Movie Cars: Starsky and Hutch

 

Starsky and Hutch originally was a TV show in the 70s. This extremely popular show inspired the 2004 film starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. If you have seen the show or the movie you know it is about a detective team in California who drive a 1974 Ford Gran Torino. The time that has lapsed from the last episode of the show to the movie was 25 years. The Torino rolled back on set to take the stage once again.

The Starsky and Hutch franchise made the Torino extremely popular. Ford even painted some of their inventory red and white and advertised it as a “Starsky and Hutch type car” to make even more sales. When the Torino was super popular, Ford had limited packages made that were very close to the movie car.

For the film, producers could not find any original Torinos from the TV show. In the film, they actually used 9 Gran Torinos for stunts and other action scenes. They were able to find one of the Ford produced special editions that was kept in great shape. This Torino was used as a template to build on to make the car for the movie!

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment from Movie Cars! Thank you so much for reading along this year. Stay tuned for more to come in the new year!! 

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Movie Cars: The Fast and The Furious

 

The Fast Furious saga contains a multitude of action packed scenes and super cool cars. Growing up, I always watched these movies and loved seeing all the different cars they used. The most well known and popular of all these cars is definitely Dominic Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger. Let’s take it all back to the first of this growing series, The Fast and The Furious. Dom, played by Vin Diesel, and his father built this car. Sadly, his father was killed in a race driving the Charger. After his dad passed, Dom was afraid to touch this car. Eventually Dom was forced into driving the Charger and it became his go to ever since. 

For the movie, there were 3 Chargers built. Two of them were used for stunts while there was one driven by Vin Diesel for all the glam shots and close ups. One of them was utterly destroyed in the final scene and another was restored and privately owned. The one that was used for the close up shots was featured at Universal Studios and is used as a show car. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment from Movie Cars! Have a great Christmas!! 

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Movie Cars: Gone in 60 Seconds

Eleanore, one of the most famous mustangs in movie history, was driven by Nicholas Cage in the 2000 film, Gone in 60 Seconds. Eleanore was a specially made 1967 Shelby GT500 designed by Chip Foose and a team at Cinema Vehicle Services. 

There were 11 made for the film and there are 3 of them still around today. The mustang started as a 1967 fastback and then was enhanced with a body kit that included new fender flares, facia, headlight bezels, and some other lights. Eleanore has sold in auction a few times for some big bucks. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another movie car segment. Have a great weekend and stay safe out there!! 

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Movie Cars: Tomorrow Never Dies

The James Bond franchise is one that has many movies and famous cars, especially the Aston Martin. This week’s Movie Car segment is not talking about the Aston Martin, but a BMW 750iL. This vehicle was featured in the 1997 film, Tomorrow Never Dies, starring Pierce Brosnan. This BMW was used in one of the coolest car chases in the James Bond franchise. It was loaded up with gadgets, rockets, and other cool Bond tools. 

The chase scene was 2 minutes long in the film and took 3 weeks to shoot. There were 17 BMW 750iL’s used in the film and 4 of them were modified to be able to be driven by a hidden driver to simulate the car being remote controlled. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment of Movie Cars! I have a ton more to talk about so I hope you all have liked reading them so far. Have a great weekend! 

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Movie Cars: Back to the Future

 

Welcome back to another Movie Cars segment! This week we are talking about the infamous DeLorean from the 1985 hit movie, Back to the Future! The first movie is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year! This movie has been a favorite in my household, it's actually my brothers all time favorite movie! If you have not seen this movie, you really have to check it out. 

Back to the Future is about young Marty McFly, played by Michael J Fox, who gets sent back to the 50s thanks to his friend Doc Brown’s, played by Christopher Lloyd’s invention. The time traveling takes place in a 1982 DeLorean powered by the Flux Capacitor. Marty meets young versions of his parents while visiting the 50s and can possibly change life as he knows it by doing so. His job is to make sure that his parents fall in love to ensure him and his siblings exist back in the 80s. 

Now the DeLorean is a super cool looking vehicle. This vehicle was created by John DeLorean, a head of General Motors. He loved to design vehicles and wanted to make his own name for himself, so he left GM and started his own company, DeLorean Motor Company, aka DMC. 

The DeLorean (DMC-12) was the car of the future. When trying to come up with the design for this unique vehicle, Mr. DeLorean went to an Italian car designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro who used his concept of a Porsche to bring the DMC-12 to life. Having those super cool wing doors and the engine in the back, Mr. DeLorean thought his vehicle would be extremely popular. However, upon release, it did not take off too well. Over some time, Mr. DeLeorean was arrested due to a mix up with the FBI and had to close the doors of his factory. At this point only 9,000 DCM-12s were produced. 

