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do not copy in whole or in part without writen permission
from
kram 1 Inc. All rights reservered Kram 1 Inc, copyright 2003
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.
They all look good until they break.
DON'T: Use ether
to start your motor.
DON'T: Push start your diesel, you may jump your belt timing.
DON'T: Get frustrated when it won't start.....call MARK 1
DIESEL
STARTING TIPS
The duration of the glowplug light is longer when the
engine is colder to allow the glowplugs
TIME to heat up.
Just because the yellow light comes on does not mean they
work. You must have them tested to
be certain. We can
install a pilot light to determine if electricity is
getting to them. This would alert you to
a bad glowplug
fuse or relay. 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 tape a
spare fuse in your owners manual kept 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. Use of a jump pack may work too. Vehicles with
cold, gummed up motors or frozen fuel lines are not going
to start. Follow the do's........
ENGINE
RUNNING HOT: Most people think to turn their air
conditioning off when the engine is running hot. In cars
with electric cooling fans it is just the opposite. If the
thermal switch on the radiator fails you can select air
conditioning and the fan runs at high speed continuously.
This will cool the engine down. If you find the engine
running hot in traffic but cool on the highway, the switch
is bad. If it runs hot all the time, bad fan, blown
fuse
or stuck thermostat.
AIR CONDITIONING: The price of R12 Freon is very
expensive.
We no longer provide R12.
Most cars that need this service have other trouble with
their A.C. other
than being out of Freon. The most common
problem is a slow leak that is not detectible such as an
o-ring that only
leaks at high pressure or a hose that
leaches over a period of time. We cannot guarantee how
long a system will
work after being charged. Even after a
repair, a new leak may develop. We do have R134A and can
charge newer systems.
We can also retro-fit 85-92 systems
to work on R134A.
MOTOR OIL: Many customers
with cars 1998 and older use
5w-30 and 10w-30 motor oil. Please read your oil use chart
in your owners manual.
Yes it is in the chart but look at
the temperature range! These grades of oil are only good
up to 62f and are
intended for cold climates. Use an oil
with 40 or 50 in the suffix. If you are using synthetic
oil, most brands
now have 5w-40 or 15w-50. To protect in
the hotter temperatures and still be good for winter.
15w-40 is an all
around good choice for all gas and diesel
motors that don't require synthetic or 5w40.
EXHAUST
LEAKS: Your car will run poorly and get poor gas
mileage if it has an exhaust leak. Let alone not pass
emissions
testing. The fuel management system depends on
a closed system to operate properly. Especially in Vanagons,
get
exhaust leaks fixed immediately.
BLOWING COOLANT HOSES OR RUNNING OUT OF OIL:
If you insist on making it to the next exit or getting
home, you will ruin your engine. That last mile or two
will cost you dearly. Stop and check your engine at the
first sign of trouble. You do have enough time to pull
over and stop. Going any further will just be expensive. A
two mile walk is cheaper than replacing your engine. Kids
and pets in the car are a concern, use your cell phone or
wait for help. If you keep going chances are the engine
is
going to fail, why add financial loss to your problems.
WHEN HAVING PROBLEMS: Check everything! Fuses,
fluids,tire pressure. Who knows? You may find the solution
yourself!
We thank you for your support.
Mark,
Rodney, and Kevin
OIL CHANGE REQUIREMENTS:
Volkswagen of America
has upgraded the oil change
requirements of the diesel TDI engines to 5w40.
This oil is only available as fully
synthetic,
for the 10,000 mile oil change interval. Gas
engine cars 1992 and older use the 056 filter (2870).The
gas engine cars 1997 and older use the 034 filter.
Gas engine cars 1998 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
EMISSIONS 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 won’t
allow an inspection to be done than there may
be something to hide. Don’t buy the car. If the inspection
station
finds a lot of needed work and you still want the
car, the use the repair costs to negociate the price down.
Use
Carfax to check the title history.
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 and 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 more than you know.
Headlights are for you to be
seen!
