Tips On Being Stranded In Snow

Winter is a phenomenal season in Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, and Jefferson County, MO, particularly if a new layer of snow covers everything. Wintertime could also be a very hazardous season. If you are thinking of traveling during the long cold winter, it is good to be completely prepared for winter driving and to have winter car supplies in your motor vehicle. Unfortunately, being trapped on the side of the road in severe winter conditions is not unheard of. CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri has provided these guidelines to help you in case you ever find yourself in that situation.

If You're Marooned While Driving In Winter:

1.   Call 911. If you have access to a cell phone, call 911 to get assistance. When you speak with authorities, be ready to:

• Describe the place, condition of your companions and the trouble you're encountering.
• Listen for questions.
• Follow any instruction. You may be told you should stay where you are to assist rescuers or to return to the scene.
• Do not hang up until you know whom you have spoken with and what's going to happen next.

2.   Remain in your vehicle. Walking in a storm can be very dangerous. You can lose your way, wander out of reach, become exhausted, collapse, and risk your life. Your vehicle itself is a great shelter.

3.   Try to avoid overexertion. Attempting to push your automobile, trying to jack it into a new position or shoveling snow takes great effort in storm conditions. You may risk heart attack or other injury.
4.   Calm down and think. The storm will end and you'll be found. Don't work enough to get hot and sweaty. Wet clothing loses insulation quality making you more prone to the effects of hypothermia.
5.   Keep fresh air in your automobile. It is much better to be chilly or cold and conscious than to be comfortably warm and slide into unconsciousness. Freezing-wet or wind-driven St. Louis area snow could plug your automobile's exhaust system making deadly carbon monoxide gas get in your car.
6.   Don't run the engine unless you are certain the exhaust pipe is free of snow or other objects. Keep the radiator free from snow to prevent the engine from getting too hot. Run the engine at 10 minute intervals for heat.
7.   Turn on the dome light during the nighttime, but only when running the engine.
8.   Keep your blood circulating freely by loosening tight clothes, changing positions frequently, and moving your arms and legs. Huddle close to each other. Rub your hands together or put them under your armpits or in between your legs. Remove your shoes from time to time and massage your feet.
9.   Do not expect to be comfortable. The challenge is to survive until you are discovered.
10.   Make yourself visible to rescuers. Tie a bright cloth to your antenna or door handle.

Whenever you get free from danger, your motor vehicle may have some cosmetic or internal damage. If that's the case, consider taking your car or truck to CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, MO. They have auto body experts prepared to handle any damage that your vehicle could have incurred.

Hit a Deer, Bag a Turkey

CARSTAR Arnold Announces the Start of ‘Hit a Deer, Bag a Turkey’ Promotion.

St. Louis Metro CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts announces the beginning of its ‘Hit a Deer, Bag a Turkey’ giving-back campaign. The promotion runs November 16 through December 31, 2015. During this time, people that have struck a deer and have the repair carried out at CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri get a $25 gift certificate for a holiday turkey and also trigger a turkey donation to CARSTAR Arnold’s Arnold, MO charity of choice. The promotion dates cover the time when deer accidents are at their highest (through mating and hunting seasons) and whenever local charities need all the support they can get from the people and companies in their community.

Current statistics show that Missouri drivers have a 1 in 120 possibility of having a deer-related accident. The chances of deer hits more than doubles in October, November, and December. State Farm Insurance Company’s latest deer-collision data indicates the average cost of a deer-hit-related claim increased 6% to $4,135 (from $3,888 in 2014). To completely cover any potential damage, drivers should have comprehensive insurance that usually extends to such accidents.

According to research by the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, injuries, vehicle damage, and fatalities can each result from vehicle accidents with deer. In 2013, 191 deaths were the result of crashes with animals, with deer being the animal most often struck. Thankfully, cars may be fixed and there are actions to take to stay safer during this heightened timeframe of deer activity. Defensive driving, using a seat belt, using high beams at night whenever there is no oncoming traffic, and checking the road and adjoining areas for gleaming wildlife eyes are first-line methods. Furthermore, use extra caution in known deer zones and avoid swerving when you see a deer.