Fortunately, creators of Back to the Future chose the DeLorean over a time machine refrigerator and that sparked a new life for the DMC-12. The film used 3 slightly modified DMC-12s in the movie. The main one used, is now a display vehicle.

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment from Movie Cars. Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your week!! 

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Movie Cars: Christine

Welcome to another segment of Movie Cars! Today we are going to be talking about the film, Christine and its 1957 Plymouth Fury! Christine was a 1983 horror film that was based on one of Stephen King’s novels. The movie focused on a car, Christine, who had its own mind. Arnie Cunningham, played by Keith Gordon, buys Christine and is completely obsessed with it, a little too obsessed people might say. So Arnie’s friend decided to wreck the car and this was a bad mistake on their part. Christine restores herself and then goes on a killing rampage taking out Arnie’s friends who “beat her up.” Once Arnie and his girlfriend find out about this horrible murder and who was responsible, they decide to take action and destroy Christine.

I remember watching this film at a very young age and being absolutely terrified. Well I mean it is a pretty scary concept. Besides that, the Plymouth Fury was a very nice vehicle. During the movie, the Fury was not always a Fury; they used other Chrysler models. In fact, more than 20 Plymouths were used in the filming of the movie, including Belvederes, Savoys, and of course the Fury. All of these vehicles were painted the same red and had all the same interior color to match well between shots. 

Another interesting fact about this movie is that Christine was never remote controlled. Being a vehicle that drove by itself most of the movie, you would think there was remote control technology being used. Actually, they used stunt drivers who had a small window to see where they were going. Today only 3 cars used in this film are still out there. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment from Movie Cars! Thanks for reading and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Movie Cars: The Hollywood Knights

The 1980 movie The Hollywood Knights is about members of a drag racing club called Hollywood Knights. They find out their regular hangout spot will be closing and demolished to make room for office buildings. So the gang puts together a celebration to hopefully change the town's plans for the new building. 

The real star of this film is the 1957 Chevy 210 also known as Project X. This vehicle was canary yellow and belonged to Tony Danza’s character, Duke. Project X stood as a test vehicle for many different engine combinations and other hot rod modifications over the years. While starring in this film, the Chevy featured a really cool number 1 pool ball shift knob and what stood out the most was that it had no hood. The small block Chevy engine was the focal point on this hot rod. 

This movie featured so many iconic hot rods like a Ford Galaxie, Le Mans, and a Shelby Cobra. If you have not seen this movie, it looks like one to definitely check out! We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you have been enjoying the Movie Car blog segment. Stay tuned for more! 

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Movie Cars: Smokey and the Bandit

Smokey and the Bandit is a super popular movie that came out in 1977. It starred Burt Renyolds, as Bandit a truck driver delivering some illegal coors beer from Texas to Georgia in 28 hours. In 1977, Smokey and the Bandit actually took the number two spot after Star Wars. This movie featured one of the most popular movie cars, the Pontiac Trans Am. 

The Pontiac Trans Am in this film was actually a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977. There were 4 cars used to make this film and unfortunately, 3 of them were wrecked during filming. The last surviving car is owned by a car collector in Florida. A fun fact about the car is that the engine sound in the movie wasn’t actually from the Trans Am. It was actually recordings from the Chevrolet Custom we talked about from Two Lane Black-Top and American Graffiti. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment from Movie Cars. Have a great rest of your week! 

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Movie Cars: Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry.

The 1974 film, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, was one of those classic “run from the police” movies. It starred Peter Fonda as Larry. The two main characters robbed a bank to have money to build their dream race car; they wanted to race in NASCAR. 

The vehicle they drove was a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T 440. They actually started out the movie in a 1966 Chevy Impala, but then ditched it for a new set of wheels, the Charger. The vehicle was built to withstand one of the longest chase scenes in film history.

Unfortunately, after the movie was made, the Charger was sold for parts. The person that bought the car did not realize how special it really was until some time after his purchase. However, once he did find out, he tried to bring it back to life, but before he could finish it, the Charger was totaled. 

Not so much of a happy ending for the 1969 Dodge Charger R/T 440, but it did entertain many in the film, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry! We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment from Movie Cars! Thanks for reading and tune in for next week’s blog featuring the infamous Shelby Mustang from Gone in 60 Seconds!

