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Archive for June 2017

Change Your Wiper Blades Twice Yearly at L and M Motors Inc

Posted June 25, 2017 10:49 AM

Because 90% of our driving decisions are based on visual information, unobscured vision is paramount. Which brings us to the topic of today's L and M Motors Inc article: wiper blades. While this isn't the most exciting automotive subject, it's important. You wouldn't drive at night in Anchorage with your headlights off, but a dirty or streaked vehicle windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it just as difficult to see.

Most of us in Anchorage replace our wiper blades when they no longer do the job. They are so worn, hard or brittle that they can't clean the windshield. They may even be falling apart. In other words, we deal with our wiper blades from a failure perspective. We address them when they no longer function. The theory, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," doesn't apply here. Instead, we should think about wipers blades as an important safety system that we should maintain rather than repair.

AK automotive experts recommend that we change our wiper blades twice a year, in the spring and fall. That way you have functional blades for those Anchorage spring showers and winter storms.

When we use our wipers a lot, they get worn from the Anchorage road grime and bug juice. Even if we don't use them very often, they're exposed to the sun, heat and cold, and air which cause them to dry out, become brittle and break.

And of course, you need a good windshield washer fluid in your vehicle to help the wipers do their job. Always use washer fluid because plain water doesn't work as well and it can freeze in the reservoir. If you're driving where there are a lot of bugs in AK, you can pay a little more and get fluid that does a better job of clearing them. If you live where you have extremely cold winters, you can get fluid that resists freezing.

Like everything else in the automotive world, there've been some big advancements in wiper blades, both in terms of the design and the materials from which the blade is made. If you are a local Anchorage driver that has a need for better than average windshield wipers, you can pay some more for an upgraded wiper. And if you live where there's a lot of snow and ice in AK, they make special winter blades that don't clog up and freeze like standard blades.

At one of your fall and spring oil changes, ask your L and M Motors Inc service advisor which is best wiper blade for your driving conditions. Replace your blades on schedule so you never have to struggle with your vision when you switch on your wipers.

L and M Motors Inc
400 W 53rd Ave
Anchorage, AK 99518
907-563-4994



Regular Schedule or Severe Service Schedule at L and M Motors Inc?

Posted June 20, 2017 3:15 AM

Today's L and M Motors Inc article focuses on severe service maintenance. Many Anchorage drivers are not aware of them and yet there are also very vocal advocates in AK who think that severe service schedules apply to everyone. Somewhere between a complete lack of awareness and the dire blanket statements lies a reasonable approach to severe service maintenance at L and M Motors Inc.

To back up a little, vehicle owner's manuals have schedules for preventive maintenance: things like oil changes, transmission service and so on. They say you should change your oil after a certain distanced traveled or after so many months. Anchorage drivers understand this very well. What they may not know is that there are actually two service schedules: the regular schedule and the severe service schedule. The mileage and time intervals are lower on the severe service schedule.

Now when you hear 'severe service,' you may think it doesn't apply to you because you don't feel your driving conditions are severe or extreme – it's just normal everyday driving in the Anchorage area. So let's list some of the conditions that classify as severe so that you can make the judgment on your own driving.

Before we start the list, here's a point of contrast that definitely is not severe driving. Driving down your nearest AK interstate at the highway speed limit on a 75 degree F/24 degree C day loaded only with your passengers. This is an easy trip for your vehicle: your engine is loafing along at low RPMs, no heavy loads to pull and moderate Anchorage temperatures. Now let's look at some severe service driving conditions.

Most trips around Anchorage are less than four miles/six and a half kilometers. When your vehicle engine cools down, moisture condenses in the engine. This water in the oil doesn't get a chance to evaporate on short trips because the oil doesn't get hot enough. A lot of short trips in your vehicle means a lot of water build up. And water in the oil leads to the creation of sludge which can damage the engine. Changing the oil more frequently keeps sludge from building up. By contrast, highway driving warms the engine up and gets the water burned off.

Here's another example. Most trips around Anchorage are less than 10 miles/16 km and outside temperatures are below freezing. This is the same reasoning, but in very cold AK weather it takes even longer for the oil to get hot enough to evaporate the water, hence 10  miles/16 km as opposed to 4 miles/6.4 km.