St. Louis Metro CARSTAR locations have always been involved in their communities through partnerships with nationwide (particularly the Make-A-Wish Foundation) and local charities and community organizations. After all, while being franchises of America’s largest multi-shop network of repair experts, each and every CARSTAR facility, including CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, MO, is still locally-owned-and-operated and a business citizen of their community. CARSTAR Arnold's looks forward to giving back this holiday season to people of Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, and Jefferson County, MO while serving customers through deer collision repairs.

Tips For Something You Might Be A Little Foggy On

Driving in fog is regarded as being by far the most risky weather hazard, especially if it's very dense fog or combined with other unfavorable weather conditions. Foggy conditions are the biggest cause of large multi-car pile ups. Nevertheless, there are certain things you can do to lower your risk of a collision. These tips, offered by CARSTAR Arnold Auto Body Repair, will help you to be much safer on foggy Arnold, Missouri streets.

Stay Slow

Inside heavy fog, an extremely frightening thing happens to individuals when they are driving. They unconsciously accelerate! Of course, we all know that accelerating in fog is the worst thing you could do, but fog produces an optical illusion. While you look out your car windows, your body perceives that you are driving very slow. Since the majority of individuals become anxious in fog, they don’t look down at their speedometer. Eventually, they start going faster and faster. This is hands down the riskiest aspect of driving in fog. Make a mindful effort to glance at your speedometer every now and then. There’s a good chance you keep speeding up, without realizing it!

Keep The Headlights On

Always keep your car headlights on when driving any vehicle in foggy conditions to avoid a nasty auto body repair bill. Your daytime running lights are not enough. Many individuals turn their lights off as they feel their headlights are blinding them from reflecting off the fog, but you basically become a “ghost car” when this happens. Your headlights aren’t to help you to see better, it’s so others can see you! If your vehicle features fog lights, use those too. When traveling in fog, it’s extremely important to stay visible to others.

Forget The High Beams

You shouldn't ever use your high beam headlights in foggy conditions. Your high beam headlights reflect off of the water vapor and in fact reduce your visibility. You may feel that your low beam headlights are doing the same thing, but again, keep them on. It’s the most effective way for you to be seen.

Follow The Lines

When driving a vehicle in fog in the St. Louis area, it is a smart idea to follow the lines on the road with your eyes. This is the best way to be certain to remain in your lane. Drivers are normally drawn to lights, and subconsciously, will drive towards lights. So it is far better to watch the lines to make certain you are driving in your lane. Just be sure you are not fixating. Keep your eyes moving.

Increase Your Following Distance

A good following distance is very important in fog. Many drivers tend to “bunch up” in foggy conditions because they feel it’s easier to see. Driving in fog is scary, but now isn't the time to follow too close. That is one of the big reasons massive pile-up’s occur.

When You Stop

Occasionally, foggy conditions grow to be too thick to drive safely. If you are going above your comfort zone, it might be best to stop until the fog lifts. Remember – this is an extremely risky situation! If you cannot see, neither can anybody else. Try to get as far off the road as you can. Pull in a driveway, parking lot, rest area, side street, or just about any other place where you can avoid heavy traffic flow. But if the roadway shoulder is your only option, pull way over. Go into the grass if needed. If there’s a curb, drive over it and park on the opposite side of the curb. Stay buckled up and turn your lights off! If you leave your lights on, people might think you are driving on the roadway and rear-end you. Ensure that your foot is off of the brake pedal, and don't use your flashers. Keep every one of your lights off. If there's shelter nearby, try to get there quickly. If not, stay in your automobile and stay buckled up.

Dense fog typically does not last a long time. The fog might not entirely go away, but stopping for a while should buy you some time and permit the fog to lift a little. Dense fog has a tendency to migrate from area to area, unless you are in a valley where fog tends to settle. If the fog just gets worse while you’re parked, stay put. It is not worth taking chances with your life to continue. But bear in mind, when traveling in fog, stopping on the shoulder of the road must be a last option!

