Safe Trick or Treating is tonight at the Galleria!

Tonight is Safe Trick or Treating from 6pm to 8pm at the Galleria. Have fun!

The Right, Eco-Friendly Way to Wash Your Car

Do you know the most eco friendly way to wash your car? Read on to find out!

"Preserving the environment is a major concern these days, especially when it comes to automobiles. This even applies to something as seemingly mundane as preserving your vehicle's appearance. How and where you wash your car does make a difference. The matter is never more critical than in spring, when most proud car owners are busy washing off the effects of winter's unrelenting assault before it takes a toll on their pride and joy's looks, integrity and mechanical well-being.


Making a habit of keeping your vehicle as clean as possible, inside and out, will reap great benefits. A sparkling-clean car will not only flatter the eye and the owner's ego, it will also help the vehicle last longer and stay in better shape, thus improving resale value.


The question here is: What is the best and most eco-friendly way to achieve and sustain vehicular cleanliness?


Routine Cleaning
Dirt, road salt, tar and various other forms of gunk, goo and residue are your car's worst enemies. Keeping them off your vehicle's bodywork, year-round, is the basic challenge. Hand-washing a car remains the best and most effective way to do this, but it must be done the right way, and even then it is not the most environmentally friendly way to go.


These days the "greenest" way to wash your car is to run it through an automatic car wash. Studies show that a session in the car wash uses roughly half the water the average owner would use while washing it at home with the traditional bucket and hose. Commercial car-wash systems are also required, by law, to contain and collect the water used during the wash. So are professional detailers. The waste water is then cleaned and, in most cases, used again.


Automatic car-wash systems even get the nod from car-care professionals, especially when it comes to routine cleanings. David Lee, owner and operator of L.A. Detail, based in Toronto, offers thorough detailing services, but he freely admits to using commercial car-wash systems for his personal vehicle and says he finds them both useful and practical.


However, Lee is also quick to point out that not all systems are equally safe and effective. He favors the high-pressure, no-contact systems and warns against using systems with rotating brushes or moplike, moving felt mats. It's hard to assess how well-maintained these systems are, and your car's paint finish might be at the mercy of the grit that was scrubbed off the crusty old jalopy that passed through the wash just before your car. And paint could be at risk even in the best-maintained systems because of the friction generated by the brushes and mats.


High-pressure systems also are useful in performing the most difficult of tasks: cleaning off as much dirt and salt as possible from your vehicle's undercarriage, fender liners and rocker panels. The operation is entirely worth the extra couple of dollars, Lee says. "The best approach is to run your vehicle through a car wash regularly to keep the dirt from building up and digging into the surface," he says.


Lee adds that brush-free systems are at their best when only a light wash is needed. Frequency then becomes the key. Their weak point is glass, "so I always use the squeegee on glass surfaces before running my vehicle through," he says.


The Dirty Job
For really dirty jobs, the best and most effective way to wash a vehicle still involves elbow grease. That's how pro detailers do it to this day. It's the only way some dirt and residue can be removed. Clay, for instance, can leave a hazy, brownish film that will resist a high-pressure brushless car wash.


While hand-washing might get your vehicle the cleanest, it can be far from environmentally friendly. The main culprits are the excessive use of water and the release of harmful substances such as soap residue, oil, acid and metal particles into the sewer system while washing and rinsing. Some cities and states have banned home car washing for these reasons. Others do so indirectly by forbidding all use of tap water outdoors to preserve dwindling supplies during hot spells.


If you plan to wash at home, your first move is to get automotive soap and cleaners that are biodegradable and nontoxic. Even then, you should avoid washing over pavement, which would let the wash water drain into a sewer, storm drain or ditch that would then let it seep into the water system. Make sure to wash over grass or gravel that will absorb the water into the ground to reduce or eliminate the environmental impact.


Hand-Wash the Right Way
The golden rule for hand-washing, Lee says, is to be "as gentle as possible" to avoid scratching or etching the finish. Make sure your car is cool and parked in the shade. You should also wash in the shade to keep the surface from drying out instantly and leaving soap streaks and scratches.


Fill two buckets with tap water. The first gets the soap, with the right dilution ratio, and the second is for rinsing dirt and particles off thoroughly as you go over the car, section by section, moving from top to bottom. Leave the rocker panels and wheels, always the dirtiest bits, for last. Otherwise, the grit from these areas will get stuck in the cleaning rags and scratch the finish off your car as you rub it clean.


