Before
you visit us let me tell you a story.
A man moved to a small town that had only 2 barber shops.
He visited the
first shop to find the place was a mess,
hair all over the floor, cluttered up and the barber had a bad hair-cut.
He went to the other barber shop to find the place was clean as a pin,
neat, orderly and the barber had a great hair-cut.
Which barber would you have cut your hair? Well you see,
the shop with all the business is the one with the hair
on the floor!
The barber there, for professional courtesy, goes to the other barber for his hair-cuts.
(that is
why he has the bad hair cut)
We understand Volkswagen. We only service Volkswagens. From
Beetles, Buses, Karmann Ghia, Type III, 411 412, to
New Beetles. Fox, Rabbit, Golf, Jetta,
Passat, Quantum,
Corrado, Scirocco, Vanagon, and Eurovan.
We use the factory equipment like the 1552 code box to
check engine warning
lights on 1990 and newer Volkswagens.
DIESEL DO'S AND DON'TS
DO: Treat your fuel for added performance and component wear
protection.
DO: Service your engine and change your
oil on time.
DO: Check your glowplugs at the first sign of starting
trouble, don't wait, below 50° it won't start
without them.
DO: Replace your timing belt every four years or 60,000
miles, or it may break causing expensive
motor repairs.
DON'T: Use ether to start your motor.
DON'T: Push start your diesel, you may jump your belt
timing.
DON'T: run low or out of fuel, tow, prime fuel system, lost time will cost your more than that 5 cent less a gallon
fuel you were waiting to buy.
DON'T: Get frustrated when it won't start.....call MARK I
DIESEL STARTING TIPS
The duration of the glowplug light is longer when the engine
is
colder to allow the glowplugs TIME to heat up. This does
not mean they work. We can install an indicator light to
verify voltage reaches the glowplugs. You must have them
tested to be certain they work (get hot). Your glowplug fuse
is not one of the colored fuses found in the fuse panel. It
may be above the relays or in the engine compartment.
You
should keep a spare in the car. Jump starting requires 4ga
jumper cables for good results. You may have to
leave the
jumping vehicle connected for 15 minutes or more to CHARGE
the dead battery. Vehicles with gummed up
motors or frozen
fuel lines are not going to start. Follow the do's........
OIL
CHANGE REQUIREMENTS:
Volkswagen of America has upgraded the oil change requirements
of the diesel TDI engines
to 5w40 or 0w40 fully synthetic for the
10,000 mile oil change interval.
We use LubroMolly, ELF, Mobil 1,Total
or Pentosin Oil with the VW 505.01 505.00 ratings
Gas engine cars 1992 and
older use the 056 filter .Gas engine
cars 1993 and newer
require the 06A oil filter.
CAN’T DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR CAR?
If the needed
repairs exceed what you want to spend, or you just want to get rid of it, call us at 301-898-9869 and your Volkswagen will
live on being used for parts in other Volkswagens. You may leave your
VW at Mark I, with your signed title. We can also
pick up your Volkswagen. Today, most old cars are taken to the salvage yard, have their fluids drained and are crushed. They
go straight to the shreader to be used as new metal. The enviromental impact of not recycling the parts is huge. Your car
should live on, providing doaner parts for the cars that are still running. Replacement parts from China are cheap, but the
used parts from your old car are better for the enviroment. It is enviromentally friendly to recycle your old Volkswagen.
Call us to pick up your old Volkswagen so that it may live on helping other Volkswagens survive. click here to request pick-up
EMISSION TESTS:
Schedule your engine services to within 30 days of your
test
date. This will allow that dollar amount to apply towards a
waiver in case your car does not pass. You should
also have
an oil change no more than 1000 miles before your test. This
will help too.
BEFORE YOU BUY A CAR IN MARYLAND:
Have the seller get the vehicle to an inspection station of
their or your choice. Even if the vehicle is for sale “as is”
your next step after handing over your money is an
inspection.
