Timing Belts, the Nitty-Gritty

Timing belts - The Nitty-Gritty

Oh, no! My belt just broke! Will my pants fall down? Good news: No! 

What is a timing belt, anyway? First of all, a timing belt is a source of mystery to many folks. They find themselves wondering, "Does my car have a timing belt? Where is it located? When should it be replaced? What happens if I don’t replace it? If I don’t have one, what do I have?" 

The timing belt is one of many crucial parts of the engine. It is a black, circular rubber belt, with a specific number of teeth.  The belt’s teeth are turned by gears which also have a specific (but different) number of teeth. This causes the belt to turn the internal engine parts together in synchronicity. It ‘times’ the internal moving parts of the engine and keeps the valves from hitting the pistons. It also makes sure the fuel, air and spark are delivered at the proper times to make the engine run. Some belts turn oil pumps and coolant pumps. There are even cars that have more than one timing belt. The belt moves, turning the gears, which in turn, turn other internal engine parts.

Some vehicles do not have a timing belt (mostly found in older cars), but all engines must be 'timed'. This is accomplished by different methods, such as a timing chain, or by gears. 

Why not wait until it breaks – then replace it? Because, although your pants won't fall down when your belt breaks, the car’s engine will stop running. That's right. Your car will stop. Believe me; this type of event never happens at the perfect place or the perfect time. (For example: Anywhere on Highway 17.)

What symptoms indicate that my belt may break soon? Bad news: there are no warning signs. Timing belts do not normally make noise or give any other warning prior to breaking.

When should I replace my timing belt? Recommended maintenance intervals for the timing belt vary (from 60,000 to 105,000 miles) depending on manufacturer and type of engine. Most belts last for their designated lifetime – as long as all related components last, including belt tensioner(s), idler pulley(s), water pump, and miscellaneous oil seals. In other words, the components related to the belt need servicing and/or replacing at the same time the belt is replaced. Otherwise, the new belt may fail prematurely due to oil contamination or just mechanical failure. Yes, it is important to repair those oil leaks!

I did not do this maintenance, my belt broke and my car stopped. What's the big deal? Once it breaks other dreadful things can happen. For example, if your car has an "interference engine", the pistons hit the valves - causing them to bend; bent valves = broken engine = big dent in pocket book. Your entire engine will require dis-assembly and all the parts that got bent will need to be replaced. 

Water Star Motors recommends that you avoid this potential major engine repair by attending to regular maintenance: simply replace your timing belt according to the recommended schedule. And save hundreds of dollars in potential future labor costs by having the related components serviced at the same time a new belt is installed!

I need to find out about my timing belt! What now? Call your local professional auto repair shop like Water Star Motors 831-457-0996. We look forward to researching your needs and providing you with the information and service that will resolve your automotive problem(s). 

How 'Cool' are you?

Coolant System Explained (Part one of two)

Do not open radiator cap when hot

There’s a pool of ‘green blood’ under my car…Is it an Alien’s?...Should I be concerned?

Imagine; you've finished your food shopping, go out to put your groceries in your car and you notice a small river of green liquid oozing from underneath. “Yikes! Is that green stuff coming from my car???”

That "green stuff" is not some weird alien blood (although to some, a car may seem like an alien)! It is anti-freeze – AKA coolant.

GET THAT LEAK FIXED right away if you are concerned about keeping your car running, and  or about keeping the environment and  or animals safe! The loss of coolant often leads to overheating of your vehicle’s engine.

Coolant smells and tastes sweet. We DO NOT recommend tasting your coolant – NEVER taste it – but you need to know that animals are attracted to the sweetness of spilled coolant, and it can potentially cause their demise if they drink it. (A "pet-and-environment-friendly coolant" is available. It is also green in color – and a bit pricey.)

While we have established that the "green stuff" is not alien blood, you also need to know that it is not merely colored water. Appearance can be deceiving! Handle it carefully. Coolant is made with ethylene and propylene glycols that are manufactured from natural gas and crude petroleum (non-renewable resources). It has additives such as corrosion inhibitors, ph buffers, and anti-foaming agents. Without all those additives, coolant cannot do all of its jobs well.

Besides being poisonous in and of itself, coolant becomes increasingly toxic while circulating in your car, as it then is contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, iron, copper and zinc.

Water Star Motors has all used coolant picked up to be recycled! This recycling process is regulated by standards set by the automotive industry.

Helpful tip: DO NOT open the radiator cap on a car with a hot or overheating engine…the coolant is under pressure and could scald you.

Coolant can also leak into the interior of the car (on the floor by the passenger’s feet) if a leak develops in the heater core.

Side Note: During the hot season when the car’s air conditioning is being used there will often be clear water found under the car. This is the condensation from the air conditioning unit removing the moisture out of the car’s interior. Do not panic, this is normal.

