What Engine Oil Should You Use in Hot Weather?

Summertime is a tough season for your vehicle's engine.

While it's easy to shed your cold weather wardrobe and dress for summer sun, your engine has a tougher time coping when the climate heats up. Here are a few tips on how to help your motor survive warmer weather when the sun starts making regular appearances and your fancy turns to thoughts of driving.

Your motor's first line of defense against high temperatures is engine oil, the gooey lubricant that keeps those moving parts from melting down. But as ambient temperatures rise or fall, your engine's oil needs change. When oil is cold, it thickens; when it heats up, it becomes less viscous, or more watery. The differences are crucial when it comes to protecting your engine against extremes in weather: on one hand, your oil needs to be thick enough to seal tiny gaps in your engine and properly lubricate metal-against-metal surfaces. On the other hand, the oil has to be thin enough to move easily and circulate where your engine needs it the most, but if it becomes too thin, it can wear down and lose its cooling efficiency.

Gas Saving Myths

Every culture has its ideological blind spots. In time, these ideas become so profoundly rooted in its psyche that they’re rarely debated and are eventually accepted as factual. Such is the case with a number of questionable and even humorous gas saving myths. So we decided to compile a list of the 10 most commonly held misconceptions:



Myth #1 – Newer Gas Stations Have More Accurate Pumps

Since every state has a Weights and Means department responsible for regulating the proper measurement (fuel volume), vapor recovery and quality of motor vehicle fuels, the age of the pump does not make a difference. Field officers regularly examine fuel dispensers. Once the dispenser passes the inspection and meets all legal requirements, officers place a dated seal on the dispenser. If the dispenser does not pass the test, the department will take enforcement actions to ensure the dispenser is repaired and recalibrated before it can be put back into service.

Is your vehicle's coolant system ready for summer?

Whether you call it engine coolant or antifreeze, the fluid in your radiator multi-tasks, circulating throughout your engine block and keeping the works running smooth.

What Is Coolant?

Generally, coolant is a half-and-half mixture of a form of glycol and water. The glycol represents the antifreeze element of the mix, guaranteeing that the fluid doesn't turn into ice under harsh winter conditions. Glycol also prevents the coolant from reaching the engine’s boiling point in high summer heat; it keeps engine temperatures stable under all climate extremes and driving conditions.

Coolant/antifreeze also includes additional additives that prevent rust and corrosion in the radiator, engine and the vehicle's heater.

Like any other engine fluid, the coolant needs to be checked on a regular basis. You're checking for two things: quantity and condition. Since the 1970s, most vehicles have a coolant recovery tank or overflow reservoir, which makes checking the fluid level a lot easier and safer. The configuration of the radiator and tank/reservoir lets hot coolant expand into the tank as the engine temperature rises. When the engine cools down, a slight vacuum forms in the radiator and the fluid is drawn out of the tank/reservoir and back into the radiator. As long as the radiator cap remains sealed, the coolant can expand and contract without losing a drop.

Is your vehicle's air conditioning ready for summer?

As we leave winter behind and head into spring now is the time to look at a preparing your vehicle for those long summer road trips. Your vehicle’s Air Conditioning System is a vitally important componant and as part of your HVAC system (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) it is designed to perform three things:

1. Remove Heat
2. Remove Moisture
3. Filter the Air in the Cabin

Your vehicles air conditioning is essential in helping to keep you alert during long road journeys by providing you with a more cool and comfortable environment to drive in. Having vehicle air conditioning used to be considered a luxury, but now the majority of vehicles have it as standard.

10 Ways to Become a Better Driver

1. Know the rules of the road.

Here's an obvious yet surprisingly effective way to become a better driver: re-acquaint yourself with the DMV Driver Handbook. It may sound like a dull homework assignment, but downloading the Driver's Handbook PDF from your state's DMV website will shed light on those murky rules of the road; it will also bring you up to speed on new laws that may have been enacted since you took your driver's exam in 1982. 

2. Keep your system clean.

How can you expect to make the most of your natural driving talents if they're impaired by drugs or alcohol? Maximize your abilities by choosing not to mix drugs or booze with driving; that way, you'll be able to access 100 percent of your reflexes and decision making for accident avoidance. Bonus? You'll never have to deal with the devastating effects of a DUI.

10 Top Tips for Spring Cleaning your Vehicle

What winter we had, is finally over and now it's time to think about sunnier days and April showers. Has your vehicle benefited from the same maintenance you're currently doing to your house? Spring is the beginning of long weekend getaways and vacation road trips, and taking the time to perform seasonal maintenance today can help avoid any problems later.

