Tip Tuesday: De-icing Your Vehicle

Winter is here and in full swing. While we have not had much snow yet, we can still be getting ice from all this rain and cold nights. Nothing is more annoying than having to de-ice your windshield when you are in a rush in the morning. This Tip Tuesday we are going to talk about what is suggested by several entities on how to de-ice your windshield effectively.

Option 1:
One suggestion is to go out to your car a few minutes before you leave start it and turn on your defrosters. This will soften up the ice and it will most likely slide off. You might need to use an ice scraper a little bit.

Option 2:
Another suggestion is to use an ice scraper.
Typically it’s freezing outside when you are taking part in scraping your windshield. I used to use your standard ice scraper, but now I have one of these.

 It is a glove you can wear on your hand with an ice scraper inside. This keeps your hand warm and effectively removes ice.

If you are like me however and are on the shorter side, most of the time a typical ice scraper will not reach your whole windshield.

You can purchase the exact one that I use here from Amazon:
Amazon: Glove Ice Scraper (it is super soft and cozy inside)

Option 3:
A third option is to use a “SnoBrum” to remove some ice and snow.
This invention is a very safe tool to use to push softened ice and snow off your vehicle. This is very helpful for all those short people out there or anyone with a taller truck. The “SnoBrum” will not scratch your car as you push it along so you do not have to worry about any damage. It has a telescoping pole so you can change the length to reach all those tall spots.

You can purchase one here from Home Depot and this is the one that I use: 
Home Depot: SnoBrum

Option 4: 
Another suggestion would be covering your windshield the night before.
If you know we are going to be expecting ice or snow the following day, you can be proactive and cover your windshield. If you do not have access to a garage or carport and have to leave your vehicle outside this is a good option for you. There are companies out there that make apparatuses that you can hook on your mirrors and lay down on your windshield. We suggest looking into these apparatuses to see which would work best with your vehicle.

This is one that I have at home and used, but there are tons of other ones out there!
Sam's Club: Wintershield

Option 5:
Last but not least you can make a special de-icing solution.
There is a special hack that is going around on the web about making a solution to remove all the ice in on simple spray. You can mix ⅓ part water and ⅔ part isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) together into a spray bottle. Unfortunately I cannot try this out myself because we haven’t had the weather for it yet, but many have and claim it works.

Attached below is a video of a Meteorologist, Ken Weathers testing it out. 
Solution in Action

Before trying any solutions that we have suggested, please do your own research and decide what option would be the best for you and your vehicle.

And there you have it! A few simple options to remove ice and snow this Winter from your vehicle. Be sure to be safe out there on the roads. If you do want to make sure your vehicle is safe for the Winter months ahead stop by and make an appointment for our Winter Check.
Call us, Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center, at 609-655-2886!

Why does my windshield get so foggy?

Why does your Windshield get Foggy? Well there are actually a few different reasons that all depend on various weather conditions. Since it is Winter time, let’s get into why your Windshield gets Foggy in the Cold Weather.

When it is cold outside, we get into the car and we turn the heat on. This usually creates a fog on the inside of your windshield which limits how you can see out. To Defog your Windshield, it's recommended that you put the heat on full blast; hot air usually has more moisture in it than cool. Then you can turn the AC on to pull the moisture out. Once these steps are complete turn the recirculation button on to move the cooler air throughout the car. This method should clear up your windshield leaving it fog free!

Hope this little tip helps you have stress free mornings this Winter. To make sure your vehicle is ready for any adventure this season, make an appointment for our Winter Check. This will go through a select few items including checking your cooling system. Have a happy and safe Winter!

What happens when you drive too long on a spare tire?

If you ever get a Flat Tire and have to put on the Spare Tire, or Donut, do not drive for a long period of time on it.  It is strongly cautioned to not drive long on a Spare Tire with an All Wheel Drive Car.  The photos above are from a customer's AWD car that drove for too long on their Spare Tire.  Since the Spare Tire is actually smaller than the rest of the tires, it put excessive strain on the Differential Case, which caused the Differential Case to mechanically fail. 

With an AWD car, it is very important that your Tires all have the same circumference and similar Tread Depth to not put the strain on your Differential.  The allowable Tread Depth difference of Tires on an All Wheel Drive car is no more than 3/32nds per tire.  You can keep your Tires wearing evenly by performing a routine Tire Rotation, which is recommended every 6,000 miles.

So as you can see it is very important to replace the spare sooner than later. If you find that you are in need of new Tires, please give us a call.  We will have you back up and running with New Tires by the next day. Give us a call, Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center, at (609)-655-2886 and we will be happy to take care of you.

Winter Check

The season of Winter might not be here yet, but the weather certainly is. With our past snow storm and the cooler air, now is a good time to get some components checked on your vehicle to Get Your Car Ready For Winter. The cold weather and icy surfaces definitely have a lot of effects on how your vehicle can perform and handle and it is important to us that your vehicle is safe out there on the road. Here at JNAC, we offer a Winter Check to Prepare Your Car For Winter. This service includes the following: 

• Test Electrical System
• Check Battery
• Alternator Test
• Starter Test

• Check Cooling System
• Antifreeze (Coolant) Condition and Level 
• Check Belts and Hoses

• Check Tire Condition 
• Check Tire Pressure
• Check Tire Tread Depth

• Check Wiper Blades, Windshield Washer Fluid level and Operation, & All Fluids
• Check Exterior Lights and Interior Lights such as Headlight, Tail Light, Brake Light 

Give us a call today at (609)-655-2886 and make your appointment for this seasonal service.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns at all, please do not hesitate to ask us. Remember Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center is your one stop auto shop! 

Keeping your vehicle ready for your day to day adventures is good practice and we are here to do that for you. The Winter can be a scary time to drive, especially here in New Jersey. So it is super important you stay safe on the roads and having an able vehicle that can do that is key. We hope you have a safe and healthy Winter! 

Messages of Good Cheer

The holiday season always brings warm feelings and joy. We tend to think back on our year and remember all the good times we shared with loved ones. Here at your local repair shop, Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center, we also share in that joy and want to spread that in a fun way. When you come to visit our shop during the month of December, we will have paper ornaments for you to write a “Message of Good Cheer” on. You could write anything from kind words or a warm wish to something motivational. These ornaments will adorn our tree and spread joy to those who read them. So come on down, write a little note, and check out our Winter Check while you are here. Thank you for taking the time to spread cheer this holiday season!