Stay tuned –Coolant System Part 2 will be in the next Rock, Paper, Car.

Click for your appointment today. Your Serene, Green Auto Repair Team - Water Star Motors

Humorous Guide to Retirement Options

You might still be reeling from taxes this year, but there are many retirement options. Here is a guide to help you make the right choice.

You can retire to Phoenix or Tucson, Arizona where...

1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade.
2. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town.
3. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
4. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.
5. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!

OR

You can retire to California where...
1. You make over $250,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
5. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought.

OR

You can retire to New York City where...

1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan .
2. You think Central Park is "nature."
3. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual.
4. You've worn out a car horn. (If you have a car.)
5. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.

OR

You can retire to Wisconsin where...
1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco .
2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas.
3. You have more than one recipe for casserole.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and construction.

OR

You can retire to the Deep South where...

1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2. "Y' all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.
3. "He needed killin" is a valid defense.
4. Everyone has 2 first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Mary Ellen, Betty Jean, Mary Beth, etc.
5. Everything is either "in yonder," "over yonder" or "out yonder." It's important to know the difference, too.

OR

You can retire to Colorado where...
1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and so he stops at the day care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.

OR

You can retire to the Midwest where...

1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor.
3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at?"
5. When asked how your trip was to any exotic place, you say, "It was different!"

OR

FINALLY You can retire to Florida where.

1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind -- even houses and cars.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often appear to be driven by headless people.

Stress Reduction

Stress Reduction Tip

A young lady confidently walked around the room while explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water.

Half Full? Half Empty?

Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, “Is this glass half empty or half full?”

She fooled them all, "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile. The answers called out ranged from 8 oz to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight does not matter.

It depends on how long I hold it:

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "And that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As it is with the glass of water, you have to put your burdens down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we are refreshed, we can either find the solution to resolve or be able to carry on with the burden for a while longer.

Happy Earth Day!

So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... Pick them up tomorrow.

Make mountains into molehills. Make large problems into smaller ones.

20 Things to Think About

Humorous ways to think of things:) 

1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!

Am I a Pigeon or a Statue?

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..

5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can't push.

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

I see you. Say, "Cheese!"

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

17 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

19 * Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

20 *Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate!*

Certifiably Green

Green Business Logo

Certifiably Green!                
    

Henry and I believe strongly in the ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ principle. Long before starting our business, 20 years ago, we were dedicated to protecting our planet through Green practices. When the opportunity to become a Green Certified Business arose we said, “Pick us! Pick us!” We were the first Green Certified Business in Santa Cruz County. That was April 2004. Now the City of Santa Cruz has taken over the program and we have now re-certified for the third time.  Interested in being certified as a green business? 

One key change in becoming Green was to replace all of our light fixtures with new, more energy-efficient ballasts and bulbs. This saves about $60 per month in our electricity bills. The energy usage difference after upgrading was 5kwh/day less.

Horsepower or Watt? A watt is a measure of power which is the flow rate of energy per time. A kilowatt is 1000 watts. A compact fluorescent light bulb uses only 23 watts to produce the same amount of light as a 100 watt incandescent light.  Horsepower  relates to the car industry. One

Percheron Horses pull a walking plow

horsepower is equiva1ent to how much work per time a medium sized horse can produce pulling a plow. One horse-power = 746 watts. A person in good shape can produce about ¼ of a horse power (200 watts). So if you hook your exercise bike to an electric generator you could power 2 light bulbs or a light bulb and a TV – But for only for as long as you keep pedaling!

Wow, if each American household swapped just one light bulb for a compact fluorescent bulb, the energy savings would be equivalent to 300,000 barrels of oil per day!

The Greening process: We improved our habits of recycling cans, bottles, cardboard, metal, etc. We held a recycling training meeting with our staff. We added places in the shop and office where paper can easily be recycled. In our office, we print on the other side where applicable.

Other simple changes: We put mulch around our plants in front of the shop; switched to bulk recycled toilet paper from Coast Paper; put a water restrictor in the sink, and a low flow flapper in the toilet.

Please, we urge you; “Listen to your auto mechanics when they say they have found any fluid leaks. Do the right ‘green’ thing and have them repaired!”

Think about the philosophy, ‘cars can be immortal’. Instead of junking your car after a few years consider them as potential life-time partners.

By far, the most economical way to “produce energy” is not from oil, natural gas, bio-diesel, hydroelectric power, solar power, wind power, or fuel cells, etc. but by conservation. In other words, it’s far more economical to turn down your thermostat or carpool to work, ride a bike, turn off the hot tub or hang the clothes out to dry than it is to drill another oil well, build another dam or put up another wind turbine farm.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!  What can you do today to help our planet?