Dense Fog Is Customarily Temporary

Under most “normal” weather conditions, dense fog is short-lived. Generally, you will encounter small patches of dense fog on mountain valleys, peaks, near moist open fields, and close to bodies of water including streams, rivers, and lakes. Whenever the atmosphere is very humid, you may even get spots of fog that appear to wander from location to location. During the worst conditions, normally occurring at night or in early morning hours, the fog may be very dense and cover a span of many miles. This is the most dangerous condition and is generally alerted by fog advisories or warnings from the National Weather Service. When fog warnings or advisories are issued, simply don't drive (this is especially true in fog warnings). It does not matter how great you and the other motorists on the roadway are, if you can’t see, you can’t possibly drive safely.

If you do find yourself having any sort of accident in foggy conditions, think about taking your motor vehicle to CARSTAR Arnold Auto Body Repair. They serve people all over Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, Festus, and St. Louis, MO with premium auto body repairs.

Avoiding A Deer Disaster

During October, November, and December, deer-related accidents make up a large amount of the auto body repair work we perform at CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, MO.

Accidents involving deer are usually more severe than the majority of vehicle accident, and unlike many auto body repair jobs, deer collision repair requires substantial structural repair that affects your vehicle’s safety systems. Accordingly, it is even more important than usual to research who you will use to repair the collision damage caused by a deer.

Why is Deer Collision Repair Different?

Many automobile accidents are minor, involving just bumpers or light cosmetic damage. While it is still necessary to use a high quality auto body shop for this sort of collision repair, the consequences of a poor repair are usually limited to unpleasant appearance and diminished vehicle value.

Deer-related accidents, however, often include structural or unibody damage, cause airbags to deploy, and require repair or replacement of several panels. The paint refinishing needed in this kind of collision repair is also more complex, involving blending the paint on adjacent panels to ensure an invisible repair. Vital vehicle systems, such as the engine, transmission, cooling, and electrical systems may also be impacted.

Get Your Collision Repair Job Done Right the First Time

Much of the repair work on a deer-related accident is invisible when the car or truck is fixed, so it's difficult to tell if the repair was done correctly. The only way you'll find out if your vehicle’s structure and safety systems were properly repaired is if you are involved in another accident in the Metro St. Louis area. That is definitely not how you'll want to test the quality of the auto body repair on your car!

Find An Auto Body Shop Now

Make time to pick an auto body shop before you have a major accident. A little groundwork ahead of time can save you plenty of stress and money if your automobile needs collision repair. Search for an auto body shop that has I-CAR and ASE certified technicians and uses up-to-date equipment. Check out the auto body shop’s reputation online too.

If you reside in Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, or Jefferson County, MO, CARSTAR Arnold welcomes you to consider them as the best auto body shop for your next repair. Proper collision repair will protect you and your family’s safety, plus preserve the resale value and appearance of your car or truck.

Driving In Dangerous Floodwaters

With record-setting rain all across the Metro East St. Louis, MO area, standing water and flooding is undoubtedly an issue for drivers. Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body offers these crucial tips:

Don’t Drown Your Car – High Water Dangers:

Heavy rains are producing enough water to flood area roads. The depth of standing water during a storm may be misleading. Vehicle operators should never drive through standing water at any depth. Should you be driving on the road and come across standing water, your most secure course of action is always to simply just turn the automobile around and avoid it completely. Regardless of how familiar you may be with the road, never drive through standing water—at any depth—as it could cause serious damage to your car or truck. If a car is driven through standing water, a motorist risks flooding the engine, warping brake rotors, loss of power steering, or a short in the electric components of the vehicle, all of which can be costly to repair.

Four Fast Flood Facts

1. Just one foot of water can “float” most cars.
2. Two feet of running water can sweep away most vehicles—including sports utility vehicles and pick-ups.
3. Repair costs for damage brought on by driving through standing water may range from a couple of hundred to thousands of dollars.
4. Never try to start a car or truck which is underwater.

How to proceed if your vehicle does become submerged:

- Before attempting to start up a flood-damaged car or truck, contact a trusted auto technician like Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body in Arnold, MO and make an appointment to have them examine all readily accessible mechanical and electrical elements, and systems that contain fluids, for water contamination.
- Drain floodwater from corrupted components and systems, flush with clean water or a proper solvent, and refill with new clean fluids of the proper type.
- Check out, clean, and dry electrical system parts and connections.

