In this video, Jody DeVere, CEO of AskPatty.com, joins Easy
Does It host Ereka Vetrini to shine some light on what's really going on
under your hood. When it comes to car care, DeVere says
that the biggest mistake people make is "really not
understanding what your car needs." To combat this, she says, "Crack
open that dusty manual that's usually in the glove box of your car and
understand the basic needs of your car and the intervals that those should be done.
And then do it to the letter of the law. That's going to prevent a lot of
costly, long-term, expensive problems." Click here to watch the Easy
Does It Segment on Yahoo!Shine.
Each year I attend the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, which I fondly refer to as the Automotive Olympics! This is the most action packed and exciting automotive industry event of the year for me. The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. The SEMA Show is not open to the public so I wanted to share a taste of the show and some cool products women 'Auto-Know-About' from an insiders view.
Of course I walked my feet clear out of my shoes each day and night attending a slew of award events, meetings and appearances, here are some highlights:
Tire Industry Industry Awards - Congratulations to Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center, a second-generation family-owned and operated independent tire dealer with four retail locations in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, has been named the Winner of the 2012 Tire Review Top Shop Award.
Spent time with many associations and automotive industry publications we support, Automobile Oil Change Association, SBN, Car Care Council Women's Board, Tire Industry Association, ASA, VehicleMD Magazine, Tire Review Magazine and two new AskPatty.com partners, Mike Gibbons VP of of mobile marketing master-minds Kukui and Ken Halle CEO of ASA Automotive Systems.
Got a Sneak Look at Cooper Tire's Fuel Saving Touring Tire
The CS3, which replaces the Cooper Tire Lifeliner GLS is going to be one of the lightest tires in its class, which means more fuel efficiency,(coming in April 2013). Cooper’s innovation continues, in part, through two recently-awarded grants. The first, $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, will aid in the development of a lightweight, fuel-efficient tire with a 20% reduction in weight and a 30% reduction in rolling resistance compared to today’s passenger tires. The second grant, $6.9 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,will aid in Cooper’s development of a domestic source of natural rubber through the guayule plant.
Did you know that the air inside your vehicle may be dirtier than the air outside? YUKKK. The FRAM Fresh Breeze® Cabin air filter is the only cabin air filter that uses the natural deodorizing qualities of ARM & HAMMER® baking soda. These two powerhouse brands have joined forces to help absorb odors and freshen the air. Filters 98% of road dust and road pollen. Arm & Hammer® baking soda combined with carbon embedded into the filter assist in cleaning outside air flowing through the vehicle's ventilation system.
AutoTex PINK was founded by Wexco’s President, Paula Lombard. Paula wanted to create a product and a brand that was made by and for women. That is why with each sale of AutoTex PINK products, a donation will be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (US) or the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CN). Through these partnerships, AutoTex PINK hopes to support those affected by breast cancer by helping to increase awareness and contribute to the fight to “Wipe Out Breast Cancer!” AutoTex PINK is giving your car a voice; with either a classy pink ribbon on our traditional black wiper blades or with our AutoTex PINK Plus model, an all pink windshield wiper blade that proudly shows your support with each passing mile.Visit one of our AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® locations to purchase AutoTexPink Wiper Blades.
MOM was there!
Motor Oil Matters (MOM) is the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) new program for licensing motor oil distributors and oil change locations.
MOM has one main goal: to make sure that consumers receive high-quality oil. This is accomplished by maintaining a secure chain-of-custody for motor oil from the marketer all the way to the vehicle. The MOM mark will help identify distributors and oil change locations committed to providing motor oil meeting the performance standard recommended by most vehicle and engine manufacturers.
MOM will help:
Educate consumers and the motor oil industry
Establish credibility within the motor oil industry
To mark the beginning of darker days and to shed some light on automotive lighting myths, SYLVANIA Automotive Lighting debuted the first video in its SYLVANIA “Truth Sleuths” series at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo 2012 (AAPEX). These webisodes take automotive lighting myths into the lab and out to the real world to find out what’s fact and what’s fiction.
The first video in the series explores what happens to a vehicle’s headlights over time – whether they dim with use or just burn out. Viewers are given a first-hand look at the differences between new headlights and worn headlights, both in the lab and on the road.
Watch The Sylvania Headlight “Truth Sleuths” Video
Keep Your Vehicle Looking Young with Simple Enhancements from 3M
There’s nothing like the look, and smell, of a shiny new car! Keep these essentials handy to keep your vehicle sparkling like new both inside and out. From products that clean and protect to those that improve paint imperfections, any car owner can give their vehicle a simple face-lift and keep it looking like a million bucks.
3M Auto Essentials (Restore, Tire, Scrub, Glass, & Wax) – new do-it-yourself line of car care products makes upkeep easier than ever. Includes All-Purpose Scrub, Tire Shine, Spray Wax, Leather & Vinyl Restore and Glass Cleaner to help owners keep their car in top condition for less.