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Movie Cars: White Lightning

 

White Lighting was released in 1973 starring Burt Reynolds. This was before his time with Smokey and the Bandit. Reynolds has a pretty good claim to fame for acting in movies where he gets to drive cool cars and run from the cops. This film was no different from that. Reynold’s character Gator was in prison but released early to help the FBI catch a dirty policeman, one who killed his brother. Gator thought this would be great because he would get vengeance for his brother and get to take down a villain. 

The car Gator drives is a 1971 Ford Galaxie Custom 500. The Ford was excellently driven by Reynolds. Hal Needham, the stunt coordinator and Reynolds’ stunt double, even does a 63 foot jump over the water and lands on a moving barge. This jump does unfortunately damage the undercarriage of the car and that was not intended. When he took the jump the barge captain did not accelerate enough causing Needham to just grab the edge of the barge. He jumped out of the car and then it sank to the bottom of the river. 

Well, we here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment of movie cars. Stay tuned for more!!

Information and Photo from here. 

Movie Cars: American Graffiti

The 1973 film, American Graffiti was an extremely popular movie for its movie cars, alongside the many renown actors and actresses. The cars consisted of 1951 Mercury Coupe, 1955 Chevy sedan, 1956 Ford Thunderbird, 1958 Chevy Impala, and 1932 Ford Coupe. The 1955 Chevy was the one we talked about last time from Two Lane Black Top! 

Fortunately, all those famous cars are still around today in pretty great condition. Rick Figari for example, bought the 1932 Ford Coupe pictured above. He was saying in an interview that the movie stood the test of time and became a pop culture phenomenon as young adults not born in that era of the film, would recognize the car on the road. It is really cool when stuff like that happens because the movie lives on with a whole new generation. All the other cars were enjoyed by families around the country.

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment from Movie Cars. And if you have not seen American Graffiti, we highly recommend it. 

Information and Photo from here

Movie Cars: Two-Lane Blacktop

 The 1955 Chevy 150 Sedan was the vehicle featured in the 1971 film, Two-Lane Blacktop. This film was about two guys who drive cross country in a race. There were several Chevys custom built by Richard Ruth for the movie. He built three cars, two to have camera brackets installed and the other as the stunt car to get exterior shots of. 

After these cars took the stage, they were pieced out a bit and sat for a while until being used again. One of the Chevys was actually used by one of the studio mechanic’s sons as a daily driver. It was also used by the studio while filming Smokey and the Bandit to record engine sounds that were dubbed in for the sound of the engine of the Trans-Am.

Eventually the three cars were used again in American Graffiti and unfortunately one was burned as the car Harrison Ford rolls over. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment of Movie Cars. Stay tuned for more!!

Info and photo from here

Movie Cars: Vanishing Point

 The movie Vanishing Point was released in 1971. This movie is about a car delivery driver, Kowalski and his journey to get a 1970 Dodge Challenger from Colorado to San Francisco. The catch is, he made a bet to get that vehicle to California in less than 15 hours, so you can imagine all the antics involved. This movie created a huge fan base for the 1970 Challenger and made the car even more popular than it already was. 

There were actually 5 Challengers used during the filming of the movie (which were on loan from Chrysler). The Challenger in the movie was white but rumors are that one of the cars used actually went through a repaint. It is said that during one of the scenes, you can see some green paint when the main character, Kowalski, was changing a tire. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed this segment of Movie Cars featuring Vanishing Point. Wishing you a happy Fall season! 

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Movie Cars: Bullitt

 

Bullitt was a film that came out back in 1968. This movie starred Steve McQueen and the famous 1968 Mustang. The film was action packed and featured a very iconic chase scene. If you have not watched it, I recommend it, it’s a classic! The 1968 Mustang that was featured in this movie became extremely popular and belonged to a few owners over the years. 

It lived with a man named Robert Kiernan and moved around the country as their family did. The car was basically in hiding, but when Ford released the Bullitt edition car back in 2001, the Kiernan family wanted to try to get the car back on the road. Unfortunately, Robert passed away back in 2014, but his son Sean was able to get the car road worthy. He even brought it to some shows including the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. The Mustang was later sold at a Mecum auction for a record breaking $3.74 million!!

Fun fact, when Robert Kiernan owned the Bullitt Mustang, Steve McQueen tried to buy it from him but Kiernan would not let it go. McQueen really loved the car when he was making the movie and wanted to own it for himself. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed another segment of Movie Cars. Stay tuned for more exciting history on other famous cars in film. 

