Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Take A Good Look At Your Repair to Make Sure It’s Right



auto body imperial festus oakvilleYour car or truck is serviced and all set to roll out, but exactly how do you know if the task was taken care of appropriately?  These are a couple easy steps you ought to take to examine what’s been repaired on your automobile and be sure all things are working like they ought to be.

1.    When collecting your motor vehicle, leave no less than half an hour to finish the procedure.

2.    You will want to ask to check out your vehicle with the one who penned the estimation or provides the repair to the customer.

3.    Be ready to ask questions and never be reluctant to go to the trouble needed to evaluate the fixes.

4.    Have a duplicate of the original estimate with you and compare and contrast with the final invoice.

5.    Read the final invoice and be sure they clarify it for you. The final bill ought to be comprehensive (they ought to go around your vehicle with you).

6.    Make sure that you receive a warranty for the repair works and know where the warranty is useful at and exactly what the constraints are.

7.    If it's raining ask to examine the vehicle interior and undercover – clear away the water to view the paint.

8.    Make sure all new parts were put in where possible.

9.    Be sure that the paint matches (color, darker, lighter).

10.    Check the spaces around the doors, trunk lid and hood.  Breaks should be uniform.

11.    Open up the doors/trunk/hood and look for polish/rubbing substance.

12.    Look at the mileage (Many vehicles have to be test driven therefore you will see some miles driven by the repairer).

13.    Look at the fuel level (will need to have been noted at drop-off).

14.    If your car or truck needed an alignment, get a copy of the before and after printout (ought to be in factory specification tolerances).

15.    If the car or truck had any sort of structural damage have a copy of the before and after printout (should be in factory specification tolerances).

16.    Check to ensure that the radio works well.

17.    Switch on the heating and A/C blower fan (be careful as debris may come out of vents).

18.    Check all dash warning lights to be sure none are on.

19.    Look at the vehicle external lights if replaced.

20.    Tell them to go to Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair because ‘Relax We’ll Take It from Here’.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Don't Totally Freeze Your Front End This Winter

Winter weather already here, and it inevitably comes with salty, sandy roads, foggy driving conditions and restricted visibility for your vehicle.  We endorse these simple steps to give your automobile the equivalent of a wintertime parka and ski goggles to shield it all winter long.

For the car’s exterior, the secret is to get all of the external finishes cleaned and properly prepared for a protective winter coat, then keep damaging salt and sand away from the car’s finish throughout the whole winter.  The top ten tips include:

1.    Give your car or truck a good washing with car wash soap to get rid of dirt and grime from the summer season without stripping wax protection.

2.    Take away the tar and debris from summer road work with adhesive agent cleaner. Just apply it with a micro-fiber fabric, let it rest for several minutes to loosen up the dirt, old polish and tar, then simply wipe it off.

3.    Restore plastic headlight lens to clarity as though they were new in time for the snow and fog of winter with a short trip to your local CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts at Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair to remove the discoloration and hazing that decreases headlight performance and visibility.

car repair winter driving weather4.    Clean the tires and wheels to get rid of brake dust and highway dirt then rejuvenate the tires to a brand new finish with a tire restorer.

5.    Clear away external scratches with a simple cleaner wax.  This kind of wax helps to eliminate surface scrapes and restore the shine to the paint finish in one simple step.

6.   More deep scratches and dents should be take care of at Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair before corrosion sets in.

7.    Give your car a protective coating of synthetic wax, which chemically bonds with clear coat finishes and makes the car’s finish looking good all winter long.

8.    Clean the glass in and out for improved visibility.

9.    Defend the upholstery's quality with a leather and vinyl restorer, which restores the natural gloss and soft feel of the factory finish.

10.    Clean the car’s carpet with a top-notch carpet cleaner and protect it from the salt and dirt of winter with a protective spray.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Stay Safe On The Roads This Holiday Season With These Safely Tips

If you are on the way to grandmother’s house or just going to the mall for some last minute shopping, it is wise to take a couple of safety measures to avoid the holiday hassle of an accident.

Heavy traffic, motorists preoccupied with holiday plans and winter weather make the perfect storm for motorists throughout December.  The truth is, it is among the highest months for traffic accidents.
But with proper preparation, some preventive driving measures and a close watch on the weather report, people can safeguard themselves and their cars throughout the holidays.

headlights arnold st. louis
The gurus on holiday travel mishaps, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, repair a huge number of cars every year that were battered in snowy, icy accidents.  We give motorists a few helpful suggestions to help make holiday travel less dangerous.

Remember:
•   Check your route: Investigate weather conditions ahead of time to know if there'll be any hold-ups
•   Keep in touch: Take a cellular phone in case there are issues
•   Lower the Jingle Bells: Lessen distractions like loud music
•   Do Not Invite Thieves: Gifts in the back of the car are more enticing than cookies and milk for Santa.  Secure them in the trunk area to avoid break-ins
•   Have A Break: If you're traveling a long distance, take breaks or a quick nap at a rest stop to keep attentive
•   Protect Yourself: Continually use a seat belt
•   Do Not Text and Drive: Text messaging and driving can not just possibly hurt yourself and your family but pther people driving their cars. Keep the cell phone stored for emergency situations. When it's vital to send a message, safely pull to the side of the road first

Examine Your Visibility:

•   Fill Your Fluids: Add de-icer to your windshield wiper fluid
•   Improve Your Wipers: Ensure that your windshield wipers are without ice before going out on the road – and give consideration to updating with new flexible windshield wipers before the snow strikes
•   Examine Your Field of Vision: Be sure that every mirror is clean and adequately adjusted
•   Take a Look At Your Lights: Clean bleary headlights and check bulbs in all of your automobile lights – back and front

Slow Down and Stay Back:

•   Watch Out For Holiday Revelers: Some motorists might take in a few beverages before hitting the roads. Stay aware and observe other motorists in case they start to swerve
•   Keep It Slow: if there's snow or ice on the roads, drop you vehicle's speed ten or twenty miles per hour under the speed limit
arnold mo missouri high water•   Allow Some Space: Leave no less than two or three car lengths in between your car or truck and the vehicle ahead of you
•   Cruise With Caution: Don't use cruise control on slippery roads
•   Stay Alert to the Surface: Use extreme caution on bridgework, overpasses, and sporadically traveled roads since these can be slippery from ice and use extreme caution when driving your car on one-lane streets

Prepare for a Snow Day:

•   Weight It Out: If your automobile has rear wheel drive, keep sacks of sand, litter or bricks to keep your motor vehicle easier to handle
•   Stock Up On Supplies: Pack a snow day pack in case you get stuck.  Worthwhile items to incorporate are a blanket, gloves, hat, water, granola bars, flashlight and extra batteries, extra cell phone battery, flares, compass, scissors, rope, wooden patches in waterproof container and first aid kit.
•   Take Your Tools: Make a tool kit for digging your vehicle out with a collapsible shovel, 2x4 planks to put under tires, an ice scraper and a snow brush, reflective triangles, flares and exterior windshield cleaner.

If an unfortunate holiday collision does take place, we recommend having a collision plan in place so you're not stuck on the roadside waiting for assistance.  CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts at Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair provides top-quality, reliable repair service in Arnold, Missouri.  Just call 636-464-6080 when you get in an accident and they'll send the tow truck, speak to your insurance provider, arrange for a rental car and fix the car.