Here are our Top 10 tips for getting your car ready for the spring. Some will help your vehicle look (and smell) better, but most are designed to help it perform more efficiently and get better gas mileage.

1. Clean Your Undercarriage.

Winter road salt can be a real problem for the modern car by eating away at its undercarriage, not to mention the chunks of road debris that collects underneath your vehicle during the winter months. Head to the car wash and spring for the undercarriage cleaning option, alternatively you can get a detailer to do a thorough cleaning job if you prefer. Spring is also a good time to check your entire vehicle for rust, which can worsen during the winter months.

See Clearly: Headlight Restoration

Are your headlights a little dull? Are you having difficulty seeing while driving at night? (but you know your eyesight is good?). We have a quick fix to help your visibility and make sure you are safe while driving at night. Headlight restoration is an inexpensive procedure that we can perform during your next visit. This is a quick and simply way to bring brilliant, bright light back into your night driving.

Regular Oil Changes is Critical Car Maintenance

We say this everyday. Here's a nice overview and reminder on why our engines need this service!

Danny's Engine Portal: Regular Oil Changes is Critical Car Maintenance: Despite the sophistication of today's advanced automotive engines, the old-fashioned act of changing the oil is still the most critical piec...

Why Do I Need a Transmission Service?

One of the most critical, unobtrusive and, therefore, often neglected parts of a vehicle is the transmission. While it isn't as maintenance-intensive as the brake system, for example, both manual and automatic transmissions require at least periodic inspections if not regular service to prolong their life. But before we explain how to best service transmissions, a brief explanation of how one works is required.

The transmission multiplies torque from the engine through a gear reduction and/or torque conversion. A typical manual transmission has anywhere from four to six speeds with the final or highest gear being either a direct 1:1 drive ratio or an "overdrive" ratio, less than 1:1. For the most part, they are trouble-free (except for the clutch, which can be problematic if adjusted incorrectly or abused). An automatic transmission, on the other hand, multiplies engine torque as it passes through the fluid coupling known as the "torque converter" and then through three or more separate gear ratios. The transmission oil is critical for lubricating the transmission and reducing friction. When the fluid breaks down and loses its viscosity, it no longer effectively lubricates the transmission. This causes premature and excessive wear and results in transmission failure.

Career Day

Super-Manager, Mike Dorsey was busy this week educating some kids! He volunteered to share his career experience with some students at a local school:

“Career day was GREAT at Westgate Elementary in Tyson's Corner!!!! I spoke to Five Classes and spoke about Curry's and what our job/industry was like and took them out to the Aston and pulled some diagnostic codes and taught them how the OBD system works. They all had lots of questions. I handed out about 25 "Curry's Coolers" and gave five winners circle cards to the classroom teachers and the Career day organizer/administrator. By the time I was going to the last class there were kids stopping me in the hall asking about "THE JAMES BOND CAR"....”

More about Mike: www.themichaeldorsey.com

My Best Last Place 5K Finish

I have participated in many running events and always finish in the middle of the pack, but this event was different. First, it was the inaugural DSYS 5k to benefit both DSYS and ALS, hosted by my company, Curry’s Auto Service. My role was to be the “official” roving reporter. My job was to make the course fun and to mix things up a bit. Thus, this is the first event where I came in dead LAST.

I had 10 gift certificates to give to those runners who would pause enough to help me on my fun quest. With my position still under development as the race began, it was decided that I would use a walkie-talkie to update our associate who was at the Curry’s tent and logged into our social media accounts to give real-time updates.

I joined the kids on the fun run that began before the 5k event and was off to see if anyone could name all of Snow White’s seven dwarfs. The first person I asked was a Dad with two girls. No luck – they only knew three. Next up was an eight year old. She looked at me kinda funny when I asked. She said very politely, "I don’t believe I know who this snow white person is." Bummer! I had to ponder this for a bit before I decided to just turn around and go back since I had to conserve my energy for the 5k.

Next up was the 5K. I was able to get South Riding Running Club member, Jeremy to tell an engineering joke. Very well done, but the punch line was delivered just as my breathing became unbearably loud. Before I could even catch my breath and laugh at the same time, off he went to finish at a 6:39 pace. I was able to get the next person to do five jumping jacks. The next person, I believe his name was Drew, was running on behalf of a family member who just succumbed to ALS. I took a moment to be thankful that so many people could come together to support ALS and all the friends and family members that are adversely affected by this disease.