Next, you drive in very hot AK weather. The hotter it is outside, the more cooling the engine, transmission, brake fluid and so on becomes. The environment in which the fluids reside is more hostile, and the fluids simply break down faster. Therefore, the lower change interval.

Another: driving at low speed most of the time. Every vehicle engine has what's called its power band. This is a range of RPMs in which it's most efficient. Low speed driving doesn't keep the engine in its power band so it's working harder. This is one of the reasons that ratings are worse in downtown than on the highway.

Stop and go driving in Anchorage is another severe service condition. You're always accelerating, which works the vehicle engine and transmission harder. Then you're stopping, which works the brake fluid harder, causing it to get very hot. Highway driving, on the other hand, requires far less horsepower to maintain its speed than getting a stationary vehicle from a stop light up to 25 mph/40 kph. A lot of this and you'll need to follow the severe service schedule.

Also on the list is operating your vehicle in dusty, polluted or muddy conditions. Obviously, your engine air filter and cabin air will get dirty faster and need to be changed more frequently as will your breather element. Some of this dust and dirt will make its way into your fluids. They will simple get dirty faster and won't protect the components as well as fresh fluids.

Finally, you're driving under severe conditions in Anchorage when you tow a trailer, regularly carry heavy loads or carry a car-top carrier. This is pretty obvious. You'll spend more time in lower gears so the engine and transmission work much harder and create more heat. Brakes will be more stressed stopping the heavier loads.

Sounds like most of us in Anchorage operate under severe driving conditions at least some of the time. How can Anchorage drivers know which schedule to follow?

Think of it as a spectrum with "always driving under severe conditions" on one end and "never driving under severe conditions" on the other end. Some will be at one extreme or the other, but most of us will fall somewhere in between.

Carefully think about your driving conditions and decide if you should do your preventive maintenance closer to the severe service recommendation or the regular recommendation. Of course, your L and M Motors Inc service advisor can help you with your decision.

L and M Motors Inc
400 W 53rd Ave
Anchorage, AK 99518
907-563-4994



Differential Service at L and M Motors Inc: Viva la Difference

Posted June 5, 2017 7:30 AM

Every vehicle on AK roads has a differential, and it is important to the proper operation of the vehicle.  But most Anchorage residents don't have a clue what it is.

The differential compensates for differing wheel speeds. For example, when you turn, the inside tire on the turn travels a much shorter distance than the outside wheel. So the inside wheel of the vehicle must move at a slower speed than the outside wheel. Without a differential, the wheels would hop and scrape while turning.

Have you ever seen the large bulge in the middle of the rear axle of a truck? That's the differential. In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the differential is located on the back axle. Four-wheel drive vehicles and SUV's have differentials on both the front and the rear axle.

You might expect that the differential is located on the front axle of a front-wheel drive vehicle. You'd be right. But the differential is called a transaxle on a front-wheel drive vehicle because its location allows it to be combined with the transmission.

In an all-wheel drive vehicle, an additional differential or transfer case is located between the front and rear axles. Differentials are strong: They have to be because of the job they do. But those tough parts need proper lubrication. You don't want your differential to seize up. That results in damage to your vehicle.

So you need to have your vehicle differential serviced regularly. It's not a complicated job. At L and M Motors Inc in Anchorage, we've been servicing differentials for years. The used lubricating fluid is simply drained and then replaced. Some vehicles require specific additives in the differential fluid; your Anchorage service center will ensure you are getting what your vehicle needs.

The intervals in time or mileage for servicing your differential vary greatly from vehicle to vehicle. Check with your owner's manual or L and M Motors Inc service advisor to find out how often your vehicle differential needs to be serviced.

L and M Motors Inc
400 W 53rd Ave
Anchorage, AK 99518
907-563-4994



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Christine is so helpful and the sweetest lady! These guys are amazing! They are honest about what is being done to your car and don't overcharge you like dealerships! I just moved up to Alaska and plan on using these guys forever. Definitely recommend their service and expertise.
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So we started hearing a high pitched noise from the back brakes on a trip to anchorage from seward, after checking out another local shop who was extremely rude I jumped on yelp and stumbled across these lovely people. They got me in right away just to take a peek, saying they couldn't fit me in till later but would take a look just to see if it was still safe to drive and what to expect. They were curtious, friendly, honest and fair. I highly recommend this establishment! Thanks for getting us back to Seward safely xoxo
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