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Movie Cars: Rebel Without a Cause

 

Welcome to a new segment, Movie Cars! This segment will be going into details on several famous cars that appeared in movies. Thought it would be interesting to talk about some pop culture but of course revolve it around cars. The first one up is James Dean’s 1949 Mercury Coupe that was featured in the movie, Rebel Without a Cause. The Mercury Coupe was made by Ford and marketed to be a family vehicle. The Mercury was not the fastest car and James Dean’s character in the movie needed a race car. Some aspects of the vehicle were modified to make it go faster as it could run the quarter mile in 21 seconds. 

The famous 1949 Mercury Coupe now resides in the National Automobile Museum in Reno, California. The vehicle did not only become famous for its appearance with James Dean but its style. Many Americans and hot rod enthusiasts fell in love with this car for its customization and stylish appeal. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you enjoyed this new segment. Stay tuned for more Movie Cars to come!

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Why do my headlights get yellow over time?

 

When you look at older cars, you can notice that their headlights are yellow and foggy. Unfortunately this happens as your car ages due to a few conditions. The first being oxidation. Oxidation is when your headlights get foggy and cloudy due to the UV rays  from the sun. From the manufacturer, your headlights come with a clear coating to prevent oxidation, but over time it does wear off. Once it is worn off, the sunlight turns your plastic headlights yellow. Other things that can affect your headlights are:

• Debris: Rocks, road salt, and other road debris hit your headlights as you drive. Over time this wears down that protective coating and creates scratches. 
• Dirt: Dirt will collect on your headlight causing the light beam to appear dim. This can alter the way you see as you drive down the road. 
• Water Vapor: When headlights are made, they are manufactured with a watertight seal. Unfortunately, over time this seal can break causing condensation to form inside. This cannot be wiped away unless you take apart your headlight. The water that is inside will scatter the light, making it even harder to see at night. 

Fortunately there are some things you can do to keep your headlights clean and clear. 

1. Try to park your car in shaded areas to limit the exposure of the sun, thus slowing down the oxidation process. 
2. It is important to wash your car often, and when you do, make sure you hit those headlights. Washing them with regular car soap will remove any dust, dirt, and debris causing your headlights to appear foggy.
3. You can polish your headlights with a polishing agent and cloth. This will remove yellowing. 

Unfortunately, yellowing of headlights comes with the aging of your vehicle. Fortunately there are several ways you can slow down this process. We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you found this helpful and stay safe on the roads! 

Tip Tuesday: Hurricane Vehicle Preparation

We are in the midst of hurricane season and it is very important that you take certain precautions when a storm is on the way. You know batten down the hatches, secure lawn and patio furniture, secure your garbage and recycle bins, and don’t forget about your vehicle! A hurricane is upon us this coming week so this Tip Tuesday will go into a few things you can do to prepare your vehicle to be safe during the storm. 

First and foremost, it is important to have a full tank of gas; just in case you need to evacuate.

• Make sure your wiper blades are in good condition, if they are streaking, it might be time for a new pair.
• Be sure to check your vehicle battery level. If your battery is dead, your car will not start and you don’t want this happening to you in an emergency situation. 
• Take some photos of your car before the storm comes. Just in case your vehicle gets damaged from any debris, having these photos will come in handy when trying to file an insurance claim. 
• If you have a garage, park your vehicle inside. If you don’t have one, or you can’t fit all your vehicles inside, park your vehicle against your house. This will protect it from being battered from the winds. Also do not park your vehicle under or near any trees, power lines, or anything you know that could damage it. 

After the storm passes, you should make sure your vehicle has no damage. This would be a great time to use those photos you took before the storm came! If you are going to travel on the road, it might be difficult due to down trees and power lines so just be aware and careful. There also might be flooding on the road, be sure not to drive through any water as you don’t know what could be in it. 

Hurricane Laura is coming and hopefully with these tips and tricks you can properly protect your vehicle. We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope that you stay safe out there! 

Weird Wednesday : Buried Car

It is time for a new segment, introducing... Weird Wednesday! Ever so often I will be finding a weird but cool story to write about. I thought it would be fun. So for our first Weird Wednesday, have you heard of the Plymouth Belvedere that was buried? 

Miss Belvedere was buried in 1957 in a time capsule in Tulsa Oklahoma to celebrate 50 years of becoming a state. This vehicle was buried with a bunch of other items that were popular with the people of Tulsa and the times. The car was even buried with gasoline because the people were unsure what would be used in the future. The Belvedere was to be unearthed 50 years later, in 2007. The car was shrink wrapped to protect it from water and rusting and buried in a vault. Since it was buried during the Cold War, the people of Tulsa made sure it was submerged into a vault that could withstand a nuclear explosion. 

Miss Belvedere was not only a part of the time capsule but she would be a prize to someone when unearthed in 2007. To enter the contest, the people of Tulsa had to just guess what the city’s population would be in 2007! The guesses were buried with the car. 

