Patrick Sullivan writes to remind us how important it can be to carry a fire extinguisher. Even the smallest emergency model is enough to put out most common automotive fires. Patrick has used his extinguisher on more than one occasion, hear his stories:

A tow truck on a hot summer day in Chicago backfired at a red light while towing a disabled vehicle. A small fire began under the hood in the carburetor and the driver was using everything nearby to put it out. I had a small extinguisher and gave it to him and it immediately put out the fire and saved his truck. Another time an old car at a stop sign, same problem. I volunteered my small fire extinguisher and 'poof' his old car was still alive.
For only a few dollars, a small extinguisher in the glove box could save a lot of money.

See? I speak truths!

We aren't all driving new cars, so I feel it's ok to mention some older school repair tricks from time to time. Ever hear of the soapy string trick for installing a windshield? It's pretty fun, and it works pretty well, too. Check out the soapy string trick and let me know what you think!

Enterprising shop owners are always looking for ways to attract and keep new customers. These efforts usually amount to coupons or free gourmet coffee in the waiting room. From time to time, however, we find shop owners who have gone the extra mile, tapping the inner folds of their minds to come up with a truly novel idea. Elle Auto Care in Calgary has done their part to revolutionize the people part of auto service. Their waiting room is its own experience, with manicure and mini-spa services, WiFi, leather furniture, an indoor children's zone and reportedly one of the nicest bathrooms ever to grace an auto shop. And yes, they have gourmet coffee. I can't tell you whether it'll fly, but if a shop is this focused on the people side of things, chances are they will stand behind their work, too.

_{Read more about Elle Auto Care in the Montreal Gazette}.

This just in. Five more members of
Congress declared their support of the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act (HR 2057). Reps. Michael E. Capuano (D-MA), Christopher P. Carney (D-PA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Michael K. Conaway (R-TX) and Brad Miller (D-NC) are the most recent co-sponsors of Right to Repair, which has gained steady support since its introduction. The bill now has 45 sponsors.

For those of you who aren't familiar, Right to Repair legislation has been gaining momentum on a Federal and state levels for some time now. If passed, the Right to Repair Act would give independent repair shops access to important repair information as soon as it's available to dealerships, and we know what that would mean!

Read more here.

This happens to repair shops more often than any of us would like to imagine. It's hard enough being a small, independent shop, but insurance adjusters often find a way to make it even worse. Some (but not all, of course!) adjusters take kickbacks in the form of cash or gift cards in trade for sending business in one shop's direction. We don't do insurance work, but my friends who do have spoken of this "pay to play" game often. It's a horrible practice that takes the emphasis away from important things like quality of work. If this type of scenario is in play, the most honest shop in the area is the one that loses. In the end, the real loser is you, the customer. Bummer. For an example, check out the story of good samaritan Ralph Galluzzi from Bison Plate Glass in Buffalo, New York. He was fed up and blew the whistle to the state. If you ever need glass in Buffalo, I think you should reward Ralph Galluzzi for risking his business and get Bison Plate Glass to repair your vehicle, even if the insurance adjuster tries to send you someplace else.

If you haven't started your seasonal maintenance procedures for the winter, it's time to get crackin'! There's lots to do to keep your car or truck in top shape, especially if you live in a cold climate. Think of all the money you save by keeping your car out of the repair shop. It can be overwhelming, but before you decide to hand your credit card to the guy in the coveralls take a look at my 5-week Winter Maintenance E-Course. Like everything on About.com, it's free. Just sign up and every week you'll receive a lesson with step-by-step instructions including photos. Each week you'll tackle a different maintenance procedure or safety check. By the time you're eating turkey your car or truck will be looking and feeling good.

These days a shop's customer base isn't limited to male heads of households. It's important for a repair shop to work with car owners of all types. Generally, an always-honest-and-upfront day to day business practice is enough, but one shop in Phoenix, Arizona decided to woo its female customers through a redesigned bathroom. According to MotorAge, the response to Community Tire and Auto Repair's bathroom remodel has been impressive. I can't tell you how it will affect business, but take a look and I think you'll agree it's the nicest bathroom you've ever seen in a repair shop!

Taking care of your car is the best way to be prepared for an automotive emergency -- you'll avoid having one! But sometimes no matter how careful we are, we're presented with a situation that's less than friendly. If you find yourself stranded due to a breakdown, are you prepared to handle the situation safely? I've found the most important five pounds in the trunk to be my emergency preparedness kit. Do you have one? Do you have one in each one of your vehicles? If you don't, now is the time! Winter weather is especially dangerous to be stranded in. A good emergency kit can be purchased for not much money, or you can assemble your own kit. Whichever you choose, be sure you have one.

I've just returned from a 2-day road trip to Maine, we had had to pick up a customer's car and drag it back to New York for some serious massaging. The weather wasn't great, and the lobster wasn't much better. It seems 99% of the seafood shacks along HWY 1 close at the end of the summer vacation season. Thankfully, Bob's Clam Shack is open year round, so we stopped once on the way up and again on the way down for a basket of fried. It was a rainy, cool drive. We were cruising down 495 when out of nowhere appeared a stranded motorist parked on the side of the road. It was a flat tire. The car was black, the air was foggy, and I had to make a less-than-comfortable swerve to avoid drenching the poor guy with funky road water, or worse if he suddenly leaned outward. My point is this: I know the last thing you may be thinking about as you limp to the emergency lane is the convenience of other drivers, but it only takes one idiot to make your day that much worse. If you're pulling over to change a tire, steer as far into the emergency lane as possible, and use your emergency flashers so other drivers can give you a wide berth. It's well worth the effort.

It's tough to find a good repair shop sometimes, it's all about getting the right fit. In your search, there will always be a shop that stands out as the worst possible choice. Danbury, Connecticut has this shop, or did until police raided it. Guy Johnson's repair shop didn't fix cars at all. Instead, he was running a bar inside the work bays, complete with three refrigerators and a smoker for hors d'oeuvres! Police raided the joint at night and found a dozen people sitting at the bar drinking. I'd love to have seen the cops' faces when they opened the door on that scene. If you're looking for a new mechanic, here are some things to think about to be sure you make the right choice. A well-trained, honest mechanic can make your life better!

_{You can read more about the repair shop bar in The Danbury News-Times}.