Do the inspection first. Offer to pay for the
inspection if the seller does not want to. If the seller
will not allow an inspection to be done then there may be
something to hide. Do not buy the car. If the inspection
station finds a lot of needed work and you still want the
car, then use the repair costs to negotiate the price
down.
MARYLAND STATE VEHICLE INSPECTION
Maryland inspection requirements
changed.
You can now "tag" your car with metal plates without the inspection certificate.
They will expire next
month. You can drive where you like but they will not be renewed untill you pass inspection. As of October 2006 if your vehicle
is older than 20 years (1987) you can register your car as historic and avoid the state inspection. Even if you want to inspect
the car, the temporary plate surcharge of $25 is only $2 less than the 2 year registration for historic! This gives you a
lot more time to pass inspection and no expriation in 30 days.
AIR CONDITIONING:
We no longer recharge R12 systems (1992 and older cars). We
will evacuate and charge the system with R134. The economy
method is not as successful as the full conversion method.
Call for an estimate.
DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS:
We can modify your headlight switch to have all your lights
come
on with the ignition and turn off with the ignition.
(1992 and older cars). The cost is less than $30. No more
dead
battery from leaving your lights on. No more driving
in fog or rain with them off. Other drivers will appreciate
it.
Headlights are for you to be seen!
WE RECYCLE:
We went "green" in 1988 when dumpster fees went up, disposal fees skyrocketed. Your old metal parts are
recycled by filling a car destined for the
crusher
with them.
We use your old motor oil to heat our shop by burning it in a furnace designed to burn old motor oil since
1986. This eliminates charging you a disposal fee on your oil change
(you will never see an eco fee).
The old filter is drained and put in a
car being scrapped.
Cardboard, paper, plastic and glass are all recycled.
We don’t even have a dumpster!
USED PARTS:
We stock
our own parts cars. All cars run on used parts.
These cars are called elves.
End of Life Vehicles. Bought
from insurance companies, previous owners or through donations we
keep a supply of used parts to keep your used car on the road. A used part on hand can put your car
back in working
order the same day.
Click here for list of our parts cars. Some new
parts may take days to obtain. We stock all wear items as new
parts such as brakes and wheel bearings etc.
JUMP PACK:
You can buy a jump pack at SAMS CLUB or many other stores
for about $50 to $80. A jump pack is a compact high output
battery with jumper cables attached. You can keep it in
the
trunk. If you have left your lights on, or the kids turned
the dome light on and the next morning your car
battery is dead you
can get your car started again by using the jump pack. No
more jumper cables. No waiting for
someone to come home or
asking strangers for help. If you call us for a jump start,
this is what we use!
TOYS:
We have an extensive inventory of Volkswagen toy cars.
Vintage diecast cars dating back to the 60's all the way
to the present. Looking for a particular VW or color? Call
Mark for price and availability.
INSURING YOUR CAR:
When your newer car gets older and you have finished paying
for it, do not cancel the full coverage! You will hit
a deer next week! Look into the actual costs of the different
parts of your coverage. Collision coverage repairs your
car when you are at fault. Adjust the deductible to save
money. Comprehensive coverage is for things that are not
your fault. Such as deer incidents, trees falling, debris hitting your
car, rodents nibbling wires. Vandalism, broken
windows,
stolen radios, slashed tires. If you do not live in a
metropolitan area you can get ACV coverage. Actual
cash value,
this is a zero deductible. It may only cost you $30 more a
year to lower your $100 deductible down
to zero! After
replacing that rock chipped windshield it really saved you
money. Your premium will not increase
for making claims on
comprehensive coverage.
LOCKS AND DOORS:
When you have lost
your car keys or have doors or trunk locks
that don’t match your ignition. We can make keys and change
lock cylinders.
We need a door handle or lock to obtain the
lock code. Then a key can be made. We can change a lock
cylinder to
work with another key. Have us record your lock
code on your next visit . We also make original look and genuine
Volkswagen keys.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, © KRAM
1, INC 1979-2009
RECYCLE REUSE, YOU CHOOSE