3M Scratch Remover – improve simple damage such as light-to-medium scratches, swirl marks or paint imperfections. Contains no wax, and removes the scratches, doesn’t just fill them in. May be used by hand or with a machine.
3M Rubbing Compound -- if paint is in need of more care use Rubbing Compound first to safely removes fine scratches, water spots,oxidation and swirl marks. And then follow it up with 3M Scratch Remover to improve the look of your paint.
3M Synthetic Wax Protectant -- finally, protect paint with 3M Synthetic Wax Protectant to give your car the ultimate deep gloss finish and help guard the paint’s appearance. Use it with a white foam pad and an orbital sander or polisher to protect your car from the elements.
3M Microfiber Detail Cloth – for routine cleaning or repairing imperfections in paint, the Microfiber Detail Cloth is the perfect cloth to safely use on your vehicle’s surface.
The 3M Auto product line, and there is so much more for DIYers on 3M Auto products and how-to videos, visit www.3MAuto.com.
Eco Innovation from Universal Lubricants Oil FlexPak
Officials with the 2012 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) this week awarded Universal Lubricants®, the manufacturer and distributor of one the world’s most advanced motor oils, the 2012 New Packaging Award for Innovation for its ECO ULTRA® FlexPak™. The award was presented to Universal Lubricants during an AAPEX awards ceremony on Monday, October 29 in Las Vegas where the ECO ULTRA 1-quart FlexPak made its debut. Universal Lubricants®, the manufacturer and distributor of ECO ULTRA®, one the world’s most advanced motor oils, introduced the nation’s first retail motor oil packaged in a sustainable, flexible stand-up pouch. Compared to conventional hard plastic bottles, the new durable FlexPak™ offers consumers a faster, easier and cleaner way to change their oil, giving retailers a unique opportunity to bring customers an exciting, high-performance product in an environmentally responsible package.
One of only five manufacturers in the U.S. to collect and re-refine used oil, Universal Lubricants’ ECO ULTRA® Synthetic Blend Motor Oil is made from high-quality re-refined base stocks and blended with premium performance additives.
Clean Up with Craftsman® Remote Control Wet Dry Vac with Wall Mounting Kit
The Craftsman Remote Control Wet Dry Vac with Wall Mounting Kit features a convenient remote control on-off switch plus a wall mounting kit that makes it ideal for garage and workshop use.
The remote control on/off switch is located on the contour wand. This eliminates the need to walk back and forth between the cleaning task location and the vacuum tank in order to turn the vac on or off.
The wall mounting kit makes this vac ideally suited for dedicated use in the garage or workshop, where frequent project clean-up is required. Yet, this compact 5 gallon vac can also be detached from the wall mounting kit to allow for portable hand-carry cleaning around the home or jobsite when required.
This vac offers all the accessories you need for wet dry vac projects including a cartridge filter, foam sleeve for wet pick-up, dust collection bag, two extension wands, floor/squeegee nozzle, car nozzle, dust brush and air/noise diffuser.
To Purchase visit Craftsman.com and at Sears stores nationwide.
Last but not least I even squeezed in an A-GNO (Automotive -Girls Night Out) with some of my wonderful women automotive expert friends and partners, Paula Lombard and Aimee (AutoTexPink), Shelia Beam (VehicleMD), Bogi Lateiner (180 Auto), Andra Fordin (Great Bear Auto), Jeanne Silver (CarStar & Collision Industry Foundation) and race car driver Erin Evernham!
By Jody
DeVere who is a internationally recognized speaker, trainer, often quoted
industry pundit and spokesperson for the automotive industry on the
women's market. She has been featured by the New York Times, NPR, Wall
Street Journal, CNN, Fox Business, Forbes Women, Oprah Magazine and
Parenting Magazine to name a few. As CEO of AskPatty.com, she provides
automotive education to women consumers and an interactive online
Certified Female Friendly® certification training program for automotive
retailers on how to attract, sell, retain and market to women.
Maintaining your car is an essential part of ownership. Failure to maintain it properly will result in some serious problems – high costs for repairs or even the need to replace major components (like your engine or transmission), for instance. While you can certainly benefit from letting a mechanic or dealership take care of your maintenance steps, there are plenty of things you can do on your own to save time, money and hassle. What should you know about these steps?
Wiper Blade Replacement
Good wipers are essential to staying safe on the road while it’s raining. Of course they’re often overlooked – it’s easy to forget that your wipers are worn out when you don’t actually need to use them. You don’t need to head to a shop to have these replaced. Buy a set of replacement blades at the auto parts store, undo the clip, pull off the old blade (assembly, not just the rubber) and slide the new one in place. As a note, it’s easier to replace the entire wiper than just the rubber blade.