Fast forward to 2007, June 15 to be exact, Miss Belvedere and the other relics were to be unearthed! As the capsule was opened, onlookers saw Miss Belvedere sitting in stagnant water. The vault built was supposed to withstand a nuclear explosion but was not designed to be waterproof. Examiners actually found out that the Plymouth Belvedere was completely submerged in water a few several times over the 50 years. 

Unfortunately Miss Belvedere was completely rusted from the inside to the outside. The interior disintegrated, the engine was rusted so bad that there was no hope it would run again. The people of Tulsa were heartbroken. The winners of this vehicle had died by the time they unearthed it. So Miss Belvedere went to the winners' sisters! They had a goal to restore it, but unfortunately was put on the wayside for years. Miss Belvedere eventually had some of the rust removed over the years and in 2017, was put in her final resting place, a museum in Illinois. 

The picture above was Miss Belvedere in 2017. You can see that she looks significantly better than she did that day in 2007. I hope you enjoy this new segment! This was a really interesting story and we here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center, hope you loved reading along! 

* credit of information and photos from here

Tip Tuesday: Hot Car in the Summer

Imagine this, you walk outside your house to get into your car. It’s been parked outside in the sun for several hours. The weather outside is not too hot, it is about 77 degrees. Then once you open your door you get that puff of super hot air. Of course this is not a pleasant thing to encounter. If the temperature outside is 77, your car sitting in the sun can increase 30-50 degrees. Which makes the temperature inside your car 107-127 degrees, that is super hot. 

That being said, here are some ways to help keep your car, and yourself, a little cooler while using your vehicle this Summer. 

1. If you wear shorts or a dress and have a leather interior, there’s nothing worse than sitting on your seat and burning yourself. For this you could use some sort of cloth covering. You can keep a towel on your seat or even use cloth seat covers. Yes, these will still feel warm to the touch, but won’t burn you like the leather will. 
2. To help not get too much sun coming in your car, you can use a sunshade for your windshield. This will help reflect the sun off and not have it beating in. 
3. If you have a black interior, your car is most likely going to be super hot. There are dash mat covers you can put on your dashboard to help keep more heat out.
4. If it is a clear day with no rain in sight, you can crack your windows when you park your vehicle. This will let some of that steam out and allow fresh cooler breezes to come in and cool off your car as well. 

Summer is almost on its way out as we quickly approach August. Hopefully these tips and tricks will give you some relief while using your car in hotter months! We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you have a safe and happy Summer season! 

How should I care for my spare?

Being inside for the last few months has definitely warranted a vacation right? Well, a popular travel method this Summer is packing the kids in the car and taking a road trip. If you are planning to hit the road, it is a pretty good idea to make sure your car is ready for that trip. A very important and sort of overlooked item to check is your spare tire. 

Most vehicles come with spare tires and they can be hidden in various locations. Some are underneath your vehicle, some are in the trunk, and some may even be on the rear door like a Jeep Wrangler. If you happen to get a flat tire during your travels and your spare tire is flat, that will cause you to have some problems. 

Here are a few tips to make sure that your spare tire is ready to hit the road with you.

1. The tire pressure should be up to par. Each vehicle has a different recommended tire pressure and you can find that in your manual.
2. If you have a vehicle with a full sized spare, this should be involved with your recommended tire rotation schedule. Doing this will ensure that your tires wear evenly. 
3. If your full sized spare tire tread measures 3/32nds or less, your spare should be replaced.                                                               

Luckily for vehicles that come with temporary spares or a donut, you really only need to worry about tire pressure. Since a donut is smaller than a regular tire, it’s pressure will be different  than the tires on your vehicle. You can find all this information in your owner's manual. 

Be sure to take care of your spare before going on that road trip. All of us here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope that you have a safe and happy Summer! Happy motoring!     

Can salty air damage my car?

Most of us know that salt can be damaging to our vehicles during the Winter months, but have you ever thought of salty air or sea air? If you live by the shore or travel there often, your vehicle might have damage from the salty air. The air at the shore, especially when it is humid, holds a lot of salty moisture. The metal on your vehicle can corrode 10 times faster in those conditions instead of being in a dryer air. 

The damaging sea air starts to cause problems with the exterior of your vehicle, but it can also affect surfaces in the engine compartment. Having the hot sun beating on your paint isn’t the best either. Luckily there are some things you can do to help fight against the salty air. 

If you can park your vehicle underneath some sort of covering, whether it be a garage at your house/beach house or a parking garage. This will not only protect you from the air but the sun's rays as well. 