Get A Grip – An Arnold, Missouri Self-Help Guide To Wet Weather Techniques

Safe driving during heavy rain begins with good tire tread, firm brakes, and streak-free wipers. Wet weather driving strategies will help motorists deal with diminished visibility and traction, steering, braking, and skid control.

- The best way to stop on a slippery surface if your car or truck does not have antilock brakes is to utilize threshold braking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and utilize the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal to the “threshold” of locking your brakes.

- Utilize your defroster to keep front and back windshields clear. On a cold day, move the heat control to “hot” and let the engine warm up prior to turning on the defrosters and blowers. This will prevent moisture from gathering on the inside of the glass. If the glass becomes foggy, open a window slightly and turn the defroster fan to a greater speed. Use your air conditioner to lessen humidity.
- When you drive on wet streets, mud and dirt splash on your headlights, decreasing illumination by as much as 90 percent. Stop occasionally on a long trip to clean your headlights.

- When visibility is so limited that you can’t see the edges of the road or other cars at a safe distance, it is time to pull off and wait for rain to let up. It’s best to stop at a rest area or leave the freeway and go to a protected area. If the roadside is your sole option, pull off the road as far as you're able, preferably past the end of a guardrail. Cars and trucks parked at the side of the road tend to be struck by other drivers. Appreciate the limitations of diminished visibility and turn headlights off and emergency flashes on to warn other drivers.

Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body, serving Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, and Jefferson County, MO, wants to ensure that you are safe when you need to travel in possibly dangerous conditions. If your vehicle’s been submerged in floodwater, or if you just have other questions about safe driving, contact Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body at 636-464-6080.

Buying A Car With Hail Damage?

Hail damaged cars and trucks offered for thousands under book value, “Steep discounts”. Could investing in a hail damaged automobile actually be a bargain for you? Possibly. But there’s a couple of things that Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair would like to let you know before you decide to drive away. This article could help you save thousands and much headache down the road.

You are getting the inside scoop here, simply because car sales people tell stuff to us, the paintless dent experts, they would never say to you or in public. “I love a hail sale!” This we heard many years ago from a salesperson at a car dealership. We asked him why. “Because people think they’re getting a great buy, so I sell more cars. There is more commission on each unit, so I knock ‘em dead!”

Does this suggest there aren't any great deals at a hail sale? Not necessarily. But you do need to be aware why that vehicle is being sold with hail on it to begin with. Let’s cover the reasons, then dig a little deeper.

Why dealers sell damaged cars

•   Car couldn't be repaired paintless
•   Price of repair was too high
•   Car needed combination repair, or painting combined with PDR

First, the vehicle couldn't be repaired using paintless dent repair. This is the situation with countless cars from Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, and Jefferson County, MO. We can guarantee you this, each and every vehicle that can be repaired with paintless or PDR before sale, will be fixed.

Dents can be repaired by paintless up to a certain point of damage. Too big, too deep, too severely stretched or even worse, cracked paint, all are reasons paintless repair was not utilized. PDR works great for dents inside the range of what's repairable, after that the only appropriate repair is with conventional auto body shop and paint. Paint damage and traditional repairs are very pricey and time-consuming. Car dealers know it is preferable to sell a vehicle as is than let it go to the auto body shop.

The last reason for a dealer not to fix a hail car pre-sale is the price was too high. The vehicles perhaps could have been fixed using PDR or paintless repair, but they didn't want to pay what it took to get it done. If a car isn't fixed and is being sold with hail on it, caveat emptor, or consumer beware.

How can you keep from getting ripped off on a hail damaged automobile acquisition?

•   Get an estimate beforehand from a credible PDR business such as Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair.
•   Keep in mind pictures do not tell the true story of hail damage. Just the worst type of dents will show up. If you notice it in a photo, its much worse in person.
•   Be prepared to walk away if you smell a rat. If your tummy is tingling, most likely not a great buy.
•   Should you still want the automobile, make certain you have the money on hand to repair it.
•   Oh, and take what the sales agent told you the repairs would cost and multiply it by four.

Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair in Arnold, MO is proud to offer you these guidelines to ensure that you're in the know whenever you buy your next vehicle. If you choose to purchase a car or truck with hail damage, consider taking it to Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair for expert dent elimination at an inexpensive price.

