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My Journey Toward Car Literacy

 I Married A Car Guy: My Journey Toward Car Literacy

 Welcome to the non-automotive automotive blog. My name is Debbie Nol, and I have been the Business Manager at Arie Nol Auto Center since 2000. I have a unique perspective, as I am not a ‘car person’ but work in an industry filled with people passionate about vehicles. It gives me the ability to share what I’ve learned over 20 years and hopefully help you navigate the world of car repair and maintenance more comfortably. However, posts will not always be vehicle related. I love to share observations and story’s from ‘auto world’ with shoes and cats thrown in for good measure.

I’m glad you’re here, and I look forward to you getting to know us a little bit better through this blog!

This Isn’t Your Grandparents Car

This Isn’t Your Grandparents Car

There was a time when car owners brought their vehicle in for a grease job and an oil change. You also made sure that your car was ‘tuned up’. You might also have needed your carburetor adjusted. Those services are no longer needed on the newer vehicles. Why? There are several reasons.

A tune-up consisted of replacing spark plugs, wires and checking the distributor. Today's vehicles no longer have wires or a distributor, thanks to a direct ignition system. The spark plugs that previously had copper tips now have iridium tips, which last thousands more miles than their predecessors. We also have fuel injection which makes the carburetor obsolete.

You needed a grease job because some of your suspension parts needed to be greased on a regular basis. That's not true of most anymore. They essentially don't have to be greased because they have more of a closed system that doesn't allow you to insert grease. They're ‘pregreased’. Pre-greased is not an actual ‘automotive technician’ term, but it's how I think of them. If someone says “You're boot ripped and the grease has been contaminated or has leaked out” that is what they are talking about. The part needs to be replaced at that time.

This Isn’t Your Grandparents Car 2

My point to this is that those terms are outdated and those services aren't performed unless you have a classic car that has the parts I stated previously. We sometimes have a customer that will come in because they were told by a friend or relative that those services were needed. Communicating with the service advisor at your favorite facility and letting them know the issues you're having, if any, will help them narrow down what your vehicle really needs.

It's not your job to stay current with vehicle technology but it IS our job!

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