If you see any chips in your paint, cover them with touch up paint. This will ensure that you prevent any rust underneath. 

Once you return home from a beach vacation or if you live by the shore, it is recommended you clean your vehicle often. Washing your car will get rid of the salt and other residue that sticks to your vehicle. Giving it some wax is another added measure that will coat your paint and protect it from salt and other debris sticking. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you have a safe and fun vacation and Summer Season! Hope these tips help you protect your vehicle from sea air and other debris.  

How hot can my car get inside?

Greenhouses are specifically designed to absorb and hold heat. As sunlight pours in through the glass or plastic it heats everything up inside. Your vehicle does the same. Heat radiates from all the components on the inside of your vehicle and can not circulate out if the windows are shut. This is why car manufacturers make vehicle AC units powerful. 

The fastest rise of temperature in your car occurs as soon as you turn off your AC. If your vehicle is parked in the sun, after about an hour, the temperature inside could rise 43 degrees higher than the outdoor air. After the 90 minute mark it could rise to 48 degrees higher. So if it is 90 degrees outside in a matter of 90 minutes the inside temperature of your car could reach 138 degrees. Imagine leaving groceries in that? Knowing this, keeping a freezer bag or a cooler in your car for your groceries is a good idea. 

A lot of stores in NJ are open now, it is important to keep this in mind when shopping. We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you are continuing to stay well. Have a great Summer!

Tip Tuesday: Dog vehicle safety during the Summer

Summer is here and it is heating up. Now that we are sort of getting back to “normal” we might be traveling with our pets in the vehicle. There are very important ways to handle having your pet out in the Summer heat. Here are some tips to make sure your dog is safe in your vehicle this Summer. 

First things first, you should never leave your pet alone in your vehicle no matter the circumstances as they can potentially hurt themselves. If you were to leave your dog inside your vehicle, in the heat, there can be many health risks involved. When you turn your vehicle off, the temperature inside can increase 30-50 degrees. So imagine it is 75 degrees outside, it can get to be over 100 degrees inside your vehicle during Summer and hot days. A human should definitely not be left inside let alone an animal. A lot of pet owners believe they can leave their dog inside the vehicle as long as the window is cracked, this is not true. Your dog could suffer from many health issues for being in the hot vehicle for just a few minutes. 

The best practise it to take your dog with you. If you cannot, make sure you have someone with you who can stay in the vehicle with your dog as your vehicle is running. Safe temperatures for leaving your dog inside your vehicle are, above freezing and below 70 degrees. I personally feel more comfortable bringing my dog with me as they are a little anxious and would be afraid if I left them in the car alone. Please refer to the chart below for more information regarding safe temperatures.

All in all, just be responsible when handling your dog in the heat. You are there to protect them and keep them safe at any time of the year. The best practice is to never leave them in any extreme temperature or heat. Care for them as you would want them to care for you. We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope you have a happy and safe Summer with your family and pets! 

How do I defog my windshield in the Summer?

During the Summer months, we typically blast the air conditioning in our vehicles to keep us cool. It’s only on those super nice days we will roll the windows down. Well just because it is Summer time does not mean we are free from fog on our windshields. Fog can accumulate on our windows and windshields with any extreme temperature, too hot, too cold. 

In the Summer the outside temperature is usually hot and the temperature inside our vehicles is cooler. This can cause fog and condensation on your windshield, but it is on the outside. Having fog on the outside of the windshield is an easy fix. If you are using your air conditioning on the coldest temp setting; try switching to a higher temperature setting (in the AC mode) and the fog should dissipate. It is a good idea to move the vents from hitting the windows and windshield directly.. And since the fog is on the outside of the windshield, using your wiper blades can get rid of it as you work on regulating the temperatures inside. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope these tips help you this Summer when battling fog. Have a safe and happy Summer season! 

Will the sun damage the paint on my car?

As we know, the sun can be harmful to human skin, so we use sunscreen or wear a hat to protect ourselves. The sun’s rays can also be harmful to your vehicle’s paint. Over time, the paint will fade or oxidize from the sun beating on it. Since we protect our skin, we should also protect our vehicle’s paint. 

If it is possible, an easy and simple way to protect your vehicle from sun damage is to park it in the garage. If you do not have a garage, you can try to park your vehicle in an area that is mostly shade on your driveway. Other ways you can protect your vehicle’s paint is by washing it regularly and using wax. By washing your vehicle often you are cleaning off any harmful contaminants like bird poop, salt, and grime. Having a dirty vehicle accelerates sun damage. Applying wax on your vehicle helps stop pollutants from adhering to your paint, thus aiding in sun protection. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hope this information helps as you protect your vehicle this Summer!