Your first step it to give your car the best possible rinse to remove as much of the dirt, dust and grime as possible. Pressure washers do a good job. Lee's team uses and recommends them. "They get dirt out of the nooks and crannies and save a lot of water, too, since pressure does most of the job," he says.


You should use two soft mittens or natural sponges for washing. The first only touches the painted surfaces and the second only the wheels, tires and other dirtiest bits. Rinse them in the second bucket as much as needed to get rid of the slightest grain of sand or dirt. Work in sections that you rinse with the hose as you go. Turn the water off between rinses to avoid waste.


Lee gives the nod to the traditional chamois, be it natural or synthetic, to dry the car afterward. Let the chamois soak thoroughly before use and rinse it frequently. Another pro tip is to use the moist chamois to wipe hazy deposits from the instrument panel and the inside of the windshield once the exterior is done.


A good spring cleaning should also include the floors, where a lot of grit, grime, salt and water has accumulated, often leaving a nasty crust where it dries. An excellent tool for this operation is a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. First, vacuum up as much of the dry stuff as you can. If deposits remain, scrub them with a brush, hot water and some vinegar, but do so sparingly. Then vacuum again quickly. Do not use too much water; it will dissolve the salt, and the resulting mixture will seep under the carpet and never dry. The result might be a rusted floor pan. The door jambs and sills should also be cleaned, this time with lukewarm water and soap.


Additional Steps
Once your car shines after that spring cleaning, you will want to wax it for protection against the elements, including the scorching summer sun. Lee says that the two-stage approach of applying a pre-cleaner compound first and then a protective wax is worth the extra effort.


You can also use "dressing" products on your tires. "Use the clear, petroleum-based type that seems to 'nourish' the rubber," Lee says. It is best to apply it with a cloth instead of spraying it on to avoid getting the stuff on your alloy wheels, where it becomes "a dust magnet." And you should wipe off the excess after a few minutes. Indeed, if the oily liquid mixes with brake dust and spins off onto rocker panels and fenders, it can permanently damage the paint.


These additional steps will help preserve the long-term appearance and value of your prized possession. And a clean car always runs nicer, doesn't it?"

Read more http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1184306&page=2

5 Great Excuses for Buying a Truck

Need to convince your significant other of the obvious benefits of owning a truck? Look no further.

Sure, you want one, but does she? Here are talking points for that kitchen-table debate.

We feel your pain. You want a manly pickup truck, one with some room inside and beans — big ones — under the hood. But there's a problem. You live in the suburbs and work in an office, and you never really get your hands dirty, except during occasional yardwork or projects around the house. You don't have any horses to feed or pallets of cement to haul. Consequently, your wife thinks you're crazy. She thinks you need to grow up and leave behind your sandbox fascination with shiny trucks that go vroom. Naturally, you disagree. Your intuition says there's plenty of time to grow up later, and you want a truck now.

That means you'll need some good reasons to justify parking that pickup truck in your driveway. Here are five that'll get you started and that she just might buy.

Bing: Truck Buying Advice

1. “We can do more things with the kids.”

Any parent can tell you that kids mean stuff, and lots of it. Tote the kids anywhere and you have to haul seemingly half that stuff with you. Nothing moves stuff easier than a pickup. Sure, the old minivan is more secure and weather-tight, and it provides easier access. But bolt a camper shell or tonneau on a pickup and it'll haul an entire Toys R Us to the park, beach or grandma's. This is an especially powerful argument when the kids are a little older and have larger toys, such as bicycles.

2. “It’ll make home improvements a whole lot easier.”

Now here's an appeal she can't resist. With a pickup truck, your home-improvement capabilities improve exponentially. Never mind that the local big-box store has delivery options. Necessities such as peat moss, drywall and silly-looking patio furniture are a natural fit for a pickup. Remember, you don't actually have to haul such stuff; it's the promise that counts. No woman can resist a man who is willing to tackle her "honey-do" list.

There's a meaningful downside to this argument, however. If you are the only one in your social circle with a pickup, you'll soon discover just how much junk your buddies and their wives want to schlep home, too.

3. “A truck is safer than a sedan.”


Even the wiliest spouse is helpless against the omnipotent safety argument, no matter how blatantly self-serving. Ignoring the fact that all modern vehicles are amazingly crash-worthy, the impressive size, heft and carrying capacity of, say, a Ford F-150 suggest that it will fare better in a fender-bender than a lighter, smaller Toyota Camry. It's a simple matter of physics, right? Jousts with another alpha male in another pickup or large SUV negate this logic. We recommend not mentioning the latter when pleading your argument.