WE RECYCLE:
Your old metal parts are recycled by filling a car
destined for the crusher. We use your old motor oil to
heat our shop by burning it in a furnace designed to burn
old motor oil. This eliminates us charging you a disposal
fee on your oil change. The old filter is drained and put
in a scrap car. Cardboard, paper, plastic and glass are
all recycled. We don’t even have a dumpster!
USED PARTS:
We stock our own parts cars. click here for list of our parts cars
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. Some new parts may take days to obtain due to
shipping. We stock all wear item
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 you lights on or the kids
turned the dome light on and the next
morning your car 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 toys. 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, 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.
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.
DRIVING BASICS
DON’T TAILGATE, IF YOU CAN’T PASS. THEN YOU HAVE
NOWHERE TO GO. LEAVE YOURSELF SOME BREATHING ROOM.
BACK INTO YOUR PARKING SPACE, YOU HAVE CONTROL OF THE PARKING
LANE. YOU HAVE LIMITED SIGHT WHEN BACKING OUT. YOU MAY AS WELL BACK IN. FIND A PULL THROUGH SPACE AND YOU WON’T HAVE
TO BACK UP.
CAN YOU SEE THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES?
LOOK BEYOND THE CAR IN
FRONT OF YOU. DRIVE AHEAD, READ THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. REMEMBER THINGS LIKE DUMP TRUCKS AND TRACTOR TRAILERS DO NOT ACCELERATE
OR STOP LIKE CARS. YOU DON’T WANT TO BE BEHIND ONE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. YOU DON’T WANT TO CUT IN FRONT OF ONE EITHER,
THEY MAY NOT HAVE ROOM TO STOP.
Once you stop for a traffic light,
stay stopped, don't edge, edging causes brake wear and wastes gas. People drive like they walk through a mall. That's why
we don't give guns to monkeys or anyone under 16 a drivers license. Be a conscientious driver, don't block driveways or side
streets while waiting in traffic, don't race to a red light, and yellow does not mean hurry-up! Don't edge or creep at a red
light, wait for the green light and the car in front of you to move. Have you ever waited "forever" for that light
to change? You may have crossed that wide white line and off of the vehicle sensor (that rectangular groove they cut in the
blacktop is an antenna for the traffic controller to detect a car waiting)
REMEMBER WHAT WE LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN,
TO BE COURTEOUS, THE TURN SIGNAL IS NOT THE REMOTE CONTROL FOR THE STEERING WHEEL, USE IT BEFORE YOU CHANGE LANES. A BLINKING
TURN SIGNAL IS NOT THE “CUT ME OFF LIGHT”.DO NOT
SPEED UP AND CUT IN LINE WHEN TWO LANES MERGE TO ONE. KEEP
PACE WITH THE SLOWER TRAFFIC. TAKE TURNS, FORM ONE LANE.
DON’T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN THE CAR IS NOT
MOVING. THIS CAUSES ADVERSE WEAR TO THE POWER STEERING AND SUSPENSION.
LUBE DOOR HANDLES AT THE FIRST SIGN OF DIFFICULTY
OPENING THE DOOR, BEFORE THEY BREAK.
HUMMING NOISES ARE BAD TIRES OR WHEEL BEARINGS. KNOCKING NOISES ARE AXLE JOINTS
BINDING FROM LACK OF GREASE. SQUEALING NOISES FROM THE MOTOR ARE LOOSE BELTS, GET THEM TIGHTENED IMMEDIATELY OR THEY WILL
GLAZE AND REQUIRE REPLACEMENT.
TOWING IS EXPENSIVE. JOIN A MOTOR CLUB OR
ADD EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE TO YOUR
CARS INSURANCE POLICY
(ABOUT $15 A YEAR). TOWING HAS BECOME AN INDUSTRY. TOW
TRUCKS ARE EXPENSIVE, SO IS THE SERVICE.
USE YOUR TURN SIGNAL AS SOON AS YOU THINK ABOUT TURNING BEFORE YOU LOOK , BRAKE OR TURN. THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH
IS NOT A REMOTE FOR THE STEERING WHEEL! WARN THE VEHICLE BEHIND YOU OF YOUR INTENTIONS!
COURTESY
IS CONTAGIOUS
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