What do I do if my car is hydroplaning?

Have you ever felt like you skidded while driving on a wet surface? If so, you most likely experienced hydroplaning.

Hydroplaning is uncontrollable sliding on a wet surface. Basically your tires have lost their grip on the road and encountered more water than they can scatter. 

Hydroplaning occurs from a combination of standing water on the road, car speed and under inflated or worn tires. It can cause some very undesirable, and sometimes dangerous situations. You could lose control of your vehicle and your steering ability causing your vehicle to turn sideways, veer off into other lanes, or off the road completely. The first 10 minutes of a light rain can be the most dangerous time for hydroplaning. The light rain mixes with oil residue on the road surface and creates slippery conditions that can cause vehicles to hydroplane. Especially vehicles traveling over 35 miles per hour. 

How to handle your vehicle when hydroplaning:

1. Remain calm and slow down. Avoid the natural urge to slam on your brakes.
2. Use a light pumping action on the pedal if you need to brake. If you have anti-lock brakes, you can brake normally.
3. Once you've regained control of your car, take a minute or two to calm yourself down.

The following are important tips to avoid hydroplaning:

• Keep your tires properly inflated
• Rotate and replace tires when necessary
• Slow down when roads are wet: the faster you drive, the harder it is for your tires to scatter the water
• Stay away from puddles and standing water
• Avoid driving in outer lanes where water tends to accumulate
• Try to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you
• Turn off cruise control
• Drive in a lower gear
• Avoid hard braking
• Try not to make sharp or quick turns

The best defense against hydroplaning is to make sure you have good tires and to maintain them properly. Have your tire’s tread depth and air pressure checked on a regular basis as well as rotating them during each oil change.

Am I safe in my car during a lightning storm?

Yesterday New Jersey experienced a very wicked storm. It was actually a cluster of thunderstorms called a derecho. These types of storms are very rare and can produce a lot of damage. The storm had buckets of rain, thunder, lightning, and crazy wind. If you happened to be driving during the storm, you might have been worried if you were safe in your vehicle. As a kid I was told that you were safe in your vehicle during lighting because of the rubber tires. Well that is not exactly the reason. 

If lightning strikes and you are in your vehicle, you are not protected because of your tires, they act more of a conductor than an insulator. You are safe because the lightning will travel around your vehicle and then strike the ground. In this instance your vehicle is acting like a Faraday Cage. This was a discovery found by Michael Faraday. He found out that items inside a metal cage that was struck by a strong electrical current, were unharmed. So your vehicle, being mostly made from metal, will act as a conductor; the lightning will be safely discharged to the ground. 

If you would like to read more about lightning safety, please check out the article here. 

Tip Thursday: Checking AC Temperature

The first day of Summer is just next month, time flies when you are in quarantine. Well since the warmer weather is just around the corner, we are going to start to be using our AC again. Air Conditioning is something we really do rely on to keep us cool when driving. There is nothing like that crisp air blowing on your face on a 90 degree day. You would not want that AC blowing hot, would you? I hope your answer is no, because I certainly would not want that. Checking to make sure that your AC is blowing the correct temperature is actually really easy. 

All you need to do is turn your vehicle on and let the AC run. Then you are going to want to take a thermometer and put it in the center air duct on your dashboard. Once the thermometer is in there, you would need to read it. As long as the temperature is between 40-45 degrees, your Ac is working perfectly fine. If your temperature reads above that range, you might want to get a recharge on your AC. 

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center are wishing you a happy and safe Summer season!

What can happen to my car battery as it sits?

A lot of us are home these days, which is not a norm for some. Usually we have the freedom to go about to the store, movies, restaurants, and even work.

Being that we are home, our cars are sitting at home too.  This could potentially be a problem for your car battery.  The battery in your car can still be drained even when the car is off and just sitting.  There are electrical components that are always running whether your car is on or off, like the security system.  There are also a few other factors that could affect your battery's health:

Weather/ Climate

Depending on where you live and the season, the weather can affect your battery. Right now our climate is pretty mild, it has been pretty cool so far this Spring, but it is going to start to heat up. Extreme weather conditions could shorten your battery’s life, whether it is the heat or the cold.

Type of Vehicle

If you drive a higher end vehicle like a BMW or Mercedes, you tend to have a lot of bells and whistles.  There are multiple onboard computers and energy guzzling accessories that are constantly on in the background, whether the car is on or not. These components can drain your battery’s life quickly when the car is sitting.

