gasket Repair

We recently had a 6.0 L Diesel Ford Truck come into our shop that needed a new head gasket. We tackled this project by lifting up only half of the truck. This allowed for easy access to the head gasket, making this a speedy job.

Maintenance on Red Dodge Charger

We were excited to have this red Dodge Charger come into our shop! When we were finished with this speed bullet, it ran as good as new.


Red Dodge Charger

Auto Maintenance & Repair Services

Preventative maintenance can help prevent any costly repairs down the road. If you’re interested in scheduling a maintenance check for your car, contact us today!


Blue BMW

A COVID-19 Update from Tommy’s

Spray NineWe hope that our customers are washing their hands and staying healthy during this scary and confusing time. Tommy’s, your auto repair shop in West Chester, is still open for business, but with a few modifications.

We are taking extra care to keep everything in our shop clean and germ-free. We use a product called Spray Nine, a heavy-duty cleaner, degreaser, and disinfectant, which is pictured.

Our Waiting Room is Closed

Our waiting room is not open, so you will need to arrange transportation to and from the shop while we work on your vehicle.

Our PA Inspection Process

mechanic conducting a PA inspectionAll Pennsylvania vehicles are required to be inspected each year at an Official PA Inspection Station. This is to keep the roads safe for Pennsylvanians.

Since Tommy’s is an Official PA Inspection station, we’re familiar with the process of having a vehicle inspected. This is usually the process we follow when we complete inspections.

Exterior Check

We’ll look at your license plate and make sure it’s fastened onto your vehicle securely and is easily visible. To prevent visibility issues and risk of further damage, we’ll take a close look at your windows and windshield to ensure there aren’t any cracks or chips. We’ll do a test of your doors, windows, and wiper blades to make sure they’re functioning safely. We’ll also make sure your turn signals, headlights, taillights, and any other exterior lights don’t need to be replaced. Lastly, we’ll check your bumpers for stability.

Interior Check

An important part of the inspection is checking your steering wheel. We want to make sure your wheels will turn and that your steering wheel and column are in good condition–we call this part checking the alignment. We’ll check your seatbelts, press your horn to make sure it’s working, and then do a thorough inspection of your brakes. Your brake pads, brake pedal, and parking brake all need to be in working order for your car to pass inspection. You can learn more about our brake repair services here.

Engine Check

During this phase of the inspection, we’ll pop your hood to see what’s going on underneath. We’ll look over your exhaust, transmission, fuel, battery, and coolant systems to ensure that there is no leaking or signs of damage. This is also when we check your emissions system.

Chassis Check

Now, we head underneath your vehicle to check the chassis. We’ll take a look at your shocks, coil springs, axels, and frame to ensure they’re free of wear and damage. We’ll do a final check of your brakes and exhaust system.

The last part of the process is the tires. We’ll check the tread and the depth and look for signs of wear. We’ll ensure there aren’t punctures or other damage. And if your tires need to be fixed, we will be able to take care of that in our shop.

Before your car officially passes inspection, we’ll take it for a test drive.

You can click here to learn more about PennDot’s regulations.

Contact us today to schedule your vehicle inspection!

5 Fluids Your Car Needs to Survive the Winter

Lady troubleshooting her car in the snowWinter is here- which means it’s time to prepare your car for harsh temperatures. No matter the season, your car requires certain fluids to operate properly. Make sure your car is running right by visiting a trusted mechanic to check the following:

1. Oil

Your vehicle is a complex machine that is made up of several different parts; oil lubricates the parts found in your engine. Over time, the oil in your car becomes dirty, which makes your car work twice as hard to operate smoothly. To ensure your car receives clean oil, you should get your oil changed every 3 months or 3,000 miles.

In fact, changing to a different oil all together may be necessary. When temperatures drop in the winter, your car requires a thinner oil to operate effectively. Thicker oils can harm your engine because the viscosity makes your oil pump overwork to reach all the parts it needs to lubricate the engine.

We all travel at some point during the holidays and car maintenance may be the furthest thing from our minds, but it is important to remember. If your car continues to run on dirty oil, you may be asking Santa for an expensive engine cleaning!

2. Anti-Freeze

Anti-freeze is a genius liquid that keeps your engine’s cooling system running. In colder temperatures, your cooling system is vulnerable. However, if you add this substance, you could be saving your car from serious radiator damage.

Make sure to purchase a ready-mix version, also known as an engine coolant. Be careful when purchasing a concentrated form. This variety means you will have to do some diluting; you want your system to carry 50% water and 50% antifreeze.

Check with your mechanic about your car’s requirements! Manufacturers may have different recommendations depending on the make, model, and year of your car.

3. Brake Fluid

Brake fluid matters because this is what keeps you safe on the road! It is required by law that you pass a brake test, but in extreme weather conditions, you will want to make sure your brakes are in tip-top shape.

A mechanic can easily assess your brake fluid for you. If your fluid levels are below the lower marking indicated on your brake fluid reservoir, this could mean your brakes are worn or leaking.

Don’t take a chance this season! High functioning brakes become particularly important during unpredictable winters.

4. Automatic Transmission Fluid

Like oil, transmission fluid keeps all the bells and whistles in your car running appropriately. Generally, you should change your transmission fluid every 30,000 miles. Some cars have sealed transmissions, which means a professional will have to refill this for you.

5. Windshield Wiper

Worn wipers are the worst, especially during inclement weather! Your wiper fluid reservoir requires two blends throughout the year: a summer blend and a winter blend. It’s imperative to make this switch; if not, your windshield fluid will freeze to your windshield in temperatures below 32 degrees.

Is it time to visit us for a check-up? Contact us to schedule an appointment today.

Spring 2019 Instagram Roundup

Spring finally arrived in West Chester, and now we’re enjoying these summer days we missed so much during the cold months.

This season, we had an old school low-rider in our shop. The kind that’s rigged to move up and down. You can see the before and after photos below.

In May, some of our friends at Harley Davidson of Chester Springs had some issues with a Vanderhall. Fixing it was definitely a head-scratcher, but we were able to get it sorted out and returned to the owner.

We took apart the steering wheel of Jesse’s Mercedes to fix some wiring issues. That ended up being more challenging than we anticipated.

Spring: Check Your Belts and Hoses

Car beltsBelts 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.