Air Filter
Your air filter is an integral part of the engine and ensures the engine gets the air necessary for combustion while preventing dust and other contaminants from getting in. Replacing your air filters is pretty simple – just undo the housing, remove the old one and install the new filter. Opening the housing will be the trickiest part of the entire process (will vary based on model, but usually requires no more than undoing a handful of clips).
Engine Oil
If you’ve got a spare few minutes and don’t mind getting under your car, you can change your oil and oil filter on your own. Make sure you have the right type and quantity of oil and the right filter for the engine, then take off the oil filler cap. Slide under your car with a wrench that will fit the drain plug. Remove the plug (after putting a catch pan in place), and let the old oil drain out. Remove the filter and replace it with a new one (lube the new gasket first). Put the drain plug back in the pan and refill the oil.
Imagine a vaccine that would create a world free of breast cancer!
Help us put the Brakes on Breast Cancer and at the same time give you
FREE Brake Pads! Please join us in supporting a great cause, the
Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Fund. During October, shops from across the United States have teamed up
and are offering free brake pads to their customers. For every brake
service performed at one of these shops, our customer will receive their
brake pads for free and just pay for the labor and other parts. What's more - they will donate 10% of that brake service to The Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Research Fund.
Find a shop near you and help put the Brakes on Breast Cancer!
Even if you know nothing about cars, you can easily perform basic enough car care to keep your vehicle rolling seamlessly down the road for years. Hands-on learning is always an option and you can do a bunch of it at the upcoming International Auto Show. The show tours the country, stopping in towns from Orlando to Phoenix and offers a lineup of showcase-worthy vehicles you can bet are well maintained. The show hits the Phoenix Convention Center Nov. 22 to 25.
You may also be able to glean additional car care tips from used auto spots. Places like used Nissan dealerships in AZ can show you how to care for older vehicles that can work like new if they’ve been properly treated. Used car dealerships may also be a place to make a nifty profit if you want to sell your own used car and you’ve been treating it with the attention it deserves. Giving your car proper attention means paying attention to some simple car care tips.
At a recently held Bridgestone Tire event the manufacturer shared big news regarding their latest tire designs and their launch of a teen driving safety program.
One of the corporation’s latest designs is the updated Potenza RE-11, from Bridgestone’s premier tire line. “We recently added a groove in the tire’s shoulder for better road contact which helps maintain a strong corner stiffness by being flexible and draining water, (away from the tread),” Bridgestone Senior Project Engineer Cara Adams said. Another new design is the S-04 Pole Position, “Which is our ultra high performance and is designed for wet and dry roads. The S-04 has wide (silencer) grooves for rapid water evacuation and the design provides a quieter ride. We have also included high silica which improves tread (for wet braking), and ridges which increase response and handling,” Adams explained. The S-04 also has a, “Rayon body ply which assists in high speeds and provides excellent durability.”
It's that time again! Technical Tuesdays, where we bring you video tips from our own Jody DeVere. Today Jody tells us how to remove a stubborn, stuck lug nut from a flat tire. Nothing's more frustrating than having a flat in the middle of your day - but struggling with the lug nuts to change that tire can amplify that frustration tenfold.
Head past the jump to join Jody and learn the secret to loosening a stuck lug nut. See you next Tuesday!
Our Technical Tuesday series featuring Jody DeVere's eHow video series continues today with an area that mystifies most people, myself included. The strange tangle of hoses and belts that snake about under your hood. Jody de-mystifies the tangle and explains what a technician looks for when deciding if the belt or hose needs replacing. Empower yourself - watch the video and check on your own hoses and belts, before the coming summer weather causes more tell-tale cracks and weaknesses! Watch the video after the jump.
It's time for another infographic! This one comes from Ebay motors, and this time, the topic is a bit of a 'well, yeah' for me, but it's still a cool infographic and I'm admittedly a sucker for thesethings. Some neat statistics here, and it warrants the question - are you applying some of your tax refund to your wheels? Let us know in the comments! Head past the jump for the infographic.
Results of vehicle inspections held at community car care events across the country during Car Care Months in April and October 2011 reveal that 84 percent of vehicles need service or parts, the highest percentage in five years, according to the Car Care Council. The unsatisfactory condition of vehicles reflects the current economic climate and reinforces the continued need for consumer education about the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair.
“During an uncertain economy, some motorists think they will save money by putting off needed vehicle maintenance,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “What they don’t realize is that neglecting routine maintenance can end up costing a lot more in the long run. These results demonstrate the importance of consumer education as the lack of proper vehicle maintenance can greatly impact highway safety, air quality, cost operation, and vehicle performance and dependability.”
quoted
industry pundit and spokesperson for the automotive industry on the
women's market. She has been featured by the New York Times, NPR, Wall
Street Journal, CNN, Fox Business, Forbes Women, Oprah Magazine and
Parenting Magazine to name a few. As CEO of AskPatty.com, she provides
automotive education to women consumers and an interactive online
Certified Female Friendly® certification training program for automotive
retailers on how to attract, sell, retain and market to women. 