4. “It’s equipped like a luxury car inside.”

This appeal might cost you a little extra to realize the truck of your dreams, but it can be an incentive for a spouse oriented more to aromatherapy and pedicures than to boondocking. Sure, the base trim on most pickups is a bland vinyl desert. But a dive into the oasis of the options list can up the ante quite a bit.

Some domestic pickups feature near-luxury interiors designed to please the most fastidious of decorators. Plus, a pickup's ample seating and generous legroom are a real boon to the large or lanky.

5. “We could tow the boat with it.”

It's our experience that kids and women love boats. We can't explain it, but they do. And a tow-ready pickup is the easiest way to get your small sloop, runabout or kayak to the water and back home safely. Plus, you can carry all sorts of gear in the bed — tubes, skis, picnic baskets, Jet Skis, etc. (Warning: Don't include fishing gear on that list, unless your spouse or the kids like to fish. That's a hobby, your hobby, and one that monopolizes your time.) Key to your pitch is that you must first have the boat — that is, unless she's been bugging you to get one. Then you can say, "We'll need a truck to tow it."

Even if you don't own a boat, a pickup will open a new world of recreational opportunities. Kids love outdoor adventures, moms love being with happy kids, and dad is happy when mom is happy.

Read more 

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/5-great-excuses-for-buying-a-truck

What's your favorite excuse to buy a truck?

Initial Quality Study and Strategic Vision Total Quality Index give 2011 Dodge Challenger Highest Rating In Class

The Initial Quality Study (IQS) by J.D. Power and Associations as well as the Strategic Vision Total Quality Index (TQI)have both given the 2011 Dodge Challenger the highest rating in his class.  Doing better than both the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro.

Today’s Challenger lineup now features three performance-oriented alternatives:

• Challenger SE, with an all-new Pentastar V6 that is both more powerful and more fuel-efficient than last year’s; the high-tech engine makes 305 hp (55 more than the Challenger’s previous V6) while achieving EPA ratings of up to 27 mpg highway (2 more than last year).
• Challenger R/T, offering enhanced HEMI-supplied power courtesy of a 5.7-liter V8 that can deliver 376 horses and race from 0-60 in less than six seconds.
• Challenger SRT8 392, boasting a massive 392-cubic-inch HEMI V8 that delivers a thundering 470 hp and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to either a standard Tremec six-speed manual transmission or Dodge’s advanced five-speed automatic with Auto Stick manual-shifting capabilities; with the former combination, the Challenger SRT8 392 can rip off 0-60 runs in the high four-second range.

So when you’re ready for a high performer that challenges preconceived notions of muscle-car quality, the award-winning Dodge Challenger is ready for you.

Read more: http://www.dodgeinthenews.com/2011-dodge-challenger-high-quality-high-performance/#more-637

Ram Unveils New 1500 Tradesman Pickup

Great news for all of you truck enthusiasts!

Ram has announced a series of updates to its rugged lineup of pickups. The biggest change is the addition of the 1500 Tradesman Heavy Duty, which combines all of the excellent value of the standard Tradesman, but adds three-quarter-ton towing and cargo capacity as well.

The Tradesman HD is capable of towing 11,500 pounds, which beats the Ford F-150 by 200 pounds and the Chevrolet Silverado by 800 pounds. Equally impressive is the truck’s 3,100 pound payload capacity, which exceeds the F-150 by 40 pounds and the Silverado by 1,235 pounds.

“The Ram 1500 Tradesman Heavy Duty is a job-rated truck with the features commercial truck buyers want at a price they can afford,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico, Chrysler Group LLC. “The commercial truck segment is all about total cost of ownership and that includes being able to tow and haul more. It’s a simple matter of economics. More towing and payload means fewer loads. And fewer loads mean lower fuel bills.”

Aside from the Tradesman HD’s arrival, Ram has also updated the 1500 Express. Buyers can now get a Crew Cab or Quad Cab for the first time. The 1500 Express Crew Cab starts at $28,050 while the Quad Cab can be had for $30,010.

Ram also announced that the popular Rambox system is now able to accommodate 6-foot, 4-inch bed lengths.

Read more: http://www.chryslerinthenews.com/ram-unveils-new-1500-tradesman-pickup/#more-1064