Spring Cleaning for Your Car

Winter is the harshest season for cars, thanks to salted highways, harsh temperature shifts, potholes, ice, and neglect. Seeing that spring is here, CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, MO is here to let you know that it’s time to wash away the grime and make your vehicle look like new.

Clean Out The Trash

When you are cleaning any car, much less a winter-weather-beaten one, begin with removing all the junk you've been neglecting. Have a garbage bag and a "keep" box handy, because you will want to hold on to some of the items. Be thorough: Get below and beside the seats and in the trunk.

Vacuum the Inside

You will want to work from the top down, simply because gravity dictates that stuff stirred up works its way floorward. Additionally, yank out the salt-caked floor mats for a quick pass with the vacuum cleaner. Then employ a house or shop vac and a rigid tool like a screwdriver to work dirt out from the creases.

Scrub Carpet and Upholstery

This step is optional but worth the gratifying results. Grab a spray bottle of automotive-upholstery-and-carpet cleaner and a sturdy scrub brush to wash the soft parts of the interior. Spray the seats or anything cloth covered; scrub, then wipe down. Repeat at least one more time, moving to the carpet for the same job. Being comprehensive with the carpet is necessary, since it can act like a filthy, salty, damp rag that increases rusting. When you are finished, pull the drain plugs beneath the floor and let things air out for a few days. You'll certainly be astonished at how much better the automobile smells.

Power-Wash the Floor Mats

The floor mats are undeniably the parts of the interior that take winter abuse the worst. If you have got all-rubber floor mats, they will not take very long to clean, but carpeted mats will likely take two passes with a power washer in order to get all of the salt and dirt out. Without having a power washer, CARSTAR Arnold recommends that you utilize one at a self service car wash. Let the mats dry out thoroughly before placing them back into the vehicle or you will be begging for mold growth in the carpet.

Tip: Old Tool, New Trick

Whenever cleaning out door and body drain holes, we have discovered that the best method is to repurpose a plug-installation tool utilized in tire repair. Cut up an old shop rag or sock and place it into the slot of the tool exactly the way you would a tire plug. The setup will make dragging out dirt and plant matter very easy, and the fabric scrap is quite easily swapped out when it gets grimy.

Ditch Winter Windshield Wipers

Wipers get beaten up pretty bad in winter, and torn-up old wipers in a summer downpour will leave you blind.

Lube the Hinges

Hit each and every door, trunk, and hood hinge with white lithium grease to prevent squeaks and rapid wear.

Clean the Windows

Ever notice how your windows fog up really bad during wet spring weather? A part of that is because of how filthy the interior of your windshield is, but you are able to take steps to avoid this. First, wash your windows with a good car-window cleaner; the ammonia in household stuff will make the clouding even worse. Fog has a much harder time clinging to a clean surface, and you can go one step further by wiping down the interior of the glass with an antifogging agent.

Wash the Vehicle

This would seem clear, but there are several subtleties. Just like the interior, you should wash the automobile from the top down, rinsing often. Do not begin at the rocker panels and proceed to the roof—it drags dirt around and scrapes the clear coat. Whenever the body is clean, invest a few bucks at your neighborhood automatic car wash and get the underbody flushed. This will dislodge the road salt that is doing its best to transform the underbody into Swiss cheese.

Switch out the Cabin Air Filter

This filter keeps dirt, pollen, and plant matter from penetrating the ventilation system. It gets dirtiest during fall, when falling leaves work their way into the cabin-intake system.

Do Not Forget the Trunk

Add a bag of sand, gravel, or kitty litter to the trunk as ballast to improve traction in slippery conditions and to have something to throw underneath the tires when the car or truck's stuck in the winter. But come spring, get rid of the bag and other winter gear to improve fuel economy and free up space.

Wipe Down the Entry

Scrub door sills to keep your pants clean, and dust off any nooks overlooked during a car wash. Rub door seals with mineral oil or utilize silicone spray to keep them supple.

The qualified technicians at CARSTAR Arnold can give a detailed “spring cleaning” plan for any car or truck in Arnold, Imperial, Oakville, and Jefferson County, Missouri, incorporating paint touch-up, dent and scratch repair, and much more, all at reasonable prices.