October is Fall Car Care Month, the perfect time to help your customers prepare their vehicles for the winter weather just on the horizon. A thorough inspection will go a long way toward ensuring safety and dependability when temperatures drop and severe winter weather finally strikes. A routine maintenance check also makes financial sense, extending useful vehicle life and helping customers avoid the unexpected costly repairs of an emergency roadside situation. “Harsh winter weather can be tough on vehicles, and ensuring your customers’ vehicles are winter-ready before the weather gets bad is a sensible approach to helping them avoid

Even though the calendar still says winter, National Car Care Month in April is right around the corner. It’s never too early to start thinking about ways to leverage the Car Care Council’s “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign to help grow your business. Participating in National Car Care Month is time well spent and gives you a chance to build awareness of your business, increase car counts and educate consumers on how much of their vehicle’s maintenance is going unchecked. National Car Care Month is the perfect time to reach out to current customers and potential new

While last year’s brutal winter may seem like a distant memory, severe weather is once again on its way. The last thing any driver needs is to break down along the road in the bitter cold. Plus, with the year coming to an end, more drivers will be packing their cars and heading home for the holidays. Now is the time to make sure your customers’ vehicles are ready for the rough weather conditions ahead.“With the change in the seasons comes more service opportunities for fast lube operators and automotive shops, especially for oil changes and related maintenance,” said

If the heat of summer is wearing you down, it is likely taking its toll on your customers’ vehicle batteries, too. Contrary to popular belief, summer highs rather than winter lows pose the greater threat to battery life.Excessive heat and overcharging are the two main reasons for shortened battery life. Heat causes the water to evaporate out of the battery fluid, thus damaging the internal structure of the battery. A malfunctioning component in the charging system, usually the voltage regulator, allows too high of a charging rate, leading to slow death for a battery.When most motorists think of dead

With better weather and longer days on the horizon, many motorists will start making plans to hit the road this spring and summer. Relatively low gas prices means they will have lots of company. The millions of Americans that take road trips each year will increase service opportunities for fast lube operators and automotive shops, especially for oil changes and related maintenance. Making sure your customers’ vehicles are ready for travel and taking steps to have any problems fixed before heading out for vacation will help avoid the hassle and unexpected cost of a break down miles away from

For most of the country, winter usually means cold temperatures, snow and ice. And in the midst of severe weather we tend to start longing for warm and sunny days. As you start dreaming about spring, remember National Car Care Month is in April. While it seems a ways down the road, it’s never too early to think about ways to leverage the Car Care Council’s national consumer media campaign to help grow your business. A quick visit to www.carcare.org can help you get started with plans for National Car Care Month.After a harsh winter, customers’ vehicles will need

For most of the country, winter usually means cold temperatures, snow and ice. And in the midst of severe weather we tend to start longing for warm and sunny days. As you start dreaming about spring, remember National Car Care Month is in April. While it seems a ways down the road, it’s never too early to think about ways to leverage the Car Care Council’s national consumer media campaign to help grow your business. A quick visit to www.carcare.org can help you get started with plans for National Car Care Month.After a harsh winter, customers’ vehicles will need

Harsh winter weather can be tough on vehicles, and the last thing any driver needs is to break down. Making sure your customers’ vehicles are winter-ready now is a sensible approach to helping them avoid the inconvenience of being stranded in the cold. As colder weather nears, so does the potential for treacherous road conditions. Giving certain areas of the car special attention is necessary to maintain optimal performance. The changing seasons means more service opportunities for you that will not only generate more business, but will also create a sense of goodwill with your customers.Fall Car Care Month

As the weather gets warmer and the school year comes to a close, many of your customers are beginning to plan their summer trips. Whether a weekend getaway, driving to a summer vacation destination or simply visiting friends or family, the number of miles driven this summer is almost certain to be higher than it has been in many years. The increase in miles driven also means more service opportunities, especially oil changes and related maintenance, for fast lube operators coast to coast. Having a proper plan in place to capitalize on this potential business could make for a

In late April 2014, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) changed its name to the Auto Care Association (ACA). We spent a year and a half on an extensive rebranding initiative that would ultimately change the name of our industry from the automotive aftermarket industry to the auto care industry.Our association identified a major obstacle to achieve our key strategic plan goal to increase the awareness and understanding of the role, value and significance of the industry and the association among our stakeholders and audiences.Intuitively, we believed the obstacle was, people outside of our industry didn’t understand what the