As I continued and ponder the fact that South Riding has no hills (really? I definitely encountered some inclines), I realized that not one person could name all the seven dwarfs. A highlight was the water stop manned by Girl Scout Troop #4884. Wow - I was so happy to see them! As a matter of fact, most of the runners were very vocal in their appreciation! I was hopeful that every flagger and route volunteer heard my shouts of “thanks for volunteering”, “you’re the best”, “thanks for your time… I LOVE YOU!”. I introduced one female runner to the octopus hand shake. Guess you had to be there. Several people said they’d do it again - for many it was their first running event. Some spectators along the course said they’d do it next year since I couldn’t get them to join me. It was an awesome effort for everyone- the fast runners, the joggers, the stroller pushers (that’s for my friend John), the volunteers, the spectators and the walkers. I walked crossed the finish line with a Dad and his awesome daughters. It was my best finish ever. The only thing that I would do differently would be to make sure I do NOT wear a chip. The roving reporter has more important stuff to do on the course than run (fast)!

Coming in last means that you miss a lot of the finish celebration, including the presentation of the big @#! trophy for the first place winners. DSYS and Curry’s has an incredible amount of gratitude for all the volunteers- the South Riding Running Club for packet pick-up and course help, all the race committee chairs, the 40-50 race day volunteers, the Freedom High School Football players, all the race participants (over 300) and their family and friends. Also, for those who came out not to run, but to honor friends and family who have suffered from ALS. This was an overwhelming successful inaugural event which raised about $10,000! We can’t wait until we get to do it again next year. (Mark your calendars for March 17^th 2012, St. Patrick’s Day!)

In the meantime, if you have any thoughts on how we can make next year’s run even better, please shoot me an email: judy@currysauto.com! Watch for updates on the race site: http://www.currys-dsys5k.com/.

Thank you! A new tradition blooms!

Forgive me for not saying this much, much earlier! All of the organizers were overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm that all the volunteers brought to our first 5k fundraiser. We had great weather, incredible supporters and raised $10,000 with over 300 runners. Not bad for the first year! (yes, next year is already in the works!)

Putting this event together was always a dream that I had- especially since I've been participating in lots of local run events and discovered how fun and addictive they can be! Being involved with DSYS gave me a reason to try to put a fundraiser together. Knowing first hand how expensive it is to participate in athletics, I really wanted to see if there was more that I (and Curry's) could do. I discussed this with some local experts- LJ White (Virginia Run Tri) and Lisa Smith (Founder and past Race Director for Stone Ridge 5k). When I discussed this with Debbie York, President of DSYS, she became excited and suggested that Julie Jasper (Track and Field Commissioner) get involved and tie-in fundraising for ALS. The rest just involves lots of hard work by tons of awesome and incredible volunteers.

There were several Freedom High School Football players who used their brawn to move some of the big stuff- like the world's heaviest helium tank! They were awesome and had such great attitudes for an event early on a Saturday morning. The South Riding Club came out to just help where needed and I was so impressed by their support and willingness to help. They also manned one of the registration/pick-up tables. (check them out). I'll post my first ever run report soon that has more details about the run. We also owe the Curry's Race Team members a spot on our Wall of Fame on our website. This will be coming soon.

Mark your calendars for St. Patrick's Day 2012. Next year's run will be on St. Patrick's Day and will contain green stuff and a pot of gold PLUS a USATF-Certified course! Due to lots of positive feedback, the 2nd annual 5k will be better, bigger, more fun and will have another roving reporter on the course! If you do have any suggestions, we'd love to hear from you! (judy@currysauto.com)

Watch the website for updates and registration! http://www.currys-dsys5k.com/

Cheers!

Tire Pros Annual Meeting

Some Curry’s Associates are attending the Tire Pros Annual meeting in Miami, FL and are getting updates on how to better serve our customers with new technical advice on tires and industry trends.

Tire Pros is one of the biggest networks of independent tire dealers and is growing in both membership and services available to customers at the meeting they exclusively announced the upcoming launch of their all new website, which brings with it more intuitive navigation, an interactive tire fitment guide and a host of other exciting features.

For Curry's customers, look out for a Tire Pros exclusive tire deal with Continental tires that coming this May! (Details on this will be on our website and in an upcoming CurryLink newsletter). I’ve been told that it’s really muggy and hot in Miami right now since there have been several thunderstorms that have passed through the area = No sun!

And THIS was spotted on the beach:


Eeeeewwww!

SNEAK PEEK - Curry's gets a new logo!