Battery Life

Typically, the average lifespan of a battery is 4-5 years. If you have had your battery for a while, say 4 years and it sits, there is a higher chance that it will die because it is near the end of its life.

It is a good idea to start your vehicle every so often to get everything circulated and even drive it around the block so that the battery can charge back up. The key is trying to not let your vehicle sit too long.

 Everyone here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center hopes that you are staying safe during these times, and if you do have any battery issues, we are here to help.

How is pollen harmful to my vehicle?

Pollen comes around each year in the spring and usually drives our allergies crazy. It also covers everything we have outside including our vehicles. Pollen could actually be harmful to our vehicles' paint due to its high acidity level. Pollen can cause early oxidation of your paint. When it rains, the pollen’s acidity is activated and begins to wear down your vehicle’s paint. It is very important to try to wash your vehicle when you do see pollen on it.

An easy way to remove the pollen off your vehicle is to spray the top of the vehicle with a hose. You want to work your way from top to bottom making sure you get all the areas. Once the pollen is all removed you can put some detailing spray on your vehicle. Wipe the detailing spray off with a microfiber cloth. Using the detailing spray will make your vehicle have a gloss on it and deter the pollen from sticking.

Here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center, we would like to extend our well wishes and thoughts with all of you during this time. We hope you are continuing to stay home and safe!

How do I clean bird poop off my car?

Warmer weather is finally here and that means the birds are back! Birds are beautiful little critters, but they unfortunately poop on our vehicles. Bird droppings can be difficult to clean off and could potentially damage your car. The acidity in the poop could affect your paint. It is important to make sure that if you notice any bird droppings on your vehicle that you remove it as soon as you can. 

If you do notice any droppings on your vehicle check to see if they are still wet. Removing them when wet is much simpler. If they have dried a good tip is to moisten it with a damp cloth. Once it is wet, gently wipe the droppings off, being sure to not scrape when wiping. Repeat this process until needed and this should take care of the droppings! Make sure you thoroughly wash your hands after doing this.

On a nice day like today, being that a lot of us are at home, take a stroll out to your driveway and check your vehicles for any possible bird droppings. The sooner you clean them off the better your vehicle will be. We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center all hope that you are continuing to stay well!

Tip Thursday: Caring for your Vehicle in Quarantine

 

All of us are living a different style of life right now. We have to do most of our shopping online, we are working from home, and not driving our vehicles as much as we used to. We are slowly adapting to this but your vehicle may not be.

Over time, as your vehicle sits, the oil in your engine will drip down because of gravity. You need the oil to make sure your engine is properly lubricated so all the parts work. This week's tip is to start your car and allow it to get to the optimal engine temperature, after it reaches that temp, take it for a little drive around the block. Doing this makes sure that everything is circulating throughout your vehicle.

We here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center all hope that you are staying safe. Hopefully you find this tip helpful to you during these uncertain times.

To learn more on this topic click here!

Earth Day 2020

Today we celebrate 50 years of Earth Day. The first official Earth Day was April 22nd, 1970. On this day 20 million Americans took action by protesting how our Earth was being treated. A response for many oil spills, pollution, and other harmful things that were being ignored. The voices were heard and this day created the Clear Water, Clean Air, and Endangered Species Acts. It also created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Here at Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center, we recycle our oil and tires. We also try to be green as much as we can. We hope that you all do your part by reducing, reusing, and recycling. If you can today, spend some time outside in your backyard and look at all the beauty our planet gives us. We encourage you to do your part, any way that can be, to keep our Mother Earth protected, safe, and healthy for generations to come.

For more information on Earth Day click here.

Why is my Engine Light On?

Why is my Engine Light On?

Many of our customers will ask Why is my Engine Light On?  Is it safe to drive with an Engine Light On? Well the answer to the Engine light is on, or as we call it, the Check Engine Light, is not so simple to answer.  A Check Engine Light can come on because of hundreds of different reasons. Some common examples of an Engine Light On is a Loose Gas Cap, an Evaporative System Leak, and Engine Misfire, to name a few.

It is hard to say if the car is Safe to Drive if it has an Engine Light On.  We would suggest bringing your car to a qualified Auto Repair Mechanic Shop, like Jerry Noonan’s Auto Center, to really make sure.  Is the Engine Light Blinking? A flashing (or blinking) Check Engine Light could mean a more serious issue, especially if your Engine is Running Rough.  If you have a Flashing Engine Light, please don’t drive your car, even for short distances. Have your car towed in to an Auto Repair Shop near me. Give us a call today at (609)655-2886 to come in to have your Engine Light checked.