 

Timeline of Water Star Motors

We are into the 20^th year of business with Water Star Motors and we thought it would be fun to share a few of the highlights over the years.

1992: Henry and I had recently left the establishment we were both working for and started “Carter’s Healing Cars”. Then a used car business who needed help to repair their vehicles asked us to start a shop.

Henry standing by our original logo

1993: Water Star Motors officially opened its doors on Water Street (across from the old Staff of Life). We did this brilliantly; our working capital was two months free rent. We had Henry’s tool box, my organizational skills and youth on our side. We also were super clever with the timing because our three children were in three different schools. They were 10, 13 and 15 years old. (Crazy!)

1994: Moved the business to Pacific Avenue – walking distance from the condo we were renting. Workaholics the next four years (yes, I ‘wrenched’ too) M-F 8-5. (All hand-written – pre computerized.)

1995 – 1997: Work, work, work!

1998: We hired our first employee (who now is a successful car repair shop owner as well.) A couple of customers asked us what the secret to our happiness was. This prompted us to teach weekly meditation classes. We also managed to pull off the near impossible…got financing as self-employed people to purchase our home in Santa Cruz.  Yippee!

1999: We outgrew the Pacific Avenue space and procured the Fiat business that occupied our River Street location. Again, we went about this brilliantly. We prepped for closure of the old shop, attended a week long meditation retreat, came back on Friday, loaded everything up on Saturday, set-up our new location and opened our doors on Monday - ready to go!

2000: I (Lisa) no longer have to work on cars…we have technicians. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed it, but it is not my passion. (It is hard to work on cars.) We took our first real vacation (after 12 years of marriage) without the kids….Hawaii. We found we like vacations.

2001: Enrolled in business management classes. WSM became a Bosch Authorized Service Center. I saw our first Grand baby boy, Miles, be born. He looks like dad & grandpa.

2002: Put our daughter, Kristen, through Service Advisor School. Earned the ‘Best Of’ Good Times Award. We traveled to Thailand for a meditation retreat.

2003: I Joined a Leads Club (great for marketing). Created and held a couple of ‘De-Mystify Your Vehicle’ workshops. All three of our kids were working for us.

2004: Became the first Green Certified Business in Santa Cruz County! Got AAA approved status. Our car, Lightning, placed first in MBZ car show. Our second grand baby boy arrives – Henry. Sweet!

2005: Created ‘If My Car Could Talk’ radio show which ran every Wednesday night for six months. To support this we took public speaking lessons through the Speakers Gym. Created Feng Shui Car Kits. And we helped to fuel the bio-fuel movement with fuel made from restaurant waste fryer oil, grape seed oil, etc.

2006: Rock Paper, Car appears bi-monthly in the Metro. Became a licensed smog test and repair facility.

2007: Earned ‘Best Small Business of the Year’ for the state of California by John Laird, 27^th State

Assemblyman. We chartered a service club called the Surf City Exchange Club. I saw my Grand Daughter, Victoria, be born.

2008: Lisa joined the Sustainability Academy Board of Directors and physically helped to build a retreat center in TN. Got Gold in the Goldies. Henry received the United Way’s ‘Hero’ Award.

2009: Joined Think Local First and an auto ‘performance’ group. Our son, Dan, began his two year auto-repair business management/education quest. We appeared in ‘This Old Car’ TV show. We helped spearhead the Green Business Networking Group. Earned Silver in Goldies. 3^rd time to re-certify being green.

2010: Traveled from Brazil to Antarctica. Gold and Bronze for Gold Awards. Wrote the 100^th article for Rock, Paper, Car.

2011: Earned a cruise; Florida to Panama. Started blogging about our heavy metal detox program. Once again Goldie winner. Took a trip to Thailand and Cambodia. Joined the SMART Group.

2012: Theme at work – Water Star Motors – The Musical. Yes, people do randomly burst out in song. Gave an iPad2 away. #1 Gold Awards #2 Good Times. I joined the Santa Cruz Follies – Copacabana  

Henry and I auditioning for Follies 2013

2013: "I Got You Babe!" Auditioned as Sonny & Cher for the 2013 Follies (September 11, 12, 13, 14 - 2013). Spearheaded the Blue and Gold dinner honoring our local police and firemen. #2 Gold Awards. 4th time to re-certify being green.

Compassion is a strength

You must have both strength and compassion.
 It is not good to have one without the other.

Our weaknesses are really our strengths; coming from another direction.

Knowing how to adapt and flow with changes allows you to be relaxed and free. To gather these states of total freedom do not hold any tension. Be Relaxed. This relaxed state will extend to your heart and from there more compassion will flow into your day to day dealings. Live well. Laugh often!

 The mind is sharper than any sword. Watch what you think and watch what you say to yourself and to others.