With a new store on the horizon (look out for the announcement soon on our website) the Curry's team decided it was time for a refresh on the logo, so we got our marketing team to sit down and come up with some ideas that we could all look over and debate... so... here are the early ideas...

Now the whole team agreed the top logo was heading in the right direction, it added the website address which has been something we have been looking to add to the logo for a while now, but everything felt a little crowded. The middle one was a 'no-go' from the first minute, everyone agreed it was too confusing, too many messages in one block, and too much italicising!

So the bottom design was a favourite with the marketing department, bringing the Curry's family crest back into the logo was seen as a positive move, and giving it the feel of an automotive badge felt right.

So the final design, you ask...

We will be unveiling it officially in the next couple of weeks so here are a few little sneak peeks at the design elements we have incorporated:

As you may have imagined the Curry's family crest is staying, we not only feel it reminds our customers that we are a family business, first and foremost, but the Curry Crest has always been used by us as a seal of excellence for all of our services.

You may be able to see a hint of a wing, think Aston Martin, think Mini Cooper and you will be some way to getting the design cues we ended up working from...


This second sneak peek shows you for the first time our new font. Our approach for the whole design was to present an image that embodied both the 'golden age' of customer service and family values tied to a modern forward thinking look and feel. We hopefully succeeded in this by using a modernist font, the inclusion of the URL within the logo and the retro automotive badge imagery.

The official, full version of the logo will be unveiled soon, in the meantime we'd love to get your feedback on the elements we've included, tell us what you think!

Curry's Presents the DSYS 5K Run for ALS Research

Saturday see the inaugural Curry's sponsored DSYS 5K Run for ALS Research, and at Curry's we are busy preparing a slew of exciting online events to coincide with the actual run.

For anyone that doesn't know ALS is the acronym for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease - the disease attacks the parts of the nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. Although the cause of ALS is unknown and there is no cure yet, research on the disease is advancing at an unprecedented pace, thanks to research centers like the one at Pittsburgh University (click here to read more about what they are doing). Curry's and DSYS (The Dulles South Youth Sports organization) have joined forces to raise money and promote awareness for ALS research through the medium of running.

The 5k and Fun Run will take place on Saturday March 19th at the Dulles South Multipurpose Center in South Riding, Virginia. Anyone who still wants to sign up, you have until the end of today to register at http://currys-dsys5k.com/, alternatively everyone is welcome to come along from 8am on Saturday and support all the runners.

The Curry's team will be in attendance, Judy Curry will be accompanying the runners equipped with a video camera to record everyone's experience. Matt Curry will be hosting the event and live tweeting through out (follow us on Twitter by clicking here), and our Marketing Director, John Phillips will be hosting spot prizes and live reports via the Curry's Facebook Fan Page.

So come down and join in the fun or follow all the action on Twitter and Facebook, we look forward to seeing you and remember, it's all for an amazing cause!

It's Our 13th Birthday!!

We are proud to announce that today is officially the 13th Anniversary of Curry's Auto Service, Inc., so we thought we share a little bit of history with you...

In 1998 Matt & Judy Curry fulfilled their lifelong dream of opening a repair shop where customer service would be the focus of the ultimate auto repair experience - for EVERY customer. The first store opened in Chantilly, in a secluded spot deep inside an industrial park with only 4 parking spaces, where no-one could find us! Matt, Chris Prack (our Technical Director) and Joe Vrobel (one of current Reston/Great Falls Technicians) worked ceaselessly to get the store ready. Once they cleaned the 6 inches of diesel oil from all the visible surfaces they managed to get the store ready for customers.

Within weeks, local BMW Club President, Mike Gayle was looking for replacement tires for his BMW M3. Gayle called Hunter Equipment, a high-end automotive manufacturer, and was told the only place in the country that had the machine to replace his tires was Curry's. Gayle wrote an article about Curry's for the BMW Club magazine, which helped seal Curry's reputation in those first few months, as the pinnacle of specialist auto repair in Northern Virginia.

Within two years, Curry's had opened their second location in Falls Church... and the rest is history!

Matt and Judy have worked tirelessly to change consumer perceptions of the auto repair industry and they, and all of the Curry's family, want to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of our customers for the trust and support you show in Curry's Auto Service, each and every day.

We thank you, and we hope you can join is 2013 to celebrate our 15th Anniversary!!

A brief welcome message...

Welcome to the Curry's Auto Service Official Blog, we hope you enjoy the insights, fun links, interesting articles, please feel free to comment and suggest articles and features we can incorporate into the blog over the coming months...

We look forward to hearing from you!